Katich
guides Kings XI Punjab to a
smooth win over Daredevils
MOHALI, Apr 27: Australian
left-hander Simon Katich scored a
confident 75 to steer Kings XI Punjab to
an easy four-wicket win over Delhi
Daredevils in their Indian Premier League
match here today.
This was
second successive victory for the hosts
in three days and first defeat in the
tournament for the Delhi team.
Chasing a
modest target of 159, the Aussie playing
his second match did not lose nerves
despite losing his opening partner Karan
Goel (1) and Kumar Sangakkara (4) and
made the run chase look easy.
The
32-year-old was in total command hitting
fluent shots, with pacers Farveez
Maharoof and Mohammed Asif getting the
stick.
Katich
took just 52 balls to produce a
scintillating knock, which was adorned
with 11 boundaries and a six before
running himself out following a mix-up
with his skipper.
After
Katich got out in the 14th over when the
team score was 119, Yuvraj, who had come
at the fall of Mahela Jayawardene (15),
took his team to a smooth victory.
The
skipper played a solid 40-run knock and
hit the winning runs in the last over.
Mohammed
Asif bagged two wickets while Glenn
Mcgrath, Yo Mahesh and Shoaib Malik took
a wicket each for Daredevils.
After
crushing Rajasthan Royals in Delhi and
Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad, Daredevils
tasted their first defeat in the
tournament.
The
Daredevils team had a shaky start,
electing to bat, losing their skipper
Virender Sehwag (6) and Shikhar Dhawan
(naught) cheaply.
Sehwag,
who was terrific in the previous game,
was taken by surprise by a delivery from
Irfan Pathan which nipped in and trapped
him before the wicket.
Having
suffered first blow in the second over
itself, the Dhawan, the 22-year-old
left-handed batsman, was the next to go
in the third over when he was adjudged
caught behind.
The Brett
Lee delivery kissed Dhawan’s
shoulder as he tried to glance it, but
appeared not to have made contact.
With Lee
and Pathan having completed two overs
each, all eyes were on right-arm pacer
Sreesanth, who came in at the first
bowling change.
Sreesanth,
who has been in the news since Friday
following the alleged slapping incident
involving him and Harbhajan Singh, was
hit for a boundary on his first ball
today by Shoaib Malik and ended giving up
25 runs in his two overs he bowled,
remaining wicket-less.
Daredevils
opener Gautam Gambhir (18) continued
playing his attacking game, charging out
to VRV Singh, but eventually handed over
an easy catch to Yuvraj.
Right-arm
medium pacer VRV was bowling a steady
line and he did not have to wait long to
taste his second success as he had
right-hander Shoaib Malik (19) caught out
by Lee at the third man boundary, leaving
Daredevils struggling at 4-54.
Both
Dinesh Kartik (24) and Manoj Tiwary (39)
tried to steady the innings before their
wickets were claimed by VRV Singh and
Yuvraj, respectively.
Batting
down the order, Rajat Bhatia (17) and
Farveez Maharoof (18) made useful
contributions for the daredevils. (PTI)
Pollock
named captain of Mumbai Indians
MUMBAI, Apr 27: South African
all-rounder Shaun Pollock was today named
captain of Mumbai Indians following
Harbhajan Singh’s suspension from
Indian Premier League matches for
slapping pacer S Sreesanth.
The
decision to appoint the experienced
Pollock as the skipper was taken after a
meeting of the team management and top
officials of the franchise owned by
Mukesh Ambani. Pollock, a former South
African captain will lead the team till
Sachin Tendulkar recovers from a groin
injury.
Harbhajan,
who was the stand-in captain in the
absence of Tendulkar, was temporarily
suspended from IPL matches for slapping
Sreesanth after Mumbai Indians had
crashed to their third successive defeat
in the Twenty20 league in Mohali on
Friday.
