New Delhi, April 12
Five years after the infamous 'slapgate', one of the protagonists of the drama, S Sreesanth, today made an explosive claim, saying the entire incident was planned and that his former India teammate Harbhajan Singh was a “backstabbing person”.

The temperamental Sreesanth made a series of revelations on the 2008 incident on his twitter page today, creating a fresh controversy. “To be whr Iam ..I ve no complaints..but now I want u All to know the truth. He (Bhajji) never Slapped me. the video will show u all..wt he did," Sreesanth wrote in a series of expletives-laden tweets. "All blamed me for getting emotional ..??c mon who doesn't get emotional whn u know the person who u worship is a backstabbing person Nd ..,” he tweeted.

“Disgusting ..that's all I can say..u should get hold of the video..them u all will know te truth..wht he did is completely out of control,” he said. Sreesanth demanded that the videotape of the incident be made public.

Harbhajan declined to comment on Sreesanth's version. “No comments,” Harbhajan said.

New Delhi, April 12
Delhi Daredevils fell into an almost irretrievable depth when they lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad by three wickets to suffer their fourth straight defeat at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground here tonight. Sunrisers made 115 for 7 with four balls to spare in reply to Daredevils’ 114 for 8.

Chasing 115 for victory, Sunrisers made light of the loss of opener A Reddy off the second ball of the second over with the team score on two, and the exit of Parthiv Patel and captain Kumar Sangakkara in the space of eight runs, to sail to victory by 3 wickets.

Sangakkara had joined Patel after Reddy’s exit and the two took the score to 46 before Parthiv was caught and bowled by Shahbaz Nadeem. And eight runs later, Sangakkara was caught by Sehwag off Johan Botha for 28 (28b, 4x4) as the visitors slumped to 54 for 3. They lost three more wickets for the addition of 17 which caused some trepidation in the team.

But with a modest score to chase, they scrambled back to cruise to their third win in four matches, though in the end, it proved to be a tantalizing fight, with spinner Amit Mishra waging a valiant rearguard action.

With this defeat, Daredevils have blotted their copybook, and only a miracle can help them stage a comeback and stay in contention. Earlier, wicket-keeper Kedar Jadhav’s late flourish helped Delhi recover from a perilous 5/65 to post 114/8 in 20 overs. Jadhav’s unbeaten 30 off 20 balls came as soothing balm for Daredevils who were in dire straits.

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Ishant Sharma celebrates Virender Sehwag’s wicket in New Delhi on Friday. — PTI

Scoreboard
Delhi Daredevils

Warner c Anand b Steyn 0

Sehwag c White b Sharma 12

Jaya c Steyn b Sharma 12

Juneja c White b Mishra 15

Botha c Reddy b Anand 9

Irfan c Vihari b Perera 23

Jadhav not out 30

Morkel c Reddy b Perera 0

Nadeem b Steyn 0

Umesh not out 6

Extras: 7
Total (8 wkts; 20 overs) 114
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-26, 3-26, 4-44, 5-65, 6-95, 7-96, 8-98
Bowling
Steyn 4-1-11-2

Ishant 4-0-35-2

Perera 4-0-31-2

Rajan 4-0-20-1

Mishra 4-0-15-1

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Reddy run out (Nadeem) 1

Parthiv c & b Nadeem 19

Sanga c Sehwag b Botha 28

Vihari c Botha b Morkel 17

White st Jadhav b Nadeem 4

Perera c Botha b Pathan 2

Reddy b Morkel 16

Mishra not out 16

Steyn not out 9

Extras: 3
Total (7 wkts in 19.2 ovs) 115
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-46, 3-54, 4-69, 5-71, 6-89, 7-100
Bowling

Irfan 3.2-0-19-1

Siddarth 2-1-8-0

Morkel 4-0-27-2

Umesh 3-0-32-0

Botha 3-0-11-1

Nadeem 4-0-17-2

New Delhi, April 12
The Indian cricket team will play three Tests, seven One-day Internationals and two Twenty20 matches during their tour of South Africa, slated to start at the end of this year.

Cricket South Africa and the Indian Cricket Board were contemplating accommodating one more Test but things could not materialise as both boards decided to stick to ICC's Futures Tour Programme (FTP) The Indian team will be short on Test cricket when they take on the world number one side, playing the first longer-version game since the 4-0 whitewash of the Australians at home in March.

South Africa last played the format in February and will only meet Pakistan for two matches in the UAE before hosting India. Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg or Centurion could be the three possible venues for the Test series. There is a possibility of the Boxing Day Test returning to Durban after it was cancelled previous season because CSA opted to play three festive T20s instead. India drew their last Test series in South Africa 1-1 in 2010-11. — PTI 

New Delhi, April 12
Held in South Africa last year, the Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament will return to India this season with the BCCI scheduling it from September 17 to October 6.

"The Champions League Twenty20 will return to India for the third time in five years in 2013 after the dates and format for this year's tournament were confirmed by the CLT20 Governing Council," the BCCI said in a statement.

