S P O R T S

England pulls the plug on KP’s career
London, February 5 Kevin Pietersen’s international career has been brought to a sensational end. In an exit almost as spectacular as some of his great innings, he was told he was no longer wanted by England after their ill-fated tour of Australia.   What has always been an uneasy relationship comes to a sudden but not entirely unexpected end. AFP

Dhoni calls for better showing
Auckland, February 5
Desperate to bring the Indian team's faltering tour of New Zealand back on track, skipper MS Dhoni on Wednesday asked his players to dictate terms by capitalising on crucial situations in the two-match Test series starting on Thursday.

A strong India is good for world cricket, says Srini
New Delhi, February 5
A strong India would be good for world cricket, asserted BCCI President N Srinivasan as he defended the proposed structural revamp of the ICC under which the Indian Board would get a substantial control of the world body's functioning.

Sanga’s triple ton puts Lanka in command
Chittagong, February 5
Kumar Sangakkara struck his maiden triple hundred and became the ninth batsman to score 11,000 Test runs as a dominant Sri Lanka seized full control of the second and final Test against Bangladesh on Wednesday.

Lanka decides to oppose ICC revamp plan
Colombo, February 5
Sri Lanka Cricket today decided to firmly oppose the revised proposals of the controversial ICC revamp plan which sought to give a larger control to India, Australia and England.

hockey india league UP hold Delhi to a draw New Delhi, February 5 Uttar Pradesh Wizards held last year's runners-up Delhi Waveriders 1-1 in the Hockey India League at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here today. It was expected to be a high-voltage encounter between the two but turned out to be a tame affair with both teams playing below par.
Delhi Waveriders’ goalkeepar Nicolas Jacobi saves a penalty corner try from Uttar Pradesh Wizards on Wednesday. PTI

Anand slumps to fifth-place finish in Zurich
Zurich, February 5
Viswanathan Anand continued to struggle with his form and had to be content with a fifth-place finish after a poor show in the rapid section of the Zurich Chess Challenge that concluded here.

Ronaldo given 3-match ban after red card
Madrid, February 5
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been given a three-match ban and fined after his red card in Sunday’s 1-1 La Liga draw at Athletic Bilbao, the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) said on Wednesday.

Woods finds Delhi Golf Club challenging
New Delhi, February 5
The Delhi Golf Course has come in for praise from legendary golfer Tiger Woods who said its tough fairways makes it an “amazing” course. “DGC is amazing but if you miss the fairways than you are out for some trouble.

England pulls the plug on KP’s career

London, February 5
Kevin Pietersen’s international career has been brought to a sensational end. In an exit almost as spectacular as some of his great innings, he was told he was no longer wanted by England after their ill-fated tour of Australia.

It was made clear, in a statement which did not remotely go to the heart of the issue, that the man who has scored more runs for England than any other cricketer will not play again either in Test matches, one-day internationals or the Twenty20 format. The severance had to take place now because England's squad for the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh is being announced on Thursday.

Pietersen was told that he would not feature in that, in the tour to the West Indies which precedes it or, indeed, in international cricket again. Tellingly, the decision to sack him - and that is what this is - was unanimous among the management and the selectors.

It demonstrates that Pietersen, who again became isolated from the rest of the dressing room this winter, had run out of allies. He met Paul Downton, the new managing director of England cricket, and was told that now was the time to start the rebuilding of the team after the disastrous tour of Australia.

Downton, who is in his first week in the job, said: "Clearly, this was a tough decision because Kevin has been such an outstanding player for England as the fact that he is the country's leading runscorer in international cricket demonstrates.

"However, everyone was aware that there was a need to begin the long-term planning after the Australia tour. Therefore we have decided the time is right to look to the future and start to rebuild not only the team but also team ethic and philosophy."

The last phrase of that part of the statement is the one that counts. England in general and the captain, Alastair Cook, in particular were simply not willing to put up with Pietersen's disruptive influence any longer.

Cook had saved Pietersen's career once when he insisted he should stay after the damaging conflict in the summer of 2012. Dropped from the team when his attitude became too much to manage, Pietersen was eventually restored and subject to a period of reintegration.

But without Cook's willingness to work with him it would not have happened and it is clear that the captain too was at a loss about what to do next. Pietersen was frequently distant on the tour of Australia and it was hinted that many of his former traits had returned.

