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Australian
World Cup Team Has Surprise Elements (Go
To Top) SYDNEY: Test skipper Steve Waugh is, as anticipated, not in the Australian World Cup squad but Andrew Symonds and left-arm wrist spinner Brad Hogg are the surprise selections. Moreover, Queenslander Jimmy Maher is also in the final team as an extra batsman. He shut out players like Justin Langer and Ryan Campbell. The other 12 players, including captain Ricky Ponting, remain in the team by virtue of their consistent performances in the past year, reports news.com.au. Hogg, 31, has played just one limited-overs match in the past six years but has been still taken in for his effort when filling in for the injured Shane Warne in Perth earlier this month. Symonds made the grade for what the chairman of the selectors termed as his "match-winning potential" and fielding prowess. Warne has been named despite dislocation of his shoulder. If he is unable to report full fitness, a replacement is possible. Australia will leave for South Africa on January 30 and start their World Cup defence with a match against Pakistan in Johannesburg on February 11. The squad: Ricky Ponting (captain), Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain), Michael Bevan, Andy Bichel, Jason Gillespie, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Darren Lehmann, Jimmy Maher, Damien Martyn, Glenn McGrath, Andrew Symonds, Shane Warne, Shane Watson. Dalmia
Quits ICC World Cup Contract Panel (Go
To Top) KOLKATA: The Indian cricket board has demanded independent mediation to resolve a sponsorship row between its players and the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the 2003 World Cup. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Monday that it had sent a notice to the world cricket body to arrange the talks and said it would seek arbitration if the move did not bear fruit. Making the announcement, BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya told reporters he had also resigned from the ICC's World Cup contracts committee set up to review the sponsorship contract. "I strongly feel that when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to test the legality of clauses, it is not fair on my part to remain on that committee as difference of opinion could come at this stage. In all fairness to the ICC, they have not asked (for my resignation) but I have decided to resign and in fact I have resigned this morning from the World Cup Contract Committee," Dalmiya said. The IDI is the world cricket body's marketing arm which signed a 550 million dollar rights deal for its events up to 2007. Dalmiya said it was for the IDI to name the mediator, but it could be someone from South Africa. The ICC will have to initiate the mediation within a fortnight, he said. Laxman
Out of 15-member World Cup Team
(Go
To Top) KOLKATA: The 15-member Indian team announced on Monday for the World Cup has no major surprises. The announcement was made by the BCCI secretary SK Nair after a meeting of the selection committee which held a tele-conference with captain Sourav Ganguly and coach John Wright now in New Zealand. Dinesh Mongia has come in place of VVS Laxman whose omission was widely expected because of his low scores (only 593 runs from 21 matches this year with 99 as the highest). Axe has fallen on medium-pacer Rakesh Patel, who is in the 16-member squad in New Zealand. Team: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Harbhajan Singh, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Anil Kumble, Parthiv Patel (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Mongia, Sanjay Bangar, Ashish Nehra and Ajit Agarkar. Sehwag's
Ton Fails to Rescue India in Second ODI(Go
To Top) SYDNEY: New Zealand defeated India by 35 runs in the second one-day international at Napier on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the seven-match series. India required 255 to win after the hosts scored 254 for nine in their stipulated 50 overs. They could manage just 219 in 43.4 overs. A brilliant century from Virender Sehwag (108) was wasted on a team that lost wickets at vital points. Earlier, New Zealand's batsmen broke a run drought with a respectable 254 for nine. Nathan Astle and Mathew Sinclair added 136 runs for the second wicket to set up the home side's total on a flat McLean Park pitch. Astle broke a run of four single-figure one-day international scores with his 76 off 95 balls while Sinclair top-scored with 78 off 126 balls to almost certainly seal his place in New Zealand's World Cup squad. On India's part, skipper Saurav Ganguly survived just two bowls and was bowled by Tuffy in the third for a duck. While Laxman, Dravid and Kaif showed some resistance, Yuvraj was stumped by McCullum at zero. Srinath was out cheaply at 3, Zaheer Khan made 11. Harbhajan was out at 14. Virendra Sehwag was declared Man of the Match. Scoarboard: India V.Sehwag run out (Tuffey)
- 108 'India
Confirms Participation in SAF Meeting' (Go
To Top) LAHORE: India has confirmed it will send a delegation to attend the ninth SAF Games Organising Committee meeting scheduled to be held at Islamabad on Jan 9, reports Dawn. Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) secretary Muhammad Latif Butt said Saturday that Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan would also participate in the meeting. Indian Olympic Association president (IOA) Suresh Kalmadhi will head the delegation, which also includes IOA Secretary Raja Randhir Singh and other officials. The SAF Games, which were put off in October 2001 and then in March 2002 due to alarming situation on the Indo-Pak borders, have been rescheduled for March 29 to April 7, 2003. However, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, a newly included country in the SAF region, were yet to confirm their participation. An invitation had been extended to both the countries. Afghanistan's participation would be confirmed by Monday while Bangladesh would take some, he said. Latif said that POA had not received any request either from India or Afghanistan to make security arrangements for their contingents during their stay in Islamabad. However, he said that POA did not have any information if a similar request had been received by the organising committee of the Games. England's
