Proteas skipper undecided about playing Kolkata Test

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 06:39 PM

Kolkata, Feb 13 (ANI): South African skipper Graeme Smith on Saturday said he would take a final call on his playing in the second Test match against India only after training and practice session.

The injury to Smith's little finger has made him a doubtful starter for the second Test match.

Addressing media ahead of the practice session, Smith said, "There is a fracture in one joint of the small finger on the left hand. It's really about dealing with pain from that perspective."

"Today, I would know if I can play a part in the game or not. I will try and train and see if I can get through. I will make a decision after training," added Smith.

The South African team had earlier, however, denied reports of Smith's finger fracture terming it as ligament damage.

Smith said, "I had an X-ray at the ground and then had an MRI late afternoon yesterday. The decisions were made by the doctors last night."

The 29-year old South African skipper further said the big question is how much one contributes to the team being captain of the side.

"That's the question you need to answer especially as a leader. Your objective is to contribute and be professional. You need to be able to compete at that level. So these are the things you need to answer going into the Test match," added Smith.

India's match against the Proteas in Kolkata will be important as India will look ahead to win the test and save its number one Test ranking that is at stake following an innings and six runs defeat in the Nagpur Test. (ANI)

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Vancouver 2010 Winter Games spark blood-doping fears

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 06:25 PM

Washington, Feb 13 (ANI): Athletes in the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games are likely to use blood-doping to boost their performances, experts have warned.

The banned practice involves getting a blood transfusion near game time to get more, richer blood than nature can produce.

Some athletes practice this because blood carries oxygen to the muscles, so more blood means more oxygen-and potentially better performances.

There are two known types of blood doping. One uses ordinary transfusions, and that's easy to catch today, says Harvey Klein, chief of transfusion medicine at the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

"You can look for the foreign cells. They have different proteins on their surfaces, and we have very sensitive methods of detecting those," National Geographic News quoted Klein as saying.

Don Catlin, an anti-doping researcher who spent 25 years as head of an anti-doping laboratory at the University of California, Los Angeles, said a more sophisticated method is for an athlete to withdraw some of his or her own blood during training and store it.

The body then builds up replacement blood and, shortly before an event, the extra blood is injected back into the body.

This method can sometimes be caught by tests that can tell if a person's haemoglobin-the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissue-is suspiciously high.

But athletes using this version of blood doping have been known to inject blood in the morning, race, then have the blood withdrawn later, thereby reducing their chances of being caught by random tests.

In the Vancouver 2010 games, blood doping would "probably help almost everybody, even figure skaters. But the target group is cross-country skiers. They have had episodes of blood doping [in the past]," Catlin said.

Blood doping isn't just illegal, it's dangerous. Transfusions done at home, for example, can incur the risks of contracting blood-borne diseases and getting sick from bacteria growing in poorly stored blood.

Klein said that doping can also make the blood dangerously thick. In fact, he said, some athletes have died from efforts to overly enrich their blood. (ANI)

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Nothing wrong in exploiting home conditions: Dhoni

Published Sat, Feb 13 10 05:55 PM

Kolkata, Feb 13 (PTI) Amid brouhaha over the Eden Gardens pitch, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today said there was nothing wrong in exploiting the home advantage by preparing spin-friendly tracks. A controversy erupted after India lost the first Test and BCCI reportedly sent an SOS to CAB for preparing a turning track for the second Test. The Cricket Association Bengal though said they have prepared a sporting track for the crucial game, the outcome of which will have a bearing on India''s status as number one Test team. Dhoni is of the view that a turning pitch could also be called a sporting track as it gives both bowlers and batsmen equal chances to excel. "I think a big emphasis is being given on the sporting wicket. Nowhere it''s written that there should not be any grass for a sporting wicket or bounce for fast bowlers. "Sporting wicket according to me is where you challenge the batsmen and at the same time there is something for the batters. I think when there is a turning track it is challenging," Dhoni said after team practice. The India skipper also said that every country has a unique element to exploit and for India it was spin. "Every country specialises in something. When you go to South Africa you see bouncy and seam movement. You go New Zealand and you would see a lot of swing. And we are special because the ball turns and there is bounce for the spinners. Of course, skills are required to play spin," he said. More PTI TAP AT

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Ravindra Jadeja banned from IPL

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 05:49 PM

Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja will miss the third edition of the Indian Premier League after being banned for one year by the IPL governing council for breaching players guidelines.

