WC final referees had no choice 'but to manage the way we did': Webb

Published>Wed, Jul 14 10 12:22 PM

London, July 14(ANI): FIFA World Cup final's referee, Howard Webb, has hit back at his critics, saying that he has no regrets over his handling of Sunday's game between Spain and the Netherlands.

Webb was criticised in some quarters after he showed 14 yellow cards and dismissed Netherlands defender Johnny Heitinga in a match marred by frequent foul play.

"It was one of the toughest games my assistants and I will ever be involved in. We feel we worked hard to keep the focus on the football as much as possible. Whatever the match, you always hope the officials won't need to be heavily involved," The Sun quoted Webb, as saying.

"However, we had to raise our profile just to keep control. From early on in the match we had to make decisions that were clear yellow cards. We tried to apply some common-sense given the magnitude of the occasion," he added.

The 39-year-old further said that the referees did not have much choice, "but to manage the game the way we did".

"We advised players early on for some of their tackling, sent players away when they were surrounding the officials and spoke to their senior colleagues to try and calm them down," Webb said.We did a tough job in difficult circumstances to the best of our abilities. It would have been an extremely challenging match for any referee," he added. (ANI)

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IHF appoints selection panel

Published Wed, Jul 14 10 11:52 AM

Bhopal, July 13 -- Taking forward its tussle with Hockey India (HI), the KPS Gill-led Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) on Tuesday announced its panel of selectors to pick up India teams. The IHF selection panel comprises Olympians Dilip Tirkey of Orissa, Edward Aloysius of Mumbai, Baljit Singh Dhillon of Punjab, Gurbux Singh Grewal of Mumbai, Syed Ali of Uttar Pradesh and Abdul or Khan, a former international player from Bhopal. The announcement made on the sidelines of the 63rd Senior National Men's Hockey Championship for the Rangaswamy Cup here does not come as a surprise as the IHF wants to prove that it is fully functional. However, the move has no relevance as the IHF is not recognised by the international hockey federation (FIH) and therefore not authorised to select teams for international events. Though two of the selectors, Aloysius and Gaffoor watched the quarterfinal proceedings at the Aishbagh Stadium and the other three are expected to join in a day or two, their efforts will eventually go waste as HI may not recognise what they pick.

New York: George Steinbrenner, who rebuilt the New York Yankees baseball team into a sports empire with a mix of bluster and big bucks that polarized fans, died on Tuesday. He had just celebrated his 80th birthday on July 4. Steinbrenner had a heart attack, was taken to St Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Florida, and died at about 6:30 am.

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PCB returns fine amount of players

Published Wed, Jul 14 10 11:46 AM

Karachi, Jul 14 (PTI) The Pakistan Cricket Board has returned the money it had deducted from the funds of four players after they were fined heavily earlier this year for indiscipline during the disastrous tour of Australia. According to details, PCB''s finance department in a show of great urgency returned the fine amount of Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal and Shoaib Malik, who were penalised in March by the board''s inquiry committee set up to probe the national team''s poor show in Australia. Afridi abnd Kamran were fined three million rupees, while Umar and Malik were penalised two million each. The PCB inquiry committee even imposed a one-year ban on Malik for indiscipline during the tour but the board''s appeal''s commissioner later cleared him of any wrongdoing, thereby paving the way for the former captain''s return to the national team. "Since Afridi''s fine was removed completely and the fines of other players were halved, they approached the board for return of their funds," one source said. The source said that PCB chairman Ejaz Butt had flown to England last week with cheques for the players. "Butt handed over the cheques of the deducted amounts to the players when he met them in London before the first Test, the source said. "The idea was that the players should have a peace of mind before the start of the Test series. Secondly, the players were right in their apprehensions as the finance department acted too hastily while deducting the total fines from the players earnings," the source added. PCB inquiry committee had also banned Rana Naved for a yaer and fined him two million rupees but his appeal is still pending with the appeal''s commissioner.

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Saina worth her weight in gold

