Cricket World Cup
Defending champions still to draw a line
By Sanjiv Kumar

NEW DELHI, May 11:The latest: "Sri Lankan think-tank decided to continue the first 15-over ‘pinch hitting’ strategy, which led to their 1996 World Cup triumph, to leave opponents so shellshocked that they would never recover in the remaining game."

Few days back, they said the team must abandon reckless scheme of things while playing if they wish to repeat 1996 and annex the title for the second consecutive time like West Indies.

But their wavering stance every second day in stormy weather and seaming pitches have made them a victim of the hamletian dilemma of "to be or not to be" before their inaugural encounter with hosts England.

In fact, the eleventh hour hotch-potch with statements and counter-statements is not a positive sign for the team whose recent results have let them down times without number. The panacea would be to draw a line according to dictates of the game concerned as different strategies for different games would script a success story.

The pinch hitting on seaming wickets and swinging ball could also prove suicidal.

Since winning the World Cup in 1996, Sri Lanka have won 43 of their 81 one-day internationals including six tournaments. But in less than twelve months, they have managed to win only seven of their last 24.

In March, the Lankans failed to reach the final of a tri-nation tournament against India and Pakistan. Prior to it, they missed the final of the world series involving Australia and England. A few months before that in Sharjah, they were beaten by India and Zimbabwe.

This is not like of the defending champions who reinvented the one-day game three years ago in dramatic fashion. With the passage of time, they could not maintain the glorious rhythm which was composed by Jayasuria and company in the sixth edition of the world cup, making a mockery of tradition at one-day wisdom by throwing their bats during the first 15 overs.

In between, their innovations and elan dried up, so did the trophy award functions. But dismal showing is not the only reason for their misery as several top players have missed many tournaments and games because of injury.

Besides failed attempts to introduce new players into the ageing squad, a controversy over control of the Sri Lankan Cricket Board just before the team’s departure for the 1999 World Cup has been unsettling.

Though skipper Arjuna Ranatunga has denied that ageing factor has anything to with poor performance, there is no denying the fact that the current 15-man team for the millennium’s last cricketing extravaganza carries eleven members from the previous World Cup and that means they have aged by three years.

"Experience is the most important thing and our side is based on it. The boys have done it once and they know how to repeat it." Batting remains Sri Lanka’s forte - -be it posting a formidable total or chasing the impossible. The team is built around the batsmen, most of whom are also dependable spinners.

If Sanath Jayasuriya, Arvinda De Silva and Muttiah Muralitharan, plus Ranatunga can hit form in unison, Sri Lanka may yet surprise itself.

However, fielding has let the crew down badly. It is evident from the fact that Roshan Mahanama, 33, once an opening batsman, is picked purely for his fielding and his recall is imminent following Lanka’s waning fielding standards in the lead-up to the World Cup.

Duleep mendis, chairman of selectors and Sri Lanka’s tour manager, has said that "selective memory may be the best method to come out from the lean trot and they should remember the 1996 victory and forget the last few nightmares."

Practically, a good start to the tournament, against England at Lord’s in the opening fixture on May 14, could rapidly lift the gloom.

After all, few expected Sri Lanka to win the 1996 World Cup. Few expect them to defend their title successfully in the 1999 edition.

Can it be the other way round again ?.

Italian Open
Agassi on comeback trail once again

ROME May 11: Andre Agassi’s latest comeback has begun, with the American star not even willing to hazard a guess at how long it will last.

Agassi has been fighting to get his game back, through one setback or another, ever since losing the 1995 US Open final to Pete Sampras. The latest stumbling block was a four-week layoff because of a shoulder injury.

"Nowadays you have to take wins when you can get them. You can’t worry about tomorrow," Agassi said yesterday after disposing of France’s Jerome Golmard 6-3, 6-4 in the first round of the Clay-Court Italian Open, his first tournament since April 11.

"It’s a big step for me just to win the first one."

