NEW DELHI, Dec 7: Centre played an active behind the scene role in support of the cricket board president Jagmohan Dalmiya during the stand-off between the board and International Cricket Council (ICC) contrary to earlier claims that it had a "hands off approach"....................more

Hewitt splits with
coach Cahill

MELBOURNE, Dec 7: Former Australia Davis Cup player Jason Stoltenberg is to replace Darren Cahill as Lleyton Hewitt’s coach, the world number one said today.................more

Spin gives Australia edge
over South Africa: Waugh

SYDNEY, Dec 7: Australia’s spin options will give them an advantage over South Africa in their battle for the title of the world’s best test side, according to skipper Steve Waugh........more

ICC may introduce soccer-
style disciplinary card

SYDNEY, Dec 7: Shaken by the recent crisis triggered by its match-referee Mike Denness’ harsh punishment.......more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 7: The Jammu and Kashmir Motor-Sports Association is organising IVth State......more

Priyanka, Karish
win gold in skating

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 7: Priyanka and Karish Gandotra have won gold medals, while other skaters from.......more

Jammu claims both boys,
girls titles in State Volleyball

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

NAGROTA (JAMMU), Dec 7: Jammu district emerged victorious in both boys and girls finals of the 14th State Junior Volleyball.......more

Tae-Kwon-Do Academy
bags trophy in district
championship

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 7: The Academy of Tae-Kwon-Do was awarded a winner’s trophy for winning the maximum number.......more

Govt backed Dalmiya during cricket crisis

NEW DELHI, Dec 7: Centre played an active behind the scene role in support of the cricket board president Jagmohan Dalmiya during the stand-off between the board and International Cricket Council (ICC) contrary to earlier claims that it had a "hands off approach".

"The Sports Ministry and the Ministry of External Affairs were monitoring the situation on a day to day basis and Dalmiya was in constant touch with the Government during the crisis," an authoritative source told PTI.

Even Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was kept abreast of the developments by the Sports Minister during the height of the crisis when the western world opinion was in favour of ICC, the source said adding Law Minister Arun Jaitley, who is the president of Delhi and District Cricket Association was also consulted.

According to the source, the Government’s decision to take an active role came shortly after Australian Prime Minister John Howard described the joint action of Indian and South African boards to defy ICC and sack the controversial match referee Mike Denness for the last match as unfortunate.

Immediately after Howard’s views were aired on the television, Dalmiya got in touch with the Sports Minister seeking Government’s intervention in the matter saying the issue no longer remained confined to cricketing circles.

The Government deliberated over the issue and decided not to get actively involved in the matter and told Dalmiya to adopt a strategy keeping the national interest in mind while assuring him of full support of the Government. (PTI)

Hewitt splits with coach Cahill

MELBOURNE, Dec 7: Former Australia Davis Cup player Jason Stoltenberg is to replace Darren Cahill as Lleyton Hewitt’s coach, the world number one said today.

"Darren was one of the few people who really believed in me early on and I am extremely grateful for all of his guidance these past few years," said Australian Hewitt.

"However, Jason will provide me with invaluable experience and dedication moving forward which I am quite enthusiastic about."

Stoltenberg said: "Lleyton and I will be together in Adelaide immediately after Christmas to begin preparations for the Hopman Cup in Perth and the rest of the Australian summer season.

"Darren has done a wonderful job with him but I look forward to helping Lleyton evolve his game further."

Hewitt, 20, won one of his three matches in Australia’s 3-2 Davis Cup final defeat at the hands of France in Melbourne last week.

The U S Open champion won the season-ending Masters Cup in Sydney in November.

"Obviously, it has been a very rewarding three years for Lleyton and myself," Cahill said.

"But I am confident with Jason’s support, Lleyton will not skip a beat." (REUTERS)

Spin gives Australia edge over South Africa: Waugh

SYDNEY, Dec 7: Australia’s spin options will give them an advantage over South Africa in their battle for the title of the world’s best test side, according to skipper Steve Waugh.

"That’s where we hold the difference. We have Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill, as well as some other good back-up," Waugh told Reuters.

"The Adelaide pitch for the first test will turn and that could be our trump card."