The upcoming Saurashtra player did not sign the renewal contract with the inaugural edition champions and was trying to negotiate a lucrative contract with other IPL franchises. Jadeja tried to sort out the matter by talking to Indian Cricket Board President Shashank Manohar but his appeal was rejected and IPL slapped a one-year a ban on him.

"Based on a unanimous decision taken by the IPL Governing Council and on instructions from the President of the BCCI, India cricketer Ravindra Jadeja was handed out a one year playing ban. He will not be allowed to play for any IPL team for the next one year," IPL said in a statement today.

"The ban was on account of Ravindra Jadeja not signing the renewal contract with the Rajasthan Royals and attempting, instead to negotiate a larger financial contract with some of the other IPL franchises. Thus, resulting in a serious non-adherence to the IPL player guidelines," it said.

IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi warned players that the T20 League will not tolerate any blackmailing. "The player guidelines laid out by the Governing Council of the IPL are sacrosanct and all players will need to strictly adhere to the same. We will not tolerate any player playing games or blackmailing any teams or the IPL/BCCI in any manner," Modi said in a strongly worded statement.

"The IPL Governing Council has arrived at this decision after due deliberations done after taking into account Ravindra Jadeja's presentation to the President of the BCCI (Shashank Manohar) and a further representation by the Rajasthan Royals," Modi explained.

The punishment meted out to the 21-year-old all-rounder is expected to impact his immediate future as a T20 player. The one-year ban has put a question mark on Jadeja staking a claim in the Indian team at the April 30-May 15 T20 World Cup, to be held in the West Indies, as performance in the IPL would form a strong basis for selecting the squad. The third edition of the IPL is slated to begin from March 12 in Mumbai.

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There is a fracture in my little finger: Smith

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 05:39 PM

South African skipper Graeme Smith on Saturday revealed he has a fracture in his little finger making him a doubtful starter for the second and final cricket Test against India at Eden Gardens here tomorrow.

Smith, however, didn't rule himself out completely and said he would take a final call after the training and practice sessions today.

Talking to reporters ahead of their practice session, Smith said, "There is a fracture in one joint of the small finger on the left hand. It's really about dealing with pain from that perspective.

"Today, I would know if I can play a part in the game or not. I will try and train and see if I can get through. I will make a decision after training," he said.

Till yesterday, the South Africa team management denied reports of Smith having fractured his finger and termed it a ligament damage.

"I had an X-ray at the ground and then had an MRI late afternoon yesterday. The decisions were made by the doctors last night," Smith said.

The left-handed opener, who has had in the past dealt with injury blows and yet turned out for the match, said it's not about the pain but about how you contribute to the side being the captain.

"The big question is whether you will be able to contribute and give your best to the team. That's the question you need to answer especially as a leader.

"Your objective is to contribute and be professional. You need to be able to compete at that level... so these are the things you need to answer going into the Test match," said the 29-year-old.

"I would not think that (about playing with the injury). We have got things in place and I am confident that I can deal with the pain and get through it. There were couple of injuries in last few months and I have got through reasonably well. Injury is part of every sportsmen's career," he said.

While fielding at slips during the nets yesterday, Smith injured his left little finger.

This is for the third time in last two years that Smith has been rocked by an injury. During IPL in April 2008, he had suffered a tennis elbow that ruled him out of three ODIs against England.

Later, he broke his hand in a Test against Australia in Sydney. He missed the subsequent ODI series and decided to delay the surgery on his injured tennis elbow until after the return series against the Australians at home last year. Having thrashed India by an innings and six runs, South Africa are 1-0 up in the two-Test series and they just need a draw in the Eden Test to regain their number one status in ICC Test rankings.

