Australian Cricketers' Association backs BCCI's stand against WADA

MELBOURNE

MELBOURNE: Australia's cricketers applauded the BCCI's stance this week to remove themselves from the World Anti Drug Agency's strict anti-doping code, and the Australian Cricketers' Association declared that it wanted an end to the controversial new code because it was too intrusive.

Under the code, athletes must declare to WADA three months in advance where they will be for an hour each day.

The ICC is a signatory to the WADA code and Australia's top cricketers have been subjected to whereabouts reporting since July.

Indian cricketers have rebelled against the new regime and persuaded the BCCI to withdraw from the code. The ICC sent representatives to India last week in an unsuccessful bid to prevent the powerful Indian body from breaking away.

Australian Cricketers' Association chief Paul Marsh said: "'Cricket Australia has been aware of our concerns for some time. The whereabouts provisions are less than satisfactory."

The protest from Indian layers has sparked hopes that cricket might go its own way. "The Indians are taking on WADA here and we are watching with interest," The Age quoted Marsh, as saying.

The ICC announced on Friday that it had formed a working group that would "'work to resolve the India players' concerns and report back to the ICC Board at the earliest opportunity."

Source:TOI

Australian Cricketers' Association backs BCCI's stand against WADA

MELBOURNE: Australia's cricketers applauded the BCCI's stance this week to remove themselves from the World Anti Drug Agency's strict anti-doping
code, and the Australian Cricketers' Association declared that it wanted an end to the controversial new code because it was too intrusive.

Under the code, athletes must declare to WADA three months in advance where they will be for an hour each day.

The ICC is a signatory to the WADA code and Australia's top cricketers have been subjected to whereabouts reporting since July.

Indian cricketers have rebelled against the new regime and persuaded the BCCI to withdraw from the code. The ICC sent representatives to India last week in an unsuccessful bid to prevent the powerful Indian body from breaking away.

Australian Cricketers' Association chief Paul Marsh said: "'Cricket Australia has been aware of our concerns for some time. The whereabouts provisions are less than satisfactory."

The protest from Indian layers has sparked hopes that cricket might go its own way. "The Indians are taking on WADA here and we are watching with interest," The Age quoted Marsh, as saying.

The ICC announced on Friday that it had formed a working group that would "'work to resolve the India players' concerns and report back to the ICC Board at the earliest opportunity."

Sania battles into Vancouver semi-finals

NEW DELHI

NEW DELHI: India's Sania Mirza faced a tough fight from Canada's Rebecca Marino before winning the quarter-final match of the $75,000 International Tennis Federation (ITF) tournament in Vancouver.

According to information received, top seed Sania won 7-6 (2), 6-7 (3), 6-4 against the 18-year-old Marino in the Canadian city Friday night.

In the semi-final, Sania will meet the winner of the all-Canadian match between Sharon Fichman and wild-card holder Marie-Eve Pelletier.

Hyderabad gears up for World Badminton C'ship

STAFF WRITER 21:35 HRS IST
Hyderabad, Aug 7 (PTI) The city is all set to hold the prestigious World Badminton Championship as players from countries across the world have started pouring here.

Players from twelve countries have already reached the city for the mega event and another set of platers from twelve countries would reach the city tonight, Punnaiah Choudary, the Organising Secretary of WBC told PTI.

Top players like Peter Hoeg Gade of Denmark, Lin Dan and Tine Rasmussen have already arrived and the visitors are happy with the arrangements and hospitality, he added.

The seven-day championship will be held at the Gachibowli stadium from Monday.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Police is also busy making tight security arrangements for the high-profile event.

Siddle, Clark put Aussies on top in fourth Test

Scorecard

LEEDS (England): Peter Siddle took his Test-best figures and Stuart Clark marked his return to international cricket with three wickets as Australia bowled out England for just 102 at Headingley on Friday.

England, who won the toss, were routed on the first day of the fourth Ashes Test with Siddle taking five wickets for 21 runs in 9.5 overs and Clark three for 18 in 10 as Australia looked to level the five-match series at 1-1.

Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain, then made 78, before falling short of his third hundred at Headingley in as many Tests, to help his side to 196 for four at stumps - a lead of 94.

Michael Clarke was 34 not out and Marcus North seven not out after Ponting and opener Shane Watson shared a second-wicket stand of 119.

Clarke was hit flush on the helmet by a Stephen Harmison bouncer on 27 and then, after several minutes of treatment, survived a huge appeal for caught behind following another short ball from the Durham quick.

Australia were on the verge of building an impregnable lead when fast bowler Stuart Broad took two wickets for four runs in six balls to have both Ponting and Michael Hussey lbw.

