LAHORE : Angry people burn a poster of Pakistani cricket team captain Wasim Akram in Lahore on Sunday after his team's embarrassingly one-sided World Cup final loss to Australia in London — AP/PTI

Pakistan in mourning ISLAMABAD, June 21 — Cricket crazy Pakistan today plunged into national mourning after yesterday’s humiliating defeat to Australia in the World Cup final at The Lord’s with Wasim Akram’s team branded "traitors" and "match-fixers". Moments of joy, moments of madness LONDON, June 21 — For Steve Waugh and his 10 Australian team-mates, one moment above all mattered at the 1999 World Cup.

Aussies celebrate Cup win
SYDNEY, June 21 — A bleary-eyed Australia celebrated its cricketers’ World Cup victory today as Prime Minister John Howard said he was considering a day of celebration to mark the win ... and give fans a chance to catch up on some sleep.

Pak defeat shocks Bangladeshis
DHAKA, June 21 — Cricket fans who celebrated Bangladesh’s historic World Cup win over Pakistan appeared equally surprised by Pakistan’s humiliating loss to Australia in yesterday’s final.

Glamorgan target Klusener
LONDON, June 21 — South African all-rounder Lance Klusener, the World Cup’s ‘man of the tournament’, could replace team-mate Jacques Kallis in the Glamorgan county team.

Akram promises to carry on
LONDON, June 21 — Wasim Akram pledged to make a pilgrimage to Mecca after Pakistan lost the World Cup final to Australia yesterday.

'Stop cricketers from wearing Wills logo'
NEW DELHI, June 21 — A petition in the Delhi High Court has sought a ban on Indian cricketers displaying the logo of a cigarette brand on their cricketing gears in matches telecast live, saying it would have "adverse" effect on children.

Engrossed in match man forgets wedding
MUMBAI, June 21 — He was glued to the television set, eagerly watching the World Cup cricket final, forgetting that he was to tie the nuptial knot.

Waugh's grandfather dies after final
SYDNEY, June 21 — Steve and Mark Waugh's World Cup joy was marred by the death of their grandfather just hours after Australia beat Pakistan in the final.

Anand Kumar lifts boxing title
CHANDIGARH, June 21 — Anand Kumar of Chandigarh wrested the fly weight title (48 to 51 kg) by getting the better of Ramesh Kumar of Pepsu in the final for seniors in the 11th senior and second subjunior Boxing Championship at the Yavanika Vatika, Sector 5, Panchkula today evening.

Stylish Sampras downs Draper

WIMBLEDON, June 21 (AP) — Pete Sampras returned to his favourite stage today and began his bid for a sixth Wimbledon title by beating Scott Draper, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Sampras won the first three games, never faced a break point and needed just 88 minutes to eliminate Draper, an Australian ranked 63rd.

The victory was Sampras’ 15th in a row at the All-England Club, where his record since 1993 is 40-1. Another Grand Slam title would give him 12, matching Roy Emerson’s record.

The first seeded player in action was Mark Philippoussis, a quarterfinalist last year, who slammed 28 aces and beat Xavier Malisse 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

Philippoussis, seeded seventh, started slowly and missed an easy overhead that cost him the first set. But after receiving a code violation for throwing his racket in the second set, Philippoussis regrouped and won in two hours, 22 minutes.

Unseeded Jim Courier, a US Davis Cup hero in England earlier this year, swept wild-card entry Barry Cowan 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Anna Kournikova had a tough start against Austrian wild card Barbara Schwartz before winning 7-6 (7-2) 4-6 6-2 in the opening round of the women’s singles.

British number one Tim Henman gave his fans a nasty scare taking four sets to overcome Arnaud Di Pasquale of France in the first round.

The 24-year old sixth seed, Britain’s great hope for the Wimbledon crown this year, eventually beat the unseeded Frenchman 6-4 6-0 3-6 7-6.

Mark Philippoussis, the first seeded player in action on the first day at Wimbledon, today rallied past Xavier Malisse 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

Philippoussis, a quarterfinalist last year, started slowly and missed an easy overhead that cost him the first set. But after receiving a code violation for throwing his racket in the second set, the seventh-seeded Philippoussis regrouped and won in two hours, 22 minutes.

