Champion Button cautious about title defence

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 12:30 PM

Formula One world champion Jenson Button has set his sights on the successful defence of his title, but remains less certain about his path back to the winner's podium after a disappointing season opener.

Despite feeling "completely at home" with McLaren and fellow world champion Lewis Hamilton, the British driver said his new team would still be playing catch-up at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

"I think Red Bulls are very strong, I think the Ferraris are very strong, and then it's probably us," Button, champion with Brawn GP, now Mercedes, told Reuters in a track-side interview at the Albert Park street circuit on Tuesday.

"But I'm hoping with the circuit change and a few little updates we'll be closer to them and maybe challenging them here."

Button started eighth and finished seventh in a frustrating race in the season opener in Bahrain on March 14, reeling in Red Bull's Mark Webber but ultimately being shut out by Mercedes' seven times world champion Michael Schumacher who finished sixth.

Team mate and 2008 champion Hamilton finished third behind a Ferrari one-two after Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel suffered an engine problem to drop from first to fourth.

"The first race for us was difficult. I don't think the car suited Bahrain too well," said Button.

"I think it will suit this circuit better. It's a lower downforce circuit so we have to wait and see.

"A podium would be fantastic here (in Melbourne). I think that has to be the aim. I think it's a possibility and you've got to set your sights pretty high."

Despite concerns over McLaren's pace in Bahrain -- Button has taken some comfort in his return to Albert Park, where he won from pole last year on the way to six victories in seven starts that ultimately led to the title.

"It's great coming back here, because this is all where it started last season. This is where my first pole of the season was and my first win.

"So it was a very emotional moment last year and hopefully we can have something similar this year.

"It's going to be a very competitive season, but the aim has to be -- to be world champion.

"I need to be in a position that I have a car that can be competitive enough to fight for race wins, and then it's more or less down to (me)."

Button's bid for a podium finish this year in Melbourne will start in daylight and end in twilight, something the Briton handled with aplomb last year despite complaints from drivers and his own personal misgivings about safety.

"It sounds petty, but it's not. It can be dangerous if you've got the sun in your eyes and you can't see where you're going."

"But I'd rather be racing in the day, even a twilight race for me, I'd rather that than the night-time.

"Out in front's probably not such a bad place to be (as the sun sets), so hopefully we can put ourselves in the same place and won't have to worry."

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Shoaib Malik to challenge PCB ban on every possible forum

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 12:10 PM

Lahore, Mar.23 (ANI): Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik is in no mood to take the Pakistan Cricket Board's (PCB) decision of imposing a year's ban on him lightly and has decided to challenge the same.

Malik told reporters here that he would appeal against the PCB's ban on every possible forum.

"I will fight against the ban and go to every possible platform to prove my innocence. I want to prove my innocence as there have been no cases of indiscipline in my 11-year career," The Daily Times quoted Malik, as saying.

"Cricket is my passion and I live for it. I love cricket and cannot think of life without it," he added.

Malik was banned for a year and slapped a hefty fine along with fast bowler Rana Naved-ul-Hasan following the recommendations of an inquiry committee, which was formed to look into Pakistan's woeful performance in Australia.

The PCB had also banned former captains Mohammed Younis and Younis Khan for an indefinite period on the committee's recommendation.

The senior players were found guilty of being involved in 'infighting' in the team and creating rifts among players. (ANI)

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Hughes guides Australia to 10 wicket win over New Zealand in Wellington Test

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 11:54 AM

Melbourne, Mar 23 (ANI): Australia's opening batsman Phil Hughes hit an unbeaten 86 from 75 balls to guide his team to a 10-wicket win over New Zealand in the first Test in Wellington.

Hughes struck 12 fours and one six while Simon Katich played the anchor role with his 18 not out from 65 deliveries, as Australia reached their target of 106 without loss and with two sessions to spare.

Hughes was recalled to the side in place of the injured Shane Watson who is hoping to recover from a thigh-muscle strain for Saturday's second and final Test in Hamilton.

Debutant Ryan Harris claimed 4-77 to help Australia bowl New Zealand out for 407 on the final morning, FOX Sports reports.

New Zealand had resumed on 6-369 and lost their last four wickets for 38 in 50 minutes of play.

Wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum hit two consecutive boundaries off the bowling of Doug Bollinger (2-80) in the opening over to reach his fifth Test century.

But Harris soon had McCullum caught at first slip by Michael Clarke for 104 from 187 balls.

Harris claimed match figures of 6-119 for Australia and spinner Nathan Hauritz took 3-119 from 49 overs in New Zealand's second innings.

Michael Clarke was named man-of-the-match. (ANI)

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England 496 v Bangladesh 419 - innings

Published Tue, Mar 23 10 11:30 AM

England were dismissed for 496 in their first innings on the fourth day of the second and final test against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Scores: Bangladesh 419 (T. Iqbal 85, Mahmudullah 59, N. Islam 59 not out, S. Islam 53; G Swann 4-114) v England 496 (I. Bell 138, T. Bresnan 91, J. Trott 64, M Prior 62; S. Hasan 4-124, A. Razzak 3-132)

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Chilly Changchun club deny turning pitch into 'ice rink'

Published Tue, Mar 23 10 11:10 AM

Chinese club Changchun Yatai have denied watering their pitch to turn it into an "ice rink" for their Asian Champions League tie against South Korea's Jeonbuk Motors on Wednesday.

The city in China's northeast is one of the country's coldest with regular snowfall and temperatures plummeting well below zero degrees Celcius at this time of year.

In Changchun's last home match in the competition earlier this month, they won 9-0 against Indonesia's Persipura Jayapura, who are based on the island of New Guinea where temperatures average 25 degrees Celsius throughout the year.

"I heard that with the previous game with the Indonesian team it went down below 15 degrees," Jeonbuk coach Choi Kang-hee told Sports Seoul on Monday.

"I also heard that they pour water on the ground at nights. It seems like we may have to play our game on an ice rink."

Changchun coach Shen Xiangfu denied the accusation at a news conference early on Tuesday.

"Such accusation is totally untrue," he said. "Our visitors, please don't worry. We never do such things like watering the pitch to make it an ice rink."

