Daily Excelsior.........sports

Kiwis coach confident
ahead of Tri-series

COLOMBO, July 15: New Zealand’s coach David Trist is confident his side, strengthened by the ..............more

Srinath welcomes contract
system in cricket

BANGALORE, July 15: Speedster Javagal Srinath has welcomed the proposal of the Board of..........more

Saurav foresees a
keen tussle in the
Triangular series

KOLKATA, July 15: "The forthcoming one day series will be a well-contested one," skipper of Indian......more

Ranatunga, De Silva
cleared of match-fixing
charges

COLOMBLO, July 15: Sri Lanka’s cricket heroes Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda De Silva have......more

Indian team
to leave for
Colombo today

CHENNAI, July 15: The Indian cricket team sans master blaster Sachin Tendulkar would leave here .......more

Anand suffers first
Classical loss

DORTMUND (Germany) July 15: World champion Viswanathan Anand suffered his first loss of the......more

Gaudenzi beats Ulihrach
in Swedish Open final

BASTAD (Sweden), July 15: Unseeded Italian Andrea Gaudenzi beat fifth-seeded Czech Bohdan .....more

Lee downs local favourite
to reach first ATP final

NEWPORT, (Rhode Island), July 15: Britain’s Martin Lee reached his first ATP final yesterday after ......more

Kiwis coach confident ahead of Tri-series

COLOMBO, July 15: New Zealand’s coach David Trist is confident his side, strengthened by the return of Dion Nash and Daniel Vettori, will make the final of the one-day series against India and Sri Lanka starting on Wednesday.

Nash is back after being out for almost a year with a stress fracture in his back. Vettori has missed international cricket for almost the same duration, also due to a back injury.

"We would just like to make the final. That would really be our objective," Trist said after a practice session on Sunday.

"Now with Vettori and Nash back, I’m confident we can achieve that. It shows we’re out of the carnage of injuries that have rocked us for the last year."

"In fact, if India and New Zealand both make the final it will be a great plus for both sides since it will mean we knocked out the tough Sri Lankans at home."

But trist said he was still not certain when Nash would be fit to play.

"It’s a slow day-by-day process with dion. He’s going to play at some stage in the tournament. We’ll have to wait and see."

He said Vettori was a certain pick for the tournament’s opening game against Sri Lanka in Colombo on Wednesday.

"He is simply one of the best spinners in the world. When you take him out of a side, it’s a huge blow to the team. We’re glad he’s back but it may take some time for him to be at his best again," Trist said.

But the New Zealand coach could have another reason for hoping India reach the final alongside his team.

The Indians have lost seven one-day finals in a row, one of them to New Zealand in the ICC Knockout Cup in Kenya last year.

Trist, who will be replaced after this series by former Otago and Canterbury coach Denis Aberhart, said the tournament would sorely miss injured New Zealander Chris Cairns and Sachin Tendulkar of India.

"Chris is such a valuable player. As a team, it’s very difficult to get used to missing him. Sachin is so exciting to watch. His absence actually gives us a toe-hold against India."

Cairns, who had a major operation on his right knee in February is expected to be out of international cricket at least till September.

Tendulkar, out with a foot injury, will join the Indian team ahead of their last round-robin match against New Zealand on August 2.

Combating the hot and humid weather is going to be another big challenge for Bew Zealand, Trist said.

"We’re just coming from an unusually cold winter in New Zealand and it’s just like a Sauna here. Getting used to the conditions is quite a challenge," he said.

New Zealand will get their first competitive action of the tour on Monday when they take on a Sri Lanka a team in a one-day match. (REUTERS)

Srinath welcomes contract system in cricket

BANGALORE, July 15: Speedster Javagal Srinath has welcomed the proposal of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to introduce a contract system for cricketers in the country.

"It is a welcome move. Most of the major cricketing countries follow this system. The BCCI has decided to introduce the system on its own and it is welcome. We have not demanded the scheme," he told UNI here.

Srinath said the contract system would be beneficial to the players. Karnataka leg spinner Anil Kumble held some preliminary discussions with him on the issue, he added.

However, Indian vice captain Rahul Dravid, when contacted, refused to comment. "We have discussed the issue. I cannot say anything in the open. I reserve my comments on the issue".

Former Indian vice captain Anil Kumble, who is now out of international cricket following injury in his right shoulder, had held discussions with four leading cricketers—captain Sourav Ganguly, former skipper Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Srinath—on the issue.

However, all the three declined to disclose the details of the discussions.

The contract system would also be beneficial to the injured players, as they would get some amount as against nothing now.

When asked which of the two teams would be India’s main opponent in the one day series, the Indian captain said in international cricket specially in the limited over one, no team could ever be written off. Though world champion Sri Lanka were known for their prowess in limited over matches, the Kiwis would not be pushovers either, Sourav added.

Regarding Sachin Tendulkar’s absence during the initial matches of the Triangular series, Sourav said the Indian side would definitely have been a stronger one if the little master could join the squad from the beginning.

