The Indian cricketers banned by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) would not be picked for the Indian team for the home series against Australian even if the court upheld their appeals to play for the country. According to a BCCI source both Azharuddin and Jadeja will not be picked to play against Australia and since picking the national teams is the prerogative of the selectors and none of these players are on their short-list for the series.
Indian captain Sourav Ganguly appears to be distinctly unimpressed by the 15 match-winning streak Australia brings with them to India next week. Speaking to reporters on the second day of the conditioning camp in Chennai, Ganguly exuded confidence that India packed a punch for the Aussies in the backdrop of familiar conditions. "They (Australia) have won most of their games at home, beaten West Indies 5-0 at home, beaten India, Pakistan at home. They toured here in '96 and lost. They toured here in '98 and lost. So obviously that's going to be at the back of their mind. I agree they're playing good cricket for the last 12 months but it's going to be a different ball game when they come here."
In an immediate response to the Indian government's decision to bring in a bill banning sponsoring of sports and cultural events by tobacco companies, the countries largest tobacco firm, ITC has decided to withdraw all sponsorship of sporting activities. The move will make the Indian cricket team the first casualty as the company under the umbrella of Wills Sports sponsors the cricket team.
The Indian cricketers who were allegedly involved in match-fixing and who are income-tax defaulters have requested extra time to file their returns. However it is not certain if the tax authorities will accede to their requests. In the meanwhile it is learnt that former Delhi batsman Ajay Sharma, one of the defaulters has just filed his block returns for the last ten years. Sharma, who has been banned for life by the BCCI now cannot even play club cricket in England. The BCCI has informed the ECB about Sharma and has advised them to prohibit him to play any form of cricket in England. Incidentally Sharma has been representing the Paridham Club in England for some years now.
Noted Indian sports medicine expert Dr Arun Mullaji has appealed to match officials to verify the fairness of the use of ice vests by the Australians on the tour. "The use of ice-vests will give an additional help to Australian cricketers, who are not accustomed to Indian heat," he said. "Umpires and match-referee should verify whether is it permissible under fair play. "Our cricketers, when they go abroad, try to adjust with their climatic conditions but never use such means," he argued. "Due to heavy heat and sun-stroke, lots of fluid and salt from our body decrease to such an extent that cramps are developed, which are very painful. "It is a new device and will be used by Australian cricketers on trial basis. It is yet to come in the Indian market and hence the price of an ice-vest would not be known immediately", added Dr. Mullaji. "If approved by the authorities, ice-vests are good and will succeed, however, Indian players don't need them to use over here as they are used to with the Indian climates and weather. Besides, they are heavy in weight which Indian cricketers will find uncomfortable."
The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) in partnership with World Vision will form a partnership during the second Carlton one-day final at Melbourne on Saturday to assist in raising funds for the victims of the recent Indian earthquake. The Australian Cricket Board will be donating $A10,000 (about Rs 2.7 lakh) to kick-start a campaign seeking to raise $A1 million (about Rs 2.7 crore). During the telecast of the second final, the Channel Nine commentary team will inform viewers about the tragedy in India and encourage people to donate to the World Vision programme through its telephone call centre. The entire Australian cricketer team was united in support of this initiative. The ACB had earlier brushed aside suggestions of playing an extra one-day match on the Indian tour in benefit of the quake victims, saying they will find other means to support the relief efforts.
Eleven Kenyan cricketers Maurice Odumbe, Ravindu Shah, Kennedy Otieno, Thomas Odoyo, Martin Suji, Tony Suji, Jimmy Kamande Brijal Patel, Francis Otieno, Peter Ochieng Lameck Onyango, sacked by their national association in a pay row, have decided to go to court to challenge the decision. The Kenyan Cricket Association (KSA) dropped the players and terminated their contracts, including that of captain Maurice Odumbe, accusing them of holding them to ransom by demanding more money. The players threatened not to take part in match against a touring Sri Lanka A side last month. A lawyer's letter, on behalf of 17 team members, including six who were not dumped, was sent to the KCA on Thursday. In the meanwhile the KCA will discuss the fate of Steve Tikolo and the five other players who put their names to the lawyer's letter although they did not directly involved in the mutiny. Tikolo said he would not play for Kenya again until his colleagues were reinstated. But Tikolo said: "This is not the way to do things. I'm with the players. The others must be put back in the team. If not, I'm not playing."
Efforts are on to hold a four-nation Cricket tournament in aid of the Gujarat earthquake fund sometime in April. BCCI President AC Muthiah said the Boards of Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand and Zimbabwe have been approached and a decision will soon be taken. Once participation is confirmed the dates and venues of the matches will be decided.
