NEW DELHI: Umpires should be left to adjudge only leg-before decisions while technology takes care of the rest, according to Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Tendulkar, 36, who begins his 21st year in international cricket next month, even advocated rotating on-field umpires every session of a Test match to give them adequate rest, but denounced the referral system.
Tendulkar, a veteran of 159 Tests and 431 One-Day Internationals, said he was in favour of more technology in cricket to make the umpire's task more accurate.
"It is tough for the umpires to watch the no-balls and watch what's happening in the front," he was quoted as saying by a website.
"For basic line decisions, like no-balls and run outs, you must have a laser or something like that. Something like what you have in tennis to decide serves.
"You can call it (a no-ball) with a machine."
Tendulkar said bat-pad decisions can be relied on television X-ray technology called "hot spots" which clearly illustrates the first point of contact of the ball -- either pad or bat.
"They should use the hot spot for bat-pad decisions, so the main umpire has to make only the leg-before calls," he said. "I'm quite happy with the hot spot because that establishes the contact.
"For caught behind and all, the hot spot will come. Close-in catches, again the hot spot will come. You don't need a machine for clean bowled, so only the leg-before decisions is what the umpire has to concentrate on."
Tendulkar, the world's most prolific batsman, said three on-field umpires should be nominated so that they can take turns to rest for a session of a Test.
But he did not support the new referral system, where umpires get help from a colleague watching television replays to adjudicate on close decisions.
"I'm not particularly happy with the referrals because I'm not convinced of the TV angles," he said. "I wasn't happy when we first went through it (on the tour of Sri Lanka last year).
Harbhajan Singh has survived the hard grind of international cricket for 10 years now. In doing so, the 29-year-old off-spinner has taken 330 Test wickets to become the country's most successful off-spinner. In a freewheeling chat, Harbhajan talked about being mentored by Kumble, his verbal tussles with the Aussies and his captaincy ambitions. Excerpts...
Ten years of international cricket. What has the experience been like?
It has been a fulfiling journey. Ten years back, I never thought I would be where I am today. I didn't have the guts to enter a five-star hotel because I came from a very humble background. But because of cricket, I got to see the world and meet people and all that has been a great experience.
To be honest, I've never set any goals in life. I just found a way through cricket and kept following that path right through. Of course, there have been distractions, the glitz and glamour and stuff like that, but you must keep your feet on the ground. Once I started playing for India, lots of people became friends with me and my life changed completely.
They say spin bowlers get better with age. How true is that in your case?
That's true not just for spinners but for every cricketer. The more you play, the more you learn. If you look at the graph of great bowlers like Shane Warne, Anil Kumble or Muttiah Muralitharan, they got better and better with age and experience and took more wickets. So one does get better, provided one wants to learn and improve. I can say that I have better control over my art than before.
How much did you enjoy bowling with Kumble?
Honestly, I loved bowling with Anilbhai. Playing with him, I've learnt a lot not just about spin bowling but also on how one should prepare for a match. He set such a high standard for himself, as if he had to get every batsman out and had to win the match on his own. I feel honoured to have played with him for 8-9 years. In fact, without Anilbhai around I don't think I could have played for 10 years. When things are not going well, you need someone like Anilbhai around to try and help you out.
You always seem to be at war with the Aussies. What is it about them that provokes you?
No, no there's nothing like that. The Australians are fiercely proud competitors and they have been a great side for a while now. I just try to be as competitive as I can be and give my best. Like anyone else, I want to do well against the best team in the world. It feels great to be performing against the best.
But there were a few incidents in the last Test series (2007-08) in Australia...
I have been very stubborn from my childhood. If I want to achieve something, I am ready to slog for it. I know they are the best team and they would like to dominate or intimidate me by saying something or by provoking me in some way or the other. But all you have to do is to back your game and believe in your ability. I don't like someone sitting on my head. As I said, I have been stubborn and adamant since my younger days and I enjoy taking them on. Like Anil Kumble, I try not to give up till the last ball. After all, I am playing for my country and that is the biggest thing for me. I don't go out on the field to make friends.
Can you single out any Aussie player who is different, one who is a thorough gentleman?
I don't interact with a lot of Australian players. But among the few I have spoken to, Brett Lee is cool and so is Stuart Clark. Generally all of them are nice but very competitive on the field. It's good to be like that. No hard feelings. Whatever happens on the ground, I leave it there.
You were also involved in an ugly incident with Sreesanth. Do you regret it?
Well, that shouldn't have happened, but it has and I have come out of it and moved on. I had to prove myself all over again to my friends, fans and well-wishers. However bad a person I might be, when it comes to playing cricket, I want people to say this boy has got the b***s to play at this level. I made a mistake and I regret it.
Who's the toughest you have bowled to?