Not exactly the "image is everything" brashness that marked the early years of his career, but Agassi’s on-court performance Monday did show hints that his laser forehand and top-notch return of serve are rounding into form.

Top-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia also advanced, ending his seven-match losing streak by beating Chris Woodruff of the United States in three sets. Two-time US Open Champion Patrick Rafter of Australia, and No 3 seed Alex Corretja of Spain won their first-round matches.

Today, second-seeded Sampras was scheduled to make his own return from injury in a first-round match against the Czech Republic’s Bohdan Ulihrach. Other featured encounters were defending champion Marcelo Rios of Chile against German qualifier David Prinosil, and 1997 French Open titlist Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil against Spain’s Fernando Vicente.

Agassi made a remarkable turnaround in 1998, making a move from No. 122 in the world at the end of 1997 to No. 6 at the end of last year the biggest 12-month climb into the top 10 in ATP tour rankings history.

But the three-time grand slam tournament was listless in a fourth-round loss to countryman Vince Spadea in the Australian Open in January, and got tossed out of a tourney in San Jose, California, in February for shouting obscenities.

His ranking has dropped to 13th, but he says he sees good things ahead.

"I feel very focused. This is very important to me, to do well in the clay season, because that will help on other surfaces," said Agassi, never a fan of the European clay circuit. (AP)

Injury scare for Tendulkar

TRENT BRIDGE, May 11: Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar today had an injury scare after being struck on his calf while batting his way to a fluent 91 against Nottinghamshire, but coach Anshuman Gaekwad said there was no cause for alarm.

Tendulkar, playing his first major knock on return from a two-month layoff due to back injury, blasted his runs off only 113 balls to guide India to a facile 87-run victory in their final warm-up tie but did not take the field as the notts began their innings.

Gaekwad told reporters that there was nothing serious. ‘Sachin was struck in his leg while batting, but it is nothing to worry. He did not field only as a precautionary measure.’

The master batsman was seen sitting in the dressing room balcony applying an ice pack to his calf. But the coach said Tendulkar should be fine for India’s World Cup opening tie against South Africa to come off at hove on May 15.

Tendulkar opened out and played an array of shots showing no discomfiture as he served a warning to opposing teams on the tournament eve, but appeared to be limping in the final stages of his innings.

Nine short of his century, he mistimed a slash through cover off paceman Mark Bowen to give an easy catch to victor drake, a West Indian import of the county.

Tendulkar’s back injury in January and his subsequent lay-off had been a major cause for concern in India’s final run-up to the tournament. (PTI)

JU Inter-Deptt Sports Meet
Commerce enter TT semis; DOM, Economics
sail into Badminton final

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 11: Department of Commerce defeated Department of Geography in straight close sets to enter the Table Tennis final of the Jammu University Inter-Departmental Sports Meet, here today.

The match was well contested, particularly the second singles in which two sets were decided in game points.

In the first singles, Jatinder Rana outplayed Bhupinder Singh 2-1. The first set was won by Jatinder 21-18, but Bhupinder equalised the lead by clinching the second set 15-21. However, playing some good shots at the end helped Jatinder to save the set 21-19 and won the match.

A tough fight took place in all the three sets in the second singles which went in favour of Dhrub Mahajan, who outplayed Samir Kotwal 2-1. Dhrub lost his first set 18-21, but showed some patience in the remaining sets, which ended in game points 22-20, 22-20.

In the Badminton competitions, Department of Office Management (DOM) and Economics made it into the final and will meet each other on May 13.

In the first semi-final, DOM beat Commerce Department in straight sets. While, Economics Department beat Computer Sciences 2-0 to enter the final stage.

In Volleyball league competitions, Computer Sciences Department defeated Geography in straight sets of 26-24, 25-24. English Department beat Political Science 25-13, 25-13 to advance in second round.

Urdu Department also won its match against Botany Department.

