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Big Three cop serious flak
ICC Board paves way for Associates to earn Test status
Guntashveer’s knock helps Haryana beat Jharkhand by six wickets
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Bhajji’s tips helped: Rasool
Bishnoi takes Rajasthan to thrilling win
singapore
open
Jamaican sprinter Powell banned for 18 months
Jaidee sole Asian in field
‘Disappointed’ Hulkenberg keen to make amends
Ronaldo doubtful for Cup final
Cricket legends, film stars likely to bid in football league
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Big Three cop serious flak
Chandigarh, April 10 While there’s a concerted effort from those who stand to benefit from the move to convince the world that it’s for the betterment of the game, not many are buying their version. In one of the most significant attacks, Wisden Almanack, arguably the most respected voice in the game, has launched a scathing assault on the Big Three for initiating the move. “Cricket is appallingly administered and is vulnerable to economic exploitation by the one country powerful to exploit it and the two countries prepared to lend their plans credibility,” Lawrence Booth writes in Wisden's Notes by the Editor. “The boards of India, England and Australia had quietly crafted a document which claimed to safeguard the game’s future while more obviously safeguarding their own,” Booth writes. “In sum, the BCCI wanted an even larger slice of the ICC pie, and the ECB and Cricket Australia happily acquiesced, knowing their portion would grow too. The rest were assured they would be better off. And who could object to a world with more money for everyone? “Here was a colonial style divide and rule. Here was the realpolitik of modern cricket. It was hard to read this any other way: the rich would be getting a whole lot richer.” The Wisden editor has come down pretty hard on the BCCI and the goals, he believes, it plans to achieve through this move. "At its heart lay the BCCI's desire not merely to oust the ICC as the game's governing body but to wean themselves, eventually, off all but the most lucrative international fixtures, and to create more space for domestic Twenty20.” On England and Australia, Booth heaps a bigger shame calling them the lag dogs of the BCCI. Disgruntled Verma writes to ICC on N Srinivasan After threatening to file a contempt petition in the Supreme Court, unrecognised Bihar Cricket Association secretary Aditya Verma today wrote to ICC President Alan Isaac, pleading with him to stop sidelined BCCI chief N Srinivasan from attending the governing body’s Executive Board meeting in Dubai. Quoting the Supreme Court order which has forced Srinivasan to step aside as BCCI President due to the ongoing investigations in the IPL betting scandal, Verma said the ICC should also shun the Chennai strong-man. “I would request you to take cognisance of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s order as well as the ICC Constitution and Code of Ethics and disallow Mr Srinivasan from participating in ICC meeting,” Verma said in his letter. “I invite your attention to Clause 2.1 of ICC`s code of ethics which states that ‘Directors shall not engage in any conduct that in any way denigrates the ICC or harms its public image and clause 4.11 (F) of the ICC`s constitution, by which an ICC director can be removed as a member of the Executive Board on any one of the following grounds: “(1) he is guilty of any dishonesty, gross misconduct or wilful neglect of duty (whether by act or omission); or (2) in the reasonable opinion of the Executive Board, he commits (whether by act or omission) any act which brings or would tend to bring the Council into disrepute; or (3) he conducts himself in a manner materially adverse to the interests of the Council,” he added quoting the ICC code of ethics. The ICC’s executive board meeting is currently underway in Dubai and will conclude today. |
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ICC Board paves way for Associates to earn Test status
