CANBERRA, Jan 27: A travel weary Indian team, which has criss-crossed Australia to play in the triangular series from............more

Pathan has few more
tricks up his sleeves

CANBERRA, Jan 27: India’s new bowling find Irfan Pathan has a few more tricks up his sleeves which he plans to.............more

Pak dethrones India to lift
Asia Cup U-17 cricket title

BANGALORE, Jan 27: Pakistan dethroned India to lift the Asia Cup under-17 cricket title with a convincing six wicket........more

Anand to regain second
spot in Chess ranking

WIJK AAN ZEE (Holland), Jan 27: Viswanathan Anand, who won the Corus Grandmasters Chess title for the second....more

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

GULMARG, Jan 27: Gulmarg, the winter sports destination, 51 Kms. from Srinagar, is all braced up to hold the 4th National Winter Games tomorrow...........more

DYSS honours officers
for exceptional work

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

JAMMU, Jan 27: It took the State Government five long years to decide about honouring the officers in Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS)...........more

Australia team among
mourners at funeral
for Hookes

MELBOURNE, Jan 27: Australia captain Ricky Ponting and his team were among an estimated 15,000 mourners who gathered....more

Bhupathi-Mirnyi knocked out of Australian Open......

Former sports scribe Henry Daniell dead......

India to clash with PM’s XI today

CANBERRA, Jan 27: A travel weary Indian team, which has criss-crossed Australia to play in the triangular series from early this month, will take on the Prime Minister’s XI in a festival cricket match at Manuka Oval here tomorrow but are still undecided who would be in the playing eleven.

The Indians have had a rather listless stay in Canberra in the last few days. They did not venture out of their rooms for the first two days, postponed a morning session at the oval this morning, generally giving the impression it is a game they would rather be happy not playing.

It is unlikely that most of the big guns would be seen in action tomorrow and the list of absentees would include captain Sourav Ganguly even though there is a certain sentiment attached with the presence of Steve Waugh as rival captain and this being bigger than a normal festival match.

The Indians are not treating this game seriously though Australians are giving it a big billing since it is a traditional fixture and also that Waugh would be around.

Waugh of course is looking forward to locking horns with the Indians in one final fling at the tourists who almost caused him grief during the test series.

"For me, of course, I thought I’d played my last match against India in Sydney earlier this month, but I guess I have another opportunity to face a very in-form team that no doubt will be looking to maintain its’ successful tour to date," Waugh said.

The home team has four players who recently represented Australia ‘A’ against Zimbabwe. They include South Australia’s Mark Cleary and Shaun Tait, Tasmanian fast bowler Damien Wright and Western Australian Marcus North who smashed a brilliant 115 against the Africans.

Victoria’s David Hussey is also expected to provide some fireworks when he makes his way to the crease. His double century against NSW in Newcastle last week was heralded by Waugh as one of the best knocks he had seen in domestic cricket for years. Waugh felt the selectors should be paying close attention to Hussey for higher honours in future.

Also around will be chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns who is looking to spot a bowling talent who could get a surprise selection in the Australian squad for the rest of the tri-series. He feels the presence of Waugh would bring that extra effort from the youngsters in tomorrow’s match.

"Steve is a player most of these guys would have looked up to as they were coming through the ranks, and I know they will be thrilled to be able to play alongside him."

Teams:

Prime Minister’s XI: Stephen Waugh (captain), Marcus North, Cade Brown, Matthew Bradley, David Hussey, Andrew McDonald, Chris Hartley, Mark Cleary, Damien Wright, Xavier Doherty and Shaun Tait.

India (from): Sourav Ganguly (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Virender Shewag, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Rohan Gavaskar, Parthiv Patel, Anil Kumble, Murali Kartik, Irfan Pathan, Ashish Nehra, Laxmipathy Balaji, Hemang Badani, Sanjay Bangar and Ajit Agarkar. (PTI)

Pathan has few more tricks up his sleeves

CANBERRA, Jan 27: India’s new bowling find Irfan Pathan has a few more tricks up his sleeves which he plans to "showcase" in the finals of the triangular cricket series.

"I am working on a few things and will showcase them in next few games," revealed Pathan as the tri-series builds to a climax in the coming week.

"I have done well but I am not satisfied and want to do better for the team in the future," the bowler said in an interview here.

Pathan’s profile has undergone a sea change from a bench bowler to donning the mantle of India’s strike bowler on the present tour.

Ever since he was told of his baptism an hour before the start of the Adelaide Test, Pathan has improved so much so that captain Sourav Ganguly is entrusting him with the new ball and asking him to shoulder the responsibility in the final overs of the innings.

"When a captain shows his support, it means a world of difference to my confidence," said Pathan.

Pathan’s first wicket came in his third over in the form of Matthew Hayden and then in Sydney, he clean bowled Adam Gilchrist with a swinging yorker and since then he has scalped the dreaded Australian left-handers in the one-day series as well.