Decision to Play World Cup Cricket Slammed (Go
To Top) LONDON: To play, or not to play, in Zimbabwe, that is the dilemma facing England's cricketers. While the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has ruled that England will play its World Cup match against Zimbabwe in Harare on February 13, its decision has come in for severe criticism from the Government, politicians and even players. Perhaps most significant is the view expressed by David Graveney, who is Chairman of Selectors and Director of the Professional Cricketers' Association, the players' union. In an interview published in the Mail on Sunday, he declared: "If I were asked to go to Zimbabwe, I'd have to refuse". Making it clear that he was speaking as an individual, he added: "I'm not in a position to persuade others not to go and I think that would be right. But if somebody asked me, David Graveney, to visit Zimbabwe, I would say No". Opposition to playing in Harare is not based on security grounds - indeed, the ICC, Cricket's world governing body, has dismissed security concerns. It is based on a feeling that English cricketers should not give Robert Mugabe, President of both Zimbabwe and the country's cricket board, a platform to promote his regime. The opposition of Jack Straw, Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary, was made clear by officials in his Department. A spokesman said: "While it is not for us to tell the International Cricket Council or the England and Wales Cricket Board what to do, it is Mr. Straw's personal view that it would be better if England didn't go. We ask the cricketing authorities to reflect on the humanitarian and political crisis that is happening in Zimbabwe and the fact that the situation could deteriorate in the coming weeks". The office of Prime Minister Tony Blair, who is currently on holiday in Egypt with his family, told the Observer that it was outrageous that England should play a landmark match in Harare when Mugabe stands accused of starving his own people for political gain. Clare Short, the International Development Secretary, said the decision to go was "deplorable and shocking". "It is like pretending that everything is okay in Zimbabwe, and it is not," she said. For the ECB, Chief Executive Tim Lamb, wondered why cricket should be treated differently from the 300 businesses which continue to trade with Zimbabwe. "We don't believe it's our position to make political judgments about the appropriateness of regimes in host countries for playing cricket," he said. Richard Bevan, a colleague of David Graveny at the Profesional Cricketers' Association, said England would almost certainly refuse to go if the Government made a clear statement opposing the visit. And as some of the potential one-day squad, including Alec Stuart and Mark Butcher, are reported to be opposed to going, a former England captain, Mike Gatting, who led a "rebel" tour of South Africa during the apartheid era, called on the Government to "take the decision out of the players' hands". He said: "If the Government thinks it's wrong for England to have sporting ties with Zimbabwe, Mr. Blair should stop teams going there. Why put the onus on players ?" More Central
Fund for Sports Infrastructure (Go
To Top) INDORE: Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Vikram Verma has said that an extra provision of Rs 200 crore had been made in the tenth five-year Plan for providing infrastructure facilities for games in the States. "The States will be provided grants for setting up sports academies and complexes but the recipient Governments will have to shell out their share and also the land required," he said while inaugurating the cricket and table tennis championships of the Sports Journalists Federation of India here on Thursday. Jayasuriya
Stays as Lanka Captain for World Cup (Go
To Top) COLOMBO: Cricket authorities on Friday retained hard-hitting opener Sanath Jayasuriya as Sri Lanka's captain for next year's World Cup in South Africa and recalled veteran left-hander Hashan Tillakaratne to the 15-member squad. Tillekaratne, 36, who has played only two one-day internationals since the 1999 World Cup, is included as a reserve wicket-keeper, according to the News. Left-handed opening batsman Avishka Gunawardena and right-arm seamer Charitha Buddika Fernando also have been recalled, a statement by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board said. Muttiah Muralitharan, who needs three more wickets to reach the double of 300 one-day wickets and 400 Test wickets, a feat only achieved by Pakistan's Wasim Akram, will be Sri Lanka's key bowler. Squad: Sanath Jayasuriya (Captain), Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Aravinda de Silva, Russel Arnold, Jehan Mubarak, Avishka Gunawardena, Hashan Tillakaratne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Chaminda Vaas, Dilhara Fernando, Pulasthi Gunaratne, Prabath Nissanka and Charitha Buddika Fernando. Langer's
Double Ton Puts Aussies in Driver's Seat (Go
