BCCI high on hype but low on evidence

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 12:22 PM

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Monday launched an all-out offensive against suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi alleging that he rigged auction bids for two new franchises, and raised doubts over the ownership of two existing teams. It also replaced Modi with board vice president and Baroda Cricket Association chief Chirayu Amin as the interim IPL commissioner.

The Indian cricket board president Shashank Manohar read out a list of charges against Modi at a media conference in Mumbai on Monday, but stopped short of producing documentary evidence to substantiate them. Given that they were serious charges - rigging of IPL auction bids, effecting the disappearance of tax-related documents from the BCCI office, allowing some to own teams without even having a stake in them, or even hinting that two people who claimed to own the Rajasthan Royals team are not even listed in the shareholders' register - the BCCI could not elaborate on the allegations made against Modi.

Manohar said that the BCCI had received complaints from the Kochi IPL franchise owners that they were arm-twisted by Modi to surrender their rights in favour of somebody else. The BCCI chief was facing the media less than 12 hours after suspending Modi from the board for "individual misdemeanours". The five counts of omissions and commissions that Modi has been asked to reply are: The initial bid of Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, broadcasting rights to Sony, rigging in the new bids for the Kochi and Pune franchises, sale of internet rights, and his behavioural pattern.

Modi did not move court nor did he make any public statement regarding the charges against him, but said on his Twitter page that he had a restful day. "Been in the spa all day," he wrote. "Much needed rest." He also added: "I am still chairman of IPL. Just suspended. Wait - we have just begun." Manohar's statements were the first that a top BCCI official had made against the alleged irregularities in the awarding of franchises. There was speculation that all along Modi was helping his friends, but the BCCI had never mentioned this in a public platform.

Manohar's first salvo was aimed at Rajasthan Royals. "There is a charge sheet issued to Modi by the I-T (income tax) department," the lawyer from Nagpur said. "There was a company based in the UK called Emerging Media. The company was owned by a single individual - Manoj Badale - and was started four months before the bid. His bid was accepted." He alleged that the agreement that was signed was with Jaipur IPL Cricket Private Limited. "This company had two stakeholders - one Mr Castelinho and Bal Thakur - who signed the documents," he said. Manohar contended that the franchise shares were later given to others. "In the Rajasthan Royals franchise, Jaipur IPL is the main company. The shares of these two persons were then sold and transferred to certain individuals and certain companies such as Tresco and Blue Waters about whom nobody knows. I also didn't find the names of Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty, who claim to be the stakeholders, in the shareholders' list," he said.

He alleged that the Kings XI Punjab team has a similar story. "When the bids were given, it was signed only by Preity Zinta. She said she would form a consortium with three people: Mohit Burman, Karan Paul and one other person. When the franchise agreement was signed by her, she did not have a single share in that company. The shares were transferred to her after the signing of the agreement," Manohar said. The BCCI chief's contention was that such a move couldn't be made without the consent of the IPL governing council and the payment of a percentage of the transacted value.

"There is a clause in the IPL agreement, which is entered into with all the franchises, that in case you transfer your shares, the transfer has to be made with the permission of the IPL and the BCCI is entitled to five per cent of the amount of the transaction as their fees. None of us was aware of these deals and we don't know what these companies are," Manohar said.

However, in both cases, Manohar made only allegations but could not produce evidence to back his claims. "In fact," said a BCCI insider, "the board has publicly skewered Modi even before he was given a chance to explain even though they have given him 15 days to reply to the charges." On the broadcasting deal and allegation of facilitation fees being given are concerned, Manohar said the BCCI doesn't have the papers. "There is an allegation that a facilitation fee was paid. But the board does not have the document. The deal happened between MSM (Multi Screen Media) Singapore and WSG Mauritius, so there is no reason why this document would be present with the board. The income tax authorities are asking for it, but we can't supply it because we don't have it."

Manohar also alleged that Modi has been leaking classified information to the media. "There was confidential information of the board which was being leaked to the media." It was this that constituted allegations of "behavioural patterns". "The board will hold, after receiving a reply from Mr Modi, an inquiry, if necessary. If the reply of Mr Modi convinces the members, the proceedings will be dropped," the BCCI president said.

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

Source: Web Search

Petition filed against Shoaib for allegedly selling reception invitation cards

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 12:08 PM

Lahore, Apr.27 (ANI): Just when it seemed that every thing was fine and troubles had died their natural death for the newly married Pakistan cricketer Shoaib Malik, he finds himself entangled in yet another controversy, as a local court here has summoned him for allegedly selling invitation cards of his reception party.

According to reports, a man named Safdar Ali has filed a petition alleging that Shoaib was selling invitation cards for his 'walima' to be held today (April 27) for 15,000 rupees each.

Ali's petition has been accepted and enlisted for May 3 hearing. Additional Sessions Judge Malik Rafiq has also directed Shoaib to appear before the court on the said date of hearing.

Meanwhile, a man named Hasan Shahzad has moved to the Lahore High Court (LHC) alleging that Shoaib's family has violated the government's rule while organising a lavish reception party at Sialkot.

In his petition, Shahzad urged the court to take notice of the gross violation of rules and regulations set by the government.

The petition states that during the reception on Sunday (April 25), guests were served more than one-dish, which was against rule, The Daily Times reports.

The petitioner states that despite warnings from local electricity department, extravagant lighting decorations were made both at Shoaib's house and at the reception venue.

Complete chaos and mismanagement were witnessed during the reception ceremony, which was organised at a hockey stadium, as more than 2000 people turned up for the function against the 1000 invitees.

In their bid to prevent 'uninvited guests', private security guards present outside the reception venue did not even allow some of Shoaib's relatives and friends to enter the stadium, which gave way to a heated argument between both sides. The matter was resolved only after some other family members intervened. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Shoaib pleads with media to stop hype over his marriage

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 11:42 AM

Pakistan's former cricket captain Shoaib Malik has pleaded with the media to stop the hype surrounding his marriage with Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and allow them to live like a normal couple.

Malik and Sania appeared together for the first time on a Pakistani channel tonight and the former said he was fed up with the hype over his marriage.

"I am pleased to know that people are happy with our marriage but I think now it is time to stop this hype and let us live like a normal couple. I would request the media to leave alone both families," he said.

Malik said since he and Sania had reached Pakistan he had spent most of his time being her personal bodyguard rather then her husband.

"Two people from different countries got married and it should only be treated as a marriage nothing more," Malik told Ary News.

Malik said while he was happy at the celebrations in Pakistan over his marriage but he was now tired of playing bodyguard to his wife in Pakistan.

"I would ask the media to reduce the hype let our families enjoy this occasion as any family would celebrate a marriage. Because of all this hype I couldn't even meet with my friends and relatives properly in the reception in Sialkot, it was a mad rush," he said.

Malik, who is presently serving a 12-month ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board, said while the media created the hype over the marriage it was not shy of playing up negative stories about them which was disappointing.

"I can only laugh at stories in the media that invitation cards for our wedding reception were sold," he added.

"This thing about our wedding cards being sold it is laughable. Please don't turn out wedding cards into credit cards," Malik said.

Sania Mirza said she was surprised at all the hype in the media surrounding their marriage.

"It is not like ours is a great big love story. Strangely we were introduced by a common friend from the media then I met him in Hobart and our families also met and we decided to get married," she said.

Since reaching Pakistan, there have been reports that Sania and her family have not been very pleased with the boisterous reception they have got and the unruliness witnessed whenever they have gone out or at the reception in Sialkot on Sunday night.

So much so that Sania's father Imran Mirza is said to be personally supervising all security arrangements for the Valima reception in Lahore tomorrow.

Source: Web Search

League dons a democratic image with Modi's exit

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 10:08 AM

Mumbai, April 27 -- The Indian Premier League Governing Council, it seems, has suddenly become a democratic set up with Lalit Modi's exit as chairman. Even though it was not on the agenda when 11 of the 14 GC members met on Monday at the Cricket Centre, the BCCI headquarters, it was decided to appoint a committee consisting of all the three former skippers on the governing council to take care of cricketing matters pertaining to IPL-IV. The team owners may welcome the appointment of Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and MAK Pataudi, to deal with the 10 franchises ahead of the next edition. However, doubts were raised by some teams over the BCCI's ability to manage the IPL without Modi. Board President Shashank Manohar said the troika will play a key role in arriving at a consensus about the number of players the existing eight franchises will be allowed to retain. "We have taken a decision where the committee appointed Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and MAK Pataudi to discuss and decide with regard to the modalities of withholding three foreign cricketers and four Indian players after discussing the issue with the franchises. They were also asked to come back to the Board so that a final decision in that regard could be taken," Manohar said.

