BCCI race: no plum post for Dalmia, Srinivasan still rules

Jagmohan Dalmiya, interim chief of the Indian cricket board who who bailed it out during a crisis period, was left without any plum post and had to be satisfied with being only the chairman of the North East Development Committee at the board's Annual General Meeting (AGM) here Sunday. At the AGM of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) here Sunday, Dalmiya's name was doing the rounds for the post of Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman, which post finally went to Ranjib Biswal.

Sources told IANS that it was Dalmiya's age that went against his appointment as the IPL chairman. Dalmiya, 73, was the given the charge to promote the game in the northeastern states.

The appointment of Biswal as the IPL chairman was severely protested by the Dalmiya-headed Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). The only key position that went to the CAB was that Chitrak Mitra retained his seat as the vice-president.

While Dalmiya, a former BCCI and International Cricket Council (ICC) president, missed out on a plum post, his three junior colleagues in the CAB found places in other important committees.

CAB joint secretaries Subir Ganguly and Sujan Mukherjee were named in the IPL governing council and NCA sub-committees while treasurer Biswarup Dey was promoted from the NCA sub-committee to the finance committee.

A top office-bearer in the BCCI told IANS that it was Srinivasan's manouvre to keep out Dalmiya.

"Srinivasan was the man who was instrumental in banning Dalmiya from the BCCI. Srinivasan knew that giving any more power to Dalmiya could have spelt doom for him in future," the official said on the condition of anonymity.

Dalmiya took over as the interim chief of the BCCI in June after Srinivasan had to step aside as the board president after his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested by Mumbai police on charges of betting after the spot-fixing scandal broke out in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Dalmiya ensured smooth sailing for the BCCI during its most troubled times.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Cricket/cricketnews/BCCI-race-no-plum-post-for-Dalmia-Srinivasan-still-rules/Article1-1128771.aspx

Spinner Monty Panesar feared England career was over

England spinner Monty Panesar has admitted that he thought he had destroyed his international career after being fined for urinating on a nightclub doorman.


   
The incident occurred two months ago, after Panesar was asked to leave a club in Brighton on the English 

south coast.
   
The 31-year-old was fined by police and released by county side Sussex, but he was nonetheless named in the England squad for the return Ashes series in Australia later this year.
   
He says that he regrets the incident, but insists that it was not a deliberate act.
   
"I know it looks terrible, but I wasn't as drunk as people believe," he told British weekly newspaper The Mail on Sunday.
   
"Yes, I'd had a lot to drink, but I wasn't paralytic. I was asked to leave and then got caught short. The next thing I knew the bouncers were shouting at me and running after me.
   
"I swear I didn't see them and I had no intention of purposefully urinating on them or near them. To be honest, I barely went (urinated) at all and I'm pretty sure I didn't hit them."
   
He added: "The next morning I woke up and thought, 'What have I done?'
   
"My first reaction was that I'd just thrown my England career away, maybe even my whole cricket career. I felt very lonely and very depressed. It was a very dark time."
   
However, after joining Essex for the remainder of the domestic season, he called the England management to apologise for his behaviour and was rewarded with an international recall.
   
"I just can't tell you how thrilled I am with the selection," Panesar said.
   
"It's an incredible boost I needed as a cricketer and as a person, after a chapter in my life I'm ashamed of."
   
Matters were made worse when a video of Panesar being restrained by bouncers from the club emerged a few days after the incident, which his new Essex team-mates took great delight in showing him.
   
"I knew it was out there, but I hadn't seen it and had no wish to, either," Panesar said.
   
"But the boys showed it in the dressing room and had a friendly laugh at my expense. It's how sport deals with things like this.
   
"I was fine with it but, of course, it didn't make great viewing. I've seen it now, I lost whatever dignity I had, and I have no intention of ever seeing it again."
   
Panesar was the subject of fresh controversy this week when the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) handed him a suspended one-game ban for acting in a "potentially threatening and intimidating" manner towards Worcestershire's Ross Whiteley.
   
