Mirpur, March 20
It feels like fleeting between the two different worlds. It’s quiet, serene and orderly inside the Shere Bangla Stadium; walk out into the encircling roads and narrow streets, and you feel like caught in a battle zone, trying to avoid being run over by motored cycle-rickshaws and overcrowded wobbling buses, and pushing through a sea of people to your destination.

Come Friday, the distinction between the two ‘worlds’ will blur, almost completely. The noise and the chaos of the outside world, minus the rickshaws and the buses, will be transported into the stadium as India and Pakistan clash in the opener of the Super 10 phase of the T20 World Cup. The cricket crazy Bangladeshi fans have been looking forward to the match of the tournament with massive anticipation, and they are sure to pack the stadium to the rafters.

Interestingly, just like the fans, the teams are looking forward to what is almost certain to be a nerve wracking affair. Pakistan, though, showed their intent in clearer terms than India did. “I’ve said this earlier as well that we are really happy about playing India in the very first game. We are looking to win this game and then do well in the entire tournament,” said Pakistan skipper Mohammed Hafeez.

What Hafeez says makes perfect sense, at least on a psychological level. Cross your toughest hurdle at the outset and you will find the rest as easy as a stroll in the park. However, it work both ways — win the game and you feel the wind under your wings, lose it and you will find it absolutely difficult to recover from the shock.

So while the team coming out trumps on Friday will feel that much closer to winning the Cup, the one finishing on the losing side will have to dig deep into its reserves to find the strength to plod on, hoping to win the next games.

As for picking a favourite in an India-Pakistan clash, it remains an exercise as futile as ever, especially in the T20 format. When these two sides clash, form and records simply fly out of the window; the only thing that matters is which team holds its nerve on that particular day. Nevertheless, if one has to stick his neck out, it could be said that form favours Pakistan, record India.

More than Pakistan’s own form, it’s India’s wretched run that gives the men in green an advantage on this front. As for the record, Pakistan are yet to beat India in any World Cup, be it 50-over one or the showpiece T20 event.

Yet, both teams are refusing to read much into either form or record. “A lot of people talk about us beating Pakistan in the World Cups. But you can’t really tell anything in this format, the difference between the teams and the win and loss is so narrow. It all boils down to how you play on that particular day, not about stats and records,” said MS Dhoni, with a straight face. But no matter how calm and composed the Indian skipper sounded, it’s anybody’s guess how desperate he and the team would be to register a big win to turn their fortunes around. And it doesn’t get bigger than beating Pakistan in the World Cup.

Mirpur, March 20
“What’s going on around me, tell me?” snapped MS Dhoni. It appeared the question, hinting obliquely at him filing a defamation case against a media house for allegedly suggesting his involvement in the IPL scandal, had left him seething with rage.

A moment later, however, the Indian skipper was his usual self, smiling and looking in control, answering why “whatever was going around him” wasn’t a big deal, at least for him.

“A lot of things go around you in Indian cricket, regardless of how you are doing on the field. It’s a part and parcel of the Indian cricket and players are used to it. You just got to keep your focus,” said Dhoni. Well, that’s easier said than done. When things are going as bad for someone as they are for the Indian skipper right now — on the field, his team his going through one of its worst runs; off the field, he will be entangled in a legal fight — focus become the first casualty.

A former India player puts it in perspective. “It’s not wise to get into a legal tangle. It’s a battle that he will end up losing even if he wins it. It’s going to last forever and it’s going to consume a lot of his energy. Even if doesn’t have to fight it personally and appear in the court, it will keep creating a lot of negativity for him, it will be an everyday distraction for him.”

Sound logical, but the Indian skipper is a tough nut too. As he has often showed during numerous tricky chases, he doesn’t let the pressure and adverse circumstances bog him down. In fact it could be said that he relishes pressures and gives his best when pushed to the wall.

So could he use the current situation as a plank to lift himself and the team to T20 World Cup glory? Not many would be keen to put their money against him. “He’s a good skipper… he has held this India side together for the last five six years,” said Pakistan skipper Mohammed Hafeez.

If he does manage to put all this behind him and guide India to their second T20 World Cup title, it would be a huge tribute to his mental strength.

But as for now, not many would want to be in his shoes.

Mirpur, March 20
The political issues between India and Pakistan may flare up from time to time, but the tension on the cricketing field has piped down a lot for sure.

The confirmation comes from none other than Indian skipper MS Dhoni. “The intensity is of course still there but the tension has gone down for some reasons. We don’t see altercations on the field even though competitiveness is still fierce,” said MS Dhoni.

That suggests India and Pakistan have come a long way from the heady days of, say, Javed Miandad mimicking Kiran More, an otherwise mild-mannered Venkatesh Prasad flying off the handle after being asked to fetch the ball from the boundary by Aamir Sohail in 1996 World Cup, and, more recently, Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi squaring up.

“A lot used to happen on the field earlier and we used to love it as kids. But that doesn’t happen anymore, cricket is played in good spirit now between the two countries,” said Dhoni.