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Flawless Gangjee in joint lead at Avantha Masters

Published Sat, Feb 13 10 05:10 PM

Gurgaon, Feb 13 (PTI) Rahil Gangjee put himself in contention for his first Asian Tour title in six years, grabbing a share of the lead after a flawless three-under 69 in the penultimate round of the tri-sanctioned Avantha Masters Golf Tournament here today. Gangjee, whose last Asian Tour triumph came in the Volkswagen Masters-China in 2004, took his three-day total to 11-under 205 for a six-way tie at the top. Fredrik Andersson Hed (66), Darren Beck (70), Richard Bland (66), Yih-Shin Chan (72), Tetsuji Hiratsuka (70) and Barry lane (71) formed the rest of the leading pack at the DLF Golf and Country Club. For the third successive day, Gangjee found birdies on the seventh and 18th holes besides picking up a shot on the third. Among other Indians in fray, Jyoti Randhawa and Arjun Atwal brought home identical one-under 71s to total six-under 210 and four-under 212 respectively. While Randhawa lies tied 29th, Atwal took a share of the 37th spot after three rounds. More PTI ATK PM AT

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Pak SAF Games women gold medallists made 'sports ambassadors'

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 04:55 PM

Islamabad, Feb.13 (ANI): Honouring their great feat in the just concluded South Asian Federation Games (SAF), Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has appointed gold-medalist women athletes Naseem Hamid and Sara Nasir as 'sports ambassadors.'

Hamid, 22, became South Asia's fastest woman by winning the 100-metre sprint SAF games (SAF) at Dhaka, while Nasir bagged a gold medal in Karate.

Hamid clocked 11.81 seconds to claim the top spot and become Pakistan's first female athlete to win the race in the competition's 26-year old history.

"President Zardari has appointed Naseem and Sara as 'ambassadors of sports' in recognition of their successes at the SAF Games and awarded them one million rupees (11,777 dollars) each," The Dawn quoted Sports Minister Ijaz Jakhrani, as saying.

Zardari called on both the athletes and praised their hard work.

"I am overwhelmed by the president's encouragement and it's a matter of great happiness for me that he promised to send us for training abroad for future competitions,' Hamid said.

Zardari has also asked the concerned department to form a policy which will enable deserving sportswomen to go abroad for training and coaching to improve their skill further. (ANI)

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Alonso delighted at thought of doing battle with old-rival Schumacher

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 04:39 PM

London, Feb. 13 (ANI): Fernando Alonso has said that he is looking forward to his "very, very special" race against his old rival Michael Schumacher, and beat him.

"I always enjoy the big names and the big battles. And for sure it's very, very special to race with Michael again. If you have a fight and you win a race it's always nicer to have a battle with Michael than any other driver," The Mirror quoted Alonso, as saying.

The long-running adversary sprung up between the two racers when the seven-times F1 legend missed out on successive titles in 2005 and 2006 to the Spaniard before announcing his retirement.

At the age of 41, Schumacher is back, setting competitive times in testing and claiming he is hungrier than ever.

At Maranello, Alonso and his team are immersed in the nitty gritty of testing in Jerez his week just down the paddock from Schumacher.

"The team spirit is very good, very special. You feel part of a big team, part of a legendary team, and it's a nice feeling. The team is very, very friendly with me and I felt at home straightaway," he said.

"This could be a great year for Spain in both football and Formula 1. We're in a good moment in Spain with many sports at the top level, and hopefully Formula 1 can again get a chance with a Spanish driver this year," he added. (ANI)

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Bridge ready to play alongside Terry: Mancini

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 04:10 PM

London, Feb 13(ANI): Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has said his defender Wayne Bridge is ready to play with John Terry for England not withstanding the latter's affair with the former's ex-girlfriend Veronica Perroncel.

The spotlight has turned onto Bridge's participation in South Africa after Chelsea full-back Ashley Cole broke his ankle in Wednesday night's defeat at Everton.

It comes only a week after former Stamford Bridge team-mate Terry was sacked as England captain over the alleged affair with Perroncel.