With the three former skippers stepping in to resolve the impasse, the board and the teams will be hoping for a conclusive and fair resolution when the Governing Council meets.

Source: Web Search

BCCI chief Shashank Manohar interacts with media

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 09:52 AM

India, April 27 -- BCCI chief Shashank Manohar spoke after Monday's IPL General Council meeting, where the body had taken a decision to level specific charges against the suspended chairman Lalit Modi. Excerpts from his interaction with the media: Charges against Modi The news of 22 charges is misconception and a story that you are entitled to create. The charges basically are with regards to the initial bids of the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. The second allegation is with regard to the broadcasting deal. The third allegation concerns the bid rigging with the two new franchises. The fourth allegation is about the internet rights and the fifth is of the behavioural pattern of the soul. Documents misplaced There are allegations of taking facilitation fee. Now, the Board doesn't have any supporting document regarding this. Again, it is rumoured that there are benami funds in the Rajasthan Royals. If the funds are coming from Virgin Islands or from Mauritius, I don't have the machinery to investigate that. After the I-T and the ED sent us the notices, we came to know about that. What triggered this move to suspend Mr Modi a day before the governing council meeting? I never persuaded him to attend the meeting because it was his choice. I had only asked him to convene a meeting on April 19, which he didn't till April 21. Therefore, I called the secretary to ask him to convene the meeting. Thereafter, I had no discussions with him. Sacking of staff You don't sack staff only because there is something wrong which has happened. Today is the first day when we all have met. Give us some time to look into the issues. We will look into everybody's role now. Issue over Rajasthan Royals I can tell you the basic gist of the allegation. There was a company based in UK by the name Emerging Media Ltd. The company was owned by only an individual, Manoj Badale and was started about four months before the bid. The bid was given by this company and was accepted. However, the agreement is signed with Jaipur IPL. Now, there is an interesting fact to be noted. This Jaipur IPL had only two stakeholders, Mr (Fraser) Castellino and Mr Bal Thakur, at the time of the signing of agreement. Now, the bid is given by A and the document is signed by B who had nothing to do with the bid. Then, separate companies have come in who are registered in Mauritius. Now, we don?t know Mr Modi made a statement that the entire world knows who are the ones involved. But even the members of the governing council were not aware. The reason being that in the Rajasthan Royals franchise, as I said, Jaipur IPL is the company; their shares are then sold and transferred to these two persons. I did not find in the shareholders' register the name of Mr Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty who claim to be the stakeholders. And there is a clause in the agreement, which is entered into by all the franchises that in case you transfer your shares, the transfer has to be made with a permission of the IPL and the board is entitled to have five per cent of the amount of the transaction as their fee. None of this happened. So we are asking for an explanation that if he gives bid how do you sign an agreement with B. How do all these people get into this? None of us are aware and we don't know who these companies are. Kings XI Punjab When the bid was given, it was signed by Preity Zinta. She said she would form a consortium with three other people -- Mohit Burman, one Mr Paul and there was one other name. But when they formed a company, the document was signed by Preity Zinta. Though on that day Preity Zinta did not have a single share in the company. The shares were transferred to her after signing of the agreement. And then Gaurav Burman gets in and all these things. And again the same logic would apply that you would have to have the consent of the IPL and five percent fee. There was nothing. On any political pressure I don't think there is any political pressure.I can assure you as far as I am concerned there is no political pressure. What about the behavioural pattern of the IPL CEO? He misbehaved with Mr Sunil Walson... Shouldn't there be a code of conduct for people working under Modi?

Source: Web Search

Registrar of Companies hauls up KKR and RR

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 09:38 AM

New Delhi, April 27 -- The Shah Rukh Khan and Jay Mehta promoted Knight Riders Sports Private Ltd, along with Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt Ltd, promoted by Lalit Modi's brother-in-law, Suresh Chellaram, have been pulled up by the Registrar of Companies (RoC), Mumbai for violation of the Companies Act. The RoC, which was asked by the ministry of corporate affairs to look into the filing of details by each franchise of the IPL, has issued show cause notices to the two firms for not filing their annual accounts and returns on time. The notices were issued under sections 162 and 168 of the Act. These companies have also been asked by the RoC to furnish more details relating to IPL franchise agreements. In case of delays providing details, the RoC has warned that 'criminal proceedings could be initiated against the companies and their directors'. Jaipur IPL, which owns the Rajasthan Royals, has already been pulled up by the Enforcement Directorate for alleged violations under the Foreign Exchange and Management Act (FEMA) in respect of transactions relating to financial payments. Senior government officials said the Serious Frauds Investigation Office (SFIO), an arm of the ministry of corporate affairs, dealing with the investigation of serious financial irregularities, could be roped in to carry out an investigation; the entity could be facing charges of doctoring information. "The RoC is also looking into the records of other franchises and a detailed report on each team is expected within a week," an official said.

RoC has also been asked to specify any information on sweat equity offered and if there are any violations of the existing norms under the Companies Act.

Source: Web Search

Shocking details of Modi's dubious deals and ways revealed

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 09:28 AM

New Delhi, April 26 -- If the other members of the Indian Premier League's Governing Council (GC) are to be believed, suspended chairman Lalit Modi was involved in a host of irregularities, among the most shocking of which was the way he allegedly tried to arm-twist Rendezvous Sports World, the promoters of the Kochi franchise, into withdrawing their successful bid. "He told them he would engineer an environmental litigation against them, which would prevent them from building a new stadium in Kochi," said a GC member. "He also said he could have them disqualified for not conforming to some standard or the other, and have the franchise taken away from Kochi and awarded to some distant town, either Bhiwani or Guwahati." Modi reportedly told Rendezvous he would "remove the cap on players' salaries so that Rendezvous would not be able to afford them, or compete with other (much wealthier) franchises" according to another GC member. "He said he would make a rule that would allow teams to retain seven existing players in the next season, so the best would be unavailable to Kochi," the member added. An official said Rendezvous had detailed these threats in writing and would be asked to appear before a BCCI inquiry committee looking into the charges against Modi. Hindustan Times spoke to four GC members in an attempt to piece together the reasons for Modi's sudden fall from grace. All asked not to be identified, as an internal inquiry against Modi is on and he is yet to respond. One revealed how Modi tried to rig the players' auction on March 7 by inserting a clause in the tender document that no one else knew about. The clause said corporations making bids would have to have a turnover of over $1 billion (Rs 4600 crore) and present a Rs 460-crore bank guarantee upfront. "By 5pm on March 7, after several telephonic exchanges, we found that basically, only two companies (Videocon and the Adani Group of Ahmedabad) met his conditions, so we cancelled that auction. Shashank (BCCI president Manohar) reprimanded Lalit and we decided that on the day of the new auction (March 21), the entire GC would be present to accept and open the bids. This was the time we started getting suspicious." Sources said at no stage were the cancelled bids from the March 7 auction returned to the BCCI, nor were copies kept in the IPL office. "Modi received them in person and kept them in his own office at the Four Seasons hotel in Mumbai. This was highly irregular," said a GC member. There was also the TV rights issue. According to sources, these were given to Sony (through a subsidiary, MSM Satellite Singapore), in January 2008 and "unilaterally cancelled by Modi in 2009". "In March 2009, just ahead of IPL II, they were given to World Sport Group, Mauritius, and neither the GC nor the BCCI was informed," said the source. "Modi parked the rights in Mauritius for 10 days with WSG and then renegotiated an agreement with MSM. It was a private arrangement, signed by him without our knowledge. We didn't have the documents. In fact, even when the income tax department asked us for the documents at 11am today, we had to say we didn't have them," the GC member told HT on Monday. A clause in the new agreement said that if MSM owed any money to WSG Mauritius, their contract could be cancelled. This, a source said, was used by Modi to "virtually blackmail" MSM into paying WSG a facilitation fee. "MSM has admitted to us privately only now that they were forced to sign this at gunpoint (metaphorically speaking)." Officially, however, MSM stated in a press statement on Friday that they negotiated "in an open and transparent manner and in keeping with applicable laws" and paid a "facilitation fee of Rs. 425 crore" to WSG Mauritius to "secure business interests" and regain the IPL broadcasting rights for the Indian subcontinent. But BCCI officials maintain that this facilitation fee is the same money that government authorities have traced from "bank to bank to an account in the British Virgin Islands". This could not be independently confirmed. Another official told HT of how various digital and mobile rights "were allowed to be sold and re-sold" without the knowledge or consent of the Board. "It was smart, the way one company conveniently gave way to another company and then another, so that ultimately, all the rights landed up with the company (Global Cricket Ventures) in which his son-in-law's private equity fund held 50 per cent of the equity," a GC member said. Again, the problem here lay in the non-disclosure of relationships. "At no stage did Modi tell the Governing Council, officially or otherwise, that his son-in-law or 'co-brother-in-law' were involved in the IPL. That's a direct relationship," said an official. "Who is he to make accusations of conflict of interest? In (BCCI secretary) Srinivasan's case, he asked and got permission before the first auction, plus, he's not a majority shareholder in India Cements (who own the Chennai Super Kings)." The charge that Council members say will not be easy to prove is that Modi owns shares, by proxy, in two, at least three teams, including the Rajasthan Royals and the Kings XI Punjab. The part that can be proved, they say, is that he "allowed irregularities" in the Royals' ownership process. "We were under the impression that the franchisee was Manoj Badale of Emerging Media, as he made the successful bid. After that, he in turn signed with Jaipur IPL Cricket Limited, out of nowhere. Again, we were unaware," a GC member said. This point was also made in detail by BCCI president Shashank Manohar.

