Christchurch, March 7: A confident India will look to continue their domination when they clash against New Zealand in the third cricket one-dayer here tomorrow, fully aware that the pressure will be more on the hosts who face a do-or-die battle.Leading 1-0, a win tomorrow will ensure that India will not lose the series and they can push for the series-victory in the last two matches with a more relaxed approach.But the two rain-marred matches at Napier and Wellington has not only upset the rhythm of the players to some extent, but has also put New Zealand in a tricky situation.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Harbhajan unperturbed by New Zealand tracks
Wellington, March 4: On a high after taking three wickets in four successive deliveries in the first cricket one-dayer against New Zealand, Indian offie Harbhajan said he was unperturbed by the fact that tracks here would not assist spinners.“I think it is all in the mind. Your role definitely changes on different sorts of wickets in different conditions. If they are not suiting you, then there is a bit of change in your role in the team,” Harbhajan told reporters here.The spinner explained that he had greater responsibility on turning tracks but on fast wickets his role changes to restricting runs and felt a performance like yesterday’s was a bonus.“When we play on spinning tracks, it is my responsibility to get all the wickets and do well for the team. As a specialist spinner my role is surely to take wickets here as well and win games.”
Saina Nehwal crashes out of All England Super Series
NEW DELHI: India's highest ranked shuttlers Saina Nehwal and Chetan Anand crashed out of the All England badminton tournament after suffering contrasting defeats in the first round of the Super series event in London on Wednesday.
World number 10 Saina played her heart out but could not get past Pi and lost 15-21 16-21 in the first round of the tournament.
Saina played better from the nets but was outdone by her rivals' smashes in the 34-minute gruelling battle.
Saina had 18 net winner against Pi's 17 but could fetch only seven smash points against PI's powerful 12 points.
The eighteen year-old Hyderabadi had to skip last month's national badminton championship owing to her shoulder injury and after a rigorous three-week healing process, returned to the court for the all-important tournament.
In contrast, Chetan started off well, pocketing the first game 21-6 but eventually as the match progressed he ran out of steam.
World number 13 Chetan played better from the nets and had better smash points then world number 21 Smith. Both had identical number of smash points, while Chetan grabbed 26 net points against Smith's 25.
Among other Indians in fray, Anand Pawar put up a brave fight before bowing out 20-22 15-21 against fifth seed Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia in a battle that lasted for 36 minutes.
Indian women's double pair of Jwala Gutta and Shruti Kurian also could not get past Malaysian duo of Chiou Hwee Haw and Pek Siah Lim and went down 9-21 21-19 18-21 in a 41-minute clash.
Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Saina-crashes-out-of-All-England-Super-Series/articleshow/4225042.cms
World number 10 Saina played her heart out but could not get past Pi and lost 15-21 16-21 in the first round of the tournament.
Saina played better from the nets but was outdone by her rivals' smashes in the 34-minute gruelling battle.
Saina had 18 net winner against Pi's 17 but could fetch only seven smash points against PI's powerful 12 points.
The eighteen year-old Hyderabadi had to skip last month's national badminton championship owing to her shoulder injury and after a rigorous three-week healing process, returned to the court for the all-important tournament.
In contrast, Chetan started off well, pocketing the first game 21-6 but eventually as the match progressed he ran out of steam.
World number 13 Chetan played better from the nets and had better smash points then world number 21 Smith. Both had identical number of smash points, while Chetan grabbed 26 net points against Smith's 25.
Among other Indians in fray, Anand Pawar put up a brave fight before bowing out 20-22 15-21 against fifth seed Sony Dwi Kuncoro of Indonesia in a battle that lasted for 36 minutes.
Indian women's double pair of Jwala Gutta and Shruti Kurian also could not get past Malaysian duo of Chiou Hwee Haw and Pek Siah Lim and went down 9-21 21-19 18-21 in a 41-minute clash.
Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Saina-crashes-out-of-All-England-Super-Series/articleshow/4225042.cms
Ronaldo returns to action after knee surgery
ITUMBIARA: Ronaldo made yet another comeback to competitive football by coming off the bench in the second half of Corinthians' Brazilian Cup match a gainst Itumbiara on Wednesday.
Ronaldo entered in the 68th minute and was loudly cheered by most of the 30,000 fans who packed Juscelino Kubitschek Stadium in central Brazil.
It was Ronaldo's first official match since undergoing surgery after a left knee injury sustained with AC Milan in February 2008.
The three-time world player of the year was surrounded by photographers and reporters from the moment he arrived at the stadium, and even on the sideline he struggled to avoid reporters.
He left the field without talking to the media after apparently being hit in the eye by a microphone.
"It was a good debut for Ronaldo," Corinthians coach Mano Menezes said. "He moved well and even tried some of the moves that are typical of him. It was a first step important to overcome and with time things should become easier."
Corinthians was already leading 2-0 when Ronaldo entered the match, which ended with Corinthians' victory behind goals from defenders Chicao and Andre Santos. The result allowed Corinthians to advance to the second round of the Brazilian Cup.
The 32-year-old Ronaldo touched the ball for the first time after less than a minute, and in the 74th he just barely failed to reach a ball crossed into the area.
He claimed being fouled while trying to get past two defenders in the 75th near the top of the area, but the referee said he dived.
Ronaldo was free from markers in a counterattack in the 77th, but teammate Douglas chose to take a shot on goal instead of passing to the striker, drawing jeers from the crowd.
He had one final chance in injury time, but again the referee called a foul on him when he tried to overcome a defender inside the area.
Ronaldo, who has scored a record 15 goals in World Cups, had been expected to debut on Sunday against Corinthians' archrival Palmeiras in the Sao Paulo state championship, but the striker's recent performances in practice led Menezes to bring forward the debut.
The coach said he hadn't yet decided if Ronaldo would play on Sunday.
"We will talk to him and see how he felt," Menezes said. Ronaldo had to come back from serious knee surgeries two other times in his career. In 1999, he tore up his right knee with Inter Milan and needed surgery, and a year later he twisted the same knee and was sidelined for several months after another surgery.
He recovered brilliantly, however, helping Brazil win its fifth World Cup in 2002 in South Korea and Japan. He was the tournament's top scorer with eight goals in seven matches - including two in the final against Germany.
Ronaldo hadn't played a match with a Brazilian club in Brazil since 1994, when he was still with Cruzeiro.
He transferred to PSV Eindhoven that same year, then eventually moved to Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan in 2007.
Soruce:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ronaldo-returns-to-action-after-knee-surgery-/articleshow/4226473.cms
Ronaldo entered in the 68th minute and was loudly cheered by most of the 30,000 fans who packed Juscelino Kubitschek Stadium in central Brazil.
It was Ronaldo's first official match since undergoing surgery after a left knee injury sustained with AC Milan in February 2008.
The three-time world player of the year was surrounded by photographers and reporters from the moment he arrived at the stadium, and even on the sideline he struggled to avoid reporters.
He left the field without talking to the media after apparently being hit in the eye by a microphone.
"It was a good debut for Ronaldo," Corinthians coach Mano Menezes said. "He moved well and even tried some of the moves that are typical of him. It was a first step important to overcome and with time things should become easier."
Corinthians was already leading 2-0 when Ronaldo entered the match, which ended with Corinthians' victory behind goals from defenders Chicao and Andre Santos. The result allowed Corinthians to advance to the second round of the Brazilian Cup.
The 32-year-old Ronaldo touched the ball for the first time after less than a minute, and in the 74th he just barely failed to reach a ball crossed into the area.
He claimed being fouled while trying to get past two defenders in the 75th near the top of the area, but the referee said he dived.
Ronaldo was free from markers in a counterattack in the 77th, but teammate Douglas chose to take a shot on goal instead of passing to the striker, drawing jeers from the crowd.
He had one final chance in injury time, but again the referee called a foul on him when he tried to overcome a defender inside the area.
Ronaldo, who has scored a record 15 goals in World Cups, had been expected to debut on Sunday against Corinthians' archrival Palmeiras in the Sao Paulo state championship, but the striker's recent performances in practice led Menezes to bring forward the debut.
The coach said he hadn't yet decided if Ronaldo would play on Sunday.
"We will talk to him and see how he felt," Menezes said. Ronaldo had to come back from serious knee surgeries two other times in his career. In 1999, he tore up his right knee with Inter Milan and needed surgery, and a year later he twisted the same knee and was sidelined for several months after another surgery.