Nevertheless, as Dhoni himself said, there won’t be any let up in intensity when they clash in the opener on Friday, no matter how cordially the players get along off the field.

Rameej Raza, a former Pakistan skipper, told this correspondent the reason for a keen sense of competitiveness between the two nations when Pakistan visited India last. “There's something unique to this rivalry, in terms of emotional attachment, political situation and individual desires that cannot be replaced or found anywhere else. Players feel challenged, both emotionally and skill wise, when they take the field and want to give their best. It's a make-or-mar opportunity for them, for what they do here is going to stay in collective memories for a long, long time.”

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Chittagong, March 20
Subash Khakurel smashed a fine half-century to help Nepal beat Afghanistan by nine runs in their final Group A qualifying match and register their second win in the ICC World T20.

The win kept Nepal's slim hopes of qualifying for the Super-10. Nepal, who have two wins from three matches, are second in the table behind Bangladesh, who take on Hong Kong in their last qualification-round fixture later in the day.

Put into bat, Nepal posted a challenging 141 for five in 20 overs before their bowlers rattled the Afghan top-order to restrict them to 132 for nine at Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Opener Khakurel made 56 off 53 balls and shared a 76-run stand in 9.1 overs with Sharad Vesawkar (37) for the fourth-wicket to put up a fighting total. Medium-pacer Jitendra Mukhiya (3/18) was pick of the bowlers for Nepal as he bowled four economical overs that included three wickets. Sompal Kami (2/32) and Shakti Gauchan (2/25) were also instrumental in pegging back the Afghans.

Dhaka, March 20
Authorities in Bangladesh have asked businesses, shopping malls and markets to shut down during the evening to save electricity in the wake of Wednesday's power outage during a World Twenty20 match in Sylhet.

The qualifying group B match between Ireland and the United Arab Emirates plunged into darkness twice due to power failure at the Sylhet Stadium. “They have been told to close their shutters after 8 pm (1400 GMT) to save electricity so that people can watch matches on televisions,” Monowar Islam, secretary of Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, said on Thursday.

Authorities also asked people to cut the use of air conditioners, water pumps, micro-ovens and other home appliances during the evening, the peak hours for the cricket.

Last week, Bangladesh stopped supplying gas to six major fertilizer factories out of seven in order to divert gas supply to power plants and ensure an uninterrupted electricity supply for the tournament. Chronic power shortages often stir public fury and spark violent protests in the country.

Angry fans have previously gone on the rampage, attacking electricity supply centres, when blackouts have hit live telecast of games. The March 16-April 6 tournament, featuring 16 teams, is being held across three cities in Bangladesh. — Reuters

Mirpur, March 20
Leading a side teeming with all-rounders, Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez enjoys an embarrassment of riches that he believes will give the 2009 champions a definite edge in the World Twenty20.

“We do believe we have good all-rounders in our side,” Hafeez told reporters on the eve of Friday's Super 10 opener against arch-rivals India at the Shere Bangla National Stadium. “With Shahid Afridi, Shoaib Malik, myself and Kamran Akmal as the wicketkeeper-batsman we are blessed to have players like that. Hopefully it will help us.” Afridi was in spectacular form in the recent Asia Cup, also in Bangladesh, and Hafeez predicted the flamboyant all-rounder would continue in the same fashion even though he was "not 100 percent" fit. “He's in good form, we've seen that in the Asia Cup. This is a good sign for us because we always want him to bat lower in the order and finish the game for Pakistan,” Hafeez said of the maverick leg-spinner who is also one of the most hard-hitting batsmen around.

“It's always good to know he's in good nick and a good frame of mind. It's always great your senior player is always looking forward to challenges.”

Hafeez's India counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni was envious of Pakistan's riches. “The more all-rounders you have the more difficult it gets for the opposition," Dhoni said. — Agencies

Paris, March 20
Robin van Persie scored a sensational hat-trick as Manchester United beat Olympiakos 3-0 to progress to the Champions League quarterfinals, while Borussia Dortmund joined them in the last eight.

Under-pressure United manager David Moyes saw his side produce a much-improved performance from Sunday’s 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool, and Van Persie made the difference as the ailing Premier League champions overcame a 2-0 first-leg deficit to go through.

There was less drama in Germany, where last season’s beaten finalists Dortmund lost 2-1 at home to Zenit St Petersburg but progressed 5-4 on aggregate.

United had only previously come back from a first-leg defeat to win a Champions League tie once before, against Roma in the 2007 quarterfinals, and the listless nature of their recent displays would have done little to inspire confidence among the home fans.

However, a Wayne Rooney header that came back off the post set the tone before United were awarded a penalty midway through the first half when Jose Holebas barged into the back of Van Persie.

Olympiakos remained a threat and goalkeeper David de Gea made a brilliant double save to deny David Fuster and Chori Dominguez as half-time approached.