Australia, who had lost three wickets for 18 runs in 19 balls in total, were then 151 for four.

But that was nothing compared to England's collapse.

Clark took three wickets in quick succession as England, who won the toss, slumped to 72 for six at lunch before Siddle polished off the tail with four wickets for three runs in 14 balls.

Matt Prior (37 not out) and opener Alastair Cook (30) were the only England batsmen to make it into double figures in an innings that featuring four noughts and lasted less than 34 overs.

Clark, after Australia dropped off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, made a dramatic return in what was his first Test in nine months after an elbow injury and selectorial preference had kept him out.

The 33-year-old upheld his reputation for economical accuracy by taking three wickets for five runs in 21 balls.

England, already in trouble, succumbed to Siddle, in only his 11th Test, after lunch.

The 24-year-old Victorian, on a hat-trick when he bowls in England's second innings, surpassed his previous Test-best of five for 59 against South Africa at Sydney in January

Watson completed his third Test fifty in as many innings after being recalled during the drawn third Test at Edgbaston.

But fellow opener Simon Katich was out for nought when Harmison, in for Andrew Flintoff after the pace bowling all-rounder's knee injury ruled him out, struck fourth ball to have him caught by Ravi Bopara at short backward square.

Watson and Ponting took advantage of a succession of poor deliveries and played stylishly as they built a first innings lead before Watson was lbw to Graham Onions for 51.

Ponting, once again booed to the middle by some fans despite pleas by administrators, had previously pulled Onions's first ball for six and next ball struck him for four, with 17 runs coming off the Durham quick's first over.

But his tendency to play across his front pad undid him when he was lbw to Broad having faced 100 balls with a six and 12 fours in a dominating innings.

Earlier, England captain Andrew Strauss, fortunate not to be lbw first ball after having to request a toss delay when Prior suffered back spasms while playing football in the warm-up, fell for three when was brilliantly caught one-handed above his head by third slip North off Siddle.

And 11 for one became 16 for two when struggling No 3 Bopara carelessly guided Ben Hilfenhaus to gully.

Paul Collingwood was out for a duck after edging an away-swinger from Clark, in after Australia dropped off-spinner Nathan Hauritz and went with a four-man pace attack, to Ponting at second slip.

Left-hander Cook, who resisted for 104-minutes then fell to a good length Clark ball as Ponting's prediction that England's top-order would struggle without Kevin Pietersen, ruled out after the hosts' second Test win with an Achilles injury, came true.

Hockey World Cup 2010 rescheduled

Hockey World Cup 2010 rescheduled

CHENNAI: The Hero Honda hockey World Cup to be held in Delhi next year has been advanced by a week and will now be held Feb 28 to March 13, according to a press release from the Federation Internationale de Hockey (FIH), on Friday.

The reason assigned is to ensure a "better worldwide promotion of FIH's showcase event", the release stated.

The new schedule will avoid a clash of the World Cup dates with a couple of major tournaments, notably Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket.

The World Cup will see the best 12 teams of the world in action at the National Stadium in New Delhi.

Canada, Korea, South Africa and hosts India have already qualified for the World Cup. The qualifying process to identify the other seven teams will conclude in November 2009, the release added.

TOI

India beat Belgium to win Test series

three-match hockey series

BRAXGATA (Belgium): Arjun Halappa and Dhananjay Mahadik sounded the board as India beat Belgium 2-0 in the final Test to clinch the three-match hockey series 2-1 on Friday.

After losing the opener on Tuesday, India bounced back winning the second Test 4-3 and the visitors scored once in each half through Halappa (31st minute) and Mahadik (60th) to win the series.

The Indian midfield sparkled with swift rotations and overlaps which bewildered the Belgians.

Gurbaj Singh, Sardar Singh, Mahadik and Prabodh Tirkey kept a steady flow of passes among themselves and frequently stepped up the pace to set up attackers Rajpal Singh, SV Sunil, Tushar Khandker and Shivendra Singh.

India made their intentions amply clear with onslaughts from the start of play as the forwards penetrated in Belgium's danger zone repeatedly.

They were awarded their first penalty corner in the fifth minute when the ball was carried in the circle, but goalkeeper Vincent foiled Sandeep Singh's flick.

India eventually got the better of the Red Lions with a display of well manouevered skills and position interchanges.

They took the lead through a classic foray from the left flank where Khandker and Prabhjot moved in tandem at the baseline to set up Halappa who tapped past the hopelessly unbalanced Vincent.

Belgium got two penalty corners before the break but Vikram Pillay rushed out to abort the first one, while Adrian D'souza gloved away the second.

