Oz fast bowlers will hammer England to reclaim Ashes: Gillespie

Published>Mon, Feb 01 10 12:50 PM

Sydney, Feb 1 (ANI): Former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie has said that Ricky Ponting's team will hammer England to reclaim the Ashes with a relentless pace arsenal comprising quality performers, all of whom are desperate to impress.

Gillespie was all praise for Australia's Test attack, which includes Mitchell Johnson, Doug Bollinger, Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Shane Watson.

"I have absolutely no doubt Australia will win the Ashes, I think this side is very good," Fox Sports quoted Gillespie, as saying.

"As a former quick, I am chuffed watching this - blokes coming in and bowling 145-150km/h," he added.

Gillespie further said that unheralded fast bowler Ryan Harris, who has become Australia's new one-day hit man, underlines the rock-solid back-up that the national team enjoys.

"Rhino has really surprised me. I have always known he could bowl low 140s, but gee-whiz he's bowling 150km/h. He is running in and hitting the track hard and has been fantastic," Gillespie said.

The 34-year-old also believes that Australia's pace stock has been facilitated by the rise of left-armer Bollinger.

"I told everyone bowlers of Doug's ilk are like gold. I have always been a big wrap for him since I faced him at state level. As a bowler who batted a bit, you always knew the guys you felt could have some success at the next level," Gillespie said. (ANI)

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Murray's tight underwear behind Australian Open defeat

Published>Mon, Feb 01 10 12:24 PM

London, Feb 1 (ANI): Australian Open finalist and World No.3 Andy Murray has said tight underwear may have played a part in his defeat in year's first grand slam.

He fought back tears, as he apologised to fans for losing to Roger Federer and missing out on Britain's first grand slam win for 74 years.

The 22-year-old revealed his cycling shorts had caused him some problems during the two hours and 41 minutes of tennis, the Daily Express reprots.

Asked whether he had picked up an injury after frequently rubbing his left hip, he said: "My hip is fine. It was just that the cycling shorts were too tight."

Despite some great tennis by Murray, Federer won his 16th title in straight sets.

Welling up with tears, Murray said: "I can cry like Roger, just a shame I can't play like him." (ANI)

