Hauritz looking to repeat five-wicket haul at SCG

Deepak Jain>Thu, Dec 31 09 06:24 PM

Melbourne, Dec. 31 (ANI): Thrilled with his second innings five wicket haul against Pakistan in the just concluded MCG Test, Australian off-spinner Nathan Hauritz believes that he can repeat the same feat in the second Test at the SCG.

"I'm trying to get batsmen out more now. I didn't bowl as accurate as I normally can but I definitely bowled more attacking lines and tried to make them hit in areas they felt uncomfortable," Fox Sports quoted him, as saying.

It can be tough when you're getting hit over your head all the time, to get a stumping and batsmen trapped on crease ... to have the courage to keep tossing it up as much as I can," he added.

Among Hauritz's scalps in the second innings were Faisal Iqbal, bowled by a delivery that ripped out of the rough; Mohammad Aamer, who fell to a doosra that bounced and went straight on; and Pakistan skipper Mohammad Yousuf, a great player of spin, who was caught in close.

Hauritz's haul was his first five wicket haul in first-class cricket, let alone Tests, and he rated the bag highly because it came against Pakistan.

"I am very happy to take that five-wicket haul, I hope it is the start of something good. It has been a pretty tough road. There have been good moments and bad moments and this is one that I will remember," Hauritz said.

Hauritz said former Australian great Shane Warne had advised him to stay patient and not be afraid to try things - different angles, fields and lines - when batsmen were well set.

Meanwhile, curator Tom Parker sees the quicks having a major impact at the SCG for the second Test.

Parker says with rain likely to fall for the rest of the week, it's hard to see the pitch cracking up too much over the five-day contest. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Australia to send its biggest contingent for CWG

Deepak Jain>Thu, Dec 31 09 06:09 PM

Melbourne, Dec 31 (IANS) Australia will send 425 athletes to participate in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, its biggest contingent ever.

Australia Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) chief executive Perry Crosswhite said that ACGA will send a large team to Delhi and reinforced the need to keep a lid on medal expectations.

'We are expecting to send around 425 athletes to Delhi. This will be our largest team ever sent to a Commonwealth Games held overseas. We had 371 in Manchester and 425 in Melbourne,' Crosswhite said in a statement.

'The Delhi Games will present many challenges, and this includes our expected performance. The total Australian team medal tally has increased over the last five Commonwealth Games, peaking at 221 in Melbourne in 2006,' he said

'We need to bear in mind that achieving a greater overall medal count than Melbourne will be a difficult task. It is not a home Games and triathlon and basketball have been removed from the program, two sports in which Australia won gold medals in Melbourne.

'Our biggest challenge will come from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland because of the huge government investment in athletes for the 2012 London Olympics and 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games,' he added.

Crosswhite also said that the ACGA has spent Australia $6.5 million since Melbourne to prepare athletes for the 2010 Commonwealth Games through the Delhi 2010 Preparation Programme.

'In addition, the ACGA has provided over $2 million since Melbourne to assist junior athletes gain international competition experience through the Australian Junior Commonwealth Games squad program. A number of these squad members will be selected to represent the nation in Delhi,' he said.

Source: Web Search

Too much of Twenty20 will finish Pakistan cricket: Yousuf

Deepak Jain>Thu, Dec 31 09 05:53 PM

Melbourne, Dec 31 (IANS) Newly appointed captain Mohammad Yousuf has warned that too much of Twenty20 will finish Pakistan cricket.

Yousuf, who this year severed his ties with Indian Cricket League Twenty20 tournament to resurrect his international career, feels that like England and Australia, Pakistan should focus on Tests and ODIs. The players should limit themselves to just one domestic Twenty20 tournament and a World event.

Yousuf's observation comes in the wake of Pakistan's 170-run loss to Australia in the first Test here. The Pakistani batsmen struggled on a placid pitch.

'My belief is that you have to reduce Twenty20 heavily. They shouldn't play it in club cricket - even there you play 20 overs, not 40-over matches. I only have 2-3 years left in my career but I worry Twenty20 will finish Pakistan's cricket. One domestic Twenty20 tournament and a World Cup is enough.'

'It (batting failures) used to happen before but now because of Twenty20 cricket no player knows how to stay at the wicket anymore,' Yousuf was quoted as saying in Cricinfo.

'Batsmen are finding it very difficult. I know the format has money, players get it and boards do but if Pakistan hypes up Twenty20 too much, Test and ODI cricket will really go down.'

Pakistan are the reigning world champions in the format, having emerged the surprise winners of World Twenty20 in June in England.

'Both in Tests and ODIs we have problems. We struggle to bat 50 overs. Against New Zealand (in Abu Dhabi) we couldn't make 212 in 50 overs. Everyone played shots and got out.

'Twenty20 is easy for Pakistanis because they know how to hit, nobody knows how to defend. Until players do not play with discipline and play ball to ball and leave balls they are supposed to we will struggle in ODIs, let alone Tests.'

