Fleming happy with underdogs tag

NOTTINGHAM, June 13: New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming said the tag of underdogs suits his team, which has clinched a berth in the World Cup semifinals with a five-wicket win over India at Trent Bridge.

"The underdogs tag ... Has allowed us to work within our environment," he said yesterday. "The boys are comfortable being underrated and look at overachieving."

New Zealand has been termed the dark horses of the tournament and are used to the conditions, which are quite similar to those back home.

The black caps were in danger of being left out of the semifinals if they had not beaten india to take their points tally to five, the same as Zimbabwe’s.

But with a superior run rate New Zealand qualified ahead of Zimbabwe, whose fate will depend on Australia’s match against South Africa today.

"We were termed the dark horses and I prefer it that way," Fleming said. "Things are working very well for us ... We are performing well in the key games and at key moments ... That’s the key for success in a long-drawn competition," he said.

Fleming said his team had done well to take the hard knocks in its stride and the feeling of making the semifinals was slowly sinking in.

But the celebrations will be low key, he said. "We’ll quietly celebrate."

The New Zealand captain said it has been a tough tournament.

Richards, who became a cricket administrator after quitting first-class cricket and is now a television commentator, said a review should set the tone for the future, but there is no going back.

Brearley, a psychotherapist and cricket columnist, said the format modifications should distinguish between points carried forward and the ones earned in the super six matches.

"A win in the super six ought to count more than (a win) in the preliminary league," Brearley said. "Perhaps, we need to give an additional point for a win in the super six round."

He said the system should allow teams making the super six "to make for one or two bad days."

Richards said there was a flaw in giving one point each for an abandoned match.

"A win should be worth three points, at least in the super six," he said. "It might be a smart idea to give an additional point to the team topping the preliminary group."

The format has changed four times in seven World Cups.

For the first four tournaments from 1975 to 1987, eight teams played in two leagues and the top two teams in each group qualified for the semifinals.

In 1992, when the World Cup went to Australia and New Zealand, there was a round-robin league between nine nations, including late entrant South Africa whose readmission into the international cricket family forced a revision of the draw.

The top four teams then played the semifinals.

With the draw being expanded to 12 nations for the 1996 World Cup, a further revision took place where the top four teams from each of the six-nation pools made the quarterfinals. (AP)

HOCKEY
India beat Germany  after ten years

BONN, June 13: India made a fine comeback after suffering three consecutive defeats to register its first victory against Germany in ten years by winning 3-2 the fourth and final hockey test in Mainz today.

India last beat Germany in the champions trophy in 1989 in Berlin and has lost all matches since then except for two draws during the intervening ten-year period.

Centre-forward Gagan Ajit Singh scored two field goals while Kamal Horo successfully converted one of the three penalty corners earned by the visitors in a well fought contest as the Indians came back from 1-2 deficit to force a superb victory.

Kristoff and Kopff struck for the hosts.

Putting aside the defeats in the first three tests, the Indian team played like a well-oiled machine and quickly went into the lead in the fifth minute through Gagan Ajit Singh.

The Germans equalised in the 24th minute when Kristoff converted a penalty corner. The hosts went ahead five minutes later with Kopff finding the target.

A few minutes after the break, forward Baljeet Singh Dhillon and his brother Daljeet combined brilliantly to set Gagan Ajit up for his second goal and restore parity.

Horo then put the Indians ahead again converting a penalty corner and the visitors defended the lead with gusto till the final wistle. (PTI)

SCCB seeks clarification  from Sports Minister

COLOMBO, June 13:  Sri Lanka’s Cricket Control Board (SCCB) has sought a clarification from Sports Minister S Dissanayake for reportedly asking "Arjuna Ranatunga to step down for the team’s disgraceful performance at the world cup."

SCCB Chief Executive Dhamkika Ranatunga, younger brother of Arjuna Ranatunga, told UNI that the Board had not received any official communique from the Minister. "We can’t do anything going by the media reports," he said.

Earlier newspaper reports quoted Mr Dissanayake as saying to the BBC Sinhala Service "Sandeshaya" that he felt "Arjuna Ranatunga has made a lot of mistakes and it is time for him to step down as the skipper, though he could still remain a team member."

