Kings
XI Punjab take on Delhi Daredevils
MOHALI, Apr 26: Having tasted first
victory in the tournament, hosts Kings XI
punjab would like to carry forward the
momentum when they take on formidable
Delhi Daredevils in their Indian Premier
League clash here tomorrow.
The
unsavoury incident, involving Harbhajan
Singh and hosts paceman S Sreesanth last
night, is likely to occupy the minds of
Punjab team’s players especially the
fast bowler himself and skipper Yuvraj
Singh.
However,
they have to shrug off the whole
controversy to put up a good show against
the Virender Sehwag-led team, which has a
clean record in the tournament, with two
wins, so far.
The trio
of Glenn McGrath, Mohammed Asif and
Daniel Vettori makes the visitors bowling
strong and the Punjab batsmen will have
to bring their best to negotiate the
attack.
Hosts too
rely heavily on their bowlers for a good
show with their batsmen showing
individual brilliance rather than
clicking together.
Australian
paceman Brett Lee together with Irfan
Pathan and spinner Piyush Chawla are
getting better as the tournament is
moving forward.
The
batsmen from the Delhi team have so far
got little opportunity to showcase their
skills as openers — Sehwag and
Gautam Gambhir — dominated the run
chase in both their nine-wicket wins.
If Brett
Lee and co performed like they did
against Mumbai Indians yesterday,
Delhi’s middle order will definitely
be tested.
Teams
(from):
Daredevils:
Virender Sehwag (captain), Rajat Bhatia,
Ab De Villiers, Shikhar Dhawan,
Tillakaratne Dilshan, Gautam Gambhir,
Brett Geeves, Dinesh Karthik, Glenn
McGrath, Farveez Maharoof, Yo Mahesh,
Mithun Manhas, Amit Mishra, Mohammad
Asif, Yogesh Nagar, Pradeep Sangwan,
Shoaib Malik, Mayank Tehlan, Manoj
Tiwary, Daniel Vettori.
Kings XI
Punjab: Yuvraj Singh (captain), Ajitesh
Argal, Piyush Chawla, Pankaj Dharmani ,
Rishi Dhawan, Karan Goel, James Hopes,
Mahela Jayawardene, Simon Katich, Uday
Kaul, Sahil Kukreja, Brett Lee, Shaun
Marsh, Kyle Mills, Wilkin Mota, Irfan
Pathan, Luke Pomersbach, Ramesh Powar,
Nitin Saini, Kumar Sangakkara, Ramnaresh
Sarwan, Vikram Singh, Sunny Sohal S
Sreesanth, Tanmay Srivastava. (PTI)
Love
it or hate it but IPL is here to stay:
Zaheer
KARACHI, Apr 26: The purists
may scoff at it but former Pakistan
captain Zaheer Abbas feels the Indian
Premier League is here to stay as the
cash-rich Twenty20 extravaganza has
caught the imagination of the masses like
no other cricket tournament before it.
"Looking
at the way the people are taking to
Twenty20 cricket I am sure it has a
bright future and is here to stay,"
Zaheer told on Saturday.
He said
the growing number of spectators in IPL
matches was a big boost for cricket
itself which could now be promoted
globally.
"After
the success of Indian Cricket League and
now the IPl, I think even those players
and purists who don’t like this form
of the game and think it will harm
traditional cricket have been forced to
take to it and support it. They have no
other option," he said.
Zaheer,
however, felt batsmen would gain nothing
from Twenty20 cricket.
"There
is no technique required in this form
only that player is successful who can
lash out big sixes and fours. I pity the
bowlers. The best of them are mauled and
I sympathise with them because in four
overs they don’t even find their
rhythm properly," he explained.
"Even
the skills of the best bowlers are wasted
in this form of the game. I think any
bowler who can take three wickets in
Twenty20 cricket has achieved something
big because when the batsmen are willing
to take risks even the best bowlers are
helpless," Zaheer said.
Zaheer
said administrators needed to seriously
assess the popularity of Twenty20 cricket
because of its short duration.
"It
shows people nowadays prefer sports which
end quickly and are packaged with
entertainment."
The former
skipper saw nothing wrong in making
changes in the rules and introducing new
concepts in cricket to make it more
saleable and watchable.
