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BCCI calls emergency meeting to discuss
spot-fixing
Sree’s family foxed by his case
Controversies continue to to dog the Royals
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Don’t blame it, IPL makes money for everyone: Thakur
Hyderabad drub Rajasthan Royals
Is David Beckham one of the greats? No, though he did sell shirts
Anderson takes 300th wicket after England fall to 232
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BCCI calls emergency meeting to discuss spot-fixing
New Delhi, May 17 A day after the arrest of Sreesanth and his two team-mates Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila on charges of spot-fixing, the BCCI promised “strongest possible action” against those found guilty in the scandal that has thrown the high-profile league into one of the biggest crisis till date. “The Working Committee will discuss, among other things, the fallout of the spot-fixing controversy in the ongoing IPL, in which three players have been arrested by the Delhi Police,” the BCCI said in a statement. A special cell of the Delhi police arrested the three Rajasthan Royals players in Mumbai early yesterday for indulging in spot-fixing in at least three IPL matches as per arrangements with bookies who have underworld connections abroad. All the three players have denied any wrongdoing through their lawyers. The players, who have been suspended by the BCCI, have been brought to Delhi and charged under section 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. The BCCI has also asked its Anti-Corruption Unit chief Ravi Sawani to investigate the scandal and submit a report in 30 days. A top BCCI source indicated that the trio could be handed life bans if found guilty for spot-fixing to send out a strong message that corruption would not be tolerated. The Board has also suspended first-class cricketer Amit Singh, who is allegedly a bookmaker now and was arrested along with 10 other bookies yesterday. “Mr. Amit Singh, a registered player with the Gujarat Cricket Association, who has also been arrested by the Delhi Police, has been suspended by the BCCI, pending inquiry,” the BCCI statement read. The arrested players are also likely to be booked under the stringent MCOCA, Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, which could land them in jail without bail and their confessions before a DCP level officer will be admissible in court. They were sent to police custody for five days by a court here for being quizzed in connection with the case. BCCI President N Srinivasan said that the Board was doing its bit to curb the menace of corruption in the game but it has its own limitations and one should not question the credibility of the IPL due to the scandal. “Nobody can deny what happened. We wont sit and allow this to happen. What is impact of it... let’s see what happens. Allegations have to be proved, players too have rights. IPL is still credible, there are allegations and we will get to the bottom of it,” Srinivasan said. “This is a clear indication of risk. They are Ranji and Test players. It is not as if they did not know what’s wrong and still went ahead. It looks greed has taken over. It seems three players have fallen pray,” the BCCI chief said. Srinivasan outlined what their endeavours are in curbing corruption and also accepted their limitations in doing the job. “We do not have resources of a state, of a government, of police or an agency. We function on certain limitations. We engage the services of the ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit. We have a Working Committee meeting and we will look into all aspects. We will hear from our own Anti-Corruption Unit on that day. We will wait to get all the information,” he said. Srinivasan also said that they would not spare the guilty. “We will follow procedure. He (Sreesanth) has to face a disciplinary enquiry. At the end of it, whatever is the conclusion, based on that, necessary punishment will be meted out, if he is found guilty, certainly 100 percent.” — PTI
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Sree’s family foxed by his case
New Delhi, May 17 Sreesanth’s father SK Nair, had earlier, after the Delhi Police had arrested Sreesanth with evidence of spot-fixing, alleged that Indian captain MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh had plotted to frame Sreesanth up. But today he offered a public apology, not only to Dhoni and Harbhajan, but also to the people of the country for the act of his son, which has brought disgrace to the family. The pacer’s brother Deepu rushed to Delhi not only to try and get bail for the arrested player, but also to gather a team of lawyers who would prove his innocence, if indeed there was a frame up. Lawyer Deepak Prakash, who heads the defence team, has stated that there was no evidence to pin down Sreesanth, though his brother Deepu was a shattered man, and did not know how to deal with the case. “We have never faced such a situation before. We don’t know what to do and how to go about,” said a harried Deepu today. Though the pacer had an ‘enfant terrible’ image on and off the play field, rubbing many powerful people the wrong way, he had no financial compulsion to indulge in spot-fixing as he hailed from a well-to-do family, and lived in a fancy villa in Cochin. The shaken family is now looking for any possible loophole to redeem their honour, though they have surely lost their face not only among people across the country, but also in their own state of Kerala, where the media has come down heavily on them for their controversial son’s deeds.