But United levelled the tie on aggregate in first-half stoppage time when Rooney’s low cross was lashed home first-time by Van Persie, and he then scored the decisive third goal, and completed his hat-trick, by curling home a free-kick in the 52nd minute. — PTI

Bhopal, March 20
Haryana beat Chhattisgarh to enter the semifinals of the ongoing Hockey India senior women’s National Championship (Division A) at Aish Bagh stadium here today.

Haryana will meet Jharkhand in the first semifinal, while Punjab will take on Railways in the other 
last-four match to be played on Saturday.

Haryana continued to dominate pool A by hammering Chhattisgarh 12-0. Navneet Kaur scored four goals, while Navjot Kaur scored a hat-trick as Haryana won their third consecutive match.

In pool B, Railways thrashed Bihar 24-0. Rani scored five goals, Poonam Rani scored four, while Vandana Kataria, Soundriya Y and Joydeep Kaur got hat-tricks in the one-sided affair.

London, March 20
Hockey will no longer be a game of two halves at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, with the sport announcing on Thursday a change to a four-quarter format to broaden its appeal to broadcasters and fans.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) said in a statement that four 15-minute quarters would replace the previous two 35-minute halves.

Playing time will be maximised, however, with the introduction of 40-second timeouts following the award of a penalty corner and the scoring of a goal.

After the first and third quarters each team will have a two-minute break, with a 10-minute break at halftime.

“With the additional breaks, fans will have the opportunity to enjoy more replays and be more engaged with the event, whether in the stadium or watching from afar, while hockey commentators will be allowed more time to provide sport analysis between plays,” said FIH president Leandro Negre.

The FIH said the new format would make the game faster and more exciting while allowing organisers and broadcasters “to develop more engaging fan experiences, both at the venue, on TV and online”.

The four-quarter format has already been tried out in the Euro Hockey League and in the Hockey India League. It will apply to all continental Olympic qualifying events as of September 1. — Reuters 

Khanty Mansiysk (Russia), March 20
Placed comfortably on top of the table, Viswanathan Anand will enter the crucial phase of the Candidates chess tournament, taking on Peter Svidler after the second rest day here.

From a great beginning to some cautious play, Anand, with four points in his bag from six games, enjoys a half point lead over nearest contender Levon Aronian of Armenia.

It’s a closely matched field as almost everyone except the lowest seed Dmitry Andreikin of Russia seems to be in the race for the challenger of the next world championship match against Magnus Carlsen later in 2014.

The next two games will be most crucial as Anand first meets Svidler with black and then has another black game lined up against Aronian in the eighth round.

Should he come out unscathed in the next two, Anand will become a huge favourite for the title in Khanty Mansiysk. — PTI

New Delhi, March 20
A number of sports bodies in the country are in a “mess” and are being run mostly by people unconnected to the game leading to loss of confidence of common public in them, the Delhi High Court today said.

“Please set the house in order. I have been hearing so many cases on regular basis. There is no confidence left in the sports bodies,” Justice Manmohan said. “The sports bodies are in a mess because persons unconnected with the game are running the show.”

The court was hearing a petition relating to affairs of the Wrestling Federation of India, Punjab Wrestling Association and Chhattisgarh Kushti Sangh.

The bench also said it may refer certain issues, which have been dealt in the National Sports Code, to the Law Commission for its suggestions so that sports bodies can be represented by sportspersons. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Pallikal crashes out of world championship
Penang (Malaysia): Dipika Pallikal was outplayed by Raneem El Welily of Egypt in the pre-quarterfinals to end India’s challenge at the Women’s World Squash Championship here today. World No. 11 Pallikal lost to Raneem, ranked third, in just 26 minutes to bow out of the competition. The Egyptian had got the better of Pallikal in the last edition in 2012 as well. Pallikal’s best finish at the Worlds came in 2011 when she reached the quarterfinals. The other Indian in the main draw, Joshana Chinappa had lost in the opening round on Tuesday.

Indian thrash Lanka in U-14 girls football event
Colombo: Riding on Suman Mohapatra’s hat-trick, Indian girls thrashed their Sri Lankan counterparts 7-1 to begin their campaign in the AFC U-14 Regional Championship in style here today. Defending champions India surged into the lead in the 19th minute through Roja Devi. Lifa Gama made it 2-0 in the 28th minute while Srijana Tamang scored the team’s third goal two minutes later. Changing over, the Indians dominated proceedings and the barrage of attacks eventually led to Suman scoring twice — in the 53rd and the 60th minutes. Karen Pais netted the sixth in the 69th minute before Suman completed the rout in injury time.

Kashyap jumps to 24th in badminton world rankings
New Delhi: Indian ace men’s shuttler Parupalli Kashyap has jumped a rung to the 24th spot in the latest Badminton World Federation rankings issued today. Kashyap had reached a career high of World No. 6 last year but had been witnessing slump in form for quite sometime now, resulting in his slide in the world rankings. But the Hyderabadi’s impressive performance in last week’s Swiss Open, where he reached the semifinals, has helped him arrest his slide and gain vital points. — Agencies