Dubai, April 10 The decision, taken at the ICC's Executive Board meeting, will effectively mean that one among Bangladesh and Zimbabwe — the two lowest-ranked Test teams in ICC rankings — will have to fight it out with the likes of The Netherlands, Ireland or UAE for Test status. “The ICC Board approved the introduction of an ICC Test Challenge which will take place every four years between the lowest ranked Test team and the winner of the ICC Intercontinental Cup,” media release issued by ICC said. “The proposal is that the 10th ranked side on the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings on 31 December 2017, or at the conclusion of any series in progress at that time, will play two five-day matches at home and two five-day matches away against the winner of the upcoming ICC Intercontinental Cup, with the inaugural Challenge scheduled to take place during 2018,” it said. In the next eight years, two ICC Intercontinental Cup tournaments are planned with the first to run from 2015 to 2017 and the second to be held between 2019 and 2021. The second ICC Test Challenge is scheduled for 2022. “The ICC Test Challenge now opens the door for Associate Members to play Test cricket and in doing so gives even greater context to the ICC Intercontinental Cup which will now be a pathway to Test cricket,” ICC Chief Executive David Richardson was quoted as saying by the release. At the meeting, the board members followed up on the resolutions passed at the ICC Board Meeting in Singapore on February 8, 2014. “The ICC Board members agreed on a long-term work plan to support the implementation of those resolutions which do not require constitutional change,” the release stated. At the same time the ICC Board authorised the drawing up of the necessary constitutional amendments which will be placed before the Full Council at the ICC Annual Conference to be held in Melbourne at the end of June. One of the cornerstones of the new financial model is an extended Future Tours Programme (FTP) which will now run until 2023. — Agencies
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Guntashveer’s knock helps Haryana beat Jharkhand by six wickets
Rajkot, April 10 Haryana invited Jharkhand to bat first and restricted them to 146 for nine. While chasing, Guntashveer smashed an unbeaten 65 as Haryana achieved the target losing four wickets, with two overs to spare. Earlier, Ishank Jaggi’s 57 off 38 balls, studded with three fours and three sixes, helped Jharkhand to post good 146. However, batsmen Ishan Kishan (15) and Shiv Gautam (16) failed to capitalise after starting off well. Akshadeep Hooda gave initial breakthrough removing Kishan and then Kuldeep Hooda ran through the Jharkhand innings, picking up five wickets conceding 31 runs. Chasing the target, Haryana lost Rahul Deewan (3) but Avi barot (37) and Guntashveer played fluent innings. In his innings, Guntshveer hit seven sixes and a four. For Jharkhand, Vikas Singh and Sarfraz Ashraf took a wicket each. Brief scores: Jharkhand: 146 for 9 (Ishank Jaggi 57, Kuldeep Hooda 5-31); Haryana: 149/4 off 18 overs (Guntashveer Singh not out 65, Avi Barot 37, Sarfraz Ashraf 1-13). UP hand Goa first defeat
Mukul Dagar's second consecutive half-century helped Uttar Pradesh beat Goa by 48 runs in Rajkot. The defeat was Goa's first in this year's tournament, after they had qualified from the first round with a perfect record. Dagar blasted eight fours and a six during his 38-ball 55, and added 100 for the opening wicket with Prashant Gupta (46) as the team scored at more than nine an over. — PTI |
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Bhajji’s tips helped: Rasool
New Delhi, April 10 “I got to meet him during the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals against Punjab. I spent time with him, discussing my bowling and how to improve it. After that, I was in the Rest of India reserves and Harbhajan was leading the side. There I got to learn about the straighter delivery from him, which is very handful," said Rasool. "Harbhajan again offered useful tips to me when leading the North Zone team in the Deodhar Trophy. His advice has helped me in becoming a better spinner," Rasool told The Tribune from Hyderabad over phone. Rasool was the standout performer for Jammu and Kashmir in the 2013-14 Ranji season, leading the side to its first quarterfinal appearance in the domestic tournament. The poster boy of the J&K cricket led from the front with 653 runs and 30 wickets from nine games, which included a crucial spell of seven for 87 against Tripura, which helped them qualify for the knockouts. "I hope to carry on the good form in the IPL for Sunrisers Hyderabad. I am looking forward to a good IPL season and impress the national selectors,' said Rasool, who has been bought by SRH for Rs. 95 lakh. The 25-year-old will share the dressing room with established stars like Shikhar Dhawan, Dale Steyn, Darren Sammy and Aaron Finch. “We have a balanced side. The team looks strong, we are confident of having a successful season this year,” he said. Rasool was part of the now-defunct Pune Warriors franchise last season where he got to play only two matches. He was part of the India squad to Zimbabwe for the five-match series but did not get a look-in in the side. Rasool said he felt frustrated at times, but remained focused to his goal.
