New Delhi, August 22
Former India captain Rahul Dravid said the tough decisions taken by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in the middle of the England tour were “tough on everyone concerned” and if he had his way he would have waited till the end of the series to change the support staff.

Dravid was a part of the disastrous 2011 England tour that India lost 0-4. He hoped that another former captain Ravi Shastri, who has been appointed the team director for the ODI series, would handle the situation well.

“You don't have problems if people want to make changes, it's part of professional sport. (But) there's still not a lot of clarity on whether this is a long term appointment or the changes we have seen are for this series, so there's a bit of confusion around that,” said Dravid.

“Sometimes from a players' perspective that can be quite hard. I hope that's something Ravi (Shastri) will handle quite well. All these players also build relationships with support staff and as players you do recognise that at some level you are actually responsible for your own success and failure,” he said.

Having worked with under-fire coach Duncan Fletcher, Dravid said it will be up to the Zimbabwean to decide whether he is comfortable in continuing in the role in this “new kind of environment”, wherein he will have to report to Shastri.

Besides appointing Shastri, the BCCI also roped in Sanjay Bangar, Bharat Arun and R Sridhar as assistant coaches and dropped fielding and bowling coaches Trevor Penney and Joe Dawes, who were handpicked by Fletcher.

“If you ask me, I think he's got a lot of knowledge and I know having been around the team that the team does respect him and a lot of them get along very well with him and do ask him for a lot of technical advice. There is a good rapport between him and Dhoni,” said Dravid, who recently acted as team mentor ahead of the England series.

Dravid believes that both Shastri and Fletcher would work together in the best interests of the team.

“Knowing the kind of people that they are, they would not want to ensure that the players see that there is an issue between them. Like Ravi says, Duncan will still be the head coach, he will still be running the team meetings and be involved in the selection of the playing eleven. So I hope there is no issue,” he said.

Dravid said both Dawes and Penney did their jobs “very professionally and tried to do the best they can. Sometimes things don't work out.” “The support staff can't bat, bowl or catch for you. That's why sometimes being in the support staff or being a coach is a no-win situation because you might be giving the guys the best possible advice and the best possible training facilities but things don't work in the field. You can still drop catches, you can still have technical issues with the bat. Coaches can't solve everything and as good players, deep down, you know that,” he said.

Dravid said he has full faith in Shastri to steer the team out of this rough patch. Both Dravid and Shastri have worked together after India's first round exit from the 2007 World Cup. Dravid was the captain when Shastri was appointed the interim manager for the Bangladesh tour that followed after the World Cup.

“I thought Ravi was very good in the time that he was there with the team. He's obviously got a lot of experience that he has to offer as a player. By personality he's a very positive, outgoing, upbeat kind of person, which can really help the team. His personality can help a lot of the younger players because they do respect him and what he's done for the game,” he said. — IANS

Mumbai, August 22
Ex-New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming today backed under-fire Mahendra Singh Dhoni as still the best option to lead India in Tests notwithstanding the squad's 1-3 defeat to England, saying it was pointless to make a change without addressing problems plaguing the team.

Fleming, who also coaches the Dhoni-led IPL team Chennai Super Kings, was of the view that there appeared to be no viable alternative to the flamboyant cricketer. “It is fine just to say that the captain has to go, but if you are giving the problem to someone else without a strong solution then you are just papering over the problem,” he said.

“But how far you go with that will be a Board decision. That comes down to what the succession plan is. Who is next in line, who is putting pressure on Dhoni?” asked the 41-year-old. “He may still be the man for the job but there might need to be some changes within and without. Those questions need to be asked rather than the emotional black and white (response) he has got to go,” said the former opener.

Fleming agreed the wicketkeeper-batsman was under pressure following the dismal result. “He is got to be under pressure as the leader of the side. The dramatic turn of form (of team which led 1-0 and then lost the last three games without a fight) does warrant those questions. His form with the bat was good, but certainly the captain always gets looked at when the series goes wrong.”