However, Mancini does not feel there will be a problem, and said: "If he is picked, he will play. The national team is important for every player and it is the same for Wayne Bridge."He is committed to playing for England and it is important for any player to play at the World Cup, especially if they are in the first XI. I know the injury to Ashley Cole is a problem for England, but Wayne can play in this position for the national team," Mancini said.

He further said that he is cautious with Bridge, who will play the third game of his comeback after a two-month lay-off with a knee injury on Sunday against Stoke in the FA Cup fifth round.We are having to take things slowly with Wayne because he was out for two months. At the moment I would say he was around 60 percent fit. Once he has played five or six games, he will be back at 100 percent," Mancini said. (ANI)

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Gabon's Giresse is latest African coaching casualty

Published Sat, Feb 13 10 03:59 PM

Gabon will not renew the contract of coach Alain Giresse after their elimination in the first round of the African Nations Cup finals, the country's football federation president has said.

The 54-year-old former France international is the latest coaching victim of the recently completed finals in Angola after Benin, Mali and Nigeria all made changes.

Giresse had been in charge for four years and taken Gabon to the top of their World Cup qualifying group at the halfway stage before two defeats to Cameroon saw them miss out on a berth at the 2010 finals in South Africa.

Gabon gained a measure of revenge by beating Cameroon 1-0 in Lubango at the start of the Nations Cup but then drew with Tunisia and lost to Zambia, going out after a count back of goal scored.

Gabon are co-hosting the next Nations Cup finals with Equatorial Guinea in 2012.

Placide Engandzas told the Gabonews agency that 12 candidates had been approached as possible replacements during a recent visit to Europe.

"The future coach will have to be someone who has played football at a high level and has the same ambitions as us," Engandzas said.

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PREVIEW - Bitter East Asian rivals face 'guillotine game'

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 03:50 PM

Japan face bitter rivals South Korea at the East Asian championship on Sunday in a match of huge significance four months before the start of the World Cup.

Both sides need a victory in Tokyo to stand any realistic chance of winning the four-team tournament with China expected to overpower Hong Kong in their final game.

Japan's meeting with title holders South Korea is being billed as a "game of guillotine" by media in both countries after some insipid displays from the World Cup-bound neighbours.

Hosts Japan were booed off the pitch after drawing 0-0 against China in their opening game while coach Takeshi Okada was still jeered despite a 3-0 win over Hong Kong in midweek.

The Koreans suffered their first defeat by China since the countries began playing full internationals in 1978 on Wednesday in a shock 3-0 reverse.

South Korea coach Huh Jung-moo was left clutching at straws as he blamed everything from the new players he had picked to the referee and probability theories.

"The odds were that our run against China would come to an end sometime," said Huh, whose team had torn apart Hong Kong 5-0 in their opener. "I have no fears about the Japan game."

Huh has made no bold claims about how far his South Korea team can go at the World Cup in South Africa -- unlike Okada, who chose to declare Japan were targeting the semi-finals.

CHINA STALEMATE

Okada's refusal to back-track quickly came back to haunt him with a dour 0-0 draw in a home friendly with Venezuela before his side's stalemate with a vastly improved China.

"The World Cup is our main priority so it's important to win this title," Okada told reporters. "I accept the criticism but we are grinding out the results and making progress."

Remarks Okada made recently insisting South Korea's run to the 2002 World Cup semi-finals proved it was possible for Japan to match the feat ignored several crucial factors.

Korea's class of 2002 were arguably the best Asian side ever assembled, coached by a master tactician in Dutchman Guus Hiddink and backed by fervent home support.

"We have big goals," said a defiant Okada, although plummeting ticket sales pointed to frustration among Japan fans. "We will keep focusing on what we have to do to achieve them."

Thursday's crowd of 16,000 for the Hong Kong game was a record low for a Japan game at Tokyo's National Stadium since the J-League was launched in 1993.

Japan have never won the East Asian championship and will likely need to beat South Korea by more than the odd goal to win the title on goal difference, barring a slip-up by China.

"We fight on," said Okada. "I have no negative thoughts."

