Thursday, June 3, 1999
today's calendar
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S P O R T | Thursday, June 3, 1999 |
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spotlight today's calendar |
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Genuine allrounders dazzle Seam bowlers changed Cup's
complexion Flaws
in system of points Qualifiers
struggle to bridge gap Asian players, fans save World Cup England’s
defeat and after Woolmer
not keen on becoming England's coach Don't
blame Lara for early exit: Lloyd |
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Srinath, Fazaluddin advance to
last 8 9
golfers shortlisted for selection Kurukshetra
tops in sports competitions |
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Be wary of Indians, warns Imran LONDON, June 2 (UNI) — Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan today warned the teams in the elite Super Six league of the World Cup to be wary of India as they are the ‘cornered tiger’. "India undoubtedly have the best batting line up. Tendulkar is incomparable, but the team does not rely on him fully because others like Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly have scored many runs", he said. The Pakistani legend was of the view that India also has two bowlers in Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad "who are extremely proficient in English conditions" and added "we certainly have not seen the best of Srinath yet", but maintained that India was still one bowler short. According to him the biggest match of the World Cup apart from the final itself, is going to be the clash between India and Australia in the opener of the super league on June 4 at the Oval here. "The winner of this do-or-die-fixture will be the most dangerous team in the competition-even more than Pakistan or South Africa". Justifying his views, Imran said: "Both the teams have come back from the dead, escaping perilous situations. They count on their nerve when the pressure is pounding upon them to emerge in glory". "India and Australia have already survived one make or break match in which they know defeat would mean instant elimination", he said. According to Imran the Australia-India fixture will be the ‘biggest contest’ because both the sides are without a single point and the loser will crash out. Desperation will be there to win the game and this can turn the match into a ‘classic’ one because world class players like Sachin, Dravid, Ganguly, Steve Waugh and Glenn McGrath will be on the view. "The team emerging winner will have tremendous confidence which comes from only this type of contest and they will feel that they can beat anyone", he said "In previous World Cups, it has usually been the case that the winner has peaked at the right time," Imran said. He said in 1992 Pakistan were off to a poor start but managed with some good wins in the make-or-break matches to go on and clinch the title. He said: "the way you reach the semifinals and final can be crucial and that is why "I am worried about Pakistan, because an easy run up when the team is not really tested may leave you struggling when the pressure is on". "The World Cup is a test of nerve more than a test of cricketing ability and that is why England is out of the tournament. The hosts despite good players, failed when the pressure was on them. They paid the price for negative team selection and team strategy". About the favourites -Pakistan and South Africa, Imran said they had similar problems. Both have worries about their batting. Especially the top order but both have good bowlers". These teams have also exposed their vulnerability with unexpected defeats in the group matches after having been qualified for the super league. Imran dismissed the fixed up match theory that South Africa let Zimbabwe beat them to help their ‘neighbours’ and Pakistan allowed ‘brothers’ from Bangladesh to defeat them. "I think both the teams after having made it to the super league could not motivate themselves in their last fixture". He said: "South Africa can be beaten by teams who bat first, score a reasonable total and put pressure on their batsmen. The same or may be lesser extent is the case with Pakistan. They have an advantage in going into the Super Six with four points. They need only win to reach the last four. They have the luxury of having more time to experiment with their batting to get things right". About Zimbabwe the former Pakistan skipper said: "Their situation is remarkable. They have no super star and that turned out to be their advantage. The West Indies relied too much on Brian Lara and when he failed to score against Australia it was all over for the Caribbeans". According to him, Zimbabwe’s most impressive player has been Neil Johnson, a genuine all-rounder, who opens the bowling and batting in style. New Zealand is also a ‘team oriented’ and in left arm bowler Geoff Allott they have a bowler with real potential," Imran said in the Daily Express. He ended with a warning:
"Don’t write off India or Australia, especially
if one of them win the big test of nerves on
Friday." |
Win builds up Indian identity LONDON, June 2 (PTI) — There’s a fair bit of unease about Manchester being the World Cup venue for an India-Pakistan match and it is not without good reason. It is a city largely
inhabited by migrant Pakistanis but the suburbs have a
big Indian presence, most of them rich and controlling
business in this headquarters of British textile
