Pak to use Akhtar book in court case

Pakistan cricket authorities said yesterday they would use confessions made by Shoaib Akhtar in his autobiography in court to justify disciplining the former pacer. 
 

Akhtar's appeal against a seven million rupee disciplinary fine imposed three years ago is pending in Lahore High Court. 
 

"In a writ case it is important to have clean conduct and in his book Akhtar has confessed to breach of discipline," PCB's legal adviser said.

Stats: Bravo is the first bowler to take 20 wickets in CL T20

# Chennai Super Kings' exciting four-wicket victory is their sixth in eight matches in the Champions League Twenty20 with a success percentage of 81.25 (Lost 1 and Tied 1).

Dwayne Bravo with Albie Morkel# Cape Cobras have won four and lost three out of seven contested in the Champions League Twenty20 -- winning percent 57.14.

# Jean-Paul Duminy [ Images ] (4/20) became the first bowler to claim four wickets in an innings for Cape Cobras in the Champions League Twenty20.

# Duminy's marvellous figures are his best ever in Twenty20 -- his second instance of four wickets in an innings.

# Albie Morkel [ Images ] has claimed 65 wickets at an average of 25 -- 50 scalps in 60 matches for Chennai Super Kings in Twenty20 -- the most by a bowler. Muralitharan [ Images ] (52) and Ashwin (51) are the next two for Chennai in Twenty20.

# Mahendra Singh Dhoni [ Images ] and Dwayne Bravo [ Images ] were involved in a partnership of 43 for the sixth wicket -- Chennai Super Kings' highest in the Champions League Twenty20.

# Albie Morkel and Bravo added 26 (unbroken) for the seventh wicket -- Chennai's best in the Champions League Twenty20.

# Dwayne Bravo is the first and only bowler to complete 20 wickets in the Champions League Twenty20 at an average of 16.10 in eleven matches.

# Bravo's match-winning unbeaten 46 off 25 balls is his best ever for Chennai in the Champions League Twenty20.

# Bravo has been adjudged the Man of the Match for the fourth time in the Champions League Twenty20.

# Jean-Paul Duminy's tally of 324 at an average of 54.00 in eleven matches is a record in the Champions League Twenty20.

# Duminy and Owais Shah [ Images ] (45) have shared 57 runs for the fourth wicket -- Cape Cobras' highest in the Champions League Twenty20.

Hussey to miss ODI games

David Hussey has missed out on the one-day international section of Australia's upcoming tour of South Africa.

The Victoria batsman has made the squad for the two Twenty20 matches but has lost out in the ODI's to New South Wales' David Warner. Victoria wicketkeeper Matthew Wade has been named in the squad for the two Twenty20 internationals.

National Selection Panel Chairman Andrew Hilditch said: "Unfortunately David Hussey has been omitted from the one-day squad. David was picked for Sri Lanka as we thought he would be very well suited to the conditions, being an excellent player of spin bowling and having the ability to bowl valuable overs of spin."

Wade has been drafted in as Brad Haddin has retired from international Twenty20 matches and Tim Paine is injured. Haddin makes the ODI squad. The injury to John Hastings has also allowed New South Wales fast bowler Patrick Cummins to claim a place in the squads for both the Twenty20 games and the three one-day internationals.

Hilditch added: "We did not think that David quite took his opportunity in Sri Lanka and his place has been taken by David Warner. David's form has been irresistible recently and he deserves this opportunity in the one-day squad.

"John Hastings is injured and Patrick Cummins has been added to the one-day squad. It is an extremely exciting time in Australian cricket to see such young talent forcing its way into the Australian squads. We consider we have picked an extremely strong Twenty20 squad, which has a good balance of experience and exciting young talent.

"There is flexibility in the squad to deal with conditions in South Africa as we continue to prepare for the ICC World Twenty20, which is only a year away. The retirement of Brad Haddin from International Twenty20 and the injury to Tim Paine, has given a well-deserved opportunity to Matthew Wade.

