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Ahead of 3rd Test, curator banished from Eden
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In the England camp, it’s party time for all bar one
Flower’s burden lightened, Giles is ODI, T20 coach
IOC to propose suspension of IOA
Randhir slams Malhotra for mess
Murugan also withdraws from the race
‘World soccer still paying price for Brazil’s 1982 loss’
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Ahead of 3rd Test, curator banished from Eden
Kolkata, November 28 According to reports, octogenarian Mukherjee, who looks after the Eden strip, has been sidelined due to his differences with Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who insisted for rank turners from Day 1 of the Kolkata Test against England, starting December 5. Bhowmick, who hails from the Tripura Cricket Assocition (TCA), is arriving this evening following BCCI instruction. “He is going there as per BCCI’s instruction. But I have no idea whether he has replaced the local curator there (Prabir Mukherjee). I am not aware of the details,” TCA secretary Arindam Ganguly said. CAB joint-secretary Sujan Mukherjee, however, termed Bhowmick’s visit as a ‘routine’ inspection tour and maintained that the 83-year-old Mukherjee has not been replaced. “It’s a routine visit to assess the pitch and conditions which happens every time before a match. Prabir Mukherjee remains the Eden curator,” Sujan Mukherjee said. The BCCI’s move to send Bhowmick to Kolkata ahead of the third Test has raised many eyebrows as, only on Sunday, Daljit Singh, who is the chairman of BCCI’s ground and pitches committee, did a recce of the same Eden track. Senior BCCI official and IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla refused to read too much into the matter and said the decision to send Bhowmick to Kolkata was taken by the board’s ground and pitches committee. “All the curators work independently. This is absolutely wrong (that Dhoni had a role). No decisions are taken on the advice of anyone. The grounds and pitches committee of the BCCI took the decision in this matter,” Shukla said. Outspoken and forthright, Mukherjee has criticised Dhoni for his demands on pitches in the past, and this time too the veteran reportedly had a difference of opinion with the Indian skipper on the nature of track to be prepared for the Eden Test. In the second Test, Wankhede curator Sudhir Naik, offered a turner at Mumbai which helped spinners from Day 1, but the move backfired as India suffered a humiliating 10-wicket loss to England. Even after being thrashed on a customised Wankhede track, Dhoni had insisted for a similar rank turner for the Eden Test. Mukherjee, however, crticised Dhoni and demanded a written instruction from the BCCI to prepare a turner, saying, “Two pitches can never be the same, logically. It’s most unethical if the India captain makes such statements in public. He is passing such comments every now and then, which is really unfortunate.” Both Dhoni and Eden curator, Mukherjee are known for their critical remarks against each other. During England’s last appearance here (for an ODI on October 25, 2011), Dhoni had termed Eden pitch an ‘ugly wicket’. Incidentally, India has won the match to complete a 5-0 whitewash. Home advantage factor will be considered: CAB
Amid the controversy surrounding the Eden Gardens strip, the Cricket Association of Bengal today promised to offer Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his team a wicket keeping in mind the ‘home advantage’ for the third Test against England beginning December 5. “Of course we will keep the home advantage factor in mind. But at the same time it would be a sporting wicket that would last for five days,” CAB joint-secretary Sujan Mukherjee said. The association’s assurance comes on a day when the BCCI reportedly sent Ashish Bhowmick, the East Zone member of the ground and pitches committee, to prepare the pitch in place of veteran curator Prabir Mukherjee in an unprecedented move. This season, the wicket has so far hosted two Ranji Trophy matches — Rajasthan and Gujarat — but both resulted in dull draws.