Wimbledon’s 113th tournament began with sunny skies and mild weather. The world’s most prestigious tennis tournament has been plagued by rain in recent years, but the forecast was good through tomorrow, with plenty of sunshine expected.

Action began simultaneously on 16 outer courts. Two hours later, in keeping with tradition for the defending men’s champion, Pete Sampras took centre court for the opening match there.

The top-ranked Sampras played Scott Draper to begin pursuit of his sixth Wimbledon title and a record-tying 12th Grand Slam championship.

His foremost challengers are expected to include Andre Agassi, who plays his opening match tomorrow. Agassi will try to become the first man since Bjorn Borg in 1980 to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year.

"It can happen," said Agassi, seeded Fourth. "I've stooped telling myself things can't be done."

This could be Agassi's best shot at Wimbledon since he won the tournament for this first major title in 1992.

"Obviously he'd like to join Borg," said Agassi's coach, Brad Gilbert. "That's incredible company. Hopefully, his performance in Paris will inspire him."

With the tournament scheduled to begin today, London oddsmakers listed Agassi as a 16-1 choice. Those with lower odds included Sampras, Richard Krajicek, Patrick Rafter and two Brits, Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski.

Among the women, Hingis was the 6-4 favourite, followed by Steffi Graf, Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Monica Seles and defending champion Jana Novotna.

Agassi’s opening match will be against Andrei Pavel, a Romanian ranked 66th. Other potential obstacles for him:

A fourth-round rematch against Tommy Haas, who upset Agassi at Wimbledon last year; 1996 champion Krajicek in the quarterfinals; Rafter or three-time runner-up Goran Ivanisevic in the semifinals Sampras, Henman or Rusedski in the final.

Since winning Wimbledon seven years ago, Agassi’s career has been like a series of topspin lobs: up and down.

He was an unseeded US Open champion in 1994, rose to the No. 1 ranking and then fell to No. 141. He failed to reach a Grand Slam quarterfinal for two years before winning the French, where he rallied past Andrei Medvedev in the dramatic final.

"People lost faith in what I could do, and understandably so,’’ Agassi said.

Now, at 29, he claims to be playing the best tennis of his life. And he said this career comeback will be his last.

"I have no more energy to go down and come back up again,’’ he said. I’m going to ride this one as long as I can. I know I won’t have many more years to enjoy this.’’

Early in his career, Agassi refused to play Wimbledon because of an aversion to grass courts. He has won only one match at the All-England Club since 1995, but nonetheless appreciates the unique challenge the tournament presents.

Hingis ‘deserved’ Wimbledon ban

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) — Hana Mandlikova, the coach of defending women’s champion Jana Novotna, believes world number one Martina Hingis should have been banned from Wimbledon for her behaviour at the French Open.

"Her behaviour was disrespectful to everyone who ever won Grand Slam," Mandlikova, who twice appeared in a Wimbledon final as a singles player and won four Grand Slams, told the Mail on Sunday newspaper.

"She should have been banned from playing Wimbledon. Then she might learn to appreciate what a responsibility it is to appear in a Grand Slam final like the French Open."

Swiss Hingis, top seed for Wimbledon, has promised not to repeat her French Open behaviour, when she lost control of her emotions in the final against German Steffi Graf.

Hingis received a warning for smashing her racket and broke all the rules of tennis etiquette by crossing over to Graf’s side of the court to complain at a disputed line-call.

When she refused to play on, she was docked a penalty point. She also climbed halfway up the umpire’s chair to argue another disputed point and, staring defeat in the face, served underarm to Graf on match point.

She and Novotna, 30, have also been at loggerheads since Hingis, 18, ditched the Czech as a doubles partner because Novotna was deemed to be "too old and slow".

Mandlikova said her words were not linked to that spat: "This has nothing to do with Jana. I am speaking out because I feel strongly that Hingis showed no respect in Paris.

