JALANDHAR, Dec 24: Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev today said that there should be no "ambiguity" in the suspect bowling action rules and asked the International Cricket Council to settle the issue for "once and all" instead of lingering on it for long..............more

Joginder impresses
with fighting spirit

DHAKA, Dec 24: There was nothing spectacular about Joginder Sharma’s maiden appearance in one-day internationals. But the figures that went against his name on the scorecard show that he plays his game the hard way..............more

Kiwis for special
practice to counter Vaas

AUCKLAND, Dec 24: New Zealand have called for specialist left-arm swing practice to counter the threat of Chaminda Vaas in the opening one-day cricket international against Sri Lanka here Sunday...........more

There were other
reasons for Miandad’s
sacking: PCB chief

LAHORE, Dec 24: The fire of controversy regarding the sacking of Javed Miandad as cricket coach was freshly fuelled by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan comments that claimed that the team’s loss to India in the home Test and one-day series was not the sole reason for his ouster..............more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 24: Jammu and Kashmir registered a big 20-1 win over Orissa in the opening league match of the 18th senior national korfball championship started today at Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.............more

Haji for true sportsmanship
among students

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 24: Urging the need for true sportsmanship, Minister for Youth Services and Sports Haji Nissar Ali has called upon the student community for taking active role in over all sports activities alongwith academic curriculum..............more

J&K-Kerala Ranji match
interestingly poised

PALAKKAD, Dec 24: Requiring 461 for an outright win, Jammu and Kashmir were 119 for one in the second innings at close in the Ranji Trophy cricket plate ‘A’ group match against Kerala on the penultimate day here today.........more

India improves
ODI ratings

LONDON, Dec 24: With the win against hosts Bangladesh in the first of the three-match one-day series, India has improved its ICC ODI rating by one point from 100 to 101. .......more

High Commissioner hosts Indian team for a lunch......

Three share lead in chess.......

Mithila Raj stars in India’s win over Australia......

Settle suspect action issue once for all: Kapil

JALANDHAR, Dec 24: Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev today said that there should be no "ambiguity" in the suspect bowling action rules and asked the International Cricket Council to settle the issue for "once and all" instead of lingering on it for long.

Kapil, who was here as the chief guest at the farmtrack hockey tournament, said the delay in settling the issue has resulted in the players, found with suspect bowling action, undergoing the "ordeal once in every two years."

"I would appreciate if such controversial issues are not allowed to linger on and should be settled at the earliest so that the players could concentrate on their game instead of having to worry about other issues."

On the ICC finding fault in ace off-spinner Harbhajan Singh’s action, Kapil said "there is nothing wrong in saying that there is any fault in a bowler’s action if the concerned authorities feel so.

"But the ambiguity over such issues must be cleared at the earliest for the benefit of everyone."

Kapil also said that such matters must not trouble the cricketers as they were part and parcel of one’s career.

"Had they pointed out at me for a suspect action, at least I would not have been a bothered man and even offered myself for any Test," he said.

Asked if there was any racial discrimination as most of times only Asian players have been pointed out for the suspect action, Kapil sidestepped the query saying the cricketers from the sub-continent were more flexible in their bowling action and hence were more prone to such calls.

"The European or Australian cricketers are quite stiff and hardly try anything different to bowl as a result they are rarely pointed out," he said.

The former Indian skipper was also against blowing the issue — Harbhajan Singh’s suspect action — out of proportion and said it should be left to ICC and the bowler to deal with.

"It should be left on him (Harbhajan) and the ICC to hammer it out between themselves instead of media creating an unnecessary hype on the issue."

Harbhajan is the sixth bowler and fifth Asian to be reported to the ICC under its revised process to deal with potentially flawed action in 2004.

This was the second time for the Indian off spinner to have been pointed out for suspect action. The previous occasion was in November 1998 when Harbhajan had to undergo remedial work in London. (PTI)

Joginder impresses with fighting spirit

DHAKA, Dec 24: There was nothing spectacular about Joginder Sharma’s maiden appearance in one-day internationals. But the figures that went against his name on the scorecard show that he plays his game the hard way.

He could face only seven balls in the Indian innings and remained unbeaten on five. But he also bowled eight overs in two spells for 1-28, and took a well judged catch in the deep.

Importantly, he did not have an iota of stage fright. Playing for India ‘A’ made him feel "normal", he said.

"I did not get enough time with the bat," was how he summed up his first game in India colours.

The 21-year-old lad from Rohtak, Haryana, belongs to a middle class family which depends on the meager income earned from a paan shop business.

Yet, he talks about his India debut in the first one-day international against Bangladesh in Chittagong yesterday in a matter-of-fact manner.

"It was very difficult at the start. You know it is a bit expensive and I had to depend on my friends’ help. It was tough, hard. But somehow I never thought about such things," Joginder said as he looked back on the thorny path he had walked.