— PTI |
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Now more than ever, India need Sachin: Dravid
New Delhi, November 28 Tendulkar has been a major disappointment in the ongoing four-Test series against England which is tied at 1-1 after the visitors humiliated the hosts by 10 wickets in the second Test in Mumbai. “India need him now more than ever. At 1-1 in a tight series, it is going to be very important for senior players to stand up and who better than Sachin to do that,” Dravid was quoted as saying by ‘ESPNCricinfo’. Tendulkar’s poor form has put question marks over his place in the side and former players such as Sunil Gavaskar have urged him to discuss his plans with the selectors but Dravid feels the 39-year-old is still very much needed by the side. “I thought he was a little scratchy and looked a little under-prepared against New Zealand. Here, I know it seems strange to say after he’s had three failures, but he is actually looking
quite good. “He has played a couple of straight drives and a couple of shots that when I was playing with him, you knew he was playing well if he was playing those shots,” he said. “He will be disappointed with the shot he played to get out in Ahmedabad on a relatively flatter wicket, and then to see other people score runs,” Dravid said. “Here, he was a bit unlucky: the first ball that really spun on the first morning was the one that got him. Until then, there weren’t too many balls spinning. And then he played for the spin in the second innings and the ball straightened on a track on which every ball was spinning,” Dravid added. Dravid said the crushing defeat in Mumbai could turn out to be a blessing in disguise for India as players would work harder. “I think that is a blessing in disguise from India’s point of view. They might have to work harder for the wins but it will also give their batsmen a chance to be able to put up big scores, and to be able to show they are good players of spin,” he said. Dravid said skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will have to reconsider his bowling options ahead of the third Test starting December 5 in Kolkata. “He is going to have to re-look at his combination, simply because it is going to be difficult to manage three spinners and especially having Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag in the side who can also bowl spin. The combination they had in Ahmedabad was the best one, where they had two seamers and two spinners. Hopefully we will see a normal Kolkata wicket,” he said. “India have a great record in Kolkata, we’ve had a lot of success in Kolkata, because it is a typical sub-continental wicket. As it starts off, you can play your shots, there is something in it for the fast bowlers but it does spin,” he added.
— PTI |
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BCCI unaware of talks between Tendulkar, selectors
Mumbai, November 28 “I am not aware of it,” said BCCI secretary and senior selection panel convener Sanjay Jagdale when contacted in Indore for his reaction to media reports today that Tendulkar spoke to chief selector Sandeep Patil before Tuesday’s selection meeting at the Board headquarters here. Media reports claimed that Tendulkar was asked about his future plans, specifically about his retirement from the game which he has played for over two decades. The selectors were reportedly told by the record-setting batsman that it was their call to decide on his future. The 39-year-old, who has completed 23 years in international cricket, is among those who are under the fire for the humiliating 10-wicket defeat in home conditions against England here two days ago that helped the visitors level the four-match series 1-1. Tendulkar, who is the only batsman to score 100 international hundreds and holds the world record for the maximum number of runs in Tests and ODIs as well as the highest number of tons in these two formats, is going through a lean patch dating back the Sydney Test in January in Australia. He has been bowled or fallen leg before five times in his last four home Tests, prompting experts to say his reflexes have slowed down. Though India lost heavily, the national selectors have not dropped anyone from the next Test squad for under-performing and the lone man left out, Umesh Yadav, who has been dropped because of a back injury. The Kolkata Test is to be followed by the fourth and final game at Nagpur from December 13-17.
— PTI |
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Dhoni should not be judged by just one bad game: Harbhajan
Jalandhar, November 28 The off-spinner, who was part of the playing eleven at Wankhede Stadium, said one should not forget Dhoni’s contribution in making India the world champions. “Winning and losing is a part of the game and players and captain like
Dhoni, should not be criticised for just losing a single game,” Harbhajan said. “We should not forget that Dhoni is the same captain who won us the first World Cup after 1983 triumph. He is one of the best rated captains in the country. By losing just a single match, one should not raise questions at his ability,” the tweaker, who like his other spin mates was put to test by the English side in Mumbai, added. The 31-year-old deposed faith in his team and said the side will bounce back in the forthcoming Test at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. “People should not forget that we have beaten England in their home on many occasions. They should not criticise players and captain like this. We will perform better at Kolkata and will win there,” he said. Asked about Sachin Tendulkar’s poor run with the bat, Harbhajan, who was here along with teammate Suresh Raina, said: “Sachin has priceless contribution, not only to Indian cricket, but to the world cricket. If he fails in one or two matches we should not criticise him. I wish that he should keep playing for the country. His presence gives an edge to the team. Kolkata has always remained one of Sachin’s favourite venues and I am hopeful that he will silence his critics with a brilliant knock there.”