Anand Kumar lifts boxing title
By Our Sports Reporter

CHANDIGARH, June 21 — Anand Kumar of Chandigarh wrested the fly weight title (48 to 51 kg) by getting the better of Ramesh Kumar of Pepsu in the final for seniors in the 11th senior and second subjunior Boxing Championship at the Yavanika Vatika, Sector 5, Panchkula today evening. However another Chandigarh boxer, Ramesh Singh, went down fighting to Pramod Sharma of Delhi in lightfly weight (upto 48 kg).

In the subjunior section Sandeep Dutta of Punjab in the 39 to 42 kg category had to struggle hard to overcome the tough challenge of Manish Jaswal of Uttar Pradesh before the former could win 2-1. In 48 to 51 kg category, Satpal of Haryana knocked out Aman Kumar of Chandigarh in the final.

Results (all finals) Subjunior: (30 to 33 kg) 12-13 years — Abhishek Kumar (UP) b Apurav Kumar; 36-39 kg — Vijay Kumar (Delhi) b Vipin Kumar (UP). Paramjit Singh (Chd) b Azad Malik (Har); Kapil (Har) b Mohd Amil (Raj); Abhilash Kumar (Raj) b Sunil Kumar (Pb); 36-39 kg; Manish Singh (Har) b Rinku Bedi (Pepsu); 39 to 42 kg Sandeep Dutta (Pb) b Manish Jaswal (UP); 42-45 Ganesh Pawar (Delhi) b Manoj Kumar (Krc); (38 to 51 kg) Sandeep Kumar (Chd) b Vikki Tokas (Delhi) (36-36 kg) Kunwar Vikram Singh (Raj) b Vikas Choudhary (39-42 kg) Sonu (Har) b Gurmukh Singh (Pb); (42-45 kg) Robin Dev (Har) b Pardeep Kumar (KRC); (45-48 kg) Kamaldeep Dutta (Pb) b Sohan Rana (Har); 14 to 15 years; (48-51 kg) Parvinder (Har) b M. Chishti (UP); 51 to 54 kg Amit (Del) b Sohan Singh (Chd); 57 to 60 kg Bhavan Singh (KRC) b Jasbir Singh (Pepsu); 15 to 16 years 42-45 kg Amandeep Singh (Pb) b Surjeet Singh (Del); 45-48 kg; Mukesh Chander (KRC) b Kapil Dev (Har); 48 to 51 kg Sat Pal (Har) b Aman (Chd); Mahipal (KRC) b Varun Sethi (Pb); 54 to 57 kg Santosh (KRC) b Bachetra (Har); 60 to 63.5 kg — Ajay Singh b Kavinder Singh (Pb); 16 to 17 years: 42 to 45 kg Abhi Gyan (UP) b Jai Kishan (Del); 45-48 kg Abhishek (UP) b Virender Yadav (KRC); (48-51 kg) Dharamvir (Har) b Anil Kumar (Pepsu); (51-54 kg) Sanjay (Raj) b Sourabh (Del); 57 to 60 kg Harvinder (Pb) b Balwant (KRC); Parveen (Chd) b Rajiv (Chd); Yogesh (J&K) b Anirudh (UP).

Senior (Semifinals)-Flyweight-Ramesh (Pepsu) b Virender Bist (Harb); Anand Kumar (Chd) b Bhupender Singh (UP); Bantam weight-Atul Siddharth (Raj), b Mandeep (Chd), Ashok Kumar (HARB) b Sukhdeep Singh (HP); Featherweight-Jai Prakash (Har) b Sunil Joshi (UP), Devender Singh (Chd) b Jahid (Del); lightr weight Kamal Murya b Sudhi Kumar (Raj); Shashi Kant (Har) b Deepak Mahajan (Har).

Moments of joy, moments of madness
From Tony Lawrence

LONDON, June 21 — For Steve Waugh and his 10 Australian team-mates, one moment above all mattered at the 1999 World Cup.

Steve Waugh’s lifting of the trophy completed three years of planning and three of dreaming.

He held the Cup aloft from the Lord’s balcony, accompanied by a huge roar from his fans — and huge groans in Pakistan.

For the neutral fan, however, there have been plenty of other key incidents to store to memory.

The demise of South African Allan Donald, run out with two balls to go of the tied Edgbaston semifinal against Australia, will never be forgotten, ending what many believe was the greatest one-day game of all time.

