ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: Backing Sachin Tendulkar accused of ball tampering, Pakistan cricket captain Waqar Younis has said that picking the seam of the ball is not an offence.............more

Pollock sees no reason
for pull out by India

CENTURION PARK (South Africa), Nov 22: South African cricket captain Shaun Pollock today said his country had done no harm to the Indian cricket team and therefore he did not see any reason for India to pull out of the current test series...........more

Hewitt, Rafter easing
through training

MELBOURNE, Nov 22: Lleyton Hewitt, his aches and pains from last week’s Masters Cup finals effort now subsiding, was easing back into competition as Australia prepared for a showdown.........more

Punishment brings BCCI
and PCB together

ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: The harsh punishment meted out to six players of the Indian.....more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 22: Government Girls High School, Nowabad defeated Stadium XI 3-2 in sudden death to enter the junior.......more

Inter-college Competitions
PG Law and Science
enters Cricket semis

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 22: The combined side of Post Graduate Departments of Law and Science today......more

Punjab struggles
against J&K in Hockey
* Mandeep Singh scores two goals for Jammu and Kashmir

JALANDHAR, Nov 22: Hosts Punjab struggled against Jammu and Kashmir in their.....more

UCBSA removes
Denness for third test

NEW DELHI, Nov 22: Buckling under pressure from the BCCI, the United Cricket Board......more

Picking the seam of the ball no offence: Waqar

ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: Backing Sachin Tendulkar accused of ball tampering, Pakistan cricket captain Waqar Younis has said that picking the seam of the ball is not an offence.

Younis, who himself has been penalised for ball tampering on two previous occasions also called on the ICC to show uniformity in applying the rules such as match referee’s right to take action on the television footage.

Former Pakistan captain, and speedster Wasim Akram however criticised India for over reacting on Tendulkar’s incident.

"I did not see the footage but it could be anything from cleaning the grass or dust from the ball. ICC must decide on that whether umpires are the sole authority to report the shape of the ball or match referee can alone take a decision," Younis said.

"I think its not an offence to the pick the seam and things like that have been done for so many years in cricket," Waqar was quoted in the `Dawn’ today.

"I had said this when I was penalised for ball tampering last year and I maintain this that how can a match referee take action when on field umpires had not reported anything wrong with the ball," he said reacting to match referee Mike Denness action against Sachin Tendulkar in the second cricket test between India and South Africa in Port Elizabeth.

"I have been subjected to the acquisition of ball tampering but nothing was proved", Younis said.

"I think India has over reacted, probably because their star player was involved", Akram said adding that he too faced a barrage of allegation of ball tampering along with Waqar in 1992 and decided to go by the decisions of match referees.

"We have learned to take these things on the Chinnai believe that India also start take it gracefully rather than turn the incident into a circus", he said.

Wasim said that he did not see the footage of Sachin’s incident but he believed that referee must have taken the decision after finding "something concrete".

He also dismissed allegations of racism against Asian players as ‘absurd’. "I have never come across racism on a cricket field in my 16-year career. It is part of India’s over reaction", he said.

Speculation is rife here that the Pakistan Cricket Board could appeal for the revocation of suspension and fines imposed on Waqar if the ICC revoked the suspension against Tendulkar.

The cases Tendulkar and Younis were the same and on both occasions the umpires did not report the ball tampering but the match referees took the decision.

Younis was suspended last year by match referee John Reid of New Zealand in a one-day match against Sri Lanka and the bowler was also fined 50 per cent of his match fee. The PCB also wanted to see the footage of Tendulkar’s ball tampering incident and compare it with that of Younis’.

Besides the similarity of the cases both Sachin and Waqar made their debut in the same test match in Karachi in 1989-90. (PTI)

Pollock sees no reason for pull out by India

CENTURION PARK (South Africa), Nov 22: South African cricket captain Shaun Pollock today said his country had done no harm to the Indian cricket team and therefore he did not see any reason for India to pull out of the current test series.