Published Wed, Jul 14 10 11:22 AM

New Delhi, July 14 -- Prizes won, accolades earned and interviews done. India's badminton queen, Saina Nehwal is the only Indian woman to have broken into the top 10, forget about her current ranking of No. 3; and she has come a long way. What is impressive though is that she clearly knows the road ahead will be much tougher. "It's going to be difficult from here," said the ace Indian shuttler. "When you become a world No. , the world changes for you. Up here, the battle is not just to live, but to stay on top." No one would know what it takes to be where Saina is, better than her mentor and national coach, Pullela Gopichand, who took her under his wings and brought her to this level. "She deserves to be where she is today," he said. "But let's not forget, with power, comes great responsibility. The sense of achievement is there. But there's a lot of work left, which will only come with time." A lot has been said and written about Saina's fitness and the battle between her and the Chinese. Unfazed by all the debate, Gopichand has a simple point to make, "The Chinese are good when it comes to speed and agility. She has just entered the zone of heavyweights. Those who have been there know the tricks of the trade. Saina still needs sometime to come up to that level of perfection." Talking about fitness and the game, the coach said Saina possesses a great deal of endurance and has the ability to stay in, and win long rallies, but against higher ranked opponents, it will not be easy going. "I need to work on every aspect of her game. At this point, if Saina comes up against anybody who is a notch above her, then she will need to slug it out. Fitness is not a problem, but when you are faced with a higher ranked opponent, your fitness levels and skills are put to the test." Gopichand reiterated that not only has her game improved, but also the mental strength one needs to reach the top. "The belief and faith Saina has in herself is incredible," he said. "If I teach her a shot, she straightaway uses it in big tournaments, when others would hesitate until they are more comfortable playing it. And it's not just a shot; it's a confident shot, played to perfection. To be the best, you need to be mentally strong enough to push your limits consistently." Performance no criteria Premier Brands, the official sponsors of the Indian team, on Tuesday said that the company was contemplating equal distribution of money to all team members, and are in talks with the Badminton Association of India. The company had earlier decided to pay the 16 players on the basis of their performance.

The team for Macau Open and Chinese Taipei has been selected. Aditi Mutatkar, P. Kashyap, Chetan Anand and Guru Sai Dutt will represent India in Macau Open. The same team, sans Anand will play in Chinese Taipei.

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Asif, Aamer swing it away from Aussies

Published>Wed, Jul 14 10 11:17 AM

Pakistan took the honours on a hard-fought opening day in the first Test against Australia at Lord's on Tuesday played in typical English conditions. Under an overcast sky offering plenty of assistance to the pace bowlers, Australia struggled to 229 for nine in the first Test between two overseas teams on English soil since the 1912 triangular series.

The Australians appeared to have weathered the early storm, reaching 171 for two after being asked to bat by Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi following the loss of 90 minutes play because of overnight rain. Shane Watson (4) and captain Ricky Ponting (26) had been dismissed on either side of the lunch interval by left-arm paceman Mohammad Aamer after Ponting moved past Brian Lara to take second place behind Sachin Tendulkar in the all-time Test run scoring list.

Simon Katich and Michael Clarke then added 120 at better than a run a minute before Mohammad Asif, bending the ball late with his pronounced wrist action off a full length, dismissed Clarke lbw for 47 with the final delivery before tea.

Asif accounted for the obdurate Katich (80) caught behind with his third ball after the break and bowled Marcus North for a third-ball duck to give him three wickets in seven deliveries. Wicketkeeper Tim Paine (7) and Steven Smith (1) made inauspicious Test debuts with the bat, the former caught behind off Umar Gul and the latter falling lbw to fellow leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.

Kaneria beat Mitchell Johnson comprehensively with a googly and bowled the left-hander next ball for three. The players left the field for bad light with Michael Hussey unbeaten on 39.

Scoreboard:

Australia: S Watson b M Aamer 4, S Katich c K Akmal b M Asif 80, R Ponting c U Amin b M Aamer 26, M Clarke lbw b M Asif 47, M Hussey batting 39, M North b M Asif 0, T Paine c K Akmal b U Gul 7, S Smith lbw b D Kaneria 1, M Johnson b D Kaneria 3, B Hilfenhaus b M Aamer 1, D Bollinger batting 0.

Extras: (b 10, lb 2, w 1, nb 8) 21; Total (9 wickets; 70 overs) 229; FoW: 1-8 2-51 3-171 4-174 5-174 6-206 7-208 8-213 9-222; Bowling: M Aamer 18-2-66-3, M Asif 17-5-53-3, U Gul 14-3-24-1, S Afridi 3-0-25-0, D Kaneria 18-7-49-2.

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Malik was ignored for 1st Test because of form: Yawar