He recovered brilliantly, however, helping Brazil win its fifth World Cup in 2002 in South Korea and Japan. He was the tournament's top scorer with eight goals in seven matches - including two in the final against Germany.
Ronaldo hadn't played a match with a Brazilian club in Brazil since 1994, when he was still with Cruzeiro.
He transferred to PSV Eindhoven that same year, then eventually moved to Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid and AC Milan in 2007.
Soruce:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Ronaldo-returns-to-action-after-knee-surgery-/articleshow/4226473.cms
Padma awards panel ignored Olympic heroes
NEW DELHI: Nominations of Olympic medal winners Sushil Kumar (wrestler) and Vijender Singh (boxing) were struck off by the Padma Awards Committee des pite having been recommended by the sports and home ministries.
In response to an RTI query, home ministry said it had received recommendation in favour of both the Olympians from ministry of youth affairs and sports on November 20, 2008, well before the cut-off date for accepting nominations.
"The nominations were placed before the Padma Awards Committee. These names were not recommended by Padma Awards Committee for 2009," ministry's CPIO S K Bhatnagar said in reply to an application filed by RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal.
Sushil and Vijender had won bronze medals in the Olympic Games held in Beijing. The ministry in its reply said 1,093 recommendations were placed before the Padma awards committee which selected 133 names for different categories — 10 Padma Vibhushan, 30 Padma Bhushan and 93 Padma Shri.
In fact, on at least two occasions earlier, the government has overruled the K R Narayanan committee — set up by the Supreme Court to frame guidelines on Padma awards to sportsmen. One of the guidelines said the government could not give Padma awards at any other time except for Republic Day. However, according to the home ministry, in March 1983 and June 1984 seven sportspersons were given these awards out of turn.
The awards committee is headed by the cabinet secretary and comprises home secretary, secretary to the President and principle secretary to the prime minister. Four non-official members this year were Kapila Vatsyayana, Tarun Das, Jyotindra Jain and R Chidambaram.
Soruce:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Padma-awards-panel-ignored-Olympic-heroes/articleshow/4226618.cms
In response to an RTI query, home ministry said it had received recommendation in favour of both the Olympians from ministry of youth affairs and sports on November 20, 2008, well before the cut-off date for accepting nominations.
"The nominations were placed before the Padma Awards Committee. These names were not recommended by Padma Awards Committee for 2009," ministry's CPIO S K Bhatnagar said in reply to an application filed by RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal.
Sushil and Vijender had won bronze medals in the Olympic Games held in Beijing. The ministry in its reply said 1,093 recommendations were placed before the Padma awards committee which selected 133 names for different categories — 10 Padma Vibhushan, 30 Padma Bhushan and 93 Padma Shri.
In fact, on at least two occasions earlier, the government has overruled the K R Narayanan committee — set up by the Supreme Court to frame guidelines on Padma awards to sportsmen. One of the guidelines said the government could not give Padma awards at any other time except for Republic Day. However, according to the home ministry, in March 1983 and June 1984 seven sportspersons were given these awards out of turn.
The awards committee is headed by the cabinet secretary and comprises home secretary, secretary to the President and principle secretary to the prime minister. Four non-official members this year were Kapila Vatsyayana, Tarun Das, Jyotindra Jain and R Chidambaram.
Soruce:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Padma-awards-panel-ignored-Olympic-heroes/articleshow/4226618.cms
TN stun Mumbai, Bengal oust Delhi
Agartala: Tamil Nadu stunned Ranji champions Mumbai, while Bengal riding on an unbeaten 96 by India discard Manoj Tiwary ousted Delhi to book their berths in the semi-finals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy national one-dayers here on Wednesday.
Put to bat at the Polytechnic Institute Ground, Tamil Nadu had problems in the beginning as they lost opener Abhinav Mukund for a duck.
However, Junior Srikkanth, Anirudha came up with a defiant 67 and later skipper Ravichandran Ashwin chipped in with a quickfire 46 as Tamil Nadu notched up a challenging 252 for nine in the stipulated 50 overs.
Aniruddha hit six fours and one six in his 88-ball knock, while Ashwin had two sixes and one boundary from 37 deliveries.
Mumbai left arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla bagged three for 43, while Ajinkya Rahane and Usman Malvi took two wickets apiece.
Chasing 253, Mumbai did not have any partnership going and lost wickets at regular intervals as they were bundled out for 196 in 45.5 overs.
Left-arm spinner Vidyut Sivaramakrishan was the most successful bowler bagging three for 32 from 8.5 overs.
In another quarterfinal at Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium, Bengal, a side which was promoted to Ranji Trophy Super League this season, upset Delhi by two wickets.
Electing to field first after skipper Laxmi Ratan Shukla won the toss, Bengal stuck to their task with tidy bowling to restricted Delhi at 209 for eight in the stipulated 47 overs.
Delhi struggled to have a partnership going with opener Manan Sharma returning with a top-score of 43.
The match had a 45-minute delay start as the pitch was wet. Both the umpires after consulting the two team captains curtailed the match to a 47-over affair.
Chasing 210, Bengal also struggled as wickets kept on falling at regular intervals. Skipper Shukla made 18 and departed in 23.3 overs.
But the stylish Bengal batsman Tiwary, who has been made the East Zone captain for the upcoming Deodhar Trophy to be held in Cuttack, held on to his end and single-handedly steered the side home.
Tiwary faced 106 balls in his undefeated knock which was laced with nine boundaries.
Bengal will face Baroda, while Tamil Nadu will take on Uttar Pradesh in their last-four matches to be held here on March 6.
Soruce:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/tn-stun-mumbai-bengal-oust-delhi/38795-13.html
Put to bat at the Polytechnic Institute Ground, Tamil Nadu had problems in the beginning as they lost opener Abhinav Mukund for a duck.
However, Junior Srikkanth, Anirudha came up with a defiant 67 and later skipper Ravichandran Ashwin chipped in with a quickfire 46 as Tamil Nadu notched up a challenging 252 for nine in the stipulated 50 overs.
Aniruddha hit six fours and one six in his 88-ball knock, while Ashwin had two sixes and one boundary from 37 deliveries.
Mumbai left arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla bagged three for 43, while Ajinkya Rahane and Usman Malvi took two wickets apiece.
Chasing 253, Mumbai did not have any partnership going and lost wickets at regular intervals as they were bundled out for 196 in 45.5 overs.
Left-arm spinner Vidyut Sivaramakrishan was the most successful bowler bagging three for 32 from 8.5 overs.
In another quarterfinal at Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium, Bengal, a side which was promoted to Ranji Trophy Super League this season, upset Delhi by two wickets.
Electing to field first after skipper Laxmi Ratan Shukla won the toss, Bengal stuck to their task with tidy bowling to restricted Delhi at 209 for eight in the stipulated 47 overs.
Delhi struggled to have a partnership going with opener Manan Sharma returning with a top-score of 43.
The match had a 45-minute delay start as the pitch was wet. Both the umpires after consulting the two team captains curtailed the match to a 47-over affair.
Chasing 210, Bengal also struggled as wickets kept on falling at regular intervals. Skipper Shukla made 18 and departed in 23.3 overs.
But the stylish Bengal batsman Tiwary, who has been made the East Zone captain for the upcoming Deodhar Trophy to be held in Cuttack, held on to his end and single-handedly steered the side home.
Tiwary faced 106 balls in his undefeated knock which was laced with nine boundaries.
Bengal will face Baroda, while Tamil Nadu will take on Uttar Pradesh in their last-four matches to be held here on March 6.
Soruce:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/tn-stun-mumbai-bengal-oust-delhi/38795-13.html
Windy Wellington awaits upbeat India
New Delhi: After winning the Napier one-dayer, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men are now gearing up for the second one at Wellington where they face not only the challenge to maintain their winning momentum, but also to win at a ground that has been "exceptionally lucky" for New Zealand.
India can finally manage a smile after what have been a testing couple of weeks for them. Shrugging off their initial struggle, the Indians came out roaring at Napier with the batsmen leading the charge. The hosts, no doubt, would be plotting to avoid an encore.
"If we get a good start and capitalise more often than not, we'll get a good target on the board which our bowlers can look to defend," the Indian captain said after winning the first ODI.
While Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand skipper said, "Dhoni and Sehwag are quality players, so if you give them a chance they can hurt you."
Desperate to return to the fold, Ishant Sharma is making steady progress even as experts continue to caution Dhoni against straining him too much in the one-day series.