“I cannot speculate in terms of his place. What I can answer with my experience is that when your team is not playing well, you are under pressure as a captain. How far that pressure goes and how long it goes is an issue for your Board or decision-makers,” Fleming said.— PTI

New Delhi, August 22
The debate on wives and girlfriends (WAGs) accompanying cricketers on foreign tours has taken a different twist after India's team manager Sunil Dev questioned actress Anushka Sharma's stay with boyfriend Virat Kohli during the Test series in England.

Once termed as the most eligible bachelor of Team India, under-performing Kohli has now come under severe criticism for his Test failure — 134 runs in 5 matches. Many fans and some quarters of the BCCI have blamed Anushka's presence for his poor form in the series, which India lost 1-3. The BCCI's decision to allow the Bollywood actress to stay with the cricketer has snowballed into a controversy after Dev stopped just short of saying that wives are ok but girlfriends on tours was against the Indian culture.

“I didn't know who gave this permission and from where it was supposed to be taken. Whether this has been done before or not, I am not aware. But I will speak to the BCCI about what I feel and submit my report,” said Dev. Asked whether girlfriends travelling with the players was against Indian culture, Dev said: As you said, yes, I agree with you. But I won't make any comment until I meet the board members.”

Kohli and Anushka have been grabbing headlines ever since they were first spotted together during the tour of New Zealand. During the England series, the couple was back in the news when it was reported that the actress was staying in the same hotel as Kohli. — PTI

Mumbai, August 22
Players named by more than two teams have finally settled for their respective Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises for the Champions League Twenty20 (CLT20) that would be played in India, Sep 13-Oct 4.

Dean Kino, governing council member of CLT20, Friday said eight players scheduled to take part in the competition were in high demand after being named in more than one squad, after their respective Twenty20 clubs from around the world qualified for the tournament.

But the eight players, namley Corey Anderson (Mumbai Indians), George Bailey (Kings XI Punjab), Patrick Cummins (Kolkata Knight Riders), Jacques Kallis (Kolkata Knight Riders), Lasith Malinga (Mumbai Indians), David Miller (Kings XI Punjab), Kieron Pollard (Mumbai Indians) and Dwayne Smith (Chennai Super Kings) have opted to play for their IPL franchises.

“Like previous seasons, players who have been named by more than one team have been asked to nominate which side they are going to represent. Players are free to make any decision they wish. Teams are then allowed to replace any player that has withdrawn from their squad and elected to play for another side,” said Kino.

“CLT20 regulations state that when a player elects to play for their 'away' team, that team must pay the 'home' team $150,000 compensation per player,” he said. — IANS

New Delhi, August 22
Inderjit Singh Bindra, who played a pivotal role in India hosting three World Cups, has decided to withdraw from cricket affairs and as a first step he is likely to hand over the reins of the Punjab Cricket Association to fellow-Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer D.P. Reddy.

Bindra, a former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), says he has, in fact, overstayed a couple of years as he has always maintained that he would be quitting cricket administration when he turns 70.

“I am happy I am withdrawing from day-to-day running of the PCA affairs when the wonderful band of my colleagues still wants me to stay on,” said Bindra.

The PCA executive committee will come to know of Bindra's decision officially when it meets in Chandigarh Saturday without him presiding.

Reddy, PCA vice-president and a principal secretary in the Punjab government, has been a key PCA official for a number of years.

Bindra said he would like the transition to be smooth and for that this is the best time for him to leave the PCA administration in good hands when everything was going well.

“Come to think of it, I have spent 37 years as PCA president and I will be leaving a satisfied man with absolutely no regrets. Our best moment, even if anxious, was the 2011 World Cup semi-final when the prime ministers of India and Pakistan landed up in Mohali to witness the match and in the end everyone praised the arrangements. Every important visitor had nice things to say about our facilities and organisation.”

No wonder, the lovely ground and other facilities fetched PCA the cricket board's best-run state association award for four years.

For Bindra, the three most satisfying things were Punjab winning the Ranji Trophy, the construction of a world-class stadium and recognition as the best-run association.

