Mirpur, April 7
It’s not long since T20 was likened to a graveyard for the spinners by cricket pundits. And they had valid reason for portraying a pretty dark picture for the tweakers in the slam-bang format.

However, how the spinners have performed in this T20 World Cup and a look at the top ten T20 bowlers — eight of the top ten are spinners — will leave all of them a little red in the face.

So how are spinners dominating in the format that had supposedly sounded a death knell to their craft?

Perhaps, the turnaround began with the change in the mindset of the spinners. As against in the ODIs where the spinners look to control and contain in the middle overs, the T20 format has made them more attacking. “The only way you can stop the flow of runs is by picking wickets. If you go in with a mindset to contain the batsmen, you aren’t going to succeed,” said Amit Mishra after he won back-to-back man of the match awards.

It’s something Ian Chappell too agrees with. The Australian, in his columns for a national newspaper, wrote that spinners are looking to pick wickets even with the spread field, while the pacers look more intent on containing the batsmen. Along with the more attacking mindset, the spinners have added new weapons to their armoury to come to terms with the new challenge. Most of the spinners have developed a lot of variation, both in terms of pace and deliveries, and, most importantly, aren’t afraid to use it. “In terms of variation of pace, you need a lot of guts. To actually slow the ball down when the batsman’s going after you is a key component of this particular game, for which you need quite a lot of guts,” said R Ashwin. 

Chandigarh, April 7
The despondence on the face of Yuvraj Singh during the presentation ceremony on Sunday evening gave a glimpse into the dark side of cricket.

Yuvraj’s obvious wretchedness moved even Sachin Tendulkar to issue a statement on Monday evening.

“As cricketers, we always enjoy the applause when we succeed but it is the support and encouragement from fans, during tough times, that we appreciate the most,” Tendulkar said.

“All of us took pride in the heroics of Yuvi when we won the T20 World Cup in 2007 and his outstanding contribution in the ODI World Cup win in 2011 will always be cherished,” he added. “Last evening, Yuvi had a tough day and he can be criticised. But he should not be crucified nor should he be written off.”

Tendulkar, who had fixed Yuvraj’s broken bat during the 2011 World Cup, said he’s been a fan of Yuvraj for long. Last year, Yuvraj revealed that the retired legend had told him that his son, Arjun Tendulkar, batted like Yuvraj.

“I have been an admirer of Yuvi's indomitable spirit which has overcome many challenges, both on and off the field,” Tendulkar said in his statement today. “Knowing Yuvi's determination and ability to fight adversities, he will emerge stronger, proving his critics wrong, yet again.”

Tendulkar said that one bad day on the field cannot wipe away Yuvraj’s achievements.

“Yuvi, one off day cannot undermine your tremendous contribution in many sweet memories over the years. You may be down today but you are far from being out,” Tendulkar said. “I want you to know that there are many like me in India and across the world, who keenly look forward to you being a part of the campaign to defend the ODI World Cup title in 2015.” 

It was officially confirmed that MS Dhoni was the best skipper of the tournament when ICC named him the skipper of the World T20 XI on Monday. While it wouldn’t be possible to list everything that he did right as skipper, it would be easier to point out what he didn’t. Maybe, he could have sent Suresh Raina or gone himself ahead of Yuvraj Singh in the final against Sri Lanka. Perhaps that’s the only debatable decision he made throughout the tournament. Rest of his decision worked like magic.

Best batsman

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli was by far the best batsman in the World Cup. To score 319 runs in six T20 games at an average of 106 is simply astounding. And then, how he scored them again was a lesson in pristine, conventional batting. Not for him the cheeky strokes that the T20 has brought into the batting lexicon. Not that he can’t play them; it’s just that he doesn’t need them. He’s more dangerous than any other batsman with classic, copybook strokes and aggressive running and smart placements. 

Best bowler

R. Ashwin

Majority would agree that R Ashwin was the best bowler in the tournament. Although, unlike in batting, the competition was much tougher amongst the bowlers, Ashwin however looked the best. Not just he picked up 11 wickets, but his economy rate too was the best at 5.35 per over. A massive feat, especially when he had been bowling in the power plays and death overs too. He struck more often than not as and when Dhoni threw the ball to him. He also bowled the ball of the tournament, that left Hashim Amla stunned.

Best fielder

Dwayne Bravo

It has to be Dwayne Bravo. There were of course a couple of brilliant fielders in almost every team, but the all-rounder simply stood out with his superb athleticism and effort he put in on the field. Even as the best of the players were spilling catches in the night games, the West Indian was plucking them out of thin air. While others complained about “lights”, he kept on pouching whatever came his way. “I just love fielding and work a lot on this aspect of the game,” he said. Well, it showed right through the tournament.

New Delhi, April 7
India’s chief coach Terry Walsh on Monday admitted that goalkeeping remained an area of considerable concern ahead of the Hockey World Cup to be held in The Hague, Netherlands from May 31 to June 15.