industry. The Indian or Pakistani culture is more visibly displayed in these two cities than in others and it is unlikely anyone would like to come off second best here. As chance would have it, India finished second in group ‘A’ and Pakistan are tops in group ‘B’ and the two are scheduled to meet at Old Trafford, Manchester, on June 8. The last thing the organisers want is trouble in the stands and egg on their face. How they can do it without departing from their cricketing traditions is difficult to visualise. Do they ban spectators from coming on to the field? Do they put cameras on the stands? Or ask each spectator to give proof of his lineage? How do they ban consumption of alcohol in the stands? No easy answers could be found for these tricky posers though some measure has to be conceptualised and put in practice. "I for one would be a fool to take my wife to this match," says Arup Ganguly, a young British professional of Indian background, "though I would not miss it for my life". The win against England on Sunday has had an entire nation rooting for the success of the Indian team. All these millions of Indian cricket lovers would find it difficult to believe that the Edgbaston win means more to Indians living in England than it does to countrymen back home. "For the first time in my life, have I been bugged on India," said a young British-Indian. After India had inflicted that crushing defeat on England on Sunday many wept openly and so big and prolonged was the ‘bhangra and dholak’ celebration outside Edgbaston that there were traffic jams. The same supporters a day earlier were bugging the English fielders from the sidelines. Intoned one Indian supporter: "Hey Mullally, finally you are bowling to real batsmen". The England left-arm paceman made a vulgar gesture in return which led to still more active ribbing from the fan: "Hey, why are you worked up so early? Save it for it’s a long day." Hundreds of Indians, who had been left dissatisfied with the unfinished game on Saturday, returned on Sunday and stayed till the end. "I was so tired driving up and down to London to watch the Edgbaston game, I thought I would watch it on TV," said Ganguly. "But I couldn’t sleep that night and at five I was up alerting my friends and asking them to come along". Most of his friends accompanied him and those who didn’t feel they missed out the celebration of their lifetime. "What this win has done is to give a common identity to Indians living here," said Ganguly. "It has made them feel proud of their origin.". A group called ‘Hit racism for a six’ is already active trying to ask the supporters of the two teams to cool it on Tuesday next week. The implication is that any trouble here would put the Asian ethnic community in a poor light and some definite measures may be taken against them in future. Another school of thought is advocating a joint appeal by the captains of the two teams, Mohammad Azharuddin and Wasim Akram to their supporters. They are wondering whether Sachin Tendulkar should join them. It may not still happen
but the point is made to illustrate how unsure the
authorities are about their measures in a situation as
volatile as an India-Pakistan match. |
Genuine allrounders dazzle LONDON, June 2 (AFP) —The cricket World Cup is thick with ‘bits-and-pieces’ players masquerading as all-rounders. The genuine articles, however, still blaze like diamonds amid the counterfeit glass. Most of them are to be found tightly packed in the middle of the South African and Pakistan line-ups. The rest of the Super Six sides look impoverished in comparison. "I think the term all-rounder is used too loosely," says Shaun Pollock, and he is right. But he is too severe on his own batting when suggesting that real all-rounders should be equally worthy of selection in either discipline. Even cricket’s legendary Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Imran Khan had a clear penchant for one art over the other. In Pollock, Lance Klusener and Jacques Kallis, South Africa have an engine room to marvel at. The athletic Klusener is the second highest wicket-taker in the tournament, with 13, and is batting so well that he cannot yet claim an average, having scored 164 runs in four visits without being dismissed. More impressive still, "Zulu", as he is nicknamed, is scoring quickly. his 52 not out against Sri Lanka won the game, his 48 not out against England gave his bowlers the lee-way they needed and his undefeated 52 against Zimbabwe might have won the match, if Klusener had not run out of partners. The barrel-chested Kallis — "Dozy" to his team-mates — meanwhile is a batsman who has suddenly learnt to bowl, and bowl very sharply indeed. He showed both sides of his cricketing character with 96 against India, then three wickets for 26 against Sri Lanka. The flame-haired Pollock, son of Peter and nephew of Graeme, hit a rearguard 52 against Zimbabwe and has produced two memorable spells of bowling — eight overs, two for 10 against Sri Lanka and nine overs, one for 13 against England. Pakistan are the only side with a similar depth of multi-faceted talent. Wasim Akram, with more than 350 Test and one-day wickets, is not as flexible or as fast as he used to be, but, at 33, his left-arm pace remains the best of its kind. Those who have forgotten the effectiveness of his batting have been quickly reminded by his scathing 43 runs off 28 balls against the West Indies and an undefeated 37 off 19 against the Scots. Azhar Mahmood and Abdul Razzaq, two whippy medium-fast seamers and neat middle-order batsmen, keep him company. The 19-year-old Razzaq, virtually unheard of a few weeks ago, has impressed as a number-three pinch-hitter. Australia, the World Cup third favourites, have assembled Shane Lee, Tom Moody and Brendon Julian at the heart of their team. None, however, is currently rated good enough for Test cricket. India’s only all-rounder is Robin Singh but he is paste rather than gem, despite five wickets for 31 against Sri Lanka. Chris Cairns, meanwhile, is a destructive number six for New Zealand but his medium-fast seam bowling has never come on. His balding team-mate Chris Harris, in contrast, looks very ‘bits-and-pieces’ but just could be the genuine article, at least in one-dayers. His loopy, slow, crafty medium pace looks like cannon fodder but his peers admit they can’t stand facing him. He has eight wickets at 17.12 each and a batting average of 36.00. The World Cup’s darkest horse, however, is Zimbabwean Neil Johnson. He bowls sharp right-arm swing and opens the batting. He currently stands 11th in the bowling averages with 10 wickets and is 27th in the batting averages with 31.20. Not regarded as good
enough for the South African team after playing at Natal,
Johnson returned to the country of his birth. On May 29
at Chelmsford, he took three wickets and cracked 76 as
Cronje and co. crashed to their only defeat of the
tournament to date. |
Seam bowlers changed Cup's