South Africa, beaten in the 1992 semifinal and 1996 quarterfinal, needed one run off four balls to reach the Lord’s showpiece.

Instead, Lance Klusener hit and ran, Donald failed to hear his call and Australia’s players were soon mobbing each other in celebration.

Donald, his bat abandoned, stood alone. Klusener, the player of the tournament, had not even turned round to watch the inevitable disaster unfold.

Steely-eyed, he ran on towards the pavilion and out of the competition.

"It was a moment of madness and total confusion," Donald said later.

One match before, another South African had wished the ground would swallow him up in a moment of horror.

Like Klusener and Donald, he will spend many nights pondering over the fickleness of fate.

Herschelle Gibbs had caught Steve Waugh at short midwicket at Headingley when, in the process of throwing up the ball in celebration, he allowed it to slip from his hands.

Waugh, then on 56, went on to make 120 not out and win the game. Had Gibbs taken that catch to win the game, Australia would have been knocked out and South Africa would have faced lowly Zimbabwe in the semifinals.

Gibbs was on the wrong end of another memorable incident a few days later.

Shane Warne, written off by many commentators, spun a ball from almost a foot outside the leg stump past the right-hand opener’s bat on the way to clipping the top of the off stump in the Edgbaston semifinal re-match between the two sides.

The delivery was a replica of Warne’s first ball in a Test in England, which accounted for Mike Gatting in 1993 at Old Trafford and became known as "the ball of the century."

Waugh said later that Gibbs’ fall, the first of Warne’s four wickets, had done such psychological damage to the South African batsmen that it won the game for Australia.

Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar, with 16 wickets, also had his fair share of moments.

His first ball of the tournament — and his first in England for Pakistan — was as dramatic as any that followed. Rearing off just short of a length, it beat West Indian Sherwin Campbell for pace, took the edge of his bat and flew for six over third man.

Later, an Akhtar delivery was timed at 95mph. His yorker to remove Stephen Fleming’s leg stump in the first semifinal was another high-speed classic.

When he came across Klusener’s 3lb 2oz bat, however, in Pakistan’s second-round encounter with South Africa at Trent Bridge, he found out that speed works both ways.

Klusener hit 17 off the 46th over of the innings on the way to victory.

The shot that stood out? A short-armed pull that sailed into the back of the mid-wicket terraces for six.

Pakistan off spinner Saqlain Mushtaq accounted for 17 wickets at the World Cup but none was so valuable as his last against Zimbabwe at The Oval.

Mpumelelo Mbangwa may not be the most accomplished of players but his half-shuffle forward and the ensuing appeal for leg before earned Saqlain only the second hat-trick in tournament history.

For those preferring a little light relief, Inzamam-ul Haq provided it.

A marvellous player and a dreadful runner, he was hit on the foot by a Damien Fleming yorker in the first-round match against Australia.

Inzamam crumpled onto the pitch, clutching his bruised toe. Looking up, he found his captain Wasim Akram standing next to him. At the other end of the pitch, Fleming was removing the bails.

For many, however, the World Cup’s defining moment came at Bristol in the first round on May 23.

India were playing Kenya. Sachin Tendulkar, still jet-lagged after returning from his father’s funeral in Mumbai, had just reached his century off 84 balls. He would end his innings of 140 with a six.

He raised his bat to acknowledge the crowd and then, retreating into his private world, he glanced up and scanned the sky.

In five weeks of non-stop cricket, from May 14 to June 20, there was nothing more poignant.

Pakistan in mourning

ISLAMABAD, June 21 (PTI) — Cricket crazy Pakistan today plunged into national mourning after yesterday’s humiliating defeat to Australia in the World Cup final at The Lord’s with Wasim Akram’s team branded "traitors" and "match-fixers".

Shocked cricket fans, who had been planning to welcome their cricket team with the World Cup trophy, were furious at the team’s dismal performance against Australia and vented their fury burning the effigy of Akram.

"They (cricketers) are traitors and should be tried for that," cried a front-page headline in a popular Urdu daily which carried reactions of the cricket fans with the majority alleging that the team had lost because the match was already fixed.