A 21-member Indian team will leave on Tuesday from the capital to take part in the five build-up games in the Dutch city from April 9 to 19.

“Goalkeeping remains an area where we are working hard, trying to get the specialization. It’s an area where India, in my view, is presently not at the level where it should be. We have to do a lot in the development of that area. That’s where our focus is at the moment. Try to get a much better quality of goalkeeping,” Walsh told reporters after the senior men’s team’s practice session at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

“We are doing our level best. We looked at the recently finished National Championship final in Lucknow and there were players of good quality. There were some goalkeepers, who the selectors were discussing, but what I did not see in the goalkeeping area was the coverage of a lot of things. I think that was really important,” he said.

Goalkeepers PR Sreejesh and Harjot Singh would be travelling with the team for the preparatory European tour.

Walsh also did not rule out the possibility that the team composition may change for the World Cup.

“It’s a 21-member team which is travelling for the five build-up games. There are opportunities for those players who are going with us and even plenty of opportunities for those who are staying back. When you are on a tour, there’s a lot of pressure on you because that’s the performance period for you. Guys who are staying back will have to work on their areas of concern.”

“Pressure will be on both about who will be going (to the World Cup) and who stays back. The answer to this question is no. This is not the final team. It could be that the 18 come from these 21,” said Walsh.

The Australia said the aim would be to get acclimatized to the conditions there and become familiar with the surface.

“We are trying to get the team perform as a unit for 5 matches which will be important. We have to look at the food issue, accommodation, recovery, just where we are staying. The familiarity with the pitch itself is very important. We have to find out whether the pitch style suits us or not. I am sure it will,” he said.

Captain Sardar Singh said many new techniques were introduced by the coaching staff during their practice session, which included lifting, aerial ball deflection and placing the ball well and effectively.

“There was emphasis on fitness and goalkeeping training and the understanding between us has improved a lot,” he said.

New Delhi, April 7
Talented Punjab midfielder Gurbaj Singh was last seen donning the national colours at the 2012 Olympics.

The Indian hockey team’s humiliating bottom-place finish at the London Games resulted in the complete overhaul of the senior side and one such casualty was Gurbaj, who spent almost two years in national wilderness before making a comeback for the 10-day preparatory tour of The Netherlands from April 9 to 19.

The right-half fought his way back with an impressive performance at this year’s Hockey India League (HIL) for the Delhi Daredevils, which won the second edition of the league in February. “I was looking for an opportunity to make a comeback. Now that I have returned to the side, I will look to give my 100 per cent,” Gurbaj told The Tribune here on Monday.

“I still have a lot of hockey left in me. I have age on my side and I believe I can play hockey for a few more years.”

Gurbaj had made his international debut against Bangladesh in the 2006 Asian Games and was part of the Indian team which won the bronze medal at the 2007 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, silver in the 2008 edition and gold in the 2009 and 2010 editions.

Gurbaj also rated chief coach Terry Walsh of Australia ahead of his predecessor and country-mate Michael Nobbs. “Walsh follows the Indian style of hockey which is very important. Walsh is much better than Nobbs. He has good technical skills,” said Gurbaj, who has played more than 150 internationals.

Talking about the European tour, Gurbaj said the team would look to sort out its defensive lapses. “The tour is very important because the World Cup will also take place there. We would be working on our defence and how to improve it,” he added.

London, April 7
Jose Mourinho has been claiming his side have no decent strikers but whatever he may think, Chelsea still have the firepower to beat French champions Paris St Germain and reach the semifinals of the Champions League on Tuesday.

PSG, without injured spearhead Zlatan Ibrahimovic, do not actually need to score any goals at Stamford Bridge to knock Chelsea out following their 3-1 first leg win in Paris. It probably will not be as simple as that though, as Chelsea know a 2-0 win will see them through on the away goals rule.

Even if his strikers again fail to impress Mourinho, Chelsea have an array of midfielders capable of swinging the tie in favour of the London club.

PSG do, though, start the match with a healthy advantage after Javier Pastore’s goal with the last kick of the game at the Parc des Princes last week gave them a buffer.

However, Chelsea at Stamford Bridge are a different proposition to the team that have lost their last three away matches in all competitions.

On Saturday they brushed Stoke City aside 3-0 in the EPL, with all three goals coming from midfielders: Mohamed Salah, Willian and Frank Lampard, who has now scored 250 club goals for West Ham United, Swansea City and Chelsea.

It was their 77th unbeaten home league match in Mourinho’s two spells at the club, and they have also proved in the past in Europe, most recently against Napoli two seasons ago, that no task is to large for them to overcome at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho was not in charge of Chelsea when they overturned a 3-1 first leg defeat by Napoli in the round of 16 in 2012, winning 4-1 at home in the return match before going on to win the trophy in Munich. While he has never lost a quarterfinal tie with Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan or Real Madrid, he has also never overturned a two-goal first leg deficit in European competition.

