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| BCCI to retain
5-member selection committee CHENNAI, Feb 6: In order to give wider scope for cricketers to become national selectors, the constitution.........more Camp for probables CHENNAI, Feb 6: With the goal of taming invincible Australia on home turf, a camp for 25 probables will ........more Waugh to face SYDNEY, Feb 6: Austrabatsman Mark Waugh will be questioned by the International Cricket...........more Russian model takes LONDON, Feb 6: A Russian model who says that Boris Becker fathered her nine-month-old daughter.....more |
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Coach banned for
year for swearing at refree JOHANNESBURG, Feb 6: A digest of African soccer stories over the last few days.......more MTNL ATP Challenger MUMBAI, Feb 6: Indian tennis ace Leander Paes and his doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi will be seen in.....more US Davis Cup captain BOCA RATON (Florida), Feb 6: Being John McEnroe’s younger brother was the perfect preparation for......more Sri Lanka win by nine AUCKLAND, Feb 6: Sanath Jayasuriya scored 103 runs and Marvan Atapattu was 59 not out as Sri Lanka.......more |
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BCCI to retain 5-member selection committee CHENNAI, Feb 6: In order to give wider scope for cricketers to become national selectors, the constitution committee of the Cricket Board (BCCI) has decided to retain the existing five-member selection committee, but recommended a more liberal qualification system. The committee rejected BCCI’s proposal to reduce the number of senior selection committee members, from five to three and also suggested that 20 first class matches be the limit for selection, instead of 15 test matches, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association Secretariat Ashok Khumbat told PTI here. The committee, comprising Chairman K Subba Rao and Shashank Manohar of the Vidarbha Cricket Association, besides Kambhat and Kishore Rungta (convenor), which met in Mumbai on February 4, had been authorised by BCCI to study its proposals and recommend changes to be placed at the Board’s special general body meeting on February 23 at Chennai, he said. In effect, the five zonal members would represent the senior selection committee. These members should have retired five years before becoming a selector and could not serve as a selector, 20 years after retirement, he said. The committee had decided on these recommendations, keeping in mind the lack of test cricketers, who had played in 15 tests, in most of the centres affiliated to the board, he Kumbhat said a new system of membership to the working committee had been recommended, under which 23 of the 30-member board would be working committee members. As per the new system, the working committee will comprise representatives of nine test centres, the president, five vice presidents, secretary, jt secretary, treasurer and a member each from the five zones on rotation. The recommendations are based on the new rotation formula adopted at the working committee meet in Delhi on January 22, as per which Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai, Delhi, Kanpur, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Mohali and Bangalore would be nine test centres. The committee has stipulated that those seeking elections should file their nominations (indicating the post contested for) 24 hours before the elections. "Each representative from the Board’s affiliated units should be authorised in writing by the respective unit for all general body meetings (including annual and special)". The committee has also recommended the term of office of president for three years with getting elected in every AGM as mandatory. Likewise, the secretary and treasurer could be office for five years. As per existing rules, the president can seek re-election for the second year, while for the third year, it will be under the general body’s discretion. The secretary and treasurer can seek re-election for four consecutive years while the fifth would be left to the general body. (PTI) |
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Camp for probables to being today CHENNAI, Feb 6: With the goal of taming invincible Australia on home turf, a camp for 25 probables will begin at the Indian Institute of Technology Chemplast and MRF Pace Foundation grounds here tomorrow and continue till February 11. The probables, including three new faces - spinners Rahul Sanghvi (Delhi), Balaji Rao (Tamil Nadu) and batsman Dinesh Mongia (Punjab) will be put through the grind by coach John Wright and physio Andrew Leipus. According to wright the camp, the second phase of which will be held from February 16 to 18 or 19, would be utilised to sharpen skills. It goes without saying that fielding would also be in focus. The players, some from Raichur where they played a benefit match, will assemble here by evening. The chosen ones include eight batsmen - Sourav Ganguly (Bengal), Sachin Tendulkar (Mumbai), Rahul Dravid (Karnataka), S Ramesh, Hemang K Badani (both TN), S S Das (Orissa), V V S Laxman (Hyderabad) and Md Kaif (UP)) seven pace bowlers - Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad (both Kar), Zaheer Khan (Baroda), Ajit Agarkar (Mumbai), Debasish Mohanty (Orissa), Ashish Nehra (Del), Surinder Singh (Jammu and Kashmir) and five spinners in Murali Karthik (Rlys), Sarandeep Singh, Harbhajan Singh (both Punjab), Venkatapathi Raju (Hyd) and Sunil Joshi (Kar). Wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia, recently cleared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India of involvement in match-fixing, medium pacer Mohanty, who last played in the series against Australia down under, and left arm spinner Raju are back in contention. The Indian team for the first test would be announced on February 19 at Mumbai. (UNI) |
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Waugh to face anti-corruption panel on Saturday SYDNEY, Feb 6: Austrabatsman Mark Waugh will be questioned by the International Cricket Council on Saturday over an Indian bookmaker’s allegations he was paid $20,000. The Australian Cricket Board said today its special investigator Greg Melick and representatives of ICC’s anti-corruption unit would interview the player in Melbourne on Saturday. The questioning over the allegations made by the bookie contained in an Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) report will come the day after the second match in the best-of-three Tri series finals between Australia and the West Indies at the MCG. The interview was agreed with Waugh’s legal representatives after they rejected the ACB’s request for a meeting in Sydney on Tuesday, saying it would interfere with his preparation for the opening finals match at the SCG on Wednesday. In the CBI report, the bookmaker, who sometimes uses the alias "John", alleged he paid Waugh $20,000 for weather, pitch and team information sometime around 1992-93. Waugh, 35, has admitted he was paid $4,000 by a bookie known to him as "John" in Sri Lanka in 1994 for pitch and weather information. Waugh, along with teammate Shane Warne, was fined by the ACB in 1995 for that indiscretion, although the disciplinary action taken by the board was kept secret until 1998. (AFP) |
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Russian model takes Becker paternity suit to court LONDON, Feb 6: A Russian model who says that Boris Becker fathered her nine-month-old daughter has gone to court in London for the first stage of paternity proceedings against the former tennis player. Flanked by lawyers, London-based Angela Ermakowa, 33, attended the one-hour hearing yesterday at the family division of the High Court in London. The hearing was procedural, dealing with formalities leading to a full paternity battle with the three times Wimbledon champion. German Becker, also 33, has been quoted as saying it is impossible for him to be the father of the child, named Anna. The case, as it involves children, is expected to be dealt with in private. Ermakowa left the London hearing without commenting on the case. Becker recently split from his wife of seven years, the German-American Barbara Feltus. The couple, who earlier this month agreed a multi-million divorce settlement, have two young children. Becker, who has now started a romance with a German rap singer, described the split with his wife as the worst defeat he ever had to concede. In Germany, Becker’s ex-wife was reported as saying that she never wanted a divorce because of the damage it could cause their two young sons. "I didn’t see any reason to end the relationship. It was not just about me and him, but also about our sons, who should have grown up in a complete family," Barbara Becker was quoted as saying by Bunte magazine in an interview due for publication today. Becker admitted last week he had started a romance with 27-year-old rap singer Sabrina Setlur, once voted Germany’s "most erotic woman." Becker said at the weekend that he had make mistakes. "My own attitude was not always 100 percent correct," he said. "From the nine years that we spent together, we had seven of innocence. Those years were the happiest of my life. (REUTERS) |
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Coach banned for year for swearing at refree JOHANNESBURG, Feb 6: A digest of African soccer stories over the last few days: Gambia - a first division coach has been given a one-year suspension for swearing at a referee, Gambian newspapers reported on Monday. Ebrima Jallow from Bakau United was banned by the Gambia Football Association as part of its policy of "protecting referees from the fury of players and coaches who may not agree with their decisions." Jallow was found guilty of swearing at referee Sulayman Faal after he sent off one of Bakau United’s players in a match against rival club Steve Biko last month. Kenya - Tusker FC retained their East and Central African Club championship title in Nairobi over the weekend, but needed a