MUMBAI, Nov 6: The Zimbabwe cricket squad arrived here this morning at the Chhatrapati Shivaji ........more

Mohammed Azharuddin

CBI report marks end
of Azhar’s career

NEW DELHI, Nov 6: There can be few things more beautiful in life than to watch Mohammed.....more

Brian Lara

Lara named in Windies
squad for first game

PERTH, Nov 6: West Indies superstar Brian Lara, under growing pressure to break his silence over .......more

North Zone Ranji Trophy
Bhandari hits 72 in Delhi’s
349, Haryana 98-2

GURGAON, Nov 6: A late order rally by Amit Bhandari, who hit patient 72 runs, saw Delhi score a .......more

Seeded players through to quarters of Mini Badminton

MANDYA (Karnataka), Nov 5: Barring a minor upset, seeded players cruised into the ....more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

RAJOURI, Nov 6: First Amrit Pal Singh Memorial Inter-club Cricket Tournament was declared by Baba Sohan Singh, founder of Dera Dukh Nivaran Gurudwara at Garhi Nonial, here today. The tournament is being organised by the Indian Youth Organisation (Rural) in collaboration with Department of Youth Services and Sports, Rajouri...........more

Football League Tournament
Youngmen Club, Jammu
Sports-B, Christian
Star qualify for super
league in Juniors

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 6: Youngmen Club, Gurah Slathia, Jammu Sports-B and Christian Star have qualified for the super league round of the ongoing While’s, the fourth team in super league round will be named after the tomorrow’s last match between Engineers XI and Jammu Sports-A. The super league round will start on November 8........more

Inderjeet’s ton brings
Science College in
confident position

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 6: The GGM Science College took handsome 81 runs lead over Degree College, Udhampur after bowling them out for 125 runs .....more

Junior teams to
leave for National
Kabaddi Champ today

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 6: Junior boys and girls Kabaddi teams of J&K State will leave for the 27th Junior National Kabaddi Championship being held at .........more

 
A match between Jammu Sports Club and Vijay Club is in progress at Jammu. -Excelsior/Ashok

Zimbabwe arrives without their luggage, captain

MUMBAI, Nov 6: The Zimbabwe cricket squad arrived here this morning at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport for their 41-day tour of India — without their luggage and captain.

The Zimbabwe squad reached Mumbai two hours late and then came to know that their baggage had been left behind in London. Now the luggage can only be sent straight to Indore tomorrow where they take on National Cricket Academy XI from November eight to ten.

Their bowling spearhead and Captain Heath Streak, who is still back home to get his wisdom tooth removed, would be joining the team on the second day of the Indore match. Another member of the team Brian Murphy stayed back for his University exams and would be here on time for the first test in Delhi, scheduled to begin on November 18.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe coach Carl Rackemman is already in Delhi and would be joining the team at Indore.

The manager of the Zimbabwe team Babu Memon speaking to newsmen on arrival said that this tour would present a great exposure for the youngsters. "We have come here to play good cricket and are confident of putting up a good show," he added.

On the recent match fixing controversy and the recently released CBI report indicting five Indian cricketers besides naming a host of foreign players, Mr Memon felt the CBI report would have no effect on his side. "We will be playing cricket and our focus would only be on that."

The Zimbabweans are scheduled to play two tests and five one day internationals besides two three-day games during the tour.

The last time Zimbabweans were here they had lost all their one day matches in the triangular series in 1998.

d The squad this time includes: Heath Streak (Capt), Guy Whittall (Vice-Capt), Alistair Campbell, Stuart Carlisle, Andrew Flower, Grant Flower, Travis Friend, Trevor Madondo, Douglas Marillier, Brian Murphy, Mlluleki Nkala, Henry Olonga, Gavin Rennie, Bryan Strang and Paul Strang.

The itinerary of the tour is as follows: November eight to ten: three-day match Vs National Cricket Academy

XI at Indore November 13-15: Three-day match against Board President’s XI at

Faridabad November 18-22: First test at Delhi November 25-29: Second test at Nagpur December two : First one-day international at Cuttack December five : Second one-day international at Ahmedabad December eight: Third one-day international at Jodhpur December 11 : Fourth one-day international at Kanpur December 14 : Fifth one-day international at Rajkot December 15 : Departure from Mumbai. (UNI)

CBI report marks end of Azhar’s career

NEW DELHI, Nov 6: There can be few things more beautiful in life than to watch Mohammed Azharuddin in flight, wrote his official biographer.

A week after the CBI presented its report on betting and match-fixing in which it claims that the former India captain had admitted fixing matches, Azhar has not said a word. It appears to be flight of a different kind.

Azhar was taught that whatever is in your ‘Muqaddar’ (fate) will happen, wrote biographer Harsha Bhogle, adding this was bound to create in Azhar a sense of fatalism as also the ability to take failure philosophically.

