Strike bowler who spells terror
By Gopal Sharma
Trust Glenn McGrath to deliver whenever the occasion is big. Invariably at such moments McGrath with determination writ large on his face will keep rushing in, hit the deck hard maintaining an impeccable line and length, strike telling blows and in the end will be there with a fair share of spotlight. It is only for this that the fearsome Australian strike fast bowler was recently voted Australia’s Cricketer of the Year ahead of daughty customers like skipper Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne.

Badminton not popular in Australia
By Arvind Katyal
“Badminton could not get the desired boost, that remained the most unfortunate part”, quipped David Hoppen of Australia, the chief referee in the Thomas and Uber Cup 2000.

TEEING OFF

What has happened to football in Punjab
By Ramu Sharma

The news that BSF beat Mahindras and Mahindras of Mumbai 3-0, a very eloquent margin, in the National Football League at Ludhiana recently made good reading. Its been a long time waiting for a Punjab team to do so well. But such tidings and performances have been rare these days. Something seems to have gone wrong with football in Punjab. Not that there is much to shout about the standard of the game elsewhere in the country and there has been a general downward trend in the overall standard all over. But Punjab and Hyderabad, once two of the most talent packed States, appear to have really fallen on bad days. There seems to be no talent coming up.

J.C.T.Mills, the star combination of the State and the team that stirred the imagination in the 70s, is still very popular and perhaps the best known team outside of Punjab though Border Security Force has an equally wide-ranging appeal. But money crunch has hit JCT and it is no longer able to attract top players from outside the State. It was with the help of such players like Bhaichung Bhutia, Vijayan, Carlton Sandanha among other that JCT was able to win the inaugural edition of the National Football League. But since then, it has had to depend on the talent available in the State and though it has proved to be a hard-working combination, the results are nothing much to shout about.

At the time when the team was doing the victory run on the strength of borrowed glory, one perhaps had hoped that the team would be able to go back to its old form, working with homespun talent and doing the deeds that made it famous, continuing a process which was begun by Leaders Club. The cash crunch has forced the club to go back to the beginning with local talent but somehow there appears to be no one to motivate it to the level of the 70. Coach Sukhwinder, it must be admitted, has nevertheless done wonders with the available talent and it is to the credit of the JCT that it still manages to cause ripple now and then and stay among the top bracket teams. But it is not the same thing as the JCT of the old. And one man, now matter how efficient and effective he is, cannot motivate the team unless it has the necessary ingredients with talent and skill on the priority list. JCT will certainly have to think hard about the possible alternatives to revive its image of old. It is difficult to believe that a team with a brains-trust involving the incomparable Inder Singh and the popular Paramjit Singh among others, cannot make a comeback.

JCT along with Border Security Force has always projected the bright side of Punjab football. For a State which has given the game such brilliant names like Jarnail Singh, Inder,Manjit, Harjinder, Parminder, G.S.Parmar, Gurkripal, Gurdev among others, Punjab appears woefully shorn of its glamour these days. And even the talent available does not seem to promise much.

It is reported that Punjab Police last year registered 137 players. That was a big number to draw out the necessary talent. But the output was not very encouraging. Punjab Police in fact appears to be worst hit. Perhaps the incentives are not enough or players are looking for other avenues. Border Security Force, the team that more than matched JCT in its heydays, has of course a wider canvas to choose its players and has in the past drawn liberally from the talent available in the North East. In fact because of this facility BSF, one thought, was well placed to keep the Punjab flag flying. Something surely is wrong since that has not happened. Perhaps even the available talent elsewhere too is equally uninspiring.

Somehow it is difficult to imagine Punjab lacking in finances. One remembers the days when Mr. Sehgal of Leaders Club ran the National Championships in Punjab and the lavish ways the teams were treated. It was perhaps the heydays of the game in Punjab when won both the National Championships hosted by it, once by a yawning gap of six goals, with the high profile Bengal being at the receiving end on both occasions at the venue in Jalandhar.

It is not easy to forget the Punjab was the one team that Bengal always feared in the National Championships. And Bengal had so much talent to draw from, with the clubs from the State draining out the available stock of skilful players in other States, sometimes just to have them idling on the bench. Bengal was always enriched during the transfer season with even Jarnail and Harjinder and Manjit pledging loyalty to the big three, Mohun Bagan, East Bengal and Mohammad Sporting. These clubs were the gainers and so was Bengal as a State in the Nationals. But despite all the available resources, Bengal always feared Punjab in the Santosh Trophy.