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Practice partner Arjun Atwal praises 'vintage' Woods

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 10:58 AM

Tiger Woods is in vintage form, driving the ball further than ever and fully capable of winning next month's US Masters, according to two practice partners.

Woods announced last week he would make his comeback at the Masters from April 8-11 after an indefinite break from golf to try to save his marriage following revelations of repeated infidelities.

The world number one practiced on Monday at Augusta National Golf Club, the site of next month's Masters, according to the Golf Channel and ESPN.

American John Cook, who has 11 PGA Tour wins, said he had played rounds with Woods on Thursday and Friday and hit balls with him on Sunday.

Asked, after play at the Tavistock Cup at Isleworth where he would place Woods in the Masters on the basis of his form, Cook told reporters: "From what I've seen of the last three days of ball striking, first.

"I don't see anyone that hits the ball like he does. We all know that that's not the whole battle, there are a lot of other issues there for him, but as far as ball-striking goes, if he takes that up there, it's vintage," he added.

"Vintage, I'd be hard pressed to see anyone beat him, that being said, you have to go up to the first green and mark your ball and you have to finish out and sign your name at the end of the day, that's a whole different deal.

"I'd be hard pressed to see anyone beat him but it will be his first rounds of golf for five months."

Arjun Atwal, who said he had played almost every day last week with Woods, said he was driving the ball even further than he had in his last competitive appearance in November.

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"He is hitting it just fine -- he is hitting it longer than before, there is no doubt and he feels like he is not totally ready but I have seen him win with what he has right now, plenty of times," Atwal told reporters.

"I think he is ready but you know him, until he has every aspect right he isn't going to go out there."

Both Cook and Atwal said that Woods was in a relaxed mood on the course, in contrast to the tense figure who appeared in television interviews on Sunday.

"He's very mellow now, he's very chilled out, obviously whatever is going on at home I don't know, I don't even ask him, when he is out with us you can see that he is more at peace right now. I think he is doing all the right things," said Atwal.

Atwal, who said he could see Woods being in the top five at the Masters and winning if he putted well, said there was no indication of any rustiness in Woods's game.

"Nothing, nothing at all...he's killing it, he's absolutely killing it," he said.

"He thinks he isn't putting very well but we see for us mere mortals, it seems okay."

Britain's Ian Poulter, though, said it was pointless guessing what Woods could or could not do at Augusta.

"We are all speculating, I just hate this nonsense talk of speculation, we don't know how he is going to play, I just hate all the chit-chat, I'm bored of it," Poulter said.

"It's going to be difficult for him but he's Tiger, he's the best player in the world, he has a win ratio of 50-50, so I would expect him to go out there and have a mega-week."

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Sachin's night out at the CCI

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 10:54 AM

Not too long ago, Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly formed one of the most formidable opening partnerships in limited overs cricket, tearing bowling attacks apart. Now leading two so-far under-performing outfits in the IPL, their fortunes seem to be heading in opposite directions.

With Tendulkar leading from the front, the Mumbai Indians have looked a much more motivated outfit in IPL III. For Ganguly and Kolkata Knight Riders though, the horrific demons from the first two editions seem to be rapidly returning to haunt them all over again after an encouraging start.

Tendulkar's 21st year in international cricket has been filled with a number of memorable moments already. And the 36-year-old Mumbai captain added another one at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday night, leading his team to a convincing seven-wicket victory with an unbeaten 48-ball 71. Ganguly, meanwhile, suffered a desperate and uncomfortable stay at the crease and his only real moment of glory came in rather astonishing fashion on the field - as he leapt back athletically in the cover region and hung on to a one-handed catch to get rid off Sourabh Tiwary.

Tendulkar was as energetic as ever as captain after Kolkata won the toss and elected to bat - shuffling his bowlers around and running up to them at least thrice an over. His bowlers responded in kind and kept the openers in check.

Ganguly did get a couple of boundaries away early on but struggled to pierce even the infield for a better part of his innings before succumbing for a laborious 34-ball 31.

There is almost no scenario on a cricketing field that seems to fluster or hurry Chris Gayle. And he didn't seem hurried on Monday either - which wasn't such a good thing for his team. The West Indian, playing his first match of the event, did bat the entire duration of the Kolkata innings before being dismissed off the last ball, but scored a not-too-quick 60-ball 75 which managed to take the Knight Riders past 150.

Incidentally, it was at the CCI in 2006 that the laidback West Indian captain showed the nasty side of his character - probably the only time during his career - while getting into a confrontation with a couple of Australian batsmen.

The Mumbai chase began on a high-octane level as Tendulkar hit Ishant Sharma for three fours in an over on two occasions. And after the first five overs, the match seemed to be heading towards an early finish. Murali Kartik put the brakes in the middle, but when the chance did arrive with Tendulkar getting a leading edge, there was almost a sense of d?j? vu as the ball went right through Kartik's hands at the bowler's end.

The door seemed to be shut on Kolkata's chances with that dropped chance, as Tendulkar in the company of Tiwary and Rajagopal Sathish finished the game with nine balls to spare.

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Tendulkar scores 71 as MI crush KKR

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 10:38 AM

Mumbai, March 22 -- Education for all. That is the social initiative undertaken by the Mumbai Indians (MI) during the third edition of the Indian Premier League. To promote the idea, MI have started the sale of wrist-bands, the proceeds of which will go to their five partner NGOs - Akanksha, Umeed, Pratham, Nanhi Kali and Teach for India. While the team owners are supporting a social cause, skipper Sachin Tendulkar was busy on Monday evening at the Brabourne Stadium spreading the same message to youngsters who aspire to be professional cricketers. Tendulkar gave budding cricketers another lesson on how to build an innings in the shortest format of the game as he helped MI cruise to a seven-wicket victory against the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). The victory helped MI regain the top spot in the points' table, which they had lost to the Royal Challengers Bangalore after Saturday's loss. KKR's total of 155 for three wasn't as easy to chase as it appeared, considering the fact that MI were chasing for the first time this year. But Tendulkar was in his elements right from the word go as he started his knock with a lesson for Ishant Sharma, spanking the young fast bowler for three boundaries in his first over. Ishant came charging in but to no avail. Tendulkar dispatched his India teammate for three more boundaries to tilt the balance in favour of MI.