Bindra was the unanimous choice for president's post when Southern and Northern Punjab associations merged. Importantly, Bindra never had to contest an election to stay in office all these years. — IANS

Chandigarh, August 22
Kabaddi fans don't have to wait till the next Kabaddi World Cup to watch the sport. After firming up its grip overseas, the inaugural World Kabaddi League (WKL) has returned home to kick-off at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi, on Saturday.

As many as eight teams with 144 professional players will flex their muscles on canvas instead of circular earthy arena. On the sidelines will be a dash of Bollywood to give a brand new look to the 900-year-old sport.

The World Kabaddi League promises to be a much more engrossing affair than any other format of the game due to its competitiveness. Eight franchisees have pumped in money to buy the best Punjabi talent spread across the world to revive the dying sport.

“Definitely, the competition will be a lot tougher than in any other format. With good prize money and base price of players, there's a lot at stake in this professional league. We have also tried to make slight changes in the format to make it more exciting,” said World Kabaddi League commissioner Pargat Singh.

The organisers say that the franchisee-based system lends a little more competitiveness and aura to the sport. The competition is not just internal but external also. The new-found interest in kabaddi has spawned many leagues across the country and if TV ratings are to be believed, the ongoing Pro Kabaddi League has been grabbing eyeballs in the western parts of the country.

Can the World Kabaddi League catch up with the other league? We will have to wait and watch.

But the Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Badal-led league is confident that there will be a sizeable viewership for their million dollar baby. “We expect good crowd in Punjab, especially in Ludhiana and Jalandhar. The final has been shifted to Lahore after a request made by the state government from the other side of the border,” said Pargat.

Even though the World Kabaddi League kicked off in London two days prior to the launch of Pro Kabaddi League in India, the international league is yet to register its presence in India. One of the reasons for the relatively low-key event is that it hasn't been marketed as aggressively as the Kabaddi World Cup. “There is no competition between us and Pro League. They have spent almost Rs 12 crore on marketing alone. Our franchisees have put in just Rs 1 crore. But the most important thing is that the target audience is different in both the leagues, so we don't see any threat,” said Pargat.

A coach who is not associated with the World Kabaddi League but was associated with one of the most prominent teams in the World Cup says, “Though I am not involved in the league but as a coach I can say that this league is an evolved version of the World Cup. It is much better for players and game too. In the World Cup only 30-40 players get big money but here 150 players earn decent amount of money.”

This means that not only the top class players are earning well but the monetary benefit has percolated down to lower rung too. Vancouver Lions player Sukhveer Singh Sarwan said, “The Indian players are getting more chances and more money by playing in this league.” The top players, though, he said, aren't playing in this league. “They are playing in Canadian clubs, where they make more money,” he said.

While most of the people involved in the venture are happy about the new avatar, the left outs have their grouses. Amateur Circle Kabbadi Federation of India general secretary JP Sharma says, “The organizers have applied pick and choose policy. There are many deserving players and coaches who have been ignored.” Mainstream sportspersons from the state have been ruing government’s frequent doles to kabaddi players while neglecting the deserving athletes.

Format

The tournament is following the double round robin format with 94 matches — 90 league games and four playoffs. It has 144 international players plying their trade in it. Every team will play the other seven thrice before the top four qualify for the play-offs.

8 international venues

London, Birmingham, Dubai, New York, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Vancouver, Toronto

Six Indian venues

New Delhi, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Bathinda, Amritsar, Mohali.

8 Teams and owners

Prize Money

Rs 3.5 crore booty awaits the winners (the winners get Rs 1.7 crore while the runners-up take Rs 80 lakh). Players are classified into four categories (A+, A, B, C)on the basis of selection trials conducted by 11 Kabaddi federations in the US, UK and Ludhiana, beside recent performances. Players in category 'A+' get Rs 21-25 lakh, the 'A' category players take home Rs 15-18 lakh,category 'B' gets Rs 8-10 lakh while category 'C' is the base price, Rs 5 lakh.

WKL vs PKL, what’s different

Pro Kabaddi League is played in the rectangular arena (13mx10m) while World Kabaddi League uses a circular court (radius of 22m). The body weight of players cannot be less than 75kg. It is a one-on-one contest between the raider and the stopper. The raider touches stopper before attempting to flee to his 'pala' in 30 seconds. Each game has four quarters of 12 minutes each with a 3-minute break between quarters and a 10-minute timeout at half time. Each team has 18 players (10 playing, 4 substitutes, 4 reserves).