"Matthew is an extremely exciting keeper batsman who is very well equipped for Twenty20 cricket and we think he will have an immediate impact on the international scene. John Hastings was unavailable through injury. This has given a great opportunity to Patrick Cummins to come into the Twenty20 squad.

"Patrick is a very exciting fast bowler and was one of the youngest players ever to receive an Australian contract this year. We are very confident he will succeed at international level. The squad also sees the addition of Mitchell Marsh, an extremely talented and exciting all-rounder."

Hilditch explained the reasons for bowler Mitchell Johnson being left out. He said: "Mitchell Johnson was not selected for the Twenty20 squad. Mitchell has struggled in this format of the game to date. Most Twenty20 internationals have been at the start of tours and Mitchell has not always been at his best in these matches."

CSK face no additional pressure, says Fleming

Chennai, Sept 27: Despite their hopes of advancing to the semifinals hanging in balance after the loss to Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings' coach Stephen Fleming said his team will not face any extra pressure when they take on Cape Cobras in a Champions League T20 here tomorrow.

Fleming admitted that the defending champions, in any case, put themselves under pressure so that they can bring out the competitive spirit in themselves.

"We are always under pressure. We were under pressure in the first game. Nothing has changed. I don't know how many wins we need (to go through to the semifinals), whether it is two with a better run rate or it's three, we are always under pressure," said Fleming at a media conference on the eve of their match against the Cobras.

"We put ourselves under pressure as well because we want to win, especially at home. And we want to keep winning competitions, so we don't look to have easy games and there are no easy games. There have been some incredible, sensational results in the last two or three games, so that's where the competition is going to go," he added.

Fleming said that the team management has not yet pressed the panic button and would decide on the final playing XI only after watching the first match between New South Wales and Trinidad here tomorrow.

"We haven't gone back to the drawing board just because we have had one loss where one player hit 15 or 20. Up to that point, we had won about 95 per cent of the game. So we are not going to rush and change," the New Zealander said.

Indian GP is will be insane, says Lewis Hamilton

After the great response in Bangalore, McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton expects a great Indian Grand Prix.

“It’s great news for India and it’s great that we’re going to different countries. I must be honest, I didn’t think it would ever come here. Once I got the news, I went about telling everyone about how great India is and how brilliant and passionate the people are. By then, I had visited India many times.

 “If we have a crowd like the one at this event, the Indian GP is going to be insane,” he said, while advising children to keep working towards their dreams if they want to make it big in motorsport. Hamilton added that India should have more karting tracks and support for talented drivers.

The ongoing Formula One season might be all about Red Bull and Sebastian Vettel, but Hamilton is a hopeful man. He proved that he has got the stuff in him when he won the 2008 drivers’ title and became the youngest one to do so then.

The 2011 season has not exactly gone the way he, or McLaren, would have wanted. And they are looking to do their best in the remainder of the season.

“The season has been long and intense. The results in the last few races have been pretty shocking to me. Jenson (Button) has been doing a pretty incredible job. So, it’s not about getting ahead of him right now ,” said Hamilton.

Hamilton also played down his clash with Ferarri’s Felipe Massa. “It was a bit of a disaster for me and it was just one of those races you learn from. We had a coming together in the race. It was a racing incident and that happens. His reaction after the race was a bit angry and I was able to ignore it and move on.”

Saina sails to quarters of Japan Open, others disappoint

HYDERABAD: If Wednesday witnessed stunning and impressive performances, Indians came crashing down in Tokyo on Thursday as reality hit them hard in the second round of the Japan Open Super Series.

Barring Saina Nehwal, all the Indians were knocked out of the tournament, including the women's doubles team of Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponnappa who squandered five match points.

The Indian girls embraced defeat from the door step of victory against Jung Eun Ha and Min Jung Kim of Korea, losing 9-21, 21-18, 22-24. None of those who were either watching them live or following their match on the internet would have expected the Indians to lose when they were enjoying a four-point (20-16) cushion in the decider.

But the Indians failed to capatilise and allowed the Koreans to save four match points here and one more at 21-20 and win the game at 24-22.