Something must be done to bring back the glory in Punjab. A hark back to the old days means a more purposeful administrative set up, a league which should be more than just a formality that it has become now. Agreed there are not many teams to make the league more attractive. There are people with money who could perhaps be persuade to serve the cause of football by floating new clubs which could in turn motivate the freshly churned out college players. PSEB is supposed to be drawing its players from this one source. Others could do likewise. More team means more matches. And there must be proper playing conditions available. At present Punjab does not have facilities to host major football tournaments.

The situation these days has reached breaking point. The best of players appear to prefer other pastures. Imagine a brilliant player like Tejinder not serving the Punjab cause. The fault is not his. Punjab must do everything to revive the old order in every respect. The State has to nurture the talent it has within itself. It is difficult to believe that Punjab which had excelled in all sports and has won the National Football Championship on many occasions is completely devoid of talent.

There was a time when at the junior level the boys from the State Sports School, Jalandhar, used to thrill the spectators during the Subroto Cup Tournament. There must other such schools devoted to sports. All such institutions must be re-energised. There is so much awareness of sports in the State that it is strange that a game like football is no longer as popular. Perhaps the SAI Centre (NIS Patiala) in the State could help.

Strike bowler who spells terror
By Gopal Sharma

Trust Glenn McGrath to deliver whenever the occasion is big. Invariably at such moments McGrath with determination writ large on his face will keep rushing in, hit the deck hard maintaining an impeccable line and length, strike telling blows and in the end will be there with a fair share of spotlight. It is only for this that the fearsome Australian strike fast bowler was recently voted Australia’s Cricketer of the Year ahead of daughty customers like skipper Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne.

“It’s not so much the pace as line and length which keeps the batsmen guessing,” echoed former mate and now a commentator Mark Taylor during the Carlton and United Series which ended early this month as the lanky fast bowler came charging in every time hurling precision thunderbolts with amazing regularity making life difficult for the batsmen.

Sunil Gavaskar, one of the best opening batsmen the game has seen and now a commentator, while speaking during the last match of the series between India and Australia stated that Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar bowled some impressive spells during the tri-series, but McGrath clearly stood out as the Aussie bowler cramped Indian skipper Sachin Tendulkar and Laxman, both openers, for space conceding just one run in his opening spell of four overs, three of which were maiden. He brought up so much pressure on the batsmen that Sachin Tendulkar was soon castled by Damien Fleming, while Laxman edged an express Brett Lee delivery behind the stumps.

“He is up there among the top. He is one of the three best bowlers of the decade I have seen.He bowls a great line and length and makes life difficult for batsmen,” complimented rival Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram as the crafty paceman virtually won the first final of the tri-series for his team with an inspired lethal opening burst, evicting Shahid Afridi, Ijaz Ahmed and Inzamam-ul-Haq to leave Pakistan tottering at three down with four runs on the board.His dream spell after the match read 9-1-17-3. McGrath did not lag behind in the second final either, taking a five-wicket haul as the Aussies whipped Pakistan to emerge worthy champions.

West Indian skipper Brian Lara got a taste of the McGrath fury when he scalped five for 14 which kept the Australian team afloat in the last World Cup. In the final also McGrath played a key role in the Australian title triumph.

A striking feature of McGrath’s bowling is that he has made it a habit to claim the most prized scalps. Ask Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara or Michael Atherton and they will not deny it. McGrath’s running duel with Atherton and who ultimately wins the battle needs no elaboration. Lara has repeatedly been flammoxed by the paceman while Tendulkar was his victim quite a number of times during India’s recent disastrous tour Down Under.

The opening spell of McGrath is most lethal among the contemporary fast bowlers. A batsman, besides a fair amount of luck, needs to be at his best to survive his initial four or five-over spell. He keeps the batsman on the tenterhooks and more often than not succeeds in seizing the initiative from the rivals.

The secret of the lanky pacer’s success perhaps lies in his ability to consistently bang the red cherry hard a shade outside the off-stump in the “corridor of uncertainty” consistently keeping the batsman guessing whether the delivery will come in or move outside and getting an edge off the batsman’s blade to cut short his innings.