Cricket fans still refusing to accept that the team failed to click in the final, accused the team members of deliberately losing "for the sake of money."

Calling out for various types of punishments to the team, some of the people even suggested that the cricketers be sent to Kargil to fight against the Indian Army.

Another report claimed that Wasim Akram’s decision to bat first on a wet pitch proved he was more interested in winning a bet.

The report also claimed Akram had an arrangement with a Bradford restaurant owner who was to win £ 4.5 million (about Rs 32.4 crore) in case Pakistan lost in the final.

With the final report in the betting and match-fixing allegations involving Akram and three senior players expected soon, majority of fans alleged that the Pakistani team lost due to its "involvement in betting."

Calling for immediate sacking of Akram and senior team members, critics said the apprehensions raised after their team’s shock defeat at the hands of Bangladesh in the group stage were finally proved correct in the final.

After Pakistan lost of Bangladesh, people accused team members of accepting money to lose the match.

Meanwhile, Karachi police detained a man for beating up his brother who last week had named his son after Wasim Akram.

The Pakistani skipper’s home was pelted with stones, his family received death threats and his father was briefly kidnapped after Pakistan lost to arch-rivals India in Bangalore in the 1996 World Cup quarter-finals.

Glamorgan target Klusener

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) — South African all-rounder Lance Klusener, the World Cup’s ‘man of the tournament’, could replace team-mate Jacques Kallis in the Glamorgan county team.

Kallis was undergoing a scan today to determine the extent of the stomach strain which affected him during the latter stages of the Cup.

Glamorgan captain Matthew Maynard said today he was keen to recruit Klusener if Kallis was ruled out for the season.

"I favour Klusener because he is an allrounder," Maynard said.

Klusener was named ‘man of the tournament’ after scoring 281 runs and taking 17 wickets. He had the second highest strike rate with the bat, hitting a tournament-best 10 sixes, and was dismissed only twice in eight innings.

South Africa failed to qualify for the final after a tie with Australia in the semifinal.

Warne makes them eat humble pie

LONDON, June 21 (APF) — Rarely has so much egg been seen on so many faces, and so much humble pie so rapidly consumed.

Shane Warne has often been the subject of dietary jokes.

Today the joke was on anyone foolish enough to have doubted Australia’s leg spinner.

In truth, there seemed good reason to question his future a few weeks ago.

He began the year being dropped from the Test side after struggling back from shoulder surgery. In a fit of pique he had suggested that retirement was an option.

When his World Cup here began in equally lacklustre fashion, the merchants of doom foresaw the worst.

Former England pace bowler Bob Willis said Warne appeared to have lost the ability to loop or spin the ball. His flipper had vanished.

Steve Waugh said the player could be driven from the game by the relentless criticism.

Within the last four days, however, the 29-year-old has been the deciding factor in both the World Cup semifinal and final, taking four wickets in each.

He also ended as the joint highest wicket-taker in the tournament’s history, with 20 victims.

Against South Africa in the semi-final — perhaps the greatest one-day game ever played and the first of 199 world cup matches to end in a tie — he had taken four for 29 off 10 overs.

Warne, extracting vicious turn, took three wickets in eight balls without conceding a run.

His first victim, Herschelle Gibbs, was removed by a delivery that spun more than a foot from outside leg to clip the top of the off stump.

Many saw it as a replica of his 1993 delivery that dismissed Mike Gatting in the Ashes series and became known as "the ball of the century."

Yesterday in the Lord’s final against Pakistan, he took four for 33 in nine overs.

His first wicket, with his tenth ball, was a beauty. Ijaz Ahmed paid the penalty for going back to a good-length ball and was bowled.

His second, nine balls on, was even better. Warne dragged Moin Khan forward with a ball that drifted from off to leg then jagged in the opposite direction off the wicket.

Wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist took a smart catch to reduce Pakistan to 91 for five in the 28th over.

Warne, happily rotund, ended the day punching the air on the Lord’s balcony. Australia’s fans danced and sang. The rest of the world tucked into extra portions of pie.