He might have expected the worst after the rampant speculation of the last month. But he may have thought that his career would be saved by the commodity that counted more than any character defects, perceived or real - runs.

"Playing cricket for my country has been an honour," Pietersen said. "Every time I pulled on the England shirt was a moment of huge pride for me and that is something that will live with me for ever. Although I am obviously very sad the incredible journey has come to an end, I'm also hugely proud of what we, as a team, have achieved over the past nine years.

"I feel extremely fortunate to have played at a time of great success for England cricket alongside some of the best cricketers the country has ever produced. I want to thank everyone for their fantastic support and I wish the team the very best of success going forward. I believe I have a great deal still to give as a cricketer. I will continue to play but deeply regret that it won't be for England."

If he can muster the enthusiasm, Pietersen will now play for Surrey and in various well-paid jobs in Twenty20 leagues round the world, not least the Indian Premier League, which he professes to love. But he will be doing it only for the money, not the glory that he always craved as an outstandingly idiosyncratic batsman. England are clearly still a better team with Pietersen than without him. But, with the player aged 33, it was much easier to make this decision now than it would have been only 12 months ago.

— The Independent

Controversy’s child

• Sparked controversy by switch-hitting Scott Styris for two sixes in first one-day international against New Zealand in 2008.
• His stint as captain was short-lived as in January 2009 Pietersen resigned after a fall-out with coach Peter Moores. KP slammed Moores in a report to the ECB after a tour of India in late 2008 and the ECB reacted by sacking both captain and coach, saying there was an "irretrievable breakdown" in the relationship between the two men.
• The batsman was fined in September 2010 after posting a Twitter message announcing that he had been dropped for the one-day series at home to Pakistan. The message contained an expletive.
• Pietersen announced his retirement from all forms of international limited-overs cricket in May 2012.
• Although he retracted this, his relationship with the ECB soured and he was dropped for the final Test against SA in a row over "provocative" text messages.
• While England were hurtling from one defeat to another in the just concluded disastrous Ashes tour, there were rumours that England were a divided house and Pietersen was at the centre of the rift in the camp.

They say...

I think the ECB have to explain to everyone exactly what KP has done so we can all have clarity and reasoning... Sad way to end a mavericks England Career .KP will be missed... Would love to know what he does that is unmanageable !!?"

Michael Vaughan

Looks like KP has played his last game for England. Can only assume he is unmanageable otherwise he'd be England's 1st pick.

Michael Owen

No KP for the Caribbean tour later this month against WI? That's really sad for English/International cricket!Don't let the fans suffer. Was really looking for the hype of having KP in the caribbean, would be big tickets sales for us. #Sad — Learn to MANAGE Big Names!!

Chris Gayle

Can't believe what I'm hearing & reading tonight!! Sad day for English cricket fans, Love or hate him, Kp still the best player we've got!!"

Stephen Harmison

Hard to understand the situation. Huge talent, poorly managed. Good leaders deal with mavericks. Bring out the best in them.

Dhoni calls for better showing
Skipper reminds teammates of respectable performance in SA

Pujara and Zaheer Khan have to play a crucial role if India are to win the two-Test series. That the Kiwis have rolled out a green wicket for the first Test will make the challenge a little more difficult. File Photos

Auckland, February 5
Desperate to bring the Indian team's faltering tour of New Zealand back on track, skipper MS Dhoni on Wednesday asked his players to dictate terms by capitalising on crucial situations in the two-match Test series starting on Thursday.

India were hammered 0-4 in the five-match ODI series which led to the team losing its numero uno ranking in the ICC chart.

Dhoni revisited the team's performance in the Test series in South Africa to motivate his squad. “If we consider the last series we played, we had one bad session, two-and-a-half-hours of bad cricket,” said Dhoni.

“We have not capitalised when we had crucial situations in the game. That is the only area of concern to some extent. The batsmen batted really well, but just those couple of hours where we did not do well. We have seen in this format, it can have a big impact on the game.”

Dhoni said his team had got enough time to put the ODI disappointment behind and be ready for the two-Test series.

“We have had enough time to get back into the groove. We had a practice game also. It is enough time, especially since we played five ODIs here. Most of the team remains unchanged.”

New Zealand have laid out a green wicket at the Eden Park for the first Test and coupled with the pace and bounce on offer here, it will be another stern test for the Indian team after their batsmen were bounced out in the ODI series.