complexion LONDON, June 2 — If some of the cricket from this World Cup was unrecognisable from that of previous two editions, then simply blame it on England and English conditions. The 1999 World Cup and its previous edition have been so very different. The major point of differences is the current event has been dominated by seam bowlers while the last two events saw the top order batsmen flourish. Coaches and teams have been in a great hurry to change direction from the early slogging tactics of ’92 and ’96 to a more orthodox approach if only because the new white ball was swinging around so much, particularly in the first fortnight of the Cup. It is easy to see why the Indian batsmen were the first to establish a dominance. Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly are so technically correct that they were able to profit from their basic orthodoxy. So splendidly did they adjust to the conditions that Indian batsmen were the only ones to score centuries in the preliminary league. It can be said that attaining the personal landmark has not been of great use because India are one of the two teams, the other being Australia, that go into the Super Six with nil points. And yet the Indian batsmen shone thanks to putting their faith in familiar strokes ahead of innovation and that was what gave the team the confidence to break through to the second stage. Seeing the likes of Dravid, Ganguly and Sachin bat brought a tear to the eyes of old English cricketers. "This is how cricket should be played," some leading players of the past said. Save in the orthodoxy of the Indians and the form that a few young Pakistani batsmen displayed and the robust batting of Klusener, the current World Cup has not been a batting spectacle like the previous two in which the run riot was staged so early. But the batsmen have not had a choice expect to switch down to the orthodox and the familiar. Teams recognised quickly the importance of a more settled approach in which the early overs were played out and the end overs were retained for slogging. One-day cricket is not about creating a spectacle for the viewer as much as about winnings. India were quick to recognise the importance of the switch in approach for which some of the credit should go to Bob Simpson, the consultant coach. They also sent Sachin Tendulkar down to number four not because he needed any protection but because he had the greater chance of succeeding there and the team would also not have its psyche shattered by his early fall. Sachin was the highest run maker in the 1996 World Cup but the honour could well go to Dravid or Ganguly this time since both of them are meeting the ball so well. Pakistan’s thundering run came far more from the power of pace allied to swing than batting strength. It is, however, become apparent that batsmen have been learning quickly which means the cricket in the elite group will produce a more even contest between bat and ball. The Pakistanis are bowling the best because they can reverse swing the old ball which is a gift that others do not have. The South Africans are making up with their intensity, their more successful bowlers being Allan Donald and Lance Klusener rather than the pacer Shaun Pollock or the swing bowler Jacques Kallis. Those who want to succeed do so and at this level it is clearly a matter of intensity. Apart from the huge innings the Indians compiled in matches against Kenya and the moderate Sri Lanka, the league stage was dominated by pace and seam bowlers. Glenn McGgrath himself got going in time to put Australia in the Super Six. His attacking line and lift might be the qualities that should get more prominent as the World Cup swings into warmer weather in June. The spinners are the forgotten men. The last event was so different. Ranatunga used 37 overs of spin in the final when he realised his pace bowlers were getting nowhere. And Shane Warne was the spinner who put Australia in the last final in a fine spell at the finish against the West Indies at Chandigarh. The tactic of bowling spin at the finish may not be commonly seen in this World Cup in which the reverse swinging seamer is more likely to be given the ball at the business end of all matches. Late order hitters have proved more successful. The most successful batsmen in terms of runs still are the top order players. Of the big hitters in the old fashioned slog overs that come at the end rather than at the beginning, Lance Klusener struck such fine form that he will be right up there in contention when it comes to picking performer of the World Cup as Jayasuriya was in 1996. Wasim Akram is another who did his bit with the bat to rescue his side from early disasters that struck batsmen who were not finding their feet in these conditions. But once specialists like Yousuf Youhana and Inzamam-ul-Haq settled, there was not so much to do for the likes of Akram and Moin Khan who still has the best strike rate and along with Klusener he is about the best late order batsman a team can hope to have. The catching is getting spectacular. When fielders are too busy rubbing their hands for warmth in early summer, they can hardly catch the ball. But in view of the weather staying mainly dry, the ball has started sticking. The Zimbabwean catching was the clear highlight as the second best team from Africa landed a big punch on the tournament favourite. The rules have become
uniform after they were first changed for the 1992
edition by which nine men have to be in the ring for the
first 15 overs that all the tactics in two World Cups
have had to do with handling the early overs in an
unusual way. What we are seeing in 1999 is the more
orthodox World Cup like the ones that were played between
1975 and 1983, all in England. — UNI |
Daunting task for India NEW DELHI June 2 (PTI) — India, who face a daunting task needing to win all three Super Six ties to ensure themselves a World Cup semifinal berth, will have an adverse history also to contend with. India take on 1987 champions Australia at The Oval on June 4, followed by a clash with arch-rivals Pakistan at Old Trafford on June 8 and meet New Zealand on June 12 at Trent Bridge. But they hold a favourable record only against Pakistan, whom they have beaten on both occasions they squared up against in the mega event. They have a 2-4 deficit against 1987 winners Australia while it is 2-3 against the Kiwis. India met Pakistan for the first time in a World Cup tie only in the 1991-92 edition and won by 43 runs at Sydney, though the latter went all the way to claim the trophy while India were eliminated. In 1996, India posted a thrilling 39-run quarterfinal win at Bangalore before losing to eventual champions Sri Lanka in the semifinals. India and Australia have