As on most occasions in the past Saina was the saving grace for the Indian camp. The fourth seed looked comfortable in her 21-17, 21-16 victory against Mingtian Fu of Singapore. Saina will face another Singporean Juan Gu in the quarters on Friday.

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi taught players how to fight: Ajit Wadekar

People saw Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi as a reserved person, but it was a wrong perception. He was a friendly guy who used to talk freely. And we were very good friends. In 1969, when selector Madhav Mantri named me captain, Pataudi supported me.

That was when I got close to him. He never had a problem playing under me and that, I thought, was very nice of him.

Hemade tremendous contributions as a player, batsman, fielder and, of course, captain. He always emphasised on fielding.

Tiger was a superb fielder and such was his power that his throw from the boundary line would land in the keeper’s gloves. He was nicknamed Tiger because of his quickness on the field. Normally, you wouldn’t see a person from a royal family being quick on the field while fielding or running between the wickets. They would have asked the diwan to do so (laughs), but MAK was different. He was athletic.
As far as captaincy is concerned, it wouldn’t be wrong to call him one of the most successful captains of India. He led India for 11 years, which is not a joke. You can’t compare captains of different eras, but he infused a fighting spirit in his players. He used to lead by example. And when I was the captain, he did not raise any issues. He obeyed whatever I said.

If I had a successful team and India had that spin quartet, it was because of Tiger’s initiative. Fast bowling was never our strength; hence he was the one who initiated the move to make spin our strength. I had a good stint as a captain because of him.

His playing with one eye is stuff of legends now. He changed his stance square to get a clearer view of the bowler. Even after the accident, he was as agile and quick as he was with both eyes.
Apart from being a fantastic cricketer, he was quite a prankster. Once we had gone to Bhopal to play a fund-raising game.

One day Vijay Manjrekar, Erapalli Prasanna, Vishy (GR Viswanath), MAK, myself, and a other players went hunting.

In the jungle, we were captured by some dacoits who demanded a ransom. Everyone was frightened, including Manjrekar, who said he was a worker in Kohinoor Mills, and Vishy, who said he had just come over to play cricket.

We all told the dacoits that MAK had brought us there, but they did not listen and demanded Rs2 lakh. MAK went and came back with a bag full of money. The next morning we saw the ‘dacoits’ at our breakfast table! That was one prank we still remember.

Wadekar succeeded Pataudi as India’s captain in 1969-70.
As told to Taus Rizvi

Prince Pataudi meets screen goddess Sharmila Tagore- A fairytale love story

The romance and marriage of Mansur Ali Khan, Nawab of Pataudi, with Bollywood star Sharmila Tagore was the stuff that fairytales are made of, with a happily-ever-after ending. This despite the lovers coming from very different backgrounds — he, a blue-blooded young royal who played cricket, she a film actress.
It did not help that one was a Muslim, the other a Hindu. While Sharmila’s parents, who were simple middle-class Bengalis, were sceptical about their daughter marrying a nawab, Tiger’s parents were unsure about their son marrying a screen goddess.

But eventually both sides relented and the two married on December 27, 1969, after a four-year courtship.
Few expected the marriage to last, and, in fact, bets were placed at the time on how long the two would be together. But they lasted a lifetime, until the suave cricketer passed away on Thursday.
There was a strong buzz back then that Sharmila was excommunicated by a Hindu guru and that was why she converted to Islam and took on the name Ayesha Sultana. But that was not the only change. The actress graciously moulded herself into the role of a nawab’s wife, even quitting films for a while to play the perfect begum to her real-life hero.

There were enough elements in their love story to warrant a film.
The two had apparently met in 1965 through common friends, when Sharmila was in Delhi for a shoot. She was the gorgeous star and Mansur, the suave young India captain, both glamorous figures. Despite the obvious attraction, it took him a while to win her heart. According to some reports, he even gifted Sharmila a refrigerator in a bid to win over his ladylove. But it was roses that finally did the trick and four long years before she accepted his proposal.