Brian Lara was in a different league. He was very, very good. Matthew Hayden was good too.
You have played under various captains right from Mohammad Azharuddin to Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Which captain got the best out of you?
Honestly, Sourav (Ganguly) was the one who got the best out of me. He knew when I was bowling aggressively and he always backed me because he knew I was trying everything to get the batsman out. He would say, 'Bhajji, bowl freely, bowl the way you want to bowl, enjoy, and be aggressive. Let your ball talk.' Some of my best performances have come under him.
Test cricket, One-day cricket, T20 cricket. What is your first choice and why?
Test cricket anyday. That is real cricket and also the true test for every cricketer. Honestly I would love to play 12-14 Test matches a year.
Have you set yourself a target, the kind of tally you like to have by the time you call it a day?
I don't set targets. I never thought I will be playing for India when I was so young. I was happy to play just one Test. Since then I have come a long way. Having said that, I would like to be someone like Anil Kumble, who has taken 600 Test wickets. I will be disappointed if I don't end up with at least 500 Test wickets.
Do you entertain any thoughts of leading the country in future?
Of course, yes! For any player, leading your country is the biggest thing. Not many people have been privileged to lead India and I would like to be in that list.
NEW DELHI: Australian fast bowlers Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and all-rounder James Hopes have been ruled out of second One-Day International against India to be played in Nagpur on Wednesday.
Lee and all-rounder Hopes are suffering from elbow soreness and a hamstring injury respectively while Johnson twisted his left ankle during the first ODI at Vadodara.
Meanwhile, Moises Henriques will join the Australian squad as a replacement player.
Earlier on Monday Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting was absolutely furious, claiming that the Champions League Twenty20 hindered his team's preparation for the ongoing ODI series.
Three players of the Australian squad -- Brett Lee, Nathan Hauritz and Doug Bollinger -- joined the team in Vadodara on the night before the first ODI, after guiding New South Wales Blues to the Champions League Twenty20 title in Hyderabad on Friday.
The NSW trio missed four training sessions and the pre-match team meeting as well.
While all three arrived fatigued, Lee had this additional complaint of a sore elbow, which eventually kept him out of action towards the end of first ODI.
MILAN: David Beckham will definitely return to AC Milan on loan in January, chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Monday.
The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder, who wants to play in Europe to try to secure his place in England's World Cup squad, had previously said the deal was 95 percent done.
"It's 100 percent certain. The only thing that is missing is the signatures but the agreement is complete," Galliani told Italy's Sky television.
Beckham is expected to stay at the San Siro from January until the end of the Serie A season in May, just as he did this year.
He has previously said he intends to go back to Galaxy following June's World Cup in South Africa, if selected by England coach Fabio Capello.
Media reports had linked the former Manchester United player with a return to the Premier League but the 34-year-old had always said another stint at Milan was his preferred option.
LONDON: Giving out clear signals that the Commonwealth Games organisers are ready to bury the hatchet with their international bosses, OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi on Monday said they have the backing of CGF chief Michael Fennell and all issues with the parent body will be resolved.
The 2010 CWG and Commonwealth Games Federation top brass have been engaged in a public spat for some time now but two days before he is to meet Fennell to sort out the issues, Kalmadi claimed the OC has the support of the CGF chief.
"Of course, we have had great support of the Commonwealth Games Federation Present Fennell. I am sure all issues will be resolved and the Games will be held in the most conducive atmosphere," Kalmadi said ahead of the launch of Queens Baton Relay on Thursday.
Before departing India, Kalmadi had already tone down his earlier tough stand of demanding transfer of CGF chief executive Mike Hooper from Delhi as he was of "no use" and "impediment" to the working of the OC, saying he did not want any more confrontation.
Kalmadi assured that the OC and Government of India were leaving no stone unturned to make the Games a mega success.
"We have had unstinted support of Government of India, especially Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sports Minister MS Gill. Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit has been working hard to make Delhi a world class city," he said in the presence of Olympic gold medallist shooter Abhinav Bindra and tennis star Sania Mirza.
NEW DELHI: Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has warned the Australians to be wary of in-form Sachin Tendulkar, saying the Indian star would come out all guns blazing against them in the upcoming seven-match ODI series, starting on October 25.
"Sachin has been out of cricket for sometime now (last played on September 28) and I think, now he is ready to go back and show that he still has all the shots in the book. I think, it (the series) will be Sachin against the Australians," Gavaskar said.
"He will be opening the batting for India. So I think they will be looking to get him out to psychologically scare the Indians," he said.
Considering the recent impressive form of the Australians, who won the Champions Trophy early this month, Gavaskar said the series would be a hard-fought one.