"I will be available for the second one-dayer so I think it's good for me," Ishant said before the first one-dayer. "I'm not bowling in the nets even now. Before, I couldn't even lift my shoulder but now it's getting better."
But former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri suggested of using Ishant sparingly in the limited overs version. "As far as Ishant Sharma goes, even if he was fully fit, I for one won't play him in more than two one-day games. I'd like to keep him fresh for the Test series coming up."
As they shake off the ghosts of Napier, New Zealand will no doubt take heart from their exceptional record at the Westpac ground, having won 10 off the 15 ODIs they have played there.
"We are looking forward to another chance to perform," Vettori said. "We are pretty good performers at Wellington, so we hope to continue it there."
While India would be keen to carry forward the winning momentum, the hosts would be itching to square the series by exploiting the home conditions to the fullest.
Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/india-wait-on-ishant-as-action-shifts-to-wellington/38809-13.html
India can finally manage a smile after what have been a testing couple of weeks for them. Shrugging off their initial struggle, the Indians came out roaring at Napier with the batsmen leading the charge. The hosts, no doubt, would be plotting to avoid an encore.
"If we get a good start and capitalise more often than not, we'll get a good target on the board which our bowlers can look to defend," the Indian captain said after winning the first ODI.
While Daniel Vettori, the New Zealand skipper said, "Dhoni and Sehwag are quality players, so if you give them a chance they can hurt you."
Desperate to return to the fold, Ishant Sharma is making steady progress even as experts continue to caution Dhoni against straining him too much in the one-day series.
"I will be available for the second one-dayer so I think it's good for me," Ishant said before the first one-dayer. "I'm not bowling in the nets even now. Before, I couldn't even lift my shoulder but now it's getting better."
But former India all-rounder Ravi Shastri suggested of using Ishant sparingly in the limited overs version. "As far as Ishant Sharma goes, even if he was fully fit, I for one won't play him in more than two one-day games. I'd like to keep him fresh for the Test series coming up."
As they shake off the ghosts of Napier, New Zealand will no doubt take heart from their exceptional record at the Westpac ground, having won 10 off the 15 ODIs they have played there.
"We are looking forward to another chance to perform," Vettori said. "We are pretty good performers at Wellington, so we hope to continue it there."
While India would be keen to carry forward the winning momentum, the hosts would be itching to square the series by exploiting the home conditions to the fullest.
Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/india-wait-on-ishant-as-action-shifts-to-wellington/38809-13.html
BCCI submits revised IPL itinerary for approval
New Delhi: The BCCI has sent a new schedule of the Indian Premier League to the Home Ministry.
Sources have told CNN-IBN that the BCCI has sent the new schedule in the wake of security concerns after the Lahore terror attack.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has been uncomfortable with the IPL dates clashing with the poll schedule.
The Ministry had earlier asked the DGPs of all host states if they could provide additional security because private security is not expected to be a foolproof replacement.
The Punjab government said that they'll provide security for the IPL matches only if the schedule is changed.
Bengal had demanded a complete change in the IPL calendar. They wanted all matches in Kolkata to be over before April 30.
Gautam Mohan Chakraborthy
— West Bengal goes to polls on April 30, May 7 and May 13. IPL matches in Kolkata are on May 2, 6, 8, 13.
— Delhi goes to polls on May 7. IPL matches in Delhi are scheduled for May 5, 11, 14 and 16.
— Maharashtra poll dates are April 16, 23, 30. IPL matches are April 12, 17, 19, 24, 28 and May 2.
— Karnataka poll dates are April 23 and April 30. IPL matches are on April 14, 19, 23 and May 3.
— The Punjab and Andhra police too want the IPL dates to be changed.
Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/bcci-submits-revised-ipl-itinerary-for-approval/38821-13.html
Sources have told CNN-IBN that the BCCI has sent the new schedule in the wake of security concerns after the Lahore terror attack.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has been uncomfortable with the IPL dates clashing with the poll schedule.
The Ministry had earlier asked the DGPs of all host states if they could provide additional security because private security is not expected to be a foolproof replacement.
The Punjab government said that they'll provide security for the IPL matches only if the schedule is changed.
Bengal had demanded a complete change in the IPL calendar. They wanted all matches in Kolkata to be over before April 30.
Gautam Mohan Chakraborthy
— West Bengal goes to polls on April 30, May 7 and May 13. IPL matches in Kolkata are on May 2, 6, 8, 13.
— Delhi goes to polls on May 7. IPL matches in Delhi are scheduled for May 5, 11, 14 and 16.
— Maharashtra poll dates are April 16, 23, 30. IPL matches are April 12, 17, 19, 24, 28 and May 2.
— Karnataka poll dates are April 23 and April 30. IPL matches are on April 14, 19, 23 and May 3.
— The Punjab and Andhra police too want the IPL dates to be changed.
Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/bcci-submits-revised-ipl-itinerary-for-approval/38821-13.html
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Randhawa ready to go for the top at Thai Open
PHUKET: Top Indian golfer Jyoti Randhawa, fresh from his seventh place finish last week, is all set to improve upon that at the Singha Thailand Open starting on Thursday.
Randhawa, who is planning to train his sights on the European Tour later in the season has been getting into good form, even though his putting has let him down.
"I have been hitting well and am happy with the progress. In Jakarta last week I could have been much higher (than seventh) with some better putting," said Randhawa.
The huge Indian challenge of 13 golfers will also include some star names like SSP Chowrasia, Shiv Kapur, Gaurav Ghei, Digvijay Singh, Amandeep Johl and Rahil Gangjee. The field also has Gaganjeet Bhullar, C Muniyappa, Aniran Lahiri, Himmat Rai, Arjun Singh and Chiragh Kumar.
Also in the fray in Thailand Open is two-time US PGA Tour winner Daniel Chopra who believes he is close to regaining his best form as he prepares for a title charge. The Swede will headline the $500,000 Asian Tour event at the devilish par-70 Laguna Phuket Golf Club alongside in-form Thai star Thongchai Jaidee and Order of Merit leader Anthony Kang of the US besides Randhawa.
"My game feels good. I'm getting closer every week. The swing is getting better and it's a matter of getting the confidence. I don't think about the swing changes anymore, I'm just trying to get the control of the ball which is getting better," said Chopra.
The 35-year-old, who is of Indian-Swede parentage, took a decision to remodel his game after lifting the 2008 Mercedes-Benz Championship, a tournament exclusive for winners on the US PGA Tour, for his second triumph in America.
But while the results have suffered over the past few months, Chopra knows his new swing will serve him better in the long haul.
Chopra said the challenging Laguna Phuket course will provide a stern test at the Singha Thailand Open, which is making a welcome return to the Asian Tour after a three-year lapse.
"The course is a lot tougher than I thought it would be. The rough is some of the thickest I've seen in Asia. With the tight pins, it will be a very good test," said Chopra.
Soruce:www.timesofindia.com
Randhawa, who is planning to train his sights on the European Tour later in the season has been getting into good form, even though his putting has let him down.
"I have been hitting well and am happy with the progress. In Jakarta last week I could have been much higher (than seventh) with some better putting," said Randhawa.
The huge Indian challenge of 13 golfers will also include some star names like SSP Chowrasia, Shiv Kapur, Gaurav Ghei, Digvijay Singh, Amandeep Johl and Rahil Gangjee. The field also has Gaganjeet Bhullar, C Muniyappa, Aniran Lahiri, Himmat Rai, Arjun Singh and Chiragh Kumar.
Also in the fray in Thailand Open is two-time US PGA Tour winner Daniel Chopra who believes he is close to regaining his best form as he prepares for a title charge. The Swede will headline the $500,000 Asian Tour event at the devilish par-70 Laguna Phuket Golf Club alongside in-form Thai star Thongchai Jaidee and Order of Merit leader Anthony Kang of the US besides Randhawa.
"My game feels good. I'm getting closer every week. The swing is getting better and it's a matter of getting the confidence. I don't think about the swing changes anymore, I'm just trying to get the control of the ball which is getting better," said Chopra.
The 35-year-old, who is of Indian-Swede parentage, took a decision to remodel his game after lifting the 2008 Mercedes-Benz Championship, a tournament exclusive for winners on the US PGA Tour, for his second triumph in America.
But while the results have suffered over the past few months, Chopra knows his new swing will serve him better in the long haul.