Indeed, Pathan had a fascinating duel with Hayden in Brisbane, watching him dropped at long on in one of his over and then claiming him via a catch to wicketkeeper two deliveries later.

Hayden was taunting him and just a delivery before he was out, had smacked a hard drive straight on to Pathan’s ankle.

"It hit me hard but I didn’t even touch my ankle. He was taunting me but I just wanted to get his wicket. It was doubly satisfying when I got him because he had been dropped earlier and was already well past his hundred."

Along with wickets, Pathan has shown a remarkable increase in his pace and has no doubt it would keep growing in days to come.

"I have no doubt my pace would grow. I started with 131kmph but in Brisbane I was touching 140. As my rhythm gets better, the pace would increase.

"At present my strength is swing, especially the outgoing swing which troubles left-hander and which is incoming to right-handers."

Pathan remembers many faces and voices which encouraged him at various stages of his still nascent career.

"I remember the first time I went to MRF I learnt the little nuances of bowling. I learnt the importance of my right hand and what it could do to my bowling. I started building strength in gym and when I returned, my own people could not recognise me so strong had I become."

"Playing for Baroda meant I got to interact with Zaheer Khan a lot. He has been a great help, always helping me out and boosting my confidence," Pathan said.

"I remember in my first year when I was playing the Ranji Trophy finals, I was copping a lot of stick from batsmen and he kept saying `keep your chin up, keep your head high’ don’t show it to batsmen’.

"Zaheer also advised me to plant my leg straight in line of the stumps, earlier I was letting myself run close to the danger area all the time. He told me how to transfer my body Weight and many other finer things."

"Then in my first Irani Trophy, VVS Laxman, who remains my favourite cricketer and person, came over to me after he had hit a hundred and the game was over. He asked me to look after my bowling and batting. He asked me to look for bowling tips from Zaheer all the time.

"People like Sachin, Rahul and Sourav — they have always been so supportive. I remember Sachin telling Sourav to bring me on in Sydney and me going out and taking the wickets of Steve Waugh and Gilchrist. His mere words meant so much and proved to be very encouraging."

Pathan, whose association with the legendary Wasim Akram has generated a controversy in Pakistan, admitted that the Sultan of swing had been extremely supportive throughout.

"Wasim Bhai is an idol and I am very grateful to him. Whenever I have approached him, he has not turned me away." The young left-arm bowler was also appreciative of the services of bowling coach Bruce Reid.

"Reid has kept emphasising to me to rely on rhythm. Whenever I try to go beyond myself, he keeps saying `maintain rhythm. Don’t get your action across’.

"I now feel nothing is more important than maintaining a rhythm. It doesn’t matter who you are bowling to as long as you are able to sustain a good rhythm."

It has been a fairytale rise for the young Baroda paceman, getting picked early and then given the exposure through various under-19, India ‘A’ and youth tours.

Luck has played no mean factor itself since he was way down the list of fast bowlers, certainly behind Zaheer, Ashish Nehra, Avishkar Salvi, Laxmipathy Balaji and Ajit Agarkar, before injuries to others provided him with a chance and he has not looked back thereafter. (PTI)

Pak dethrones India to lift Asia Cup U-17 cricket title

BANGALORE, Jan 27: Pakistan dethroned India to lift the Asia Cup under-17 cricket title with a convincing six wicket victory here today.

Opting to bat at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, India were all out for 230 in 45 overs. Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla top-scored for the hosts with 51.

Pakistan reached the target in 43.1 overs, scoring 233 for 4.

Barring the 62 run stand for the seventh wicket between Chawla and Prem Prathik (18), a good partnership eluded the Indians as wickets fell at regular intervals. India were 143 for the loss of six wickets at one stage.

Left arm spinner K Raza Ali Dar was pick of the Pakistani bowlers taking three wickets for 40 runs while Fahad Zaman and Fiaz Ahmed scalped two each.

Pakistan’s victory chase was built around the 109 run partnership for the fourth wicket between Adnaan Raza Ali (76 not out) and Fiaz Ahmed (63).

Sloppy fielding let India down as both Ali and Ahmed got a life each. Ahmed was dropped by Prateek at mid-wicket off Umesh Karvi at his individual score of 42 and the team’s 171, while Ali was dropped by Raviraj Patil off Ravikant Shukla when he had made 57 at the team’s same total.

Ali who hit five fours and one six in his 90-ball innings was declared man-of-the-match.