Source: Web Search

There is no political pressure on me: Manohar

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 09:16 AM

India, April 27 -- BCCI chief Shashank Manohar spoke after Monday's IPL General Council meeting, where the body had taken a decision to level specific charges against the suspended chairman Lalit Modi. Excerpts from his interaction with the media: Charges against Modi The news of 22 charges is misconception and a story that you are entitled to create. The charges basically are with regards to the initial bids of the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. The second allegation is with regard to the broadcasting deal. The third allegation concerns the bid rigging with the two new franchises. The fourth allegation is about the internet rights and the fifth is of the behavioural pattern of the soul. Documents misplaced There are allegations of taking facilitation fee. Now, the Board doesn't have any supporting document regarding this. Again, it is rumoured that there are benami funds in the Rajasthan Royals. If the funds are coming from Virgin Islands or from Mauritius, I don't have the machinery to investigate that. After the I-T and the ED sent us the notices, we came to know about that. What triggered this move to suspend Mr Modi a day before the governing council meeting? I never persuaded him to attend the meeting because it was his choice. I had only asked him to convene a meeting on April 19, which he didn't till April 21. Therefore, I called the secretary to ask him to convene the meeting. Thereafter, I had no discussions with him. Sacking of staff You don't sack staff only because there is something wrong which has happened. Today is the first day when we all have met. Give us some time to look into the issues. We will look into everybody's role now. Issue over Rajasthan Royals I can tell you the basic gist of the allegation. There was a company based in UK by the name Emerging Media Ltd. The company was owned by only an individual, Manoj Badale and was started about four months before the bid. The bid was given by this company and was accepted. However, the agreement is signed with Jaipur IPL. Now, there is an interesting fact to be noted. This Jaipur IPL had only two stakeholders, Mr (Fraser) Castellino and Mr Bal Thakur, at the time of the signing of agreement. Now, the bid is given by A and the document is signed by B who had nothing to do with the bid. Then, separate companies have come in who are registered in Mauritius. Now, we don?t know Mr Modi made a statement that the entire world knows who are the ones involved. But even the members of the governing council were not aware. The reason being that in the Rajasthan Royals franchise, as I said, Jaipur IPL is the company; their shares are then sold and transferred to these two persons. I did not find in the shareholders' register the name of Mr Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty who claim to be the stakeholders. And there is a clause in the agreement, which is entered into by all the franchises that in case you transfer your shares, the transfer has to be made with a permission of the IPL and the board is entitled to have five per cent of the amount of the transaction as their fee. None of this happened. So we are asking for an explanation that if he gives bid how do you sign an agreement with B. How do all these people get into this? None of us are aware and we don't know who these companies are. Kings XI Punjab When the bid was given, it was signed by Preity Zinta. She said she would form a consortium with three other people -- Mohit Burman, one Mr Paul and there was one other name. But when they formed a company, the document was signed by Preity Zinta. Though on that day Preity Zinta did not have a single share in the company. The shares were transferred to her after signing of the agreement. And then Gaurav Burman gets in and all these things. And again the same logic would apply that you would have to have the consent of the IPL and five percent fee. There was nothing. On any political pressure I don't think there is any political pressure.I can assure you as far as I am concerned there is no political pressure. What about the behavioural pattern of the IPL CEO? He misbehaved with Mr Sunil Walson... Shouldn't there be a code of conduct for people working under Modi?

Source: Web Search

Arsenal's Arshavin still dreaming of Barcelona

Published Tue, Apr 27 10 09:08 AM

Arsenal forward Andrei Arshavin, a long-time Barcelona fan, still dreams of playing for the Spanish giants one day, the Russian international has said.

"Even playing just one season for Barcelona would make a pinnacle of my whole career," Arshavin, who missed Arsenal's 6-3 aggregate defeat by Barcelona earlier this month with a calf injury, told Sport-Express newspaper on Tuesday.

"Barca are the best team in the world and I enjoy their style of play so much. But after watching them against Arsenal (in the Champions League quarter-finals) the enjoyment has quickly turned into sorrow.

"They are so much better than anybody else at the moment."

Asked why Barcelona were beaten 3-1 by Inter Milan in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final, Arshavin said: "It's all (Jose) Mourinho's magic. He is a genius.

"I think there are three coaches who are the best in the world -- (England manager) Fabio Capello, Jose Mourinho and (former Russia manager) Guus Hiddink. If I would pick a coach for the Russian national team, I'd want one of them to be our boss," he added.

"(Arsenal manager) Arsene Wenger is also a good coach but not for Russia."

Arshavin, who turns 29 next month, could have easily ended up in the Catalan capital instead of London following his impressive performances at Euro 2008, where he helped Russia to the semi-finals.

Barcelona's bid for the gifted playmaker was rejected by Zenit St Petersburg in July, 2008, before he joined Arsenal in January last year.

Source: Web Search

Bayern count on Robben to reach Champions League final

Published Tue, Apr 27 10 09:06 AM

Bayern Munich feel Arjen Robben's goal flurry could make up for their defensive worries when they visit Olympique Lyon in a Champions League semi final second leg on Tuesday.

The Netherlands winger scored the crucial goals that helped Bayern Munich knock Fiorentina and Manchester United out on away goals in the previous rounds.

Robben was again on target against Lyon as he gave his German side a 1-0 win in the first leg after Franck Ribery had been sent off. The Frenchman will miss the second leg through suspension.

"He's got a fantastic left foot and his right one helps him walk," Bayern midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, speaking about Robben, told reporters on Monday.

"We don't rely only on Ribery or Robben... but I think Arjen is able to score more goals," he added.

Bayern defenders Martin Demichelis, Daniel Van Buyten and Diego Contento are all doubtful through injury and coach Louis Van Gaal said his side would not have a defensive approach to the game despite their one-goal advantage.

Lyon, who had never played in a Champions League semi-final before, think their lack of experience cost them a lot in the first leg. They promised their fans they would not be as timorous on Tuesday.

"I think that we are paradoxically in a good situation now because my players play better when they have to try hard to get a result than when they have to control a situation," Lyon coach Claude Puel said.

Lyon have defence worries as well as Jeremy Toulalan is suspended after being shown a red card in the first leg.

Brazilian centre back and captain Cris suffered a locked knee in Munich but said on Monday he should be fit for the game.

Source: Web Search

Beckham expects November return from injury

Published Tue, Apr 27 10 06:28 AM

David Beckham will not be fit to play again until November as he continues to recover from surgery to repair his torn Achilles tendon, the injured England midfielder said on Monday.

Beckham, already ruled out of the June 11 to July 11 World Cup finals, suffered the injury in March while on loan to AC Milan from the Los Angeles Galaxy. He now looks set to miss the entire Major League Soccer season.

"I'm not going to be running for another three months so I'll be playing again, probably in November," Beckham said in a video posted on ABC.com ahead of his appearance on The View, a daytime talk show.