"The world's premier domestic T20 competition will be played from 17 September to 6 October. The tournament will follow a similar format to the two previous editions with a Group Stage preceded by a Qualifier.

"A total of 29 matches will be played in the tournament by the best domestic T20 teams from around the world," it added.

The CLT20 Governing Council also confirmed that the teams will compete for a total prize money of USD six million.

Trinidad & Tobago, who were the runners-up in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2009, have earned direct entry into the Group Stage this year after playing in the Qualifier in 2011 and 2012.

"With some of the world's best T20 players, they are a deserving entrant in the main draw after winning the Caribbean T20 championship for a third straight time earlier this year," the BCCI said.

But England teams will not participate in this year's tournament. "The competition, which will again feature leading cricketers from across the world and some of the established legends of world cricket, will be watched and followed by equally passionate fans," said CLT20 Governing Council Chairman N Srinivasan.

The qualifier will feature four teams — the fourth-ranked team from the Pepsi IPL 2013, Otago Volts (New Zealand's HRV Cup champions), and the winners of the Sri Lanka and Pakistan domestic T20 competitions.

The teams will play each other once, with the top two advancing to the Group Stage. The Group Stage will feature 10 teams. Group A will comprise the winner and third-ranked team in the Pepsi IPL 2013, Highveld Lions (winner of South Africa's RAM SLAM T20 Challenge), Perth Scorchers (KFC T20 Big Bash League runner-up), and the top team from the CLT20 2013 Qualifier.

Group B will comprise Brisbane Heat (KFC T20 Big Bash League champion), Trinidad and Tobago (West Indies T20 champion), the runner-up in the Pepsi IPL 2013, Titans (RAM SLAM T20 Challenge runner-up), and the second-ranked team from the CLT20 2013 Qualifier.

The top team from Group A will play the second-ranked team from Group B, and vice versa, in the semi-finals. The CLT20 2013 final will be played on October 6. — PTI

Chennai, April 12
Two aggressive and in-form sides will clash in a battle of equals when former champions Chennai Super Kings face off against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Chennai on Saturday.

It would be a contest on even keel as both the teams are coming off big wins. While Chennai thrashed Kings XI Punjab by 10 wickets, RCB defeated defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders by eight wickets in their previous matches.

Although RCB and CSK seem evenly-matched on paper, the presence of Chris Gayle in the Bangalore team could prove to be the decisive factor. Gayle yet again proved his mettle by striking an unbeaten 85 to ensure a convincing victory for RCB against KKR. Such was the ferocity of the ‘Gayle storm’ that RCB knocked off the target with 15 balls to spare. It was the third win for RCB in four matches. — PTI

Augusta, Georgia, April 12
Rain and wind greeted the early starters at Augusta National for Friday's second round of the Masters as first-round co-leader Sergio Garcia of Spain and others lost strokes to the field.

Sergio Garcia

Thirty-three players scored better than par in the opening round under perfect scoring conditions, but the ominous, gray skies opened up with rain in mid-morning and with wind pushing a storm front through Augusta's pine trees, players struggled.Garcia began the dreary morning tied with Australian Marc Leishman for the lead after an opening six-under-par 66, but the Spaniard went in reverse with bogeys at the third and fourth holes dropping him to four-under.

Leishman was teeing off in the afternoon when forecasters predicted sunny skies would replace the gloom. Also among the later starters was four-time winner Tiger Woods, who shot an opening 70 after teeing off under the watchful gaze of his girlfriend Lindsay Vonn. Proving that good scores were still available, American Nick Watney (through nine holes) and Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen (through 14) were two-under-par for the day. Both however, struggled to 78s in the first round.

The trend, however, was in the other direction.

Big-hitting American Dustin Johnson, who shot 67 in the first round, bogeyed the first and third holes on Friday before bouncing back with a birdie at the par-three fourth to stand four under par.

Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who opened with 68, also struggled after a bright opening with a birdie at the difficult first hole.

Bogeys at the third, seventh and ninth holes left the Spaniard on two under par at the turn. World number two Rory McIlroy bogeyed two of his first three holes to slide to two over par for the tournament, while Australian Adam Scott, Masters runner-up two years ago, bogeyed three holes in a row from the third to slip to even par.

China's 14-year-old Guan Tianlang, who shot an impressive 73 on Thursday in becoming the youngest ever Masters competitor, parred his first three holes before posting bogeys at the fourth and seventh holes. I had spoken in the frustration of the moment,” although he admitted he still had reservations about the famed Georgia layout. “I mean, it's obviously not my favorite, my most favorite place, but you know, we try to enjoy it as much as we can each time we come here,” he said.

Earlier, Garcia was especially pleased over getting to five-under through 10 holes which feature some of the toughest on the card at Augusta National. He said he was a very different player and person nowadays compared to the bouncing, bubbly teenager that challenged Tiger Woods so gamely back in 1999 at the PGA Championship. — Reuters

Augusta, April 12
Chinese teen wonder Guan Tianlang shot a 75 in the second round of the Masters on Friday to give himself a chance of making the cut and playing in the final two rounds at the weekend.