penalty shootout to overcome compatriots Oserian fastac. Tusker won 3-0 on penalties in the All-Kenyan Final after reserve goalkeeper Victor Waweru, brought on just before the end of extra time, saved twice in a dramatic finish to the two-week tournament. St George of ethiopia finished third after winning the bronze medal play-off game 1-0 against SC Vila of Uganda, also on Saturday. Senegal - national coach Bruno Metsu said he had settled a financial wrangle with the Senegalese Sports Ministry and withdrawn his threat to resign. The French-born coach said last week he would quit his post unless unpaid salary and outstanding hotel bills were settled by authorities. Metsu told reporters in Dakar that he received the necessary assurance after talks at the Ministry over the weekend. "Everything has been arranged," he said after Senegal beat Mali in a friendly match in Dakar on Sunday. Egypt - The world’s most capped international Hossam Hassan broke his goal scoring drought on the weekend as he helped stretch Zamalek’s lead at the top of the Egyptian first division. The Cairo team beat Maaden 3-1 in their latest league encounter to move to 42 points from their 16 league matches, comfortably ahead of traditional rivals and defending champions Al Ahli. Veteran striker Hassan, who broke Lothhar Matthaeus’s record as the most capped international last month and has now made 155 appearances for Egypt, scored the last goal in the win. Hassan has not scored for his country in the last six matches and still faces the prospect of being dropped ahead of the world cup qualifier in Namibia on February 27. South Africa - The threat hanging over the coaching career of Bruce Grobbelaar seems to have had no effect on his South African club supersport United. A 5-1 win over lamontville golden arrows in pretoria on sunday moved the side up to fourth place on the standings and within three points of the leaders Jomo Cosmos. Grobbelaar could face a lifetime ban from football after a British appeal court overturned his 1999 libel victory against the sun newspaper which alleged grobbelaar had been party to match-fixing while playing for english club liverpool. But the former Zimbabwean international has warned he would fight any effort to bar him from continuing his coaching career. (REUTERS) |
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MTNL ATP Challenger Tennis from Feb 12 MUMBAI, Feb 6: Indian tennis ace Leander Paes and his doubles partner Mahesh Bhupathi will be seen in action at the MTNL ATP Challenger Tennis Tournament to be played at the CCI courts here from February 12 to 18. Tournament Director and former Davis Cup captain Jaideep Mukerjea told reporters last night that Paes-Bhupathi have yet to confirm their entry in the doubles. While Paes is a direct entry, Bhupathi has been given wild card by the organisers, he said adding last year’s winner Dennis Van Scheppingen of the Netherlands will also take part in the event being held here for second consecutive year. The singles winner will take home $3,600 while the doubles winner would be richer by $1,550, he said. The draw of 32 consists of 22 direct entries, four wild cards, four qualifiers and two special exemptions. The qualif-ying rounds will be played on February 11 and 12, he said. Besides Paes and Bhupathi, the participants include Filipo Volandri and Vincenzo Santopadre of Italy, Vadim Kutsenko and Oleg Ogorodov of Uzbekistan and Danal Udomchoke of Thailand, Mukerjee said. Vincenzo Buttone is the ATP supervisor of the meet, while Pere Torres of Spain, Roger Pennigton of the USA, Jean Luc-Reynartz of France and Nitin Kannamwar of India will officiate as chair umpires, he added. (PTI) |
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US Davis Cup captain Patrick confident of a better show BOCA RATON (Florida), Feb 6: Being John McEnroe’s younger brother was the perfect preparation for the role of United States Davis Cup captain, says Patrick McEnroe. "Being the youngest in the family you have to learn to listen and take a lot in," said Patrick McEnroe before his first outing as captain this weekend, in a world group first-round tie against Switzerland. "If you can do that and stay strong in your convictions and be up-front with everybody, players will want to play for you". "In my family I was the easy-going one," said Patrick, the youngest of three sons - middle brother Mark is a New York Attorney. "I understand, I read people well." Patrick, seven years younger than John, will be following in his oldest brother’s footsteps by taking charge of the Davis Cup side. But John, seven times a Grand Slam champion, found his stint as captain frustrating and was disappointed to realise that not even he could persuade the top two Americans Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi to pledge themselves regularly to the national cause. John quit in November after seeing the U S team lose 5-0 in July’s semifinals to eventual champions Spain. He was 14 months into a three-year contract, making his reign the