|
|
|
|
|
Another test awaits
India
England will win ODI series too, says Botham |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
England dominated a very good side: Flower
Gambhir undergoes MRI scan, report awaited
Muthiah seeks to stall Srinivasan becoming BCCI chief
Squash: India advance to pre-quarterfinals
Raghunath, Vikas replace Sandeep, Sardara
Mercedes-Benz is official automobile partner for BIC
|
|
Praveen missed the final Test at the Oval due to an ankle injury while Gambhir suffered a concussion making him a mere shadow of his formidable self in the two innings of the match. Team India would find it difficult to live it down if a recently injured cricketer breaks down in the one-day series like Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag did in the Test matches. As a result, India would like to throw as many youngsters as possible into the fray to assess their early form and confidence. In all likelihood, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar would pull out to give a few younger batsmen the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the seaming and swinging conditions. It would ensure that all four young batsmen of the side — Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma — lose little time in coming to grips with the testing conditions. If skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni also sits out — and the Indian captain does need a break — than Parthiv Patel would have a critical opportunity. If this season has been the one to have marred reputations, it can also be one to make reputations. There ought to be scramble for ODI places among young batters as well as bowlers. Munaf Patel, so far kept in cotton wool, would have an opportunity to show his utility after being discarded in favour of RP Singh in the final Test at Oval last week. In all likelihood, India would like to test their bowling combination for the one-dayers and hence Munaf Patel, Praveen Kumar, R Ashwin and one between Vinay Kumar and young Varun Aaron should play. They could have a good simulating situation to ODIs since Sussex boasts of some big names and the wicket at Hove is said to assist seam and swing. Indian cricket fans would be familiar with the names of Murray Goodwin, Matt Prior, Monty Panesar, and South African quick Wayne Parnell. Michael Yardy, Ed Joyce and Luke Wright have all been England players. The two Pakistanis, Naved-ul Hasan and Umar Gul need no introduction. The match will start at 2.45 p.m (IST). — PTI
|
|
England will win ODI series too, says Botham
London, August 24 "I think the England squad to be named on Friday will beat India in the five-match one-day series. India are world champions and England were knocked out in the quarter-finals, but don't forget India came to these shores as the world No.1 Test team and look what happened," Botham wrote in his column for 'The Daily Mirror'. "England are the current World Twenty20 champions and on home soil they have been pretty successful. A knackering series in Australia and the World Cup after the Ashes apart, England's one-day form has been good for a couple of years. I expect to see them target that form of the game over the next few months and beyond," he added. Botham lavished praise on England for whitewashing India 4-0 with consistently good performances in the just-concluded Test series. "It has been coming for a while and I've known for some time I was watching a special Test team, but it was still wonderful to see them deliver the way they did by finishing with a whitewash of the Indians," he said. "They are the very best and they will continue to be the best for years to come I believe. Just how many years is up to them, but what I'm seeing is a work ethic and a hunger that will not be diminished while this group are together. "And there is no way captain Andrew Strauss or coach Andy Flower will let them off the hook if they think they've made it," he added. — PTI
|
|
England dominated a very good side: Flower
London, August 24 With players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman in their ranks, India, despite being injury-hit, were no pushovers but England made them look very ordinary by handing a 4-0 drubbing. "They have dominated a very good side here, and I don't think we should forget that," said Flower. "There are some very fine cricketers in that Indian side, and they have been performing at a high level for a very long time," the Zimbabwean added. England have now become the world's number one Test team by dethroning India and Flower lavished praise on his wards for the rise. "They are hugely experienced -- so to play like we did and to dominate them like we did is a great credit to these England players," he said. "It gives me tremendous satisfaction, but it is the players we have to think about. I looked at them in the changing room after the game, and they can rightly feel very proud of themselves. "They've put in a tremendous amount of hard work to get themselves into a place where they feel very confident and where they are making good decisions - and then are good enough to back them up out in the middle," he added. — PTI