The SCCB is also in disarray besides the team, following a court order that debars Board president Thilanga Sumatipala and other senior officials from carrying out their functions. The order was a sequel to a petition challenging election of Mr Sumatipala, filed by Clffors Ratwatte, who too contested for the Board’s presidential elections on March 28. On Friday, the Sports Ministry floated an interim committee by appointing five eminent personalities to administer the board. The Committee is headed by Colombo Stock Exchange and Hatton National Bank chief Rienzie Wijetileke.

In Sri Lanka, under the sports law, the Minister of Sports has the power to reject the selection of national team members, which means he also has the authority over the appointment or dropping of the captain.

Sri Lanka’s early exit from the world cup has forced angry cricket fans at home to mount pressure on Arjuna Ranatunga to step down along with other aging players.

Arjuna Ranatunga is still in London, although other team mates have returned. He is expected by the end of this month, says his brother. (UNI)

Azhar rules out stepping down

TRENT BRIDGE, June 13: Despite mounting demands for his removal following India’s disastrous world cup campaign, Mohd Azharuddin has ruled out relinquishing captaincy.

I am enjoying the game. There is still two months break. I don’t want to look so far ahead, He said after India’s final super six match which New Zealand won yesterday.

About the match, Azhar said the equation was favourable to the Kiwis at the rain-induced break. I am not offering any excuse but the ball became wet and fielding became difficult for us.

Coach Anshuman Gaekwad blamed the bowlers for the loss and said throughout the tournament inconsistent bowling had been the specific area of concern.

My reaction is when we played well, we played very well. Our batting, bowling and fielding - all clicked. But when the chips were down, we really were inconsistent, he said.

Asked whether the bowlers were tired playing too many matches in the recent past, Gaekwad said, I would say partially yes. It is not the physical aspect of it: indeed sometimes your body can get really tuned. It is more mental. Azhar was more forthcoming in saying the players might have played excessive cricket. I am not really pinpointing it, but the boys have undergone a relentless pace of cricket in the past two years.

He praised his team-mates profusely and said they performed very well throughout the tournament. We did have one bad game but that’s about all, The Indian skipper said.

Azhar declined to complain against the points system that went against India. There is no point (complaining). I always look ahead. If I say anything (now) it would be seen as a case of sour grapes.

It is not as if we did not know the format. We knew it pretty well, he said.

Reacting to Sunil Gavaskar’s demand for a probe to find out who had instructed the batsmen to finish off the match against Zimbabwe in the penultimate over, Azhar retorted, Why don’t you ask him.

Gaekwad also reacted in the same vein, saying as far as we are concerned, no instruction was passed on by us. I wonder what is his source. Why don’t you ask him. Better still, why don’t you ask the batsmen who were in the middle? (PTI)

Meanwhile, the coach Anshuman Gaekwad said that inconsistency, mental fatigue and too much of cricket had led to India’s exit from the World Cup.

"We just weren’t consistent". "When we played well, we were exceptionally well. But we failed to keep the momentum", he said.

The inconsistent display was due to overdose of cricket, especially on-dayers, he averred.

"Physically you might get attuned to it but the mental fatigue takes its toll on the performance," he said. When mental fatigue sets in, the players tend to relax a bit ... That’s what might have happened with the Indian team.

"On ability we should have made the semifinals," Gaekwad said.

Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin concurred with Gaekwad’s view saying "we’ve played a lot of one-dayers in the last three years." "the boys came out with some brilliant individual performances, but we lacked overall consistency. These things do happen and there’s little one could do," he added.

"On India’s elimination despite playing better than Zimbabwe, Azharuddin said he has no complaints. It would not be fair for me to comment on the rules after India’s ouster. We should’ve been better prepared".

"I am not going to use the new format as an excuse for India’s inability to make the semifinals. We knew the rules and should have played accordingly."

Azharuddin, whose captaincy is under fire, refused to discuss his future and said the team has two months before its next international fixture.

India is due to tour Sri Lanka for a one-day triangular with Australia and hosts Sri Lanka in August. (UNI)

War of words between Gavaskar, BCCI

From Harpal Singh Bedi

NOTTINGHAM, June 13: An unseemingly controversy has broken out between former skipper Sunil Gavaskar and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Raj Singh Dungarpur leading to a war of words over India’s loss against Zimbabwe.

With India’s fate already sealed even before the first ball was bowled in the match against New Zealand yesterday, Gavaskar speaking at the ESPN/Star TV said "instructions had been sent to the players to finish off the match in that over of Henry Olonga which led to India’s defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe in the preliminary league phase and demanded an inquiry by the BCCI.