Ask opener Devang Gandhi, who was rattled by one such McGrath special as the batsman had no option but to fend off the nasty delivery which after pitching suddenly took off most awkwardly. The end result was that Gandhi could not help but sheepishly see the ball being gleefully taken in the slip cordon.

Little wonder then if Richie Benaud says that the lanky pacer had to be among the best Australians like Keith Miller, Ray Lindwall and Dennis Lillee!

Badminton not popular in Australia
By Arvind Katyal

“Badminton could not get the desired boost, that remained the most unfortunate part”, quipped David Hoppen of Australia, the chief referee in the Thomas and Uber Cup 2000.

Hoppen said Australians loved watching outdoors sport more. That was why soccer, hockey, lawn tennis and cricket were more popular in the country. For a badminton tournament hardly any spectators turned up.

In 1995, Australia played host to Sydney Grand Prix Open, where few top players from Indonesia and China took part, but no follow-up could be done for creating mass awareness about this sport. Another reason was that Sydney does not have many badminton lovers, most of whom are in Victoria. Hoppen, who had been the national level badminton player from 1969 to 72 and based in South Victoria, however, felt the progress made by badminton during these three decades had been rather slow. In Victoria alone, one can find more than 100 private coaches who train enthusiasts in clubs, but many of them just play it for recreational purposes.

The Australian Government also has not paid much attention to this game. But the situation in India was better said Hoppen. India had produced world class champions. Prakash Padukone is still an inspiring force for the younger lot, to follow in his footsteps.

At present, Australia has three national tournaments being organised, in the under-17, under-19 and open sections while no tournament was organised in the under-14 and under-12 section, unlike India. Hoppen, however, hopes that 2000 Sydney Olympics will help popularise the sport in the country.

Australia has some high-ranking players. Rio Suryana is ranked 30th, Stuart Brehaut is ranked 45th, Alan Yang is No 57 in singles, Peter Blackburn and David Branford are ranked 18th in doubles. In the women’s section, Rayoni Head is ranked 40th and Kellie Lucas 41st.

Hoppen was quite happy with India’s performance. He said: “The listing of players in world rankings amply prove that some sincere guiding force has been behind these players who had shown tremendous game play here”.

Hoppen said Australia has a special sports programme where the children aged five years and above play modified sports. For badminton it is known as ‘baddies’. The size of racquets are smaller than normal, the court size is little shorter but the net size is the same. The scheme invites a large number of children, but the drawback lies from the fact that they stop playing without showing their peak form, thus no genuine players come forward.

Apart from the present assignment, Hoppen is also the chairman of technical committee ‘Badminton Australia’. He was appointed the chief referee at World Grand Prix at Brunei and at the Commonwealth Games at Kuala Lumpur in 1998. He is not in favour of any drastic changes in the scoring system but feels that if the television demands it then some changes can be made without changing the basics of the sport.

TEEING OFF

After a long indifferent form for certain unknown reasons, Gaurav Ghei got into his stride and bagged the Rs 20-lakh Wills Masters title at Calcutta. He pipped Lucknow’s Vijay Kumar at the post. It was a touch and go for both these seasoned professionals. But a missed putt on the final hole denied Vijay Kumar yet another victory in the Wills meet, effectively handled by Tiger Sports Management.

Ghei, a hard-core professional, was happy that his luck had changed at this juncture. “Maybe, I will not get going in the competitions”, said Ghei with his usual modest way, adding: “I have been playing well but could not win until this competition”. He got Rs 3,24,000.

Vijay got Rs 2,24,000. This prize money saw him carry his earnings to Rs 10,63,825 during this season. He is again in line for bagging the Mahindra player’s crown. He has already won twice. In edition to these earnings, he has also claimed the Honda City 1.5 Exi car worth Rs 7 lakh for winning the Honda-Siel PGA Championship at the Delhi Golf Club course.

With his consistent doings, Vijay Kumar has become the first pro in the 1999-2000 season to break the Rs 1 million earning mark. It is a great achievement for a player, who comes from an obscure city where facilities for golf are negligible.

Gaurav and Shiv Prakash (Kanpur) are the only two other players, who have broken into the million rupee-mark. Ghei did it in 1996-97 and Shiv Prakash in 1998-99. Uttam Singh Mundy fell short of this distinction last year by only 47,000.