To Top) SYDNEY: In reply to Australia's mammoth first innings score of 551 for six declared, England were reeling at 97 for three at stumps on the second day of the fourth and penultimate Ashes Test in Melbourne on Friday. At close of play, skipper Nasser Hussain (17) was batting along with night-watchman Richard Dawson, who had yet to open his account. The three batsmen dismissed were openers Michael Vaughan (11), Marcus Trescothick (37) and Mark Butcher (25). Earlier, resuming at their overnight score of 356 for three, the hosts reached 551 for six, with opener Justin Langer making 250 runs. Skipper Steve Waugh chipped in with 77 runs and debutant Martin Love, playing as a replacement for the injured Darren Lehmann, made an unbeaten 62. For the visitors, all-rounder Craig White was the most successful bowler taking three wickets India Collapses
at the Hands of Oram (Go
To Top) SYDNEY: New Zealand defeated India by three wickets in the first of the seven one-day internationals at Eden Park, Auckland, on Thursday. The hosts needed just 109 runs to win after India was bowled out in the 33rd over at 108. It was their lowest total against New Zealand, beating the 112 for nine in Melbourne 22 years ago, and its seventh lowest of all time. New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram took five wickets for 26 runs to force the Indian collapse. India was 79 for eight off 25 overs as Oram took his five wickets after coming on in the 13th over. Opener Shiv Sunder Das, a late replacement for Tendulkar, was the highest scorer at 30. Captain Saurav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan made 14 each. The others stood at single-digit figures. Coming to bat, the Kiwis were in deep trouble as none of their top six batsmen got past 15, most of them catches behind the wicket. Oram once again came to his team's rescue with an unbeaten 27. Javagal Srinath bagged four wickets, Ashish Nehra two and Zaheer Khan one. At one stage, the hosts were a miserable 52 for six, raising Indian hopes that were not to be. Injuries
Keep Out Sachin, Harbhajan, Bangar
(Go
To Top) SYDNEY: Injuries have forced batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar and spinner Harbhajan Singh out of the Indian squad for the first of the seven one-day internationals against hosts New Zealand beginning in Auckland on Thursday. According to reports, Tendulkar, who sprained his right ankle while bowling in the nets on Tuesday, had not yet recovered from his injury and was also doubtful for the second match in Napier on Sunday. Harbhajan, on the other hand, has some problem with his bowling hand. But he will definitely play in the Napier tie. Meanwhile, all-rounder Sanjay Bangar will also be unavailable for Thursday's one-dayer after having injured his knee during the second and final Test in Hamilton. Although his injury is "mild," he still needs to be rested on Thursday. Sunita
Rani Happy, Feels Vindicated (Go
To Top) NEW DELHI: Middle-distance runner Sunita Rani on Wednesday expressed happiness after the International Olympic Committee cleared her of doping charges at October's Asian Games. The 23-year-old was stripped of her 1,500 metres gold and 5,000 metres bronze won in Busan, South Korea, after testing positive for a metabolite of the banned steroid nandrolone. Rani denied using any banned substances. Rani said that she was happy over the sports body's decision. "I am feeling great. I had told earlier also that those charges against me are all false. That's why I wanted to bring the truth in front of the whole world," said Rani. Last month the Indian Olympic Association's internal inquiry had cleared her of any wrongdoing and contested the reliability of the tests done at the games laboratory, pointing to huge fluctuations in the reading of the urine samples. The Indian federation challenged the drug tests and cited severe discrepancies in the procedure. Rani also denied accusations that doping was rife in Indian sport. "All I would tell you is that those who accuse me of taking medicines are wrong. No one can play after taking such banned medicines in sports. No player in India uses banned drugs," said Rani. BCCI
to Meet ICC Deadline But Will Back Players on Contract Issue (Go
To Top) KOLKATA: The BCCI will honour the ICC deadline of December 31 by announcing within that time limit the final 15-member squad for the World Cup but has decided to support India's players over the contract issue.
The deadline was set by the ICC, which had threatened the BCCI with damage claims if the board failed to send its best team for the tournament. It has still not been decided whether India will sign the ICC contract in which players cannot endorse a product that competes with the official tournament sponsor. Negotiations with the Indian cricketers on the contract will continue after the team returns from its tour of New Zealand next month. Jagmohan Dalmiya, president, BCCI, said, "The board has decided to fully back the players as the the restrictive clauses in the players' terms were unjustified. The Indian sponsors of the World Cup should come forward and support the Indian cricketers in the larger interest of country and cricket and if they do not look after the interest of the cricketers, the BCCI would review its commercial relations with them in future." Leg
Infection Forces Lehmann to Miss Fourth Ashes Test (Go
To Top) SYDNEY: A leg infection has forced Australian batsman Darren Lehmann out of the fourth and penultimate Ashes Test beginning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday. He will be replaced by uncapped Queensland batsman Martin Love. Lehmann, 32, was admitted to a hospital on Monday night with an acute infection in his right leg and placed on a course of intravenous antibiotics. According to a statement issued by the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), Lehmann is making good progress and is expected to remain in the hospital for several days as he continues to receive the treatment. -ANI |
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