"Ponting has been captain of the Australia team both times during consecutive Ashes loss in England, he will be determined now to make people forget that, which can only happen with him scoring heavily and leading Australia to victories," Gavaskar told CNN-IBN.
"That's the way he approached the seven-match ODI series against England after the Ashes; then also in the Champions Trophy. I think that's the way they are going to play till they come up against England in Australia in 2011," he added.
The former captain advised Indian batsmen to be wary of Australian seam bowling attack.
"Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle are going to be a handful, make no mistakes about that. We saw in the Champions Trophy, they have not given too many runs except an odd match. And Lee has bowled brilliantly in the Champions League," Gavaskar said.
"So I don't think it's going to be easy for the Indian batsmen but for the likes of (Virender) Sehwag and (Gautam) Gambhir, there are no such things as a good length or a good delivery. And if they get going, it won't matter who is bowling," he said.
The high-octane series begins on October 25 at Vadodara.
HYDERABAD: They have demolished every rival en route to the last-four stage but Trinidad and Tobago face their toughest challenge so far when they take on in-form Cape Cobras in the battle for a final spot of the Champions League Twenty20 on Thursday.
The batting prowess of the Caribbean side has evoked awe but they are up against a team that also has some big-hitting willow-wielders, who are capable of mowing down any attack.
While Trinidad and Tobago are yet to see defeat in the event, Cape Cobras lost one in the league stage on a low and slow pitch against Delhi Daredevils in their last League B match.
But wicket here at the Uppal stadium has been a batting paradise, best of all the three venues, and the kind of batting line-ups the two teams have, Thursday's clash is expected to be a high-scoring affair.
The Caribbeans found a new match winner in Adrian Barath in their last League A match against Diamond Eagles and together with the in-form William Perkins, it becomes a very destructive opening pair.
The bowlers were dreading the towering Kieron Pollard so far but now there is Navin Stewart as well who made a statement of his own when by smashing three sixes and two fours in the previous match.
Trinidad and Tobago's middle-order is also impressive with Lendl Simmons, skipper Daren Ganga, Dwayne Bravo and Denesh Ramdin.
Faced with such an intimidating line-up, the key for the Cape Cobras bowlers would be to not let Caribbean batsman settle and get rid of them as early as possible.
Rory Kleinveldt has done well so far and will have to take on the responsibility of containing the rampaging Caribbeans.
Like Trinidad, Cape Cobras' batting is their strength. All their main batters led by skipper Andrew Puttick, who remains the only centurion of the tournament so far, are in supreme form.
The way South Africa's new batting sensation JP Duminy has batted, Dwayne Bravo and company have quite a task at hand of restricting them. Henry Davids is also in fine touch and lends balance to the middle order of the South African side.
Bravo is not just the most effective bowler for Trinidad, he is also the leading wicket taker in the tournament with 10 scalps.
Teams (From):
Cape Cobras: Andrew Puttick (C), Derek Brand, Ryan Canning, Henry Davids, Jean-Paul Duminy, Sybrand Engelbrecht, Herschelle Gibbs, Claude Henderson, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, Justin Ontong, Vernon Philander, Francois Plaatjies, Stiaan van Zyl, Monde Zondeki, Charl Langeveldt.
Trinidad and Tobago: Daren Ganga (C), Samuel Badree, Navin Stewart, Lendl Simmons, Ravi Rampaul, Denesh Ramdin, Kieron Pollard, William Perkins, Sunil Narine, Dave Mohammed, Adrian Barath, Dwayne Bravo, Rayad Emrit, Sherwin Ganga.
NEW DELHI: A ruthless New South Wales breezed into the final of the Champions League Twenty20, steamrolling country cousins Victoria Bushrangers by 79 runs in a grossly lop-sided semifinal on Wednesday.
Scorecard | In Pics
The NSW side, under Simon Katich, hardly broke a sweat in the all-Australian encounter, first muscling their way to 169 for seven and then unleashing their hungry bowlers who simply singed the Victorians, restricting them to 90 for nine.
Chasing 170, Victoria's pursuit looked doomed with three top order batsmen back in the hut inside three overs and all they could manage was 90 runs for nine in 20 overs with Matthew Wade's unbeaten 23 as the highest individual score.
Earlier, openers David Warner (48) and Phil Hughes (35) added 62 runs inside seven overs as New South Wales posted 169 for seven, a total that could have been even healthier.
Considering NSW's bowling arsenal, it was always going to be a herculean chase but Victoria probably could not imagine that their first six runs would cost them three top order batsmen.
For NSW, Brett Lee began with a maiden over and then returned to cut short Aiden Blizzard's (5) stay in third over.
In between, off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, pressed early into action, struck with his third and fifth deliveries, removing both the scoreless openers - Rob Quiney and Brad Hodge - to set the cat among the Victorian pigeons.