Those close to the couple say it was Sharmila’s beauty, vivacity, yet mature outlook that bowled Pataudi over, while it was his great sense of humour and charming ways that had her smitten. The chemistry hardly changed over the years. But while Sharmila was a cricket buff, Pataudi was clueless about Hindi cinema. Sharmila has even admitted in her interviews that Tiger hadn’t seen any of her films and that she could never get him hooked on Bollywood.

There was, however, a lot of respect between the two. Both were comfortable in their space. If Sharmila gave up films, it was not under pressure, and Pataudi always respected her choices and was supportive of her decision, whether to quit or to go back to films.

KKR qualify for CLT20 main round despite loss to Somerset

Hyderabad, Sept 21: Kolkata Knight Riders lost their final qualifying round match against Somerset by 11 runs but still managed to qualify for the Champions League Twenty20 main tournament here at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.

Opener Peter Trego struck a fluent half-century to help Somerset post a challenging 166 for six against Kolkata Knight Riders in their final qualifying match of Champions League Twenty20 here today.

Trego (70 off 61) was at his destructive best as he hit nine fours to lay a solid foundation for the middle-order batsmen to capitalise on.

Roelof van der Merwe (40 off 25) also played a good hand while Nick Compton produced a nice 10-ball 20 cameo towards the end to provide the late surge for the visitors, who piled up 46 runs in the last five overs.

Chasing a victory target of 167, KKR could score 155 for eight but made it to the 10-team main tournament as the third highest ranked side in the six-team qualifying round on better net run rate.

They collected two points from one win against Auckland Aces, the same as Ruhunu Eleven but qualified for the main tournament on better net run rate.

KKR have a net run rate of minus 0.225 while Ruhunu ended at minus 0.275. The Kolkata side qualified for the main round after reaching 153 in their run chase.

The Jacques Kallis led side joined three other Indian teams  reigning champions Chennai Super Kings, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians in the main round, to be held from September 23 to October 9.

Somerset and Trinidad and Tobago are the two other teams to have qualified to the main round from the qualifiers. Both secured two wins each.

Ryan ten Doeschate waged a lone battle for KKR, hitting one four and three sixes on his way to 46 from 31 deliveries, but eventually ran short of partners.

ICC unveils 2012 World Twenty20 schedule

DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the match schedule and unveiled the event logo of the 2012 World Twenty20, which will be staged in Sri Lanka from September 18 to October 7.

Reigning champion England will start its title defence at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo on September 21, against one of the two qualifiers for the tournament.

Stuart Broad's side will complete its opening group commitments two days later against 2007 champion India at the same venue.

Australia, chasing the one global trophy to have eluded them, will go head-to-head with the other qualifier in Colombo on 19 September, part of a double-header that also features India and a qualifier.

Sri Lanka, which lost to England in the semi-final of last year's tournament in the West Indies, will open its campaign against Zimbabwe under lights in Hambantota on the first day of the tournament (September 18) before taking on South Africa at the same venue on September 22.

If Sri Lanka reaches the Super Eight, it will then go on to play in Pallekele before moving to Colombo if it qualifies for the knock-out stage.

Pakistan has been grouped with New Zealand and Bangladesh, and will play its matches in Pallekele on September 23 and 25 respectively.

Pallekele will also host the New Zealand-Bangladesh match on September 21.

If everything goes according to pre-tournament seedings then Pakistan and India will lock horns in a Super Eight match in Colombo on September 30.

The tournament will include two teams qualifying from the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2012, which will be staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from March 13-24.

"It will be exciting to see who eventually qualifies. In 2010, Afghanistan made history by qualifying to play on the global stage which was great reward for them and the development of the game," ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said.

The event logo - "Modern Spin" - was also unveiled by Lorgat.

Designed by Australian creative firm Witekite, the logo incorporates and amalgamates the rounded look of the Sinhalese Script. The letter "T" forms a player which leads into the "2" while the "0" incorporates a cricket ball.

The colours of the logo, with strong reds and oranges, are seen in both nature and Sri Lankan culture and arts, with their presence in the logo giving them a cricket "spin". It has a natural sense of movement due to its fluid lines and forward angles.