Brief scores:

India 230 all out in 45 overs (Chawla 51, Ravikant Shukla 29, Raviraj Patil 28, Ali Murtaza 22; Dar 3-40, Zaman 2-41, Ahmed 2-44) vs Pakistan 233 for 4 in 43.1 overs (Ali 76 not out, Ahmed 63, Nasir Jamshaid 31; Murtaza 1-24, Prateek 1-39, Karvi 1-48, Shabaaz Nadeem 1-46). (PTI)

Anand to regain second spot in Chess ranking

WIJK AAN ZEE (Holland), Jan 27: Viswanathan Anand, who won the Corus Grandmasters Chess title for the second year in succession, will move to the second place in the next rating list.

Anand’s outright win with 8.5 points out of 13 should see him gain about eight or nine ELO points, which when put with his current rating of 2,766 should see him go up to at least 2,774.

Vladimir Kramnik, who had a poor tournament, is likely to drop about eight points and come down from 2,777 to 2,769, which will make Anand a clear second in world ratings once again.

Anand had been world number two behind Garry Kasparov for a long time, before Kramnik overtook him. Now he is back in second place.

"My next goal is 2,800," said Anand soon after the win. If he has another year like 2003, the chances are that he will soon make that landmark figure. "I am glad to have begun the new year with a good win in Wijk, which is one of my favourite events and venue."

This was also Anand’s 16th title win since the 2,000 world championships in New Delhi and Teheran.

Meanwhile, there is talk once again of Anand likely to be chosen for the Chess Oscar for 2003. The results which will be declared after the counting of votes by world’s leading chess writers, is expected to be announced in a few weeks time.

Anand’s second straight win, and fourth overall, puts him in the elite company of Lajos Portisch, Max Euwe and Viktor Kortchnoi, who have won the corus title four times. If Anand manages to retain his title in 2005, too, he will emulate the feat of Kasparov, whose three wins came in consecutive years.

Anand’s first two wins in Wjik Aan Zee came in 1989 and 1998, when he shared the title. But in 2003 and 2004 he has won the title outright. The classical chess results put together with his domination of the rapid circuit last year, make him the best player overall, a fact that will count when the chess oscars are given out. (UNI)

Gulmarg braces up for 4th National Winter
Games beginning today

Excelsior Sports Correspondent

GULMARG, Jan 27: Gulmarg, the winter sports destination, 51 Kms. from Srinagar, is all braced up to hold the 4th National Winter Games tomorrow. Arrangements have been finalized to start the big event that has drawn lot of attention both from the winter games lovers.

The games have been divided into two segments of ice and skiing events to be played between January 28 and 31 and March 3 and 8, respectively.

It is pertinent to recall that the first National Winter Games were held at Gulmarg in 1998. The second and third games were held at Manali, Himachal Pradesh and Auli, Uttaranchal in 2000 and 2003, respectively.

The Minister for Tourism, Ghulam Hassan Mir today reviewed arrangements and visited venues where the inauguration function and actual events would take place. He was accompanied by Director General, Tourism, Saleem Baig, Chief Executive Officer, Gulmarg Development Authority and senior officers of the Tourism Department.

Hosted by J&K Tourism department under the auspices of the Indian Olympic Association, the games would give fillip to winter sports in Jammu and Kashmir.

At least 20 teams from J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Utter Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, West Bengal, ITBP, BSF, Army Sports Control Board, Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, Air Force Adventure Cell, Naval Sports Control Board, All India Ex-Service Men League and Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering will participate in both segments of the games.

The Ice events comprising ice hockey, ice-skating and figure skatting would be held from tomorrow in which 6 teams including two from Jammu and Kashmir would take part. Other teams from Himachal Pradesh, ITBP, Army Sports Control Board and All India Ex-Service Men League have already arrived here. The players are in high spirits and looking forward to an interesting and tough competition ahead. Total participants who have reported here are 93.

Giving the background of holding National Winter Games here, the Minister said Gulmarg is being projected as the main winter sports centre for national and international events. He said these games would also help the state project Kashmir as the safe destination for tourists even as it would open new vistas for winter sports lovers. The Minister recalled the efforts of the government especially the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in showcasing Kashmir as the ultimate tourist destination for both national and international tourists. He said the holding of the 4th National Winter Games was also the result of his personal efforts, adding that when the Indian Olympic Association desired to hold the event here the Chief Minister not only readily agreed with the idea but also offered all possible help and infrastructure facilities to hold the event at Gulmarg.

Mr Mir said that the venue has all the facilities of infrastructure and logistic to hold national events and it would be the endeavour of the government to upgrade these to international standard.

The Minister issued special instructions for making arrangements for local population and tourists to witness the various events. He asked the Gulmarg Development Authority to arrange buses to ferry the interesting people from Tangmarg so that they are also a part of this big event.

Meanwhile, Suresh Kalmadi, president, Indian Olympic Association and Colonel N. Kumar, president Winter Games Federation of India (WGFI) arrived here this afternoon. Soon after his arrival, Mr Kalmadi told media persons that WGFI is contemplating to hold Asian Games and Commonwealth Winter Games at Gulmarg. He said Gulmarg will have proper facilities to host these events.