Moises Henriques ended the lull of the next five overs by removing David Hussey (16) with his very first delivery and accounting for Victoria captain Cameron White (11) in his next over.
The all-rounder went on to add Clint McKay's scalp to finish with three for 11.
At 39 for five, Victoria needed a miracle to win the match and the miracle did not occur.
Wary of chasing on Ferozeshah Kotla's much-derided track, NSW captain Simon Katich opted to bat first and the in-form left-handed duo of Warner and Hughes walked out to vindicate the decision.
Shane Harwood's measly first over, yielding just one run, was merely the lull before the storm with Warner in the thick of action.
Warner welcomed Harwood on his return with back-to-back fours but worse awaited Peter Siddle.
Warner hit the first two balls from Siddle for boundaries and a dot ball later, lifted him over long-off ropes. Siddle bled 19 runs in that forgettable over.
Next, it was Clint McKay who saw his delivery soar over the same long-off ropes.
Siddle bore the brunt of Warner's wrath, copping back-to-back boundaries as NSW crossed the 50-mark in the sixth over.
Warner was in no mood to relent and the way he treated the Victorian bowlers, it was clear that none of them could remove him.
The swashbuckling left-hander returned run out in the seventh over, having dominated in the 62-run opening stand.
Warner's spectacular 25-ball 48 was bejewelled with seven fours and two sixes.
Hughes decided to continue the tempo and milked 13 runs off Jon Holland's first over before a Clint McKay slower delivery castled him.
Hughes needed 28 balls to score those 35 brisk runs that included four fours and a six.
Neither Daniel Smith (20) nor Katich (26) boast Warner's aggression but both scored quickly enough to haul the team past the 100-mark in 11 overs before both fell in a nine-ball span.
Andrew McDonald and Harwood stemmed the run flow with some disciplined bowling as NSW somewhat ran out of steam towards the end despite having the platform to go for the late charge that could have further swelled the tally.
The Victorian bowlers did a good job in the last five overs, conceding 37 runs, while claiming four wickets.
KARACHI: Happy with Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to retain Younis Khan at the helm of national team, his deputy Shahid Afridi on Wednesday said there is no difference of opinion with the captain.
Afridi also rubbished the media reports in the country which said there might be a difference of opinion between the all-rounder and Younus, who recently tendered his resignation protesting the match-fixing allegation made against the team.
"There has been lot of speculation in the media and some people are also trying to create differences between me and Younus," Afridi said.
"We get along well and I am happy that he is captain and I will continue to support him wholeheartedly. I play with my heart and soul for Pakistan at every given opportunity," Afridi added.
Younus tendered his resignation last week after being accused of match-fixing by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Sports but the PCB did not accept the same and made him skipper till 2011 World Cup.
In recent time there were lot of reports in media that highlighted the possibility that some players, including Afridi, were not happy with the attitude of Younus and did not want the PCB to continue him as captain.
Although Afridi vehemently denied the report that he had tried to dislodge Younus as the captain.
"He is a senior player and a good captain and enjoys support and also standing in the team," Afridi said.
"At the moment we have a one-day series against New Zealand, we have to concentrate on that. I am confident we can beat them although we lost the Champions trophy semifinal to them," Afridi added.
MOSCOW: A late goal from Antonio Valencia earned Manchester United a 1-0 victory over CSKA Moscow on Wednesday to leave the English champions on the verge of clinching their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
The Ecuador winger's close range strike made it three wins out of three for Sir Alex Ferguson's side in their group and also made a little bit of history by securing United's first European victory over Russian opponents.
They also equalled Dutch great's Ajax's Champions League record of 14 successive away matches unbeaten.
United had returned to the Luzhniki Stadium, scene of their 2008 Champions League final victory over Chelsea, with depleted resources.
Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs were the most conspicuous absentees but Patrice Evra, Darren Fletcher and Park Ji-Sung also had to be left behind in Manchester because of injuries and the proximity of Sunday's Premier League showdown with Liverpool.
Ferguson was at least able to restore Nemanja Vidic to his customary role alongside Rio Ferdinand following the Serbian centreback's recovery from an ankle injury.
CSKA, now managed by the former Sevilla, Tottenham and Real Madrid coach Juande Ramos, had to do without injured Chilean winger Mark Gonzalez.
The Russians kicked off with a run of six consecutive European wins on home soil behind them but their guarded approach to the contest hardly indicated a side with deep reserves of confidence.
A cagey opening set the tone for a first half in which both sides appeared content to concentrate on patient build-up play without ever really threatening to open up their opponents.
CSKA's much-admired Serbian midfielder Milos Krasic had the first shot on goal but his effort, following a mazy run to the edge of the area, was struck well wide.