Lorgat said that he was delighted to reveal the logo that reflects the culture of Sri Lanka.

"The event now has a formal identity and we will use it to promote this exciting and entertaining event," he added.

The logo will be used on an ongoing basis over the next 12 months and will feature on publicity and promotional material during the build-up to and throughout what will be the fourth ICC World Twenty20.

Tickets are planned to go on sale to the public from March 1 and will be available via website and box office sales in Sri Lanka.

The ICC and Sri Lanka Cricket will be appointing a company to manage the ticket sales process and will jointly determine a sales policy that will ensure equitable access to purchase tickets for local and overseas fans alike.

Tendulkar's suggestion for ODIs is worth experimenting: Dravid

Sachin Tendulkar's suggestion to revamp the ODIs by splitting the format into four innings of 25 overs each may have been rejected by the ICC, however, Rahul Dravid has shown his support to the idea.

"It is interesting (suggestion). I don't know why the ICC has rejected it (Tendulkar's suggestion via a letter to ICC), but it's a good idea that Sachin has given and is worth experimenting," Dravid said on Wednesday.

"It has been tried out in Australia (in domestic cricket) and the plus and minus points should be looked into," he added.

Tendulkar had written a letter to the ICC to change the format of the ODIs from two innings of 50 overs to four of 25 overs like a Test match but the world council's Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat had rejected it.
"There is no need to change the format," Lorgat had said on Wednesday.

Kochi Tuskers Kerala drag BCCI to court

Owners of IPL franchise, Kochi Tuskers Kerala on Wednesday moved the Bombay high court to challenge the BCCI's decision to terminate the team's contract at its Annnual General Meeting. "Yes, we have moved the court and there is a hearing in the afternoon," said Kochi Tuskers Kerala chairman Mukesh Patel.

Cracking the whip for breach of contractual terms, the Indian Cricket Board on Monday terminated its contract with the Kerala based team citing "irremediable breach".

The franchise, however, is willing to take the fight to the BCCI camp.
Soon after the termination of the contract, the owners of KTK threatened legal action against the BCCI.
The BCCI's claim that the franchise defaulted on a Rs 156 crore annual payment which it was supposed to make as bank guarantee, was refuted by Patel.

"The BCCI notice was wrong, (it was) prima facie. We will take legal action against them after our legal team reviews the case in a day or two. Maybe we have to move court," Patel had said.
"We have never defaulted. The BCCI will be paying us Rs 12-15 crore next month as a part of our central revenue," he had added.

Patel was miffed that the BCCI did not cut down the franchise fees despite reducing the number of matches in IPL 4 from 94 to 74 due to packed international calendar.
"The number of games in Tender Document was 94, they then reduced it to 74 but did not reduce the franchise fees."

No need for dramatic changes in 50-over format: ICC

Despite the success of the World Cup earlier this year Tendulkar, the most prolific batsman in one-day internationals, wrote to Lorgat last month suggesting four 25-over innings rather than the traditional 50-over format.
However, Lorgat said the ICC saw no reason to change.

"I was engaged with Sachin a long time back on his thinking on the 50-over format," Lorgat said at the launch of the ICC's Twenty20 [ Images ] World Cup which will be hosted by Sri Lanka [ Images ] next year.
"I met with him during the World Cup and he gave me a written proposal which we took to the cricket committee in May. 

"The cricket committee considered the proposal. But the view of the committee which was supported by the Board was that the 50-over format was sound now and there was no need for dramatic changes to make at this stage."
Tendulkar's letter also proposed changes in voluntary Powerplays -- the fielding restrictions brought in to make the game more exciting in the 1990s.

Roger Federer: Second most-respected public figure in the world

Tennis superstar Roger Federer is the most respected sportsperson and the second-most respected celebrity, next only to South Africa's Nelson Madela. This according to a global study in which 50,000 respondents from 25 countries participated to rate from a list of 54 international figures public.

(Also see: Roger Federer's life in pics)
The Swiss player was chosen as  the second-most trusted and respected public personality in the world by a survey conducted by the Reputation Institute, a consulting firm.

