Muralitharan probably aiming for 800 wickets, says Kumble

BANGALORE, May 9: The world record breaking feat for most Test wickets by Sri Lankan bowler Muttiah Muralitharan has gladdened the heart of Anil Kumble for one reason — it has been achieved by a spinner.

"It has been a great achievement for a bowler from Sri Lanka. He (Muralitharan) has been the mainstay for many years. It is good that a spinner has completed that (broke the World record)", Kumble told reporters here.

Off-spinner Muralitharan took two wickets for 27 in the second innings against Zimbabwe on Harare yesterday to surpass the record of West Indies’ fast bowler Courtney Walsh, who took 519 wickets.

"I am sure he (Muralitharan) won’t stop at this (521 wickets). He is probably aiming at 800 wickets," the 84-Test veteran said. "At the end of the day, it is important that it is one of the spinners who achieved that."

"I am happy for him. He is a good friend of mine, and I wish him all the best".

On the possibilities of an Indian breaking that record, he said: "It is a long way off. I am close to 400. But he is 521 and is still going strong."

The 33-year-old leggie is just three wickets away from becoming the first Indian spinner and only the second Indian after Kapil Dev (434) to reach 400 Test scalps. (PTI)

Roger Binny only Indian at seminar

LAHORE, May 9: With BCCI chief Jagmohan Dalmiya and former skippers Sunil Gavaskar and Ravi Shastri opting out of the two-day ACC development seminar, Roger Binny remained the sole Indian at the event which got underway here today.

Asian Cricket Council chief executive Ashraful Haq said the Board of Control for Cricket in India president was preoccupied with his business assignments in Kolkata. Shastri could not manage permission from his employer while Gavaskar was in London from where he was supposed to go to Dubai, Mr Haq added.

He, however, expressed happiness over the arrival of former india player roger binny, a prominent member of India’s 1983 World Cup winning team.

Mr Haq described the revival of cricketing ties between India and Pakistan as a good sign and said the seminar, being organised for the first time by Pakistan, would further benefit the game.

He also observed that the game was gaining popularity in other parts of the continent and cited Nepal’s win over South Africa in the junior World Cup in Bangladesh earlier this year as a proof. (UNI)

Lack of sponsors puts Advani’s plans in jeopardy

BANGALORE, May 9: Last year when Pankaj Advani returned home after winning the IBSF World snooker championship, he was given a hero’s welcome and accolades followed from all quarters. And one thought then that corporate sponsorship would come in good measure to promote the teenage sensation’s career at the international level.

But several months down the line, it hasn’t come even in trickles and the Bangalore boy, who has big dreams, is beginning to stare at stark reality — his plans to enter the professional circuit is in jeopardy.

"I am hurt at the response to a world title and I just thought that the response would be better," Advani told PTI in an interview.

The 18-year-old is determined to make it to the professional circuit but without corporate sponsorship, his dream may not become a reality.

Advani said he has to go to England five times in a year to participate in as many tournaments, perform well in them, get certain amount of ranking and points which would enable him to enter the professional circuit.

These five tournaments — called the challenge tour —are not back-to-back, and they take place in the months of September, December, January, February and May. Each trip is estimated to cost around Rs. 5 lakh.

"Training itself is a huge expenditure," he says.

While Advani is appreciative of the Sports Authority of India and Central Government for giving him grants to go abroad and participate in World and Asian championships, he needs corporate sponsorship as far as professional engagements are concerned — like the challenge tour and international invitation tournaments.

"There has to be some corporate sponsorship...Some involvement of companies. Otherwise, I may not be able to further my career as far as professional ranking is concerned," he says.

Now that companies are not coming forward to support him, Advani is now planning to knock at the door of corporate houses himself.

He said, "I am trying to approach companies now for sponsorship and for endorsements. I just hope it works out. I just hope people would respond in a much more positive way."

"That way at least the sport should be encouraged. Today we say we want to win an Olympics gold medal ... The day we feel that we can win an Olympic medal is only when that encouragement comes in terms of cash awards and incentives."

Advani said it’s not true that India is not performing well in any sports. "We have been doing well in snooker and billiards, shooting, badminton and chess."

India has won as many 17 world titles as well as ten Asian crowns in snooker and billiards, he reminds. (PTI)

Battles on hockey fields in true Kodava style

MADIKERI (Karnataka), May 9: Nestled between hillocks and surrounded by coffee estates, Gargandoor is a non-descript village located some 275 km west of the hi-tech capital Bangalore.

It would have remained so just like thousands of little known villages in the country as it is very difficult to even locate it on the map of Karnataka.

But the village, which is seven km off the Mysore-Madikeri highway on Suntikoppa-Somwarpet road with a population of less than 3,000, has come alive and will remain so for the next fortnight. Life in the village, where one has to crane his neck to see the nearby houses, mostly located in small and big estates, was going on at a leisurely pace as coffee season is still months away till beginning of this month.

However, the Maleyanda Cup hockey festival-2004 has changed the scene and the village is bustling with activity with most of them taking part in it directly or indirectly.

The village will witness an unprecedented flow of visitors and nearly one and a half times its total population. Over 4,300 players, aged between six and over 60, from 236 Kodava families will descend in this village from different parts of the world and battle it out for the honours in this cradle of Indian hockey.

An astonishing 240 matches will be played with the finals slated for May 23 in the eighth edition of the family hockey, claimed to be only one of its kind in the world. The speciality of the tournament is that sex and age are no bar for the participants. The players should belong to the family or should be related by blood.

It is believed that there were over 800 families in the tiny but picturesque district bordering Kerala, the only district in Karnataka to be without an inch of railway line. Hold your breath. Draw of lots for the event was a nightmarish experience. It took three full days for five Physical Education Teachers.