The
Cricket Board, under whose jurisdiction
the IPL functions as a sub-committee, had
already slapped a show-cause notice on
the off-spinner asking him to explain his
conduct by Monday. (PTI)
It
was more than a slap, says Sreesanth
NEW DELHI, Apr 27: Ahead of
tomorrow’s crucial disciplinary
hearing over the issue, pacer S Sreesanth
said today that the incident in which
Harbhajan Singh slapped him was actually
a "slugfest", a statement
that’s likely to strengthen the case
against the temperamental off-spinner,
who maybe headed for a minimum punishment
of being banned for five Test or 10 ODIs.
Reversing
his earlier stance that Harbhajan was
like an "elder brother" and the
slap was a "hand shake on the wrong
side", Sreesanth told a television
channel in his native Kerala that
"It was more than a slap, it was
like a slugfest. I never expected this
reaction from him, I was very
surprised."
Harbhajan
is to appear before former Indian
wicket-keeper Farokh Engineer, who was
the Match Referee at the Indian Premier
League Match at Mohali on Friday after
which the slapping incidence took place.
For Mumbai
Indians, Coach Lalchand Rajput and the
team manager would accompany Harbhajan,
while Sreesanth will appear along with
King’s XI Punjab CEO Neil Maxwell
and Captain Yuvraj Singh. IPL chairman
and commissioner Lalit Modi will also be
present on the occasion.
Engineer
has already made it clear that the matter
would not be swept under carpet.
"We
are not going to sweep things under the
carpet. The complaint has to be carefully
examined before any decision is made.
Everything possible will be done to
adjudicate it immediately," Engineer
said. After the incident, both Harbhajan
and Sreesanth tried to downplay it. The
off-spinner claimed the issue has been
"sorted out" and the pacer
remarked that Harbhajan was like his
"elder brother".
Apart from
appearing before Engineer, who has
already suspended him pending
tomorrow’s hearing, Harbhajan also
has to respond by tomorrow to the
showcause notice by BCCI, which has taken
a tough stance on the incident.
The BCCI
may subsequently also order a
disciplinary hearing because
Harbhajan’s action amounts to level
4 offence of the ICC code of conduct,
under which he can be banned for life or
a minimum of five Test or 10 ODI matches.
(PTI)
Manage
IHF or forget hockey project, world cup:
FIH to IOA
KAZAN (Russia), Apr 27:
The
embattled Indian Hockey Federation came
in for some fresh salvos from the FIH
with the world body today threatening to
scrap the promoting Indian Hockey Project
and the 2010 World Cup if the IOA fails
to clean up the mess in IHF.
Expressing
dismay at the state of Indian Hockey just
a day before an IOA meeting to discuss
the bribe scandal involving suspended IHF
secretary K Jothikumaran, FIH chief Els
Van Breda Vriesman said the world body
can’t work with a federation whose
top official was under investigation
following a TV sting operation.
"It
(the sting operation) is never heard of
in the world of field hockey. I wish the
Indian Hockey gets positive publicity and
not this kind. We are in touch with both
International Olympic Committee and the
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) how to
proceed in such situation," she
told.
"Now
the IOA has to manage Indian Hockey
Confederation because I don’t think
we can work with a half-suspended
secretary general (K Jothikumaran) and a
president probably linked because he
protects his secretary in this
case," she added.
Vriesman
said she was not asking anybody to step
down but the IOA or the Sports Ministry
will have to intervene now if the future
of promoting Indian Hockey Project and
2010 World Cup is to be protected.
"The
agenda before the Indian table is clear.
But who is going to take the decisions.
It is upto the Indian Olympic Association
and the Sports Ministry to handle the
situation, it is not up to us.
"We
have already given a deadline to the
Indian Hockey Confederation (for the
operationalisation of promoting Indian
Hockey Project). That has passed. We said
OK we will give more time. Now it (IHF)
has two weeks to take vital decisions and
the future of promoting Indian Hockey
Project and 2010 World Cup are
decided," Vriesman asserted.