Has he accepted his plight today with the same sense of fatalisim? there is no way of knowing, for Azhar is keeping to himself.

He made a record-setting entry into world cricket, delighted cricket lovers with his majestic batting and became India’s most successful captain.

Today his reputation and career are in tatters.

Has CBI’s report on betting and match-fixing written finis to one of the most dazzling cricket careers in the game’s history? it appears so, irrespective of whether CBI’s case stands court scrutiny.

It has been a truly roller-coaster ride for the middle-class boy from Hyderabad. Cricket made him a household name and gave him his riches. But, alas, his fall has been equally dramatic.

The shy Hyderabadi made a sensational debut in 1984-85 against the visiting England team. He hit three successvie test centuries and remains the only batsman in the 123-year history of test cricket to do so.

Azhar’s accomplishments include 6215 runs (at an average of 45.03) with 22 centuries in 99 tests.

It was his ambition to play his 100th test match for India, but the CBI appears to have run him out at 99.

His one-day record is an equally impressive 9378 runs (36.92 average) with seven centuries in 314 matches.

Easily the fittest and most agile fielder in the team, he has taken an astounding 261 catches for India - 105 in test and 156 in one-dayers.

After the spectacular start, Azhar failed in Sri Lanka in 1985-86 where he scored only 112 runs in six innings, with 43 as his highest, in 1985-86. The failure continued in the tour of Australia that followed where he collected just 113 runs in three tests.

After a reasonable recovery on the tour of England, he notched up a dazzling 199 in the only innings he played against Sri Lanka in 1986-87. He was back in form in the home series against Pakistan and in the reliance World Cup, he headed the batting averages for India with an impressive 63.33 Azhar’s career took a major leap when he was appointed India’s captain, even to his own surprise.

Miya Captain Banoge? (gentleman, will you become captain), Selection committee chairman, Raj Singh Dungarpur, asked Azhar in words that have their own place in India’s cricket folklore.

Azhar went on to become India’s most successful cricket captain, but he would hardly be regarded as a brilliant leader or communicator.

He didn’t look back thereafter. He became a national sporting hero which brought its own rewards and pitfalls.

Commercialisation of the game brought huge financial gains to leading players. Azhar was no more the next door guy.

The boy who was taught the basics of middle class morality by his grandfather, acquired designer labels, highly expensive cars and watches, and divorced his wife Naureen, the mother of his two sons, Abbas and Ayaz. He married glamorous Sangeet Bijlani, a Mumbai film star.

When whispers of betting and match-fixing started making rounds, Azhar’s name got mentioned often.

He reacted with anger when Hansie Cronje, South African captain, himself in the dock for match-fixing, said that Azhar had introduced him to bookie Mukesh Gupta. Cronje was a racist, he said.

And in remarks he came to regret later, Azhar said he was being targeted because he was from the minority community.

Then CBI got into the act. He was questioned at length about allegations against him. He continued to put on a brave front.

All the whispers and allegations about match-fixing scandal had not prepared the country for the bombshell that the CBI report is. It contains Azhar’s alleged admission of fixing a few matches.

Perhaps the fittest of Indian cricketers even at 37, Azhar had hoped to play for India for at least two more years.

But stories of hotel lockers stuffed with cash, of match results being fixed by the captain himself and dealings with bookies, all contained in the CBI report, will probably ensure that the wonderful Hyderabad player will never again take the field in India colours.

The safe hands that took great catches, may be full in the months ahead fending off allegations. (PTI)

Lara named in Windies squad for first game

PERTH, Nov 6: West Indies superstar Brian Lara, under growing pressure to break his silence over match-fixing allegations, has been selected to take the field in the tourists’ opening clash of their Australian tour tomorrow.

Lara, 31, was included today in the squad to take on an Australian Cricket Board Chairman’s XI in a limited-overs game at Lilac Hill Park, Caversham, near here.

Earlier, Team Assistant Coach Jeffrey Dujon had said the record-breaking left-hander was no certainty for the match.

I would like to see him get as much practice as possible but a one-day game is perhaps not ideal for him, Dujon had said.

The Windies team also includes young star batsmen 20-year old Ramnaresh Sarwan and 21-year-old Daren Ganga.

Ganga will open with vice-captain Sherwin Campbell.

Young pace hopes 25-year-old Marlon Black and 20-year-old Kerry Jeremy will also have their first workouts in Australian conditions.

Lara has batted at length in the perth nets over the past two days, but there were doubts about his fitness.

He still has some soreness - a legacy of a hamstring problem in England.

But Dujon said he was delighted Lara was prepared to turn out in the tour-opening clash.

The more match practice he gets, the better his mental condition will be, especially if he gets a couple of hundreds behind him, Dujon said.