"I wouldn't say I was either threatening or intimidating," Panesar said.
   
"But I will admit to becoming incredibly frustrated because I was having no luck at all, with inside edges and catches falling just short.
   
"I have to be aggressive when I bowl, but it was a minor incident that I accept. The ECB and I have spoken about it and I must be mindful of my behaviour, but it's not seen as a problem by England."

Western Province North win Prima Cup Under-15 final

Fast bowler Niduka Welikala, all-rounder Jehan Daniel and Eranga Jayasinghe’s fine batting powered Western Province North to a convincing two-wicket win over Southern Province in the SLC conducted Prima Cup Under-15 final, which ended at R Premadasa Stadium, Colombo yesterday.

The Mahanama College right arm paceman, claimed four wickets for 42 to restrict Southern Province for 203 in 49 overs after they batted first winning the toss.

Both Welikala and Jehan Daniel maintained a good line and length to share six top order wickets between them as right arm seamer Daniel captured two for 19 in the six-over spell. Weilkala conceded 42 runs in 10 overs with a maiden over.

Earlier, batting first, Southern Province middle order batsman Kamindu Mendis scored a brilliant half century as the promising left hander made 86 off 119 hitting eight boundaries and a six.

Batting at number eight, Chathura Milan made a rapid 42 runs in just 32 deliveries. Milan struck four fours and two huge sixes and Navidu Nirmal’s contribution of unbeaten 19 helped Southerns to make a commanding 203 after early collapse, which was suffered due to brilliant pace bowling by Western Province opening attack, Welikala and Daniel.

Chasing a 204-run target, Western Province North reached with ease in 7.5 overs to spare. Eranga Jayasinghe steered to the winning mark scoring 35 in 43 balls hitting three fours and a six.

All-rounder Jehan Daniel, who captured two for 19 with the ball, batted through a brisk 23-ball 26. Daniel struck four boundaries.

Raveen Yasas and Kasun Maduranga took five wickets between them as Yasas scalped three for 37 in 10 overs with two maiden overs.

Brief scores:

Southern Province U-15: 203 all out in 49 overs (Kamindu Mendis 86, Chatura Milan 42, Navindu Nirmal 19, Niduka Welikala 4/42, Jehan Daniel 2/19)

Western Province North U-15: 209/8 in 42.1 overs (Eranga Jayasinghe 35 n.o, Jehan Daniel 31, Kavindu Munasinghe 26, Nipun de Silva 22, Denuka Perera 19, Dasun Seneviratne 18, Raveen Yasas 3/37, Kasun Maduranga 2/19). 

- See more at: http://www.dailynews.lk/sports/western-province-north-win-prima-cup-under-15-final#sthash.cCqiM7Nu.dpuf

UAE aim for another landmark win

Dubai: The UAE will take a big step towards qualifying for the 2015 World Cup if they can beat Namibia in the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Cricket League (WCL) at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Sunday.

The hosts, who created history by bowling Namibia out for just 39 in their 158-run victory on Friday, play the same opponents from 2pm aiming for a 2-0 clean sweep that would put them in a strong position in the race for a place in the Australia and New Zealand tournament.

The UAE are currently third in the WCL standings with 16 points and victory on Sunday would take them to second, above the Netherlands courtesy of winning more matches.

Only Afghanistan, who have to play back-to-back matches against Kenya at Sharjah later this week, could then deny the UAE as two wins would put them one point ahead in the second and final World Cup qualification spot.

Speaking to Gulf News on the eve of the crucial match, skipper Khurram Khan said: “We needed a big win [on Friday] to keep the team morale high and the momentum going. It was indeed a wonderful and confident performance. We just need one more win to finish the tournament on a high. We will try again to repeat such a performance.”

Khan once again led from the front with figures of 4.4-2-2-3 with his left-arm spin and went on to praise his spinners. “We have proved again that our spinners are the best among the associate countries. I was delighted to be among the wickets as I hadn’t bowled after the Canada tour.”