United gradually began to assert themselves as the opening period wore on but the only time Igor Akinfeev, was called into action was when a hopeful 35-yard strike by Paul Scholes bounced in front of him and accelerated off the artificial surface, forcing the goalkeeper to palm the ball over the bar.
Krasic responded by working his way past two defenders and into the box but the subsequent shot was pulled across the goalmouth.
United continued to look the more composed of the two sides after the interval and, with just under an hour elapsed, would have taken the lead but for a fine save from Akinfeev, who threw himself full-length to his left to keep out Nani's diving header from a Gary Neville cross.
Valencia soon went even closer to breaking the deadlock. After exchanging passes with Nani on the edge of the area, the Ecuadorian winger unleashed a fierce right-foot drive that struck the angle of post and bar.
At that stage it seemed as if United's controlled dominance would go unrewarded but, with five minutes left, Valencia made sure of the points by beating Akinfeev from close range after Berbatov had flicked Nani's cross on to him on the right-hand edge of the six-yard box.
Anderson might have doubled the winning margin but the Brazilian midfielder contrived to place his shot from a similar distance wide of the post after Berbatov's back heel had left him with only the goalkeeper to beat.
MUMBAI: In the post-IPL environment, BCCI’s revenue from other cricket matches played in India is set to dip. Nimbus, which has again bagged the broadcast rights for cricket to be played in India over the next four years starting April 2010, is set to pay BCCI at least $187 million (Rs 800 crore) less than what it paid for the current deal.
Nimbus had bought the rights in 2005 for $612m (Rs 2,800 crore), but will pay $425m (Rs 2,000 crore) this time.
Nimbus was given the first right of refusal according to the contract signed in 2005, hence the renewed deal. By awarding Nimbus the contract, the board has ensured other players like ESPN-Star and Sony are not in contention.
The contract covers all domestic and international matches in India except IPL and the 2011 World Cup.
The BCCI is all set to give the TV rights to Nimbus for another four-year term starting April 2010. BCCI officials, though, wouldn’t comment on the renewed deal while Nimbus head Harish Thawani said, "It is premature and speculative to comment (on the intricacies of the deal) as of now."
It is learned that the BCCI has set a deadline of January 15, 2010 for Nimbus to pay around one-third of the total sum as guarantee money (Rs 600 crore) to seal the deal.
According to the new deal, it is learnt, Nimbus will have to pay BCCI Rs 31.5 crore for every international match (Test or ODI) to be played in India between 2010 to 2014.
Between 2005 and 2009, there were close to 16 Test matches and 52 ODIs which Nimbus could broadcast and until 2012 (after which a new Future Tours Program of the ICC comes in place) there are another seven Tests and 21 ODIs in the queue.
"The rights have been sold for a much lesser amount but that was expected. Today, IPL and newer events like Champions League have held spectator interest. All other ICC tournament rights are held by ESPN-Star (including the 2011 World Cup). No one wants to watch Ranji and Duleep trophies where the field is weak," said an industry insider.
A source said, "Looking at the pricing of the deal now, it is finally where Jagmohan Dalmiya, the then-BCCI president, had pegged it in 2004 before he was ousted."
The renewed contract will also allow Nimbus exclusive rights over Indian domestic tournaments including the Ranji, Duleep and Deodhar trophies, Challenger Series, the Mushtaq Ali Twenty20 Cup and the Corporate Trophy. BCCI, along with Nimbus, had tried to spice up the Indian domestic circuit a bit by introducing coloured clothing, day-night matches and live coverage to improve spectator interest, which had reached an all-time low.
However, in the last four years, tournaments like the Ranji and Duleep were still to find many takers. This, in turn, led to poor TRPs which affected Nimbus. There were delays in payments and stories about sponsors not paying in time did the rounds. Nimbus, in reply, argued that the board often didn’t honour the deal as far as exclusivity of events was concerned.
Against this backdrop, it is indeed surprising that the board has opted for Nimbus again. Lalit Modi, BCCI vice-president, wasn’t present at Tuesday’s all-important marketing committee meeting held in Mumbai.
NEW DELHI: When NSW Blues and Victoria Bushrangers go out to contest the first semifinal of the Champions League T20 event on Wednesday evening, they can be sure that there won't be much noise to distract them as they go about their business.
With the local team, Daredevils, and other IPL teams out of the event, there won't be much popular support at the Ferozeshah Kotla for the two Australian teams as they fight for a place in the title clash.
What will add to the rather unwanted and uncalled for sobriety of the occasion is the somnabulent Kotla pitch which has been pouring water on the aspirations of many a batsman who had come with hopes of setting the stadium on fire. And that will the challenge for the players - how to manage a decent T20 total on the low, slow track.