had a very interesting duel, twice the Kangaroos winning by the narrowest of margins — one run. The India-Australia World Cup rivalry began only in 1983. The Aussies won by a massive 162-run margin in the first league meeting at Trent Bridge, but Kapil’s devils returned the compliment in the return tie by registering a 118-run win at Chelmsford. In 1987, Australia pulled off a one-run victory at Chennai, but India recovered well to beat the eventual champions by 56 runs at Kanpur in the return league tie. Australia managed to squeak past India in the 1991-92 edition, winning by a lone run after the reduced target rule, applied due to rain, hit the Indians pretty bad. In 1996 too, the Aussies came out on top at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium to scrape through by 16 runs after Sachin Tendulkar’s brilliant 90 brought India to the doorstep of victory. Against the Kiwis, both Indian victories came in the 1987 edition. They won by 16 runs at Bangalore and then by a massive nine-wicket margin in the memorable tie at Nagpur, where Chetan Sharma claimed the lone hat-trick to date in World Cup and Sunil Gavaskar smashed an unbeaten 103 to guide India to a nine wicket win. The Kiwis beat India by
four wickets in 1975, by a more comprehensive
eight-wicket margin in 1979 and by four wickets at home
in the 1991-92 championship. |
Flaws in system of points Now that Australian skipper Steve Waugh has openly admitted that his team was trying to beat the system of points distribution by slowing down the proceedings of their last group "B" league match of the World Cup against the West Indies, the points system of the ongoing tournament has come under close scrutiny. As easy and plausible alternative could have been that all the Super Six qualifiers start with no points in the kitty and play each other on a league format. This would have made teams at par with each other, thus making it an open competition in the second leg of the closely contested tournament. This also would not have been a problem in England due to the proximity of the venues to each other. Under the current system , teams like India and Australia , who have no points , are on a weak wicket as they will have to win all the three Super Six matches if the want a semifinal place. The funny part of the current system is that if England would have qualified from Group " A" at the cost of India, all the three teams would have two points each in the Super Six. The reverse of this would have been true if the West Indies had qualified instead of the Kiwis from group "B". Australia would have gained two points as they had beaten the West Indies in the first phase of the tournament. Under the World Cup format, adopted for the first time in this tournament, teams making the Super Six will carry forward the points they have earned from their matches against other teams which have made the Super Six from their own group. From group "A" South Africa, India and Zimbabwe (in that order) have qualified for the Super Six. But strangely enough Zimbabwe, although they have finished third in the group, will carry four points (with wins against India and South Africa to the Super Six while South Africa , with four wins and one defeat in the league, will only carry forward two points with their four-wicket win against India. On the other hand, India, in- spite of finishing second in the group on net run basis, will go pointless to the Super Six group having lost matches to both South Africa and Zimbabwe. Similarly from group "B" Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand have qualified — again in that order — for the Super Six. The position in this group is somewhat similar to the other group. While Pakistan are carrying forward four points with them, having defeated both Australia and New Zealand, the Kiwis are carrying two points with them having got the better of Australia in the league match, Australia, like India, are going to the Super Six without any points. Under this system there are no credits or discredits for losing other matches, or winning them. India, for example, after losing to South Africa and Zimbabwe won three matches on the trot — against Kenya, Sri Lanka and England. But for this winning streak the team will get no credit in the Super Six. On the flip side, Pakistan who lost to Bangladesh in the league face no penalty for having lost to a much weaker squad and will play in the Super Six with four points already in their kitty. The situation in group "B" is no different. The West Indies, New Zealand and Australia all finished with six points each but the West Indies were eliminated on net run rate of New Zealand, who outplayed the weakest team in the tournament — Scotland — in their last league match. These carry-over points will have a great role to play once the Super Six matches commence on June 4. According to the rules of the tournament, in the event of teams finishing on equal points at the end of the Super Six stage the right to play in the semi-finals will be decided in the following manner: (i) the most wins in all the matches throughout the competition against the other Super Six teams ; (ii) when two teams have both equal points and equal wins, the team which was the winner of the match between them (either in the Super Six stage or in the group league) will be placed in the higher position; (iii) when more than two teams have equal points and wins, the team which was the winner of the most number of matches played between those teams will be placed at the higher position; (iv) if still equal the team with the higher net run rate in all matches played against the other Super Six qualifiers (in both the group and Super Six stage) will be placed in the higher position; (v) if still equal the team with the higher number of wickets taken per ball bowled in all the matches throughout the competition with other Super Six qualifiers will be placed in the higher position; and (vi) even if all the above fail to break the deadlock then draw of lots will decided the qualifier for the semi-finals. Although the rules of
the tournament do provide for an extra day for all games
the weather largely has not interfered with the
proceedings (except the India -England match).But what
will happen if the weather does interfere in the next
stage of the tournament ? Then , by current rules teams
like Pakistan and Zimbabwe gain to benefit the most. |