The FIH
chief said she has spoken to IOA
president Suresh Kalmadi who has told her
that all the concerns and the issues she
raised will be discussed and major
decisions would be taken in the meeting
tomorrow.
"I
have made it clear (to Kalmadi), it is
upto them (IOA and Sports Ministry) to
take decisions. They have to ensure the
hosting of World Cup in India,
operationalise the promoting Indian
Hockey Project, for which we have signed
a memorandum of understanding."
She said
as per the MoU, the FIH reserves the
right to move the 2010 World Cup to
another place if the promoting Indian
Hockey Project is not implemented in
letter and spirit.
"When
we offered to help Indian Hockey come up
and regain its past glory, the Indian
side said yes, that’s why went
ahead. Having agreed to this project, we
have set targets which are not met. It is
almost two years over and how long can we
wait?" she asked furiously.
"Had
they said no we could have gone to
Pakistan, China or Bangladesh. They
agreed to it and then doing everything
against it except saying no. The
situation right now is worse than saying
no," she said.
On asked
whether the World Cup could be shifted
for want of sponsorship, she retorted,
"No, not at all. We have lined up
sponsors, they are ready to jump
in."
"But,
companies in India want to help hockey as
a social cause and they are more
interested in promoting Indian Hockey
Project than in the World Cup."(PTI)
Medal
winners of 33rd National Games
felicitated
Excelsior
Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 27: The J&K Olympic
Association today felicitated the medal
winners of 33rd National Games and their
coaches in an impressive function
organized at Jammu Club.
Minister
for Health and Medical Education, Mangat
Ram Sharma was the chief guest, while
Minister for Sports and Youth Services,
Haji Nissar Ali was the guest of honour.
Those
felicitated for gold medals included
Kuldip Handoo and Arun Charak in wushu
and Mitali in gymnastics, while for
silver medals, Zahoor Ahmed in kayaking
and Lucky, Rasheed, Maninder and Ujjawal
in fencing.
The bronze
medal winners who were felicitated
included Ravinder Bhushan in boxing,
Parvez Ahmed in kayaking, Rakesh Singh in
wushu and Sanjeev Suri, Shivani, Nirza,
Dimple, Shafali and Suniya in fencing.
Coaches
Shotu Lal (fencing), S P Singh
(gymnastics), Anil Wadhera (boxing),
Maneesha (gymnastics), Krupali Singh,
Rachna Jamwal, Ravinder Gupta and Aman
Sharma were also felicitated at the
occasion.
Rangil
Singh, president of the association, Dr
Ashutosh Sharma, secretary, Siddharth
Sharma, joint secretary, Krishan Lal
Sharma, sports officer J&K State
Sports Council, heads and coaches of
different associations were also present
at the function.
YHAI
organizes trekking expedition
Excelsior
Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Apr 27: Youth Hostels
Association of India (YHAI), Udhampur
unit today organized a trekking
expedition on Moungri-Mantali National
Heritage Track in Udhampur.
Students
of Department of Physical Education,
University of Jammu (JU), Higher
Secondary School Kud and Dogra Higher
Secondary School took part in the
expedition.
The
expedition, which passed through
Pancheri, Nathatop, Patnitop and
Sudhmahadev, was flagged off by
Additional SP Udhampur, Anil Mangotra. S
P Verma, chairman YHAI, Ashok Kumar,
chairman YHAI Udhampur unit were also
present at the flagging off ceremony.
The
expedition was organized under the theme
"Love the Nature, Respect the Nature
and Conquer it by Obeying it".
Prominent among others present on the
occasion included Sunil Badyal, Bodh Raj,
Surjeet Manhas, Vikram Gulati, Balwan
Singh, Ajeet Singh, Vinod Khajuria,
Satish Singh and police officials of the
area.
Cheerleaders
‘cover up’ after furore
MUMBAI, Apr 27: After their skimpy
outfits created a furore among the
country’s politicians, the Indian
Premier League (IPL) cheerleaders have
now "covered up" to ensure that
there are no more controversies.