A cursory glance at the figures for the three venues where CL games have been staged shows how Kotla has played spoilsport (see graphic).
It has been a pain for the batsmen and a bore for the fans. The semifinal is not going to be any different and both NSW and Victoria will find it hard to put the ball away. Of course, it becomes double difficult to play strokes if you are batting second. So, the toss will be crucial; the team batting first will have a distinct advantage.
NSW skipper Simon Katich, speaking ahead of the semis, remarked that his team had learnt a lot about the Kotla pitch over the last few days.
"Batting second is really difficult, also because of the dew factor," he said.
NSW, who beat Victoria in the final of the Australian T20 championship, have looked the more rounded side in the ongoing competition and start favourites, something conceded by Victoria skipper Cameron White.
But these men know very well, this 'favourites' tag in a T20 match is just theory not to be taken seriously. Besides, let's remember that Victoria won the 'Big Bash' three straight times before losing to NSW this year. They are a redoubtable T20 unit.
White's men will have to contend with opener David Warner who has been in great form and looked murderous while cracking 40 off 16 balls in his last innings. NSW's bowling is also impressive with Brett Lee leading it.
A drab pitch notwithstanding, it should be fascinating when this Aussie rivalry spills onto the Kotla turf.
NEW DELHI: Australian captain Ricky Ponting has urged his players to disregard India's unimpressive Champions Trophy form, warning the No.2 ranked One-day outfit will be a vastly different team on home soil.
The Australians left Sydney on Monday ahead of their seven match ODI series against India beginning on October 25.
The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn and the war of words has already begun. But when Australian skipper Ricky Ponting embarked on his mission India, the aggressive batsman took a cautious approach.
Instead of using his favourite mental disintegration tactics, the punter sounded a bit of wary. He said, "They'll be particularly hard to beat in India. They definitely play a lot better at home than they do when they travel. I actually tipped them as one of the strongest sides for the Champions Trophy to tell the truth."
A convincing 6-1 victory over England, followed by an emphatic Champions Trophy triumph, the World Champions are surely riding high on their success. But the Tasmanian is not taking Mahendra Singh Dhoni's boys lightly.
He added, "I noticed that they have made a few changes to their squad as well as for the games with us. We will obviously be missing Michael Clarke and Nathan Bracken again, and Callum Ferguson being out as well means that the younger guys will get an opportunity to set up again."
Though his skipper is not hoping for his early comeback, Clarke is desperate to return to his happy hunting ground. With the top spot in One-day cricket up for grabs and pride at stake, Ponting remained wary of the Indians. And the right-handed batsman has decided to play safe before launching his much-anticipated campaign at Vadodara this weekend.
BARCELONA: Holders Barcelona suffered their first Champions League defeat in 10 matches on Tuesday when goals from Aleksandr Ryazantsev and Gokdeniz Karadeniz gave Rubin Kazan a shock 2-1 win in their Group F clash.
Barca were rocked back by the Russian champions in the second minute at the Nou Camp when midfielder Ryazantsev let fly from distance and the ball arrowed past Victor Valdes into the top right corner.
Pep Guardiola's side had plenty of possession after falling behind but found it tough to break down Rubin's well-organised defence until Xavi picked out striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a lofted pass in the 48th minute.
The Sweden striker controlled with his chest and crashed a low shot past Sergei Ryzhikov from the right of the area but Barca fell behind again after a swift Rubin break engineered by Alejandro Dominguez.
The Argentine striker released the pacy Karadeniz and the Turkish international finished with ease past Valdes with 17 minutes of normal time left.
Ibrahimovic sent an acrobatic volley against the crossbar, Xavi stung Ryzhikov's hands with a fierce drive and Yaya Toure headed against a post in the fourth minute of added time but Barca were unable to find a second equaliser.
The final whistle prompted wild celebrations among the small knot of Rubin fans in the vast Nou Camp arena and Inter's 2-2 home draw with Dynamo Kiev means Rubin are in with a real chance of advancing to the knockout phase.
Barca, Rubin and Dynamo all have four points after three games in Group F.
NEW DELHI: Taking the first step towards brokering peace between the 2010 Organising Committee and the Commonwealth Games Federation, Sports Minister MS Gill today met OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi to discuss the vexed issues that have hit the capital's preparation for the event.
Kalmadi came to Gill's residence this morning where the Sports Minister took stock of the progress of preparations and discussed the contentious issues that have the OC and the CGF at loggerheads.
"I met Mr Kalmadi today and had a long discussion on all the matters. I will be talking to (CGF Chief) Mr Mike Fennell on telephone and will have a meeting with him, (CGF CEO Mike) Hooper and Mr Kalmadi in London on October 28," Gill said after the meeting.
