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What am I doing wrong, coach?
Samuels thanks Richards, Lloyd for the turnaround
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No threat to India-WI series: BCCI
New Delhi, October 9 The BCCI today made it clear that there is absolutely "no threat" to India's ongoing home series against West Indies despite an acrimonious pay dispute between the visiting team and its parent body which is yet to be resolved.
shanghai masters
ISL will take Indian football to next level, says Colomba
More use of safety car urged
IAAF had no choice over listing Gatlin for award
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What am I doing wrong, coach?
As India's top order capitulated in London on the third day, one dismissal would have concerned Dhoni more than the others. It was of Virat Kohli, the man who has long been anointed Dhoni's successor. The scores of 1, 8, 25, 0, 39, 28, 0, 7, 6 and 20 in the five Tests against England, with an average of a tail-ender batsman – 13.50 in ten innings – belied his reputation as one of the best batsmen in world cricket. This belief had been strengthened when he scored 119 and 96 in a Test match against the No. 1 side at that time, South Africa, in Johannesburg late last year. After failure in Tests, the Delhi boy and vice-captain of India had scores of 0, 40, 1 and 13 in the ODI series against England. For a cricketer touted as India's next captain, Kohli overnight became a favourite topic of discussion for critics, with some even blaming the presence of his girlfriend, actress Anushka Sharma, as the primary cause for his run-drought. His reputation took a big hit during the English summer and his susceptibility against the moving ball stood exposed Test after Test, and ODI after ODI. Kohli's problem with the ball swinging away from him was fully exploited by English pacer James Anderson. Home failure
Back in home conditions, Kohli was expected to regain his lost form against an average looking West Indian attack, but he once again failed to make an impact with the willow. In the opening match, the stage was set for Kohli to chase down an imposing target of 321 runs, like he once did against Australia in Jaipur last year (target 360). But the 25-year-old only managed to get a thick edge off speedster Jerome Taylor while playing a defensive shot and Darren Sammy took a well-judged catch at first slip. Kohli scored just two off five balls before he took the long walk towards the pavilion. With the World Cup just a few months away, Kohli's dip in form is a major worry for Team India and skipper Dhoni. When Dhoni was asked about Kohli's continued slump in form, the skipper admitted it was a concern. "Yes, this is what I can say," said Dhoni. “At the end of the day, if you’re looking to chase down 300 runs, it’s not the responsibility of one individual. Hopefully he (Kohli) will come back to form as soon as possible, but you have to give him time because you have to play games and score runs. It’s just a matter of time. It’s something that’s new for him — a lean phase — and hopefully he’ll get over it,” he added. India suffered a 124-run thrashing after the bowlers conceded 321 runs, but Dhoni still found enough positives to be happy about their performance. “We couldn’t get too many wickets with the new ball. In the middle overs, I thought we did quite well. They were hitting the big shots, but still we were able to put pressure on them by not letting them take the easy singles,” the skipper said. Drop Kohli to No. 4 or 5, says Gavaskar
New Delhi: Expressing concern over Virat Kohli's form, former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar today said that the batsman needs to be dropped down the order to get him back to his run-making ways. Gavaskar said the team should be ready to make the necessary changes when needed. "Virat's loss of form is a huge cause of concern. A batsman who scores big suddenly starts getting single figures in front of his name is a worrying. There are a lot of technical issues with his batting. I believe he should be dropped down the order," said Gavaskar. "Bring him at number four or five than the usual one-down position. Give him respite from the new ball. Let the openers give the team a bit of a start and that will allow Virat some cushion to come to the crease, settle down and then get going," he said. "You cannot be stubborn in limited-overs cricket. The team management should be very flexible in their approach. Just as Mohammed Shami, who is primarily a new-ball bowler, was brought in as first change, a top-order batsman too can be dropped down the order when needed," he said. — PTI |
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Samuels thanks Richards, Lloyd for the turnaround