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Chelsea will win FA Cup: Ancelotti

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 03:40 PM

London, Feb 13(ANI): Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti has said that he is confident of winning the FA Cup ahead of tomorrow's fifth-round clash against Cardiff.

"It's a very important competition. We won it last year - I was not here - and we have a great opportunity to go forward in this competition. We know Cardiff will come to do their best. They have a good team and a lot of passion around them," The Daily Express quoted Ancelotti, as saying.

"We have to pay attention. We want to come back to win after the defeat against Everton. I said that the FA Cup is a fantastic opportunity for all the teams to play their best. They are followed with a lot of passion around them, and they have good quality, They have two fantastic strikers and score a lot of goals in the Championship. We have to pay attention," he added.

The Blues will be without skipper John Terry, goalkeeper Petr Cech and striker Nicolas Anelka, who have been rested for the game, and the injured Ashley Cole, but Ancelotti in convinced his side still have what it takes to win the clash.

"Tomorrow we'll play Hilario in goal, Paulo Ferreira, Alex, Ricardo Carvalho and Yury Zhirkov; Frank Lampard, John Obi Mikel, Michael Ballack; Daniel Sturridge, Joe Cole and Didier Drogba up front," Ancelotti said.

"The bench will be Ross Turnbull, Jeffrey Bruma, Branislav Ivanovic, Florent Malouda, Nemanja Matic, Fabio Borini and Salomon Kalou," he added. (ANI)

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Drogba challenges Rooney to finish off as Premier League's top scorer

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 03:25 PM

London, Feb 13(ANI): Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has challenged his Manchester United counterpart Wayne Rooney that he will score more goals to finish as the top scorer of the Premier League this season.

Rooney is just a goal ahead with 23 goals to Drogba's 22 in all competitions, but that could change on Saturday, as Chelsea take on Cardiff in the FA Cup fifth round, while United take a breather after being knocked out by Leeds.

"I want to be the top scorer in England. I want to make sure people remember 'Drogba the Warrior' in this campaign," The Sun quoted Drogba, as saying.

"My absence at the African Nations Cup could end up being decisive. It gave an advantage to Wayne and my other rivals, but I warn them I shall be fighting until the very last match," he added.

Tottenham Hotspur's Jermain Defoe is next in the scoring chart with 20 goals, followed by Manchester City's Carlos Tevez (18) and Darren Bent of Sunderland (15), but the race is on between the two leading hitmen.

The Ivory Coast star holds Rooney in the greatest of respect, but is determined to overtake him and then keep him at arm's length. The race between myself and Rooney will be beautiful and it's my objective to arrive at the finishing post first. I don't think about the exact number of goals I shall need, but it will be necessary for me to pass 30 if I am to be the No 1 - and this is possible," Drogba said.

"Rooney is a big forward and playing at a really high level. But there are still many matches to go and I intend to soar above him in the goal stakes," he added. (ANI)

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Georgian dies in horrific training crash

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 03:11 PM

A black cloud descended over the Vancouver Olympics on Friday after 21-year-old Georgian luge competitor Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed in a horrific training crash at the Whistler Sliding Centre.

Kumaritashvili was making his final scheduled practice slide before Saturday's competition when he lost control at 90mph and was launched over the rim of the track before slamming into an unpadded pillar.

His sled and smashed visor continued down the ice towards the finish line which was just metres away on a course which has seen several crashes this week and been labelled as too fast and dangerous by a number of competitors.

Medics performed emergency resuscitation at the scene before he was flown down the mountain by helicopter where he died in hospital.

The track was closed pending an investigation but later reopened and the competition is set to go ahead on schedule.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Luge Federation (FIL) issued a joint statement offering their condolences.

"Our first thoughts are with the family, friends and colleagues of the athlete. The whole Olympic Family is struck by this tragedy which clearly casts a shadow over these Games," IOC president Jacques Rogge said.

"This is a terrible accident," added FIL president Josef Fendt. "This is the gravest thing that can happen in sport, and our thoughts and those of the luge family are naturally with those touched by the event."

FURLONG HEARTBROKEN

Vancouver organising committee (VANOC) head John Furlong said he was "heartbroken" by the death of Kumaritashvili.

