Sports Ministry interested in calling Yousuf back

KARACHI: Pakistan's sports ministry is considering summoning Mohammad Yousuf in Islamabad in a bid to help him earn a comeback in the national team.

A couple of days after the premier Pakistani batsman urged President Asif Zardari to help him resurrect his international career, sports minister Aftab Jilani said in an interview on Monday that his ministry is ready to play a role in ending the ban on Yousuf and other Pakistani cricketers associated with the unofficial Indian Cricket League (ICL).

At a press conference in Karachi on Saturday, Yousuf appealed to Zardari to help him return to the national team.

In response, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ejaz Butt said that the player will be taken into the Pakistan team as soon as he terminates his contract with the ICL.

Jilani welcomed Butt's remarks. "I was pleased to learn that the PCB chief is looking at the issue in a positive manner," said Jilani, a member of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP).

Jilani said that he will talk to the Board top brass in a bid to convince them that the ICL issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible. The minister said if necessary, he will also take guidelines from President Zardari about the Yousuf case.

Jilani said he will ask Butt to hold talks with the country's ICL cricketers.

Pakistan had banned 20 of its leading cricketers after they signed contracts to play in the rebel ICL.

Earlier this month, the Sindh High Court (SHC) suspended the domestic ban on the ICL players but they still cannot represent Pakistan at the international level because the PCB claims that the International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations bars it from considering ICL players for national duty.

Soruce: http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Sports_Ministry_interested_in_calling_Yousuf_back/articleshow/4137929.cms

Lalit Modi threatens to take away IPL matches from Jaipur

MUMBAI: Embroiled in a series of legal battles and facing dissent in his home association, IPL Chairman Lalit Modi on Monday threatened to shift the Twenty20 matches out of Jaipur, saying the recent FIRs lodged against him were "politically motivated".

Modi said he has been authorised by the IPL Governing Council to decide on the venue of the IPL matches and shifting them from Jaipur was an option being considered.

"It is going to deter the IPL management from staging matches (in Jaipur). The Governing Council has already taken a decision authorising me to decide whether we should be able to hold matches anywhere, whether it's one place or x, y, z," Modi told reporters.

"The option to move matches (out of Jaipur) is available to us. We are looking at alternate venues without doubt. If any government anywhere is going to deter the IPL management from staging matches we would take away those matches and hold them elsewhere," he added.

A case of cheating was lodged against Modi at a Jaipur police station on Sunday for alleged failure to deposit the entire Rs six crore he publicly promised for the city's blast victims in the Chief Minister's Relief Fund.

Modi, however, dismissed the accusations as the state government's ploy to harass him.

"The FIR against me specifically in relation to IPL yesterday is ill-conceived and looks to be politically motivated. Nowhere are complaints registered in the morning and turned into FIRs in the afternoon," Modi said.

"Every time they file one it is without substance," he fumed.

He said the IPL was only a facilitator towards donating the Rs 6 crore promised by the League's franchises and other sponsors and it cannot be held responsible for any lapses.

"Already a sum of Rs 5.2 crore has been deposited into the CM's Relief Fund and others who had pledged to do so in the wake of the Jaipur bomb blast, I'm told, are doing so," said Modi, also President of Rajasthan Cricket Association.

"We all felt sorry for what happened and wanted to help. The IPL is only a facilitator."

The FIR was lodged by an NGO Nagrik Morcha. Modi is also facing charges for allegedly acquiring a piece of land in Nagaur district through unfair means. He has been questioned by police in this regard.

He is also embroiled in a power struggle in the RCA against secretary Subhash Joshi and few district associations which have put up a united front against him.

Modi said Rajasthan Royals, by virtue of winning the IPL in the first season, were given the choice of hosting the final at a venue of their choice and they have opted for Mumbai and specifically the Cricket Club of India.