Qualifiers struggle to bridge gap LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) — During the 1996 World Cup on the subcontinent Ali Bacher stressed the need to reduce the "huge imbalance" between the Test-playing countries and the associate members of the International Cricket Council (ICC). Three years on, results in the group stage of the 1999 tournament which was completed on Monday, reflect a significant gap still exists, with Bangladesh alone showing the potential to close it. South African cricket chief Mr Bacher’s warning at the last World Cup came after ICC associate members Kenya, the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands had an overall record between them of just two wins and 13 defeats. Kenya pulled off one of those victories, famously toppling the West Indies by 73 runs. But in the current tournament they lost all five group ‘A’ matches and finished bottom of the six-team standings, a fate suffered by fellow qualifiers Scotland in group ‘B’. It was left to Bangladesh to present the strongest case for the three associate members here this time when they pulled of the biggest upset of the event with a 62-run victory on Monday over Pakistan, winners of their previous four games. Bangladesh believe their stunning success in the last group game at Northampton could act as a springboard in their attempt to join the Test-playing elite. Captain Aminul Islam said: "I think because of this victory the structure will change in Bangladesh. We have really to get the structure right." The shortage of first-class cricket, let alone insufficient exposure in the international arena, was a handicap for both the Scots on their World Cup debut and the Kenyans. There was talent in both sides. Pace bowling all-rounder Gavin Hamilton consistently shone like a beacon for Scotland. At the same time showing England, for whom he is also eligible, what they might have missed. Kenya opener Ravindu Shah carried his impressive form in the warm-up games into the tournament itself while the accomplished Steve Tikolo underlined his quality by finishing 10th among the top 20 run makers in the first round with an aggregate of 167. That list was headed by Rahul Dravid, whose consecutive innings of 104 not out against Kenya, 145 against Sri Lanka and 53 against England combined good technique against the moving ball with sublime strokeplay to fire India into the Super-Six with style after an indifferent start. South Africa’s irrepressible Lance Klusener, with the second highest tally of 13 wickets so far and 164 runs without being dismissed in four innings, is the all-rounder of the tournament. He prefers deeds rather than words to speak volumes. Wasim Akram may ultimately run him close in terms of figures but the Pakistan all-rounder’s greatest value to his side is in his role as captain. Akram has met one of the most demanding challenges in international cricket by turning Pakistan’s talented yet volatile band of individuals into an effective winning combination. Imran Khan exerted comparable influence to lead Pakistan to their 1992 World Cup triumph in Australia and New Zealand. Akram may crown his
fourth spell in charge by lifting the Cup at Lord’s
on June 20. |
Asian players, fans save World Cup LONDON, June 2 (AFP) — The success of Mohammad Azharuddin’s India in joining their Asian rivals Pakistan in the cricket World Cup Super Six came as a relief, not only to their fans but to the marketing men as well. Hosts England did the sponsors and pan-Asian television channels a big favour by losing to India on Sunday. To them, keeping India afloat in the World Cup means big bucks. With the game’s popularity in England dwindling, this is fast becoming a tournament of Asians, by Asians, for Asians. Jai Narayan of Hero Honda, an Indian sponsor at the World Cup, said there was the danger of advertisers pulling out of the live coverage if India had been eliminated. "Our fingers were crossed on Sunday," he said. "People back home would have lost interest in the tournament if India were out. I even heard that some television advertisers were having second thoughts." At least two of the four major sponsors of the tournament — Emirates and Pepsi — pumped in millions because of Asia. The Indian market - the country has a population fast approaching one billion — has ensured that this is the most profitable of the seven world cups held so far, with a projected surplus of £ 30 million. The International Cricket Council’s (ICC) share will be £ 17 million an increase of £ five million from the 1996 tournament held in the Indian sub-continent. The lukewarm response from English fans to the World Cup only proves that the future of one-day cricket lies in Asia Not surprisingly, India’s Azharuddin has played more one-dayers (320) himself than the entire England side since their first game against Australia in 1971. The World Cup is a sell-out at most venues in England because of the support from large British Asian population in the country. They come to the grounds in their thousands to support India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. The home supporters are heavily outnumbered - and loudly outshouted - by the flag-waving and drum-beating Asians. Even the inconsequential last league match between favourites Pakistan and minnows Bangladesh attracted a full house at Northampton. The fans were rewarded with the biggest upset of the tournament, as Bangladesh won by 62 runs. "It almost feels like playing at home," Azharuddin said, "but that has been the case here in England for a long time. "Asians love their cricket, the English, I think, are a bit more inclined towards football." South Africa and Australia may be two of the best cricket teams in the world, but more than half of the projected two billion television viewers will be glued to the progress of India and Pakistan in the second round. The clash between the two arch-rivals at Old Trafford on June 8 has already sent the police, government officials and diplomats into a worried huddle. They know that this is not just another cricket match. India and Pakistan will
now strive to keep the World Cup in Asia for the fourth
time in the last five tournaments. |