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Neha dribbles past troubles to get her goal
New Delhi, April 10 There was just one problem. A large problem, in fact - extreme poverty. Her father was a daily wage labourer, her mother did sundry jobs at other people's houses to make whatever little money she could. Neha had two non-working elder sisters. The family lived in a cramped one-room tenement. They survived on a monthly income of 2,500. But as the saying goes, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Neha’s story is heart-rending, but it's also inspirational. Now 17, she has triumphed over adversity, defied extreme poverty, her father's opposition to the game and societal pressure to pursue her dream of playing for India. Neha's hard work and will to succeed helped her brave all odds. She is now set to make her India debut in the three-match Test series against Ireland, a preparatory tournament for the FIH Champions Challenge-1, to be held in Glasgow from April 27 to May 4. That day long ago, watching Siwach outwitting the most formidable defenders, Neha made up her mind that she would become like her. But what the little girl did not realise was that it would be a hard struggle to overcome her humble background — at that age, she probably wasn't aware of how rigid class and economic barriers are. With no hockey kit to give wings to her dreams, Neha approached Siwach, an Arjuna Award-winner, with one innocent request: “Didi, I want to play hockey but I have no money to buy shoes and sticks.” Neha's life changed for good that day as Siwach inducted the little girl into her Sonepat academy. “Whatever I am today is because of Siwach didi. She helped me a lot, be it hockey or the money part. I owe my career to her. Without her help and guidance, I would not have even imagined representing my country at the senior level,” Neha told The Tribune before leaving for Belfast. An 18-member Indian team, led by Ritu Rani, will play Ireland on April 15, 17 and 18 in Belfast before the FIH Champions Challenge 1. India are placed in Pool A with South Korea, Belgium and hosts Scotland while the United States, South Africa, Spain and Ireland are placed in Pool B in the Champions Challenge 1. “I want to give my best shot against Ireland. I want to make this opportunity count so as to become a permanent member of the senior women's squad. I have faced many hardships. My aim would be to represent the country at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games,” she said. Neha had shot into limelight during the Lal Bahadur Shastri tournament in 2011 and Under-18 Asia Cup in Bangkok the same year. She was the captain of the Haryana side which retained the Junior Women's National Championship crown for the record third time, defeating Madhya Pradesh 2-0 in Mysore last month. Siwach, who identified the talent in Neha, said she has high hopes of her ward. “Neha impressed me a lot during our first meeting. She is a talented player. I arranged for her kit when she told me about her poor financial condition,” said Siwach, who is employed with Northern Railways and runs the Sonepat academy with 100-odd players. “Her mother, Savitri Goyal, also encouraged her to play hockey. Neha will definitely make it big one day in Indian hockey,” added Siwach.
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Bishnoi takes Rajasthan to thrilling win
Mumbai, April 10 In another Group B game at the Wankhede Stadium, Delhi scored their first victory in three matches when they thrashed a lacklustre Bengal by seven wickets, thus inflicting the third straight defeat on the eastern side. Chasing a huge target of 173, Rajasthan with four batsmen back in the hut with only 49 on the board in the eighth over. Bishnoi, who was dropped on nine in the 10th over, capitalised on the reprieve. — PTI
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singapore
open Sindhu beats Shizuka Uchida; Srikanth stuns world No. 10 Tien Minh Nguyen
Singapore, April 10 The 18-year-old Sindhu, who won the Malaysia Open and Macau Open last year besides the prestigious World Championship bronze, prevailed over Japan’s Shizuka Uchida 21-17, 17-21, 21-16 to set up a quarterfinal clash with world No. 3 Yihan Wang. After three first round exits in the All England, Swiss Open and India Super Series, Srikanth finally got his form back as he notched up an upset 18-21, 21-15, 21-8 win over the World Championship bronze medallist. Thailand Open champion Srikanth, who was the finalist at the India Grand Prix Gold earlier this year, will next take on Hong Kong’s Yun Hu in the quarterfinals. The Indian has a 1-0 record against Hu, having beaten him at the Malaysia Open early in the season. In the men’s doubles competition, Alwin Franchis and Arun Vishnu were humbled by the top-seeded Indonesian combo of Mohammad Ahsan and Hendra Setiawan 21-17, 24-22. Another Indian pair of Arun Vishnu and Aparna Balan, too, failed to cross the second round hurdle, as they went down fighting 21-23, 17-21 to Gideon Markus Fernaldi and Rizki Amelia Pradipta of Indonesia in the mixed doubles event. Parupalli Kashyap suffered a close 16-21, 21-15 22-20 defeat to world No. 35 Dong Keun Lee of Korea in the men’s singles competition yesterday. Strong start