— PTI |
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In the England camp, it’s party time for all bar one
Mumbai, November 28 Stuart Broad faces being dropped for the third Test, which starts in Kolkata next Wednesday after poor displays in the first two matches of the series. His likely replacement will be Steve Finn, the fastest bowler in the squad and possibly the world, who had a glorified but deadly earnest fitness test on Tuesday and appeared to emerge unscathed after taking 4 for 50 in 16 overs delivered in four separate spells. What should have been a day for dwelling in the warm glow of an epic achievement became a cold-hearted inquiry into Broad’s form and fitness. Perhaps it is the nature of modern sport that the next game is always the one that matters, but it seemed slightly hasty barely 24 hours on from the stunning deeds at Wankhede Stadium, where England won by 10 wickets to tie the series at 1-1. Broad had a match to forget, taking no wickets, scoring six runs and hardly featuring in the field. That can happen in cricket but he is obviously well short of his best after also having an unrewarding first Test and it was inevitable that David Saker, England’s fast-bowling coach, would be asked about it given his speciality. “He is finding it tough, no doubt, and I don’t think he’s the first fast bowler to come here and find it tough,” Saker said. “It is another great learning curve for him. Bowling fast over here isn’t easy and you have to find a way to survive. The really great bowlers always have. He is learning it the hard way at the moment and it’s probably not going the way he’d like it to go.” The additional conundrum for the tourists’ selectors is Finn. They rightly believe that his sheer pace could make a difference on slow Indian pitches and now that the composition of the bowling attack has been settled at two fast men and two spinners it leaves little room for manoeuvre. Put bluntly, Finn would be more effective than Broad at present and England can hardly expect their spinners, Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, to take the 19 wickets they managed in the second Test every time they go out to bowl. Finn’s appearance for the England Performance Programme XI against an Academy XI yesterday went some way to dispelling continuing concerns about his fitness. It has taken him longer than expected to recover from the thigh strain he suffered while fielding in the second warm-up match of this tour but that has not lessened England’s desire to find room for him in the Test side. Finn is now viewed as the present and not the future of England’s attack. “If he gets through with the Performance Programme there’s a good chance he might play in Kolkata, without a doubt,” said Saker. “He’s a special talent and has the pace we probably need for this place. We’d like to get him in the team. With his height he might get some variable bounce on these wickets. We don’t know what the wicket is going to be like in Kolkata but with his pace and the bounce over here he can bring the stumps into play often.” Saker revealed that doubts were intruding after the defeat in the first Test at Ahmedabad, England’s seventh of the year. It looked like becoming eight in Mumbai, especially when the toss was lost on the first morning, but they achieved a remarkable turnaround. “I can only talk from where I was coming from but I was questioning myself as to whether we were doing the right things,” said Saker. “If I’m doing that, I think probably others in the camp were wondering if we were going in the right direction. “The positive out of the first Test was the way we batted in that second innings. The batsmen got a lot of confidence out of that which they took into this game. Still, I wasn’t sure what we’d get out of them and it turned out to be as good a win as I’ve ever experienced with this group.” Having finished the Test a day early, England will take the chance for a mid-series break in Mumbai. They leave for Kolkata on Friday, when serious practice begins again. There is all to play for now.
— The Independent |
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Flower’s burden lightened, Giles is ODI, T20 coach
London, November 28 Flower will continue as England Team Director and will remain in charge of the test team but will take a back seat in limited-overs cricket after five years at the helm. Giles, an England selector since 2008, will take charge of the side for the first time on the tour of India and New Zealand in January and February. “England cricket has enjoyed considerable success over the past five years,” ECB managing director Hugh Morris said in a statement. “In order to build on that success we know that we need to look for ways to evolve and it has become clear that the Team Director role needs to change if we are to ensure we are utilising the role as effectively as possible.” Flower, 44, said part of the reason for the change was to spend more time with his family, having been present at virtually every England test and one-day match since taking the role. “I’m very excited by these changes and very much looking forward to working with Giles as we look to build on the success England cricket has had in the last few years,” Flower said . Giles said: “I am delighted to have been appointed England ODI and T20 head coach and to be given an opportunity to coach at international level.”
— Reuters |
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Kiwis close in on rare away win over Lanka
Colombo, November 28 By stumps Sri Lanka had slumped to 47 for four as New Zealand dismissed Tharanga Paranavitana (0), Tillakaratne Dilshan (14), Kumar Sangakkara (16) and Jayawardene (5). New Zealand went into the match on the back of five successive losses, their worst run in 57 years. Their last win in Sri Lanka was in 1998 and they were thrashed in the first Test of the series in Galle, losing by 10 wickets inside three days. But thanks to fast bowlers Tim Southee, Trent Boult and Doug Bracewell, along with captain Ross Taylor, they set up the chance of a rare win. The day began with superb spells by Southee (five for 62) and Boult (four for 42) as New Zealand took the home side’s final four wickets for 19 runs after they had resumed at 225 for six. The stubborn Thilan Samaraweera top-scored with 76 but he failed to add to his overnight total before being caught at second slip by Martin Guptill off Boult to give the left-armer his 100th first-class wicket. Boult also removed overnight batsman Suraj Randiv (39), lbw to an excellent inswinger, and claimed the final wicket when he had Rangana Herath (5) brilliantly caught in the gully by Kane Williamson. Southee weighed in with the wicket of Nuwan Kulasekara (6), caught at first slip by Ross Taylor, to record his first five-wicket haul of the series. That gave New Zealand a first-innings lead of 168 but when they slumped to 75 for five just after lunch, including the loss of three wickets in four balls, their dreams of levelling the series appeared on rocky ground. They were rescued by Taylor, who followed his first innings 142 with 74 from 95 balls, including two fours, the first of which he struck to bring up his half-century. Herath was again the most successful bowler for Sri Lanka and finished with three for 67 to give him nine wickets in the match and 20 in the two-Test series. Sri Lanka were left with an awkward period to negotiate before bad light set in and in that time Southee (two for 19) and Bracewell (two for five) created havoc.