"It is a battle the Indians are having with the ICC. I don’t understand why all of a sudden they want to call off the series. There is nothing that the South African cricket and the UCB (United Cricket Board of South Africa) has done," Pollock said reacting to reports that the Indian team might pull out of remainder of the series in protest against the harsh punishments meted out to six of their players including skipper Sourav Ganguly and batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar by match-referee Mike Denness.

"To call the tour off does not make sense to me, but they obviously have got their reasons and feel strongly about it," Pollock said as the South African team gathered here for the third and final test starting tomorrow.

Pollock brushed aside suggestions that the controversial action of the match-referee had created hard feelings between the two camps. "I don’t think it has created more needle between the two teams," he said.

Pollock also had a word of caution for his team saying the India would be a much more strengthened side after this episode. "We realise that a side in adversity often tends to pull closer together and come out stronger," he said. (PTI)

Hewitt, Rafter easing through training

MELBOURNE, Nov 22: Lleyton Hewitt, his aches and pains from last week’s Masters Cup finals effort now subsiding, was easing back into competition as Australia prepared for a showdown at the Davis Cup final starting a week from tomorrow against France.

While Frenchman Grosjean - who lost in straight sets to Australian Hewitt at the end-of-year tournament in Sydney - got back on court yesterday, hewitt was delaying his return until today for the first step onto portable indoor grass courts where the stage will be set.

The 20-year-old benefitted from three days of rest in the wake of the Masters Cup excitement, and demands on his time from media and sponsor commitments.

The Australian was scheduled for a hit with teammates Patrick Rafter, Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs at Melbourne Park, the Australian Open venue and site of the November 30-December 2 Davis Cup battle.

"The important thing is I can’t let it go to my head too much," Hewitt said of his Masters Cup Trophy. "I’ve got to put my head down and try and finish off the year with a Davis Cup win. That would be a great way to finish the year for me."

The young gun suffered a hamstring pull in the closing stages last weekend, but rest should have helped put that right.

"The way I’ve been playing over the last few months my confidence is sky high," Hewitt said. "I feel good in myself."

Rafter was also working hard at keeping a nagging injury of his own at bay.

The Queenslander has been battling arm and shoulder tendinitis for months. The Davis Cup Trophy missing from his collection of two grand slam titles and a pair of losses at Wimbledon finals means so much to him that he gave up the remainder of the ATP autumn season to train in queensland.

The 28-year-old has been impressive in short bursts this week at Kooyong, but coach John Fitzgerald will not push his veteran in training. Andrea Bisaz, Davis Cup team’s medical advisor, has been working daily with Rafter on his troublesome right arm.

The trainer also successfully dealt with Hewitt’s leg worries at the weekend. Rafter has said he would be prepared to have a bone scan on his arm done if necessary. He has been treated with just about everything - including massage, strapping, icing and acupuncture - but the injury has yet to heal.

The French don’t appear to think they’ll have anyone but Rafter and Hewitt to face on the day.

"I think pat will play," said coach Guy forget. "If he doesn’t, it’s because he’s really not 100 per cent. But once he steps on a court, he will be a really great competitor."

While French officials at first complained about the possibility playing on Australian-developed indoor grass under the sliding roof of the stadium, they soon backed down after the international tennis federation ruled it was legitimate.

Fans are concentrating more on trying to lift the Davis Cup crown during their second meeting in three years with Australia, which beat them in 1999 in nice.

"All our players have proved they can play on grass and we are having some good training sessions at kooyong, despite the wind and uneven bounce," said French coach Thierry Tulasne. "Luckily the final will be played in a court sheltered from the wind."

Said French skipper forget: "We have no problems playing on grass". It’s fair that each country chooses the surfaces on which they think they have the best chance of winning."

The team was taking heart from Grosjean’s surprise showing at Sydney, where he was the last man to qualify for the eight-strong field, and ended up getting all the way into the final against Hewitt, who at age 20 became the youngest man to capture the world number one ranking as well as winning the event.

"Grosjean’s super form and his confidence is a great asset for the team," said for ATP player Tulasne.