Chopra said the challenging Laguna Phuket course will provide a stern test at the Singha Thailand Open, which is making a welcome return to the Asian Tour after a three-year lapse.
"The course is a lot tougher than I thought it would be. The rough is some of the thickest I've seen in Asia. With the tight pins, it will be a very good test," said Chopra.
Soruce:www.timesofindia.com
South Africa must do more to promote World Cup: FIFA
JOHANNESBURG: Hosts South Africa must do more to promote this year's Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said on Tuesday.
"I have not seen a single promotion for the Confederations Cup and also not a single one for the World Cup," he said.
"It is impossible to bring people to the stadium if we do not promote the Confederations Cup," he said.
World Cup Organising Committee chief executive officer Danny Jordaan criticised what he saw as a lack of enthusiasm in the country.
"There is only one country that will host this World Cup and that is South Africa. And yet you find countries like Canada, Australia are more enthusiastic it seems than our own South African population," he said.
"The same situation applies for the Confederations Cup."
The Confederations Cup, seen as a World Cup appetiser, will take place from June 14-28. Valcke said a company had been hired to advertise both events.
Jordaan said 170,000 tickets had been sold so far for the Confederations Cup.
South Africa's government hopes the World Cup, the first to be held in Africa, will bring in millions of dollars and give the country a higher profile.
The readiness of the stadiums and infrastructure for the World Cup has come under scrutiny but FIFA President Sepp Blatter said in December there was "no plan B".
The South African government has pledged to beef up security for the tournament, hoping to ease concerns over one of the world's highest rates of violent crime.
Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/SA-must-do-more-to-promote-World-Cup-FIFA/articleshow/4220994.cms
"I have not seen a single promotion for the Confederations Cup and also not a single one for the World Cup," he said.
"It is impossible to bring people to the stadium if we do not promote the Confederations Cup," he said.
World Cup Organising Committee chief executive officer Danny Jordaan criticised what he saw as a lack of enthusiasm in the country.
"There is only one country that will host this World Cup and that is South Africa. And yet you find countries like Canada, Australia are more enthusiastic it seems than our own South African population," he said.
"The same situation applies for the Confederations Cup."
The Confederations Cup, seen as a World Cup appetiser, will take place from June 14-28. Valcke said a company had been hired to advertise both events.
Jordaan said 170,000 tickets had been sold so far for the Confederations Cup.
South Africa's government hopes the World Cup, the first to be held in Africa, will bring in millions of dollars and give the country a higher profile.
The readiness of the stadiums and infrastructure for the World Cup has come under scrutiny but FIFA President Sepp Blatter said in December there was "no plan B".
The South African government has pledged to beef up security for the tournament, hoping to ease concerns over one of the world's highest rates of violent crime.
Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/SA-must-do-more-to-promote-World-Cup-FIFA/articleshow/4220994.cms
Cricket must go on, but not in Pak: ICC
London: The International Cricket Council on Tuesday vowed to keep the game alive despite a terror attack wounding six Sri Lankan players in Lahore but scratched Pakistan out of the list of venues for international matches in the foreseeable future.
"The world is a dangerous place but cricket must go on. It will go on. It's a great game and a great solace to so many people," declared a sombre-looking ICC President David Morgan at a hurriedly-convened news conference here.
Morgan and ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat, under sustained questioning from reporters, indicated the 2011 World Cup, set to be staged in the Indian subcontinent may now be held in only three countries — India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
"The World Cup is due to be staged in the Indian sub-continent shared between four countries. That is the current plan, but the ICC board will have to think very carefully about the extent to which Pakistan will be used for that event," Morgan said.
"I think it's difficult to see international cricket being played in Pakistan in the foreseeable future," Lorgat said, and spelt out the choice for Pakistani cricketers: "It's better that Pakistan chooses to play cricket in neutral venues rather than not play at all."
The ICC board is to meet in mid-April for a detailed discussion on the World Cup with the Organising Committee headed by ICC Vice President Sharad Pawar.
However, Lorgat insisted that security arrangements for bilateral tours, such as the one between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, were the direct responsibilities of the two playing countries rather than the ICC, which can only get involved if specifically asked.
Lorgat revealed that the Sri Lanka cricket board had been specifically warned about the risks of playing in Pakistan, but had overruled the advice after its own risks assessment.
"I know for a fact that post the regime change in Pakistan, once Musharraf went", the advice the ICC then got from its security advisers was that they had more confidence under the previous regime.
"And that's one of the reasons why we were not confident about holding the Champions Trophy" in Pakistan.
Lorgat said the advise was passed on to the Sri Lankans, but that the Sri Lankans held their own security assessment and they were "satisfied with the intelligence that they gathered about the security that they were provided".
Morgan and Lorgat said all ICC board members were made aware of that information.
Morgan dismissed suggestions that the subcontinent was a more dangerous place to stage international cricket matches, saying: "It (the attack) has completely changed the landscape, but it's changed the landscape full stop - not just in the Indian subcontinent."
Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/cricket-must-go-on-but-not-in-pak-icc/38778-13-1.html
"The world is a dangerous place but cricket must go on. It will go on. It's a great game and a great solace to so many people," declared a sombre-looking ICC President David Morgan at a hurriedly-convened news conference here.
Morgan and ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat, under sustained questioning from reporters, indicated the 2011 World Cup, set to be staged in the Indian subcontinent may now be held in only three countries — India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
"The World Cup is due to be staged in the Indian sub-continent shared between four countries. That is the current plan, but the ICC board will have to think very carefully about the extent to which Pakistan will be used for that event," Morgan said.
"I think it's difficult to see international cricket being played in Pakistan in the foreseeable future," Lorgat said, and spelt out the choice for Pakistani cricketers: "It's better that Pakistan chooses to play cricket in neutral venues rather than not play at all."
The ICC board is to meet in mid-April for a detailed discussion on the World Cup with the Organising Committee headed by ICC Vice President Sharad Pawar.
However, Lorgat insisted that security arrangements for bilateral tours, such as the one between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, were the direct responsibilities of the two playing countries rather than the ICC, which can only get involved if specifically asked.
Lorgat revealed that the Sri Lanka cricket board had been specifically warned about the risks of playing in Pakistan, but had overruled the advice after its own risks assessment.
"I know for a fact that post the regime change in Pakistan, once Musharraf went", the advice the ICC then got from its security advisers was that they had more confidence under the previous regime.
"And that's one of the reasons why we were not confident about holding the Champions Trophy" in Pakistan.
Lorgat said the advise was passed on to the Sri Lankans, but that the Sri Lankans held their own security assessment and they were "satisfied with the intelligence that they gathered about the security that they were provided".
Morgan and Lorgat said all ICC board members were made aware of that information.
Morgan dismissed suggestions that the subcontinent was a more dangerous place to stage international cricket matches, saying: "It (the attack) has completely changed the landscape, but it's changed the landscape full stop - not just in the Indian subcontinent."
Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/cricket-must-go-on-but-not-in-pak-icc/38778-13-1.html
Australia willing to host 2011 WC games
Melbourne: Australia would be ready to host matches in the 2011 World Cup following the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Pakistan, Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland said on Wednesday.
But he stressed that he would prefer the tournament to go ahead as planned in Pakistan, as well as India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) cast doubt on Tuesday on Pakistan's hopes of remaining a co-host of the four-yearly event, saying the Lahore attacks had changed the global landscape of the game.
"Officially, we are the standby hosts for the 2011 World Cup — our strong preference is for the event to go ahead in Asia, hosted by the countries that the ICC sees fit," Sutherland was quoted as saying by Australian Associated Press.
"We're the hosts for 2015 and we're confident we can put on a fantastic event... but we want the appropriate lead time into that event because of all the planning considerations necessary for it."
New Zealand are also standby hosts for the 2011 World Cup.
The ICC's board will discuss the fallout from the Lahore ambush — which killed eight people and left seven Sri Lankan cricketers wounded -- and the consequences for the World Cup at a meeting in Dubai next month.
Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/australia-willing-to-host-2011-wc-games/38790-13.html
But he stressed that he would prefer the tournament to go ahead as planned in Pakistan, as well as India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) cast doubt on Tuesday on Pakistan's hopes of remaining a co-host of the four-yearly event, saying the Lahore attacks had changed the global landscape of the game.
"Officially, we are the standby hosts for the 2011 World Cup — our strong preference is for the event to go ahead in Asia, hosted by the countries that the ICC sees fit," Sutherland was quoted as saying by Australian Associated Press.