“The plus point in Test matches is that you can pick and choose when you want to hit it and when you don't,” said Dhoni, replying to a question on short-ball tactics.

“At times, the ODIs get dominated by how many runs the opposition have scored and how many you are chasing. If the opposition has scored 280 or 290 odd and we don't get too many runs in the first ten, when they come in they have to play their strokes as the asking rate keeps rising if you keep leaving them. That is the only difference,” Dhoni added.

Dhoni said grass on the pitch alone cannot be an intimidating factor. “More than the amount of grass, it is whether the grass is lively or not or the base of the wicket has moisture or not. These are the two things that push you to take a decision,” he said.

Even the hosts will be worried as India's seam attack isn't that weak, especially on pitches that might be conducive for their bowling. In South Africa, the fast bowling unit bowled longer spells than usual and very nearly scared the Proteas in the first Test at Johannesburg, before the match ended in a draw.

“The good thing is that their approach (in South Africa) was really fantastic. As a team, we like to give them short spells so that they are fresh, thinking about the third or the fourth spell, if needed. We try to use them in short bursts. But if the situation demands, they will have to go for long spells,” said Dhoni.

Dhoni then went on to talk about his senior-most bowler, Zaheer Khan, who will be leading the attack once again in this Test series. “Zaheer not only brings motivation, but also new plans and helps the youngsters to execute them. He is a real help to the fast bowlers as he is someone who has played a lot outside the subcontinent. It is always good to have an experienced bowler in the side,” said Dhoni.

India lack experience in the batting department though. Herein they are led by Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, with the latter in keen focus here at the start of this Test series.

“Pujara has been really consistent. He is more of a banker. He respects the bowlers, wants them to pitch in his areas, and gives himself plenty of time. The domestic exposure has really helped him. He loves to spend some time in the middle.

“It is not easy to tempt him, to push him. Definitely he is someone who reads the game well. That's a big positive and he will only keep getting better and better,” the Indian captain signed off.— PTI

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A strong India is good for world cricket, says Srini

New Delhi, February 5
A strong India would be good for world cricket, asserted BCCI President N Srinivasan as he defended the proposed structural revamp of the ICC under which the Indian Board would get a substantial control of the world body's functioning.

Justifying the proposal, which is being opposed by a section of the ICC including South Africa, Srinivasan said the fears of India getting disproportionate control of the game are unfounded. “The BCCI is quite happy to be involved with the leadership of cricket. We will embrace this ICC in the new structure, which will be good for cricket as a whole," Srinivasan said. "A strong India with a vibrant commercial structure is good for world cricket."

Srinivasan said the previous Members Participation Agreement on revenue-sharing was unfair to India but he did not specify how. "There are a lot of disadvantages. We had made it clear that we could not sign the MPA in the current form," he said. — PTI

Sanga’s triple ton puts Lanka in command

Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara scored 319 in their second Test against Bangladesh at Chittagong on Wednesday. AFP

Chittagong, February 5
Kumar Sangakkara struck his maiden triple hundred and became the ninth batsman to score 11,000 Test runs as a dominant Sri Lanka seized full control of the second and final Test against Bangladesh on Wednesday.

The stylish left-hander (319) was the last Sri Lankan batsman to fall after a marathon 482-ball knock that included 32 boundaries and eight sixes as the tourists amassed 587 before being all out when second day's tea was called.

In reply, Bangladesh reached 86 for one wicket at stumps after losing opener Tamim Iqbal for a duck in the first over of their innings at Chittagong's Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Shamsur Rahman (45) and Imrul Kayes (36) both survived a dropped chance each to remain unbeaten at close with the hosts still trailing Sri Lanka by 501 runs.

Batting on 286 with number 11 batsman Nuwan Pradeep, Sangakkara hit left-arm spinner Shakib Al Hasan for a four and two sixes off successive deliveries to go past his previous best score of 287 and reach his maiden triple hundred in spectacular fashion.

Sangakkara was fastest to the 11000 test-run club, having bettered West Indies batting great Brian Lara's record by five innings. — Reuters

Brief scores: Sri Lanka 587 all out (Sangakkara 319, Jayawardene 72; Hasan 5-148) v Bangladesh 86-1.

Lanka decides to oppose ICC revamp plan

Colombo, February 5
Sri Lanka Cricket today decided to firmly oppose the revised proposals of the controversial ICC revamp plan which sought to give a larger control to India, Australia and England.