— Reuters SCOREBOARD New Zealand 1st innings 412 Sri Lanka 1st innings 244 New Zealand 2nd innings Guptill c Dilshan b Eranga 11 McCullum st J’dene b Herath 35 W’son c P’vitana b K’sekara 18 Taylor run out 75 Flynn lbw b Kulasekara 0 Van Wyk c P’vitana b Herath 0 Astle c Dilshan b Randiv 35 Bracewell c K’sekara b Herath 1 Southee not out 8 Patel st J’dene b Randiv 0 Boult not out 6 Extras: (lb-3, nb-2) 5 Total (9 wkts dec; 54 overs) 194 Fall of wickets: 1-32 2-56 3-74 4-74 5-75 6-172 7-177 8-180 9-182 Bowling: Kulasekara 12-2-47-2, Eranga 10-1-39-1, Herath 21-3-67-3, Randiv 11-1-38-2 Sri Lanka 2nd innings Paranavitana lbw b Southee 0 Dilshan c Van Wyk b Southee 14 Sangakkara b Bracewell 16 J’dene c Van Wyk b Bracewell 5 Samaraweera batting 1 Mathews batting 1 Extras: (b-4, lb-6) 10 Total (4 wkts; 15.4 overs) 47 Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-35 3-41 4-46 Bowling: Southee 6-0-19-2, Boult 5-2-12-0, Bracewell 4-3-5-2, Patel 0.4-0-1-0
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Battered and bruised, SA to defend ranking in Perth
Perth, November 28 Late defiance from the tourists in Adelaide denied Australia captain Michael Clarke the victory his sublime batting probably deserved and meant the series would go into the third contest in Perth all square. While Australia need a victory at the WACA to return to the number one spot after a gap of more than three years, a third draw would keep South Africa as the world’s top side in the longest form of the game. “Both teams will be pretty battered and bruised (but) we’re level pegging going into Perth,” South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, whose team are unbeaten in a Test series on the road since 2006, said. “We wanted to go to Perth in that position and give ourselves a chance of winning a series in Australia again.” Smith will be hoping that paceman Vernon Philander is fit to rejoin his strike bowling unit after a lower back injury ruled him out of the second Test. After a sensational introduction to Test cricket, Philander failed to take a wicket for the first time in the drawn first Test in Brisbane. His return would, however, allow South Africa to select a four-pronged pace attack with Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Rory Kleinveldt all looking to fire on what is expected to be a lively track. Jacques Kallis might not be able to back up the much-vaunted bowling attack after injuring his hamstring in Adelaide but the all-rounder should retain his place in the side as a batsman. Australia’s top all-rounder Shane Watson is back from injury and primed to play a role with both bat and ball in Perth. The combination Australia deploy, if they omit spinner Nathan Lyon, has been muddied by the injury to James Pattinson, but it could mean a return to Test cricket for Mitchell Johnson.
— Reuters |
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IOC to propose suspension of IOA
New Delhi, November 28 In a letter written by IOC Director General Christophe de Kepper to IOA acting chief VK Malhotra, the world body rejected IOA's request to send an international delegation to resolve the issue. The world body reiterated its directive to the IOA as expressed in its letter on November 23 to present its position to the IOC by November 30 or face suspension. IOC in its earlier letter — that was signed by its chief Jacques Rogge and Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah — had warned that India would be suspended if the December 5 elections are held under the government's Sports Code and not under the Olympic Charter. Malhotra, in a reply to IOC's November 23 letter, had requested the world body to send a delegation to India to resolve the issue. “... the IOC and OCA will not send delegates to India at this stage. From your letter of 26 November, we came to the conclusion that the IOA and the Government authorities are unable to rectify the situation in order for the IOA elections to be conducted in line with the Olympic Charter and the IOA Constitution, as required by the IOC,” the latest IOC letter said. “In view of the above, it is hereby confirmed that a proposal for suspension of the IOA will be presented to the IOC Executive Board at its next meeting on 4-5 December 2012, based on Rules 27.9 and 59.1.4 of the Olympic Charter,” the letter said.