When Ishant came back in the 14th over for a late charge, he was again greeted with two boundaries from Tendulkar's bat. The 'Bandra Bomber' then stayed on till MI overhauled the target to round off his lesson for the day.

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Malik changes mind, to file appeal next week

Published Tue, Mar 23 10 10:28 AM

Karachi, Mar 23 (PTI) In a sudden change of mind, former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik has said that he will lodge his appeal with the Cricket Board (PCB) against the ban and fine next week. Malik was supposed to file the appeal yesterday against the 12 months ban and two million rupees fine imposed on him by PCB. But he said he is in consultation with his friends and family and would file an appeal after playing the Bangladesh League in Dubai. "I have always played clean cricket for my country and all allegations against me are false. I will knock on every door to get due justice. I will file the appeal with the board next week after returning from Dubai," he said at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Earlier this month, PCB had announced bans and fines on seven players on the recommendations of the inquiry committee formed to investigate Pakistan''s embarrassing performance and infighting within the team on the tour of Australia. Apart from Malik, all-rounder Rana Naved-ul Hasan is the other players who is expected to file his appeal against the one year ban and fine by this week. The PCB had even announced an arbitrary panel of three retired judges last week to hear the appeals of the players. PTI Cor SSC

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Rajput bags silver at WC

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 10:18 AM

New Delhi, March 22 -- India's Sanjeev Rajput bagged silver in the men's air rifle event on the opening day of the ISSF World Cup in Sydney. The 29-year-old Navy shooter, who has never before finished on the World Cup podium, shot 98, 100, 100, 100, 99 and 97 in the qualification round. He then made it to the final along with team-mates Gagan Narang and PT Raghunath who also shot identical scores of 594 in qualification. In the final, Rajput shot 103.9, including a perfect 10.9 on the ninth shot, to aggregate 697.9, according to indianshooting.com.

"I am working on my equipment, there is still a 15 per cent fine-tuning required to reach the best condition," said Narang, who won four gold at the Commonwealth Championships recently.

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Spurs reach deal to sign Brazil midfielder Sandro

Published Tue, Mar 23 10 09:44 AM

Tottenham Hotspur reached an agreement with Internacional on Monday to sign their international defensive midfielder Sandro for next season, the Brazilian club said.

"Internacional and Tottenham signed this Monday the terms of an option for the sale of midfielder Sandro to the English club," Inter said on their website (www.internacional.com.br).

The 21-year-old, who earned one cap as a substitute against Chile in a World Cup qualifier last September, left for London on Monday for medical tests though media reports in Porto Alegre said he would not join the Premier League side until August.

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Evora boosted by world pull-outs

Published>Mon, Mar 22 10 07:50 PM

American pairs skater Amanda Evora has broken ranks at the world figure skating championships by saying she is pleased by the lengthy list of absentees.

Chinese pair Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo retired after winning gold at the Vancouver Olympics last month and are among a number of top names missing, leading media to lambast organisers for holding the worlds so soon after the Winter Games.

But rather than worrying about a potential lack of media exposure for this week's competition in Turin, Evora sees a big chance to improve on her 10th place finish in Vancouver with partner Mark Ladwig and perhaps snatch a medal.

"It kind of takes the pressure off. We are lucky that we won't compete against them but we are still against some of the best in the world," Evora told Reuters on Monday at the side of the rink as rock music blared out during practice.

"I'm still very nervous but it's exciting at the same time. It's an opportunity to do well."

Men's Olympic champion Evan Lysacek of the United States decided not to come to Turin and aches and pains have accounted for Vancouver silver medallist Yevgeny Plushenko.

Evora, second in this season's U.S. championships, heads out on to the ice on Tuesday's opening day for the pairs short programme before medals are decided after the free skating on Wednesday.

The championships, held at Turin's Palavela rink which hosted the skating at the 2006 Winter Games, finish with the women's free skating on Saturday.

Vancouver is now just a memory but the signage and memorabilia still remaining at the Palavela from the 2006 Games, where Evora did not compete, is a reminder of previous Olympic greatness.

"I always wanted to go to Turin '06 so to be able to go to two Olympic cities in one year is more than I could ever ask," Evora, 25, added.

"The Olympics is huge and everything is large scale. The attention on it is huge. But I find world championships very important because you are again competing for your country." (Editing by Justin Palmer; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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Kumble lauds Kallis for Bangalore''s good run

Published Mon, Mar 22 10 07:24 PM

Bangalore, Mar 22 (PTI) Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble today lauded in-form all-rounder Jacques Kallis for the team''s fine run in the third edition of the Indian Premier League. "We wanted Kallis to bat for the 20 overs and he has been doing that. He has been anchoring one end and when required he has been taking on the bowlers," said Kumble who has lead RCB to three wins out of four games so far. "He is great player and with his ability to bowl, he is a great asset. We hope that this continues with his form," said Kumble, on the eve of the night encounter against an injury-ridden Chennai Super Kings at the M Chinnaswamy stadium. Kumble said execution would have to be spot on to tame CSK. "There has been no particular strategy. Even if we have a strategy, it is important to execute it. Chennai have players like (Matthew) Hayden and (Suresh) Raina who are quality batsmen. So we will have to perform as an unit to win," said Kumble, adding "In a Twenty20 game it all depends on who plays well on that particular day." Kumble, meanwhile, felt CSK will miss their regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni tomorrow. "Dhoni''s injury is a setback for them as he can contribute in all three departments. Also, (Justin) Kemp with his ability with bat and ball will be missed even though it depends whether Kemp will be available for the game," said Kumble. The former India captain didn''t read much into the mongoose bat used by Matthew Hayden. "The bat does not make a difference. We do not plan for a bat, but for batsman," he said. Kumble said that there would opportunities for players like Abhimanyu Mithun in the tournament. "At some point or the other, Mithun will figure in our game plan. The advantage with Vinay Kumar is that he can bat too. Vinay bowled really well in the last game. But in future Mithun will come in to the picture." Asked if he worried about teams had failed to qualify for the semifinals after a great start in the tournament, Kumble said, "I don''t like to look far ahead. Even when we were at number eight last season, I did not look at the points table even though so much was said about our performance. For me, performing well and winning the next match is always important. Once you do that the results will take care of the points and standings." PTI JH AY

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Kapur 52nd, Chowrasia 56th at Morocco event

Published>Mon, Mar 22 10 07:18 PM

Rabat (Morocco), March 22 (IANS) Shiv Kapur and S.S.P. Chowrasia failed to find form and rhythm this week as they finished way down in tied 52nd and 56th places at the Trophee Hassan II golf tournament here.