The SLC said its Executive Committee today discussed the issue in a meeting with all stakeholders — past captains, past presidents and secretaries of SLC and Sports Ministry representative — and decided to oppose the ICC's Revised Working Group Proposals.

The deliberations were based on the views of the SLC's legal advisory committee and the financial evaluations. "We discussed the proposals with all Sri Lanka Cricket stakeholders. We were unanimous in deciding to oppose them," SLC chief Jayantha Dharmadasa said.

"There are many unnecessary elements in the proposals," SLC Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said. "Most of these proposals are detrimental to the well being of Sri Lanka Cricket," Thilanga Sumathipala, a former SLC boss and current government parliamentarian, said.

"I think the decision taken will be in the best interests of the game in Sri Lanka," former captain Aravinda de Silva said. Cricket analysts said SLC`s decision to oppose the proposals assumes significance as it had in the recent past relied heavily on BCCI support to stay afloat when hit by financial constraints.

Strong India good for world cricket: Srini

New Delhi: A strong India would be good for world cricket, asserted BCCI president N Srinivasan. “The BCCI is quite happy to be involved with the leadership of cricket. We will embrace this ICC in the new structure, which will be good for cricket as a whole," Srinivasan said. "A strong India with a vibrant commercial structure is good for world cricket." — PTI

hockey india league
UP hold Delhi to a draw

New Delhi, February 5
Uttar Pradesh Wizards held last year's runners-up Delhi Waveriders 1-1 in the Hockey India League at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here today. It was expected to be a high-voltage encounter between the two but turned out to be a tame affair with both teams playing below par.

The Waveriders took the lead in the 23rd minute when an unmarked Walmiki pushed the ball home from close range after being set up by Simon Child from the right flank.

The home team almost held on until SK Uthappa found the equaliser in the 62nd minute with a thumping shot from the top of the circle.

“It was little disappointingfor us because we could have easily won. The man to man marking went wrong in the second half,” said Sardar Singh, captain of the Waveriders. — Agencies

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Anand slumps to fifth-place finish in Zurich

Zurich, February 5
Viswanathan Anand continued to struggle with his form and had to be content with a fifth-place finish after a poor show in the rapid section of the Zurich Chess Challenge that concluded here.

Staying joint fourth spot on four points after the Classical games, Anand could manage just one point out of a possible five in the rapid section that has always been his forte, finishing with an overall score of just five points out of a possible 10 in the six-player event.

World champion Magnus Carlsen got a scare but still managed a clear first place on 10 points by scoring just two points in the rapid section that was dominated by Italy’s Fabiano Caruana. Carlsen ended the tournament a point ahead of Caruana and Levon Aronian of Armenia.

Hikaru Nakamura of United States also came up with a decent show in the rapid to finish clear fourth on 7.5 points while Anand ended fifth, half a point ahead of Boris Gelfand. — PTI

Ronaldo given 3-match ban after red card

Madrid, February 5
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has been given a three-match ban and fined after his red card in Sunday’s 1-1 La Liga draw at Athletic Bilbao, the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) said on Wednesday.

The Portugal forward will miss Real’s league games against Villarreal, Getafe and Elche but he will be available for the King’s Cup semifinal, first leg at home to holders Atletico Madrid later on Wednesday and the return game next week.

He was banned for one match for the straight red card for violent conduct and had an extra two games added to his punishment for a gesture of dissent made while leaving the pitch, the RFEF said. He was also fined $1,600. — Reuters

Woods finds Delhi Golf Club challenging

New Delhi, February 5
The Delhi Golf Course has come in for praise from legendary golfer Tiger Woods who said its tough fairways makes it an “amazing” course. “DGC is amazing but if you miss the fairways than you are out for some trouble.

It puts a lot of stress on you, which is great,” said Woods, who played an 18-hole exhibition match at the course in his maiden trip to India on Tuesday.

The world No 1 American golfer had mesmerised a large gathering who had turned up to watch him play the lucrative match at the DGC.

He tamed the difficult course with a nine-under score and also conquered hearts of the thousands of people who came to have a glimpse of him.

Woods had been reportedly paid Rs 15 crore to play a round of golf with Hero MotoCorp CEO and Managing Director Pawan Munjal and his guests. — PTI