A cloud of uncertainty hangs over the sporting world (cricket included) with the Indian government approving a bill that will end all forms of tobacco advertisements and sponsorships of sporting and cultural events. The Indian Tobacco Company (ITC) has pumped in huge amounts of money into sports sponsorship, including that of the Indian Cricket Team.
Banned Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja will help children orphaned by the earthquake. The cricketer, who belongs to a royal family from Gujarat, arrived in Bhuj with chocolates and other eatables for the children Jadeja's ancestral home at Jamnagar is also damaged. "We can't live there any more", said Jadeja.
Former ICC president Jagmohan Dalmiya clarified his position on the tri-nation series planned in Sharjah for the quake fund. He said that the Asian Cricket Council tried to do their best by roping in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. However since Sri Lanka were already engaged, a tri-nation series was planned. Zee was ready to offer 18 crore, Sony about 1 million, Coca-Cola offered 2.5 crore, while ESPN agreed to buy the entire airtime of the series. "We had chosen Sharjah as a venue as the infrastructure was ready and available there," said Dalmiya.
Mark Waugh will meet with Australian cricket officials over the weekend to discuss match-fixing allegations. The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) said Waugh would be interviewed by ACB investigator Greg Melick and the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Anti-Corruption Unit at the Hilton Hotel in Melbourne. They will quiz him on allegations that he took money from an Indian bookmaker in exchange for team information during a tournament in Hong Kong.
Australia has been left with a selection headache after paceman Brett Lee was ruled out of their tour to India, admitted captain Steve Waugh after learning that Lee's elbow injury could see him sidelined for three to six months. Though Waugh had a preliminary meeting with the selectors, the squad will be announced on February 8. They now face a difficult decision over who will provide the seam bowling support for Glenn McGrath. Jason Gillespie has still to satisfy the selectors of his fitness following a hamstring injury and Damien Fleming has played little first-class cricket since shaking off a neck problem. It could mean a place for Andy Bichel, while Nathan Bracken and Mike Kasprowicz would also be in contention.
In the meantime, injured Brett Lee has undergone surgery to repair tendon and ligament damage. He hopes to be fit for the forthcoming Ashes series in England.
Australia's biggest dilemma ahead of the tri-series limited-overs finals against West Indies appears to be working out which is its best XI. It poses a serious selection headache for captain Steve Waugh as to whom to leave out. However, he has a number of options available to him as the side takes the field for the Carlton Series opener of the three-match finals unlike his West Indian counterpart Jimmy Adams. The home side want to claim the title in the opening two matches, to give the players some time off before they commence their arduous tour of India.
While Waugh wants the series wrapped up as soon as possible, his counterpart Jimmy Adams is urging his players to put all aspects of their game together to topple the unbeaten Australians. "To beat Australia we need to put it together in every department ... and that's something we'd like to see before we leave Australia," he said. Lara echoed Adams sentiments: "We would love to leave Australia with a trophy from the one-day series," he said.
Cricket playing countries in the American continent would join hands to form the Cricket Association of America (CAA) by March end. The proposed body, comprising 14 countries, would work in close coordination with the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) for the development of the game in the American continent, West Indies Cricket Board president Patrick Rousseau said at a joint press briefing with Asian Cricket Foundation (ACF) chairman Jagmohan Dalmiya in Calcutta. The development comes close on the heels of the cricket chiefs in Asia and Africa agreeing to set up a joint council to promote the game in the two continents. "We want to work in close coordination with the ACC to further the cause of globalisation of the game and raise its popularity to the level of soccer," Rousseau said. Dalmiya said the two continents could jointly work in various fields including sports medicine, equipment and running of cricket academies to hone young talent. Rousseau said various cricket playing nations of North and South America, including the West Indies, USA, Bermuda, Bahamas, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia and Costa Rica would be part of the CAA.