Kochi, October 9 Samuels' master class and his 165-run stand with Denesh Ramdin set up a massive 124-run win over India, after his ton had swelled the West Indies total to 321/6. Samuels' role did not end there. Not only did he score runs, he also accounted for two wickets, including that of half-centurion Shikhar Dhawan, to expand his impressive record against India. Samuels said a conversation with Sir Vivian Richards on the eve of the match gave him the confidence and self-belief after making yet another comeback to the West Indies side. With the likes of Clive Lloyd and Curtly Ambrose part of the West Indies team management, Samuels isn’t short of advice. “Way before today’s game, I had a long talk with Clive Lloyd. I even had a long talk with Sir Vivian Richards last night for about two hours,” Samuels said. “Me and the Master, we have been very, very close recently. And when he is sharing all his knowledge, I’m just soaking up everything. I’m the kind of person who likes to use a legend and ask him a lot of questions. I guess I have two great legends. There is Wes Hall as well, so there are quite a few legends that I continue to call and ask a lot of questions. It can only better my game, and better me as a person,” he added. With the World Cup just a few months away, Samuels’s knock couldn’t have come at a better time. But, he wouldn’t say so. “I’m a person who believes in what is meant to be. Whatever happened today, it was meant to be. Scoring runs and helping the team win, it was a great feeling. I guess I’m in good form, and I look forward to continuing this form,” he said. Samuels said he was happy to carry on his rich form from the Caribbean Premier League into the series. |
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No threat to India-WI series: BCCI
New Delhi, October 9 "I want to clarify that there is no threat to the India versus West Indies series. The matches will go on as per schedule. In fact, I have spoken to a few officials from the WICB and have got assurance that there will be no disruption," said BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel. "I've got an e-mail from WICB chairman Dave Cameron, who thanked the BCCI for playing a pro-active role," he said. Patel said that the BCCI will be happy to help the WICB as a "mediator" once the series ends. "Look, our job was to ensure that the series runs smoothly. This series of 3 Tests, 5 ODIs and a T20 International was chalked during the FTP calender of 2007-08. Futures Tour Programme (FTP) is sacrosanct and all the member nations must abide by it. You cannot disrespect what was decided in FTP calender. I told them that there isn't a problem that can't be sorted out across the table. If the WICB wants, we can mediate once the series ends," said Patel. Patel categorically denied the BCCI having made any payment to the West Indies players or the WICB prior to the first ODI in Kochi so that the match is not disrupted. "There is absolutely no truth to these rumours. The BCCI has not made any such payments and nor do we have any plans of indulging into any such financial transactions in principle. This is their internal matter. As a cricket board, we can obviously offer our advice on what can be the correct path to solve the problem but that's about it," the BCCI secretary said. However, the WICB will be paid a "guarantee money" by the BCCI but that is a mandatory payment that has to be made to a visiting nation as per the ICC guidelines. According to agreement between two Test-playing nations during bilateral series, the visiting team gets a 'guarantee money' -- amount of which is negotiable between the two competing countries. "Obviously, there is a guarantee money and the BCCI will pay that to the WICB as per the guidelines. But that is a mandatory payment. But we are certainly not giving any loans or making any advance payment," said Patel.
— PTI |
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Forbes lists Dhoni amongst the Richie Rich of sports world
New York, September 9 Forbes said Dhoni signed bat sponsorship deals with Spartan Sports and Amity University in late 2013, reportedly worth a combined $4 million annually, up from the $1 million Reebok was paying previously. Forbes's Most Valuable Athlete Brands in Sports lists 10 athletes whose endorsement income exceeded the endorsement income earned by their peers by the largest amount during the past year. James tops the list with a brand value of $37 million in 2014. The NBA's biggest marketing star pulled in a total of $53 million from endorsers like Nike, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Upper Deck. The publication said for the first time since 2007, the top athlete brand is not Woods but James, who will be rejoining the Cleveland Cavaliers after fours season and two National Basketball Association (NBA) titles with the Miami Heat. James pulled in $53 million off the court during the past year and his brand is worth $37 million, which is the amount his endorsement and non-basketball earnings exceeded the average top 10 off the court earners in the NBA. Woods is ranked second and has a 2014 brand value of $36 million. Woods' earnings took a hit after Electronic Arts announced in 2013 that it would end its relationship with him and his eponymous video game after 14 versions. On the third spot is Federer, whose brand value in 2014 is $32 million. The list also includes Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt (6), Portugal and Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo (7), Argentine professional footballer Lionel Messi (9) and Nadal on the 10 position. The list is part of Forbes Fab 40, which consists of the 10 most valuable sports brands in businesses, events, teams and athletes and quantifies the earning power of each brand relative to its competitors. The most valuable sports business brand is Nike, worth $19 billion. Sporting event brands are based on revenue-per-event-day. The top event brand is the Super Bowl, which last season generated an estimated $518 million in revenue from broadcasting, tickets, the halftime show, concessions and licensing. The Super Bowl has been the most valuable sporting event brand in each of the six Fab 40 rankings we have compiled since 2007, largely due the record television ratings and advertising rate the game generates, Forbes said. Professional baseball team New York Yankees is the most valuable team brand in sports, worth $521 million.