"It
happens in every sport changes have to be
made to meet the demands of the time. I
support any form of the game which brings
in more crowds and is popular," he
said. (PTI)
Mumbai
under pressure in battle of
survival
against Hyderabad
MUMBAI, Apr 26: With stand-in
captain Harbhajan Singh in fresh
controversy and a big question mark still
there on Sachin Tendulkar’s
availability, winless Mumbai Indians will
be under tremendous pressure against
Deccan Chargers of Hyderabad in a battle
for survival in the Indian Premier League
here tomorrow.
While the
hosts were already struggling to open
their account after three matches in the
Twenty20 extravaganza in the absence of
regukar captain Tendulkar, who is nursing
a groin injury, Harbhajan Singh added to
their agony as he allegedly slapped rival
pacer S Sreesanth after immediately their
match against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali
last night.
Harbhajan
has been slapped with a show cause by the
BCCI, asking why action should not be
taken against him.
How the
Reliance industries-owned Mumbai team
management handles this controversy and
whether Harbhajan can be continued to be
given the important mantle of captaincy
in the likely absence of Tendulkar are
other issues facing the squad ahead of
the tie against Hyderabad, especially
with Andrew Symonds presence in the rival
ranks.
A repeat
on-field confrontation between the Indian
offie and the Aussie all rounder, after
their infamous racism-row, would be the
last thing that would be looked forward
to by the two team managements and
right-thinking cricket fans.
Mumbai
opened their campaign at the Wankhede
Stadium against Bangalore’s Royal
Challengers came a cropper and then
missed a victory over Chennai in the
latter’s backyard before being
embarrassed by the Punjab King’s XI
at Mohali last night.
In
batting, the Mumbai top-order, with
Sanath Jayasuriya heading it, has not
fired in unison and this has resulted in
the team’s bottom order trying to
salvage the situation, but to no avail.
The
bowlers too have not come up to scratch
with only Shaun Pollock, to some extent,
and the under-scrutiny Harbhajan looking
capable of stemming the run-glut from the
opposition ranks.
With
Deccan Chargeres also not able to win a
point still, both the teams would be
eager to put it across one another and
kick-start their tepid campaign under
lights at cricket’s state-of-the-art
stadium in the satellite township of Navi
Mumbai, just across the harbour.
Hyderabad
are struggling to gel as a team with
retired Australian great Adam Gilchrist
yet to provide value for the huge amount
of money invested in him by the team
owners Deccan Chronicle.
Captain V
V S Laxman has also not yet shown that
the national selectors were wrong in
repeatedly ignoring his claims in the
shorter forms of the game.
The team
would be heartened by the
getting-into-groove of the big-hitting
Symonds, who powered his way to a century
in their previous tie against the Shane
Warne-led Rajasthan Royals but ultimately
spoiled his show with his poor last over
which was feasted on by Warne a couple of
nights ago.
The
Hyderabad team’s attack looks
slightly more balanced and penetrative
than the home team.
In short,
both teams have problems aplenty
confronting them ahead of their important
clash to break the victory drought in the
Twenty20 championship on the wicket
prepared by pitch experts from South
Africa. (PTI)
Harbhajan
served show cause notice by BCCI
MUMBAI/MOHALI, Apr 26: Temperamental
spinner Harbhajan Singh was today served
a show cause notice by the BCCI for
allegedly slapping S Sreesanth after an
Indian Premier League (IPL) match in
Mohali.
Harbhajan,
who is the stand-in captain for the
Mumbai Indians team in the absence of an
injured Sachin Tendulkar, has been asked
to respond by Monday, BCCI Chief
Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty
said.
The
off-spinner allegedly slapped Kings XI
Punjab’s Sreesanth immediately after
their match last night.
The BCCI
promptly served a show cause notice on
Harbhajan asking him why disciplinary
action should not be taken against him
for his conduct in Mohali.
"At
this point of time, we have issued a show
cause notice. Harbhajan is a contracted
player of BCCI. BCCI itself has a code of
conduct for players. And BCCI Secretary
Niranjan Shah has issued a show cause
notice and he has to respond by
Monday," Shetty said.
Both
Harbhajan and Sreesanth tried to downplay
the incident. The off-spinner said the
issue has been "sorted out" and
the pacer remarked that Harbhajan is like
his "elder brother".