Sachin is not accompanying the Indian team at the initial stage as he is now recuperating from an injury he received in the final of the last Triangular series at Zimbabwe. Sachin is scheduled to join the team in Sri Lanka from the last league match of the Tri-series limited over tournament and then continue till the end of the test series.

Asked to comment on the little master’s statement that he did not rule out becoming the captain in future, the Indian captain, according to reports here, said neither had he read what Sachin said nor he spoke to the master blaster about it.

"However, from what I have been told, Sachin made a fair remark," Sourav said and added that Sachin was entitled to have an opinion on how he saw captaincy.

Thirty one-year-old Srinath, who had opted out of the one-day tri-series involving Sri Lanka, India and New Zealand from July 18 in the island nation, said he was keen on playing tests there. "I have informed the BCCI that I will not be available for the one-dayers. It is good that youngsters get opportunities to play in limited overs cricket".

When asked whether flat pithces in Sri Lanka would favour him, the 31-year-old paceman from Karnataka shot back: "I have bowled well on flat wickets. The line and length are important. We can do well in Sri Lanka," he added.

About the just-concluded Zimbabwe series, he said "I did not bowl that well. Though I got seven wickets from two test series, it was not satisfying,’’ he added.

Srinath, the pace attack spearhead, had 192 wickets from 52 tests at an average of 30.13 and 261 wickets in 192 matches at an average of 28.59.

On fast bowlers coming on the scene in India, he said Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra are good. (UNI)

Saurav foresees a keen tussle in the Triangular series

KOLKATA, July 15: "The forthcoming one day series will be a well-contested one," skipper of Indian team Sourav Ganguly said here today before leaving for Chennai enroute to Sri Lanka for the Triangular series.

India would play Sri Lanka and New Zealand in the one-dayers besides a three-match test series with the islanders.

Sourav said Sri Lanka would be a formidable opponent both in the limited over and the test series. "However, I am sure by this time we had been able to get out of the hangover of our defeat to west indies in the final of the limited over series in Zimbabwe and not being able to clinch the test series there. Our team is now rearing to go for the coming series at Sri Lanka."

Sourav felt that the performance of the bowlers would be a key factor in the coming tour. The bowlers who are able to perform according to conditions prevailing there would definitely provide advantage to their side, he said.

Sourav expressed his satisfaction about the tour itinerary as unlike in Zimbabwe the one dayers would be played before the test series.

However, he was a bit apprehensive about the weather conditions there and said it was much in contrast to the condition in Zimbabwe. The weather in Sri Lanka would be hot and humid and would take a lot from us, he said.

Asked to commemt on the little master’s statement that he did not rule out becoming the captain in future, the Indian captain, according to reports here, said neither had he read what Sachin said nor he spoke to the master blaster about it.

"However, from what I have been told, Sachin made a fair remark," Sourav said and added that Sachin was entitled to have an opinion on how he saw captaincy. (UNI)

Ranatunga, De Silva cleared of match-fixing charges

COLOMBLO, July 15: Sri Lanka’s cricket heroes Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda De Silva have been cleared of match-fixing charges levelled against them by an Indian bookmaker.

Investigator Desmond Fernando, who was appointed by the Sri Lankan Cricket Board to probe the allegations against both cricketers, declared them ‘not guilty’, rejecting the ‘inadequate and untested’ testimony of bookmaker Mukesh Gupta, Sunday Times reported today.

Fernando confirmed the extracts published in the newspaper were true. "I submitted the report a week ago to the board and it is up to them to make it public," he told PTI.

The clearance to the Sri Lankan duo comes close on the heels of the clean chit given to former England captain Alec Stewart, who was also named by Gupta, by International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption unit following Gupta’s failure to turn an approver and substantiate his allegations.

Ranatunga, De Silva and Stewart were among the nine foreign cricketers named by CBI in its report on betting and match-fixing on the basis of Gupta’s deposition.

However, Fernando felt CBI should not have named overseas players without getting their side of the story. "It would have been just and fair on its part if it had deleted those portions relating to foreign cricketers and sent it to the respective foreign Governments and their cricket authorities," he said in the report.

The mention of overseas players in CBI report was "one-sided and adversely affected the reputation of highly respected foreign cricketers," the report said.

Fernando said Gupta’s charges could not be acted upon as he had refused to be questioned or cross-examined. "Mr Gupta’s statement was inadequate, untested and had infirmities which rendered it impossible to be acted upon," he said.

"Gupta’s statement lacked precision and gave no details about where the alleged conversations with the players took place, where the money was allegedly handed over and whether it was in cash or otherwise," he said.

On the other hand, both De Silva and Ranatunga were very cooperative with the investigations, Fernando said.

"Both Aravinda De Silva and Arjuna Ranatunga were ready to answer questions put by me and indeed did so. I accept their evidence," he said.

The two cricketers appeared with their lawyers before the inquiry officer and answered questions in May.

De Silva, in his deposition, admitted that he knew Gupta as ‘Mukesh’ and had met him in New Delhi as a ‘cricket fan’. But, he denied that former Indian all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar had introduced Gupta to him.