|
|
Gambhir undergoes MRI scan, report awaited
Gambhir suffered the concussion after he backpedalled at mid-on in a bid to catch a miscued pull off Kevin Pietersen. The chance was fluffed when Gambhir fell back and hit his head on the ground with a thud. The present series has been one of misfortune for Gambhir. He was painfully hit on his right elbow while fielding at forward short leg during the first Test at Lord's last month. He subsequently had to miss the second Test at Trent Bridge. He did play the third Test at Edgbaston and scored 38 and 14 in the two innings. Bad luck again bedeviled him in the final Test where he scored 10 and 3 coming low down the order. Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was to say later that the opener was suffering from "blurred vision." — PTI
|
|
Muthiah seeks to stall Srinivasan becoming BCCI chief
New Delhi, August 24 The case relating to the conflict of interest had been considered by a Bench of the Supreme Court, but it delivered a split verdict which necessitated the matter being referred to a larger Bench. Arguing before a Bench comprising Justices Altamas Kabir and SS Nijjar, Muthiah’s counsel today said since the larger Bench was yet to be constituted Srinivasan should stay away from becoming BCCI chief. The Bench, however, refused to entertain the plea, advising him to take up the issue with the Chief Justice. |
|
Baichung Bhutia calls it quits
New Delhi, August 24 Bhutia featured in many a memorable win for the country, the notables being the two successive Nehru Cup title triumphs againstSyria at the Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi. He was also the main cog in India’s wheel when they qualified for the Asian Championship, after a lapse of over 24 years. Bhutia had been included in the Indian team for a series against Pakistan and England Under-23, scheduled in Britain in the coming few days, but he opted out of the tour to concentrate his energy for his State team, United Sikkim Club, in the Federation Cup Tournament, starting on September 3. Like a true sportsman, he chose the Football House, the headquarters of the All-India Football Federation (AIFF), to announce his retirement here today, though off late, he had no love lost for the federation. AIFF secretary-general Kushal Das lauded Bhutia for all his achievements and his contribution to Indian football. “The AIFF will be seeking his support for the future development of the sport in the country,” he added. Bhutia was draped with a shawl and presented a silver plaque on the occasion, as a token of appreciation, from the AIFF. AIFF president Praful Patel, in a message, thanked Bhutia for his contribution to Indian football. “He’s a true icon of Indian football and it is indeed a sad day that he has decided to hang his boots from international football,” Patel observed. “It’s hard for any footballer to decide on his retirement, and I wasn’t any exception,” Bhutia said. “But everyone has to retire one day. I wanted to retire after playing a match (for the country), but recurring injuries prevented me from donning the India jersey for one more time.” Bhutia, however, said he would not snap his association with the game and his services would be available for the federation in whatever capacity he would fit into. “My association with the United Sikkim Football Club and my football schools will keep me going,” he said. Bhutia said he enjoyed “every moment” of his playing career. He said winning the AFC Challenge Cup in 2008, to qualify for the Asian Cup, were the “best moments” of his career. “It was a huge achievement. It happened in front of the home crowd (Ambedkar Stadium in Delhi),” he added. Bhutia wanted to quit after playing in the Asian Championship, but he could play only for 15 minutes due to injury and deferred his retirement, hoping that he would play for another seven-eight months. But injuries continued to dog him, which eventually forced his hand. He made up his mind when British coach Bob Houghton made a premature exit as the National coach of, due to differences with the AIFF. Bhutia had a fine equation with Houghton as he felt the Briton had brought in a refreshing change in the mode and method of training, which resulted in some remarkable wins, the most notable being the two Nehru Cup triumphs and India qualifying for the Asian Championship. But Bhutia had to pay a heavy price for backing Houghton, as he was excluded from the Indian team for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers and the preceding preparatory matches. Bhutia, however, took everything in his stride and faced the inevitable bravely. “Lots of things in life do not happen the way we wish. But I will continue playing for my club,” he stated. Bhutia foresaw a bright future for Indian football, as the country had a bunch of dedicated players. “The players are a professional bunch. Football is their bread and butter. I