Vijay Kumar is leading Mahindra’s rankings with Rs 10,62,825. He is followed by Feroz Ali with Rs 7,87,485. Three other golfers who have crossed the half million earning mark are Mukesh Kumar (Mhow), Amritinder Singh (Chandigarh) and Gaurav Ghei.

Harmeet Kahlon (Chandigarh) is leading among rookies. A highly talented player, much better performance was expected from him in this Indian professional circuit. Maybe, he will soon get into his rhythm since he has recently joined the cadre of pros. There are five tournaments still remaining this season.

The Wills Sports Golf Tour has indeed changed the profile of Indian Pros, who are now concentrating more on sharpening their game. With Pawan Munjal at the helm of the Professional Golfers Association of India (PGAI), the Indian pros are on a fine course. Siddharth Sriram, who relinquished this office, helped the pro circuit gain steadiness, while Munjal can provide sum and substance to the game.

The number of registered players with the PGAI has gained substantially. As many as 240 players took part in the Qualifying School last year. Golf may be currently behind cricket but the way things are shaping, golf has the potential to take over from cricket which seems to be withering away because of injudicious handling by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. The more money in the kitty of the board, the more players are being pampered and officials are more concerned about their perks and tours than promoting the game. It is a pity that with tremendous support from masses and the media, cricket should be suffering because of the Board’s malfunctioning.

Prudent

It was prudent and appropriate for DGC to have organised a caddies tournament on the occasion of the on-going golden jubilee celebrations. Vijay Bahadur was the best among 75 participants. He bagged Rs 3000. Abdul Hans got Rs 2000 and Tahir Rs 1000. The competition was well conducted on the ‘B’ course. Almost all youngsters were thrilled to play a round of golf on the course of the prestigious club. Mansukhani, a member, showed his sporting spirit when he chose to caddie for his caddie! It was a great gesture.

SPORT MAIL

Lanka’s series win praiseworthy

THE Sri Lankan team led by Sanath Jayasuriya did a commendable job recently by winning the one-day series against World Cup finalists Pakistan on their home soil. The Lankan team certainly has improved since the World Cup, making a clean sweep in Zimbabwe and now against Pakistan. This success of the 1996 World Cup champions can be attributed to good captaincy by Jayasuriya and the untiring efforts by coach Dave Whatmore.

Nitin Garg
Chandigarh

Azhar’s recall

Mohammed Azharuddin’s recall is sad news. Pakistan were also thrashed in Australia but they did not hesitate to exclude such players as Izaj and Inzamam-ul-Haq to give a chance to new faces. If the selectors wished to strengthen the middle order, Kambli’s name should have been considered. Azhar is at the end of his career. He has already played a long innings. While the inclusion of Wasim Jaffer and Mohammed Kaif is welcome, the national selectors have done injustice to the team by recalling the injured Azhar which also forced Sachin to quit captaincy.

V.N. Sharma
Ludhiana

Sachin’s resignation

Hats off to Sachin Tendulkar for the brave decision to resign from the post of captain of the Indian cricket team. He has shown rare courage by accepting moral responsibility for the poor performance down under. But the fact is that he has done more harm than good in doing so at this stage. Can we imagine with what spirit the players will face SA in the Test series? There is no doubt that he did not want Azhar in the team and even if this is not true, he should have done it much earlier. Maybe Sachin will pull out of the second Test. Anyhow, the board should have acted boldly and suspended Sachin from playing in the Test series for bringing a bad name to the game.

Vinish Garg
Panchkula

Woolmer’s remarks

At a time when the South African cricket team is in India, Bob Woolmer, consultant to the South Africa Cricket Board, is making utterly irresponsibly, statements like ‘‘water in India below standard, ice is impure, poor sanitation, sheer chaos on roads’’ etc. On the last tour also he indulged in the ungamely act of giving instructions to his captain in the field by using an electronic device. The BCCI should firmly tell the South African board that in our country guests are always honoured persons. Hospitality and respect of guests are part of our tradition and we don’t need any sermons. If these tourists have any reservations about India, they should say put in their own country.

J.K. Mago
Panchkula

Harbhajan Singh

Cricketer Harbhajan Singh has no godfather otherwise things would have been completely different. Harbhajan Singh’s performance speaks for itself. He proved to be the best bowler in the Board XI-SA match by taking four wickets. The other off-spinner got only two wickets in the match. Harbhajan Singh proved to be an all-rounder as he scored 77 runs in the match.

Harbans Singh
SAS Nagar