Khan revealed that the wicket was on the slow side and praised his batsmen for putting up a good score. “It was great batting from Shaimon Anwar, Mohammad Shafiq and Rohan Mustafa. We posted a challenging total of 197.”

UAE team coach and former Pakistan Test star Aaqib Javed, who has transformed the team since taking over in February last year, is delighted with his team being able to perform well despite being under the pressure of trying to qualify for the World Cup. “Our bowlers held up really well in the conditions,” he said. “I am extremely pleased with Shadeep Silva’s performance.”

Javed also praised Anwar, who is set for a landmark achievement. “Anwar batted really well,” he said. “He is only a few runs off from becoming the leading run scorer of the tournament. Mustafa and Shafiq did an excellent job in lifting UAE to a challenging total.”

Anwar, who top scored with 54 runs, has piled up 568 runs and is just 27 runs behind Kyle Coetzer of Scotland as the highest run-scorer of the tournament.

http://gulfnews.com/sport/cricket/uae-aim-for-another-landmark-win-1.1236639

Chinese Taipei stun Saudi Arabia

The 8-day 17th Asian senior men’s volleyball championships after a partial change to the original group schedule, got off to a flying start with defending champions Iran fighting hard to beat spirited Kazakhstan in Pool C of the eight-team and now 21-team championship.

Iran beat Kazakhstan 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-22) in the opening match at the Hamdan Sports Complex on Saturday afternoon. Pool C also has the strong Kuwaitis in the fray.

The winners get three points for a 3-0 winning margin. The event format allows for three points for those who win 3-0 and 3-1 and, two for a 3-2 win. Losers get 2 points if they go down 2-3 and 1 point for a 1-3 loss.

Action from the volleyball match between the UAE and Uzbekistan on Saturday. — KT photo by Mukesh Kamal

Amir Ghafoor led the well-knit Iranians with a telling all-round display both at the net and in mid court retrieved brilliantly to spur his attackers and the setters.

In the first match, slotted at the mainly swimming stadium, where the water areas have been covered temporarily for the Asian men’s meet, Lebanon got walkover points from Pakistan.

Pakistan pulled out at the last minute leaving the seeding committee and the organisers in a frantic rush to make last minute adjustments for re-grouping the teams and re-arranging the match schedules.

In the revised playing plan at Al Nasr Club, the second venue, seeded India got three points thanks to a walkover from Indonesia who had withdrawn a fortnight ago. Jordan were the first to pull out some 17 days back.

Sri Lanka caused a flutter at Al Nasr Club when they hoodwinked the better rated Omanis in Pool E play during the mid-afternoon session. The 3-0 scoreline in favour of the islanders will be a big encouragement for the fan support in the UAE.

In the second game at the Hamdan SC on Saturday, a young Chinese Taipei outfit which is one for the future taking into account that half the side is born after 1990, played splendidly to surprise a slightly sluggish Saudi Arabia 25-20 in the first set before storming home for a 3-0 win.

Chinese Taipei brought off a stunning but hard fought victory over the seasoned and seeded Saudis in a game stretched well over 2 hours. The early phases saw an error prone yet determined young Taipei clinch the first set 25-21 which set them off to a commanding five-point cushion in the second before Saudi Arabia clawed back momentarily in the Pool D encounter.

The islanders slowly fought their way out of a partial Saudi fightback to draw level midway in the set before running away with a 25-20 scoreline. The GCC side saw their attackers and defence put pressure on the Chinese islanders in the closing stages of the third set when they fought hard to push the issue into 20-23 and 21-23 positions.

The younger and far fitter Far Easterners had things in their bag when they smashed their way past the desperate Saudi blocks for a 25-22 final outcome.

Chennai cruise into T20 semi-finals

Michael Hussey had a major role in Chennai Super Kings’ consistent batting performance in the Indian Premier League last season and the Australian opener seemed to have extended his golden run in the Champions League Twenty20 tourney as well.

Michael Hussey on his way to a half-century.