"The
board’s disciplinary committee will
look into the issue and decide according
to the rules of the BCCI," Shah said
in a statement.
The board
is also awaiting match referee’s
report of Rajasthan Royals and Hyderabad
Ceccan chargers in which some words were
exchanged between Shahid Afridi and Shane
Warne.
"We
are waiting for match referee’s
report and investigation is also going on
but we want to pass the message that
indiscipline will not be tolerated in the
IPL tournaments which we want to make
world class," Shah added.
Although
Sreesanth is now trying to brush aside
the matter but the pacer’s
uncontrollable tears after the match had
initially triggered off the furore.
Kings XI
captain Yuvraj Singh also confirmed that
an "ugly and unacceptable"
incident did take place after the match
and indicated that the team would lodge
an official complaint with match referee
Farokh Engineer.
"This
is really an ugly incident. You do not
want to see such things off the field
specially after such a win. I am pretty
upset at what has happened. This is
totally unacceptable," he said.
Harbhajan,
who is often embroiled in on-field
furores with the racial row with
Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds
being his last brush with controversy
before this, has sought to steer away
from any tough-talking this time.
"A
lot of things happen in a family. We are
part of one family. I think a lot of
things which are coming out in the media,
whatever have happened we have sorted out
all, everything is fine now,"
Harbhajan said before leaving for mumbai
with his team this morning.
Sreesanth,
on his part, also said everything was
"normal" between him and
Harbhajan.
"Everything
is normal, there is nothing between
us," he said.
Harbhajan
and Sreesanth may be trying to downplay
the incident but IPL Chairman Lalit Modi
has termed it a "serious
matter" and was not good for the
Twenty20 tournament.
But modi
said the IPL committee would wait for an
official report on the matter before
deciding about their next action in the
issue.
"It
looks like a serious matter the way
it’s being shown on television
channels but I can’t say anything
now. In any tournament it should not
happen, it’s unfortunate what
happened yesterday," Modi told
reporters here.
"The
incident in itself is sketchy. There is
no clear evidence at this moment, there
are different versions about what may
have happened. But at the end of the day
we have to take cognizance of the fact
that happened on the field.
"(So)
we are waiting for the match referee and
umpire’s report only after which our
committee will take a decision. The
tournament is being played under the ICC
guidelines, besides there are also
tournament guidelines for the
players," he said.
IPL
governing council member I S Bindra said
the code of conduct laid by the
International Cricket Council would be
applicable on Harbhajan.
"As
(IPL chairman Lalit) Modi said the
process has been put in place. (but) it
is unfortunate and an ICC code of conduct
will be applicable," Bindra said.
Bindra,
however, refused to comment on the issue
until an inquiry found out what exactly
happened between the two players last
night.
"You
were all there but I can say that only
inquiry will find out what exactly
happened. For anyone to comment at this
stage is not right.
"The
code of conduct has certain procedures
which will be gone through. Once the
process is completed, the action will
follow," he said.
"At
this moment, the process is sacrosanct
which will be followed," he added.
Asked if
there would be any time-limit to resolve
the issue, the former BCCI President said
"it is a semi-judicial process, you
cannot say when it will finish. The
process has to run its course, we
can’t lay down time limit".
On the
possibility of banning Harbhajan, who has
developed a knack for courting
controversies, Bindra said, "if that
is the recommendation, IPL governing
council will take decision according to
the findings".
Bindra
advised the players to strictly follow
the ‘spirit of cricket’.
"My
views are clear that the game must be
played in the spirit of game. IPL has
specially adopted ‘spirit of
cricket, everyone has to follow the
spirit which is more important than the
law itself," he said. (PTI)
Mangat,
Haji Nissar reopen Swimming Pool
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 26: Minister
for Health and Medical Education, Mangat
Ram Sharma and Minister for Youth
Services and Sports, Haji Nissar Ali
jointly re-opened the Swimming Pool at M
A Stadium today.
Ravinder
Gupta, Secretary, J&K State Sports
Council and Krishan Lal Sharma, Sports
Officer alongwith other members of State
Sports Council namely Siddharth Sharma,
Kuldeep Magotra, Dushyant Sharma and
Sudhir Kumar and Satish Gupta, Sat Pal,
Ravi Singh, Vikas Magotra and Vakil Singh
were also present on the occasion.