have high hopes on Sunil Chhetri and Jeje Lalpeklua. There is plenty of talent around,” Bhutia noted. He stressed that for India to become a soccer force, the clubs should give thrust on the Youth Development Programme — a responsibility from which the clubs just cannot escape. “Clubs around the world have their own grass-root coaching programmes. The Indian clubs need to take a leaf out of their book.” Bhutia said former Indian captain I.M. Vijayan was the best player he had played with for the country. “He was a class apart. He had the talent to play anywhere in the world. But it’s said that there wasn’t anyone to guide him to reach that level.” The former Indian skipper said foreign coaches like Houghton, Stephen Constantine and Rustam Akramov and our own Sukhwinder Singh were all wonderful coaches under whom "I have had memorable moments”. “Under Houghton, we won three tournaments; under Constantine we won the LG Cup (in Vietnam). I can also never forget Akramov’s decision to put me up front as a striker form the midfield. Under Sukhwinder Singh, we had a wonderful run. We missed out qualification to the final round of the World Cup by a whisker under him,” elaborated the nippy striker. Bhutia is one of a kind and his decision to hang up his boots will create a big void in Indian football. |
|
Squash: India advance to pre-quarterfinals
Chennai, August 24 India, seeded sixth in the tournament, will next play unheralded Denmark, who pulled off the biggest upset in the championship by beating Pakistan in today's final qualifying round, a result which pushes one of the world's most successful squash nations out of the world's top 16 for the first time in their history. India's Siddharth Suchde won a hard fought battle against Shaun le Roux 7-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-1, 11-6 in 80 minutes in the first singles. Suchde had to claw his way back from a 1-2 deficit against hard hitting Shaun. It was Suchde's ability to finsh the ball that saw him win the fourth game comfortably and the decider from 5-all. There seemed to be a repeat performance when Harinder Pal Sandhu too fought back from 1-2 games against the 'Ninja' Clinton Leeuw to win 12-10, 9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-8. Sandhu seemed to be in total control of the match winning the first and leading in the second. A string of unforced errors gave Clinton the impetus, who grabbed his chances to take a lead. It was Sandhu's never say die attitude that ensured his victory after a 83-minute duel. India's top ranked player Saurav Ghosal then wrapped up the proceedings with a classy performance against Stephen Coppinger, showing his vast array of shots. Ghosal, ranked 26th in the world, won 11-5, 11-3, 11-4 in 28 minutes. The line-up for the pre-quarter-finals: England vs Hong Kong China; Italy vs Mexico; Australia vs Netherlands; India vs Denmark; Malaysia vs South Africa; France vs Finland; Canada vs USA; Egypt vs Germany. — PTI
|
||||||
|
Liverpool to launch football academies
New Delhi, August 24 The SMFA held a press briefing here today, attended by former Liverpool star Ian Rush, who is the Liverpool FC Soccer School Ambassador, McMahon, Head Coach and Chief Mentor of SMFA and Steve Turner, Head - Liverpool FC International Football Academy. “Football in Liverpool is all about the family,” McMahon said. “Our motto ‘You Never Walk Alone’ portrays the family base that is the strength of Liverpool’s football. It is a special day for us, as we enter a new country,” Turner added. “There are millions of fans, but not all of them can touch the club. The academy will bring fans closer to the club. We intend to teach the kids life skills. Things like teamwork, man management, the ability to handle both criticism and praise,” Turner said. However, it is not an open camp. The aspirants will have to pay to be part of the academies, which essentially largely negates the entire purpose of generating passions among the masses. While the amounts were not made public and while McMahon insisted it wasn’t about the money, there is definitely a business module in place. “It is great to be in India,” Rush said. “We pride ourselves at being a family club. Anfield may accommodate 45,000 people but the fan base runs into millions. “We want to teach the kids the Liverpool Way. We plan to devise sessions and teach them what is taught at the Liverpool Football Academy. Our intention is to put smiles on their faces. If they are not smiling, then we are doing something wrong.” The academies will be run in collaboration with the Carnoustie Group. SMFA will next venture into China, with Turner and Rush headed there. There are also plans of opening similar academies in South America, the US, Canada and Vietnam, among other countries. The first of these academies will come up at the Genesis Global School in Noida and will take in 500 children in the age groups of 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16. Another centre, to be decided upon yet, will host another 500 children.