"From this year the IPL would be directly dealing with the final and semifinals and we have a revenue sharing formula with the franchises. Rajasthan Royals have opted for Mumbai to host the final and their first choice is CCI and the second option we have given is D Y Patil Stadium (in Navi Mumbai)," he said

The IPL chairman said in case the CCI, which is to decide on the issue through an EGM on February 27, is ruled out and Royals do not want to host it at D Y Patil then they can conduct the match outside Mumbai.

As per their contractual obligations with sponsors, a major chunk of the CCI pavilion seats would have to be reserved for the IPL which is against the existing CCI constitution, according to Modi.

"That's why they are having the EGM. We have told them we would give their members 5000 seats in the West Stand but we need a major chunk of seats in the pavilion for ourselves to fulfill out contractual obligations with franchises and sponsors," he said.

Modi said as far as league ties were concerned, the respective franchises will take away the entire gate collections and they were fully authorised to deal with the match staging authorities like the CCI.

"For hosting their seven home matches the Mumbai Indians have the option of playing them at the CCI or D Y Patil as per their discretion. Their requirement is very different to ours (IPL's). All the revenues (of league ties) would go to team owners," he said.

Modi said currently IPL was looking at 11 venues, two in Mumbai and one each in other seven home cities of the franchisees, apart from Cuttack and Ahmedabad.

"Currently there are 11 venues. There are two in Mumbai and one each in other seven cities (Jaipur, Chennai, Mohali, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Hyderabad). One franchise is looking out for another venue within India or overseas," he said.

The IPL chief said the venues for hosting the second IPL season in April-May would be decided soon. "In the next few days they would be decided," he said.

He also said that Chennai Super Kings, by virtue of having finished runners-up, have the option of staging the two semifinals in the second season and they have decided to stage both in their home city.

Modi said that the IPL would resolve the dispute between Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group-controlled BIG TV, which has withdrawn from its partnership with the IPL as its ground sponsors, and the League's broadcast rights holders Sony Entertainment Television by Tuesday.

"I don't know the details, but we hope we can settle it by tomorrow. We cannot allow our ground sponsors getting an unfair deal on air. We will go to the bottom of this. Sony has to comply with our contractual obligations," he said.

BIG TV has complained to the IPL that SET has decided to offer the contract to its competitor Bharti Airtel despite the latter having quoted a lower price for on-air agreement.

Source: http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/News/News/Lalit-Modi-threatens-to-take-away-IPL-matches-from-Jaipur/articleshow/msid-4137385,curpg-2.cms

Australia pip New Zealand by a run in T20 thriller

SYDNEY: Brendon McCullum's sizzling 61 off 47 balls went in vain as Australia bowled exceptionally well at the death to eke out a thrilling one run victory in the see-saw one-off Twenty20 International cricket match on Sunday.

Chasing 151, New Zealand came close to overwhelming the target before losing McCullum at a crucial juncture and eventually finishing at 149 for five wickets.

Needing 14 runs off the last over of the bowling of Nathan Bracken, Nathan McCullum (10 not out) - Brendon's elder brother - hit a four and a six off the last two balls but that was still not enough in the end.

Earlier, a Brad Haddin-led Australia got off to a brisk start before losing momentum and it took useful contributions from David Hussey (41), Adam Voges (26) and David Warner (23) to reach a modest total of 150 for seven.

Chasing 151, New Zealand got off to a wobbly start after Peter Siddle removed in-form Martin Guptill (0) and Peter Fulton (1) off successive overs to reduce the visitors to 12 for two.

However, Brendon McCullum and Neil Broom (36) steadied the rocking Kiwi boat with a 61-run stand in eight-odd overs which put the visitors back on the track.

James Hopes removed Broom in the 11th over and Australia would have seen McCullum's back as well but Hussey squandered a catch off his own bowling.

McCullum responded by hitting Hopes for a six followed by back-to-back fours to reach his fifty in that productive 17th over that yielded 20 runs.

Adam Voges then took a sensational catch off Ben Hilfenhaus to remove McCullum and that proved decisive in the end. ( Watch )

Voges caught the ball in the deep, threw it in the air to prevent carrying it across the boundary and returned in time only to trip before he finally dived to complete an astounding catch.