He also denied under-performing in the Lucknow test for which Gupta alleged to have paid him 15,000 dollars.

De Silva said he was approached by a man sent by Gupta ‘somewhere in 1996 or 1997’ but had reported the matter immediately to the then manager Duleep Mendis. He said the bookmaker might have acted in revenge in making his charges as he had disclosed Gupta’s attempts to involve him in match-fixing and refused to meet him after that. (PTI)

Indian team to leave for Colombo today

CHENNAI, July 15: The Indian cricket team sans master blaster Sachin Tendulkar would leave here for Colombo tomorrow.

The team members have started arriving in the city from their respective destinations.

Skipper Saurav Ganguly is expected to arrive later this evening.

The team is scheduled to participate in a Triangular series (involving Sri Lanka and New Zealand) and a three-test series.

Sachin Tendulkar had opted out due to a foot injury. (UNI)

Anand suffers first Classical loss

DORTMUND (Germany) July 15: World champion Viswanathan Anand suffered his first loss of the year in classical variation as he went down to Grandmaster Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in the third round of the Dortmund Sparkassen Chess Championships here yesterday.

Topalov now shares the lead jointly with GM Vladimir Kramnik of Russia and GM Peter Leko of Hungary on 2 points, while Anand has been relegated to the 4-6 position along with GM Michael Adams of England and GM Alexander Morozevich of Russia, with a point apiece.

Anand had drawn his first two matches in the tournament.

It was certainly not Anand’s day who played black. He resorted to an unusual French defence, one he had not used for quite a while and Topalov was the first to seize the initiative with accurate timing and finely crafted manoeuvres in the rubenstien variation.

The novelty on the 16th move turned out to be a strong one and Anand was pushed to the wall with his king taking a journey into the centre of the board soon after the opening.

The middlegame phase was approached with Anand holding on to his position but it was Topalov all along who held the advantage.

Anand’s usually impregnable defensive technique failed to come to his rescue and he succumbed to the pressure, making the blunder on the 39th move. He eventually resigned on the 45th move.

Kramnik played a draw against Adams in the Sicilian defence game with black pieces. Adams, contrary to his positional style, chose the sharp english attack but it did not seem he had anything exciting planned.

Kramnik neutralised whites’ advantage soon after the opening as a few pieces were exchanged and the players soon arrived at a heavy pieces endgame.

After the trade of queens, a draw was hardly in any doubt and peace was signed after 36 moves.

Leko decided against going for the kill against Morozevich with his white pieces and equalised after the exchange of queens.

The game lasted a mere 19 moves, the shortest of the tournament so far.

It was perhaps Morozevich’s deviation from the main lines of the French defence that did the trick for him.

The next round promises to be an engrossing one as all the three leaders will play against the losers.

Standings after round 3:

1-3: V Kramnik, V Topalov, P Leko - 2 points each; 4-5: V Anand, A Morozevich, M Adams - 1 point each. (PTI)

Gaudenzi beats Ulihrach in Swedish Open final

BASTAD (Sweden), July 15: Unseeded Italian Andrea Gaudenzi beat fifth-seeded Czech Bohdan Ulihrach 7-5 6-3 in the final of the 400,000 dollars Swedish Open Tennis Tournament today.

Gaudenzi, 27, won 57,000 dollars and 35 ATP Championship race points while Ulihrach, 26, earned 33,500 dollars and 24 points.

The victory was Gaudenzi’s second on the ATP tour this year, following his win at St Poelten in May, and the third of his career.

The Italian claycourt specialist was 78th in the ATP entry system world rankings coming into the Swedish Open, which is played on his favourite surface. (REUTERS)

Lee downs local favourite to reach first ATP final

NEWPORT, (Rhode Island), July 15: Britain’s Martin Lee reached his first ATP final yesterday after he edged past local favourite James Blake 6-3 1-6 7-6 (7-5) in the semifinals of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships in Newport.

Lee will face South Africa’s Neville Godwin in the final, who defeated Kenneth Carlsen 6-3 6-7 (7-2) 7-6 (8-6) earlier in the day in the other semifinal match.

Lee won the first set fairly easily, but the American bounced back and took the second set by a comfortable margin.

In the decisive third set, the match could have gone either way, but it was Lee who held his nerve at 5-5 in the tie-breaker and sealed the match with a backhand passing shot and an ace.

"I was very nervous," Lee said. "At 5-5, I played a great point and I just decided to hit the next shot as hard as I could."

For Blake, the loss was particularly disappointing, considering he lives nearby in connecticut and had the crowd on his side.

Godwin survived a matchpoint to beat his Danish opponent to advance to his second ever ATP final, his first being in this event three years ago when he lost to India’s Leander Paes.

Trailing 6-5 in the third-set tiebreak, Carlsen hit a backhand wide and then missed on consecutive backhand returns to end the match.

Godwin served well and was never broken in the match, but double faulted three times in the second-set tiebreak.

"I did well to maintain my composure after that," he said. "If I lost it mentally then, I would have lost the match." (REUTERS)