The second half saw the Indians again in full steam as their midfield not only denied Belgium space but also built effective turnovers.

India scored their second goal in the 60th minute from a penalty corner as Sandeep pushed the ball to Mahadik atop the circle. The 26-year-old Army man from Bangalore then unleashed an accurate low flick to the goalkeepers right to ensure victory.

India later left for Barcelona to begin the third leg of their Europe tour with a three-Test series at Terassa against world number four Spain.

TOI

Team for CT, Lanka tour to be picked on Aug 16

Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 6 (PTI) Indian squad for next month's triangular ODI series in Sri Lanka and ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa would be picked on August 16 in Chennai.

"Both the teams would be selected in Chennai on August 16. But the dates of the preparatory camp for the players are not yet finalised. It would be done in a short-while," BCCI sources told PTI.

The tour of Lanka features a tri-series, also involving New Zealand from September 8-14 with the teams playing each other once leading to the final.

Champions Trophy is to be held from September 22 to October 5 and all the teams have already short-listed 30 players which is to be pruned to the final squad of 15.

Hockey: India beat Belgium 4-3, level series

BRAXGATA

BRAXGATA (Belgium): Captain Sandeep Singh starred with two goals as India beat Belgium 4-3 in the second hockey Test to level the three-match series in the second leg of their ongoing European tour.

Sandeep sounded the board in 32nd and 64th minute while Hari Prasad (8th) and Rajpal Singh (55th) scored one each for India. Belgium scored through Tom Boon (4th), Cedric Charlier (11th) and Jeff Thys (18th).

India had lost the first encounter 3-6. India brought back goalkeeper Adrian D'souza, Sardar Singh, Rajpal, Gurvinder Chandi and Bharat Chhikara into the starting lineup on Wednesday, while Sandeep also recovered from flu to take the field.

The match began on an aggressive note as India tried to break the ice in the second minute, but Chandi's attempt was padded away by Belgium custodian Vincent.

Belgium earned their first penalty corner two minutes later when Sardar Singh playing as the freeman, committed a defensive error.

Resultant flick struck V S Vinaya leading to a penalty stroke which was converted by Boon to give Belgium the lead in fourth minute.

India fought back soon but couple of attempts for the equaliser by SV Sunil and Shivendra Singh were off the target.

However, Hari Prasad found the mark in eighth minute to level the score.

Belgium were back on their toes and sparkled with off-the-ball running and overlaps. Their efforts soon paid dividends as a faulty clearance by Sandeep was intercepted by Charlier who beat D'souza from the top of the circle to give Belgium the lead again in 11th minute.

The tally was further increased after seven minute after Jeff Thys got past both Vikram Pillay and Gurbaj Singh and beat D'souza low to his right.

India regrouped themselves and initiated onslaughts to reduce the margin. However, penetrations from Sunil and Rajpal Singh bore no fruit as Belgium captain Xavier Reckinger and Vincent stood tall.

However, India scored their second goal in the 32nd minute when Sandeep sank a penalty corner to the right of Vincent. Bharat Chhikara missed an open chance immediately after the break when he failed to latch to a Rajpal cross.

India, trailing 2-3 during the breather, again lost an opportunity midway in the second half when Chandi missed after a Sunil setup, but Rajpal Singh made amends as he flicked past Vincent from a penalty corner in the 55th minute.

India's match winner came from their last penalty corner after Chandi was fouled in the 64th minute. Sandeep fired home with aplomb to round off the tally in India's favour.

The third and final Test will be played on Friday.

TOI

Sania moves to second round in Vancouver

VANCOUVER

VANCOUVER: Targetting her second consecutive singles title, top seed Sania Mirza faced stiff resistance from American Mallory Cecil before snatching a hard earned win in the first round of the ITF women's tournament.

Sania, edged past 410-ranked Mallory 6-4, 7-5 in her opening match of the $75,000 hard court event.

Sania will next face American Laura Granville, who advanced to the second round after her Japanese opponent Aiko Nakamura opted out of contest during the third set. Nakamura was leading 4-3 in the decisive set when she opted out of contest.

Granville had lost the first set 2-6 but stretched the match to third set after winning the second 6-3. Sania had won Lexington Challenger event recently.

TOI

Sachin Tendulkar targets 15,000 Test runs

NEW DELHI:

NEW DELHI: Even after scoring close to 30,000 international runs ever since he started his career, Sachin Tendulkar feels he has not done enough as a batsman.

"I am not pleased yet with what I have done," said Tendulkar, who has scored a record 12,773 from 159 Tests at an average of 54.58 and 16,684 runs from 425 ODIs.