Immediately following the injury during AC Milan's 1-0 win over Chievo, Beckham flew to Finland for an operation performed by one of the world's top specialists.

The midfielder started therapy 10 days ago according to another interview posted on MLSnet.com on Monday.

"I kind of want to push it but with this kind of injury you can't. You just kind of have to wait for it to heal and move on," said Beckham.

"At the moment it's just getting the motion back into the ankle and the tendons. Obviously it is still repairing so I can't stretch too much."

While Beckham will not be fit to play for England at this summer's World Cup he is expected to travel to South Africa to support his team mates and take some form of management role with Fabio Capello's squad.

Source: Web Search

'The IPL is clean...we shall not allow an image to be diminished'

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 04:54 AM

Following is the text of IPL commissioner Lalit Modi during the closing ceremony on Sunday night, just before his suspension from the event's governing council:

People of India and fans of this glorious game ? for many years, I have lived a dream, that India could have a sports league that could be envied by the whole world. I dreamt that our national passion, cricket, would captivate fans all over the world.

As we conclude the third edition of the IPL journey, I stand here tonight, filled with joy and happiness of a dream realised. Though the events on the ground have been an outstanding success, we have had some off-field unpleasant dramas only based on innuendos, half-truths and motivated leaks from all types of sources. I assure you, all decisions have been jointly taken by the governing council and approved by the general body in both year one and two of the IPL; still, as leader of the team, I reassure you that, if there is any flouting of the rules and regulations or any other irregularities, I shall take full responsibility.

On this occasion, I reassure you, that any bad actions or repercussions which take place are my responsibility. I reassure millions of passionate fans of the league and the game across the globe that the IPL is clean and transparent. With your support and blessings we have attained worldwide recognition as one of the best sporting leagues ever. We should not allow this brand to be diluted but must emerge much stronger through this process of sublimation and be well. With the support of millions and millions of viewers and the greatest icons of the game, along with some of the most promising upcoming talent, we shall carry this forward and not allow for you an image to be diminished. As the Zen proverb says, 'The obstacle is our path.'

The IPL has faced many challenges this season, it has not been an easy journey. However, we have met these challenges face-on and not once has the team buckled under the pressure. I would like to thank my incredible team and all, led by Sundar Raman, and our partners, for the many thousands of work hours and unwavering support and professionalism that they have shown. Thank you also to all the teams, players, media partners, sponsors, BCCI members, IPL governing council members, the government of all states in executing this. All have played a huge part in making the IPL what it is today.

Many a things have been said in these last few weeks about the IPL, but I am here as the humble servant of the game and to administer it to the best of my ability. As the Bhagvad Gita says, 'Fear not what is not real, never was and never will be. What is real, always was and cannot be destroyed.'

All I wanted was to leave a small footprint in this glorious history of this game. I thank my family, my children who have stood by me through this trying time all these years and continued to stay with me. I take strength from them. My final thank you is to you the fans, all over the world, we missed you last year in India and it is wonderful to be back home.

It is your passion and this is the reason we built the IPL. It is your passion that has sustained us and your passion that enriches us. This is not just the Indian Premier League, it is the Indian People's League. I humbly dedicate my dreams to all the fans of this wonderful country. Thank you.

Source: Web Search

Taxmen on IPL trail in Africa

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 02:22 AM

The Board of Control for Cricket in India may be trying to clean the Augean stables at the Indian Premier League, but the government is expanding its area of investigations, starting with South Africa . It is set to send a team of officials from the Enforcement Directorate, Department of Revenue and the financial intelligence unit to South Africa to investigate allegations of enormous gains made by the eight IPL franchises last year, whose tax incidence is not reflected in India.

According to sources, a team of around seven-eight officials will soon be despatched to South Africa to meet regulators and other authorities there.

The team would focus on the revenues of IPL-2 and of the eight franchises. The South African authorities have pledged full support to Indian tax sleuths on information-sharing, sources said. The second edition of IPL was held in South Africa , since the Indian government was unable to guarantee security for the matches which were scheduled at the same time as last year's Lok Sabha elections.

As reported by FE earlier, the earnings of IPL-II in 2009 stood at around Rs 775 core, which was a 17% jump over 2008 (IPL-I). Also, the earnings of the eight franchises in 2009 stood at around Rs 300 crore, 37% more than in IPL-I. However, these figures do not tally with the taxes paid by IPL, said sources.

According to sources, the government is keen to know if BCCI or IPL paid any taxes in South Africa . It also wants details on the actual quantum of earnings under various heads in IPL when it was held South Africa . As per internal calculations made by the tax department, BCCI should have paid taxes to the tune of over Rs 120 crore for 2008-09, which it did not. Also, since India and South Africa have a double taxation avoidance treaty since 1998, the investigating team will check the financial details of BCCI and IPL with officials from that country.

Even the service tax paid by IPL for 2008-09 is less than half of the payment made in 2007-08. According to finance ministry sources, IPL paid Rs 29 crore service tax for IPL-2, as opposed to Rs 64 crore for IPL-I. The Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) wants to know why service tax paid for IPL-II was less than half the payment made for IPL-I.

Sources told FE that CBEC is not convinced that the service tax collections from IPL-II were lower just because the tournament was played abroad. "Since most of the tax-paying parties - the franchisor, the franchisee and various service providers - were the same for both IPL-1 and IPL-2, there should not be such a drastic drop in the tax payments," a source in finance ministry said.

The services sector accounts for three classes of tax payers - the franchisor (BCCI/IPL), the franchisees (team owners) and the service providers. Services range from management business, business auxilliary services, sponsorship, and sale of space and event management to outdoor catering and security services. On some services, the tax has to be paid both by the franchisees and the franchisor, while on others, a single party alone has to pay the tax.

Source: Web Search

Shoaib pleads with media to stop hype over his marriage

Published Tue, Apr 27 10 01:46 AM

Karachi, Apr 26 (PTI) Pakistan''s former cricket captain Shoaib Malik has pleaded with the media to stop the hype surrounding his marriage with Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and allow them to live like a normal couple. Malik and Sania appeared together for the first time on a Pakistani channel tonight and the former said he was fed up with the hype over his marriage. "I am pleased to know that people are happy with our marriage but I think now it is time to stop this hype and let us live like a normal couple. I would request the media to leave alone both families," he said. Malik said since he and Sania had reached Pakistan he had spent most of his time being her personal bodyguard rather then her husband. "Two people from different countries got married and it should only be treated as a marriage nothing more," Malik told Ary News. Malik said while he was happy at the celebrations in Pakistan over his marriage but he was now tired of playing bodyguard to his wife in Pakistan. "I would ask the media to reduce the hype let our families enjoy this occasion as any family would celebrate a marriage. Because of all this hype I couldn''t even meet with my friends and relatives properly in the reception in Sialkot, it was a mad rush," he said. Malik, who is presently serving a 12-month ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board, said while the media created the hype over the marriage it was not shy of playing up negative stories about them which was disappointing. "I can only laugh at stories in the media that invitation cards for our wedding reception were sold," he added. "This thing about our wedding cards being sold it is laughable. Please don''t turn out wedding cards into credit cards," Malik said. Sania Mirza said she was surprised at all the hype in the media surrounding their marriage. "It is not like ours is a great big love story. Strangely we were introduced by a common friend from the media then I met him in Hobart and our families also met and we decided to get married," she said. Since reaching Pakistan, there have been reports that Sania and her family have not been very pleased with the boisterous reception they have got and the unruliness witnessed whenever they have gone out or at the reception in Sialkot on Sunday night. So much so that Sania''s father Imran Mirza is said to be personally supervising all security arrangements for the Valima reception in Lahore tomorrow.

Source: Web Search

King's creaky knee gives Capello a dilemma

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 12:28 AM

Fabio Capello does not look like a man prepared to gamble his reputation away on another's creaky left knee which is why Ledley King's timely return for Tottenham Hotspur leaves him facing a dilemma.

The England coach said last year that only 35 players were in contention for the 22 spots in his World Cup squad and with at least 15 almost certain to go, there was little room for late runners or those with question marks over their fitness.

Whether or not King was included in that 35 only the Italian knows, but having watched his unflappable performances against Arsenal and Manchester United recently he could not have failed to be impressed.

With two sound knees King would be a certainty for a seat on the plane to South Africa and many would even start him alongside John Terry or Rio Ferdinand in the heart of defence but the fact is that for six days after a match King cannot train.