In the meanwhile the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has invited the India 'A' team to take part in its annual domestic tournament Busta Cup, "The tournament will become more competitive if the India 'A' squad agrees to participate next year," the WICB chief Rousseau said The prize money tournament is played every year from the first week of January. After the preliminary stage, the best four teams lock horns in a round robin league, with the top two taking part in a play-off for the championship. This year an England A side was invited to play in the Busta Cup.
WSG-Nimbus has now confirmed that they have resolved their differences with Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka (BCCSL) with regard to interpretation of the agreement, and have taken into account the practical difficulties faced by the Sri Lankan Board in obtaining tour confirmations for the term specified in the agreement. Both parties have now agreed to a number of modifications in the agreement so that the interests of Sri Lankan cricket and its Board can be balanced with the requirements of broadcast, sponsorship and other licensees. An amended agreement taking care all such provisions has now been signed and the commercial rights of Sri Lanka's International Cricket from 2001-2003 will be with WSG-Nimbus. This agreement begins with its coverage of the England tour from February 22. In the meanwhile the WSG-Nimbus will be setting up an office in Colombo to better serve the interests of Sri Lankan cricket and the BCCSL.
The West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya has apologised to the family members of Pankaj Roy for failing to give him a proper farewell. The day Roy passed away there was no representation on behalf of the state government, although the CM visited Roy's family the next day.
The Constitution Committee of the BCCI at its meeting at Mumbai on Sunday, decided to retain the existing five-member selection committee, even while recommending a more liberal qualification system which would give wider scope for cricketers to become national selectors. The committee rejected the proposal to reduce the number of senior selection committee members from five to three and had also suggested that 20 first class matches be the limit for selection, instead of 15. The committee, comprising K Subba Rao (chairman), Shashang Manohar of the Vidarbha Cricket Association, Ashok Kumbhat of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and Kishore Rungta (convenor) had been authorised by the BCCI to study its proposals and recommend changes to be placed at the Board's special general body meeting on February 23 at Chennai. The committee has also recommended the term of office of president for three years, getting elected at every AGM being mandatory. Likewise, the secretary and treasurer could be in office for five years. According to existing rules, the president can seek re-election for the second year, while for the third year, it will be at the general body's discretion. The secretary and treasurer can seek re-election for four consecutive years while the fifth would be left to the general body.
The Sharjah-based Cricketers Benefit Fund Series (CBFS) has agreed to Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) demand of an enhancing participation fee under a new contract expected to be signed next April. "Tentatively CBFS have agreed to our demand of making the Pakistan's participation fee comparable to India," stated PCB chairman Lt-Gen Tauqir Zia. Pakistan has apparently been getting half the amount India was receiving. The Sharjah Cup to be hosted in April will be the last tournament under the current contract. Without disclosing the amount, the PCB chief said that under the new contract Pakistan would get paid equal amount to what India gets.
PCB chief Tauqir Zia was unhappy with the on-going controversies generated by past and present players and claimed it was tarnishing the image of Pakistan cricket. He urged them to shun their personal differences and get united and work for the game's promotion. "Here, the cricketers are not united. One day you hear Sarfraz Nawaz critical of Rameez Raja, the next day Raja goes to the court. Then stories on Javed Miandad's row with Moin Khan and other players are published and so it continues," the general added.
SCORES AT A GLANCE….
Sri Lanka in New Zealand
3rd one-dayer at Auckland
New Zealand: 181 in 45.4 overs (NJ Astle 33, CD McMillan 61; K Dharmasena 3-33)
Sri Lanka: 182-1 in 29.5 overs (ST Jayasuriya 103, M Atapattu 59 not out)
Result: Sri Lanka won by 9 wickets (Sri Lanka won the five-match series 3-0)
Man of the match: ST Jayasuriya (SL)
England U-19 in India
3rd and final one-dayer at Hyderabad
India U-19: 277-9 in 50 overs (G Gambhir 81, A Das 33, A Ratra 45)
England U-19: 249 in 45.2 overs (G Pratt 71, J Bell 51, G Muchall 42; S Vidyut 4-50)
Result: India U-19 won by 28 runs (India U-19 win the three-match series 2-1)
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Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