The 36-year-old Tendulkar, in an interview to Wisden Cricketer magazine, said he is now aiming to touch 15,000-run mark in Tests.

"Sunil Gavaskar has told me that I have to get to 15,000 runs. He said he would be angry with me and would come and catch me if I didn't. I admire him so much and to score that many would be a terrific achievement, but that is not the only aim," he said, adding that "to win the World Cup in 2011" is his another ambition.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting, 34, is close to Tendulkar's Test mark with 11,193 Test runs so far.

Tendulkar, earlier described as second best cricketer after Don Bradman in the history of the game by Wisden, said that if anyone comes close to his style of batting is his teammate Virender Sehwag.

"I would say Virender Sehwag comes closest to my style," he said.

Australian great Bradman saw himself in Tendulkar and the Indian batting legend was also the only modern player to figure in his all-time XI.

Tendulkar admitted that thinking of life without cricket after retirement scares him.

"It's a scary thought. It has been there for my whole adult life, it will be difficult, I have been around for a long time, I can imagine when I finish I will long to face just 10 more balls but you have to move."

He, however, said time has not come yet to hang his bat. "I will know when it is the right time, I won't have to be dragged away. I am the person who will make the decision and I will know whether I still belong."

Tendulkar also revealed how he endured pain while batting in the recent past.

"I always play in pain, all the time. I played with a broken finger for the last three months, but you know when pain is manageable or not, and most of the time I can do it.

"I can still do what I did when I was 25 but the body is changing, so your thought process has to change too. I have had to change how I think, which is about taking less risk," he said.

TOI

Eight franchises for premier league, T20

Eight franchises for premier league, T20

Bangalore, Aug 5 (PTI) Karnataka State Cricket Association tonight announced eight franchises for Karnataka Premier League, a Twenty20 tournament on the lines of India Premier League.

The following were the eight highest bidders : Brigade Enterprises Limited (Bangalore Urban team), Mel Mont Constructions Pvt Ltd (Bangalore Rural), S Shivashankarappa (Hubli-Dharwad), Subhas Enterprises (Belgaum), Siresh Auto Pvt Ltd (Mysore), Fizza Developers & Inter Trade Pvt Ltd (Mangalore), Vivid Kreation (Gulbarga) and Jayaprakash Hegde K (Shimoga).

The sealed bids were opened this evening, KSCA Officials said. The minimum bid price for prospective franchises was set at Rs 20 lakh.

The tournament is slated to be staged at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here from September 12 to 27. Meanwhile, the player auction is scheduled to be held on August 14.

Trott, Sidebottom in squad for Headingley Test

London,

London, Aug 5 (PTI) With uncertainty looming large on Andrew Flintoff's participation, England has included Warwickshire batsman Jonathan Trott as his cover in the 14-member squad for the fourth Ashes Test against Australia starting at Headingley on Friday.

The squad also features fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom but there is still no place for left-arm spinner Monty Panesar.

Struggling with a knee injury, Flintoff has taken six injections in the last 18 days and still remains uncertain for the fourth Test.

The 28-year-old Trott has 831 first-class runs this season at an average of 83 and national selector Geoff Miller feels he deserved the call.

"Jonathan Trott has also performed really well for Warwickshire this season and his place in the squad is fully deserved," Miller was quoted as saying in the BBC.

I have the technique to be an opener: Watson

STAFF WRITER 11:18 HRS IST
Melbourne, Aug 3 (PTI) All-rounder Shane Watson believes he can be a solution to Australia's long-standing opening problem and feels he has the technique and temperament to counter the moving new ball.

"I have absolutely loved the challenge of opening the batting and I feel that I have the technique to open the batting," said Watson, who scored an impressive 62 as a makeshift opener during Australia's first innings in the on-going third Ashes Tests in Birmingham.

"I have no doubt I have the mental and technical aspects to be able to open the batting and consistently do well.

"I just have to perform and form a really good partnership with Simon Katich," he added.

The 28-year-old Tasmanian, however, said he was little nervous initially when asked to replace struggling Phil Hughes at the top.

BCCI rejects anti-doping clause, stands by its players

STAFF WRITER 13:15 HRS IST

Mumbai, Aug 2 (PTI) Strongly backing its players, the BCCI today rejected a controversial WADA anti-doping clause which makes it mandatory for cricketers to be available for out of competition testing, raising the possibility of a fresh stand-off with the ICC.

The BCCI said it has no problem with players being tested as part of the WADA Code but it fully shares their concerns on the 'Whereabouts Clause', which requires them to furnish information about their location three months in advance for out of competition tests.