Training was cancelled while the venue was investigated by the Coroners Service of British Columbia and the FIL.

They said the accident had not been caused by deficiencies in the track but that alterations had been made as a "preventative measure".

"It appears the athlete came late out of curve 15 and did not compensate properly to make correct entrance into curve 16. This resulted in a late entrance into curve 16 and although the athlete worked to correct the problem he eventually lost control of the sled resulting in the tragic accident," a statement said.

"Based on these findings the race director, in consultation with the FIL, made the decision to re-open the track following a raising of the walls at the exit of curve 16 and a change in the ice profile.

"This was done as a preventative measure, in order to avoid that such an extremely exceptional accident could occur again."

Fendt was due to hold a news conference with Tim Gayda, VANOC vice president of sport, first thing on Saturday when two extra men's training runs will be held before the competition starts at 1700 local time.

The Olympic and Canadian flags were lowered to half mast during a minute's silence held at the opening ceremony.

The Georgian National Olympic Committee (NOC) and its athletes wore black stripes as they marched in. They also placed a black patch on the Georgian flag that was raised immediately following the parade of athletes.

Kumaritashvili, the son of Selix, the head of the Georgian Luge Federation, was competing at his first Olympics after racing in five World Cup events this year with little success.

LUGE FATALITY

His death was the first luge fatality in the Olympic Games since Briton Kazimierz Kay-Skrzypeski died during a training run in Innsbruck, Austria in 1964, the debut year for the sport in which athletes hurtle down the track feet first.

An FIL spokesman said that at a recent international training week at Whistler Sliding Centre, acknowledged as the fastest in the world, there had been 2,500 runs with only a three percent crash rate.

However, athletes have been remarking all week on the speed and technical difficulty of the 1,400 metre track which features corners nicknamed 50-50 and Shiver. FIL spokesman Wolfgang Harder said on Thursday that future tracks would need to be slowed down to protect the safety of athletes.

"We are going to have to put speed limits in the next track which will be built for the Olympics," he said after Manuel Pfister set the fastest recorded luge speed of 154kmh.

Friday's fatal accident occurred on the 16th corner, the final curve of a high-speed labyrinth that has proved treacherous even for the world's top lugers.

Earlier on Friday, double Olympic champion and gold medal favourite Armin Zoeggeler of Italy was caught out at the 11th corner and was flipped off his sled. A Romanian woman competitor was briefly knocked unconscious on Thursday.

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Punjab down Delhi in run-fest

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 02:55 PM

Sirsa, Feb. 12 -- Bhupinder Singh (Sr), the Punjab coach, had predicted that even a total of 300 plus would not be safe on the wicket they were scheduled to play Delhi on Friday. His guess turned out dead right as Delhi lost to Punjab by six wickets even after amassing 338 runs. Having lost their first match to Haryana by just one run, Punjab batsmen showed lot of character while chasing the big target and overhauled it with six wickets to spare in the last over. Punjab opener Karan Goel (63) and Ravi Inder Singh (98) gave Punjab a rousing start with a 124-run stand. While Goel fell soon after completing his half-century, Ravi Inder marched on. He looked set to reach the three-figure mark, but a throw from Virat Kohli found him short of the crease when he needed just two more runs to complete his ton. His dismissal, however, didn't derail Punjab's chase as Mandeep Singh and Bipul Sharma struck fine half-centuries to keep their team in the hunt. Nehra dismissed Mandeep for 73, but by then he had already done the damage. Earlier, Delhi openers Shikhar Dhawan (83) and Unmukt Chand (74) also gave their team a fine start.

The tail also chipped in with useful contributions to help Delhi reach a mammoth 340.

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Record entries for national pool event

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 02:39 PM

New Delhi, Feb. 12 -- One of the richest national pool championships will be held here at the YMCA from February 15-24. Defending champions Manan Chandra (8-ball) and Rafat Habib (9-ball) will be defending their titles in the Rs 3.5 lakh BLP Pool National Championships.