Meanwhile, Rhys Davies secured his maiden European Tour title as he overhauled Oosthuizen to win by two shots.

In a tournament played over two courses in the Pro-Am format for first two days, Kapur began the week with a 67 on Blue Course, and ended it with 74 on the Red Course Sunday.

Chowrasia, whose 67 came on the tougher Red Course ended the week at the same layout in 77.

Davies, the 24-year-old Welshman was two behind the South African going into the final round, but shot a seven under-66 to Oosthuizen's 70 at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam to finish 25 under.

The Challenge Tour graduate, who chose to take up golf professionally instead of cricket, earned 229,160 euros for his victory.

It completes a remarkable year for the former British boys champion, who a year ago by his own admission had 'no status in Europe.'

Victory at last year's Wales Open on the Challenge Tour changed all that, and he then captured the Fred Olsen Challenge de Espana en route to finish fourth in the rankings and earning his European Tour card.

'I was playing Asian Tour and comfortable and playing well. But I wanted to be a part of The European Tour and play with the best players out here,' said Davies.

Having come third in the Maybank Malaysian Open and sixth in Abu Dhabi already this season, Davies now climbs to 12th on The Race to Dubai.

For Oosthuizen it was a fourth runners-up finish on The European Tour, while Frenchman Thomas Levet, Spaniard Ignacio Garrido, Finn Mikko Ilonen and another South African Thomas Aiken shared third place five strokes further back.

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Sania drops eight places to 92 in singles rankings

Published>Mon, Mar 22 10 06:58 PM

New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) India's Sania Mirza, out of action because of a chronic wrist injury, has dropped eight places to 92 in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings released Monday.

Meanwhile, Somdev Devvarman has climbed a place to 120 in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings.

Somdev, who is now playing in the qualifiers of Sony Ericsson Open, has a career-best ranking of 116.

US-based Indian Prakash Amritraj also climbed a place to 217th.

In the men's doubles rankings, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi remain unchanged at sixth and eighth place.

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Afridi, Younis to receive President''s Award tomorrow

Published Mon, Mar 22 10 06:54 PM

Karachi, Mar 22 (PTI) Senior players Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan will receive the President''s Pride of Performance Award tomorrow, almost a week after they were fined and banned by Pakistan Cricket board for indiscipline and misconduct. Younis, a former captain will receive his award from the Governor of the North West Frontier Province while Afridi will collect his award from the Governor of Sindh on the Pakistan Day which falls on March 23. "Both players were nominated few months back for this prestigious award as the Provincial Governor recommended names to the Presidency to get these awards," a government official said. The awards are being given to the senior players at a time when they have been disciplined by the PCB. Younis, who stepped down from the captaincy last year in the middle of the tour in Abu Dhabi, was banned for indefinite period, while Afridi has been fined Rs 3 million and put on six-month probation for his ball tampering act in Australia. Afridi is also due to fly to Lahore tomorrow to take part in the Pakistan Day celebration matches being organised by the Board at the Gaddafi Stadium.

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Parnell injured, ruled out of IPL

Published>Mon, Mar 22 10 06:38 PM

Mumbai, March 22 (IANS) Delhi Daredevils' South African speedster Wayne Parnell will fly home this week after a groin injury ruled him out of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Parnell, who was bought by Delhi for $610,000 during the January mini-auction, sustained the injury during a warm-up.

The bowler joins his South African captain Graeme Smith, who injured his right middle finger playing for Rajasthan Royals March 15, and his Delhi captain Gautam Gambhir who stretched his hamstring within minutes of the start of the match against Mumbai Indians Wednesday.

The other injured players in IPL III include India and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Sigh Dhoni (elbow) and South Africa's Justin Kemp (back). Dhoni was injured during the Super Kings match against Kolkata Knight Riders March 16 while CSK's Kemp was hurt in Sunday's thriller against Kings XI Punjab.

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Afridi, Razzaq, Misbah eyeing T20 captaincy

Published Mon, Mar 22 10 06:32 PM

Karachi, Mar 22 (PTI) Pakistan is yet to name its captain for the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies and the trio of Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Misbah-ul-Haq are fancying their chances. The senior players, considered the leading candidates for the post, said they would give their best shot if offered the post. "I don''t know who the board appoints captain but I am confident whoever it is we can defend out Twenty20 World Cup title," Afridi said today. The flamboyant all-rounder said his confidence remained high despite the recent bans on leading players. Afridi himself has been fined three million rupees and put on six months'' probation for his ball tampering act in Australia. "Losing top players is a setback for any team but if I am appointed captain, I know I can deliver the goods for my country since we have a great team. We just need to back each other at this stage," he said. Fellow all-rounder Abdul Razzaq said he also was keen to lead Pakistan if the board showed confidence in him. "I don''t know what is going to happen but I am asked to captain the team, it will be a big honour for me and also one of the biggest challenges of my career," Razzaq told PTI. "Captaining your country is the highest honour for any player and obviously I would be happy to get this honour. But even if I don''t get the captaincy I have no problems because I am willing to play under anyone," Razzaq said. The all-rounder said Pakistan stood a very good chance of doing well in the Twenty20 World Cup as it had some explosive players. "We have players like Afridi who can turn a match upside down, that is why I say we can defend our title in the World Cup," he said. Senior batsman Misbah-ul-Haq said he had not thought about becoming captain of the team but would step up the plate if offered the job. "If the board wants to give me this responsibility, obviously I will not say no because it would be a great honour for me," Misbah told PTI. "I am not thinking about it at this time but if I am made captain then I have a clear mind on what I want to do and how I can successfully manage the team," Misbah said. "I have a clear plan in mind and I know we can do well if we support each other in these testing times for Pakistan cricket," he said. Misbah also made it clear he would not mind playing under any other captain and would be willing to play his role as a senior player. All the three have been named in Pakistan''s 15-member squad for the World Cup.