"We're the hosts for 2015 and we're confident we can put on a fantastic event... but we want the appropriate lead time into that event because of all the planning considerations necessary for it."
New Zealand are also standby hosts for the 2011 World Cup.
The ICC's board will discuss the fallout from the Lahore ambush — which killed eight people and left seven Sri Lankan cricketers wounded -- and the consequences for the World Cup at a meeting in Dubai next month.
Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/australia-willing-to-host-2011-wc-games/38790-13.html
BCCI considers delaying IPL with polls looming
New Delhi: A fall-out of the terror attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore could be the IPL. After Home Minister P Chidambaram said providing security for matches while the elections are on will be difficult, the BCCI has told CNN-IBN that it will be willing to make adjustments, but only minor ones.
"We are open to making minor adjustments in IPL schedule," BCCI President Shashank Manohar said on Wednesday. "No IPL match will be held in a city where polls are being held that day."
IPL team owners, too, have raised raising concern about player security. Shilpa Shetty, Bollywood actress and co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals said, "The only thing that IPL board can do at this point is to beef up the security. It's a really sad day for sports... for such an unfortunate thing to happen. But I'm trying to be positive and I empathise with the cricketers who have suffered, the Sri Lankan cricketers, and the umpire who got hurt."
On the other hand, New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram, who plays for Chennai Super Kings, has said that he will reconsider coming to India.
"I think there are definite questions to be asked," Oram said. "The IPL has given me an economic freedom that I didn't even dream about, but I have a family now. Cricket's important, but it is not as important as my life. Lalit Modi and the IPL have given assurances that the security will be beefed up for the event. (But) I'll be thinking twice before going to play in the sub-continent."
Oram's concerns were echoed by the Federation of International Cricketers' Association's (FICA) Chief Executive Tim May who said, "We have written to the Indian Premier League on behalf of our members requesting an ability for player representatives to be involved in the evaluation and construction of security for the event."
"An increasing number of players have expressed a desire for an independent level of comfort surrounding security arrangements for this event," May added.
Reiterating the Indian Government's stand on IPL matches, ICC vice-president and former BCCI boss Sharad Pawar has said that the board should respect the decision.
"I don't think in India one should worry," he said. Unlike Pakistan, security forces are competent, our public is alert, and I don't think that's the situation here. But still if the Government is saying one has to understand the background and understand the situation."
Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/bcci-considers-delaying-ipl-with-polls-looming/38791-13.html
"We are open to making minor adjustments in IPL schedule," BCCI President Shashank Manohar said on Wednesday. "No IPL match will be held in a city where polls are being held that day."
IPL team owners, too, have raised raising concern about player security. Shilpa Shetty, Bollywood actress and co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals said, "The only thing that IPL board can do at this point is to beef up the security. It's a really sad day for sports... for such an unfortunate thing to happen. But I'm trying to be positive and I empathise with the cricketers who have suffered, the Sri Lankan cricketers, and the umpire who got hurt."
On the other hand, New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram, who plays for Chennai Super Kings, has said that he will reconsider coming to India.
"I think there are definite questions to be asked," Oram said. "The IPL has given me an economic freedom that I didn't even dream about, but I have a family now. Cricket's important, but it is not as important as my life. Lalit Modi and the IPL have given assurances that the security will be beefed up for the event. (But) I'll be thinking twice before going to play in the sub-continent."
Oram's concerns were echoed by the Federation of International Cricketers' Association's (FICA) Chief Executive Tim May who said, "We have written to the Indian Premier League on behalf of our members requesting an ability for player representatives to be involved in the evaluation and construction of security for the event."
"An increasing number of players have expressed a desire for an independent level of comfort surrounding security arrangements for this event," May added.
Reiterating the Indian Government's stand on IPL matches, ICC vice-president and former BCCI boss Sharad Pawar has said that the board should respect the decision.
"I don't think in India one should worry," he said. Unlike Pakistan, security forces are competent, our public is alert, and I don't think that's the situation here. But still if the Government is saying one has to understand the background and understand the situation."
Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/bcci-considers-delaying-ipl-with-polls-looming/38791-13.html
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Dravid & Co. to play in Kiwi domestic season
Wellington: New Zealand Cricket on Sunday confirmed that six Indian players would turn out in the domestic championship as warm-up to the Test series, diffusing the tension between BCCI and Kiwi players' Association over the involvement of ICL-linked players in the tournament.
The six Indians -- VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Amit Mishra, Murali Vijay, Laxmipathi Balaji and Dhawal Kulkarni -- would play in the next two rounds of the State Championship.
The Indian players have been included only in those state teams, that do not feature ICL players.
Dravid will play for the State Canterbury Wizards against the State Central Stags at Rangiora, from March 6-9.
Leg-spinner Mishra will turn out for the Stags in the same game. Laxman will appear for the State Otago Volts against the State Wellington Firebirds for whom Balaji will be turning out at Dunedin, on similar dates.
In the next round from March 13-16, Vijay and Kulkarni will play for the Stags and Firebirds respectively at Napier.
The Test series begins in Hamilton on March 18.
"No Indian players will appear for the State Auckland Aces or State Northern Knights. This avoids any potential issues over the involvement of ICL players in the games. The Aces and Knights sides already have an overseas player in their teams," the NZC statement said.
Canterbury's ICL-contracted players, Chris Harris and Shane Bond, were only contracted by Canterbury to play State Shield and T20 matches and therefore not considered for the State Championship," the statement added. The inclusion of the Indians in the state teams was agreed upon by the NZC, the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association and the six Major Associations.
However, things could have taken an ugly turn after the Board of Control for Cricket in India withdrew Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik from an invitational Twenty20 match on Friday since it involved an Indian Cricket League player, Hamish Marshall, in the NZCPA side.
The BCCI move came as a surprise to the hosts and in a counter offensive, the NZCPA had said it would not allow players linked with the rebel league to be dropped from the state teams to facilitate the Indians.
Given the scenario the BCCI would have had no choice but to withdraw the six players from the warm-up matches since it is against any contact with those linked with the ICL, a situation which could have proved costly for the visitors.
India coach Gary Kirsten thanked NZC for accommodating the players so they could get vital match practice.
"Because of the tight schedule and no warm up match it would have been difficult for those players straight off the plane I think it sets a good example," said Kirsten.
NZC Chief Executive Justin Vaughan was happy that the NZCPA and Major Associations had been able to work out a solution. "There have been a number of issues to work through, including the involvement of ICL players, NZC's rules around overseas and qualifying players, player allocation, scheduling and travel arrangements," said Vaughan.
"This is an excellent solution that means we're able to offer the incoming Indian players appropriate preparation in first-class conditions and at the same time give our domestic sides an incredible opportunity to play alongside some of the great names in international Test cricket.
"For some of our young players especially, the chance to spend four days on the park and in the dressing room with players of the calibre of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid is priceless," he said.
Players association executive manager Heath Mills, who was vocal against the BCCI, was also satisfied that a compromise could be worked out.
"New Zealand Cricket and the Major Associations have done well to achieve that through the use of six players in the State Championship," he said.
"Each Major Association is allowed one overseas player under our contracting environment which is something we have always supported and encouraged so this outcome fits nicely with that," said Mills.
Soruce:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/dravid--co-to-play-in-kiwi-domestic-season/38701-13-2.html
The six Indians -- VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, Amit Mishra, Murali Vijay, Laxmipathi Balaji and Dhawal Kulkarni -- would play in the next two rounds of the State Championship.
The Indian players have been included only in those state teams, that do not feature ICL players.
Dravid will play for the State Canterbury Wizards against the State Central Stags at Rangiora, from March 6-9.
Leg-spinner Mishra will turn out for the Stags in the same game. Laxman will appear for the State Otago Volts against the State Wellington Firebirds for whom Balaji will be turning out at Dunedin, on similar dates.
In the next round from March 13-16, Vijay and Kulkarni will play for the Stags and Firebirds respectively at Napier.
The Test series begins in Hamilton on March 18.
"No Indian players will appear for the State Auckland Aces or State Northern Knights. This avoids any potential issues over the involvement of ICL players in the games. The Aces and Knights sides already have an overseas player in their teams," the NZC statement said.
