India’s
tour Down Under can still be suspended: BCCI
SYDNEY, Jan 10: India’s tour Down
Under is in grave danger, with the BCCI
describing the decision to press ahead with the
tour as "interim’’, pending the
outcome of Harbhajan Singh’s appeal against
a three-Test ban for allegedly making racial
comments against all-rounder Andrew Symonds.
The Board of
Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
vice-president Lalit Modi made it crystal clear
that a confirmation on the tour could not be
guaranteed if Harbhajan lost his appeal.
Modi said,
"it was an interim decision of the ICC to
ban Harbhajan, and, because of that, it is an
interim decision by the BCCI to continue the
tour.’’
"The
controversy continues until Harbhajan’s name
is cleared,’’ Modi told the Herald Sun
last night.
Denying any
blackmailing by the financial powerhouse of world
cricket, Modi said the tour could not be
guaranteed if Harbhajan lost his appeal.
"We are not
applying pressure to the ICC. They have simply
reacted the way they should have. This isn’t
an issue about money or power, but what is right
for the game. We will wait to see what the
outcome of Harbhajan’s appeal is and we will
make a decision from there.’’
New Zealand high
court Judge Justice John Hansen will preside over
the appeal, which will commence most likely next
week.
The Indians
arrived in Canberra in a combative mood
yesterday. Speaking for the first time since his
post-Sydney Test outburst, captain Anil Kumble
claimed a lack of foresight from Australian
counterpart Ricky Ponting was a major factor
behind the escalating crisis.
Kumble phoned
Ponting after the third day of the Test,
imploring him to deal with the Harbhajan
Singh-Andrew Symonds matter in-house.
Ponting’s
subsequent refusal frustrated Kumble, who
yesterday insisted the highly public race row
could have been avoided had the Australian
captain exercised more discretion.
"He said the
complaint had already been made,’’
Kumble said. "I did make a request that it
should be - I asked if it could be sorted out
between us. He went up to the match referee.
"Having
played cricket for this long, (I knew) such an
allegation would definitely spiral into what it
has now.’’
However, Kumble
said he hoped to meet Ponting to outline the
issues that have arisen since the controversial
Test, including India’s questioning the
sportsmanship of Australian players.
"I think
it’s important Ricky and I get together and
speak about it, address it,’’ Kumble
said.
The Indian skipper
also stressed that his team is backing the
off-spinner to the hilt.
"It’s
been tough, it has been very difficult. It is a
very serious issue, but I think the entire team
is together on this and really backed him. I
would really like to thank the BCCI for fully
backing us, we all are with
‘Bhajji’,’’ Kumble said.
"From what I
gathered, from what I was told by my
teammates— the two players on the
pitch— it wasn’t said. I don’t
know whatever people believe— he didn’t
use the word which was supposedly used.
"We’re
hopeful we will get the right decision. There is
a procedure for that, I think the procedure will
take its time.’’
The skipper also
defended India’s threat to cancel the tour
as a means to settling some issues.
"It was not
what we wanted. It was important (that) whatever
needed to be sorted out, needed to be sorted
out,’’ he said.
"There were
some issues that needed to be
resolved.’’
Asked if there
would be ill-feeling between the sides before the
third Test in Perth, Kumble replied, "I
don’t see any reason why. We will play our
cricket and Australia will play their
cricket.’’
"It was just
a temporary setback,’’ Kumble said of
the delay in arriving in Canberra. (UNI)
Djokovic
keen to snatch Federer’s crown
MELBOURNE, Jan 10: After a stellar year in
which he reached his first Grand Slam final and
soared to third in the world rankings, Novak
Djokovic could be forgiven for thinking he had
done the hard work as far as his career was
concerned.
But as he prepared
for next week’s Australian Open, the Serb
acknowledged he needed to improve further to
fulfil his goals of winning a major and topping
the standings.
"I would be
happy if I had a year like 2007, this
year,’’ Djokovic, runner up to Roger
Federer at the US Open, told Reuters in an
interview.
"I would be
satisfied but I know that I can do more, that I
can go further. I can improve still in some
segments in the game and I am aware of that fact.
"I finished
(2006) ranked 16 and I honestly didn’t
expect to rise to number three in the world, just
after half a year, but it’s just hard
work.’’
With the
world’s top two, Federer and Rafael Nadal,
mopping up the majority of tournaments they
enter, Djokovic said he could not afford to let
up.
"I am trying
to stay consistent, that’s one of the most
difficult things in today’s tennis, to stay
where you are as long as you can and even go up
further. That’s one of my goals,’’
he said.
Aged 20, time is
on Djokovic’s side.
Though he will be
one of the favourites at Melbourne Park, he said
he was not getting ahead of himself.
"There is a
lot of time and I am not in a rush,’’
he said.
"I know there
is a lot of expectation but still there are a lot
of things yet to be solved and a lot of time to
come.’’
Djokovic beat
Federer to win the Montreal Masters in August
before losing to the world number one in the US
Open final.
His run of results
prompted many pundits to say that he was the
natural heir to the Swiss man’s throne.
"I don’t
want to feel just a part of that rivalry, or what
(the media) are making of my relationship with
Roger,’’ he said.
"I look at
him as I look at every opponent in the world. Of
course, all the credit is to him, all the
respect, he is the best player in the world, but
that doesn’t matter any more.(AGENCIES)
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