England’s defeat and after LONDON, June 2 (PTI) — A day after England lost to India at Edgbaston, the members of the squad were keeping themselves busy in different ways. But not Alan Mullally. England’s most successful bowler in the World Cup, the 29-year-old left-arm paceman was disappointed beyond words and said he could not bring himself to play for his county Leicestershire immediately. "They didn’t bother to ask me, because they knew there was absolutely no way I would have been mentally up for it," said Mullally, a star performer for the hosts before their shattering exit on Sunday after 62-run loss to India at Edgbaston. "It almost feels like you’ve been robbed. As a team, we win and lose together but it’s especially gutting for me because I’ve been in the form of my life". "It’s hard to explain just how flat I feel at the moment, and apart from anything else, I’ve got a hangover," Mullally said. "We all have different ways of dealing with things and for me it wasn’t to play straightaway. "In Australia this winter Darren Gough and I were talking about us gaining a reputation to match any of the best pairs of opening bowlers in the world, and I think that we were well on our way to achieving that. The lanky Mullally captured 10 wickets, including a superb 4 for 37 in England’s crushing eight-wicket win over defending champions Sri Lanka in the tournament opener at the Lord’s which fetched him the 'man of the match'. His angled deliveries and perfect control of line and length made him one of the most dangerous bowlers to counter in the seamer friendly English conditions. "One minute you’re reading compliments from respected judges and the next it’s like we’ve had that platform ripped away from us. It only really sank in that we were going out when I went out to bat on Sunday". "You want to keep fighting but deep down it was hard not to think just about getting off there as quickly as possible at the end. Mullally, who learned the game in Australia and made his first class debut for Western Australia in 1987, said the dressing room mood was unbearable after India completed the win in the tie that spilled over from Saturday due to rain. "The dressing room afterwards was as down a place as I’ve ever been in. If there were any tears then I did’nt see any, but everyone was just incredibly quiet. I sat there and stared into the space for an hour. "Then it was back to the hotel, a few handshakes and that’s it, gone," said the forlorn Mullally. But England’s bowling spearhead stoutly defended the batsmen, who have come under fire after capitulating against India and South Africa which proved end of the road. "We’re out despite having done well in two-thirds of the games. It’s easy to have a go at the batsmen, but they tried their best." But left-hander Neil Fairbrother, who kept the marauding Indian bowlers at bay under gathering gloom before being dismissed to end all England hopes, was determined to gather the pieces after the demoralising loss. "I felt it would be better for me to get straight back to it. I didn’t want to be moping around the house feeling sorry for myself," he said. The seasoned Fairbrother had some consolation, helping Lancashire to a 52-run win over Leicestershire, scoring 31 off 42 balls. Of the rest of the squad, Nick Knight, Nasser Hussain, Darren Gough, Robert Croft and Angus Fraser opted to get immediately back into action for their counties. Hussain emerged the most successful, the Essex opener scoring 81 against Warwickshire. Captain Alec Stewart and
his Surrey team mates Graham Thorpe and Adam Hollioake
took a day off, as did Graeme Hick, who plays for
Worcestershire. |
Woolmer not keen on becoming England's coach LONDON, June 2 (AFP) — South African World Cup coach Bob Woolmer, a front-runner to succeed David Lloyd as England’s coach, all but ruled himself out here today saying he needed a break from the sport. Woolmer, a former English Test batsman who has been coaching South Africa since 1994, was on the England shortlist after Lloyd left following the hosts’ exit from the World Cup. But Woolmer said: "I need to take a break and, as for ‘do I want to do it again’, I don’t know the answer to that question." He said of the England job: "While it’s a prime job in English cricket, it’s a tough one. Especially as I’ve been in the South Africa job for five years." England are looking to install a coach as soon as possible, with a home Test series against New Zealand looming. Woolmer is now expected to return to coach English county Warwickshire, where he was a huge success before taking on the South African job.
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Don't blame Lara for early exit: Lloyd LONDON, June 2 (AFP) — Skipper Brian Lara should not be blamed for the West Indies’ early exit from the cricket World Cup, manager Clive Lloyd has said. Lloyd, the man who captained the West Indies to the 1975 and 1979 trophies and the 1983 final, conceded the team had a deep-seated batting problem but said Lara should not be made a scapegoat. "Brian Lara has done extremely well but he can’t bat for the whole team. There’s nothing wrong with his captaincy. We are not far off from being a decent side," Lloyd said. Despite Lloyd’s backing, Lara, regarded as the best left-hander in the world, was one of the major disappointments of the tournament. He came to England after scoring 213, 153 not out and 100 in consecutive Tests against Australia but, struggling with an injured wrist, he never found form, making 106 in five innings with a highest score of 36. Lloyd said the team’s strike bowlers, led by veterans Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, had almost got the team into the second round. "The bowlers have done extremely well, not just now but for years. But we need batsmen to give the bowlers something to aim at. "With the right injection of youth ... I’m positive we can do well in the future." Lara, who was sacked, then reinstated last year after a players’ pay revolt, and Lloyd were both under pressure to perform here. But they are likely to get a guarded vote of confidence after the West Indies’ campaign was plagued by bad luck. Key all-rounder Carl Hooper walked out on the side by retiring without warning just before the cup began, then coach Malcolm Marshall was hospitalised for cancer surgery. The West Indies missed out on the Super-Six on run-rate after finishing equal on points with Australia and New Zealand. One disaster ruined their campaign - their six-wicket defeat to Australia at Old Trafford which saw them dismissed for 110.