Pak defeat shocks Bangladeshis

DHAKA, June 21 (Reuters) — Cricket fans who celebrated Bangladesh’s historic World Cup win over Pakistan appeared equally surprised by Pakistan’s humiliating loss to Australia in yesterday’s final.

Many switched off their television sets after only a dozen overs of the Australia innings.

"I was overtaken by a sense of grief when Pakistan seemed to be certainly losing," said bank employee Shahadat Hossain today.

"It was too much to digest. I was never 100 per cent certain that Pakistan would win. But I did not expect such a shameful defeat."

Munira Hossain, a teacher, said the match was "just a 20-over final" and added it was "disappointing beyond imagination."

"I knew the Pakistanis were unpredictable and inconsistent but I didn’t believe they are so stupid," she said.

"I just switched off the TV and never felt like watching the final scores," said a disgusted Dhaka University student.

In Chittagong, Pakistan fans bought at least 20 large bull for a planned feast if their team won.

But they angrily took to the streets and tore up posters of Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram as television showed Steve Waugh clutching the World Cup.

Bangladesh, formerly east Pakistan, emerged as an independent country following a nine-month war against Pakistan in 1971, which killed some three million Bengali people.

But Bangladeshis still have strong religious and cultural ties with Islamic Pakistan.

World Cup debutant Bangladesh beat former champions Pakistan by 62 runs in the first round in May, triggering a national celebration in the country.

Yesterday, a working day in Muslim Bangladesh, schools ended classes early, offices were mostly deserted and traffic thinned on the streets as people rushed to their homes to watch television coverage of the final match.

"I was just hoping Pakistan will win this year’s Cup. But was saddened to see them just sinking," said businessman Sekandar Ali, who bought a big-screen colour television only days ago especially to watch the final.

"Pakistan kept up my hopes after Sri Lanka and India miserably saw their way out of the World Cup. But the curtain has fallen on South Asia — at least until the next World Cup in 2003," he said.

Akram promises to carry on

LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) — Wasim Akram pledged to make a pilgrimage to Mecca after Pakistan lost the World Cup final to Australia yesterday.

Pakistan’s captain also promised to play for a further year or two in international cricket.

The visit to Saudi Arabia takes place in the next few days. A future in international cricket may be out of Akram’s hands.

Justice Qayyum is due to release the results of his inquiry into corruption in Pakistan cricket early next month and Akram is one of several members of the current team being investigated after allegations of match-fixing.

The Pakistan manager Dr Zafar Altaf moved swiftly to stop any questions about the inquiry at a news conference on Friday and Akram has consistently deflected any interrogators.

Akram pronounced himself satisfied after Pakistan’s loss by eight wickets yesterday in the biggest thrashing handed out in seven World Cup finals.

"I am not disappointed at all," he said. "We qualified for the final. We have got plenty of cricket ahead of us."

The supporters may not be so forgiving. Akram is now on his fourth stint as Pakistan captain in a country where failure is not regarded kindly. He was vilified, his house set on fire and his father abducted after he withdrew from the 1996 World Cup quarter-final through injury and Pakistan lost to India.

While he waits for the result of the inquiry, Akram will return to England after visiting Mecca and take up his appointment with a league club in Birmingham.

At 33, Akram is no longer willing to resume the non-stop grind of county cricket and in addition he wants to help coach and guide young Asian cricketers in the English midlands.

"There are a lot of schools there, I would like to coach there," he told a news conference after the final match.

"I have always wondered why if they have talents in Pakistan and India why don’t they have talents here.

"Maybe they just need some role models to coach them."

There is plenty of hard evidence that cricketers of Asia origin do not get adequate opportunities to forge a professional career in England and Akram may have a part to play in helping change entrenched prejudices.

The England team, who left the World Cup after the first round, were not exactly over-flowing with talent, and the authorities need to draw on the talent pool in the immigrant community.

Akram clearly feels he still has a role to play in a team who may have disappointed yesterday but still possess incomparable players.

"I think the way I am bowling I can continue for another year or two," he said.

'Stop cricketers from wearing Wills logo'

NEW DELHI, June 21 (PTI) — A petition in the Delhi High Court has sought a ban on Indian cricketers displaying the logo of a cigarette brand on their cricketing gears in matches telecast live, saying it would have "adverse" effect on children.