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Fabregas believes Arsenal can do a 'double'

Published>Thu, Mar 11 10 08:33 AM

London, Mar 22 (ANI): Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas is convinced his club can overcome his boyhood heroes Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals, and also lift the Premier League title.

All the odds are stacked against Arsenal in their Champions League showdown with the reigning European champions, Barcelona.

Now with seven games left in the Premier League title run-in and Barcelona next up in the Champions League, Fabregas says Arsenal are ready to come of age, and firmly believes they can win both competitions.

"A lot of people said we would not make it. They thought we'd be in the position of Liverpool in terms of fighting for fourth spot this season. But I was definitely not one of those people. I have always said if I don't believe I can win something, I wouldn't play football. I play football to win and enjoy and that is what I am doing here.

"It is very exciting. We are going to play against the best team in Europe, probably in the world. The boys are really looking forward to it as it is another opportunity to play against a great team in a great stadium. It will be very exciting," The Mirror quoted Fabregas, as saying.

"But at the moment we have won nothing. In the League there are seven games and in the Champions League we have two games coming up. That is what you have to do if you want to be champions," he added.(ANI)

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FIH to allocate one tournament to India every year

Published>Thu, Mar 11 10 08:11 AM

Lured by commercial success of the just-concluded men's World Cup, the International Hockey Federation has decided to allot one world-level tournament to India every year for next fours years.

The FIH took the decision in its Executive Board meeting in New Delhi last week after the conclusion of the World Cup. "The FIH Board agreed in principle to allocate one tournament for men or women per year to India for the next four years and the FIH hopes to attract commercial and Television interest in these events," the international body said in a statement on Monday.

"The Executive Board of FIH Board met in New Delhi on March 14 and 15 March at the end of a very good Hero Honda FIH World Cup. The Board was very pleased with the World Cup tournament," it said.

During a media summit here earlier this month, FIH had accepted that India contributed a major chunk of revenue earned by the world body, which came mainly from television.

The decision, however, did not come as a surprise as FIH marketing manager Steven Morris had earlier declared that looking at the commercial success of the World Cup, India would be an integral part of international body's effort to lift the profile of hockey in the world.

Interestingly, during the World Cup FIH president Leandro Negre said India would also host the inaugural World Cup of clubs in December this year and the international federation had even roped in an Indian sponsor for the event.

FIH Executive Board had also discussed the probablity of starting a World Series competition from 2012 and a final call in this regard would be taken after studying the proposals from various committees during its next meeting in July, the statement said.

"The main agenda item of these fruitful meetings was on a new structure of the Executive Board to be presented at the next FIH Congress to be held in November 2010 in Montreux, Switzerland. The agreed structure calls for a reduction in the size of the Executive Board in order to focus on the strategy policy and direction of the FIH," the release added.

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Premier League fourth spot battle will go all the way: Mancini

Published>Thu, Mar 11 10 08:01 AM

London, Mar 22(ANI): Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini reckons the battle for the fourth place in the Premier League will go down to the wire after their win against Fulham.

The 2-1 victory over Fulham gave three points to Manchester City, which saw them climb above Liverpool into fifth and within touching distance of the coveted Champions League spot.

"It was an important win for us, but it'll be a fight until the end of the season," The Mirror quoted Mancini, as saying.

City now has games against Everton, Manchester United, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Tottenham.

Currently Tottenham is occupying the fourth spot, with a game in hand.

City will take on Everton at home on Wednesday, but Mancini will miss the service of defender Joleon Lescott after he pulled a hamstring in the warm-up against Fulham.

"I don't think he can play against Everton," Mancini added. (ANI)

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Arsenal better than Chelsea, same league as Barca: West Ham manager Zola

Published>Thu, Mar 11 10 07:47 AM

London, Mar 22(ANI): West Ham United manager Gianfranco Zola has said that Arsenal is a better footballing team than Chelsea.

Zola, who played as a striker for Chelsea from 1996 to 2003, said that Arsenal is even on par with their Champions League quarterfinal opponents Barcelona, widely considered as the best team in Europe.

"When we played Chelsea last week they probably didn't play with the same quality or intensity as Arsenal. Arsenal are terrible, if you leave them a little bit of space because they punish you," The Mirror quoted Zola, as saying.

"Arsenal, along with Barcelona, are the team who are playing the best football in Europe probably. They are very good to watch. Whether they are going to be able to do that until the end I don't know. That is the question that everybody is asking," he added.

He further said that his team did provide tough competition to Arsenal despite the 2-0 defeat in the Premier League tie.

"Arsenal played some good football, but there were some moments when we matched them completely," he added.

Zola also believes that battle for the Premier League title will be a long one, and leaders Manchester United will have to fight it out with Arsenal and Chelsea.

"They will be in contention until the end that is for sure," Zola added. (ANI)

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Tiger Woods reveals how wife reacted over infidelity

Published>Thu, Mar 11 10 07:07 AM

London, March 22 (ANI): Tiger Woods has revealed in a television interview how his wife Elin Nordegren reacted when she discovered he had cheated on her.

"She was hurt, she was hurt, very hurt. Shocked. Angry," the Mirror quoted Woods as saying in an interview with sports station ESPN.

"And you know, she had every right to be and I'm disappointed as everyone else in my own behaviour because I can't believe I did that to the people I loved," he added.

The disgraced golfer also revealed what led him to cheat on the mother of this two children, Sam, two and Charlie, one.

"Well I had gotten away from my core values. I'd gotten away from my Buddhism. And I quit meditating," he said.