Australia need to beat the South Africans over three tests to retain their top place in the Test World Championship. The Adelaide test starts next Friday.

Warne, the most successful slow bowler of all time, has 413 test wickets while MacGill, a fellow leg-spinner, has taken 75 wickets in 16 tests.

South Africa, in contrast, have been forced to replace injured slow left-armer Nicky Boje, their leading spinner, with the inexperienced Claude Henderson, who has been capped just twice.

Waugh, however, still expects the series to be close.

"They’re a quality side, with players like Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Allan Donald and Herschelle Gibbs," he said.

"Their pace attack of Pollock and Donald stack up against anyone and they have a lot of all-rounders. They’re always digging in," he said. "And Mark Boucher looks like breaking all the wicket-keeping records."

Speaking on the phone from his Sydney home, he added: "We feel we’re marginally ahead of South Africa but they’ll feel they’re as good as us. We’ve always had some very close battles".

"Generally, you know where you are in the world pecking order but it’s nice to have the evidence. It’s nice to be number one in the test championship."

The International Cricket Council’s table, launched in May, is based on a rolling series of home-and-away series results.

The upcoming series will replace the teams’ last contest in Australia in 1997/98, won 1-0 by the home side. South Africa, just behind Waugh’s side, thus only need to draw to claim the top spot for the first time.

Australia’s championship lead was cut when they drew their home series against New Zaland. South Africa beat India 1-0 last month. (REUTERS)

ICC may introduce soccer- style disciplinary card

SYDNEY, Dec 7: Shaken by the recent crisis triggered by its match-referee Mike Denness’ harsh punishment to six Indian cricketers, the International Cricket Council is toying with the idea of introducing soccer-style card system to discipline players.

The three-tiered card system, for varying levels of offence, is expected to come up for discussion in the ICC executive board meeting in Colombo in February.

A confirmation of this came from ICC president Malcolm Gray who said in Melbourne yesterday that there was unanimous concern in the apex cricket body over the deterioration of player behaviour and that the matter would get priority at the board meeting.

Under the proposed system, players would receive a white warning card for low level breaches, a yellow card signalling a two-hour send off and red card for the worst behaviour, which would result in an automatic sitting out for rest of the match.

Demerit points are also being proposed, in which a player who accumulates too many points over a 12-month period will serve an automatic suspension.

Meanwhile, chief executive Malcolm Speed is working on the proposal for a penalty structure to bring greater strength and consistency to the system of match refereeing.

Reflecting player worry about inconsistency in match-referee decisions, the Australian Cricketers’ Association had put up a detailed proposal to the Australian Cricket Board in May. The proposal was also forwarded to the ICC through the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations.

Australian fast bowler Brett Lee was the last player penalised under the ICC code of conduct. Lee was fined 8250 Australian dollars (about Rs 2.20 lakh) for his send-off of New Zealand tailender Shane Bond during the third test.

Captain Steve Waugh had pledged Australia would strive for high standards after Michael Slater went unpunished for arguing with an umpire and abusing Indian batsman Rahul Dravid earlier this year.

On Lee, Waugh was quoted as saying, "I was disappointed and he was disappointed in himself. It’s something that we don’t want. It wasn’t called for and he knows he did something wrong. He’s quite sorry that it happened and it won’t happen again. We talked about it during the ashes series, setting standards. He knows it was out of order". (PTI)

IVth State Mobike Dirt Track race from Dec 18

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 7: The Jammu and Kashmir Motor-Sports Association is organising IVth State Mobike Dirt Track race from December 18 to 20 at Mini-Stadium, Parade, here.

Decision in this regard was taken in a joint meeting of the executives of the J&K Motor Sports Association and Adventure Sports Club under the chairmanship of Ranjit Singh, president of the association.

Mr Vikram Singh, general secretary of the association informed that the race will held under the banner of Adventure Sports Club, J&K consecutively for the 4th time under the overall supervision of Raj Kumar Khajuria.

The competitions will be held on league cum knockout basis. In this three-day event, around 40 bikers are expected to complete for the Kulbushan Handa Trophy. Besides the trophy, the winners will also share Rs 15,000 cash prizes.

Those interested in taking part in this race can contact at Sonia Medico, New Poonch House, Talab Tillo and get their application forms.