Lara remains the side’s big batting hope, especially in a team with so little experience at the top. (AFP)

North Zone Ranji Trophy
Bhandari hits 72 in Delhi’s 349, Haryana 98-2

GURGAON, Nov 6: A late order rally by Amit Bhandari, who hit patient 72 runs, saw Delhi score a respectable 349 in their first innings and then pegged Haryana to 98 for 2 on the second day of their North Zone Ranji Trophy cricket match here today.

Bhandari struck just two fours in his 262 minutes stay at the wicket in providing some respectability to Delhi’s score as off-spiner Pankaj Thakur (5/107) returned with the best figures.

Bhandari and Nehra frustrated Haryana bowlers with some patient batting after overnight batsman Rahul Sanghvi (29) fell to Feroz Hhyas (3/63) in the first over of the day.

Former champions Haryana, who are facing a crises with no India batsman doing duty for them, saved the day thanks to Jasvir Singh’s unbeaten knock of 52.

Delhi’s new ball bowler Ashish Nehra, who added crucial 53 runs for the ninth wicket with Bhandari earlier in the day, struck twice for the visitor’s only successes of the day.

Haryana opener Padamjeet (30) and one down Jasvir Singh played responsibly after Jitendra Singh (2) was sent packing by Nehra early to with the score on 12.

The two added 56 runs for the second wicket before Nehra had Padamjeet caught by wicketkeeper and captain Vijay Dahiya, who had set an attacking fielding.

Haryana skipper Parinder Sharma (batting 9) joined Jasvir and the two saw to it that no more damage was done.

SCORECARD

Delhi (1st Innings) Akash Chopra c Parinder b Pankaj Thakur 51 Ashu Dani b Pankaj Thakur 40 Vijay Dahiya st Deepak Kaushik b Amit Mishra 26 Mithun Minhas lbw b Pankaj Thakur 12 Virendra Sewag lbw b Pankaj Thakur 44 Pradeep Chawla c Ishan Ganda b Feroz Ghyas 14 Nikhil Chopra c Amit Mishra b Feroz Ghyas 4 Rahul Sanghvi c Ishan Ganda b Feroz Ghyas 29 Amit Bhandari c Parinder b Pankaj Thakur 72 Ashish Nehra lbw b Amit Mishra 24 Robin Singh not out 9 Extras (b-7, lb-6, nb-11) 24 Total (all out in 131.2 overs) 349

Fall of wickets: 1/95, 2/96, 3/132, 4/146, 5/189, 6/197, 7/203, 8/275, 9/328.

Bowling: Vineet Jain 16-3-59-0, Feroz Ghyas 25-6-63-3, Parinder Sharma 2-0-6-0, Amit Mishra 42-7-99-2, Pankaj Thakur 45.2-13-107-5, Ishan Ganda 1-0-2-0.

Haryana (1st innings) Padamjeet c Vijay Dahiya b Ashish Nehra 30 Jitendra Singh c Vijay Dahiya b Ashish Nehra 2 Jasvir Singh batting 52 Parinder Sharma batting 9 Extras (lb-2, nb-3) 5 Total (for 2 wickets, 47 overs) 98

Fall of wickets: 1/12, 2/68

Bowling: Amit Bhandari 8-2-21-0, Ashish Nehra 11-1-32-2, Robin Singh 9-2-22-0, Rahul Sanghvi 11-3-18-0, Nikhil Chopra 7-4-3-0, Virendra Sehwag 1-1-0-0. (PTI)

Inter-Club Cricket Tourney begins at Nowshera

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

RAJOURI, Nov 6: First Amrit Pal Singh Memorial Inter-club Cricket Tournament was declared by Baba Sohan Singh, founder of Dera Dukh Nivaran Gurudwara at Garhi Nonial, here today.

The tournament is being organised by the Indian Youth Organisation (Rural) in collaboration with Department of Youth Services and Sports, Rajouri.

In the first match today, Higher Secondary School defeated Bareri XI by eight runs. Earlier, after winning the toss, Bareri XI opted to field first. HSS Nowshera scored 167 runs in allotted 25 overs for the loss of 10 wickets. Sunny Dutta was the main scorer with 48 runs with the help of three fours and a six. Shivalik Tulli and Gourav Gupta contributed 30 and 28 runs respectively.

For Bareri XI, Sanjeev Khokhar claimed three wickets for 25 runs in his spell of five overs.

Later, chasing the total, the whole side of Bareri XI was bowled our for 159 runs. Sumit made 45 runs with the help of six boundaries and two sixes.

From HSS Nowshera, Shivalik Tulli and Gourav Gupta was the most successful bowlers with three wickets each. Sunny Dutta was declared as man of the match for his all-round performance.

Vijay Sharma, Rakesh Anand and Raj Kumar officiated the match, while Rajesh Chowdhary was scorer.

Speaking on the inaugural function, president of the IYO (Rural) and Director of the organising committee, Mr Mahesh Bali said that special awards will be given to all those with extra-ordinary performance in the tournament. Organising secretary, Mr Rakesh Chowdhary conducted the proceedings of the function.