Published Wed, Jul 14 10 10:51 AM

Karachi, Jul 14 (PTI) Pakistan team manager Yawar Saeed has dismissed reports that Shoaib Malik was not considered for the first Test against Australia on disciplinary grounds and said the former captain was dropped from the playing eleven because of his poor form. There were reports in the media that Malik was dropped from the team for the first Test against Australia which started yesterday at Lord''s after the experienced all-rounder skipped a few practice sessions to be with his wife Sania Mirza. But Yawar rubbished the reports, saying they were untrue and baseless. "The team was picked well in advance and the tour selection committee did not pick Malik because he is still trying to find his form," Yawar said from London. "The spirit of the team is high and all the players have gelled together. There have been no disciplinary issues as yet at all," he said. Malik married Indian tennis ace Sania earlier this year in a much-hyped ceremony in Hyderabad. Soon after his publicised wedding, Malik, who was banned by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for one year over indiscipline, was recalled in the national team for last month''s Asia Cup after an appeals tribunal cleared him of any wrongdoing. Malik himself was surprised by the report since he had not missed a single practice session and said he was ignored only because of his form. "Even when we go out of the hotel we do it with the knowledge and permission of the team management," he said. "I have not been selected because the tour selection committee felt that it was better to give a chance to youngsters for this Test and also I am trying to get back to my best form," Malik said. The PCB has issued strict instructions to the team management not to show leniency to any player during the tour and to deal strongly with incidents of cricketers violating the code of conduct. Sources, however, said that Malik and enigmatic fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar had been on their best behavior since returning to the Pakistan team last month. "Infact the board has asked the team management including the captain and coach and also the selection committee to send a report on the behavior, form and fitness of Malik so that he can considered for a central contract," one source said. Malik was robbed of his central contract this year because of the ban and fine imposed on him by the PCB for indiscipline during Pakistan''s disastrous tour of Australia. PTI Cor SSC

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Asif, Aamer swing it away from Aussies

Published>Wed, Jul 14 10 10:47 AM

Pakistan took the honours on a hard-fought opening day in the first Test against Australia at Lord's on Tuesday played in typical English conditions. Under an overcast sky offering plenty of assistance to the pace bowlers, Australia struggled to 229 for nine in the first Test between two overseas teams on English soil since the 1912 triangular series.

The Australians appeared to have weathered the early storm, reaching 171 for two after being asked to bat by Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi following the loss of 90 minutes play because of overnight rain. Shane Watson (4) and captain Ricky Ponting (26) had been dismissed on either side of the lunch interval by left-arm paceman Mohammad Aamer after Ponting moved past Brian Lara to take second place behind Sachin Tendulkar in the all-time Test run scoring list.

Simon Katich and Michael Clarke then added 120 at better than a run a minute before Mohammad Asif, bending the ball late with his pronounced wrist action off a full length, dismissed Clarke lbw for 47 with the final delivery before tea.

Asif accounted for the obdurate Katich (80) caught behind with his third ball after the break and bowled Marcus North for a third-ball duck to give him three wickets in seven deliveries. Wicketkeeper Tim Paine (7) and Steven Smith (1) made inauspicious Test debuts with the bat, the former caught behind off Umar Gul and the latter falling lbw to fellow leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.

Kaneria beat Mitchell Johnson comprehensively with a googly and bowled the left-hander next ball for three. The players left the field for bad light with Michael Hussey unbeaten on 39.

Scoreboard:

Australia: S Watson b M Aamer 4, S Katich c K Akmal b M Asif 80, R Ponting c U Amin b M Aamer 26, M Clarke lbw b M Asif 47, M Hussey batting 39, M North b M Asif 0, T Paine c K Akmal b U Gul 7, S Smith lbw b D Kaneria 1, M Johnson b D Kaneria 3, B Hilfenhaus b M Aamer 1, D Bollinger batting 0.

Extras: (b 10, lb 2, w 1, nb 8) 21; Total (9 wickets; 70 overs) 229; FoW: 1-8 2-51 3-171 4-174 5-174 6-206 7-208 8-213 9-222; Bowling: M Aamer 18-2-66-3, M Asif 17-5-53-3, U Gul 14-3-24-1, S Afridi 3-0-25-0, D Kaneria 18-7-49-2.

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Tour stage to Gap evokes memories for Armstrong

Published Wed, Jul 14 10 08:55 AM

The 179-km 10th stage of the Tour de France will evoke memories for Lance Armstrong when the race reaches Gap on Wednesday.

Seven years ago, on the way to his fifth Tour win, the American was forced to cut through a field to avoid Spaniard Joseba Beloki who had crashed in front of him on the descent of the La Rochette climb.

The peloton will again ride through La Rochette and take a long descent to the finish line in Gap after three climbs, including the first-category Cote de Laffrey.

In 2003, the weather was as hot as it is this year and Armstrong was more agile and had avoided crashes.

"I hope I stay out of the fields. There's no way I can pull that off two times in a row," Armstrong said at the end of the ninth stage in St Jean de Maurienne on Tuesday.

Armstrong's hopes of an eighth Tour win evaporated with a crash on Sunday in the first Alpine stage of this year's race which dropped him down the standings.

The last two stage winners in Gap are still in the race: Alexandre Vinokourov won in 2003 and Frenchman Pierrick Fedrigo in 2006.

On Bastille Day, French fans will hope for a victory by a home rider.

Since 1947, 13 French riders have won on July 14, including three in the last decade -- Laurent Jalabert in 2001, Richard Virenque in 2003 and David Moncoutie in 2005.

Luxembourg's Andy Schleck seized the overall lead on Tuesday, 41 seconds ahead of defending champion Alberto Contador, after world champion Cadel Evans, riding with a fractured elbow, fell back.

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