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Controversies continue to to dog the Royals
New Delhi, May 17 The arrest of bowlers S.Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila for their alleged role in spot-fixing, has put the clock back for Royals, who, it seems, can never come out of their jinxed existence. After Lalit Modi went into exile in the UK in 2011, Rajasthan Royals struggled to survive, and the defeat of the BJP Government in Rajasthan almost forced Royals out of their home ground. Royals were also accused of tax evasion, besides the allegation that Modi and his near and dear ones had interest in some other teams as well, including Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians. No wonder, the alleged spot-fixing had taken place during Royals’ matches against MI and Kings! Modi’s attempt to gain a foot-hold in the now defunct Kochi Tuskers eventually led to his ouster from the IPL, and his eventual escape to the UK to find a safe sanctuary, as the BCCI had slapped nearly 22 cases against him. The Enforcement Directorate also stepped in to tighten the noose on Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI, and the BCCI suspended the two, along with the Kochi Tuskers, as there were ambiguities about the ownership of these teams. Though Royals and Kings were reinstated after two months, Tuskers folded up as they could not resolve their internal problems and establish the clear identity of the owners to the satisfaction of the BCCI. Royals’ problems continued to haunt them as in February this year, the Enforcement Directorate asked the team owners to deposit Rs 100 crore for the alleged violation of the foreign exchange rule, tax evasion and various other financial impropriety. When Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty became the public faces of Royals after Modi’s exit, making them an high-profile franchisee, fans of the team thought that the fortunes of Royals would improve. Though the team had tottered on the brink after Shane Warne relinquished captaincy, Rahul Dravid drove them into a new direction in the sixth edition. But the latest fixing scandal has once again tarnished the image of the team which Dravid had assiduously tried to salvage. Delhi Police commissioner Neeraj Kumar’s announcement that the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate would also be involved in the spot-fixing investigation portends an uncertain future for the Rajasthan Royals, whose “royal” image has taken a terrible beating, without much hope for redemption.
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Don’t blame it, IPL makes money for everyone: Thakur
Dharamsala, May 17 On Friday, Anurag Thakur, BCCI joint secretary took the lead and brought up the topic even before the reporters could start firing questions. “I know you will be more interested about spotfixing. I want to tell you that BCCI will do everything possible to stop this menacem,” he said. “Appropriate action will be taken against the players if found guilty. The BCCI has zero tolerance policy toward such corrupt practices,” he said. “Even ex-cricketers are earning crores of rupees...they are getting handsome amounts from it and still criticising it,” he added. “If they consider it bad money, they should not receive it.” Not giving away much, Thakur stuck to the line followed by BCCI president N Srinivasan and put the blame on players rather than the IPL. Meanwhile, Kings XI Punjab skipper Adam Gilchrist advocated the harshest punishment for players if found guilty. He termed the act as shameful and disgraceful for players who earn their living through cricket. “The ICC or IPL is not to blame for it in any way,” he said. Mumbai Indians refused to answer any queries related to the spotfixing and chose team mentor Anil Kumble to read out a prepared statement. “The team is shocked and devastated after hearing the turn of events yesterday,” Kumble read out. “We are focused on our aim and will be working as a unit to achieve the goal set out for in the tournament.” Sachin unlikely to play
Meanwhile, the chances of Sachin Tendulkar playing in Dharamsala are bleak as Anil Kumble said: “He has been recovering for past three days. We will see how he recovers, we can’t risk him as play-offs are approaching.” But Mandi lad Rishi Dhawan is likey to get a game tomorrow, according to Kumble. “Rishi is a talented player, he has done well for us. Hopefully he gets a game tomorrow,” Kumble said. |
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Hyderabad drub Rajasthan Royals
Hyderabad, May 17 Chasing a low target of 137, the Rajasthan batsmen fell cheaply, with Kevon Cooper top scoring with 26 and Rahul Dravid contributing 25 runs. For Hyderabad, Dale Steyn, Amit Mishra, Thisara Perera and Karan Sharma took two wickets each. Earlier, Biplab Samantray, with 55 off 46 balls, helped Sunrisers Hyderabad to 136 for nine. James Faulkner picked up five wickets for 16 runs in his four overs. Batting first after winning the toss, Sunrisers Hyderabad reduced to 49 for four in the 11th over and looked in danger of being bowled out for a very low score. However, Samantray and Darren Sammy (23 off 19 balls) added 56 runs in 5.5 overs to steady the innings. Thisara Perera then chipped in with 17 off 13 balls, without hitting a four or six, as the team added 46 runs in the final five overs of the innings. Brief scores Sunrisers Hyderabad: 136/9 (Samantray 55, Sammy 23; Faulkner 5/16) Rajasthan Royals: 113/9 (Cooper 26, Dravid 25; Amit Mishra 2/8)
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Is David Beckham one of the greats? No, though he did sell shirts