"I am confident that all issues will be resolved and everyone will work in unison to ensure a very good Commonwealth Games in Delhi next year," the minister added.
The OC and the CGF seemed to have reached a deadlock over mainly two issues -- the necessity of a Technical Review Panel and Hooper's stay in Delhi.
Fennell, soon after the CGF general assembly earlier this month, made it clear that the organisers needed to pull up their socks and fast-track their preparations if the capital is to deliver on its commitment of putting on the best Commonwealth Games ever.
Fennell said the CGF had decided to set up a Technical Review Panel to monitor the progress, a suggestion that did not go down well with the OC with Kalmadi outrightly rejecting the idea.
Hooper's presence remains another bone of contention with Kalmadi describing the CGF top official as an "impediment" to the capital's preparation and seeking his removal.
"I will ask Mr Fennell to depute someone who can work with us. That is all. We need someone who guides and encourages us and not confront us at all meetings," Kalmadi had earlier said in a statement.
The OC, meanwhile, has bluntly told Hooper not to come to the OC headquarters and work from home till, they hope, the CGF withdraws him.
The CGF, however, has thrown its weight behind Hooper with Fennell saying that the official has the full support of the Executive Board.
CHENNAI: Veteran batsman Rahul Dravid was, on Thursday, dropped while the dashing duo of Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh returned to India's 15-member squad for the first two ODIs against Australia starting on October 25. ( Watch Video )
Dravid, who was surprisingly named in India's Champions Trophy squad, found himself out of favour again after just one tournament.
Out of form pacer RP Singh, wicket-keeper batsman Dinesh Karthik and young all-rounder Abhishek Nayar were also left out of the squad announced by the BCCI.
Rookie Uttar Pradesh pacer Sudeep Tyagi was the lone new face in the squad, which also marked the return of Munaf Patel and young all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.
The BCCI said Yuvraj, who is currently nursing a fractured finger, will be completely fit by October 28 for the second one-dayer in Nagpur and might be available for the first one-dayer as well on October 25 in Vadodara.
"Selectors are advised that Yuvraj would definitely be fit to play on October 28. It is possible that he may be able to play the first match as well," BCCI secretary N Srinivasan said in a statement.
"The decision on the playing XI for the first match will be made based on Yuvraj's fitness on October 25," he added.
Sehwag, meanwhile, has already recovered from his shoulder injury and is currently playing in the Champions League Twenty20.
The squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra, Ashish Nehra, Suresh Raina, Ishant Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Munaf Patel, Sudeep Tyagi.
HYDERABAD: It is very difficult to differentiate between two teams, who have traversed a similar path in their quest for glory. Somerset Sabres and Diamond Eagles, who will clash in their Super Eight match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on Friday, have thus far failed to convince the patrons of the game that they are a genuinely champion side and deserve a spot in the Super Eight.
While a fancied team like the Deccan Chargers fell by the wayside, the Sabres, who have been unconvincing with their cricket, find themselves pitched with the best eight teams in the Champions League Twenty20 Championship. The Sabres, who lack big name players barring skipper Justin Langer and Marcus Trescothick, were lucky to have got the better of the Chargers in a last-ball effort in their group match. But they were shown their place by the vibrant Trinidad and Tobago and their progress depended on the game between the Chargers and T&T.
As luck would have it, the Chargers dug their own grave by conniving to lose their game against T&T from a position of strength on Wednesday night to the great relief of the English side.
Thus the Sabres live to fight for yet another day and to their great fortune they take on the Eagles, who too have a similar story to tell. Grouped in a tough pool, the Eagles found the New South Wales Blues too hot to handle but pulled off a heart-stopping win over the clueless Sussex via the eliminator. The Eagles are still groping in the darkness with their batting as skipper Boeta Dippenaar has been failing himself.
Ryan McLaren and Rilee Rossouw are the only batsmen to have garnered over 50 runs each thus far for the side. That speaks volumes of the batting strength of the South African side. But their vitality lies in their bowling which stood them in good stead against Sussex. Cornelius de Villiers was in blistering form with the cherry as he decimated Sussex in the Super Over to book his side a Super Eight spot.
NEW DELHI: The Commonwealth Games Federation has rejected calls for the removal of its leading official in New Delhi and urged Indian organizers of next year's event instead to focus on the issues highlighted in a full review of the troubled preparations. ( Watch Video)
Suresh Kalmadi, who heads the New Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games organizing committee, had demanded that the CGF remove its chief executive officer, Mike Hooper, from his operational role in the Indian capital and accused him of being an "impediment to functioning."
But CGF president Michael Fennell said Hooper had the full support of the event's governing body and had a vital role to play in the Delhi Games.