Pro League team consists of a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 12 players. Seven players take the field at beginning and the rest are on the bench as substitutes. The match is divided into two halves of 20 minutes each with a five-minute interval. While PKL is a 43-day-long back-to-back league, WKL is held only on weekends.

Live on Sony Six, PTC (5pm)

Barcelona, August 22
Brazilian superstar Neymar has suffered an ankle sprain in training, Barcelona announced Friday, adding to the club's injury woes just two days before opening their new La Liga campaign. (Can Barcelona fight?)

Neymar complained of pain in his left ankle at the end of Thursday's training session and tests confirmed he had suffered a mild sprain, Barcelona reported as they prepared to face Elche at home on Sunday.

“His return to training will depend on the development of the injury,” the club said in a statement. The Brazilian had looked to be in fine form Monday when he scored two of Barcelona's goals in their 6-0 destruction of Mexican side Club Leon in a friendly.

Neymar's new injury comes just four days after he had received the all-clear to play for the first time since suffering a broken vertebra in his back during the World Cup.

The 22-year-old missed out on his country's disastrous 7-1 semi-final defeat to Germany on home soil after suffering the injury when he was clattered by Juan Camilo Zuniga towards the end of Brazil's 2-1 quarter-final win over Colombia.

However, the injury could have been much worse as Neymar revealed that had the impact of Zuniga's knee on his back been slightly higher he could have been left paralysed. Barcelona's new signings Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Thomas Vermaelen are also sidelined by injury, while Luis Suarez continues his four-month ban for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini during World Cup. — Reuters

BRIEFLY

Punjab State Super Football League from August 25
Jalandhar: The annual 28th Punjab State Super Football League, organised by the Punjab Football Association (PFA), will kick-off from Guru Gobind Singh Stadium, Jalandhar, from August 25. With the former National League Champions JCT coming in as the main sponsor and giving away prize money up to Rs 10 lakh, the championship for the first time is all set to happen in a big way.

Utseya reported for suspect bowling action
Dubai: Zimbabwe all-rounder Prosper Utseya has been reported with a suspected illegal bowling action during his side's seven-wicket loss in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) against South Africa at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, on Thursday. The match officials' report, which was handed over to Zimbabwe team manager Stanley Chioza on Thursday, cited concerns regarding Utseya's arm ball and fast delivery, and concluded that the bowler's action needed to be tested.

No Indian in US Open singles as all contenders ousted
New York: There will be no Indian competing in the singles event of the US Open this year as all three players have been eliminated from the qualifying competition following second round defeats of Yuki Bhambri and Sanam Singh. Yuki Bhambri, who has missed on-court action for five months this season due to injury, lost to Ireland's James McGee 7-5, 2-6, 5-7 in two hours and 19 minutes. Sanam Singh also had a one-set advantage before eventually losing 7-5, 6-7(3), 3-6 to Anderas Beck of Germany in two hours and 16 minutes.

Working on stamina, technique: Vinesh
New Delhi: A gold medal at the Commonwealth Games under her belt, wrestler Vinesh Phogat says she is working hard on her stamina and technique to clinch a second successive one in the upcoming Asian Games to be held in Incheon next month. “I am aiming for a gold and for that I have been practising very hard,” Vinesh said. — Agencies

All eyes on Hamilton and Rosberg at Belgian GP
Spa (Belgium): All eyes will be on Mercedes at the Belgian Grand Prix as the increasingly tense rivalry between championship leader Nico Rosberg and teammate Lewis Hamilton resumes following a summer break. Tensions reached boiling point at last month's Hungarian GP, when Hamilton expressed outrage at being told to allow Rosberg through in a thrilling race. Hamilton refused team orders, invariably costing Rosberg victory, and only 11 points separate the two. “It was a bit of a mess afterwards, after Hungary, so it's best I don't add too much,” he said. — Agencies