"Stripping away denial and rationalism you start coming to the truth of who you really are and that can be very ugly. But then again, when you face it and you start conquering and you start living up to it. The strength that I feel now, I've never felt that type of strength," he added. (ANI)

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Becks 'sent X-rated sex-texts to Rebecca Loos'

Published>Thu, Mar 11 10 07:00 AM

London, Mar 22 (ANI): David Beckham's alleged fling with Rebecca Loos has come back to haunt him-the footballer had sent X-rated text messages to his hot personal assistant just like the ones Tiger Woods sent his porn star mistress, it has been claimed.

On Friday, some of the graphic text messages sent by Tiger, 34, to one of his lovers - porn actress Joslyn James, 32, were made public.

And the revelations prompted chat show host Piers Morgan, 44, who is Rebecca Loos' second cousin, to liken the texts to the ones sent by the former England football captain.

"I had to laugh when I heard Tiger Woods is making his comeback at the Masters," the Daily Star quoted Morgan as saying.

"Only an egotist of quite staggering proportions could pull a stunt like this. Like David Beckham, Woods is only interested in one thing - himself.

"In his hilarious X-rated texts to his Vegas porn star stripper, which bore a striking resemblance to the ones Beckham sent my cousin, Rebecca Loos, a few years ago, Tiger talks of wishing to 'choke' his mistress.

"I suspect this is exactly what his professional colleagues feel like doing to him now he's decided to turn the greatest, most important, event in world golf into a one-man media circus," he added.

Rebecca Loos, 33, last year gave birth to a boy called Magnus and is dating a Norwegian doctor. (ANI)

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McCullum, Vettori help New Zealand live another day against Aussies at Wellington

Published>Mon, Mar 22 10 03:10 PM

Wellington, Mar 22 (ANI): Brendon McCullum's unbeaten 94 and skipper Daniel Vettori's 77 helped pull New Zealand off the mat and take a 67 runs lead against Australia at end of fourth day play in Wellington's Basin Reserve.

New Zealand were 369 for six in their second innings at stumps on a rain-shortened fourth day.

McCullum is six runs short of his fifth test century after a heroic rescue act left New Zealand to fight another day in the first cricket test against Australia.

New Zealand with just a 67 runs lead needs to bat nearly two sessions tomorrow to head to the second test in Hamilton with an unlikely draw.

"There was some good fight shown, it was great to see. We're giving ourselves a good chance of saving the test and maybe even get into a position where we can put them under pressure to possibly even win the test," said opener Tim McIntosh.

Playing his 50th test, McCullum frustrated the Australian attack for 215 minutes and 178 deliveries before bad light and showers forced an early end, Stuff.co.nz reports.

It could be McCullum's best test innings yet if New Zealand saves the match after they followed on 302 behind.

McCullum and Vettori posted a record sixth-wicket stand against Australia of 126, before Tuffey helped add an unbroken 60 in 71 minutes.

Vettori took charge early, breezing to 50 off 64 balls as he cut, drove, hooked and shuffled.

His only life was on 60 when he chipped a ball through Johnson's fingers on his follow through, and he and McCullum soon passed Stephen Fleming and Chris Cairns' sixth wicket record of 110 on the same ground 10 years ago.

Hauritz finally removed Vettori when he played a sweep on to leg stump after a vital three-hour vigil. (ANI)

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Pak's Olympic winning captain blames ex-Olympians at PHF for game's downfall

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 06:59 AM

Lahore, Mar. 22 (ANI): Pakistan's former Olympic winning hockey captain Manzoor Junior has blamed ex-Olympians associated with the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for the decline of the game in the country.

"It is unfortunate that these Olympians, who served the PHF and team management in different capacities for such a long time, are now coming up with all these negative statements after Pakistan's dismal 12th place in the World Cup. It is a fact that they are the ones responsible for the present hockey crisis," the Daily Times quoted Manzoor, as saying.

Manzoor pointed out that former Olympic stars didn't do anything for hockey's development at the grass route level in Pakistan during their 26-year rule, and their short-term measures have led to hockey's overall destruction.

"The present hockey crisis is the outcome of the over two-decade absence of hockey activities at the early level, which was badly ignored for the youth to lose interest in hockey, our national sport," he said.

"I don't believe in criticism for the sake of criticism. They (former Olympians) should rather come forward with useful suggestions to lend support to the PHF in this time of crisis," he added.

While Manzoor expressed shock at Pakistan's dismal performance in the World Cup, he insisted that constructive efforts to revive the game would bring back Pakistan's lost glory.

"But instead of keeping the PHF under fire through this negative propaganda campaign, they should concentrate of making collective efforts for the revival of the game," he said. (ANI)

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Racism persists in international sports: UN

Published Sat, Mar 20 10 07:25 AM

Betwa Sharma United Nations, Mar 22 (PTI) A top UN official has said racism persisted in sports and noted that the upcoming Football World Cup in South Africa would provide an chance to to have a fresh look on the issue. "In recent years there have been a number of disgraceful incidents in football stadiums when fans of one team have abused footballers of opposing teams on the basis of their race," UN chief for Human Rights Navi Pillay has said. Speaking on the occasion of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Pillay noted that 2010 World Cup taking place for first time ever in an African state and specifically in the country which was for so many years a byword for institutionalised racism. "The forthcoming Football World Cup in South Africa provides an opportunity both to take a fresh look at the issue of racism in sport, and to enhance sport''s tremendous potential to undermine racism, xenophobia and similar forms of intolerance in wider society," she added. This year''s International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination marks the 50th anniversary of the Sharpville massacre where dozens of protesters fighting against apartheid in South Africa were killed by the police. Pillay asked sports administrators everywhere to follow the example of two of the world''s top football authorities, FIFA and UEFA, in pursuing polices to eradicate racism from sport at the local, national and international levels. "FIFA rules allow for the deduction of points where clubs have not taken sufficient action to combat racism and similar forms of bigotry, but national leagues often shy away from applying these rules," she said. "The same goes for national teams. On occasions, rich clubs and rich national bodies have escaped with derisory fines of a few thousand dollars after serious racist incidents during matches," she added. Highlighting the power of sports to being people of different backgrounds together, UN chief Ban Ki-moon said, "Sports can empower disenfranchised communities, influence our perceptions and inspire millions of people around the world." PTI BS

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Verbeek to step down as Australia coach after World Cup

Published Sat, Mar 20 10 07:09 AM

Pim Verbeek will not be renewing his contract as Australia coach after this year's World Cup finals in South Africa, the Dutchman said on Monday.