Canterbury's ICL-contracted players, Chris Harris and Shane Bond, were only contracted by Canterbury to play State Shield and T20 matches and therefore not considered for the State Championship," the statement added. The inclusion of the Indians in the state teams was agreed upon by the NZC, the New Zealand Cricket Players' Association and the six Major Associations.
However, things could have taken an ugly turn after the Board of Control for Cricket in India withdrew Sachin Tendulkar and Dinesh Karthik from an invitational Twenty20 match on Friday since it involved an Indian Cricket League player, Hamish Marshall, in the NZCPA side.
The BCCI move came as a surprise to the hosts and in a counter offensive, the NZCPA had said it would not allow players linked with the rebel league to be dropped from the state teams to facilitate the Indians.
Given the scenario the BCCI would have had no choice but to withdraw the six players from the warm-up matches since it is against any contact with those linked with the ICL, a situation which could have proved costly for the visitors.
India coach Gary Kirsten thanked NZC for accommodating the players so they could get vital match practice.
"Because of the tight schedule and no warm up match it would have been difficult for those players straight off the plane I think it sets a good example," said Kirsten.
NZC Chief Executive Justin Vaughan was happy that the NZCPA and Major Associations had been able to work out a solution. "There have been a number of issues to work through, including the involvement of ICL players, NZC's rules around overseas and qualifying players, player allocation, scheduling and travel arrangements," said Vaughan.
"This is an excellent solution that means we're able to offer the incoming Indian players appropriate preparation in first-class conditions and at the same time give our domestic sides an incredible opportunity to play alongside some of the great names in international Test cricket.
"For some of our young players especially, the chance to spend four days on the park and in the dressing room with players of the calibre of VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid is priceless," he said.
Players association executive manager Heath Mills, who was vocal against the BCCI, was also satisfied that a compromise could be worked out.
"New Zealand Cricket and the Major Associations have done well to achieve that through the use of six players in the State Championship," he said.
"Each Major Association is allowed one overseas player under our contracting environment which is something we have always supported and encouraged so this outcome fits nicely with that," said Mills.
Soruce:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/dravid--co-to-play-in-kiwi-domestic-season/38701-13-2.html
Good start laid foundation for win: Dhoni
Napier: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday lauded the opening pair of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar for laying the foundation of the 53-run victory over New Zealand in the first one-dayer here.
Dhoni, who himself played a crucial unbeaten knock of 84 runs at the number three position, said the difference between victory and defeat on Tuesday was the 69-run opening stand between Sehwag and Tendulkar which allowed the middle-order batsmen to free their arms in the later stages of the innings.
"I think the start is important for us. Over the years we have seen if we get a decent start, we have got the firepower to capitalise on that and specially with the 20 overs of power-play it gets really very difficult for the bowlers to contain us.
"If we get a good start more often then we will get a good score which our bowlers can defend," he said after the match.
"The openers role is very important, but I think Raina's knock was fabulous. He came in at a time when he had to decide whether to go after the bowling or not. He went by his instinct, whatever he saw, he played according to the merit of the ball. I think it was a brilliant innings," he added.
Asked whether the Indians came out with a different gameplan on Tuesday after the two consecutive Twenty20 defeats at the hands of the hosts, he said, "During the toss I have said it has happened to us in the past that in the Twenty20 games we tend to go out all guns blazing and at times we fall short of the target, but our 50 overs approach has been good.
"We also committed mistakes but overall our approach has been good till now. We made a few errors in the middle but overall I am quite happy with the performance."
Dhoni, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for his tactical innings, also lauded pacer Praveen Kumar (2/28) for his exploits with the ball in his first outing on Kiwi pitches.
"He (Praveen) is one bowler who does very well in conditions where there is something for him. He can swing the ball both ways and is a street smart cricketer. He knows his limitations and that's the best part," he said.
Meanwhile, New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori blamed his bowlers for the defeat and said his side was a far better bowling unit than what they have displayed on Tuesday.
"Right from the start India outplayed us. We just couldn't get right with the ball. I was pretty disappointed with the way we bowled, we are a lot better bowling unit than what we have displayed today. We were also a bit sloppy on the field and lacked execution," Vettori said.
He praised for Raina and said the left-hander's blazing 66 off 49 deliveries took the game away from them.
"Raina's innings probably brought little bit of momentum back in the middle stages. He played exceptionally well and took the game away from us.
"Dhoni, Sehwag are quality players, if you give them a chance, they will grab it," Vettori said.
Asked if the Duckworth-Lewis method made the run chase difficult for his side, Vettori said, "No, we got our figures wrong. We were not looking forward to chasing 105 off 7. We put ourselves in the situation with the way we bowled."
"I suppose losing a couple of wickets in the beginning also didn't help us, because when you are chasing a big target, you need to get a good start," he added.
Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/good-start-laid-foundation-for-win-dhoni/38753-13.html
Dhoni, who himself played a crucial unbeaten knock of 84 runs at the number three position, said the difference between victory and defeat on Tuesday was the 69-run opening stand between Sehwag and Tendulkar which allowed the middle-order batsmen to free their arms in the later stages of the innings.
"I think the start is important for us. Over the years we have seen if we get a decent start, we have got the firepower to capitalise on that and specially with the 20 overs of power-play it gets really very difficult for the bowlers to contain us.
"If we get a good start more often then we will get a good score which our bowlers can defend," he said after the match.
"The openers role is very important, but I think Raina's knock was fabulous. He came in at a time when he had to decide whether to go after the bowling or not. He went by his instinct, whatever he saw, he played according to the merit of the ball. I think it was a brilliant innings," he added.
Asked whether the Indians came out with a different gameplan on Tuesday after the two consecutive Twenty20 defeats at the hands of the hosts, he said, "During the toss I have said it has happened to us in the past that in the Twenty20 games we tend to go out all guns blazing and at times we fall short of the target, but our 50 overs approach has been good.
"We also committed mistakes but overall our approach has been good till now. We made a few errors in the middle but overall I am quite happy with the performance."
Dhoni, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for his tactical innings, also lauded pacer Praveen Kumar (2/28) for his exploits with the ball in his first outing on Kiwi pitches.
"He (Praveen) is one bowler who does very well in conditions where there is something for him. He can swing the ball both ways and is a street smart cricketer. He knows his limitations and that's the best part," he said.
Meanwhile, New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori blamed his bowlers for the defeat and said his side was a far better bowling unit than what they have displayed on Tuesday.
"Right from the start India outplayed us. We just couldn't get right with the ball. I was pretty disappointed with the way we bowled, we are a lot better bowling unit than what we have displayed today. We were also a bit sloppy on the field and lacked execution," Vettori said.
He praised for Raina and said the left-hander's blazing 66 off 49 deliveries took the game away from them.
"Raina's innings probably brought little bit of momentum back in the middle stages. He played exceptionally well and took the game away from us.
"Dhoni, Sehwag are quality players, if you give them a chance, they will grab it," Vettori said.
Asked if the Duckworth-Lewis method made the run chase difficult for his side, Vettori said, "No, we got our figures wrong. We were not looking forward to chasing 105 off 7. We put ourselves in the situation with the way we bowled."
"I suppose losing a couple of wickets in the beginning also didn't help us, because when you are chasing a big target, you need to get a good start," he added.
Source:http://cricketnext.in.com/news/good-start-laid-foundation-for-win-dhoni/38753-13.html
1st ODI: India thrash New Zealand by 53 runs (D/L)
NEW DELHI: India beat New Zealand by 53 runs according to the Duckworth Lewis method in the first ODI of the series at McLean Park in Napier on Tuesday. With this win, India took a 1-0 lead in the 5-match series.
Chasing a revised victory target of 216 in 28 overs, the Kiwis managed 162/9 in the game that was marred by two rain interruptions.
New Zealand lost 4 wickets in 5 balls to be reduced to 132/9 in 24.1 overs.
It was Harbhajan Singh who started the Kiwi slide when he took 3 wickets in 4 balls. Harbhajan first dismissed Martin Guptill went for the slog sweep but got the height not the distance as Gautam Gambhir took a fumbling catch. Next delivery, Neil Broom charged down the pitch, missed the straighter delivery and was stumped by Dhoni. Kyle Mills survived the hat-trick ball but edged the next delivery to first slip for Virender Sehwag to take the catch.
On the first delivery of the next over bowled by Zaheer Khan, Ian Butler edged to fine leg for Munaf Patel to take the catch.
The Kiwis lost their fifth wicket on the first ball when play resumed after the second rain interruption when Jacob Oram played a sweep and went for the run not knowing that the ball was up in the air just behind him and Mahendra Singh Dhoni ran him out.