The ICC anti-corruption head Sir Paul Condon will visit New Zealand as part of his inquiry. He will meet the members of the New Zealand Cricket Boards commission of inquiry. It is not know if he would be meeting Martin Crowe one of those named in the CBI report.
Manvinder Bisla of Haryana will lead a 14 member India Under-17 to play in the ICC-ACC Under-17 Asia Cup, at Dhaka between February 15-25. Wicket-keeper batsman Partiv Patel of Gujarat will be his deputy.
The United Cricket Board of South Africa have ordered Easterns coach Ray Jennings to face a disciplinary hearing over a bouncer row involving Test paceman Allan Donald. After an inquiry, the UCBSA said Jennings would face a hearing about allegations that he offered a fast bowler money to hit Donald with a short ball. Jennings has denied the claim, but with still have to face a hearing at a date yet to be determined. Jennings will be charged with a breach of the UCB's code of conduct.
A written complaint was filed by the Sri Lankan Colts XI management to the Sri Lanka Cricket Board against England fast bowler Darren Gough who has been reported for the alleged verbal abuse of two Sri Lankan players during England's first practice game against a BCCSL Colts XI. The incident is reputed to have occurred after Darren Gough was adjudged to have been caught by Sukitha Peiris via bat and pad off the bowling of Ranil Dhammika. Gough's was the final England wicket to fall, and as the players neared the dressing room he is alleged to have waved his bat in front of the face of Sukitha Peiris, the schoolboy fielder who had taken the catch, and verbally abused him too. The Sri Lankan Board has confirmed that a written complaint had been received and that the matter is to be taken up with the England team management later today. However the ECB confirmed that the English team has not so far been contacted by the Sri Lankan Board on the matter.
Representatives of England's first-class umpires will meet senior officials from the Professional Cricketers' Association (PCA) in Birmingham to try and halt a decline in standards of player-umpire behaviour. The umpires believe the introduction of a two-division County Championship and the extra pressures of promotion and relegation have resulted in an increase in the amount of dissent on the field. "We asked for the meeting because there have been more and more problems on the field with promotion and relegation issues and next season, with the implementation of five-run penalties for various offences, there could be more room for disputes and it could get worse," said spokesman Barrie Leadbeater. The PCA will be represented by their chairman Matthew Fleming, vice-chairman Peter Such and chief executive David Graveney, while Leadbeater will be joined by fellow-umpires George Sharp and Barry Dudleston. They will also discuss umpire Alan Whitehead, a member of the first-class list for 30 years, who was fined and warned about his future conduct last summer following a confrontation with Warwickshire's Dougie Brown. The incident occurred during a one-day National League game against Durham. "We want to come to some sort of agreement with the players about what is acceptable and what is not. "We don't want to see another incident like last summer's with players and umpires falling out because we are all in the same game," Leadbeater added.
A senior coach of one of Western Australia's top cricket clubs has been sacked for allegedly attacking an umpire and dragging him to the ground. Coach Tony Weston was given his marching orders this week after the incident with umpire Peter Hewitt in a match last Saturday, the president of Scarborough Cricket Club, Peter Wearne, confirmed Wednesday. The Scarborough club have among their players Test batsman Justin Langer and four other first-class cricketers. "The actions of Weston were totally unacceptable to Scarborough and were dealt with accordingly in as swift a manner as possible," Wearne said. "Scarborugh offer sincere apologies to the umpire and hope no long-term effect will come of the incident." The incident took place during a third-grade match between Scarborough and the University of Western Australia at Scarborough's home ground, Abbett Park. Witnesses said that Weston, who was playing in the game, had just completed an over and taken his cap when he swung a fist at the umpire, grabbed his tie, dragged him to the ground and jumped on him. The Western Australian Cricket Association said Wednesday Weston had been charged by the association's disciplinary committee with dissent and assaulting an umpire. The case was expected to be heard next week.
SCORES AT A GLANCE
Sri Lanka in New Zealand
at Hamilton (4th One-dayer)
New Zealand: 182-9 in 35 overs (SP Fleming 67; N Zoysa 3-27)
Sri Lanka: 155-5 in 31 overs (ST Jayasuriya 52, R Kaluwitharana 34)
Result: Sri Lanka won by 3 runs (D/L method). Sri Lanka lead the five-match series 4-0
Man of the match: ST Jayasuriya (SL)
Yesterday's News
News Roll archive
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