Sindhu was 11-10 ahead at the first interval and the Indian kept the pressure on the world No. 113 Shizuka even after the break as she moved from 14-10 to 19-14 before pocketing the game. In the second game, Uchida turned the tables after an early fight to lead 11-8, but Sindhu clawed back at 13-13. The Japanese, however, was not yet done as she reeled off four points after 16-16 to take the match to the decider. In the deciding game, Sindhu led 15-11 midway. But the Japanese brought down the lead to two points before Sindhu decided to march away with the remaining three points to seal the issue. Earlier, Srikanth was a little rusty at the start but he fought back from 6-14 to draw level at 16-16 and then moved neck-to-neck till 18-18. But the Vietnamese reeled off three points to win the game. In the second game, Srikanth started troubling Tien and opened up an 8-5 lead after an initial battle. Tien soon clawed back with three points but the Indian managed to keep his rival at bay and slowly carved his way back into the contest. Getting back his confidence, Srikanth was his dominating self in the decider as he didn’t give Tien much opportunity and moved into the interval with a massive 11-3 lead. After the break, Srikanth kept the pressure on his higher-ranked rival and won four points on the trot to move to 16-6 before closing the door on Tien with a five-point burst from 17-8. — PTI |
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Jamaican sprinter Powell banned for 18 months
Kingston, April 10 The Jamaican sprinter, 31, tested positive for the stimulant oxilophrine at last year’s national championships and the ban has been backdated to 21 June 2013 — the day he provided the sample. His ban will end on December 20. Powell said he would lodge an appeal against the decision. “This ruling is not only unfair, it is patently unjust,” he said in a statement. The chairman of the three-member disciplinary panel, Lennox Gayle, said: “The panel arrived at a unanimous decision, and it is a decision that in all the circumstances Mr. Powell was found to be negligent and that he was at fault, especially in light of the fact he (is) an elite athlete. It is our decision that the period of ineligibility will be 18 months commencing from the date of the sample collection... the period will expire on the 20th of December 2014.” Powell added: “Panels such as these, I understood, were assembled to allow athletes who, consciously or unconsciously, come into conflict with the rules of sport a chance at equitable redemption. Unfortunately, this was not the case. This is the first time in nearly 12 years of being in the sport and over 150 tests that I have had an adverse finding. It is for a stimulant, a stimulant that is only banned during competition and experts have declared has no performance enhancing effects.” “Sanctions for a stimulant and this kind of infraction usually range from public warnings to a ban of three months, six months in the most extreme cases; I am still more than prepared to accept a sanction that is in line with the offence. Instead, nine months later, what has been handed down is clearly not based on the offence nor the facts surrounding it. My team has begun preparations for an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.” “I want to reiterate that I have never knowingly taken any banned substances.” — Reuters
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‘Big Three’ get Masters under way
Augusta, April 10 On a glorious morning of bright sunshine at Augusta National, four-times champion Palmer, three-times winner Player and Nicklaus, who won a record six green jackets, hit the ceremonial first shots at the par-four opening hole. Palmer struck a solid blow up the middle before fellow golfing great Player out drove him by around 50 yards, his ball ending up well below the crest of the hill in the centre of the fairway, some 210 yards from the tee. Nicklaus hit the longest drive of the three, his ball bouncing up the middle of the fairway before settling a yard ahead of Player, a few yards to the right. “Today no butterflies, just happy to get the first tee shot over,” a smiling Nicklaus, 74, said afterwards. Five minutes later, American Stewart Cink struck the tournament’s first competitive shot by teeing off at the opening hole. Cink was then followed by South African Tim Clark, who was runner-up here in 2006. Australia’s Scott, who won last year’s title in a playoff with Argentina’s Angel Cabrera, was scheduled to tee off with PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner. Three-times champion Phil Mickelson will begin his bid for a fourth title along with Ernie Els and England’s Justin Rose. — Reuters
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Jaidee sole Asian in field
Chandigarh, April 10 Thongchai, who only turned professional at 30 after serving in the Thai Royal Army as a ranger, qualified through two exemptions: firstly being ranked amongst ‘the 50 leaders in the final Official World Golf Ranking for the previous calendar year’ and secondly through ‘the 50 leaders on the Official World Golf Ranking published during the week prior to the current Masters Tournament’ list. After winning the European Tour’s Wales Open in 2012, he recently made history by propelling TeamAsia to a landmark tie in the inaugural EurAsia Cup as a playing captain. And with three Order of Merit titles under his belt and 13 tour victories, he seems to be getting better with time. His best finish in a Major so far has been a tie for 13th place at the Open Championship in 2012. “I have played in all four rounds of the other three Major championships but not at the Masters. It would be my goal to make the halfway cut this time so that I get to complete my own Grand Slam of made cuts in the Majors,” the 44-year-old said before the start. He made his third appearance at the Masters, previously playing the prestigious major in 2006 and 2010. “We all know that the greens at Augusta National are very tricky, very hard to putt on. I have been working hard on my putting. If I can putt well, then I know I will have a chance to compete well during the week. When I played here previously, I found it a real challenge to putt well on the greens,” he added.