Record number of entries have been received by the organisers - Delhi Billiards and Snooker Association. Men's section has attracted around 192 players in 9-ball and 128 in 8-ball, while the women's has 18 entries in both 8 and 9 ball events. In the women's section, Meenal Thakur (8-ball) and Anuja Chandra (9-ball) will be defending their titles. The winners of both the sections will be eligible to join the selection camp for the Asian Games later this year.

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Jasvir's century takes Services home

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 02:19 PM

Gurgaon, Feb. 12 -- Ian Dev Singh's 112 went in vain as Jammu and Kashmir lost their second match to Services by 7 wickets. Put in to bat, Singh's century, studded with nine fours and a six, helped Jammu and Kashmir reach 232 runs. In reply, Services's Jasvir Singh, too, scored a century to see Services cruise home with seven wickets to spare.

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Blade runner

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 01:55 PM

India, Feb. 13 -- Hurtling down hard, packed ice at speeds over 150 km per hour, Shiva Keshavan needs his mind and limbs to be in perfect sync to negotiate the one track that looms between him and Olympic glory. With a vertical drop of 152 m, the Whistler Sliding Center in Vancouver offers the fastest luge plummet in the world. It hurtles competitors into 16 corners at high speed, relying merely on the razor thin blades of a sled for traction. To compound things further, there are no brakes to slow down as the world turns into a white blur and the ice races past just inches from your face. There can be no "Uh, oh, let me step off the gas here a bit" moments. Once in the embrace of the icy track, Keshavan can only stop after 1,347 metres of sliding fall and things can go wrong pretty soon. Like they did for the man from the Himachal village of Vashisht, when he was practising at the same venue in October last year. He went off his sled at 140 kph; even as the sled was crushed into a mangled heap, Keshavan escaped with a hairline fracture in his thumb. Luge, clearly, is not for babes. It's in the mind It takes guts to go out there and try to shave off the milliseconds, especially after suffering falls that have fractured his spine, limbs, and other assorted bones that he would rather not remember. "As long as the head stays firm, the rest can heal," laughs the four-time Winter Olympian from India. To keep that head straight and focused, Keshavan has his own mantra. "The Himalayas give me my strength. Having lived amongst them since birth, I have a spiritual connect with the high mountains. The day I lose my nerve running down a crumbling trail or traversing the high glaciers on treks, I will begin to consider getting jitters on the track. Luge is dangerous but for us mountain-bred, life is hardly easy anyway. Then, I know that Shiva will look after me. After all he's my namesake," says the genial 29-year-old. Keshavan's head is also contained by the mental discipline that is induced by practicing yoga and Kalaripayattu, the martial art from Kerala. "These ancient Indian arts are perfect to complement the hard physical training programme and have helped me maintain flexibility and develop a good sense of balance. But the biggest benefit is the mental training." It also needs big muscles Man and sled become one speeding blur out on the luge track. G-forces of up to 7Gs slam into the sleds on the curves, multiplying the total weight by seven. Keshavan weighs 85kg and the sled and other equipment add up to another 25 kg; controlling the momentum that kind of weight builds up requires both bulk and reflex in equal doses. "Simply put, luge demands explosive power at the start to built the momentum that will dictate the pace for the rest of the run. After that it demands quick reflexes for navigating the corners. Muscle resistance and elasticity are required to cope with the extreme conditions on the track such as the high speed and the G-force. Power training is important so you can use your body-weight to manoeuvre and build greater momentum," he says. Theirs hands tucked closed to their body, the pilots use subtle shifts of bodyweight that alter the amount of pressure on the runners under the sled to control the hurtling missile. The neck has to be as flat as possible to reduce wind drag, while darting glances are important to navigate and work out precise entry and exit points into turns. It's about heart Keshavan does not have access to the Porsche technology the Germans use to streamline their sleds. Neither does he have access to the sort of sport medicine centres that the majority of European nations have. And it's not always feasible to tap into the coaching prowess of the Italians (especially after he turned down their offer to come on board as an Italian citizen for the Turin Games in 2006). But the one thing he can always count on is his own inner strength. "Modern sport is highly competitive at the international level and guidance is required every step of the way. Equipment and technical aspects are becoming more and more important and often these can make the crucial difference between the winner and the runner up. But then, I firmly believe that you can make anything possible if you believe in yourself and never give in," he says. Not for Keshavan the elaborate food plans drawn up by nutritionists. "I pay great attention to my food habits and eat a balanced diet based on the requirements of my training and exercise, and have never felt the need for any artificial integrators or supplements."