"We are naturally very surprised and disappointed in receiving this request to remove Mr. Hooper from Delhi given his unquestionable commitment to the successful celebration of the 2010 Commonwealth Games," Fennell wrote in a statement released on Friday. "He is totally dedicated to the Commonwealth Games movement and we consider that such a personal attack on him is unwarranted.
"Instead of attacking Mr. Hooper, I urge the Organizing Committee to focus on the issues raised by us in Delhi following our General Assembly on Monday, and to commit to working collaboratively with all stakeholders on addressing these matters with urgency."
Kalmadi, who is a federal lawmaker and president of the Indian Olympic Association, also complained about the independent technical review panel that the CGF plans to set up to oversee the preparations. He said that the "multiplicity" of committees would hamper efforts to deliver the games.
Fennell, who returned to Jamaica this week following high-level CGF meetings in New Delhi which coincided with the one-year countdown to the games, confirmed that the review panel would be implemented and the hiring of experienced international staff must go ahead.
"I made it clear when I was in Delhi that time is short, that no day can be wasted," Fennell said. "We will implement the Technical Review Panel as detailed, and urge the organizing committee to embrace the use of Games experts to fast track systems required for the Games operation.
"The hiring and use of foreign expertise is ... now considered best-practice with organizing committees of major international multi-sport events.
"The goal is to conduct a Commonwealth Games that India can be proud of, setting itself up for other Games in the future, so as to take advantage of its new sporting infrastructure."
India had hoped the event _ from Oct. 3-14 next year and featuring 71 nations and territories of the old British empire _ would enhance its credentials to bid on even bigger events, maybe even the Olympics.
But the slow pace of preparations and several lapsed deadlines have sparked fears that the event will descend into chaos and embarrass India, with the CGF voicing serious concerns.
Hooper responded to Kalmadi's comments by saying they were "very, very disappointing."
"It seems to be a position of ... instead of addressing the real issues, launching a personal attack which to be quite honest is most unfortunate and totally inappropriate.''
“I am happy that CGF has backed me on this issue. We should keep personal differences aside and should work together to give good Games”, he added.
BANGALORE: A dominant Victoria Bushrangers put one foot in the semi-finals of the Champions League Twenty20 after crushing local favourites RoyalChallengers Bangalore by seven wickets in League B encounter.
Scorecard | Match in Pics
Having restricted the hosts to a modest 127/6 in the League B opener, the Victorians rode on cameos from Rob Quiney (29), Brad Hodge (25), Aiden Blizzard (21) and David Hussey (31 not out off 15 balls) to cruise to 133/3 and complete a facile win with 4.1 overs to spare.
Earlier, Manish Pandey (39 off 28 balls) briefly grabbed the Victorian attack by the scruff of its neck before McDonald (4/21) intervened and the fumbling hosts needed a propping-up act from Rahul Dravid (33 off 35 balls) to reach a competitive total.
The meagreness of the total and the turn on offer prompted Anil Kumble to open the attack himself but the early wickets he was desperately looking for never actually came.
On the contrary, Quiney added 48 runs with Hodge and 47 with Blizzard to lay the perfect foundation for a successful chase and Hussey completed the job hitting three sixes off the 15th over sent down by Kumble.
The Victorians went into the match with a two-point cushion, courtesy their first round win over fellow League B campaigner Delhi Daredevils and tonight's win virtually books them a place in the semifinals.
On the other hand, Royal Challengers badly needed to win tonight to keep things uncomplicated but the loss means they now stand only a theoretical chance of advancing further.
The dryness of the track made both captains, Anil Kumble and Cameron White, craving to bat first but it was the Bangalore captain whose wish was granted in the end.
With Manish Pandey, one of the two replacements along with Dale Steyn, making his presence count, Kumble had the satisfaction of seeing his team getting off to a rollicking start.
First Indian to slam a century in the IPL, Pandey's nonchalant aggression was in full display as he hit Shane Harwood for back-to-back fours before extending the same harsh treatment to Peter Siddle.
Taking a cue from Pandey, in-form Robin Uthappa (13) greeted Clint McKay with successive fours before the dragging the Australian's fourth delivery onto his stumps as the blooming opening stand wilted for 39 in 4.4 overs.
Andrew McDonald then turned the match on its head with a three-wicket burst as the hosts slumped from the comfort of 39 for no loss to the predicament of 79/4.
Pandey was looking good for a half-century when he played a shot too early and Andrew McDonald took a smart catch off his own bowling.
Axed this morning from India's first two ODIs against Australia later this month, Rahul Dravid (33 off 35) did not show signs of any personal agony even if there was one and gamely hung on.
Unfortunately for the hosts, neither Virat Kohli (6) nor Ross Taylor (2) could show the same grit and fell to McDonald in quick successions.
McDonald, however, was not satiated yet and he signed off with the prized scalp of Dravid.