The 29-year-old's career has been blighted by the degenerative injury, so much so that he has won just 19 England caps and is rarely seen in a Tottenham shirt these days.

When he does appear, however, he oozes class.

In Tottenham's 2-1 home win against Arsenal, only his 17th appearance of the season, he was calmness personified, snuffing out attacks and using the ball simply and effectively in the hurly burly of a north London derby.

Despite a 3-1 defeat at Manchester United on Saturday he again looked the best defender on the pitch, eclipsing highly regarded team mate Michael Dawson, and even made an impact at the other end with a headed equaliser.

FINAL DECISION

Provided the pain in his knee subsides King could feature in two of Tottenham's last three matches as they push for a Champions League place, giving him further chances to impress Capello as he nears his final decision.

"With doubts over Rio Ferdinand's fitness, it would be placing your fate in the lap of the gods to take a player with such injury problems, but, against my better judgment, I would put him on the plane, simply because he is streets ahead of the alternatives," Liverpool's former centre back Alan Hansen told the Daily Telegraph on Monday.

An injury to Terry or Ferdinand, a player with a history of back trouble, would leave England short at the back especially with West Ham United's Matthew Upson, a regular in Capello's squad, looking short of international pedigree.

"Taking King, a player who could have been a regular were it not for his injury problems, as cover is a risk, but it is one worth taking," Hansen added.

While the central defensive area continues to cause alarm, at least the return of left back Ashley Cole to Chelsea's title push and the form of midfielders Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard will be reassuring for Capello.

Lampard has hit nine goals in his last seven games while Gerrard appeared back to his best when scoring in Liverpool's 4-0 thrashing of Burnley on Sunday.

In the wide areas Capello's problems also appear to be easing with King's team mate Aaron Lennon back in action on Tottenham's right.

Before a groin injury halted his season in December, Lennon had jumped ahead of Theo Walcott and Shaun Wright-Phillips and his return could be bad news for the latter's hopes.

Source: Web Search

Pedro shows appetite for big game hunting

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 12:14 AM

If France captain Thierry Henry lacks match fitness at the World Cup finals this year, it is because he has been consigned to the bench by the meteoric rise of his Barcelona team mate Pedro.

The 22-year-old came up through the Barca youth ranks, scored his first goal for the European champions in August and has gone on to earn himself a regular place alongside Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

On top of that, an impressive 16 goals in all competitions will make it hard for Spain coach Vicente del Bosque to ignore the Canary Islander when he names his squad for South Africa next month.

Pedro is a versatile and pacy attacker who can play wide on either wing, through the middle as a striker, is confident dribbling or shooting with both feet and has an infectious enthusiasm for the game.

He opened his account for Barcelona, scoring against Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Super Cup first leg at San Mames, after which the Catalans rewarded him with a new five-year contract with a 75 million euro ($99.95 million) buyout clause.

He quickly repaid their faith and after they won the Spanish Super Cup, Pedro then bagged the extra-time winner for Barca against Shakhtar Donetsk in the European Super Cup.

BIG-GAME PLAYER

Pedro went on to find the net in La Liga, in the King's Cup and the Champions League before completing the remarkable feat of scoring in six separate competitions, hitting the final goal against Atlante that added the Club World Cup to Barca's bulging trophy cabinet in December.

Any doubts that he may struggle in big games must surely have been erased by the composed finish he pulled off to score against Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas at the Bernabeu earlier this month.

He topped that with another strike in a high-pressure environment, netting Barca's only goal in their 3-1 Champions League semi-final first leg defeat away to Inter Milan at the San Siro.

A Spain call-up beckons, and Del Bosque can be sure the presence of Barca team mates Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Gerard Pique and Carles Puyol, will help smooth his adaptation to the national set-up if he were selected.

"I think he deserves it," Pique told a news conference on Monday. "He has proved he is an important player in the Barca side and he has scored a lot of vital goals. He could be an important player for Spain if selected."

Henry would probably agree.

Source: Web Search

No defenders, no problem for implacable Van Gaal

Published>Tue, Apr 27 10 12:06 AM

Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal barely has enough fit defenders for Tuesday's Champions League semi-final second leg in Lyon but the implacable Dutchman does not appear too concerned.

Van Gaal told a news conference on Monday he did not know if injured defenders Martin Demichelis, Daniel Van Buyten and Diego Contento would have recovered in time to defend Bayern's 1-0 advantage from the first leg.

Ukrainian Anatoliy Tymoshchuk has not even travelled to France.

"I've come here with 17 players and I can only field 11 so if I miss the three others, I'll still have 14 available players," the imperturbable Van Gaal said.

Bayern have the worst defensive record of the four teams still in the Champions League, having conceded 13 goals this season in Europe, but Van Gaal said the most important thing would be to score.

"We are not the kind of team whose aim is just to avoid conceding goals when we enter the field. I've never told my players to play like that since the beginning of the season and I won't start tomorrow," he said.

Fellow Dutchman Mark van Bommel, who missed the first leg through suspension, said he was not worried about his side leaking goals.

LACK OF EXPERIENCE

"We have often conceded goals in away games this season but that's not a problem because even if we concede six goals tomorrow and we score five, we're through," the Bayern captain said.

Van Gaal said he was confident his team would overcome their injury woes thanks to their German mentality, which helped them knock Fiorentina and Manchester United out on away goals in previous rounds.

"Our willpower is just incredible, we have always managed to stay alive this season even during games when we were trailing," he said.

"When I was a coach in the Netherlands and my team had to play against a German one, I used to tell my players that they had to be ready to play until the very end of the game.

"Our team is made up of German players and foreign players who have been playing in Germany for quite a long time and are now immersed in this special German mentality," he said.

But Lyon coach Claude Puel warned Bayern they did not see the real Lyon in the first leg.

"Bayern feel confident, that's fair enough... but we know we are able to overcome any European opponent if we play at our real level," Puel told reporters before going to the Gerland pitch for training.

"We've had to go through difficult moments this season in the Champions League and we've always been able to raise our level each time we had to," he added.

Puel said Lyon, who knocked Real Madrid out in the last 16, suffered from a lack of experience in Munich.

"Let's not think about the situation and just focus on what we have to do on the pitch... Let's focus on our own game, which, I repeat, is not what we showed during the first leg," he said.

Lyon captain and defender Cris, whose knee locked in the first leg, said he was confident of making the starting line-up.

Source: Web Search

Denmark keeper Sorensen could make World Cup

Published Mon, Apr 26 10 11:48 PM

Injured Stoke City goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen could be fit for Denmark's World Cup campaign in June despite being ruled out for the rest of the Premier League season, the club said on Monday.

The Danish number one dislocated his right elbow in Sunday's 7-0 drubbing by league leaders Chelsea after a collision with Salomon Kalou but did not need surgery.

"If he had needed an operation, he'd have struggled to make the World Cup, but there is some encouraging news in that it was put back without the need for that," Stoke manager Tony Pulis told the club website (www.stokecityfc.co.uk).

Stoke, 13th in the table, are likely turn to Asmir Begovic to deputise for their final three league games against Everton, Fulham and Manchester United.

Source: Web Search

World Cup Group H news - Chile/Spain/Honduras/Switzerland

Published Mon, Apr 26 10 10:46 PM

Latest Group H team news ahead of the World Cup in South Africa which starts on June 11:

HONDURAS

Midfielder Danilo Turcios was the outstanding player in the weekend's Clausura championship semi-final first legs with two fine goals in Olimpia's 2-2 draw away to Vida in La Ceiba.

Turcios, with a sure place in coach Reinaldo Rueda's World Cup squad, showed his ability to ghost into scoring positions to net with a diving header and a shot from a tight angle.

In the other semi-final first leg in Puerto Cortes, Platense came from two goals down to equalise 2-2 with visitors Motagua, led by Honduras captain Amado Guevara who scored their second goal.

SPAIN

Barcelona forward Pedro is making a strong case for inclusion in Vicente del Bosque's squad for South Africa and could get a first call-up as an alternative to regular strikers David Villa and Fernando Torres.

The pacy 22-year-old, the only player to score in all six of the competitions Barca have played in this season, has netted nine in La Liga this season and scored a potentially vital away goal at Inter Milan in last week's Champions League semi-final first leg.

Fenerbahce striker Daniel Guiza, a regular under Del Bosque and his predecessor Luis Aragones, is getting back to form after injury and personal problems, his club coach Christoph Daum said in a newspaper interview published on Monday.