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World Cup highlights LONDON, June 2 (Reuters) — World Cup highlights of the group qualifying matches: * India provided the only century makers in the qualifying round. Saurav Ganguly led the way with 183 while Rahul Dravid made two centuries, 145 and 104 not out. Sachin Tendulkar returned from his father’s funeral in Mumbai to hit 140 not out against Kenya. Dravid is the tournament’s leading run scorer on 369 with teammate Ganguly next on 342 and Scotland’s Gavin Hamilton third with 217. * Lance Klusener emphasised the all round abilities of group ‘A’ winners South Africa, heading their batting charts with 164 and taking 13 wickets, second only to New Zealander Geoff Allott who took 15. * Glenn McGrath claimed the best bowling return, five for 14, as Australia beat West Indies to reach the Super Six. * Pakistan captain Wasim Akram maintained his position as top wicket taker in World Cup history. His nine wickets took his tally to 37 from 27 matches. * West Indies’s Ridley Jacobs was the most successful wicketkeeper in the group stages, claiming 14 victims. Pakistan’s Moin Khan had 11 dismissals and with 25 from 15 matches is the most prolific ‘keeper in World Cup history. * The highest total of the tournament so far was the 373 for six amassed by India against Sri Lanka. It was the second highest in World Cup and international history behind Sri Lanka’s 398 for five against Kenya in the 1996 World Cup. * The second wicket stand of 318 by Dravid and Ganguly in the same match was the highest for any wicket in one-day internationals. * Scotland suffered the
indignity of registering the lowest total when they were
dismissed for 68 by West Indies. |
Meligeni, Medvedev enter semis PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) — Fernando Meligeni restored Brazilian pride with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 demolition of Alex Corretja to reach the French Open semifinals today after compatriot Gustavo Kuerten lost to Ukrainian Andrei Medvedev. Meligeni, conqueror of third seed Pat Rafter in the third round and 14th seed Felix Mantilla in the fourth, looked a class ahead of sixth seed Corretja, who crumbled in just 85 minutes. Meligeni next faces Medvedev, ranked only 100th in the world, who created an upset by beating his friend and Brazilian Davis Cup partner Kuerten 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 earlier today. Friday’s other semifinal pits 13th seed Andre Agassi against Slovakia’s Dominik Hrbaty. The writing was on the wall for Corretja, last year’s Roland Garros runner-up, from the opening game when left-hander Meligeni broke serve. He did so again in the seventh game and served out the first set in only 32 minutes as Corretja struggled to find any rhythm. The Spaniard looked increasingly unsteady in the wind on centre court but still managed to hold his serve in the first and third games of the second set. That effort, though, seemed to sap him and he lost the next 11 straight games to slump to an undignified defeat. "It was very strange, very windy," said Meligeni afterwards. "You have to concentrate all the time and I think i did that better. You just have to fight for every ball." Medvedev, who has rediscovered his love for tennis since resuming his off-court relationship with German player Anke Huber, dominated Kuerten from the outset. The Ukrainian became the second east European to upset a South American in the last eight after Hrbaty’s victory over Marcelo Rios, the Chilean ninth seed, yesterday. Medvedev squandered three match points in the final game but set up a fourth with an ace and finished the favourite off wit a drop shot. Kuerten enjoyed much the more vociferous support from his Brazilian fans but the Ukrainian broke him once in each of the first two sets, taking the first with another deft drop at the net, a shot he used to telling effect throughout. Medvedev, who eliminated world number two Pete Sampras in the second round, broke again in the seventh game of the second set and served out to love at 5-4 when Kuerten hit a return long. The Brazilian failed to find an answer to Medvedev’s intelligent mix of passing and drop shots from the baseline and only managed to break him once in the third set. It followed Medvedev’s third break of the match and the Ukrainian replied by immediately breaking back. Kuerten, the in-form
player on clay this season with victories at Monte Carlo
and the Italian Open, said: "The wind was tough but
it was hard for both of us." |
Davenport relieved to get off clay PARIS, June 2 (Reuters) — World number two Lindsay Davenport slid out of the French Open quarterfinals yesterday saying she was not sorry her stint on clay was over. "I really don’t like this stuff, you know, I’m not shy to say it," the second seed said after falling 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 to five-times champion Steffi Graf. "The ball never bounces great. I don’t move great anyways, and on clay it makes it even worse," said the 1.89-metre tall American. "I just don’t like anything about it. It makes tennis such a different game. It slows everything down. It is just slippery and I don’t like that. I like to have footing. "Every year I try
and do the best I can on it, have fun. But, you know,
I’m not sorry it’s over." |