— Agencies |
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Randhir slams Malhotra for mess
New Delhi, November 28 Randhir, who is an IOC member and secretary general of both the OCA and the IOA, also held the Abhay Singh Chautala-led faction responsible for dragging Indian sports into this position, and said an IOC sanction is inevitable if elections are held under the government sports code on December 5. "It seems they (Chautala faction) are not concerned (about IOC's threat of a possible suspension). There is no hurry to hold the elections. There is a court hearing on December 17th. "The government is also willing to solve the issue. Let the IOC, government and IOA sit together and sort out the problem", Randhir said. "The government is willing to sit with the IOA and IOC across the table to sort out the problem but are they interested? Not not at all. Why are they in such a hurry to hold the elections? he questioned. Randhir's withdrawal has left the field open for Chautala to be elected unopposed for the IOA president's post in the elections to be held on December 5. Randhir lambasted Chautala for indulging in dirty politics ahead of the IOA polls and said the INLD leader and his backers are least bothered about Indian sports and sportspersons in the wake of IOC's threat. "I would like to know from the great leaders of IOA are they concerned (about Indian athletes)? I don't think so. They are only concerned about their own position. "They are not concerned about what happens to the athletes, what happens to Indian sports and the image of Indian sports," he said.
— PTI |
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Murugan also withdraws from the race
New Delhi, November 28 “I have withdrawn my nomination papers as I wanted younger people to come to the helm of the IOA, and Abhay Singh is an apt choice. I did not want to come into conflict with the Sports Code of the Government either,” Murugan told The Tribune after pulling out of the contest. Though Murugan had entered the election fray as part of the Randhir Singh panel, he said he had decided to contest when a large number of voters, particularly from the South, approached him to fight the elections. He said the Randhir Singh panel had initially enjoyed support from many quarters, but conceded that when Chautala started taking a proactive role in the election process, the vote swing to his camp became pronounced. “Abhay Singh started personally meeting prominent voters, and he flew down to Chennai to seek the support of VFI president B Sivanthai Adityan. After that, we realised that it was no point fighting an election in which we stood no chance,” Murugan said candidly. He said another reason for his withdrawal was that the VFI was the first to support the Sports Code, and he was 70 years old, hence ineligible for election according to the sports code. “So I did not want to kick up any row on this count. Moreover, let younger people assume charge of the IOA to give it a new direction. Abhay Singh has done a wonderful job in taking boxing to the Olympic medal level. And we are confident that he will take everyone along for the larger good of Indian sports,” Murugan added. Incumbent secretary-general Randhir Singh, who had filed for the post of the president, was the first to exit the fray, followed by other members of his panel. With almost all the opponents of the Chautala group having quit the election fray, it will be a unanimous choice of the IOA office-bearers in the elections scheduled for December 5. The exact position will be clear after the withdrawal of nominations ends tomorrow. |
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‘World soccer still paying price for Brazil’s 1982 loss’
Brazil had delighted the world with their adventurous, flowing football until the fateful day at Barcelona’s Sarria stadium when a Paolo Rossi hat-trick, scored with the aid of a blunder-prone Brazil defence, knocked them out before the knockout stage. Needing only a draw to qualify, Brazil nevertheless went for all-out attack and Zico said their failure to win the trophy meant their style of play was subsequently viewed as obsolete. “Brazil had a fantastic team, recognised around the world, and everywhere we go people remind us about that team in 1982,” Zico told the Soccerex conference. “If we had won that game, football would have been different. Instead, we started to create football based on getting the result at whatever cost, football based on breaking up the opposition’s move, and based on fouling the opposition. That defeat for Brazil was not beneficial for world football. If we had scored five goals that day, Italy would have scored six as they always found a way of capitalising on our mistakes.” The consequences were especially far-reaching in Brazil, whose two World Cup wins since have been achieved in a more efficient, less flamboyant manner. Brazil’s former coach Mano Menezes said earlier this year that Spain, rather than the five-times world champions, had become the new benchmark in international football. Zico, who is considered one of the country’s finest players but failed to win the World Cup in three attempts, said Brazilian teams had become more interested in physical strength and doubted that he would be able to make it as a professional in the current game. “Brazil is a fertile land for players but we have to change the mentality in the junior divisions of the clubs,” he said. “I’m sure that I went for a trial at a football club today, I would be rejected for being thin and small.” “You don’t see Romario-type forwards in the youth divisions, (the centre forward) is always a big guy,” he said referring to the stocky striker who led their 1994 World Cup attack.
— Reuters |
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Rio de Janeiro, November 28