For Keshavan it's not just about competing but also about competing true: "It is important to keep away from substances that artificially enhance an athletes performance. Only if there are athletes who play true, understanding the deeper meaning of sport, will the Olympic spirit remain alive."

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Out of form Oz opener Hughes parts ways with Indian-Australian coach

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 01:49 PM

Sydney, Feb.13 (ANI): Out of form and out of favour Australian opener Phillip Hughes has parted ways with his Indian-Australian batting mentor Neil D'Costa.

"I can confirm that Neil (D'Costa) and I have agreed to go our separate ways. I am currently in the middle of a very critical game for the RTA SpeedBlitz Blues and am totally focused on my role in the team. I will confirm my new management arrangements in due course and take this opportunity to thank Neil for his support," Fox Sports quoted Hughes, as saying.

D'Costa, the man who groomed Michael Clarke, coached the Macksville-born opener for big things.

Hughes has also split with his media manager, Sean Mulcahy.

"Obviously we wish the Phillip the best, I think he's got enormous potential, he just needs to put his head down and worry about his cricket." Mulcahy said.

D'Costa has set up an academy in Nagpur, India, and has not been on hand for his charge for several months.

"It has been great watching Phillip grow as a person and as a player and I am sure he will make every post a winner as he strives toward achieving his goals," D'Costa said in a release.

Hughes went to India after being dropped during the Ashes to work with his coach on a perceived flaw in his technique.

Whatever he did doesn't appear to have improved his batting. Being dropped has introduced doubt to his game.

In the summer of 2008-09 Hughes scored 819 Shield runs at an average of almost 75, including four centuries, and was fast-tracked into Matthew Hayden's opening spot for the South African tour.

This summer he has 453 runs at half of last year's average.

He scored 14 yesterday against Victoria in another disappointing outing and may be on the verge of being dropped by New South Wales.

On current form it is unlikely he will be named in the next one-day match, against South Australia. He may find himself playing more district cricket before the summer is out.

This was unimaginable after he became the youngest Australian ever to score two hundreds in a Test, against South Africa in Durban, not that long back.

Hughes has not been able to score significant runs all summer and struggles for momentum, particularly in 50-over matches. He is a shadow of the gifted young man who seemed to blaze a comet trail wherever he went. (ANI)

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Cook defends Strauss's decision to skip Bangladesh tour

Published>Sat, Feb 13 10 01:41 PM

London, Feb 13(ANI): England stand-in skipper Alastair Cook has backed regular captain Andrew Strauss's decision to rest himself for the tour to Bangladesh.

Strauss has been accused of "disrespecting Test cricket" by Australian legend Shane Warne for resting instead of touring Bangladesh.

"Straussy didn't just make decision on one night. He took a long time. It is pro-active in his mind. There is a huge amount of cricket coming up and he thinks he needs a rest and this is the best opportunity to do it," The Telegraph quoted Cook, as saying.

"He said he is always on the phone. We have chatted this week, but he is very keen for me to do it my way," he added.

When asked how the team will approach the Bangladesh tour, where they will play two Tests and three one-dayers after a short stay in Dubai for two Twenty20 internationals against Pakistan, Cook said:

"We obviously see this is a massive tour in terms of continuing the momentum from South Africa and Australia."

"We have got a World Cup in sub-continent conditions next year so for the one-day team it is a chance to work on our game so that in 12 months' time in India we have got a bit more knowledge of how we want to play those games," he added.

The 25-year-old further said he is eagerly looking up to successfully completing the responsibility given to him by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

"The captain's role is a 24-7 job and I will find out in the next six weeks how big the role is. To me, at the moment, I just love playing cricket and I am very appreciative of the fact I can do that," he said. (ANI)

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