Guan Tianlang

The 14-year-old amateur from Guangzhou became the youngest player in the history of the Masters on Thursday when he carded a one-over 73 that included four birdies and five bogeys. On Friday, he dropped two shots at the fourth and seventh, as heavy rain fell on Augusta National, to reach the turn in 38. But with the weather brightening, he then calmly picked his way around the fearful Amen Corner (holes 11-13) without dropping a stroke and parred his way in from there until a bogey at the 17th dropped him to four over, expected to be close to the cut line.

Mother Guan Hong Yu said on Thursday she was not anxious about how her 14-year-old son Tianlang would do as the youngest competitor ever at the Masters. “I'm not nervous,” she told reporters at the practice putting green minutes before he teed off for the first round. "He has played in more than 200 tournaments. He is very experienced."

Mother knows her son very well, as the extraordinarily composed eighth grader toured the treacherous Augusta National course in one-over-par 73 and won the hearts and respect of galleries up and down the spiritual home of U.S. golf.

"I just feel comfortable and relaxed," the cool and calm Guan said after outscoring his playing partners, two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw (80) and Italy's Matteo Manassero (75), who three years ago set the old Masters standard as youngest player at age 16. "I played some good golf and it just feels great."

The smooth-swinging Guan was just one stroke away from the 72 four-time winner Tiger Woods recorded as a 19-year-old in his first round at the Masters, and three shots better than six-times winner Jack Nicklaus recorded at 19 in his first Masters.

A care basket that included two bananas, some energy bars and fruit juice packed by his mother might have helped, along with the encouragement from an entourage of more than a dozen friends and family that followed him every step of the way.

On a breezy, overcast day that threatened rain, Guan exceeded expectations, sparkling with a short game that took the breath away from the seasoned Crenshaw.

“He played about four of the most beautiful delicate pitches you've ever seen," said Crenshaw, who applauded Guan after he pitched into a mound from behind the par-three sixth green to trickle the ball down close and save par. — Agencies

Nyon (Switzerland), April 12
Barcelona, chasing their third title in five years, will face treble-chasing Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals while Borussia Dortmund were drawn against Real Madrid for the second time in this season's competition.

The draw opened up the possibilities of an all German final or a Real-Barca clash at Wembley. A Bayern-Real meeting would also have been potentially explosive as there is a long history of stormy encounters between them. The German sides will be at home in the first legs in two weeks' time with the return games one week later. Bayern and Barcelona have surprisingly met just six times in European competition. — Reuters

Shanghai, April 12
Ferrari's Felipe Massa set an 'incredible' pace to top the timesheets at the end of Chinese Grand Prix practice on Friday after Nico Rosberg had led a Mercedes one-two in the morning session.

"In terms of everybody else on the tyre, the pace is not good, it's incredible," declared the Brazilian's race engineer Rob Smedley after Massa set a quickest time of one minute 35.340 on the soft Pirelli tyre being used for the first time this season.

Kimi Raikkonen, winner of Formula One's Melbourne season-opener in March, was second fastest for Lotus in 1:35.492 at the circuit outside Shanghai.

"When I fitted the softs, the car improved a lot... it was impressive, like driving two completely different cars," said Massa, who has out-qualified team mate Fernando Alonso in the last four races.

Last year's winner Rosberg had lapped in 1:36.717 before lunch, with 2008 world champion Lewis Hamilton 0.454 slower. Teams focused largely on longer runs in the afternoon.

The German has led the race in Shanghai in the past three editions while his 2012 win at the monumental circuit was the first of his Formula One career. — Reuters

BRIEFLY

Rashid wins PGTI Players Championship
Mewat (Haryana): Rashid Khan won the PGTI Players Championship after scoring 39 points in the final round of the tournament at the Classic Golf Resort here today. Rashid's final round score took his total to 159 points in the tournament, played on the stableford format. Chandigarh's Gurbaaz Mann was the runners-up with a total score of 157 points. Rashid, 22, sank a 20-feet eagle putt on the 14th to practically seal his third professional title. He picked up a cheque of Rs 4,84,950 for his effort.

United thrash Arrows, jump to top three
Kolkata: United SC shot themselves to the top three after a 4-1 thrashing of Pailan Arrows in a round 24 I-League fixture at the Kalyani Stadium today. Kayne Vincent scored twice (45+2nd and 55th), while Ranty Martins (22nd) and Mohammad Rafique (58th) struck once each to help United SC return to winning ways. The AIFF developmental outfit pulled one back in the dying minutes when Pronay Halder conveted a spotkick (90+8th).

Divij-Purav in Mexico semis with upset win
New Delhi: Divij Sharan and Purav Raja made a spectacular comeback to shock third seeds Rajeev Ram and Benjamin Becker and storm into the semifinals of the ATP Challenger event in Guadalajara, Mexico. The unseeded Indians upset the American-German combo 6-4 3-6 10-8 in the quarter-final. Divij and Purav were down 0-3 but went on to win six out of the next seven games to pocket the first set. In the second set they were broken at 3-4 and the rivals forced a match tie-breaker, which they won. — Agencies