Unfortunately, sports related advertisements of cigarette were rapidly growing and there was every likelihood of children being "lured" by the manufacturers’ onslaught, the public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI) alleged.

While hearing the petition, a division bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar and Justice Manmohan Sarin recently issued notices to the Centre, Information and Broadcasting Ministry and Director General of Doordarshan (DD) asking them to file replies by July seven, the next date of hearing.

The petition filed through lawyer Prashant Bhushan sought direction to Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) to immediately cancel its contract with Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) saying that the players were popularising the company’s Wills brand during international matches covered live by DD.

It said cricketers should be prohibited from displaying the "Wills" logo during all the matches and the players should be prevented from entering into sponsorship programme with any cigarette manufacturers to popularise their products.

The court, however, declined to issue notice to the BCCI, also named as respondent, at this stage.

The VHAI said cricket, which had attained great popularity today, had turned into a "scourge" of millions of children and any advertisement about cigarette and tabacco products would "definitely" have an "adverse" effect on them.

"It is no wonder that the last international World Cup cricket organised in Indian sub-continent was sponsored by the ITC, the leading cigarette company of India," the petition said adding that the BCCI had entered into a sponsorship contract with the ITC under which Indian cricket team is sponsored by Wills in all the international matches played abroad.

The contract provides that all the players have to wear the Wills logo to create television advertisements and make other promotional and publicity material, it said.

"The cigarette companies are using sports sponsorship to unleash a wave of surrogate advertisements in the garb of surrogate products which these companies hardly sell. The companies are actually promoting the sale of cigarette," the petitioner claimed.

It said, besides ITC, Godfrey Phillips (makers of Four Square brand) had also entered into individual contract with Indian cricket players and as a result, they were "unabashedly" displaying the logo of Four Square as well.

Cigarette and Tobacco products have proved to be the major cause of cancer and a number of developed countries have taken various safeguards to protect children from its effects.

In India alone tobacco products cause death of about 6.35 lakh people each year, the petition said.

Aussies celebrate Cup win

SYDNEY, June 21 (AFP) — A bleary-eyed Australia celebrated its cricketers’ World Cup victory today as Prime Minister John Howard said he was considering a day of celebration to mark the win ... and give fans a chance to catch up on some sleep.

"I haven’t had a lot of sleep the last week or 10 days but it’s all been in a tremendous cause and last night was just terrific and a very resounding victory," Mr Howard said in a radio interview.

Added evidence of Australia’s collective sleep deprivation came as the Nine network said its preliminary ratings showed some 4.5 million Australians — more than a fourth of the population — had stayed up to watch the win over Pakistan.

That put the World Cup final on par with the Olympic Games and the Australian Football League’s grand final, the network said.

The broadcasts from England have gone well into the early morning hours in Australia all through the World Cup and the sight of droopy-lidded cricket fans has become common throughout the tournament.

But Australia’s thrashing of Pakistan came relatively early this morning, wrapping up around 1:30 am Sydney time and allowing newspapers to hail it on their front pages.

"Swift and sweet" The Australian sang out on its front page while Sydney tabloid, The Daily Telegraph, went with a simple. "We won" and the Sydney Morning Herald blared "Aussies storm to World Cup glory" over a picture of a jubilant Shane Warne and captain Steve Waugh.

Mr Howard last week dismissed suggestions of a national day off to give fans a chance to recover from watching the final.

But he said today he was considering a national day of celebration that might allow cricket fans to catch up on sleep.

"I always knew Australians would turn up at work (today) but I always knew they’d be a bit more tired and I think everybody understands that," the Prime Minister said.

"It’s all been in a tremendous cause and there’s such a feeling of benevolence and goodwill and gratitude towards the team. I think that will do wonders for productivity."

Mr Howard said he was examining just what his government could do to celebrate the victory, Australia’s second World Cup title in history.

However, where the front is piece of Australia’s celebration will occur immediately became an issue as the country’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne, announced rival plans for tickertape parades.

Victorian premier Jeff Kennett has offered to host a state reception in Melbourne for Australia’s victorious World Cup cricket team on its return home later this week.