"He doesn't seem happy to me but he is a good professional and he is giving the team what it needs," Daum told Spain's Marca sports daily.

SWITZERLAND

Defender Philippe Senderos has admitted to his frustration at being unable to break into the first team at Everton following a series of minor injuries.

"It is very important for me to play for 90 minutes," he told the club's website. "I need games and I also need to prepare for the World Cup as well as I can."

"It has been frustrating but that is often what happens in football,"

Midfielder Hakan Yakin, who has been used only as a substitute by coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, scored a stunning goal - a dipping 30-metre shot on the turn -- in FC Lucerne's 4-1 win over FC Zurich.

CHILE

Chile's leading striker Humberto Suazo is expected to miss the rest of the season in Spain with a shoulder injury but should be fit again in time for the World Cup.

Suazo, top scorer in the South American World Cup qualifying campaign with 10 goals, injured his left shoulder in Real Zaragoza's 2-1 defeat at home to Real Madrid on Saturday.

He was due to undergo a magnetic resonance test on Monday but Zaragoza ruled out a bone injury, which could have jeopardised his participation in South Africa.

In Italy, Suazo's strike partner Alexis Sanchez scored one goal and set up two in Udinese's 4-1 demolition of Siena. The Chilean has now scored three times in his last four Serie A outings, as well as finding the back of the net in the Italian Cup in midweek.

Source: Web Search

Modi was suspended after show cause notice, says BCCI President

Published>Mon, Apr 26 10 10:22 PM

Mumbai, April 26 (ANI): President of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) Shashank Manohar on Monday said the Board issued a show-cause notice to Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi after looking into the allegations levelled against him and he was suspended, pending enquiry.

Speaking during a media briefing, the BCCI President said a probe into the matter would be undertaken after receiving Modi's reply to the notice.

"The Board looked into the allegations which were levelled and took a decision to issue a show-cause notice to Mr Lalit Modi (Indian Premier League commissioner) and pending inquiry, decided to suspend him. But as the tournament was on, we never wanted the tournament to be disrupted or any problems being created in the tournament. The show-cause notice was sent only after the tournament was over and thereafter Mr Modi was suspended. After receiving a reply from Mr Modi, the Board will hold an inquiry in the matter," said Shashank Manohar.

According to Manohar, the allegations on Modi the Board is looking into are related to the initial bids for Rajasthan Royals and King XI Punjab, the two IPL teams, the broadcasting deal issue, the matter of bid-rigging of the two new IPL franchises (from Kochi and Pune), internet rights, and also behavioral pattern of Lalit Modi.

Meanwhile, Chirayu Amin was named as the Interim Chairman of the League.

"The committee (IPL Governing Council) unanimously appointed Mr Chirayu Amin as an interim chairman of the (IPL) committee. And we also asked Professor Shetty (Secretary, BCCI) to look into all the records because many of the documents are missing today from the office of IPL and the Board. Every day the Income Tax Department is asking for documents, we don't have them in our custody," Manohar informed.

The BCCI President also said that a committee of former Indian cricket captains, Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and Mansoor Ali Khan Patuadi, has been constituted to look at the modalities for the next IPL tournament in 2011.

"With regard to the tournament for the year 2011, the committee appointed Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and M A K (Mansoor Ali Khan) Pataudi to discuss and decide with regards to the modalities of with holding three foreign cricketers and four Indian players. After discussing the issue with the franchisees, they were also asked to come back to the Board so that a final decision in this regard could be taken," said Manohar.

Tax authorities are probing the three-year-old Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, valued at an estimated 4.1 billion dollars, after the Union Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor resigned from his post following allegations of improper influence for Kochi IPL team. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

CORRECTED - World Cup Group H news - Chile/Spain/Honduras/Switzerland

Published Mon, Apr 26 10 10:08 PM

Source: Web Search

Gebrselassie targets 2:02 marathon

Published>Mon, Apr 26 10 09:48 PM

World marathon record holder Haile Gebrselassie predicted on Monday he would become the first man to clock two hours two minutes over 42.195 kms.

Gebrselassie, 37, is the only man to run under 2:04 after setting his world record of 2:03:59 in Berlin two years ago.

"There are good runners around. Imagine, a 2:05 in the Boston Marathon but I think I am the candidate to break it again. A 2:02 is very much possible," Gebrselassie told Reuters in an interview.

Gebrselassie, who won Olympic golds in 1996 and 2000 in the 10,000 plus four consecutive world titles, set world marathon records in 2007 and 2008 in Berlin on what is considered the fastest marathon course in the world.

The Ethiopian, who has targeted the marathon title at the 2012 London Olympics, did not say when or where he planned to try and set a new record. He won the Berlin marathon for a fourth straight year in 2009 but failed to beat his best time.

Gebrselassie said he was not surprised that compatriot Tsegaye Kebede had defied the combined efforts of a powerful Kenyan contingent to win the London marathon on Sunday.

Kebede ran unopposed in the final 10 kms on a slippery surface to clock 2:05:19, nine seconds outside the course record set by Kenyan Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru last year.

"I was not surprised when Kebede won in London yesterday. He has been consistent since winning bronze in the Beijing Olympics and another bronze in the Berlin world championships last year," Gebrselassie said.

"The surface was not very good, but this is sport where the unexpected happens many times. Many other favourites lost. But Kebede was in very good shape."

Gebrselassie said many Ethiopians were turning to the marathon because of his performances and because there were not enough track stadiums in their country.

The former Ethiopian police force officer said running shoe companies were investing in marathon camps in Ethiopia, which had encouraged young athletes to take up the sport.

"My involvement in marathons spurred the younger crop of runners, who find it more attractive because they can train anywhere as opposed to track running," he said.

"We have only one track stadium in the capital (Addis Ababa) and I fear that there may not be strong track runners from Ethiopia in future if the issue is not addressed."

Gebrselassie said his next race would be over 10 kms in Manchester on May 17.

"Then I will decide whether to run in the Berlin or Chicago marathon," he said. "The London Olympics is still very much in mind but I will need to be more serious to compete with these young guys. They are too fast these days."

Source: Web Search

Govt eases norms for imports of sports weapons

Published Mon, Apr 26 10 08:52 PM

New Delhi, Apr 26 (PTI) Ahead of the Commonwealth Games, the government today eased procedures for import of sports weapons for renowned shooters, who will no longer be asked to seek permission from the sports ministry. Instead, a single point permission from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) will be granted and that too at the regional level itself to the National Rifle Association. Earlier, the requests for these shipments were routed to the DGFT through the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports. "This has been done with a view to liberalise and rationalise the procedures," the DGFT said. Earlier, in February, the government had removed duty on all sports goods and equipment, including rifles and pistols, to be imported by the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games 2010 and national sports federations. The Commonwealth Games will start in the national capital from October 3. Shooters like Abhinav Bindra and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore have brought glory to the country in Olympics.

Source: Web Search

Bindra lone supporter for Modi in GC meeting

Published Mon, Apr 26 10 08:22 PM

Mumbai, Apr 26 (PTI) Punjab Cricket Association President I S Bindra was the lone member to support the embattled Lalit Modi when the governing council met today to decide the future course of action in the wake of the raging IPL controversy. Bindra said that Modi should have been given time to explain his stand before being suspended and issued a show cause notice which he has to respond within 15 days. Barring Bindra, none of the council members spoke in Modi''s favour during the 90-minute meeting and all of them endorsed BCCI President Shashank Manohar''s decision to suspend him, a top BCCI source said. Treasurer M P Pandove and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah did not attend the meeting. While Pandove is not keeping well, Abdullah skipped the meet as he had to attend the Parliament session. Manohar briefed the council members about the entire issue, particularly the charges that have been levelled against Modi. He highlighted the serious financial irregularities in the bid documents and various other deals such as the television and internet. When the issue of who should succeed Modi came up, members recommended Manohar himself should take up the post of IPL chairman and clean up the mess. Manohar, on his part, suggested that Chirayu Amin, the president of Baroda Cricket Association and one of the BCCI vice-presidents, should be the chairman. "Manohar explained that Amin would be a better candidate because he has the background of an industrialist and his experience in marketing would stand in good stead when the league becomes even bigger in the subsequent editions," the source said. The council members were unanimous in their views that the brand and image of IPL have to be restored and only way to do that was to be more transparent in handling all the dealings. Manohar also wanted the three cricketers in the panel -- Sunil Gavaskar, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi and Ravi Shastri -- to play a bigger role in running the IPL. The trio have now been entrusted with the job of working out the modalities for IPL 4 which will have 10 teams with the addition of Kochi and Pune franchises. Patuadi raised the issue of ''facilitation fee'' in the broadcasting deal between World Sports Group and Multi Screen Media (MSM) and who were the actual beneficiaries of the alleged kickbacks.