Forget has picked a team head by Grosjean backed up by Nicolas Escude, Arnaud Clement and Fabrice Santoro, with veteran Cedric Pioline left off the first team. (DPA)

Punishment brings BCCI and PCB together

ISLAMABAD, Nov 22: The harsh punishment meted out to six players of the Indian cricket team has brought cricket boards of India and Pakistan closer, with the two exchanging detailed notes and reportedly agreeing to fight the "biased" attitude against players from the subcontinent.

While the Pakistan Cricket Board declined to officially react to the controversy, PCB Chief Lt Gen Tauqir Zia said he had a lengthy telephonic talk with president of the Board of Cricket Control of India Jagmohan Dalmiya yesterday.

"Yes, Dalmiya rang me up and we had a very positive conversation," Gen Zia was quoted as saying by the daily `The News’ here today.

Though he did not disclose details, the newspaper said during the talk Dalmiya sought the help of Gen Zia in dealing with the "biased attitude" of match referees towards sub-continent players.

The PCB chief reportedly promised all help to the BCCI in their efforts to seek justice from the ICC over the punishment handed down to the skipper Sourav Ganguly.

Dalmiya has also written to Gen. Zia on the issue. A similar letter has been sen to the Board of Control of Cricket of Sri Lanka).

Media reports here said while expressing support to deal with the crisis, Gen Zia reported to have sought Dalmiya’s help to fight the case of Shoaib Akhtar who was called for throwing again by an umpire during last month’s Sharjah Cup.

The ICC has declined to accept a report of Australian experts, which said Akhtar suffered from a physical deformity due to which his bowling action appeared defective.

Dalmiya has assured support in clearing Akhtar of charges of suspected bowling, Dawn newspaper said.

"Dalmiya is convinced that a certain lobby is working against the Asian block and feels that it was time that the Asians make their presence felt and put up a joint stand," the paper quoted BCCI sources as saying.

"The Asian block has suffered largely due to the biased and un-accommodating attitude of the ICC officials," the newspaper said adding that a long line of Asian players including Muthiah Muralitharan, Waqar Younis, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Akthar have faced the wrath before Tendulkar.

It quoted PCB sources as saying that "Dalmiya has expressed concerns that if the rules of the games were similar, why were only Asian cricketers being penalised. He has also argued that no player from Australia, England or South Africa has either been suspended or reprimanded despite breaching the code of conduct time and again".

The Pakistan cricket authorities who enjoy excellent relations with their counterparts have promised full support and have proposed to Dalmiya to chalk out a counter strategy, Dawn reported. (PTI)

Jammu Distt Open Women Hockey
GGHS Nowabad beats Stadium XI enters Jr final

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Nov 22: Government Girls High School, Nowabad defeated Stadium XI 3-2 in sudden death to enter the junior girls finals in the ongoing Jammu District Open Women Hockey Championship being played at K K Hakhu Stadium, here today.

Earlier, in the stipulated time, match ended in a goalless draw. It was followed by the tie-breaker rules, which too could not decide the fate of the semi-final. Ruby and Madhu scored for Nowabad in the tie-breaker, while, Pooja Kumari and Tarvinder Kour succeeded in converting the free strokes into the goal for Stadium XI in the tie-breaker.

However, in the sudden death, Ruby scored the all important goal for Nowabad school, helping latter sailed into the finals.

In the second semi-final of the day, Government Girls High School, Bakshi Nagar outplayed Middle School, Pul Tawi by three goals to nil. Baljeet Kour sounded the board for Bakshi Nagar in the 19th minute. With one goal lead in the first half, Bakshi Nagar girls continued their attacking strategy in the second half too and added two more goals to the tally. Monika Sharma struck in the 35th minute, while Renu Singh converted a penalty corner into the goal in the last 55th minute.

In the senior group, Young Red and Stadium XI have already reached the final beating their opponents. Young Red had defeated Young Star, while Stadium XI outplayed Young Blue. In the senior group, only four teams registered themselves for the participation.

The finals in both juniors and seniors groups will be played later on.

In today’s matches, Vijay and Rinku Kumar were umpires. The ongoing championship is being held under the supervision of Gurmeet Kour and Meena Chib, both hockey coaches.