Srinath, Fazaluddin advance to last 8 NEW DELHI, June 2 (UNI) — It was yet another day of smooth sailing for the seeded players on the third day today of the ITF Men's Satellite Tennis circuit here. The day saw the top four seeds — Artem Derepasko, Prahlad Srinath, Syed Fazaluddin and Harsh Mankad — and sixth-seeded Vinod Sridhar advancing to the quarterfinals, registering contrasting wins. Top-seeded Derepasko of Russia, who won the second leg at Mumbai, registered a hard fought victory over compatriot Dimitri Mazur. Although Derepasko defeated the unseeded Mazur 6-2, 6-2, it was not before he had to face some anxious moments. A set down, Mazur came back strongly in the second, taking the first two games to lead 2-0 over a frustrated looking Derepasko. But the top seed proved his superior ranking as he romped home with the match, winning the next six games to take the set and a berth in the last eight. Srinath, winner of the first leg at Bangalore, scored an easy victory over wildcard fellow countryman Rohan Bopanna. He won a quarterfinal berth with his 6-4, 6-2 win in just over an hour. Also advancing the last eight stage in straight sets were third-seeded Syed Fazaluddin and fourth seed Harsh Mankad. Fazaluddin defeated fellow Indian Vijayendra Laad 6-2, 6-1 while Mankad breezed past compatriot Nitin Kirtane 6-0, 6-4. Sridhar fought back valiantly into the match after being one set down against fellow Indian Anand Radhakrishnan. He won a quarterfinal berth defeating Radhakrishnan 6-7, 6-2, 6-2. In other matches, qualifier Russian Andrei Youznyi stopped the challenge. Indian Mustafa Ghouse. The match, which was decided in a third set tie-break, had some exciting moments but Ghouse failed in the tie-break, losing the match 1-6, 6-3, 6-7. The last two quarterfinalists were qualifier Minh Le of the USA and Uzbek, Anton Kokurin. Le defeated Australian Steven Bourke 6-3, 7-6 while Kokurin won as his opponent, Vasudeva Reddy of India, conceded the match due to health problems. Reddy bowed out after he was a set down. Derepasko now meets
Kokurin in the quarterfinals while Srinath clashes with
Le. Fazaluddin, Meanwhile clashes with fellow Indian
Sridhar. |
9 golfers shortlisted for selection CHENNAI, June 2 (PTI) — Nine amateur golfers, including three juniors, have been shortlisted for selection to represent India in the Asia Pacific Amateur Golf Championship for the Nomura Cup scheduled to be held at Lahore (Pakistan) from October 7 to 10. Delhi’s junior golfers Shiv Kapur and Ashok Kumar and Tamil Nadu’s Sandeep Sayal are the three juniors to vie for the berth in the final team along with highly rated six seniors — Sheeraz Kalra (Lucknow), Amit Luthra, Aman Bahl, Manov Das (all from Delhi), Rahul Ganapathi (Mysore) and Amesh Jaita (Pune). Mr Dilip Thomas, Chairman, national selection committee of the Indian Golf Union, said PTI that India have a good chance to finish high in the order of merits as the golfers, who were in good nick, would make full use of the conditions in terms of weather and course to beat the others. India’s best performance in this prestigious tournament was a few years ago, when they pipped strong New Zealand for the bronze in the team championship. These nine golfers,
along with other up and coming youngsters, would undergo
training under world known coach Dr Donato Di Ponziano of
Italy, thanks to the programme of Royal and Ancient Golf,
St Andrews and the European Professional Golf
Association. These two golfing bodies would meet the
coaching fees. |
Kurukshetra tops in sports
competitions KURUKSHETRA, June 2 — Kurukshetra annexed first position in various sports competitions held in Haryana during 1998-99. This was announced by Mr Resham Singh , DIG Ambala range, at sports award distribution function held at Panchayat Bhavan here yesterday. On this occasion, 46 players were given cash awards worth Rs 2.95 lakh sanctioned by the Haryana government. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr S.N. Roy, who is also President of the District Olympic Association Kurukshetra was also present. In hockey, Harjinder Kaur, Sarvjeet Kaur, Yashmeen Kaur, Gagandeep Kaur, Kanupriya, Amanpreet, Ramaneek Kaur, Jatinder Kaur, Prem Kaur, Monika, Ritu Rani, Surender Kaur, Suman Bala, Rekha Rani, Gurpreet Kaur, Mandeep Kaur and Prem Lata were given a cash award of Rs 7,000 each, while Saneh Lata, Tarika, Sarvjeet Kaur, Aarti and Payal were given Rs 5,000 each. In cycling, Karamjeet
Singh, Mandeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh and Surjeet Singh
were given a cash award of Rs 7,000 each, while Pooja
Malhotra, Sunaili and Manjeet Kaur were given Rs 6,000
each. In volley ball, Sunaina, Kusum Rani, Shabina,
Santosh Kumari, Suman, Lata Kusum and Bhupinder Singh
were given a cash award of Rs 7,000. In Skating Vinit
Sehgal, Rajesh Sharma and Yadvinder were given Rs 6,000
each while in wrestling Rajender Kumar was given Rs
6,000. In handball Nitin Sehgal, Virender Singh and
Sushil Kumar given Rs 5,000 each while in Judo Harvinder
Singh was given Rs 5000. |
H
Sunita, Sajan Pal to lead Haryana HISAR, June 2 (FOSR) — Sunita of Hisar, international Sajan Pal of Sonepat and Rajesh of Nidani will lead the girls, boys (freestyle) and boys (greco-roman) teams of Haryana respectively in the third National Sub-Junior Wrestling Championship for Girls and 20th National Sub-Junior Wrestling Championship for Boys to be held at Nidani in Jind district of Haryana from June 3 to 7. Announcing the teams here today, Mr M.S. Malik, President of the Haryana State Wrestling Association said that over 600 wrestlers will take part in the championships. Teams: Girls: Archana (38 kg), Neetu (40 kg), Manju (43 kg), Meena (48 kg), Kiran Jangra (49 kg), Neha (52 kg) Geetika Jakhar (55 kg), Sunita (60 kg), Balwinder Kaur (65 kg), Sonika (70 kg) all from Hisar. Boys: (Free style) Jitender (Nidani) 42 kg, Ravinder (Bhiwani hostel) 46 kg, Naresh (Bhiwani hostel) 50 kg, Paramjit (Jhajjar) 54 kg, Shilk Ram (Nidani) 58 kg, Rakesh (Sonepat) 63 kg, Manjeev (Sonepat) 69 kg Sanjay (Sonepat) 76 kg, Sajan Pal (Sonepat) 85 kg, Pradip (Jhajjar) plus 85. Greco-roman style: Anurag (Bhiwani hostel) 42 kg, Virender (Sonepat) 46 kg, Rajiv (Sonepat) 50 kg, Rajesh (Nidani) 54 kg, Mahi Pal (Sonepat) 58 kg, Satender (Sonepat) 63 kg, Devender (Sonepat) 69 kg, Sanjay (Sonepat) 76 kg, Surender (Sonepat) 85 kg, Suresh (Bhiwani) plus 85 kg. Reetinder Sodhi helps Patiala win PATIALA, June 2 (FOC) — Fluent knocks by Gaganinder Garry (70) and Reetinder Sodhi (67n.o) enabled Patiala to beat Minor Districts XI in the one day Katoch Shield cricket match played at the Dhruv Pandove Stadium here today. Scores: Minor Districts:
150 all out (Kailash Sanwal 46, Kamal Walia 51; R Sodhi 4
for 22, Lakhbir Singh 3 for 13) |
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