Malik can question Warne, Mark Waugh, adviser says

SYDNEY, Jan 1: Former Pakistan cricket captain Salim Malik will be allowed to question Australian accusers Shane Warne and Mark Waugh over their cricket bribery allegations in Melbourne next week.

Pakistan Cricket Board legal adviser Ali Sibtain Fazli said Malik had today been offered that chance when the Pakistan Judicial Commission into match-fixing allegations travels to Australia to interview Warne and Waugh and former Australian team manager Alan Crompton.

Fazli, his assistant Ali Sajjad and Lahore High Court registrar Abdus Salam Khawar leave on Jan. 5 for the Jan. 8 hearing in Melbourne.

"We have also told Malik he can have a last chance to cross-question Australian players if he intends to join the Commission in Melbourne," Fazli said.

The Pakistan Commission is expected to question Waugh and Warne about their allegations that Malik offered them bribes to perform poorly during Australia’s 1994 tour of Pakistan.

While Waugh gave evidence to the Commission in Lahore, next week’s hearing follows last month’s scandal when it was revealed both Australian players had accepted money from an illegal Indian bookmaker to provide weather and pitch information on the 1994 tour.

Malik has seized on that revelation previously kept confidential by the Australian Cricket Board which fined Warne and Waugh claiming it discredits their allegations against him. (AP)

Boutter, Dupuis to clash in All-French final

MUMBAI, Jan 1: Unseeded Julian Boutter of France and his third seeded countryman and Ahmedabad leg winner Anthony Dupuis will clash in the men’s singles final of the 50,000 US dollar ATP Challenger Tennis at the Dr R A Ranade courts here tomorrow.

In the semi-finals today, 279th ranked Boutter and 206th ranked Dupuis, recorded contrasting wins.

Boutter rallied splendidly after dropping the first set on tie-break to oust qualifier Sebastian de Chaunac of France 6-7 (4-7) 6-1 6-4 in one hour 59 minutes while Dupuis sidelined unseeded Gregory Carraz also from France 6-2 6-2 in just 58 minutes.

Boutter, who served sevenaces and six double faults, dropped his serve in the very first game of the first set but fought well to break his opponent in the fourth and forced a tie-break.

De Chaunac, who served three aces and four doubles faults in the match, failed to win points at the crucial time and lost the tie-break 4-7.

However, he lifted his game a couple of notches in the second set and with break in the third, fifth and seventh games won the set at 6-1.

In the decider Boutter broke his rival in the sixth but dropped his serve in the next game. He again got the crucial break in the tenth to wrap-up the match at 6-4. (PTI)

Can WI pick themselves up for Newlands

CAPE TOWN (SOUTH AFRICA), Jan 1: It seems impossible to believe the West Indies can pick themselves up for the fourth test starting at Newlands tomorrow.

Down 3-0 in a five-test series with two matches to go, only pride can keep them going and there hasn’t been too much of that on display in the first three matches. Add to their woes the uncertainty surrounding Curtly Ambrose, who has been battling with his knees, and the injury to Courtney Walsh, who damaged a hamstring in the third test in Durban, and things look bleak indeed.

Only their batsmen can come to their rescue, so that whoever the bowlers might be, they can have some sort of target to bowl at. And if Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul show anything like the form they exhibited in the second innings in Durban, where they scored a fine 160-run partnership in the face of enormous odds, that alone may be enough to put them back into the kind of mood which makes for a winning team.

But they will need backing from the rest of the team. Carl Hooper, although he was somewhat controversial dismissed in the second innings in Durban, will have to show more application. As for the rest, application is the ingredient that has been missing so far, although 19-year-old Darren Ganga showed some of it during his first innings in Durban.

Just what the team selection will be in the face of the yawning chasm which exists between the West Indies and South Africa is difficult to say, but the South Africans have no such problems. (AP)

Imran favours Akram to lead Pak on India tour

ISLAMABAD, Jan 1: World Cup-winning captain Imran Khan said today that Wasim Akram is the ideal man to lead Pakistan on the all-important tour of India later this month.

Pakistan is scheduled to play two tests against their arch-rivals after almost 11 years, besides participating in the Asian Test Championship and triangular one-day series, which also features Sri Lanka.

The Pakistan Cricket Board’s executive council is scheduled to meet in Lahore on January. 3 in which the captain for the Indian tour is likely to be announced.