Refuting it, Dungarpur, apparently referring to Gavaskar’s slow innings in the 1975 World Cup against England said : "some batsman have made 36 runs in 60 overs but there was no inquiry".

Gavaskar, retorted saying an inquiry was held about his innings at that time and that he had expressed his views.

Meanwhile back at home, several former cricketers in India supported Gavaskar’s demand for an inquiry.

Former national selector Sambarajan Bannerjee said "if a person of the stature of Gavaskar was saying something, it must be looked into". Former test cricketer Gopal Basu said "I think he (Gavaskar) must have received some definite information".

While former BCCI secretary C Nagaraj favoured a closed door inquiry so that the morale of the players was not not affect, former ace off spinner Erapalli Prasanna refused to drawn himself into any controversy.

Former selection committee chairman Kishen Rungta also declined to drawn into the issue while former junior selector Vinod Mathur said the matter needs to be probed.

Gujarat Cricket Association president Narhari Amin also supported Gavaskar demand saying "if such things had taken place a thorough inquiry should be made and action taken against the guilty".

Former selector M L Jaisimha and ex-cricketer Arshad Ayub expressed similar views saying Gavaskar should have come out with this information soon after the match and not after three weeks when the team’s morale is low. Hyderbad leg arm spinner Venkatapathi Raju said Gavaskar’s remarks may not be true.

Deshprem Azad, who was the first cricketer to be honoured with the Dronacharya award, said agreed with Gavaskar’s views and said "nine needed in two overs with three wickets in hand and still losing the match is not a joke to be forgotten".

India’s early exit depress many
Too much of cricket, mental fatigue causes exist: Gaekwad

NEW DELHI, June 13: Veteran cricketers and game administrators today sharply reacted to the early exit of India from the World Cup citing inconsistency of the team as the prime contributor.

Loss to Zimbabwe besides poor team selection and lackadaisical captaincy of Mohammed Azharuddin also contributed to the team not making it to the semifinals, they felt.

But most of them did not want Azhar’s head to roll. Board of Control for Cricket in India president Raj Singh Dungarpur on the contrary defended his captaincy in the championship. Instead of the board sacking Azhar, the decision should be left to the skipper himself, some felt.

A cross section of former players and administrators contacted by various UNI bureaux expressed unhappiness on the team’s performance.

Former Indian skipper Krishnamachari Srikanth, who is tipped to takeover as coach from Anshuman Gaekwad felt that the overall performance was "inconsistent". However he declined to comment on Azhar’s captaincy. While batsmen were "slightly inconsistent", bowlers did a good job overall, according to him. Speedsters Javagal Srinath and Debasish Mohanty stood out making use of the english conditions, he said in Chennai.

In Mumbai chairman of the selection committee Ajit Wadekar expressed disappointment over India’s failure to make it to the last four grade. However, he felt, the team had buckled to the pressure as the "hype was too much and expectations from the team were too many".

He said there was no excuse for the team’s exit when pointed out about Gaekwad’s criticism on points system. "We were aware of it and we should have prepared ourselves for it". Though the top order clicked, the tailend did not not support them, he felt.

In Bangalore, former ace off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna blamed the "weak Indian attack" for the disappointing performance. "The batting came good, especially Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid were on a roll. But the bowlers failed to restrict the opposition".

He disagreed with the view that azhar failed to lead the side properly, saying "what can he do with the poor bowling attack". "India failed to restrict the opponents between the 15-40 overs period. 15th and 40th overs. We lacked fourth and fifth specialist bowlers. In my view, Karnataka speedster Dodda Ganesh would have made a difference there", he added.

Former BCCI secretary C Nagaraj said the team did not play to its potential and the Indian think tank did not perform well.

He felt that a cricketer like the calibre of Azharuddin should not be sacked but should be given a choice to his self of taking a decision. Had the team not lost to Zimbabwe and batted first against Australia it should have come backhome with the World Cup, he said. Former national selector M L Saisimha, reacting from Hyderabad described India’s performance as "well under par".

There was indifference in the team right from the start of the World Cup and blamed the national selectors for picking up "weak" team.

He opined that Mohanty should have played from the first match itself and the team was overdependent on Sachin, Ganguly and Dravid.

Former test player G S Ramchand wanted the mantle of captaincy to be passed on to Mumbai bomber Sachin Tendulkar. He blamed Azhar for committing certain tactical blunders which had cost the country dearly.