'You look at England, South Africa and Australia. They give Test cricket and ODIs the attention they deserve. Until we do the same, we will not progress.'

Source: Web Search

North Korea beat Qatar in four-nation tournament

Deepak Jain Thu, Dec 31 09 05:49 PM

North Korea beat Qatar 1-0 to record their second consecutive win in a four-nation tournament in Doha.

Choe Chol-man scored the winner in the 59th minute with a header for the North Koreans, who are grouped with Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast in next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

North Korea beat Mali 1-0 in the opening match and will play Iran in their final game on Saturday.

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Socceroos' 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign is decade's story

Deepak Jain>Thu, Dec 31 09 05:39 PM

Melbourne, Dec. 31 (ANI): Fox.com.au users have voted the Socceroos' 2006 FIFA World Cup campaign as the story of the decade.

In the poll that attracted 2472 votes (and finished on December 31), Australia's dramatic qualification and push to the second round in Germany grabbed top spot with 566 votes, a mere three more than Tiger Woods's shocking fall from grace this year.

The Socceroos' win illustrates how football has come of age in Australia during the past decade.

Following Woods into third was Lance Armstrong's inspirational and unprecedented seventh Tour de France win, with Usain Bolt's mesmerising performances at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games coming in just a single vote behind.

Roger Federer claiming the all-time grand slam singles title record also rated highly amongst users, just four ahead of Makybe Diva's move to legendary status with her third straight Melbourne Cup.

After 32 years of frustration, disappointment and heartache, the Socceroos finally qualified for their second FIFA World Cup finals on the November 16, 2005, but not before the nation was forced to endure unbearable tension in the second-leg qualifying tie against Uruguay at ANZ Stadium (then Telstra Stadium).

The result saw an entire nation rejoice in the remarkable achievement. The Aussies' success also saw them become the first side to make the World Cup finals through a penalty shootout. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Barcelona aiming to take winning streak into 2010

Deepak Jain>Thu, Dec 31 09 04:51 PM

Madrid, Dec 31 (DPA) Barcelona are hoping to start 2010 in the same way that they finished 2009, by playing well and winning.

Josep Guardiola's talented team crowned their 'annus mirabilis' by winning the World Club Cup in Abu Dhabi, their sixth trophy of the year.

Now they aim to star 2010 by beating dangerous Villarreal at home on Saturday.

The match will be preceded by a parade of the six trophies. Guardiola, however, is trying to make his players leave these triumphs behind them - and think about the future.

Right-back Dani Alves on Wednesday called Guardiola 'an intelligent man' and claimed that 'if we follow him, we are going to go very far.'

Alves promised the fans that 'there will be no relaxation, because he (Guardiola) is always there, putting into our minds that winners can only continue to win with ambition.'

Barca will be without Seydou Keita and Yaya Toure throughout January because of the African Cup of Nations. True to his philosophy, Guardiola prefers to bring several youngsters into the squad rather than enter into the winter transfer market.

Youngsters Victor Vazquez, Gai Assulin, Thiago and Jonathan de los Santos have been training with the first-team squad all week. They all stand a good chance of being in the squad for the Villarreal match, because Andres Iniesta and Jeffren are injured - and Lionel Messi and Rafa Marquez do not return from holiday until Saturday.

Leaders Barca are two points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, who are away to Osasuna Sunday.

Villarreal, for their part, have recovered from their bad start and are now ninth.

Promising midfielder David Fuster said on Wednesday that 'if we go to the Camp Nou with fear, they will destroy us. We have to be very concentrated, waiting for our chances to come.'

Also on Saturday, third-placed Sevilla - still without injured South Americans Luis Fabiano, Federicao Fazio and Lautaro Acosta - are away to crisis club Atletico Madrid, whilst fourth-placed Valencia are at home to Espanyol.

In chilly Pamplona on Sunday, Real will be without injury victims Kaka, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and Guti, though it is hoped that Raul Albiol will be fit.

Sunday's other games are as follows: Almeria-Xerez, Getafe-Valladolid, Mallorca-Athletic Bilbao, Racing Santander-Tenerife, Sporting Gijon-Malaga and Zaragoza-Deportivo Coruna.

Source: Web Search

Mancini says he hopes to acquire Liverpool stars

Deepak Jain>Thu, Dec 31 09 04:38 PM

London, Dec. 31 (ANI): Manchester City coach Roberto Mancini has said that he will make a move to recruit Fernando Torres and company if Liverpool finish outside the top four.

The Sun quoted Mancini as saying: "If they put Steven Gerrard, Javier Mascherano and Fernando Torres on the market, City will be interested. We at City will do everything possible to prevent Liverpool from finishing fourth."

Funds are already tight at Anfield and failure to make Europe's elite competition could force the club to sell their prized assets.

There are worries striker Torres and skipper Gerrard may quit without the Champions League to play for.

City would have to shell out more than #100million for Liverpool's biggest names, but that would not be a problem for the club's billionaire Arab owners.

Mancini has admitted he needs to bolster his defence through the January transfer window. (ANI)

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