" He (Wasim Akram) is a complete team man and I think should be made the captain of the national team," Imran said.

" The tour of India is always something different from the tours of other countries because of different kind of pressure and I think Akram is the right man who could lead under pressure."

Imran, who led Pakistan to World Cup triumph in 1992 in Australia, said that he had always backed Akram as the captain. I have highest regard for him and have no doubt that he has all the leadership qualities.

" It was very unfortunate when he was removed as a captain after whitewashing the West Indies (3-0) in the test series at home last year."

Pakistan has changed a number of captains since the retirement of Imran in 1992. "It was again a wrong exercise. Captain should be made for a long term and not like in Pakistan where a captain is being appointed on series to series basis."

Imran, now turned politician and heads a political party Tehrik-e-Insaaf, was of the view that "recent defeats against Australia and Zimbabwe was due to lack of team spirit." Pakistan was beaten 1-0 in the three-test series by both Australia and Zimbabwe.

" That is why I am saying that bring on Akram as skipper because he could motivate the players and bring back the team on road to victory."

Imran also said that Pakistan should finalise a list of 20 players for this year’s World Cup in England in May. "Pakistan should concentrate on building up a team for the World Cup from now onwards. We should finalise the 20 probables as early as possible," he said. (AP)

44th National School Games Cricket
Delhi to play Chandigarh in boys J&K girls
to meet AP in final today

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 1: Jammu and Kashmir will take on Andhra Pradesh (AP) in the girls final of the C K Naidu Cricket Tournament at Jammu University grounds, here tomorrow.

While in the men’s section Delhi will be playing with Chandigarh in the boys final at GGM Science College grounds, tomorrow.

Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir girls entered the final beating Haryana by six wickets. Chasing Haryana’s small total of 58 runs, Jammu and Kashmir achieved the target in 14.1 overs losing four wickets.

No batsmen except Sakina, who scored 11 runs could entered the double digit mark. Thanks to the bad bowling by Haryana bowlers, who added 23 extras runs to J&K’s score of 59 to make their win easier.

From Haryana, skipper, Preeti Gupta bagged one wicket.

Jammu and Kashmir earlier, after winning the toss put Haryana to bat.

Savita and Anjali, who bagged five wickets each bowled out Haryana at 58 runs in 16.5 overs.

Haryana openers, Veena and Preeti Gupta made a good start and brought the score to 30 runs for the first wicket. Soon after the dismissal of Veena who was bowled by Savita at 11, Preeti too was caught on the bowling of Anjali when score on board was 42.

Thereafter, there was a total collapse of Haryana batting line. Other eight batsmen could add only 16 runs to the tally.

In the girls section, Punjab will clash with Haryana for third place, while, Haryana will play with Uttar Pradesh in boys category.

Andhra Pradesh beat Punjab by 9 wickets

In the second semi-final of the girls, Andhra Pradesh beat Punjab to enter the girls final in style.

Andhra achieved the target of 87 runs in the 12th over losing only wicket of Mithali Raj. Mithali played a fine innings of 23 runs in 19 deliveries including a boundary. Opener, Priya Darshani and Monika remained not out at 25 and 18 runs respectively.

Earlier, after winning the toss and elected to bat first, Punjab lost all its wickets at 86 runs in 25.2 overs. Openers, Gurvinder Kaur (10) and Pallavi Sethi (14) started the innings with confidence and brought the score to 30 runs. After their dismissal, other batsmen could not face the quick bowling of Sangeeta and Priyadarshani and lost easy wickets. Other batsmen, except Ravinder Kaur (14) could not reach the double digit mark.

From Andhra Pradesh, Sangeeta and Priyadarshani bagged three wickets each, while, Mamta got two.

Rajat’s 53 help Chandigarh to enter final

Fine unbeaten knock of 53 runs by Rajat Bhandari helped Chandigarh to enter the boys finals of the C K Naidu Cricket Tournament.

Chandigarh achieved the target in 27.4 overs losing three wickets. Ashish Sharma, who remained not at 16 including three boundaries also played an important role in Chandigarh’s seven wickets win. While, Gaurav Mehta played a long innings contributing 17 runs in 46 balls.

From Uttar Pradesh, Raza and Manoj were the wicket takers.

Earlier batting first, Uttar Pradesh was all out at 117 in 33.5 overs. Opener, Alok Pandey, who played a fine inning of 47 runs could not get support from any of the batsmen. He was caught by T J Singh on the bowling of Rajat Bhandari in the 24th over when score on board was 85. A Raza was other highest scorer with 15 runs.