— Agencies |
Ferrer ousts Murray, sets up Djokovic quarterfinals
Shanghai, October 9 Spaniard Ferrer will replace Murray in ninth spot in the race for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals in London. There are five berths still up for grabs in the eight-man tournament. Djokovic, who has already locked up his spot in London, probably did not expect the kind of resistance he faced from Kukushkin, who matched the Serb shot for shot for most of the match before being overpowered in the third set. Djokovic broke Kukushkin for a 5-3 lead before closing out the first set but the Kazakh roared back into contention to stretch the contest to a decider. Djokovic broke his opponent in the fifth game of the third set and went on to seal a quarter-final clash with Ferrer, who beat Murray 2-6 6-1 6-2 earlier on Thursday. Murray, ranked 11th, had little trouble in the first set and looked poised for a quarterfinals berth, but Ferrer staged a brilliant comeback, breaking the Briton twice to take the second and level the match. There was no let up in the final set either as the Spaniard raced to a 5-2 lead and raised his arms in celebration when twice champion Murray buried a return into the net. “I needed to play my best tennis today,” Ferrer said. “I think this match was very important for both players. Today was a good victory.” Murray, who joined World No.2 Rafa Nadal, Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka and U.S. Open finalist Kei Nishikori in exiting the tournament before the quarterfinal stage, was generous in his praise for Ferrer. “He barely missed a ball for about a set and a half,” said Murray. “I couldn't find a way around him. He played just great tennis, especially the last set and a half. “(At) the beginning of the second set I still had a couple of opportunities there right at the beginning. But after that, I've got to give it to him, he played fantastically well and deserved to win.” Murray said he had not made up his mind yet about where he would compete next as he bids to qualify for the ATP Finals for the seventh successive year. “We'll see over the next few days where I decide to go. Hopefully I can play well the last couple of tournaments, try and make a push for London,” he added. Czech Tomas Berdych boosted his hopes of securing one of the five remaining places in London with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Ivo Karlovic, who hit 19 aces in the third-round clash. — Agencies Fognini makes obscene gesture towards fans
Nobody likes a bad loser, including the ATP who have fined Fabio Fognini for showing his middle finger to fans after his first-round defeat. The combustible Italian is no strange to controversy and during and after his 7-6, 6-4 loss to Chinese world number 553 Wang Chuhan he was unable to contain his anger. Having thrown his racket to the floor during the match, the 17th seed then appeared to push an elbow into his opponent after they shook hands at the net and as he left the court Fognini directed a middle finger at the partisan crowd. The Italian has since been fined $2,000 for the gesture. |
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ISL will take Indian football to next level, says Colomba
Pune, October 9 In Europe, football is a modern sport. In Italy, it is the national sport, the same as cricket is in India. It (ISL) will be a good step towards modern football," he told indiansuperleague.com, when asked about the difference between the sport in India and Italy. ISL begins October 12 with Atletico de Kolkata taking on Mumbai City FC in the opener at the fabled Salt Lake Stadium. FC Pune City make their first appearance away against Delhi Dynamos FC October 14. India is currently languishing at the 158th spot in the FIFA rankings, while four-time World Cup champions Italy are 13th in the table. FC Pune City will be the Italian's first club outside his country, and interestingly, he will be coached by his father Franco Colomba. The Italian midfielder expressed his delight at getting the opportunity to play alongside prolific French striker and Juventus star David Trezeguet. “He gives us a lot of confidence and is a fine example of a professional footballer. He’s humble and a winner,” the 26-year old said. He is optimistic about the team’s chances in the tournament as the players are “slowly getting to know each other”. “We are gelling well together, both tactically and technically. Some Indian players are very nice guys, strong willed and hardworking, which gives us the possibility of reaching a common objective,” the Bologna-born player said, adding: “My experience in the country so far has been fascinating.”
— PTI |
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More use of safety car urged
Sochi, October 9 Bianchi has been in hospital since the accident at Suzuka, the last medical bulletin issued on Tuesday saying the Frenchman had suffered a traumatic brain injury and was in critical but stable condition. “In the future, when there is a tractor picking up a car, we need a safety car no matter the conditions because there is always a risk,” Force India driver Perez told reporters at the new Russian Grand Prix Circuit. “You expose the marshals, a lot of people, so we need a safety car if the tractor is on track. You could have people run out of brakes, so many factors you never expect, and if the tractor is there it's a big problem,” added the Mexican. Alexander Rossi in place of Bianchi
Alexander Rossi could be set to make his Formula 1 grand prix debut this weekend as a substitute for Jules Bianchi at Marussia.
— Agencies |
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IAAF had no choice over listing Gatlin for award
London, October 9 Gatlin's stellar year of sprinting, when he posted six of the fastest 100m times with his 9.77 second run in Brussels last month the fastest-ever by an over-30, made the 32-year-old an automatic inclusion. “Gatlin, as an eligible athlete who has had a great season is, logically, also eligible for consideration for the Athlete of the Year contest in the absence of any bylaw to prevent that happening," an IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) spokesman told Reuters on Thursday. However, fellow nominee Robert Harting felt so strongly about the American former Olympic champion's inclusion that he asked to be removed from the list. The German world and Olympic discus champion wants previously-banned athletes to be prevented from being nominated and said he would not be involved with this year's award so long as Gatlin remained on the list. IAAF vice-president Sebastian Coe also said this week that he was not happy about Gatlin's inclusion but recognised that the rules allowed it.
— Agencies |
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Kochi, October 9