Verbeek, who took charge in December 2007, guided Australia to the World Cup and next year's Asian Cup finals losing only four of his 27 matches in charge.

"It has been a very difficult decision for me after more than two years but it is time for me to look for a new challenge," Verbeek, 54, said in a Football Federation Australia (FFA) release.

"It is a good time to make this announcement so we can now focus completely on preparing everything perfectly for the upcoming World Cup in South Africa," said the Dutchman, who led Australia to their highest FIFA ranking of 14 in September.

Australia have been grouped with Germany, Serbia and Ghana in Group D for the June 11-July 11 World Cup finals in South Africa.

"Pim has done a great job leading the Socceroos and has achieved the best results possible," FFA CEO Ben Buckley said in the statement.

"We will be sad to see him move on after the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa and wish him all the best for the future and he can be proud of what he has achieved."

Verbeek, who was assistant coach with South Korea during the 2002 and 2006 World Cups, did not say if he had another job lined up.

Media reports in Australia suggested that the FFA could appoint a temporary coach ahead of the Asian Cup finals in Qatar in January with a permanent successor in place for the start of the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.

"There are processes and planning in place to secure a successor for Pim and we will step up those activities now that it is clear that Pim will not be with us after South Africa," Buckley said.

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Cricket's big jamboree comes alive with Fake IPL Player's novel

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 07:47 AM

Where there is excess money, there is dirt, back-stabbing, and conspiracy theories galore. By all accounts, deep inside the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL), it's all happening. Controversies have followed the immense success of the Twenty20 tournament, which was launched by the BCCI in 2008 with the backing of the International Cricket Council.

With huge money at stake, the tournament, modelled on the franchise system, has had many offshoots on and off the field. One of them was a blog by a person known only as the 'Fake IPL Player'. It became a big success on the Web during the last season of the IPL because of the way it detailed the sordid goings-on inside a franchise; the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

The blog gave graphic details of the rift between Sourav Ganguly (called ? Lordie? in the blog) and the then KKR coach John Buchanan (?Bookah Naan?), and the predicament of the co-owner, Shah Rukh Khan (?Sigwald Raees Kahn?).

The KKR management took the blog seriously and is believed to have suspected a few players, including Aakash Chopra, Sanjay Bangar, Anureet Singh and Ranadeb Bose, who could possibly be either writing the blog themselves or passing on inside information to the anonymous blogger. When the team sent Chopra and Bangar back to India from South Africa, people suspected them even more, though the truth hasn't been established conclusively. Another theory pointed the needle of suspicion at TV commentator Harsha Bhogle.

After the blog's immense success, the writer got ambitious, and wrote The Gamechangers for HarperCollins India, which is part of the India Today Group. The Indian Bollywood League (IBL) in the book is clearly a take-off on the real-life IPL. Although it's supposed to be a novel, the narration seems quite close to what could be happening inside an IPL franchise camp.

Rivalries between players, the one-upmanship in the dressing room, efforts by coaches to justify their salaries (remember the drama over Buchanan's four-captain theory, which clashed with Ganguly's thoughts, and led to the sacking of the successful former Australia coach last year), and the dog-eat-dog rivalry at every level.

The book also focuses the spotlight on the brain behind the IBL, Lalu Parekh, supposedly Lalit Modi- his phenomenal reach, his obsession with the Blackberry and his eagerness to control everything.

Both cricket followers and fiction lovers will enjoy the book-it combines good writing with tantalising details that will keep speculative minds busy linking the characters in the novel with the men and women who make IPL the circus that it is.

Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2010. MTNPL. All rights reserved.

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Umpire referral system fails as wind plays havoc with cameras in Wellington test

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 07:37 AM

Wellington, Mar 22(ANI): The controversial 'Umpire Decision Review System' has been again exposed after it failed dismally due to strong winds in the ongoing Test match between Australia and New Zealand in Wellington.

In an embarrassing scenario for the International Cricket Council (ICC), the technology failed to provide useful information when Australian skipper Ricky Ponting called for a review for an lbw ruling on New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum on day four of the Test.

Pakistani third umpire Aleem Dar was unable to access footage of hawk-eye, used to rule on lbw decisions, as the wild winds had interfered with the technology's ability to track the path of the ball, the Courier Mail reports.

To make matters worse, it later emerged that video referrals were only available at one end, where television cameras were protected from the wind. Rail cameras, crucial for functioning of the hawk-eye, were taken down due to the weather.

Australia was handed a failed referral, and following the technological breakdown, Ponting confronted on-field umpires Asad Rauf and Ian Gould.

He also left the field, but it is unknown if the skipper walked off to speak to match referee Javagal Srinath. (ANI)

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Pawar doesn't want Maharashtra to milk IPL cash cow

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 07:27 AM

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar's love for cricket may cost the government of Maharashtra over Rs 300 crore. Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) president Pawar is reportedly at loggerheads with chief minister Ashok Chavan over levying entertainment tax on the Indian Premier League (IPL) teams.

Sources said Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) was arm-twisting the state government to forego Rs 300 crore worth of revenues in the form of entertainment taxes on the IPL. The state cabinet had on January 20 decided to levy a 20-25 per cent tax on the IPL matches held in Maharashtra. But the resolution is yet to be ratified. Sources said the NCP in the meeting had agreed to impose the tax but later did a U-turn.

When asked about whether the state too concurred with the NCP's view, Chavan said the decision had not been annulled. But the NCP sang a different tune on the issue. Finance minister Sunil Tatkare, who hails from the NCP, said the state had decided not to charge any tax on the IPL matches "in the interest of the sport".

But a Congress minister said, "It was decided in the meeting that while Test matches should not be taxed in the interest of its survival, One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 matches could be taxed as they were popular and didn't need any promotion. Accordingly, it was decided that a tax of 25 per cent would be levied on the IPL tickets for matches in Mumbai and 20 per cent in the rest of the state." "But in the subsequent meeting held on February 3, there was no mention of tax on the IPL matches," the minister added.