Yesteryear heros cricketers Hanumant Singh and Polly Umprigar agreed with Gaekwad in his criticism against the points system which had spoilt the chances of India moving to the semifinals.

Former off-spinner Arshad Ayub blamed the batsmen for failing to get that 20 to 30 extra runs in the slog overs. Our top order failed against Zimbabwe and the last three batsmen were out to poor shots.

Former left arm spinner Venkatapathi raju said the team performed in "patches". If the batsmen performed well, the bowlers failed and the bowlers did well when batting failed.

Tamil Nadu cricket association secretary and former manager of the Indian team Ashok Khumbat echoed similar views and said Azhar’s captaincy should not be cited as the reason for the team’s debacle. "A captain is as good as other players in the team".

Seeking Azhar’s head, Gujarat Cricket Association president Narhari Amin said lack of innovative ideas on the part of the captain was one of the factors which led to India’s failure to qualify for the semis. "He should be replaced as he could not lead the team from the front".

In Chandigarh Desh Prem Azad, the first Dronacharya awardee demanded that the administrators should seriously look into the reasons for the ouster of the team which according to him was not not by chance, but due to certain factors. Lack of quality allrounders was a major factor, he added.

Meanwhile, former Selection Committee chairman Kishan Rungta said the team’s poor showing was due to poor team management.

From the very beginning the team adopted a defensive approach and poor selection of final XI. The abject show was also not not sending Sachin Tendulkar at number four position, he said in Jaipur.

Mr Rungta felt that six batsmen should have been selected for each match and blamed most of the players for trying to put in individual performance and not clicking as a team.

On Sachin’s performance, he said Tendulkar has a better record in the sub-continent and was not successful in english conditions.

Former Rajasthan skipper Sanjay Vyas said poor bowling and fielding and failure to accelerate the scoring in the slog overs led to team’s debacle. (UNI)

Dravid, Srinath claim honours at World Cup

LONDON, June 13: Rahul Dravid, who smashed two hundreds and three fifties to amass 461 runs in eight inning lead the Indian batting honours at the World Cup.

The 25-year-old, who struck an unbeaten 104 in a grand 237-run unfinished third wicket stand with master batsman Sachin Tendulkar against Kenya, finished with an excellent average of 65.85 after completing a grand transformation into a complete one-day batsman.

Dravid and Tendulkar hoisted the best World Cup stand for any wicket in that run-plunder against Kenya, subsequently obliterated by the massive 318-run second wicket stand between Saurav Ganguly and Dravid against Sri Lanka.

Left-hander Ganguly finished second to Dravid, amassing 379 runs from seven innings for an average of 54.14.

Ganguly decimated the Lankan attacked in piling up the second highest World Cup knock of 183, which was the fourth best one-day knock as well a new Indian record bettering Kapil Dev’s 175 not out against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup.

Vice-captain Ajay Jadeja aggregated 272, with a century and half-century while Sachin Tendulkar had a suprisingly subdued tournament.

The star batsman who hit 140 not out against Kenya returning a day after his father’s funeral, managed only 253 from seven innings for an average of 36.14. His second highest score was 45 made against Pakistan.

Tendulkar crossed two personal milestones however during his innings of 45 against Pakistan, completing 8000 one-day runs as well as 1000 runs in World Cups.

The 26-year-old finished his third World Cup with 1057 runs, second behind Pakistani Javed Miandad’s record of 1083.

Skipper Mohd Azharuddin became the first player to cross 9000 runs during the course of the World Cup. He already holds the record for playing the most number of one-day ties.

Pace spearhead Javagal Srinath was the most successful Indian bowler, claiming 12 wickets for an average of 26.00 with a best effort of three for 37 against Pakistan.

Debashish Mohanty, the 24-year-old Orissa swing bowler proved the surprise packet, capturing a second highest effort of 10 wickets for 26.00 from six matches.

Mohanty was included for the erratic Ajit Agarkar from the third matches and kept up an impressive show after starting with a haul of four for 56 against Kenya.

Seasoned paceman Venkatesh Prasad, who was the bowling hero in India’s 47-run victory over Pakistan in the super six by claiming five for 27, emerged the third most successful with nine wickets.

All-rounder Robin Singh came up with the other five wicket haul, claiming five for 31 in India’s massive win over Sri Lanka. (PTI)

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