Earlier, Haddin, making his captaincy debut, won the toss and decided to bat first but Australia posted a score that was far from intimidating.

Haddin (15) and Warner (23) began on a brisk note, adding 34 runs before Tim Southee caught the stand-in Aussie skipper off his bowling in the fourth over to draw the first blood.

Four runs later, Warner, who was going great guns, joined Haddin at the pavilion, caught by Daniel Vettori off Iain O'Brien.

Australia subsequently found boundaries were not easy to come by. Next man in Callum Ferguson (8) could not set alight the Sydney Cricket Ground either and fell to fellow debutant Ian Butler.

At 52 for three after seven overs, things were hardly rosy for the hosts but Hussey (41) and Voges (26) then decided to do the bailout act, stitching together a 52-run stand in 7.5 overs, and managed to keep the scoreboard ticking as Vettori and Butler came up with stifling spells.

Hussey ran hard between the wickets and occasionally unleashed himself, like hitting a Grant Elliot low full toss for a flat six.

Elliot, however, made amends in the same over when, two balls later, he trapped Voges plumb in front. Next man in Cameron White (16) hit a massive six off Butler before falling to O'Brien.

In between, Hussey too perished when Vettori had him caught by Neil Broom after a 39-ball 41.

Source: http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Australia_pip_New_Zealand_by_a_run_in_T20_thriller/articleshow/4132381.cms

Andrew Strauss puts England in charge

ST JOHN'S: Skipper Andrew Strauss's 15th Test hundred helped England bury the double misery of their Jamaica humiliation and the abandoned second Test on the opening day of the third Test on Sunday.

Strauss hit 169, and there were half-centuries for Owais Shah and Alastair Cook, as England, sent in to bat by the West Indies, reached 301 for three in their first innings when stumps were drawn at the Antigua Recreation Ground.

Strauss turned his over-pitched 169th delivery from Daren Powell through backward square leg for two to reach the milestone to help make his team's 51 all out in the first Test, and Friday's aborted Test, a distant memory.

He put on 123 for the first wicket with Cook before Shah, who was replacing Ian Bell, joined him to add 153 for the second wicket before they both departed in the final period of the day.

But Strauss was fortunate. On 47, West Indies captain Chris Gayle dropped him at slip off Sulieman Benn before he steered Jerome Taylor to third man for two to bring up his 50.

Then on 71, he edged Ryan Hinds between wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and slip fielder Gayle for the 10th of his 24 fours before he reached triple figures.

Strauss and Cook had provided England with a firm foundation. They carried England to 58 without loss at lunch before Cook was caught at slip off Gayle for 52 after the interval.

Shah entered and immediately announced himself with a cracking back-foot drive off his first ball from Gayle.

They took England to 206 for one at tea before Shah was run out for 57, when he failed to beat a direct hit from Taylor on his follow-through going for a suicidal run.

Strauss continued to stroke the ball crisply, but Gayle claimed the second new ball with England on 291 for two after 87 overs and was rewarded with the prized scalp of the left-handed opener.

Trying to pull a short, rising ball from Fidel Edwards, Strauss only succeeded in giving the bowler a simple return catch.

He batted for five minutes short of six hours, faced 277 balls, and also struck a six, a lovely straight hit out of the ground off Benn.

The start had been delayed by 45 minutes, following overnight and early morning rain which affected parts of the parched outfield with an area straight behind the wicket at the northern end being the most troublesome.

West Indies made no changes to their 11 that took the field for the second Test, but England brought Steve Harmison and Graeme Swann in to replace Ryan Sidebottom and Monty Panesar.

The ARG was cleared to stage the match late on Saturday, following an inspection from ICC Match Referee Allan Hurst.

"I'm very happy with the ground," he told reporters. "I think in the 24 hours they've had to prepare the ground they've done a fantastic job.

"There are a few problems with the (outfield) and it is not perfect, but they've done as good a job as they could have and the pitch looks great."