Final of Rajinder Memorial Cricket Tourney on May 16

Excelsior Correspondent

JAMMU, May 11: The final of the ongoing 2nd Rajinder Memorial Cricket Tournament will be held on May 16 at Parade Ground, here.

According to Mr Sudhir Singh, one of the organisers of tournament, the first semi-final will be held between Vishal Cricket Club and Dogra Cricket Club on May 13. Whereas, the second semi-final will take place on May 14 between Karam Chand Cricket Club and Jammu Cricket Club at the same ground.

Self Defence Course for girls

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, May 11: The 5th Girls Self Defence Course is going on at Girls Higher Secondary School, Amirakadal, Srinagar with collaboration of J&K Adventure Sports Association.

Nearly one hundred girls are receiving training in self Defence techniques/tricks and thoughts. The course is aimed to incalcate self-confidence among the women, folk.

India’s cup hopes lie with bowlers

NOTTINGHAM, (ENGLAND), May 11: India, winner of the 1983 World Cup, is putting its faith in a battery of seam and swing bowlers to reproduce success in the 1999 tournament, which starts on Friday.

Based on recent form, India is lurking among the underdogs to clinch the 12-nation event, but has a good nucleus of a team with four batting allrounders including Sachin Tendulkar, Ajay Jadeja, Saurav Ganguly and Robin Singh.

Skipper Mohammad Azharuddin said he’s confident he has the "right" team to "upset the form-book".

"Whatever people say about South Africa or Australia winning, I don’t care," he said. "I think we have a fair chance to do well."

The bowling attack, considered India’s strongest ever in a World Cup, was carefully selected to suit an the venues and the varying conditions of an early English summer.

Concentrating on the medium pacemen, the attack is speaheaded by the experienced Javagal Srinth plus Venkatesh Prasad, Debashish Mohanty, Singh and the new bowling find Ajit Agarkar.

Srinath had a good season in the English County Championship with Gloucestershire in 1995 when he took 87 wickets in 15 County games.

Agarkar, the fastest player to reach 50 wickets in one-day cricket, is considered dangerous especially with his uncanny ability to bowl a deceptive pace.

Leg-spinner Anil Kumble, the leading wicket-taker at the 1996 World Cup played in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, will again provide the cutting edge to the attack.

India opens its World Cup campaign against favourites South Africa at hove and then takes on England at Edgbaston. Both pitches are renowned seamer-friendly tracks.

Azharuddin leads a talented side in his second tournament as captain, but despite the big names, India, is still considered by its cricket public as a team not having fulfilled its true potential.

"We’ve had our ups and downs in the recent years," says Azharuddin. "But we’ve worked hard and have brushed up all areas," .

India’s World Cup preparation was boosted by the addition of former Australian coach Bob Simpson as a consultant and Azharuddin feels that since Simpson joined, the team’s fielding has improved a lot.

"It was one area that was letting us down badly," he said.

"We’ve worked hard with Simpson and I am sure it is going to reflect when we take the field this time."

There has been calls for Azharuddin to be replaced by Ajay Jadeja as captain, but the veteran of a record 315 one-day internationals feels it hasn’t effected the team morale.

"People will say things when the team is going through a bad patch. It is nothing new. My immediate task at hand is to get the team performing well in this tournament," he said.

The 36-year-old right hander starts the tournament needing to score just 51 runs to become the first batsman to score 9000 runs in one-day cricket.

India’s batting success has often revolved around Tendulkar and his absence with a chronic back injury was obvious in the team’s defeats to Pakistan at home and in Sharjah in the World Cup build-up.

But Azharuddin says India is not just a "one-man team."

"India is not Tendulkar," he said. "India is not Azharuddin. India is represented by 11 players and we must play as a team to win."

The Indian batsmen have traditionally struggled on seaming pitches but Azharuddin said his top order batsmen were

"technically sound" and was confident of a good show from the start. (AP)

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