Later,
Sports Minister, Haji Nissar Ali visited
Judo Hall, Table Tennis Hall, Yoga Hall
and Badminton Hall in the indoor sports
complex.
The
Minister also inspected the Billiards
Hall, Weightlifting Hall and Wrestling
Hall where Dushyant Sharma, general
secretary, J&K Wrestling Association
apprised him about the pathetic condition
of the hall.
SAI
to conduct selection trials
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 26: The Sports
Authority of India (SAI) is going to
conduct selection trials in the
disciplines of basketball, football,
volleyball and hockey under its day
boarding scheme at different venues from
April 28 onwards.
The
selection trials for basketball (boys and
girls) and football (boys) would be held
at Jammu University Sports Complex from
April 28.
The
selection trials for volleyball (boys)
will be held at Government Middle School,
Pallanwala from April 28 to May 4.
The trials
for hockey (boys and girls) would be held
at Sports Stadium, Poonch from May 1 to
2.
The timing
of all the abovesaid trials is 9 am.
Interested
players between age groups of 14 to 19
yrs are eligible to take part in the
trials and are required to bring
educational certificates, sports
achievements and date of birth
certificate alongwith 3 passport size
photographs.
The day
boarding scheme is being run by Sports
Authority of India (SAI) in collaboration
with Department of Youth Services and
Sports.
Jakker
lifts Jhajjar Kotli Kesari title
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 26: Pahalwan Jakker
defeated pahalwan Manjit Singh in a tough
bout to clinch 79th Jhajjar Kotli Kesari
title at Jhajjer Kotli.
Total 65
wrestlers from HP, Punjab, Haryana,
Delhi, J&K Police and BSF took part
in the dangal organised by Jhajjar Kotli
Dangal Committee in association with
J&K Indian Style Wrestling
Association.
In other
bouts, Dana beat Dharma, Disha beat Raja,
Mukhi beat Lalli, Anuj beat Sucha, Swaran
Singh beat Bittu, Kant beat Bittu and
Kulbir Singh beat Raju.
The bouts
between Saba vs Raju, Ali Bani vs
Kulwant, Sukha vs Kashmir were ended in a
draw.
Jugal
Kishore Sharma, MLA Nagrota was the chief
guest on the occasion while Shiv Kumar
Sharma, President, J&K Indian Style
Wrestling Association presided over the
function.
The winner
pahalwan awarded a cash prize of Rs 3,000
alongwith traditional silver Gurj and
Patta while Manjit pocketed Rs 2,500.
ASN
School organises Inter-House painting
competition
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 26: ASN Higher
Secondary School, Channi Himmat organised
an Inter-House painting competition in
the school premises today.
Total four
houses namely Shakespeare House, Milton
House, Blake House and Oliver House
comprising students of 1st to 8th class
participated in the competition divided
into three categories.
In
category 1, Sanam Tasleem (Milton House)
finished first followed by Irm Shamim and
Mohd Amin Khan (Shakespeare House) who
had to be content with second and third
positions respectively.
In
category 2, Shabeena Choudhary (Milton
House) stood first while Neha Bhat
(Milton House) and Zaheer Khan (Oliver
House) finished second and third
respectively.
Maryam
Amin (Oliver House) secured first
position whereas Vivek Saproo (Milton
House) and Akansha Raj Pandita
(Shakespeare House) clinched second and
third positions respectively.
Dharamveer
Jamwal, Deputy Mayor was the chief guest
on the occasion who distributed prizes
amongst the winner teams of each
category.
Earlier,
Ritesh Kapoor, Administrator of the
school and organiser of the event
introduced the teams with the chief
guest.
Final
lineup drawn in Carrom tourney
Excelsior
Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 26: The final
lineup has been drawn in all categories
in the ongoing Srinagar District Carrom
championship being played at Polo Ground
today.
In sub
junior girls, Furkhan will take on
Salabah for title clash while in boys
section, Sajjad Hussain to take on winner
of second semifinal between Shakir and
Shabir.
In junior
girls, Sahraish set up summit clash with
Rahina Rajab while Mukhtar to lock horns
against Aquib Khan in junior boys.
In senior
girls, Sumara Jan would battle it out
with Mehjabeen while in boys section,
Amir Mian will face Umar Mehraj in the
first semifinal whereas Adil to take on
Danish in the second.
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