Mr Kennett said he was negotiating with the Australian Cricket Board for Melbourne to welcome the team home in style.

"I understand the team is arriving direct from London to Melbourne on Wednesday and if the ACB would wish it then I am more than prepared to hold a state reception after a tickertape parade, culminating at Parliament House," he said.

Sydney lord mayor Frank Sartor meanwhile said such a fantastic performance by the Australian team deserved the full recognition of Sydney’s residents in a tickertape parade.

Pakistanis living in Australia sought to soften the blow of the embarrassing loss amid reports that Pakistan captain Wasim Akram was considering a delayed return home because of fears for his life.

Losing a preliminary World Cup match to India had been more humiliating for Pakistan than the finals loss, one community spokesman said.

Pakistan Australia Cultural Association of Queensland Secretary Sohail Khawaja said many Australian Pakistanis, who had gathered in small groups across the country to watch the final, simply went to bed after the first innings because the outcome was obvious.

"We are pretty happy they (Pakistan) made it to the final. We are disappointed, but not devastated," Mr Khawaja said. "It would have been a bigger shock if it had been a closely-fought match. Last night was almost one sided."

Engrossed in match man forgets wedding

MUMBAI, June 21 (UNI) — He was glued to the television set, eagerly watching the World Cup cricket final, forgetting that he was to tie the nuptial knot.

By the time Abdul Khalik realised that he should reach Tawane Masjid at Nagpada, it was almost an hour late. The frequent fall of Pakistani wickets in their final against Australia hooked the bridegroom on to the TV little knowing that the bride and her relatives were getting panicky.

Worried over the bridegroom not having reached the masjid at the hour of the ‘nikkah’ scheduled before the namaz at 1700 hours, some members of the bride’s party left for Abdul Khalik’s house nearby, only to find him engrossed in the needle match, along with his friends. Told to buck up, Khalik soon reached the masjid and tied the wedlock, though late by an hour.

"Even while the wedding ceremony was in progress, Khalik was seen checking the score with his pager," a witness at the function said.

The Pakistan inning was being watched with great anxiety in the Muslim-dominated areas of the locality like Dongri, Nagpad and Bhind Bazar.

Warne's prophecy comes true

LONDON, June 21 (UNI) — Shane Warne's prophecy that destiny beckoned Australia to win the World Cup come true as Pakistan were bundled out for a paltry 132 in 39 overs in the final at the Lord's yesterday.

The spin king ran through the Pakistan batting line up claiming four wickets for 33 runs as Pakistan's much vaunted batting line up gave one of its most listless display.

Pakistan's 132 is the lowest in the World Cup final so far, the previous one being 140 by the West Indies against India in 1983 at the same venue.

Pakistan batsmen frittered away the advantage of winning the toss. The moment he called the coin correctly, Wasim Akram did not hesitate even a second in deciding to bat first but the batsmen let him down.

Waugh's grandfather dies after final

SYDNEY, June 21 (AP) — Steve and Mark Waugh's World Cup joy was marred by the death of their grandfather just hours after Australia beat Pakistan in the final. Edward Waugh, the father of Steve and Mark, received the news at 7 am in Sydney, less than six hours after Steve lifted the trophy as the winning captain.

Steve and Mark Waugh had vowed to win the Cup for their ailing pop, but never got the chance to share their triumph with him. They were told when Steve's wife Lynette broke the news to them in London by telephone.

"I've just heard from the boys and they're very upset," Rodger Waugh said today. "They were pretty close to their pop. He's been sick for two or three weeks but he was not in a lot of pain, and they were very thankful for that.

"It has mucked their plans up. It has put a damper on everything."

Rodger Waugh said his father had slept a lot during the past few days.

"I don't know whether he saw the final but I'm sure he did," Rodger Waugh said.

When Mark Waugh scored a century against Zimbabwe earlier in the World Cup, he dedicated the innings to his dying grandfather, who had scarcely missed a ball in their cricketing careers.

Mark's middle name, Edward, was given in honour of his grandfather.

It's understood their grandfather's funeral service has been arranged for Thursday, so Steve and Mark can attend.