The Kiwis lost their fourth wicket when Grant Elliott hit through the covers and went for two runs but was not fast enough to beat the throw from Virender Sehwag into the hands of Dhoni and was run out. The rain came down at that very moment.
New Zealand lost their third wicket in the form of Ross Taylor to be reduced to 81/3 in 15.5 overs.
Trying to break the shackles imposed by the Indian spinners, Taylor (31) went for a sweep shot but edged the Yusuf Pathan delivery to short fine leg for Sachin Tendulkar to take the catch. Taylor added 58 runs with Martin Guptill for the third wicket.
Praveen Kumar took two wickets to reduce New Zealand to 23/2 in 7.4 overs.
Praveen got the second breakthrough when Kiwi opener Jesse Ryder (11) hit high up in the air for Virender Sehwag to take the catch in the covers.
This was shortly after New Zealand got off to a worst start possible losing Brendon McCullum without any run on the board.
Praveen drew first blood for India in the second over when McCullum top edged to fine leg for Harbhajan Singh to take the catch.
Earlier, riding on half-centuries by Virender Sehwag, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina, India scored 273/4 in 38 overs.
Dhoni remained not out on 84 off 89 balls with six hits to fence, while Raina smashed 4 sixes and 5 fours in his quickfire knock of 66 that came off 39 balls.
Yusuf Pathan hit a six and 2 fours in his unbeaten knock of 20 that came off 10 balls.
The 100-run partnership between Dhoni and Raina came after India lost Yuvraj Singh and Sehwag in quick succession to be reduced to 131/3 in 22.4 overs.
India lost the third wicket when Dhoni flicked to deep mid-wicket and called Yuvraj for two who was not fast enough to beat the throw from Martin Guptill into the hands of his captain Daniel Vettori to run out the southpaw who scored 2 runs.
Sehwag smashed 77 off 56 balls before he was dismissed to reduce India to 121/2 in 18.2 overs.
Ross Taylor took a superb catch diving to his left to end Sehwag's innings and give New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori his first wicket. Sehwag hit a six and 11 fours in his belligerent knock.
Sehwag reached his 34th ODI fifty with a pull over square leg that was his eighth hit to the fence.
Ian Butler gave New Zealand the first breakthrough when he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar to put India at 69/1 in 9.4 overs.
Sachin edged a rising delivery into the hands of keeper Brendon McCullum after hitting 2 fours in his 23-ball 20.
Sehwag and Tendulkar resumed the Indian innings after the match was reduced to 38 overs per side.
According to revised playing conditions, three bowlers could bowl eight overs, and two could bowl seven. The first powerplay was of 8 overs, the bowling powerplay be of 4 overs and the batting powerplay be of 3 overs.
Rain stopped play after Sehwag and Tendulkar took India to 27/0 in 4.3 overs.
Sehwag was his usual aggressive self having raced to 23 off 19 balls with the help of 5 hits to the fence, while Tendulkar has looked more composed in his short stay at the crease and got off the mark with an on drive that fetched him three runs.
The rain interruption came after Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first.
Soruce:http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Specials/India-in-New-Zealand/News/1st-ODI-India-draw-first-blood-at-Napier/articleshow/4215628.cms?curpg=2
Chasing a revised victory target of 216 in 28 overs, the Kiwis managed 162/9 in the game that was marred by two rain interruptions.
New Zealand lost 4 wickets in 5 balls to be reduced to 132/9 in 24.1 overs.
It was Harbhajan Singh who started the Kiwi slide when he took 3 wickets in 4 balls. Harbhajan first dismissed Martin Guptill went for the slog sweep but got the height not the distance as Gautam Gambhir took a fumbling catch. Next delivery, Neil Broom charged down the pitch, missed the straighter delivery and was stumped by Dhoni. Kyle Mills survived the hat-trick ball but edged the next delivery to first slip for Virender Sehwag to take the catch.
On the first delivery of the next over bowled by Zaheer Khan, Ian Butler edged to fine leg for Munaf Patel to take the catch.
The Kiwis lost their fifth wicket on the first ball when play resumed after the second rain interruption when Jacob Oram played a sweep and went for the run not knowing that the ball was up in the air just behind him and Mahendra Singh Dhoni ran him out.
The Kiwis lost their fourth wicket when Grant Elliott hit through the covers and went for two runs but was not fast enough to beat the throw from Virender Sehwag into the hands of Dhoni and was run out. The rain came down at that very moment.
New Zealand lost their third wicket in the form of Ross Taylor to be reduced to 81/3 in 15.5 overs.
Trying to break the shackles imposed by the Indian spinners, Taylor (31) went for a sweep shot but edged the Yusuf Pathan delivery to short fine leg for Sachin Tendulkar to take the catch. Taylor added 58 runs with Martin Guptill for the third wicket.
Praveen Kumar took two wickets to reduce New Zealand to 23/2 in 7.4 overs.
Praveen got the second breakthrough when Kiwi opener Jesse Ryder (11) hit high up in the air for Virender Sehwag to take the catch in the covers.
This was shortly after New Zealand got off to a worst start possible losing Brendon McCullum without any run on the board.
Praveen drew first blood for India in the second over when McCullum top edged to fine leg for Harbhajan Singh to take the catch.
Earlier, riding on half-centuries by Virender Sehwag, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina, India scored 273/4 in 38 overs.
Dhoni remained not out on 84 off 89 balls with six hits to fence, while Raina smashed 4 sixes and 5 fours in his quickfire knock of 66 that came off 39 balls.
Yusuf Pathan hit a six and 2 fours in his unbeaten knock of 20 that came off 10 balls.
The 100-run partnership between Dhoni and Raina came after India lost Yuvraj Singh and Sehwag in quick succession to be reduced to 131/3 in 22.4 overs.
India lost the third wicket when Dhoni flicked to deep mid-wicket and called Yuvraj for two who was not fast enough to beat the throw from Martin Guptill into the hands of his captain Daniel Vettori to run out the southpaw who scored 2 runs.
Sehwag smashed 77 off 56 balls before he was dismissed to reduce India to 121/2 in 18.2 overs.
Ross Taylor took a superb catch diving to his left to end Sehwag's innings and give New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori his first wicket. Sehwag hit a six and 11 fours in his belligerent knock.
Sehwag reached his 34th ODI fifty with a pull over square leg that was his eighth hit to the fence.
Ian Butler gave New Zealand the first breakthrough when he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar to put India at 69/1 in 9.4 overs.
Sachin edged a rising delivery into the hands of keeper Brendon McCullum after hitting 2 fours in his 23-ball 20.
Sehwag and Tendulkar resumed the Indian innings after the match was reduced to 38 overs per side.
According to revised playing conditions, three bowlers could bowl eight overs, and two could bowl seven. The first powerplay was of 8 overs, the bowling powerplay be of 4 overs and the batting powerplay be of 3 overs.
Rain stopped play after Sehwag and Tendulkar took India to 27/0 in 4.3 overs.
Sehwag was his usual aggressive self having raced to 23 off 19 balls with the help of 5 hits to the fence, while Tendulkar has looked more composed in his short stay at the crease and got off the mark with an on drive that fetched him three runs.
The rain interruption came after Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first.
Soruce:http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Specials/India-in-New-Zealand/News/1st-ODI-India-draw-first-blood-at-Napier/articleshow/4215628.cms?curpg=2
Paes moves to number six, Sania slips to 88
NEW DELHI: Indian ace Leander Paes replaced his estranged partner Mahesh Bhupathi at number six position in the ATP doubles rankings, released on Monday.
Paes now has 6940 ranking points, just 15 more than seventh placed Bhupathi. Rohan Bopanna moved to 72 with 1705 points after gaining three spots.
In the singles, Somdev continued to be India's highest ranked player at 150.
In the WTA rankings, Sania Mirza slipped to 88 from 75 in singles and lost nine places in doubles to stand 72nd.
Source:http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
Paes now has 6940 ranking points, just 15 more than seventh placed Bhupathi. Rohan Bopanna moved to 72 with 1705 points after gaining three spots.
In the singles, Somdev continued to be India's highest ranked player at 150.
In the WTA rankings, Sania Mirza slipped to 88 from 75 in singles and lost nine places in doubles to stand 72nd.