Source: Web Search

Court pulls up Maharashtra for not levying tax on IPL

Published>Mon, Apr 26 10 08:18 PM

Mumbai, April 26 (IANS) The Bombay High Court Monday pulled up the Maharashtra government for failing to levy entertainment duty on the Indian Premier League cricket tournament and asked whether any decision has been taken on it.

A division of Justices P.B. Majumdar and Justice R.G. Ketkar directed the state government to clarify its stand whether it has decided to levy the duty or not and file an affidavit before May 5.

The judges also wanted to know from the state government whether there was any code of conduct for the chief minister or any other minister who is taking part in the activities of various sports bodies like the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

During the hearing, the judges sought to know from the state whether any 'conflict of interest arises' if a minister also holds a post in a sports organisation. The reference could have been to union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar though the court did not take his name.

The direction to file the affidavit was given in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) of senior Shiv Sena legislator Subhash Desai, who alleged that the government, in a cabinet meeting January, decided to levy tax on the IPL but the decision was not implemented.

Government counsel D. Nalavade submitted that duties on all sport activities were waived off by the state in May 1964.

'However, the state government intends to withdraw the exemption because these are not just sport activities,' Nalavade said, adding there was a need for a policy to levy duty for all sports events where 'entertainment was a primary' element.

Last week, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG), in a report, said the state government had sustained a loss of Rs.4.99 crore on account of its failure to levy entertainment duty on the first IPL tourney held in April 2008.

Source: Web Search

Chirayu Amin IPL interim chief, Modi chargesheeted on five counts

Published>Mon, Apr 26 10 07:56 PM

Mumbai, April 26 (IANS) The Indian cricket board Monday charged its vice president Lalit Modi on several counts of financial impropriety, including allegations of bid rigging, and appointed another vice-president and corporate honcho Chirayu Amin as interim president of the high profile Indian Premier League (IPL).

Indian cricket board president Shashank Manohar, using his constitutional prerogative, suspended Modi in a dramatic midnight action, moments after the outgoing IPL commissioner made a highly emotional speech defending a 'clean and transparent' tournament, and hours later the Governing Council (GC) discussed ways to clean up the system.

Amin, 62, is no stranger to cricket administration or marketing affairs. He is the president of the Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) and is also the chief managing director (CMD) of the Baroda-based 100-year-old Rs.1,200-crore pharmaceutical giant Alembic Ltd.

Listing the charges against Modi, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief told a packed news conference that all the allegations against Modi will be probed. The chargesheet has five broad heads -- the initial bids of Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, the broadcasting deal, bid rigging in 2010, Internet rights of IPL and his behavioural patterns.

Manohar said the board will inquire into the charges, if necessary, after receiving Modi's reply. 'If Modi's reply is convincing to the members, the proceedings will be dropped.'

'Looking at the allegations and counter-allegations made through the media, the board took a decision to issue a show-cause notice to Mr Modi and, pending inquiry, decided to suspend him. The board will hold, after receiving a reply from Mr. Modi, an inquiry if necessary. If the reply of Mr Modi convinces the members, the proceedings will be dropped,' said Manohar.

He said it was important to suspend Modi so that a free and fair investigation could be conducted.

'For free and fair inquiry it was necessary to suspend Modi so that he cannot interfere with the process,' he said.

Manohar said the show-cause notice to Modi was sent only after the presentation ceremony was over and thereafter he was suspended.

'When the tournament was on, we never wanted it to be disrupted or any problems created in the tournament because the IPL is a valuable property of the board.'

'The commercial aspect of such an event is an important thing. However, ethics and transparency are more important.'

Manohar said the chargesheet was discussed in the emergency GC meeting.

'The chargesheet was discussed as also the committee unanimously appointed Chirayu Amin as the interim chairman of the committee.

'We have also asked Ratnakar Shetty to look into all the records because many of the documents are missing from the office of the IPL and the board. Everyday the income-tax department is asking for the documents, but we don't have them in our custody. Therefore, we have asked Prof Shetty to look into all these aspects of documents and we have taken a decision to go ahead with regard to the tournament for the year 2011.'

Manohar said the GC was never taken into confidence by Modi while taking all his decisions.

The GC also appointed a committee with three former captains Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi to discuss and decide the modalities of franchisees retaining three foreign and four Indian players for the fourth edition when the players are put on auction later this year.

'After discussing the issue with the franchisees, they have been asked to come back to the board so that a final decision in this regard can be taken.'

'The governing council will meet after a month, sometime in June after all the preliminary things are done because most of the GC members were unaware of the things happening.'

Twelve GC members, except Modi and Jammu and Kashmir cricket association president Farooq Abdullah, were present at the meeting held under the chairmanship of Manohar at the Cricket Centre in Wankhede Stadium here.

The other members of the Governing Council are former BCCI president and Punjab Cricket Association chief Inderjit Singh Bindra, BCCI treasurer M.P. Pandove, vice-presidents Amin and Arjun Jaitley, chairman of Media and Finance Committee Rajiv Shukla, board secretary N. Srinivasan, joint secretary Sanjay Jagdale, IPL vice-chairman Niranjan Shah and former India captains Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar and Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi.

Manohar also talked about IPL CEO Sundar Raman, who is in the firing line after Modi's exit.

'I came here three days in advance to look into all the documents and contracts in view of the ongoing controversy. I called Sundar Raman, because on that day in the evening there was an IPL awards function. I asked for the contract of that function and I was told, 'Sir there was no contract. The contract terms were finalised yesterday night'.

'And this he informs me at 3 o' clock in the afternoon when the function is going to be held at 7 o'clock in the evening.

'Thereafter, if this issue comes before the GC, what do you expect the council to do? Do you expect it to say that 'no, we reject this contract and we are going to cancel this function after the function is already over'?' said the BCCI chief.

Source: Web Search

World Cup Group H news - Chile/Spain/Honduras/Switzerland

Published Mon, Apr 26 10 07:48 PM

Latest Group H team news ahead of the World Cup in South Africa which starts on June 11:

HONDURAS

Midfielder Danilo Turcios was the outstanding player in the weekend's Clausura championship semi-final first legs with two fine goals in Olimpia's 2-2 draw away to Vida in La Ceiba.

Turcios, with a sure place in coach Reinaldo Rueda's World Cup squad, showed his ability to ghost into scoring positions to net with a diving header and a shot from a tight angle.

In the other semi-final first leg in Puerto Cortes, Platense came from two goals down to equalise 2-2 with visitors Motagua, led by Honduras captain Amado Guevara who scored their second goal.

SPAIN

Barcelona forward Pedro is making a strong case for inclusion in Vicente del Bosque's squad for South Africa and could get a first call-up as an alternative to regular strikers David Villa and Fernando Torres.

The pacy 22-year-old, the only player to score in all six of the competitions Barca won in 2009, has netted nine in La Liga this season and scored a potentially vital away goal at Inter Milan in last week's Champions League semi-final first leg.

Fenerbahce striker Daniel Guiza, a regular under Del Bosque and his predecessor Luis Aragones, is getting back to form after injury and personal problems, his club coach Christoph Daum said in a newspaper interview published on Monday.

"He doesn't seem happy to me but he is a good professional and he is giving the team what it needs," Daum told Spain's Marca sports daily.

SWITZERLAND

Defender Philippe Senderos has admitted to his frustration at being unable to break into the first team at Everton following a series of minor injuries.

"It is very important for me to play for 90 minutes," he told the club's website. "I need games and I also need to prepare for the World Cup as well as I can."

"It has been frustrating but that is often what happens in football,"

Midfielder Hakan Yakin, who has been used only as a substitute by coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, scored a stunning goal - a dipping 30-metre shot on the turn -- in FC Lucerne's 4-1 win over FC Zurich.

CHILE

Chile's leading striker Humberto Suazo is expected to miss the rest of the season in Spain with a shoulder injury but should be fit again in time for the World Cup.