Respondents were asked to rate pre-listed attributes like degree to which a choice is liked, respected, admired and trusted, on a scale of 0-100. Federer managed to score an average of 72.1, just behind Mandela with an average of 78.5.

The other public figures in the list included Bill Gates, Warren Buuffet and Bono who are known for their philanthropic and charity work. Federer too has founded the Federer Foundation, an organisation that has begun child development programs in South Africa, Ethiopia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania and Switzerland.

Gautam is as good a captain as Dhoni: Balaji

Kolkata Knight Riders' Laxmipathy Balaji says skipper Gautam Gambhir is as good as Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni when it comes to leading the side. That KKR moved beyond the league stages of the IPL for the first time, in the fourth edition of the tournament, was due to Gambhir's captaincy, Balaji felt.

"I think our new skipper Gautam Gambhir played a pivotal role in the turnaround of the fortunes of the team. He always used to set an example for the rest of the team-members. He always led from the front and I have no doubt whatsoever that leadership skill wise, Gautam is on-par with MS Dhoni at the moment," Balaji said.
"The way he backed his players to the hilt and stood behind the team was absolutely brilliant. He handled the pressure very well and inspired us all to perform at our best. His attacking field placements helped us apply more pressure on the opponents," the pacer from Chennai added.

The unassuming cricketer, who shot into limelight during India's twin tours of Australia and Pakistan in 2003-04 by playing a crucial role in the team's success, was also full of praise for the legendary Wasim Akram who is the bowling coach at KKR.

"All of us at KKR consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have someone like 'Wasim bhai' around us. The most endearing quality about him is that he always makes everyone feel like he is just another guy. He makes you feel very comfortable and that is absolutely crucial. He is always approachable," the bowler was quoted as saying by ESPNSTAR.com.

Balaji, who suffered a career-threatening back injury that kept him out of action for almost two years, signalled his comeback by taking a hat-trick for Chennai Super Kings, his previous IPL side, in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008.

BCCI terminates Kochi Tuskers Kerala from IPL for breach of terms

Cracking the whip, the BCCI today terminated thecontract of IPL franchise Kochi Tuskers Kerala for non-payment of bank guarantee, thus abruptly ending the controversial Kerala team's association with the cash-rich league after just one year.

The decision to terminate Kochi franchise was taken at the BCCI's Annual General Meeting here today, in which the new office bearers of the Board were also elected.

"Because of the irremediable breach committed by the Kochi franchise, the BCCI has decided to encash the bank guarantee in their possession and also terminate the franchise," new BCCI President N Srinivasan told reporters after the AGM.

Asked if the BCCI would reconsider its decision and give the franchise a chance to return, Srinivasan bluntly rejected such a suggestion.

"No, we have terminated the franchise because the breach is not capable of being remedied," he clarified.

The consortium, which was mired in a bitter ownership dispute since its very inception, defaulted on a Rs 156 crore annual payment it was to make as bank guarantee despite reported reminders from the IPL authorities.

The franchise, which was bought for Rs 1,550 crore, was supposed to make the yearly payment for the next 10 years.

Kochi's termination means the 10-team tournament would be reduced to nine.

Srinivasan said any decision to conduct fresh auction for a new franchise would be taken by the Rajiv Shukla-led IPL Governing Council. Shukla was named as the new IPL chairman today, succeeding Chirayu Amin.

Incidentally, the BCCI's working committee had last year rejected demands from Kochi and the Pune Warriors for a reduction in their franchisee fees.

The two new franchises, which made their debut this year, had sought a 25 per cent waiver on the grounds that the BCCI had stated in the bidding document that each team would play 18 league matches in a season but the schedule was later reduced to 14 matches per team.

Led by Mahela Jayawardene, Kochi has also been hitting the headlines due to its owners' reported desire to shift the team's base to Ahmedabad.

Kochi had faced the prospect of being axed even last year when the BCCI had questioned its shareholding patterns but the matter was later settled after agreement between various owners.