“We know it won’t be easy at home but we can turn the tie around,” midfielder Eden Hazard. — Reuters

London, April 7
Roger Federer sealed Switzerland’s place in the Davis Cup semifinals when he completed a comeback win for the hosts over Kazakhstan on Sunday but Britain’s last-four hopes were trampled into Italian clay in Naples.

France are also in the last four despite looking dead and buried on Friday when they lost the opening two singles matches against a weakened Germany line-up. Wins for Jo Wilfried-Tsonga and Gael Monfils earned France a 3-2 victory in Nancy to set up a semifinal against holders Czech Republic who breezed past Japan in Tokyo 5-0.

When you need a player to win a decisive fifth rubber in a gripping Davis Cup tie, having one with 17 grand slam titles to his name would be a dream scenario for any team captain. So it proved for Switzerland’s Severin Luthi in Geneva’s Palexpo on Sunday as Federer strolled out to face world No. 64 Andrey Golubev after Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka had hauled the Swiss level at 2-2 with a 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4 6-4 win over Mikhail Kukushkin.

Not that world No.4 Federer had it all his own way initially against Golubev who hit back from a break down to take the opening set to a tiebreak. Federer then showed his class, winning the breaker 7-0 before taking the next two sets 6-2 6-3 and keep Switzerland on course for a first-ever Davis Cup title having fallen in the final to the United States in 1992.

Petkovic survives set point to win Family Circle Cup

Cary (USA): Andrea Petkovic survived a set point before steamrolling her way to an emphatic 7-5 6-2 victory over Jana Cepelova in the final of the Family Circle Cup in South Carolina on Sunday.

Petkovic, on the comeback trail from a string of injuries, used her powerful forehand to collect her third WTA title in a match that lasted 79 minutes on the green clay in Charleston. — Reuters

New Delhi, April 7
Sahara Force India deputy team principal Robert Fernly expects his team to remain in podium contention after the Silverstone-squad achieved its first Formula 1 top-three finish in five years at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Sergio Perez held off the challenge from Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and finished the 57-lap race on Sunday in third place, just 0.422 seconds ahead of the Australian. Perez’s teammate Nico Hulkenberg finished fifth giving Force India 25 points from the race, their best showing.

“There is every reason to expect further podiums from Force India. All teams are still working on optimising their power units and aero performance and we too will be working on improving the car,” Fernley said.

A lot of development work is expected to take place in the two-day mid-season testing beginning at the Sakhir Circuit on Tuesday. — PTI

BRIEFLY

Shooter Heena Sidhu becomes world No. 1
New Delhi: Heena Sidhu has become world No.1 in the 10 metres air pistol event, according to the recent rankings released by International Shooting Sport Federation. Last month in Kuwait, she won gold medal in the Asian Air Gun Championship and also recently finished with a silver medal at the ISSF rifle/pistol World Cup in Fort Benning, USA. At the 2013 World Cup in Munich, Sidhu shot a world record score to win gold.

Pistorius apologises to killed girlfriend’s family 
Pretoria, South Africa: Oscar Pistorius fought through tears to apologise to the family of his slain girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, as he took the witness stand in his defence Monday. Stammering and with his jaw trembling, Pistorius told the court he did not intend to kill his 29-year-old lover on Valentine’s Day last year. The Paralympic gold medallist is accused of premeditated murder, but claims he shot the model though a locked toilet door believing she was an intruder. “I want to take this opportunity to apologise to Mr and Mrs Steenkamp. I was trying to protect Reeva, I want people to know that she was loved when she went to bed that night,” he said. “I’ve had terrible nightmares,” he said since the night of the shooting, adding: “I wake up at night smelling blood.”

Pele tells Neymar to stay on his feet 
Rio de Janiero: Pele has accused Barcelona forward Neymar of falling to ground in the hope of winning free-kicks. But the Brazil legend said the 22-year-old is better at keeping his feet compared when he arrived at the Camp Nou last summer. “I think Neymar looks to create fouls and situations that aren’t there,” Pele said. “He also had the same problem at Santos. He has improved a lot in that aspect though because things are different in Europe. Football is a harder, more physical game there. It’s a great chance for him to grow as a player.”

Nadal, Serena retain top spots in tennis rankings
Berlin: Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams remain at the top in the men’s and women’s tennis rankings issued on Monday by the ATP and the WTA. Nadal has 13,730 points and Novak Djokovic is close behind on 11,680. Stansilas Wawrinka is third on 5,760. Williams has 12,375 points in the women’s rankings, and is almost 5,000 clear of second-placed Australian Open champion Li Na, who has 7,585. Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland is third on 5,980. 

Brar new general secretary of Punjab Athletic Association
Bathinda: KPS Brar has been elected as the general secretary of the Punjab Athletic Association. He defeated RS Randhawa by a margin 31-16. — Agencies