Source:http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
will retire after 2013: Isinbayeva
BEIJING: Olympic pole vault champion Yelena Isinbayeva wants to retire after the 2013 world championships in Moscow.
"I plan to finish there in front of my home crowd and I plan to succeed there," the world record holder from Russia said on Monday. "I will retire after 2013."
Isinbayeva, who vaulted 5.05 metres in last year's Olympics, said she could go as high as 5.30 before she quit. "My bar must be higher than 5.20... and 5.30 is possible. I will try to achieve this," she said in Beijing where she captured her second successive Olympic gold medal. "Technically there is no problem."
Last month the 26-year-old vaulted 5.00 in Donetsk, Ukraine, her 12th indoor world record and 26th in total. Chinese sportswear retailer Li Ning confirmed last week that Isinbayeva had signed a sponsorship deal with the company.
No details on the size or length of the contract were available but sources earlier said it would be worth $1.5 million annually for five years, a record amount for a track and field athlete.
Li Ning was founded by the 1984 Olympic triple gymnastics gold medallist who last August lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games.
Isinbayeva, the 2008 female athlete of the year, plans to defend her world title in Berlin in August.
Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/I-will-retire-after-2013-Isinbayeva/articleshow/4213609.cms
"I plan to finish there in front of my home crowd and I plan to succeed there," the world record holder from Russia said on Monday. "I will retire after 2013."
Isinbayeva, who vaulted 5.05 metres in last year's Olympics, said she could go as high as 5.30 before she quit. "My bar must be higher than 5.20... and 5.30 is possible. I will try to achieve this," she said in Beijing where she captured her second successive Olympic gold medal. "Technically there is no problem."
Last month the 26-year-old vaulted 5.00 in Donetsk, Ukraine, her 12th indoor world record and 26th in total. Chinese sportswear retailer Li Ning confirmed last week that Isinbayeva had signed a sponsorship deal with the company.
No details on the size or length of the contract were available but sources earlier said it would be worth $1.5 million annually for five years, a record amount for a track and field athlete.
Li Ning was founded by the 1984 Olympic triple gymnastics gold medallist who last August lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games.
Isinbayeva, the 2008 female athlete of the year, plans to defend her world title in Berlin in August.
Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/I-will-retire-after-2013-Isinbayeva/articleshow/4213609.cms
Serena tops Venus to win Billie Jean King Cup exhibition
NEW YORK: Serena Williams beat her older sister Venus 6-4, 6-3 to win the Billie Jean King Cup exhibition on Monday, marking the return of women's tennis to Madison Square Garden after a nine-year absence.
Australian Open champion Serena, who defeated 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6-3 in her one-set semi-final, collected $400,000 in the first women's matches at the Garden since the 2000 WTA Championships.
Venus, winner of her last two tournaments in Dubai and Acapulco, settled for $300,000. The reigning Wimbledon champion beat world number three Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-4 in her first match.
The Serbs got $250,000 each in the $1.2 million event. "Venus and I are so excited to be playing here," Serena said after an arduous final, during which she slipped over while chasing a baseline retrieval and later crashed onto the blue court when trying to reach a backhand volley.
"It was really good, really intense," the 27-year-old world number one said.
Venus, who leads the sisters' WTA tournament head-to-head series 10-9, said: "I tried but Serena was too good."
The first set turned on a marathon, with a tense ninth game that reached deuce nine times. Serena finally cracked her older sister's serve on her eighth break point for a 5-4 lead before serving out the set.
Before the Williams match, an emotional ceremony was held to honour women's sports pioneer and equal rights campaigner King, keynoted by former President Bill Clinton.
"There were millions of young women all across America who couldn't play sports or pursue dreams that were thought to be the province of boys," Clinton said. "That was before Billie Jean King.
"She's done a lot not only to help women pursue their tennis dreams but other dreams well beyond athletics. She has probably done more than anyone in the world to empower women and to educate men."
King said: "The seeds for this historic event were planted almost 40 years ago when nine of us, signed a $1 contract to play a tournament in Houston.
"We had such big plans for our sport. We dreamed of playing in the world's greatest arenas, like Madison Square Garden."
The exhibition was also used to spark a youth registration push called "Tennis Night in America" with 750 facilities in all 50 states holding sign-up parties for youth tennis programs built around screenings of the Billie Jean King Cup event.
Soruce:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Serena-tops-Venus-to-win-Billie-Jean-King-Cup/articleshow/4216229.cms
Australian Open champion Serena, who defeated 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6-3 in her one-set semi-final, collected $400,000 in the first women's matches at the Garden since the 2000 WTA Championships.
Venus, winner of her last two tournaments in Dubai and Acapulco, settled for $300,000. The reigning Wimbledon champion beat world number three Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-4 in her first match.
The Serbs got $250,000 each in the $1.2 million event. "Venus and I are so excited to be playing here," Serena said after an arduous final, during which she slipped over while chasing a baseline retrieval and later crashed onto the blue court when trying to reach a backhand volley.
"It was really good, really intense," the 27-year-old world number one said.
Venus, who leads the sisters' WTA tournament head-to-head series 10-9, said: "I tried but Serena was too good."
The first set turned on a marathon, with a tense ninth game that reached deuce nine times. Serena finally cracked her older sister's serve on her eighth break point for a 5-4 lead before serving out the set.
Before the Williams match, an emotional ceremony was held to honour women's sports pioneer and equal rights campaigner King, keynoted by former President Bill Clinton.
"There were millions of young women all across America who couldn't play sports or pursue dreams that were thought to be the province of boys," Clinton said. "That was before Billie Jean King.
"She's done a lot not only to help women pursue their tennis dreams but other dreams well beyond athletics. She has probably done more than anyone in the world to empower women and to educate men."
King said: "The seeds for this historic event were planted almost 40 years ago when nine of us, signed a $1 contract to play a tournament in Houston.
"We had such big plans for our sport. We dreamed of playing in the world's greatest arenas, like Madison Square Garden."
The exhibition was also used to spark a youth registration push called "Tennis Night in America" with 750 facilities in all 50 states holding sign-up parties for youth tennis programs built around screenings of the Billie Jean King Cup event.
Soruce:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Serena-tops-Venus-to-win-Billie-Jean-King-Cup/articleshow/4216229.cms
Liverpool look to restore title bid
LONDON: Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has identified the injury problems suffered by Fernando Torres as the main reason the club's title challenge has wilted.
The Spanish striker will be missing again when Liverpool face Sunderland on Tuesday when they hope to close the seven-point gap to Premier League leaders Manchester United.
An ankle injury picked up in the Champions League victory at Real Madrid last week is the latest knock for Torres who has managed just 15 league matches for Liverpool this season.
"The worst thing has been the injuries to Torres," Benitez said on Monday. "He is our striker. He scored a lot of goals for us last season and this season could have been totally different with him.
"(His ankle) is improving but it's still too early for him," added Benitez, who is hopeful that the Spaniard will return for the Champions League second leg against Real next week.
Liverpool have managed only 10 points from their last seven league games and have watched champions United pull away at the top on the back of 10 consecutive victories.
"We must keep going in the title race, to try to win each game as it comes along," Benitez said. "There are still lots of points to play for."
Chelsea and Liverpool are in action hoping to cut the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester United with Arsenal facing bottom side West Brom aiming to boost their flagging Champions League hopes.
Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Liverpool_look_to_restore_title_bid/eplarticleshow/4218302.cms
The Spanish striker will be missing again when Liverpool face Sunderland on Tuesday when they hope to close the seven-point gap to Premier League leaders Manchester United.
An ankle injury picked up in the Champions League victory at Real Madrid last week is the latest knock for Torres who has managed just 15 league matches for Liverpool this season.
"The worst thing has been the injuries to Torres," Benitez said on Monday. "He is our striker. He scored a lot of goals for us last season and this season could have been totally different with him.
"(His ankle) is improving but it's still too early for him," added Benitez, who is hopeful that the Spaniard will return for the Champions League second leg against Real next week.
Liverpool have managed only 10 points from their last seven league games and have watched champions United pull away at the top on the back of 10 consecutive victories.
"We must keep going in the title race, to try to win each game as it comes along," Benitez said. "There are still lots of points to play for."
Chelsea and Liverpool are in action hoping to cut the gap on Premier League leaders Manchester United with Arsenal facing bottom side West Brom aiming to boost their flagging Champions League hopes.
Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Liverpool_look_to_restore_title_bid/eplarticleshow/4218302.cms
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