shortest by a U S Captain in 37 years. No second thoughts Patrick, an intelligent and analytical individual, understands his brother’s frustrations but accepts that Sampras and Agassi do not give the cup priority in their busy schedules. A consummate doubles specialist who during his playing days always answered the Davis Cup call whenever it came, the 34-year-old mcenroe is thrilled just to have the opportunity to guide the American effort. "I never had second thoughts at all about going after the job," said McEnroe recently. "I have a two-year deal but I’m hoping to be there for a very long time. I’m looking to be the bridge to the future for American Davis Cup." Believing that it is his responsibility "to create a spirit within the team and the country" for Davis Cup, McEnroe has picked a squad blending experience and youth for his debut in Basel on Friday. The 30-year-old Todd Martin will be joined in the squad by Jan-Michael Gambill, Justin Gimelstob and three newcomers —Andy Roddick, the 2000 International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior world champion, James Blake and Robert Kendrick. "It’s going to be a very tough tie. There are not that many easy ties any more," said McEnroe. "It’s a tough match but I believe we can win it." One player he has left off the squad is his 41-year-old brother, who had put forward his name for doubles duty after leaving the post of captain. Patrick, who won one singles event and 16 doubles titles in nine years on the men’s tour, says he never John a team slot, preferring to look to the future with a mostly youthful squad. The brothers have always shared a respect for the Davis Cup but Patrick, who has carved out a successful career as a television and radio commentator since retiring from professional tennis in 1998, says he has never tried to emulate John, who took 77 singles titles in his often-controversial career. "We have different personalities and we were different players," said Patrick. "I can’t even relate to the type of player he was, the way he affected matches, how big he was globally. "It was a difficult role to follow his talent, the competitiveness he had. I didn’t follow his act in the same way, nobody could." But brotherly love has helped Patrick along. "(John) was very supportive of me in whatever I did —playing, also going into TV, also going after the Davis Cup job. He was one of the few guys who told me when I first started playing: ‘you can make it’," the younger McEnroe said. (REUTERS) |
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Sri Lanka win by nine wickets, clinch series AUCKLAND, Feb 6: Sanath Jayasuriya scored 103 runs and Marvan Atapattu was 59 not out as Sri Lanka beat new Zealand by nine wickets today to clinch their five-match limited-overs series in three games. Sri Lanka scored 182 for the loss of one wicket in reply to New Zealand’s 181 all out. New Zealand produced another poor batting performance, being dismissed inside the revised 47-over maximum innings after a rain delay. Only Craig McMillan with 61 - his 10th one-day half century - offered any significant resistance as the home side’s top order again failed to make an impression. Although McMillan deserved some plaudits for his 75-ball knock, his departure came at a vital time in the 43rd over as New Zealand battled to post a competitive score on a friendly Eden Park wicket. New Zealand lost their last six wickets for 54 runs, as the batsmen failed to capitalize on a promising partnership of 52 for the third wicket between McMillan and Nathan Astle. Jacob Oram, Chris Harris, Adam Parore and James Franklin all made fleeting visits before Chris Martin was bowled by the fourth ball of the penultimate over, leaving Daniel Vettori unbeaten on 17. Off spinner Kumar Dharmasena claimed the crucial wicket of Mcmillan when he bowled the New Zealander with four overs remaining. The wicket was Dharmasena’s 100th in one-day internationals. He bowled unchanged to collect three for 33 from 10 overs. The fourth match will be played on Thursday in Hamilton. SCOREBOARD New Zealand M Sinclair b Zoysa 5 N Astle c Sangakkara b Muralitharan 33 S Fleming c Muralitharan b Vass 9 C McMillan b Dharmasena 61 L Vincent c Jayasuriya b Dharmasena 17 J Oram c and b Muralitharan 11 C Carris run out (Sangakkara) 8 A Parore c Sangakkara b Vass 2 D Vettori not out 17 J Franklin b Dharmasena 4 C Martin b Fernando 1 Extras (w4, nb5, lb4) 13 Total (all out, 45.4 overs) 181 Fall of wickets: 1-7, 2-22, 3-74, 4-106, 5-127, 6-151, 7-154, 8-159, 9-165. Bowling: Vass 8-2-32-2 (nb5), Zoysa 7-1-13-1, Fernando 5.4-0-33-1 (w3), Muralitharan 10-2-41-2, Jayasuriya 5-0-25-0 (w1), Dharmasena 10-1-33-3. Sri Lanka S Jayasuriya c Oram b Harris 103 M Attapattu not out 59 K Sangakkara not out 13 Extras (w7) 7 Total (for one wicket, 29.5 overs) 182 Fall of wickets: 1-158. Bowling: Martin 6-0-26-0 (w5), Franklin 4-0-38-0, Oram 3-0-16-0 (w1), Vettori 7-0-44-0 (w1), McMillan 4-1-25-0, Harris 5.5-0-33-1. (UNI) |
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