From Chandigarh, Rajat Bhandari and Harit Sharma bagged two wickets each.

Delhi beat Haryana by 44 runs

In the second boys semi-finals which played at M A M College grounds today, Delhi beat Haryana by 44 runs to enter the finals.

Playing first, Haryana made 149 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 35 overs match. Haryana innings begun with a bad start losing five wickets for 34 runs. But a good 51 runs seventh wickets partnership between Sanjay Rawat and Rajinder Bisht brought the score to 103 in 25th overs.

Skipper, Pradeep Chawla and Dileep contributed 30 and 20 runs respectively.

From Haryana Sandeep More clinched four wickets for 20 runs, while Deepak Sen got two.

Chasing the target, the whole Haryana team was bundled out at 105 in 28.3 overs. Ajeet made highest 35 runs followed by Nishant 19.

From Delhi, Nitin Aggarwal, Sanjay Rawat and Amit Mishra bagged three wickets each.

McGrath told to cool it

SYDNEY, Jan 1: Australian cricket captain Mark Taylor has told pace spearhead Glenn McGrath to temper his aggression in the fifth Ashes test against England beginning tomorrow.

McGrath was given a suspended fine of about 2,500 Australian dollars (1,525 US dlrs) after being found guilty of sledging during Australia’s fourth-test loss to England at the Melbourne cricket ground.

Taylor said today he had told McGrath to show more control during the final test at the Sydney cricket ground that will decide the series.

Australia leads 2-1 entering the Sydney showdown.

"It’s a very very fine line between enthusiasm, effort and being aggressive to being over the top and showing some kind of dissent," Taylor said. Glenn has walked that fine line for a long time.

As a captain I want my fast bowlers to be aggressive, I want him to be giving everything for his country. He’s not a guy who is an angry man.

"He’s a guy who is a great competitor and sometimes he lets that go a fraction too far."

Regarding the suspended fine, Taylor said "in the long run it could be the best thing for him." (AP)

Bengal crush Tripura in Pepsi one-day

CALCUTTA, Jan 1: A swashbuckling 92 by Saba Karim and a scintillating 68 by Utpal Chatterjee fashioned Bengal’s facile 213 run victory over Tripura in the Pepsi one-day match here today.

Electing to bat, Bengal was tottering at the onset against some tight bowling of Timir Chandra and Gourpada Banik, who scalped three each.

Nikhil Haldipur was the first to go on individual score of 28. Devang Gandhi, who was in fine nick recently, was the next to return to the pavilion gifting an easy catch to Subol Chaudhury off Rajiv Dev Burman. L Shukla also fell in cheaply getting plumbed off Timir Chandra.

But Rohan Gavaskar tried to stem the rot as he scored a solid 51 before being castled by Gourpada. Then Saba Karim and took over the mantle and first with Ajay Das, who scored 51, and then with Utpal Chatterjee, who smashed a superb 68, gave a semblance of respectability to Bengal total.

Saba stayed at the wicket for 107 minutes and clobbered nine rollicking hits to the fence besides clouting three towering sixes, while Utpal smacked seven boundaries and one six. Both thrashed the Tripura bowlers to smithereens and authored Bengal’s mammoth 341.

Coming in to bat in reply to Bengal’s huge total, Tripura started their innings on a shaky note. Their innings crashed like a pack of cards and the Tripura batsmen returned to the pavilion like mere passengers against some mesmeric spells by Utpal, Ajay and I Shukla, who chipped in two wickets each.

Their devastating bowling skittled minnows Tripura for a paltry 128.

Bengal earned two points following their victory. (UNI)

NGR Club tops in Pool-B of Football Champ

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 1: NGR Club topped in Pool-B in the Ist phase of 12th State Football Championship beating DFA, Kathua 3-1 at GGM Science College grounds, here, today.

NGR played a fine game especially in the second half. First goal of the match was made by the Ranjit Sharma of NGR Club in the 24th minute. But in the very next minute of the match DFA, Kathua equalised the lead in the 25th minute through Om Pal.

After the side changing, Shashi Jamwal made second goal in the 40

minute to take 2-1 lead for NGR. It was followed by another goal in the 58th minute through G P Sharma.

Messrs Ramesh, David and Noor Mohammed were referees in the match.