The
cheerleaders were clad in their new
attire for the IPL matches today starting
with the game between Delhi Daredevils
and Kings XI Punjab in Mohali, and it
certainly left less room for complaints.
The
cheerleaders, dubbed by the politicians
as too "wild" for the families
who come to watch the IPL matches, were
made to change their clothes for the jigs
that mark sixers and boundaries during
the matches.
Their
skimpy outfits came up for discussion in
the Maharashtra Assembly with some
members wanting the dances to be banned
while West Bengal’s Sports Minister
Subhas Chakraborty also raised the issue.
(PTI)
Torch
faces S Korea protests, festivites in
North
SEOUL, Apr 27: The Olympic flame
arrived in Seoul today to start a two-day
journey on the divided Korean Peninsula
where it is expected to be met with
protests in the South and cheers of
fawning masses in the North tomorrow.
The relay
starts today at 2 pm (1030 IST)at the
venue used for the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
The Torch will travel to City Hall, about
20 km away, on a route yet to be
disclosed for security reasons.
The Global
Torch relay ahead of the Beijing Games in
August has prompted protests against
China’s human rights record in Tibet
as well as patriotic rallies by Chinese
who criticise the west for vilifying
Beijing.
In South
Korea, pro-Tibet groups and those opposed
to the way Beijing treats North Koreans
fleeing the impoverished State for China
have planned protests.
Chinese
residents of South Korea have said they
will turn out in force to cheer on the
torch.
The flame
is meant to transmit a message of peace
and friendship, but its journey has been
largely turned into a political event and
the torch has been granted the sort of
security usually reserved for state
leaders.
South
Korea plans to dispatch about 8,000
police officers, including its units
trained to combat terrorist attacks, for
the relay, a police official said.
The flame
will next travel by airplane to North
Korea, where it is expected to arrive in
Pyongyang at around midnight local time
(2030 IST).
Isolated
North Korea, which takes part in few
international events, has promised China,
its biggest benefactor and the closest
thing it can claim as a major ally, that
it will stage an "amazing"
relay tomorrow.
On the
rare occasions North Korea hosts an
honoured state visitor, it sends hundreds
of thousands of its citizens into the
streets of Pyongyang. Dressed in their
finest clothes, they wave bouquets of
pink and purple plastic flowers and cheer
on cue when the guest passes by.
Human
rights groups say North Korea’s
authoritarian leaders crush any attempt
at dissent. A protest of any sort is
certain to lead to at least a long
sentence in a brutal political prison, or
even execution. (REUTERS)
Speed
not forced to sky down: Morgan
LONDON, Apr 27: International
Cricket Council (ICC) president-elect
David Morgan today said the decision to
have chief executive Malcolm Speed step
down from his post ahead of schedule had
not been imposed upon the Australian.
The
cricket’s world governing body
announced on April 25 that Speed was to
go on paid leave for the final two months
of his contract following a
"fundamental breakdown" between
him and several board members, including
the current ICC president, South
Africa’s Ray Mali, over the
controversial issue of Zimbabwe.
"That
has not been imposed on him (Speed), it
is something I have done with the
president and chief executive,"
Morgan told a news conference at
Lord’s here.
Morgan
confirmed and the extraordinary
development was prompted by Speed’s
unhappiness at the way in which the ICC
dealt with Zimbabwe.
"Zimbabwe
is an issue where the president and the
chief executive have disagreed, there is
no doubt about that," said Morgan.
The
59-year-old speed was particularly
frustrated by the ICC board’s
failure, following its march meeting, to
take any significant action against
Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) after an
independent forensic audit carried out by
leading accountants KPMG raised questions
about the state of ZC’s finances.
"You
know what the board decision was in
relation to the KPMG report, Mr Speed was
clearly uncomfortable with that," he
added.
The
ICC’s general manager, David
Richardson, will serve as interim chief
executive until the former South Africa
wicketkeeper’s compatriot Haroon
Lorgat takes over as planned as chief
executive in July.
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