Tatkare defended his party's insistence to waive off the tax, saying, "Rs 20 crore annually is not so huge a sum that could dent the state exchequer." But the Opposition begged to differ. State BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said, "Our estimates suggest that if the government does not levy the tax, the loss of revenue would be much more than Rs 20 crore." He added, "The minister is only counting gate money and even that is a faulty calculation. In 2008, the state lost Rs 70 crore on ticket sales alone. This year, if we calculate the ticket sales, advertising (both in-stadia and television) and telecast rights, the turnover is not going to be less than Rs 1,600 crore. If we calculate at 20 per cent, the revenue loss will total to over Rs 300 crore."

But a highly placed official in Reliance Industries Ltd, which owns the IPL team Mumbai Indians, said: "The BJP's calculations are all wrong. Our collections from the stadium are not more than Rs 40 crore. So, the loss of revenue is not more than Rs 10 crore."

Bhandari has written to the CM and Tatkare, bringing to their attention the possible loss of revenue. "If they don't relent, we will move the High Court on the issue," he said. But going by the CM's stand, they need not. A source close to Chavan on Saturday said, " Why should the IPL, which is an out-and-out commercial venture, get tax benefit? It's a money-spinning machine for all participants and the state need not lose an opportunity to earn revenue that could be used for infrastructure projects." "Why should the state lose out when franchisees are milking the event?" the source asked.

Reproduced From Mail Today. Copyright 2010. MTNPL. All rights reserved.

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Confident Bangalore takes on wounded Chennai tomorrow

Published Sat, Mar 20 10 07:21 AM

Joseph Hoover Bangalore, Mar 22 (PTI) On a roll with three successive wins, a Jacques Kallis-propelled Royal Challengers Bangalore juggernaut runs into a staggered but robust Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League here tomorrow. RCB have been on a wild run, notching up three consecutive wins since their defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in their tournament opener. Their batting have come alive with Kallis leading the batting brigade with a bevy of unbeaten and match-winning knocks like 65, 89, 44 and 66 in the last four ties. The supremely talented Manish Pandey has also been in rollicking form, producing cameos that have left even seasoned cricketers bewildered on the field. The 21-year-old, who has been shortlisted for the ICC T20 World Cup in the Caribbean islands, has not only destroyed bowling attacks with impunity but has also caught the eye with his outstanding fielding. RCB have another big hitter in Robin Uthappa, who virtually butchered Sreesanth, plundering 25 runs in one eventful over off the emotive Kings XI Punjab paceman. Having been part of the triumphant T20 World Cup team in South Africa, Uthappa would be itching to win back his place in the Indian team with more blazing performances in the IPL. Besides their batting, RCB have also jelled well as a bowling unit, restricting Rajasthan Royals (92) and Mumbai Indians (151) to modest scores in the their last two outings. Speedstar Dale Steyn, hat-trick man Praveen Kumar and last match''s hero R Vinay Kumar have done their job pretty well, giving skipper Anil Kumble the liberty to tease and lure batsmen to their doom with flight and guile. All-rounder Kallis have also contributed with the ball and have chipped in whenever the team needed him most. Considering their match-winning performance over the last week, RCB should start favourites here. But they would make a mistake if they take Chennai Super Kings for granted.

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Congress to bail out former hockey Olympian

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 07:17 AM

Bhopal, March 22 (IANS) The opposition Congress in Madhya Pradesh has decided to come to the rescue of former Hockey Olympian Aslam Sher Khan, who has been slapped with non-payment of property tax notice and his house attached by the civic authorities.

The District Congress Committee here has decided to raise Rs.4.04 lakh for Khan after the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) attached his house which was given to him in 1975 after India won the World Cup in Malaysia.

'We will raise money to pay the overdue property tax on Khan's house,' M.M. Salman of the District Congress Committee said Monday.

Criticising the Madhya Pradesh government, Khan said: 'On the one hand, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is giving money to players of the Indian hockey team, and on the other, he is treating them shabbily.'

He said the BMC could have informed him and the matter could have been settled amicably.

However, the civic body officials said the property was attached when the tax was not deposited despite several notices.

'The law is equal for everybody and everyone is required to pay government taxes as per the law,' said Bhopal Mayor Krishna Gaur.

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Button favours big decisions to make Formula One exciting

Published>Sat, Mar 20 10 07:11 AM

London, Mar 22 (ANI): F1 champion Jenson Button insists big decisions must be made if Formula One fails to brighten up over the next few races.

Button was furious as the new regulations turned last week's Bahrain Grand Prix into a procession.

It means the pressure is on for F1 over the next three races, starting in Australia next Sunday, The Sun reports.

Button said: "I don't know how we are going to make the racing more exciting than it is. I hope it's just because of the layout in Bahrain and it was the first race."

"It's annoying because it's a sport I love and it's tough to see a procession. There's still every chance it's going to be a fantastic season. We just have to see what happens over the next few races.

"But if it's not going in the right direction, then people have to start making the decisions," he added.

Button's McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton even said his mother Linda was bored at Bahrain.

And the former world champion thinks Red Bull are the team to beat this season despite Ferrari one-two in the opening race.

He said: "You've got to assume the next race will be more exciting. The track should be more favourable as it's a street circuit. But the Red Bull is ridiculously faster than anyone lse. It's insane." (ANI)

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Adam Gilchrist opts to bat first

Published>Mon, Mar 22 10 12:37 PM

Cuttack, March 21 -- Both, the Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers make certain changes in their side as Deccan captain Adam Gilchrist opts to bat first upon winning the toss in Cuttack. Deccan Chargers team AC Gilchrist, MD Mishra, HH Gibbs, A Symonds, RG Sharma, Y Venugopal Rao, R Sharma, TL Suman, PP Ojha, WPUJC Vaas, RP Singh.

DA Warner, V Sehwag, AB de Villiers, KD Karthik, MC Henriques, M Manhas, A Mishra, DP Nannes, U Yadav, S Ladda, Y Nagar.

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