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‘Disappointed’ Hulkenberg keen to make amends
New Delhi, April 10 Sergio Perez pipped Hulkenberg to record Force India’s second-ever podium finish. Perez, who had scored a point to Hulkenerg’s 18 in the first two rounds, beat his teammate and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo to finish third in a thrilling 57-lap race. “It was a great result for the team but personally it was disappointing to finish fifth. I made a mistake in the qualifying and that cost me eventually,” Hulkenberg said. Hulkenberg, who finds himself in a “surprising” third place in the drivers’ standings with 28 points, said the two-day testing went well though there was enough scope of improving the car further. — PTI
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Bayern too strong for United, Atletico stun Barcelona
Munich, April 10 An uninspiring quarterfinal second leg burst into life when Evra met a bouncing ball with a rasping half-volley to put United ahead in the 57th minute and 2-1 in front on aggregate. Mario Mandzukic equalised also immediately for Bayern with a header and Thomas Mueller turned in an Arjen Robben cross in the 68th minute before Dutchman Robben added the third himself after a trademark weaving run. Wayne Rooney had missed a golden chance to put United 2-1 ahead on the night when he scuffed a shot from in front of goal before Bayern took command to progress 4-2 on aggregate and stay on course to emulate last year’s treble. “I think our first half was okay, we created some chances but we started badly in the second half and were punished,” United’s chief tormentor Robben said. “It was good to score the equaliser that quickly.” United manager David Moyes, who will not be able to offer the club Champions League football next year, said his team had paid for switching off after taking the lead. “It probably went wrong 30 seconds after we scored,” he said. “If you’re a schoolboy you’re told don’t concede after you score. From the kick-off they went up the pitch and scored, we needed five or 10 minutes to compose ourselves. The players didn’t do an awful lot wrong tonight. They played really well but it was just a couple of small errors,” he said. Early assault
Madrid: Atletico Madrid tamed Lionel Messi and Neymar to send La Liga rivals Barcelona crashing out of the Champions League after Koke’s early goal secured a shock 2-1 aggregate success at the Calderon. After last week’s quarter-final first leg in Barcelona ended 1-1, Atletico’s stunning 1-0 victory at an electric Calderon stadium was the latest twist in a fairytale season for Madrid’s second club and their inspirational coach and former player Diego Simeone. Simeone’s fired-up troops blew Barca away in the opening 20 minutes and after midfielder Koke volleyed in from close range in the fifth minute former Barca forward David Villa twice rattled the crossbar. After surviving the early barrage, Barca showed more intensity and had their chances in the second half as the home side wilted. But with Simeone willing them on from his technical area and whipping up the delirious fans in the stands, Atletico held out to deny Barca a record-extending seventh consecutive appearance in the last four and claim a berth in the last four of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in 40 years. “The work of the team across both legs has been spectacular,” Koke said. “We ran a huge amount, we played the two games in the way we wanted and I think we were the deserved winners,” added the Spain international. “With these fans behind us it is very hard for us to lose a match here.” Eliminating the Catalan giants, whose annual earnings of more than 500 million euros are almost five times those of their Madrid rivals, was an incredible achievement and they join neighbours Real Madrid, Chelsea and holders Bayern Munich in Friday’s draw for the last four. — Reuters |
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Ronaldo doubtful for Cup final
Madrid, April 10 Real did not say how long the Portugal captain, who has also been suffering from a knee problem, would be sidelined but local media reported he would almost certainly not be available for the final at Valencia, a repeat of the 2011 showpiece when Ronaldo scored in Real’s 1-0 win. “Medical tests have revealed an injury to Ronaldo’s left biceps femoris muscle,” Real said. — Reuters
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Cricket legends, film stars likely to bid in football league
New Delhi, April 10 Organised by IMG Reliance in association with Star India, the league has the backing of All India Football Federation (AIFF), and is likely to see big names such as ex-Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke, former Argentina forward Hernan Crespo and England's Michael Owen. It has been learnt that bidders include "two Indian cricket legends, five Bollywood celebrities, three I-League clubs and five corporate entities". "It remains to be seen who would ultimately be awarded the franchises," a source close to the league said. Anticipation around the ISL seemed to have been building with the organisers receiving positive response from more than 30 interested parties to its 'Invitation to Bid' tender notice. The bids closed on March 27. It is learnt that around 18 to 20 bidders have put in their money on ISL either through forming a consortium or as individuals. This is for the first time that a franchise property in sports in India has elicited such a response from the business as well as sports and Bollywood community. IPL, in the year 2007, had 11 bids out of which eight won the franchises. Former India cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly, who is reported to have bid with a consortium with Atletico Madrid in it, has already upped the competition among bidders. "It would come as no surprise if one hears similar high-profile international clubs coming over to India as technical partners to the rest of franchises. Ranbir Kapoor, Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham, who are reportedly in the fray, are known for their love for the game and their association with certain top international clubs," a source said. The nine cities in the reckoning are Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Guwahati, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune, out of which eight will be short-listed. — PTI
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