Hussey smashed an unbeaten half-century to guide Chennai to an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Brisbane Heat in a one-sided Group B encounter at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Saturday night. It was Chennai’s third consecutive victory and helped them clinch a semi-final spot in the tournament.

Hussey, who remained not out on 57 off 48 balls, made Chennai’s victory easy after he added 75 runs in just 9.2 overs with his opening partner Murali Vijay, who made an aggressive 42 off 27 deliveries with two sixes and five boundaries.

Even after Vijay’s dismissal, sent back by Ben Cutting, Chennai faced no pressure because Hussey had a reliable partner in Suresh Raina, who chipped in with a cameo of 23 from just 15 balls with two sixes and one boundary. The duo added a quick-fire 41 from just 4.4 overs, hastening Chennai’s victory surge.

Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni joined Hussey after Raina was trapped infront by Daniel Christian, and the Dhoni-Hussey pair smashed 24 runs from 11 balls and powered Chennai to an easy victory with 25 balls to spare.

Dhoni remained not out on 13 from five balls, including one six and one four.

“We thought we would be chasing 120-odd runs, but it was very well done with the help of Raina, Hussey and Vijay,” Dhoni said.

Earlier, Brisbane found it difficult once spinners were introduced and Chennai took firm control of the match after Ravindra Jadeja bagged two wickets in the seventh over. The all-rounder bowled an economical spell, finishing with 2-18 from his four overs. Ravichandran Ashwin was miserly as well, giving away only 10 runs from his four-over spell and picked up the wicket of Chris Lynn, who chipped in with 29 off 24 balls. Even part-time spinner Raina had an excellent time, taking one wicket for nine from his three overs.

Mohit Sharma had two scalps, but proved a bit expensive, going for 35 runs from three overs.

Brisbane finished with 137 for 7 in 20 overs, thanks mainly to an unbeaten 71-run seventh-wicket partnership between Cutting and wicketkeeper Chris Hartley. The duo rescued the team from a precarious position of 6-66 and added some quick runs. Fast bowler Cutting was at his aggressive best, smashing five sixes in his 25-ball 42, while Harley played a calm knock of 35 from 32 deliveries with the help of three boundaries.

Brisbane, after being sent into bat, had a disastrous start when they lost opener Dom Michael for a duck, but James Hopes hit four delightful boundaries in his 14-ball knock of 20.

New Jersey and Mexico included on Formula One calendar

Dubrovnik, Croatia: New Jersey and Mexico were included on a 22-race Formula One world championship calendar for 2014 on Friday but will need to be confirmed.

But the street race in New Jersey, the return of F1 to Mexico as well as the South Korean Grand Prix are listed as provisional pending agreements with promoters said the sport’s governing body, the FIA, at a World Council meeting in Dubrovnik.

The event in New Jersey, with the New York skyline providing a spectacular backdrop, will be a completely new event, as will the Russian Grand Prix, which will run around the site of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

F1, meanwhile, secured its future with the agreement of two men whose own individual futures are the subject of intense debate and speculation.

Both Frenchman Jean Todt and Briton Bernie Ecclestone may not be in office when the latest ‘Concorde Agreement’, supported by them, ends in seven years’ time.

Todt is the president of the FIA and Ecclestone is the chief of the commercial rights holding organisation and heads Formula One Management (FOM).

Between them, they have great influence over the shape, operation and future of Formula One, but question marks hang over them.

Todt faces a challenge for his post in the FIA presidential elections in December from Briton David Ward while Ecclestone, at 82, has long been expected to announce his retirement following more than 40 years in F1.

In essence, this all means that the latest binding agreement — for seven years — between the sport’s ruling body and commercial operation could be their last, and that F1 has that period of time in which to create a new structure and a secure transfer of power.

News of the long-awaited confirmation of the new Concorde Agreement came in a statement on the FIA website. It said that both the FIA and Ecclestone’s FOM organisation had given it their ‘approval’.