Suazo, top scorer in the South American World Cup qualifying campaign with 10 goals, injured his left shoulder in Real Zaragoza's 2-1 defeat at home to Real Madrid on Saturday.

He was due to undergo a magnetic resonance test on Monday but Zaragoza ruled out a bone injury, which could have jeopardised his participation in South Africa.

In Italy, Suazo's strike partner Alexis Sanchez scored one goal and set up two in Udinese's 4-1 demolition of Siena. The Chilean has now scored three times in his last four Serie A outings, as well as finding the back of the net in the Italian Cup in midweek.

Source: Web Search

World Cup Group F news - Italy/Paraguay/Slovakia/NZ

Published Mon, Apr 26 10 07:28 PM

Latest Group F team news ahead of the World Cup in South Africa which starts on June 11:

ITALY

Italy coach Marcello Lippi aims to name his World Cup squad on May 18, ahead of the June 1 deadline, but whether he will remain in his post beyond the tournament remains a mystery.

"On May 18th I should be able to name who is in the 23 plus four stand-bys. Some time ago I said we were 70 percent there with the squad and now I'm missing four or five players, a little more patience please," Lippi told www.gazzetta.it.

"With the federation president Giancarlo Abete we have clear ideas. He said that before the World Cup we'd know who will be the coach afterwards, but he didn't use the word new..."

PARAGUAY

In light of the loss for the World Cup of shooting victim Salvador Cabanas, Paraguay coach Gerardo Martino will be pleased with the scoring form of Benfica's Oscar Cardozo, who hit a hat-trick in their 5-0 rout of Olhanense.

He will also have noted the hat-trick scored by Lucas Barrios for Borussia Dortmund in a 3-2 win over Nuremberg. Barrios, born in Argentina, received Paraguayan nationality through his mother this month, making him available for Paraguay at the World Cup.

Midfielder Nestor Ortigoza, another naturalised Argentine-born player who has already made his Paraguay debut and is likely to go to South Africa, scored for Argentinos Juniors in a 3-1 win over Gimnasia-La Plata that put his side second in the Argentine Clausura championship.

NEW ZEALAND

Locally-based players will get their final chance to impress All Whites coach Ricki Herbert as he finalises his World Cup squad when 15 players from the A-League and New Zealand's domestic league assemble for a 12-day camp starting on Thursday.

Herbert told local media he had already nailed down "18 or 19" players for the 23-man squad he will take to South Africa, with several overseas players, such as Blackburn Rovers central defender Ryan Nelsen, almost certainly pencilled in.

The overseas-based players, including captain Nelsen, will assemble in Auckland with the rest of the squad for a final camp in late May before the team heads to Australia for their warm-up match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground against Australia on May 24.

SLOVAKIA

Striker Filip Holosko scored an equaliser for his club Besiktas in their 2-2 home draw with Sivasspor, leaving them fourth in the Turkish first division nine points off the pace with three games left.

It was Holosko's sixth league goal in 18 appearances for Besiktas and his fourth in the last eight games, but the club have only a theoretical chance of clinching the title after winning only one of their last five matches.

Midfielder Dusan Svento stayed on course to win the Austrian league title with Salzburg, after a 1-1 home draw with Rapid Vienna in their top of the table clash left the defending champions six points ahead.

Source: Web Search

INTERVIEW - Schumacher still a winner, says Brawn

Published>Mon, Apr 26 10 07:08 PM

Ross Brawn, the man who helped mastermind so many of Michael Schumacher's finest moments in Formula One, said the seven-times champion will be a winner again this season once Mercedes give him a good enough car.

In an interview with Reuters at a floating lifeboat station on the River Thames, where he was launching a fund-raising challenge, Mercedes team principal Brawn was optimistic about the 41-year-old German's prospects after a tough start to his comeback year.

He added that it was only a matter of time before Schumacher's team mate Nico Rosberg took his first win and applauded world champion Jenson Button's strong showing at McLaren after leaving Brawn.

"It would be foolish to say he (Schumacher) is where he wants to be but he's very determined to succeed and I think these frustrations are just going to make him try even harder," said Brawn.

Schumacher has been outqualified and beaten by fellow German Rosberg in all four races so far but will have a different chassis at next week's Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

"The one (chassis) he had got damaged during the first few races and we repaired it as best we could at the races," said Brawn, removing his orange life-jacket after stepping off a lifeboat onto a jetty by London's Waterloo bridge.

"Now we are back at base we are going to re-introduce the test chassis and he will be using that in Barcelona.

"We want to eliminate any doubt because obviously Michael has come back, he's trying to find his references and is trying to work out how to approach things," he explained.

MAJOR REVAMP

Rosberg will stick with the chassis that has taken him to two podiums in a row but will also benefit from a major revamp for the first race of the season in Europe.

The wheelbase on both cars has been changed to improve weight distribution and there is a big aerodynamic upgrade too.

Schumacher finished 10th in the latest race in China, while Rosberg was third and led early on, and some have expressed concern that he is finding it hard to get back up to speed.

Brawn said both driver and team had work to do but there was no panic, only frustration.

"Undoubtedly these tyres are a bit different to what he's used to," said Brawn. "Maybe, with the car and the tyres, it's not towards the way he likes to have a car which is very responsive and very sharp. We haven't been able to provide him with that yet."

"We've not had a fantastic start but we are still in there because no-one else is really dominating either," he added, the platform swaying gently against the wash of passing boats. "There is still plenty of opportunity.

"I was frustrated at the weekend (in China) because Nico could have won that race," continued Brawn. "He made one mistake in very difficult circumstances.

"He's very close to winning a race, just needs things to fall into place...but that will come. I'm sure he will definitely do it and I think Michael will when we get the car sorted," said Brawn.

"He is so determined and you can see that in his driving," added Brawn, a keen sea angler whose holiday home in Cornwall is right next to a lifeboat slip.

"The bits where it's not quite working are not because of (lack of) skill or bravery, it's because the technique needs tuning and the car needs tuning.

"It's odd places where he's losing time and that's why we think he'll sort it out and we'll sort it out and get to where we need to."

Brawn said the team's own analysis of the three races up to China had shown that Schumacher was getting progressively stronger and closer to Rosberg.

CLEVER BUTTON

Button, who won six of the first seven races in 2009 before fading in the second half of the year, has won twice in four starts for McLaren.

Some commentators had warned him he was making a mistake in leaving Brawn for the 'Lions' Den', a team seen as being dominated by his fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton, but Brawn said Button was showing his true character again.

"He's taken a really intelligent approach this year," he said. "He's highly skilled, we know that. If Jenson starts with the Jenson we had in the first half of last year then he's going to be very strong."

"Really the second half (of 2009) came from certain pressures that were building with the championship and so on and wasn't the natural Jenson. What we are seeing again is the natural Jenson.

"He's not looked necessarily quicker than Lewis, but he's doing a better job and he's getting the results."

Source: Web Search

Lahore Court summons Malik for May 3 hearing

Published Mon, Apr 26 10 06:36 PM

Lahore, Apr 26 (PTI) A local court here has summoned Shoaib Malik on May 3 for the hearing of a petition which claims that the former Pakistan captain has hurt the sentiments of his fans by selling invitation cards of his wedding reception in Sialkot. Additional sessions judge, Muhammad Rafiq has admitted the petition by Abid Ali for hearing and issued the summons. The petitioner has stated that he was a big fan of Malik and couldn''t afford to buy the invitation card priced at 15,000 rupees. "The petitioner has pleaded that by selling invitation cards, Malik has hurt the sentiments and feelings of his fans. There is also an allegation that even those who purchased cards were not allowed entry into the wedding reception held on Sunday in Sialkot," a lawyer said. He said in all probability Malik''s lawyer would appear before the local court on May 3. In another petition filed today in the Lahore High Court, a citizen has alleged that Shoaib Malik and his family violated government regulations while organising their wedding reception in Sialkot yesterday. Hasan Shahzad in his petition has prayed that the Lahore High Court should take notice of the fact that electricity was wasted and the one-dish rule for weddings was violated at the reception. "Basically the Lahore High Court will now decide whether the petition has merit to be admitted for regular hearing," a senior lawyer said. The petitioner has said that during the wedding reception Malik and his family despite several warnings from WAPDA made extravagant use of electricity to decorate their house and the reception venue. He has also alleged that while the government has made it mandatory that only one dish is allowed to be served at marriages, Malik and his family had several dishes on their menu.

Source: Web Search