Prof M P Subbaiah, one of the tournament directors and hockey coach at St Joseph’s College told a visiting UNI correspondent, "of course, this is an unprecedented event and the number of teams are mind-boggling. We will still accommodate teams till the first round is over. We have taken enough care," he added.

The matches are played on three grounds, two of them laid out for the tournament.

Though it is termed festival, the battle in the rectangle area is fierce and they fight with the intensity of soldiers-true to their style as Kodagu is a land of warriors and has the distinction of having given two Generals- Field Marshal K M Cariappa and General K C Thimmaiah—to the Indian Army. After battling it out in the middle, they walk out to the hero’s welcome with rivals coming out as friends.

One can hear loud ohs and see people throwing hands in despair when sitters are missed as the Kodavas, including women, are aficionados of the game. When goals are scored from difficult angles, the players are cheered lustily.

But outside the playing arena, real festival atmosphere prevails. From the temporary stands, specially erected with arecanut trunks for the tournament at a cost of Rs four lakh, supporters root for their families. Even shops have been set up offering various kinds of eatables to the spectators.

The last edition was an exception and it saw a suspension of a team from the tournament following an unruly incident.

True to its nature of the event, one day has been reserved for cultural activities. Prof Subbaiah said some of the former internationals and a couple of current players are likely to fight for their families. (UNI)

This Australian side does not sledge much: Sourav

Kolkata, May 9: Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly feels that the current Australian team is not much of a sledger and instead concentrates more on playing the game hard.

The Indian captain, during an interview to a private FM channel in the city last night, said, "sledging has gone down to a great extent with the Australian team."

"I was in fact surprised the last time we visited down under. The team as a whole concentrated more on the game rather than sledging. It has gone down a huge way. This Australian side does not sledge a lot like their previous teams," Sourav said.

Talking about the series in Australia he said, "we have beaten them more often in the test series recently. But they have had the better of us in the ODIs, something we would like to change. All I can say is that they are the best team in the world, but we are not far behind them."

During the course of the discussions when the most successful Indian test captain got really up, close and personal, Sourav said, "developing the team into a winning side was a gradual process and coach John Wright, physio Andrew Leipus and trainer Gregory Allan king had big roles to play. We had a bunch of talented players both old and new and we are happy to have transformed into a winning side."

Asked what was the motivation, he said, "playing for India is motivation enough. The other yardstick is how desperately you want to succeed. If they don t deliver they will no longer be a part of the team. That is also a huge motivation."

Sourav was also all praise for Pakistani pacers Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Sami, "they are fantastic bowlers. Its not easy to play them when they keep on bowling at you at 90 mph."

On his comments that he would pull the chain to stop the Rawailpindi Express, Sourav said, "I was asked how do you plan to stop the Rawalpindi Express. It was a press conference and I said by pulling the chain. Trains are stopped by pulling the chain, isn’t it. It was meant to be in a lighter vein and nothing should be read into it."

Sourav also praised rookie keeper Parthiv Patel for his batting prowess,"he batted brilliantly both in Australia and in Pakistan. He is a tremendous prospect for India."

Sourav continued unabated, "then see the likes of Irfan Pathan and Bala (L Balaji). They have adapted to the international standard so quickly. I am happy for them. Then we have the likes of Zaheer (Khan), Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh) and Yuvi (Yuvraj Aingh). Things are looking bright for India."

About his personal life, Sourav revealed that he was a quiet person who loved to spend the free time with close friends at home. "My daughter Sana is the biggest thing in my life and cricket wise my first Test cap and my bat," Sourav said. (UNI)

Shoaib charms cancer patients

LAHORE, May 9: This was one occasion that brought smiles to the face of the cancer patients at the Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital(SKMH) here as enigmatic Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar made a surprise visit to raise funds for them.

During his two-hour visit at the hospital yesterday, Shoaib spent time with the patients and played cricket with them to cheer up their otherwise dull life.

The hospital was built and is run by cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan in memory of his mother.

The children sported an ecstatic look as Shoaib took pictures with them and doled out autographs.

Talking to mediamen during the visit, Shoaib said,"the children need our attention" and vowed to play his part whenever chances came his way.

He also appealed to his affluent fans to generously donate money to fight the disease.

Earlier in Mumbai too, Shoaib had won the hearts of the cancer patients by spending time with them and playing a cricket match with them. (UNI)

For Murali, Indian wickets are costliest

NEW DELHI, May 9: He is the highest wicket taker in the 127-year history of Test cricket with a fabulous record against all countries, but Muttiah Muralitharan has given away the highest number of runs for each Indian wicket he has captured.

For each of the 51 wickets he has taken against India in 12 matches, Muralitharan has given away 32.94 runs compared to 10.45 for each Bangladeshi wicket or 16.41 for each Zimbabwean batsman snared by him.

Each wicket against Australia has cost him 31.42 runs while against Pakistan he has an average of 23.85. His average against other Test playing nations are — England (20.73), New Zealand (23.69), South Africa (22.68) and West Indies (19.60).

Muralitharan became the highest wicket taker in Test history when he took two for 37 in the first Test against Zimbabwe at Harare yesterday surpassing West Indies’ fast bowler Courtney Walsh’s record of 519 wickets.

The off-spinner achieved the milestone in just 89 matches while Walsh had taken 132 tests for his tally. Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne has 517 scalps to his credit from 110 matches so far.

Although statistically the spin wizards have much in common, the off-spinner has a better wicket-taking record per Test — Murali averages 5.8 wickets per Test and Warne 4.7.

The similarities — both have bowled over 30,000 balls in Test cricket and their strike rates is almost same — one wicket in every 58 balls for Murali and one in every 59 for Warne. (AGENCIES)

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