The decision to back the players was taken at an emergency meeting of the Working Committee which deliberated at length on the issue and wanted the ICC to re-negotiate the code with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh were present in the meeting.

Pakistan look for revenge

DAMBULA, July 29: After a 2-0 drubbing at the hands of Sri Lanka, Pakistan will look to take revenge their loss in the five-match ODI series which will kick off at Dambullaon Thursday.
Despite the one-sided nature of the test series, it will be difficult predicting the same result for the ODIs as well. And this has to do with the new-look Pakistani team, which looks pretty balanced on paper. The first game will obviously set the trend, and the visitors will defenitely try to start the series with winning note.

Schumacher returns

ROME, July 29: Michael Schumacher is to sensationally come out of retirement to race for Ferrari in the absence of the injured Felipe Massa.
Seven-times world champion Schumacher, now 40, has not driven competitively since the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix in October 2006.
But Schumacher, who won five of his titles with Ferrari and who has been acting as an advisor to the team of late, will race in the European Grand Prix in Valencia on August 23.
“Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro intends to put Michael Schumacher in Felipe Massa’s car until the Brazilian driver will be able to race again,” Ferrari confirmed in a statement.
“Michael Schumacher said he is ready and, over the next few days, will undertake a specific training programme at the end of which confirmation will be given of his participation in the championship with effect from the European Grand Prix on the 23rd of August.”

ICC should preserve Test cricket: Akram

New Delhi, July 27: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram feels it is for the International Cricket Council (ICC) to preserve the sanctity of Test format.

Akram said the ICC should go ahead with day-night Tests and must ensure that matches are played on sporting tracks to counter the popularity of Twenty20.

“The ICC has to do something with T20. Even cricket boards are running after it because it fetches them millions. Twenty20 and one-day cricket are fun but Test cricket is real. The ICC should do something to preserve Tests,” Akram told reporters here on Monday. Akram feels Twenty20 is “just a phase in international cricket, which will pass soon without harming Tests.”
“Cricket started with Tests, so how can it end? Every aspiring cricketer in the world wants to play Tests. Twenty20 will take over the 50 overs game, but it can’t hurt Test cricket,” he said. On ICC chief David Morgan’s proposed four-day Test, Wasim said: “If you have a four-day Test, there are more chances of it ending in a draw. Why will spectators come to watch a dull and drab drawn Test? The ICC, instead, should ensure that Test wickets are sporting and result-oriented.”

The 43-year-old former left-arm fast bowler also disagreed with ex-South African tearaway Allan Donald on legalising ball-tampering. “I don’t know why Donald said that. Ball-tampering is illegal and I am with the ICC on the issue. If you legalise ball-tampering, then bowlers will start doing it from the first over. Ball-tampering is an art and you can only do it after 40-50 overs in Test cricket. It is not possible in ODIs and T20s,” said Akram, who was one of the Pakistani fast bowlers once accused of ball-tampering. (IANS)

Haas eyes treble Safin closes in on retirement

LOS ANGELES, July 26: Tommy Haas will bid for a Los Angeles Open title hat-trick from Monday while soon-to-retire Russian Marat Safin ticks off another tournament box in his season-long farewell to the game.

Wimbledon semi-finalist Haas will have it all to play for after his solid showing final four at the All England club.

The 31-year-old will try to back up titles here from 2004 and 2006 after losing in a first-round shock at UCLA a year ago to American Donald Young.
Haas rested after Wimbledon and has had three clear weeks to get ready for the summer hard court season.

Former world number one Safin, 29, will retire at the end of the year and has little to show for a final season.

The mercurial Russian, whose brilliance has led him to a pair of Grand Slam titles, is struggling as his motivation slumps after a decade and a half on the tour. But the eighth-seeded crowd-pleaser, who first played the event in 2001 and reached the quarter-finals last summer, may find his competitive juices again as he faces off in a Monday night exhibition against Pete Sampras, a repeat of the 2000 US Open final won by the then-newcomer Russian.

While he won’t say exactly what his new plans are for a post-tennis future, Safin knows he doesn't want to continue in the game.

“Throughout the years, you have to live with tennis 24/7. There is no way you're going to leave and for days relax and not think about it. Sooner or later you're going to think about tennis,” he complained. (Agencies)

India must decide its priorities: Gary Kirsten

Johannesburg, July 26: There are trends developing in world cricket that are of concern to the future of the game, including in India, Indian coach Gary Kirsten said here, saying Team India has to decide its priorities in terms of test cricket and other forms of the game, like T20.
Kirsten was speaking on Saturday at a gathering here organised by the Indian mission here for local and visiting captains of business and industry who had attended the Doing Business with India Conference.