|
||||||
|
Raghunath, Vikas replace Sandeep, Sardara
New Delhi, August 24 Sandeep and Sardara, who made their way into the team for the Asian Champions Trophy, left chief coach Michael Nobbs and his support staff in a tizzy with their sudden decision to leave the camp yesterday, reportedly due to an argument with the team management. No sooner that happened, Hockey India selection committee had replaced the rebel duo with standbys Raghunath and Vikas. "I don't know whose permission they have taken before leaving the camp. But with just days to go before the team's departure for China for the Asian Champions Trophy, they have been automatically replaced by Raghunath and Vikas in the squad," Hockey India selector AB Subbiah told PTI. "It's an unfortunate situation. It's pity to see that they don't give priority to national duty." Incidentally, both the players cited personal reasons for leaving the camp. However, it was learnt that both Sardara and Sandeep does not have good equation with the team management and other players, which the latter blatantly refused. "I don't have any issues with the coach (Nobbs) or any other member of the team management. I left because I have some presing family issues which I need to attend," Sandeep said. "I took the coach's permission before leaving. Even I consulted HI secretary general Narinder Batra who asked me to take coach's permission." Hockey India set to take action
Hockey India's general secretary Narender Batra today said they are planning to take strong disciplinary action against Sandeep Singh and Sardara Singh for abruptly leaving the national camp, currently underway in Bangalore. The two controversial players, who made their way into the team for the Asian Champions Trophy, left chief coach Michael Nobbs and his support staff in a tizzy with their sudden decision to leave the camp yesterday, reportedly due to an argument with the team management. "We won't take this matter lightly. It is a serious disciplinary issue because it is the third time they have repeated such an offence. I will call a meeting of the disciplinary committee on August 26 or 27 to discuss this issue," Batra told PTI. —
PTI |
||||||
|
Mercedes-Benz is official automobile partner for BIC New Delhi, August 24 Mercedes-Benz and Jaypee Sports International (JPSI) have signed an agreement, according to which Mercedes will provide stand-by safety cars for the event. The two companies also announced that a driving academy will also be launched in 2012 and the selected drivers will get a chance to train in Germany. India will only be the third country to have such an academy in association with Mercedes. JPSI CEO and MD Sameer Gaur said their agreement with Mercedes does not mean that safety cars will not come from Europe for the Indian GP. "Safety would come from Europe and the Mercedes car will be on stand-by. But it will be a permanent feature at the track," Gaur said at a press conference. "It (F1 in India) is a long cherished dream coming true. There is excitement and we have already sold 10,000 tickets. It's a cricket-crazy country and the need is to have infrastructure. We will start a driving academy next year," Gaur added. Peter Honegg, CEO and MD of Mercedes-Benz, was delighted to announce their partnership with JPSI. "It's a red letter day for us. I did not expect F1 coming to India this early. They (JPSI) have kept their promise to bring F1 to India," Honegg said after alighting from a Mercedes car along with Gaur. It was also announced that Mercedes buyers can purchase tickets for the Indian GP at the Mercedes showrooms for the next one and a half months and some of them will get a chance to drive on the BIC track on weekends, but after the race. Recently telecom giants Airtel had joined the Indian GP as its title sponsor. — PTI
|
||||||
Hindustan in Super League Sharmila takes lead
Players Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Matt Prior, James Anderson and Kevin Pietersen swapped their spikes for their dancing shoes, the Daily Mail reports. — ANI Nasri move for £24m
Gayle meets WICB chief Tarundeep, Rahul train Duo return from Bayern
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Spanked in the Test series, India would aim to get their floundering tour of England back on track when they take on Sussex in a one-day practice match here tomorrow ahead of the limited-overs series starting with a one off Twenty20 on August 31.
London, August 24
Hove (Sussex), August 24
The 50-over game against Sussex tomorrow would be critical to assess if Praveen Kumar and Gautam Gambhir have recovered from their injuries.
Hove (Sussex), August 24
England celebrate Test win