The ARG is hosting a Test for the first time in three years, after the second Test at the nearby Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground was abandoned on Friday because of an unsuitable outfield after just 10 balls.

West Indies lead the series which now comprises five Tests 1-0, following an innings and 23-run victory in the opening match at Kingston inside four days.

The other two Tests in the series take place at Kensington Oval in Barbados from February 26 to March 2, and Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad from March 2 to 6.

Soruce: http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Andrew_Strauss_puts_England_in_charge/articleshow/4134008.cms

RBS signs Sachin, others for Rs 1600 crore during recession

LONDON: The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has spent Rs 1600 crore on sponsorship deals with top sportsperson including batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar just days before being bailed out by the government, a media report said on Sunday.

According to a report in the Sunday Times, to please its clients, former RBS chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin signed five-year contracts with Tendulkar and other sporting personalities last October, just weeks before his ouster from the company.

"Royal Bank of Scotland, bailed out with billions of pounds of taxpayers money, hired top sports stars on reckless contracts to entertain clients as part of a 200 million pound sponsorship binge," the newspaper reported.

"Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian cricket hero, signed a five-year deal just weeks before Goodwin was ousted," it added.

However, RBS, which announced a loss of 28 billion pound last month, the biggest in British commercial history, said it was obliged to honour the deals.

Reacting to this, a member of the Treasury Select Committee, John Mann said, "They (RBS) have been reckless yet again. This doesn't seem to be a bank that could do anything in moderation. It now needs to realise the golden days are over."

Source: http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/RBS_signs_Sachin_others_for_Rs_1600_crore/articleshow/4133166.cms

Jaipur FIR against me is flimsy and vindictive: Lalit Modi

NEW DELHI/JAIPUR: Lalit Modi, the chairman of the Indian Premier League (IPL), on Sunday refuted the allegation of misappropriation of funds made by a non-governmental organisation (NGO), calling it "meaningless" and "flimsy".

Modi, who is also the president of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA), said that the Rajasthan police have gone out of their way to entertain the complaint and then file the FIR, "knowing fully well that the charge was meaningless."

"It is nothing but vindictiveness on the part of the police," he added.

"Basically, it was the goodwill and kind gesture of the IPL teams, franchisees and sponsors that they had pledged Rs.60 million (Rs.6 crore) and a dummy cheque was presented on the night of the game to the chief minister. Out of which, cheques to the tune of Rs.5.2 crore (Rs.52 million) have been sent directly to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund and only two sponsors have not been able to send the pledged amount," said Modi.

Modi said the dummy cheque had the logos of the franchisees and sponsors and their signatures on it.

"A pity, instead of appreciating the gesture, the government is hounding the RCA officials, me in particular. Strictly speaking, I don't come into the picture. It is a matter between the people who have pledged the amount and the state government which received the amount directly."

Moreover, Modi said, if someone pledged something and did not fulfill, it did not become a liability or misappropriation of funds.

"In any case, more than 90 percent of the pledged sum has been realised, and if even after that cases are being filed, it means it is nothing but vindictiveness on the part of the police," he added.

"It is a flimsy complaint and the police has taken cognisance of it."

The FIR against Modi has been filed under Sections 420 (cheating) and 467 (forgery of valuable security) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Jyoti Nagar police station in Jaipur.

"Nagrik Morcha has filed an FIR under section 420 and section 467 of the IPC against Modi with us today (Sunday)," sub-inspector Netram Sharma of Jyoti Nagar police station said.

Morcha convener Suresh Mishra, in his complaint, stated that soon after the serial bomb blasts rocked Jaipur May 13, 2008, Modi announced that the IPL would deposit Rs.60 million in the Chief Minister's Relief Fund for victims of the bomb blasts.

"After an IPL match was held here May 17, 2008, Modi presented a cheque for Rs.60 million to then chief minister Vasundhara Raje. According to our information, this amount never reached the victims. We want to know where this money has gone. We want this to be probed," Mishra said.

Source: http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/FIR_against_me_is_flimsy_and_vindictive_Modi/articleshow/4133022.cms