"I just played my cricket, concentrated on the game. I got to play for the state, then the zone and now India," he said.

Joginder made his Ranji Trophy debut three years ago. He merited the selection with two back to back centuries and 30 wickets in four matches so far this season.

He said it did not bother him that his state team did not enjoy the media exposure like Delhi or Punjab did in the North Zone.

"I did not think about it, exposure and other things. Many people from the state have played for India before," he said.

Being an allrounder, Pakistan’s Abdul Razzaq and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis are the two cricketers he keenly follows.

"What I like in them is their fighting spirit, the ability to do well when the team needs them, and their attitude to the game," he said.

Kapil Dev is the name that comes to mind when Haryana is mentioned in the context of Indian cricket. But Joginder still has a long way to go before being associated with his legendary statemate. (PTI)

Kiwis for special practice to counter Vaas

AUCKLAND, Dec 24: New Zealand have called for specialist left-arm swing practice to counter the threat of Chaminda Vaas in the opening one-day cricket international against Sri Lanka here Sunday.

Dropped black cap James Franklin has been drafted back into the camp for net practice as New Zealand expects Vaas to provide Sri Lanka with some sting on what could be a seaming pitch.

"We asked Jimmy to come up and bowl at the boys because they’ve got a couple of handy left-armers," black caps manager Ross Dykes said.

"It sounds as though one of them might be out, but they still have vaas. He swings the new ball and so does Jimmy so it’s just about planning ahead and it’s excellent practice for the batters."

Of the left-arm seam attack, Nuwan Zoysa is likely to miss the first two of the five internationals after dislocating a finger in a warm-up match, placing added focus on Vaas who has a fondness for New Zealand conditions.

"The pitches are very good for bowlers, it seams around. The key is to put the ball in the right spot and things usually happen from there," said the 30-year-old who has taken 25 wickets at 27.40 in 23 matches against New Zealand.

"I remember the 1994 tour a lot. Getting 10 wickets (10-90) in Napier, scoring my first 50 and winning, of course."

Black caps opener Nathan Astle will be expected to blunt the new ball attack of Vaas, and the veteran feels he’s very close to posting some big scores this summer after tweaking his technique.

"I think I’m close to cracking a couple of things that should make me a much better player," he told the New Zealand Herald.

The main points of interest were Astle’s stance, head position, subsequent foot movement and his ability to play off the back foot.

"I tend to become a bit anchored and I just want to get moving a bit more, so I become more of a two foot player."

New Zealand are expected to win the opening game coming two weeks after their tied series against Australia across the tasman, and with Sri Lanka underdone after both their warm-up games were hampered by bad weather.

In their opening game, Sri Lanka’s batsmen faced just 10 overs before being called off, while the second game was abandoned without a ball being bowled. (AFP)

There were other reasons for Miandad’s
sacking: PCB chief

LAHORE, Dec 24: The fire of controversy regarding the sacking of Javed Miandad as cricket coach was freshly fuelled by Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan comments that claimed that the team’s loss to India in the home Test and one-day series was not the sole reason for his ouster.

"Yes, I did issue a strongly-worded statement soon after the Pakistan team lost to India but but there were other reasons for Miandad’s ouster, the dawn quoted Shaharyar as saying but he refused to elaborate on the ‘other reasons’.

Mr Khan, however, stood behind the current team coach Bob Woolmer who has recently been under fire from home for both cricketing reasons and some not strictly so.

"Under Woolmer’s coaching Pakistan has defeated India four times and came close to beating Australia twice in one-dayers," Mr Khan said.

The chairman also managed a word of praise for the captain.

"Inzamam came to bat despite the bad back. Had he not come to bat, the morale of the rest of the teams would have been at the lowest ebb," he said.

He said that PCB would consider a proposal to give Inzamam a break in patches to keep him fit. (UNI)

Big win for J&K in korfball

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 24: Jammu and Kashmir registered a big 20-1 win over Orissa in the opening league match of the 18th senior national korfball championship started today at Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh.

According to the reports reaching here, skipper Manjeet Singh was top scorer from J&K with six goals while Amit, Ashwani and Jatinder Pal contributed three goals each. Young Irfan added two goals to team’s score. Girls too were not behind in contributing their share with Meenakshi and Deepanti making one goal each.

Besides Orissa, four other teams including defending champion Delhi are there in J&K’s pool. Other three are Maharashtra, Pondichery and Karnataka, the reports revealed.

In other matches of the day, Andhra Pradesh defeated Chatisgarh 9-3, Delhi outplayed Maharashtra 14-4, Uttar Pradesh trounced Bihar 32-5, Harayana thrashed Manipur 28-3 and Madhya Pradesh held Chandigarh to a 9-9 draw.