London, May 17 By co-incidence he takes his leave in the same week as Sir Alex Ferguson, the guru who shaped his early years and brought him to a peak of efficiency seldom matched. Beckham, now 38, was not a great in the manner of the Manchester United all stars that went before him, he did not have the graceful power of Duncan Edwards, the alacrity and flair of Bobby Charlton, the genius of George Best or the intuitive grasp of Eric Cantona, but all he had he gave without spilling a drop. None was more committed to the red shirt than the fop-haired boy from Essex with a GPS in his right boot. Beckham could locate a team-mate from almost anywhere, accurately and at pace. He was packaged in so many ways at the end of his career it is easy to forget what a committed footballer he was at his peak. Beckham was driven, obsessed even, a characteristic shared by the very best. It is this attribute that accounts for his longevity. His enthusiasm for being photographed in his pants, or wearing sarongs in New York City, or lending that smoky profile to countless publicity shots, never once came between him and the game. None trained harder or was better prepared. In all that he has done with a number on his back Beckham has never been anything other than professional. As a footballer the ability to hit the perfect delivery when the demand was at its highest defined him. He was, in a sense, a prisoner of that right boot. Sir Alex Ferguson could not see past it and so handed him the No 7 shirt and anchored him to the right wing, from where he would feed the appetite of avaricious centre-forwards in his sleep. It is a radical position to take but you could argue that had Beckham been deployed in central midfield he might have developed into an even more effective force. Who can forget the goal that announced the freakish precision, chipping Wimbledon goalkeeper Neil Sullivan from the halfway line at Selhurst Park on the first day of the season in 1996? Five years later in October 2001 he arrowed in the free-kick with seconds to go that earned England the draw they needed against Greece at Old Trafford to advance to the 2002 World Cup. What a galvanising moment that was. Shaven-headed, eyes narrowing on the target, there was only one place that ball was going. In this phase of his career Beckham was England’s most important footballer. The announcement was all a bit unnecessary. Though he is resistant to the idea, it is the Beckham construction to which we are bidding farewell. We said goodbye to the footballer a long time ago. But he was some player. He is right to be proud of his work at Manchester United and Real Madrid, not to mention his 115 caps for England. That is a CV that needs no sexing up. — The Independent
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Anderson takes 300th wicket after England fall to 232
London, May 17 Earlier, New Zealand had limped to 54 at tea. The touring side lost opener Hamish Rutherford in the first over, caught by Alastair Cook at first slip off Anderson, and the right-arm fast bowler reached his milestone when Peter Fulton was well held by Graeme Swann at second slip. New Zealand were reeling at seven for two but Kane Williamson (11 not out) and Ross Taylor (32 not out) survived a testing examination from the England pace attack to reach the interval without further loss. Taylor looked to attack when possible, hitting six fours, and Williamson adopted a more defensive approach as the New Zealanders edged past 50. England had lost four wickets in 17 balls to crumble to 209 for eight at lunch and Steven Finn and Jonny Bairstow, who top-scored with 41, did not last long in the afternoon session. Finn was trapped lbw by Tim Southee and the paceman took a sharp catch off his own bowling to end Bairstow's patient innings and complete figures of four for 58. After resuming at 160 for four, Joe Root and Bairstow survived the first hour and the second new ball, but Root, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad and Swann fell in quick succession to put New Zealand in control of the match. It was a dramatic collapse by England who had continued to bat with grim determination after their painstaking progress on the opening day when they scored at a rate of two runs an over. Root became the first England batsman to reach 40 but his watchful vigil ended when he edged a ball from Southee going down leg-side through to BJ Watling. Prior, whose battling century secured a series draw for England on the final day of the recent third test against New Zealand in Auckland, was deceived by Southee's line. Although Broad survived the hat-trick ball, he was trapped lbw by a full-length delivery in Neil Wagner's next over. Scores England 232/10 (Bairstow 41, Root 40; Southee 4/58) New Zealand 53/4 (Taylor 66, Williamson 44 not out; Anderson 3/32)
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Djokovic ousted, Serena cruises
Rome, May 17 Djokovic looked poised for a routine victory with some majestic tennis putting him 6-2 5-2 ahead but Berdych’s power game suddenly caught fire to leave the Serb reeling. Apart from a victory in the 2010 Wimbledon semifinals it has been a tale of woe for Berdych against Djokovic, including two defeats this year, but the world number six produced a display that augurs well for his French Open hopes. For Djokovic his Roland Garros preparations have not gone to plan since beating Rafa Nadal to win the Monte Carlo title, losing early in Madrid last week and now snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against Berdych. Frenchman Benoit Paire reached his first Masters Series semifinal with a 6-1 6-0 thrashing of Marcel Granollers. Nadal takes on fellow Spaniard David Ferrer later with Roger Federer up against Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz. Serena Williams continued her march towards another title by pulversising Spaniard Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2 6-0 while her most fierce rival Maria Sharapova withdrew from her quarterfinal with home favourite Sara Errani because of illness. — Reuters
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ommittee meeting on Sunday to discuss the issue amid indications that arrested Indian speedster S Sreesanth and his two Rajasthan Royals team-mates would be handed life bans if found guilty.
Dharamsala, May 17
The decision to go was presented much like an announcement to the Stock Exchange, wrapping in formality what industry insiders already knew. David Beckham was finished as a footballer long ago. The association with Paris
Saint-Germain and even Milan before that served a purpose of sorts but the bit-part nature of the enterprise reflected more the strategic positioning of Beckham the brand than the player.