It now remains for F1’s 11 teams to add their signatures to the agreement, which sets out the commercial terms of F1.

http://gulfnews.com/sport/motorsport/new-jersey-and-mexico-included-on-formula-one-calendar-1.1236430

EPL: Chelsea and Tottenham share spoils

• Image Credit: EPA
• Chelsea’s John Terry celebrates after cancelling out against Gylfi Sigurdsson’s strike for Tottenham during their English Premier League fixture at White Hart Lane in London yesterday, which ended 1-1.

London: The first managerial meeting between former colleagues Jose Mourinho and Andre Villas-Boas ended in stalemate on Saturday as Chelsea drew 1-1 at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Spurs manager Villas-Boas saw his side take a first-half lead through Gylfi Sigurdsson, but in a frenetic and keenly contested second half, Chelsea equalised through John Terry before having Fernando Torres sent off.

The point nudged Spurs above Arsenal at the top of the table, while Chelsea climbed one place to third ahead of the rest of the weekend programme.

“The second half was not as good as we wanted,” said Villas-Boas. “They did well to score from the set-piece. The result suits them better than us, but it was a very tight game.”

Icelandic midfielder Sigurdsson gave Spurs a 19th-minute lead at White Hart Lane when he rode a challenge from the sprawling Terry to gather Roberto Soldado’s lay-off before steering the ball past Petr Cech.

Mourinho’s half-time introduction of Juan Mata gave the visitors fresh impetus, however, and the Spain midfielder teed up the equaliser in the 65th minute with an inswinging free-kick that was headed home by Terry.

Torres played a key role in Chelsea’s second-half revival, but having earlier appeared to scratch Jan Vertonghen in an off-the-ball incident, he was sent off in the 81st minute after being shown a second yellow card for leading with his arm in a challenge on the same player.

Sigurdsson and Jermain Defoe both went close to claiming a late winner for Spurs, but Villas-Boas was denied a victory over his former mentor at Porto, Chelsea and Inter Milan.

Chelsea manager Mourinho felt Torres’s dismissal was unjust. “The team was very, very strong, until the moment the referee [Mike Dean] made a mistake; a big mistake, but a mistake that has a big influence on the result,” he told Sky Sports.

http://gulfnews.com/sport/football/epl-chelsea-and-tottenham-share-spoils-1.1236640

Sri Lanka to meet Philippines in Davis Cup 2014

The Draw for the 2014 Davis Cup by BNP Paribas was held at the London offices of the competition’s title sponsor on Wednesday. (Pic courtesy ITF)

by Revata S. Silva

According to the draw the International Tennis Federation announced last Wednesday, Sri Lanka will take on the Philippines in Colombo from January 31 to February 2 in their first tie of next year’s Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone Group-II, sponsored by BNP Paribas.

The countries which will be in the Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Zone Group-II next year will be: 1. Pakistan, 2. Thailand, 3. Sri Lanka, 4. Kuwait, 5. Philippines (all retained their position in Group-II in 2013), 6. Indonesia (relegated from Group-I), 7. Vietnam and 8. Malaysia (promoted from Group-III).

The 2014 Davis Cup Draw was announced last Wednesday, Sep. 25, by the ITF in London.

Sri Lanka will play the Philippines in their eighth meeting. Sri Lanka has never beaten them. Sri Lanka’s second tie will be held from April 4 to 6 and her opposition in that is to be decided after the first round of ties of her Group, to be played in January.

Last April, Sri Lanka managed to retain her Group-II position for the third consecutive year beating Lebanon in a deciding fifth rubber in June. By doing so Sri Lanka managed to be in the prestigious Group-II for three straight years after 17 years in her recent Davis Cup campaigns.

Sri Lanka had never been able to successfully retain her place in the competitive Group-II at least for two consecutive years since the time she got relegated from Group-II to Group-III in 1996. Sri Lanka is expected to field a strong team next year. Harshana Godamanna, Dineshkanthan Thangarajah, Amresh Jayawickrema, Rajeev Rajapakse, Sharmal Dissanayake, Vimuktha de Alwis and Sankha Atukorale are considered to be strongest contenders to make the team in next year’s Davis Cup.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=88980