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Wintryquest

Published>Mon, Feb 01 10 12:20 PM

India, Jan. 30 -- Striding along in the second hour of the morning's trek, your muscles have loosened up, the speedier circulation is carrying more oxygen to your brain and, as you inhale the crisp mountain air, your head and body feel wonderfully clear and full of energy. The brown earth trail, peppered with grey boulders, snakes through a patch of dark green conifers. In the silence among the trees, a brook splutters, awakening a childhood memory of Minnehaha ("laughing water") in The Song of Hiawatha. Above, perfect snow cones daubed with golden sunlight parade on the skyline. Beyond the trees, the trail meanders into a meadow of springy turf, sprinkled with red, yellow, magenta, and white flowers nodding in the breeze. The sun spreads a mantle of warmth on your back and you pause beside a rock, luxuriating in the beauty of summer in the Himalaya. Did you picture heaven? Now picture this. Your torso is trussed up in six layers of warm fabrics, your hands are encased in gloves topped with mittens, a fleece cap is pulled low over your forehead and your neck gaiter up till your lips, as you desperately try to cover every possible inch of your face. Yet the cold air stabs at your nose and cheeks as you hunch, with muscles stiffened in the battle against the cold. Surrounding you is snow - blankets, mounds and columns of it. Source of Ganges This trek follows the Bhagirathi upstream to the source of Ganga in Garhwal Himalayas. From Gangotri, you travel across pine forests and meadows to reach the multi-hued Chaturangi glacier. Chopta-Tungnath Chopta is located just beyond Rudra-prayag on the Gopeshwar-Ukhimath road. The trek ends at the Chandrasila summit that affords the most beautiful view of Nanda Devi, Trishul and Chaukham. Dodital The crystal blue water of the Dodital lake (north of Uttarakashi) is home to rare species of fish like the Himalayan Golden Trout, and dense oak, pine and deodar forests surround it. Har ki Doon Har ki Doon lies in the foothills of the Western Himalayas, at the base of Fateh Parvat. The surrounding forests are part of the Govind Wildlife National Park. The trek starts at Taluka, near Dehradun. Pindari Glacier This trek in the Kumaon Himalayas, starts at Song, moving along the banks of the Pindari and winds up at the glacier that has distinctive patches of lush greenery on a stark white landscape. Bedni Bugyal One of the larger bugyals (meadows) in Uttaranchal, Bedni is also a major station on the Nanda Raj Jaat Yatra, a ritual procession held every 12 years. The trek starts at Mundoli (240 km from Haridwar). Singalila The trek to Sandakphu, the loftiest peak of the Singalila Range, starts near Darjeeling. The region has more than 600 varieties of orchids, the most to be found in a single geographical area in the world. You take a step, trying to grind the heel of your boot into the rock-hard snow underfoot. The trail slopes upward ever so slightly and, unable to dig in sufficiently, your boot slips a few inches back on the frozen surface. You take another step, only to slide back a few inches again. The exertion makes you breathe faster but you must avoid panting with your mouth open. You stop to rest, drawing in the icy air through the nostrils to warm it before it hits your lungs. You look around, but there is not an iota of comfort to be drawn from this hostile land. You resume the macabre stepping and sliding dance. If this enchanting scenario appeals to you, as seems the case with a growing tribe of Indian trekkers - the foreigners have been at it for years, but they have a reputation for masochism to live up to - then welcome to winter trekking. Something about the challenge posed by snow and wintry heights seems to strike a chord with adventure seekers. Then there's the fact that some treks are only possible in the extreme cold (like the Chadar) and some far prettier (the Singalila or the Chopta) at this time of the year. However, though it is possible to go straight from your desk job to a strenuous walk in the Himalaya during the summer, it's unwise to do this for a winter trek. So here's how you can prepare. Prepare your body and mind The body has to work extra hard to acclimatise to altitude on a winter trek because it is coping with extreme cold. So get it used to the exertion of walking uphill and downhill with a moderate load, well before the trek. Walk a lot and include stair-climbing in your daily routine. Jogging is not essential but, along with gym work, will be useful if you have the time and inclination to get very fit ahead of the trek. On rest days, play a sport. For a winter trek, you must gain weight so that the body has surplus fat it can burn to generate warmth. A couple of kilos above your normal weight will be enough. To gain weight, your intake of carbohydrates must exceed requirement. The body will use what it requires as fuel and store the surplus as fat. If you are doing an exercise regimen to prepare for the trek, you will be using more carbohydrates than normal, so hike your intake to cover this. Many people think that a "putting on weight diet" is a licence to eat anything. It is not. Do not eat large quantities of Western junk food or Indian fast food which is deep-fried. Steer clear of bad cholesterol. You cannot afford to have clogged arteries in conditions of extreme cold.

On the trek, snack constantly. Supplement the usual chocolates, lozenges and nutrition bars with cheese, nuts, gajak and gurpatti. Get the right gear The good part is that thermals with wicking away property (instead of absorbing moisture, the fabric transports it to the outside, from where it eventually evaporates) are now available in India. However, if the layers you wear above that are not breathable, the purpose will be defeated. For a moderate winter trek, take two sweaters, a fleece jacket, windproof-cum-waterproof Gore Tex outer jacket, fleece cap, windstopper gloves, mittens and fleece pants. For an extreme trek, add a balaclava, neck gaiter, down jacket and insulated trousers. Carry only nylon and fleece socks - at least six or seven pairs. Insulated winter trekking boots and gaiters are essential. A sleeping bag certified for - 25deg Celsius, a liner and a mountaineering-quality mat are advisable. Take along two thermos water bottles of 1-litre capacity. Trekking poles for treacherous terrain and a pee bottle are optional but helpful items. Stick some tape on the pee bottle so that you can distinguish it by touch in the dark.

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Woods' 'mistress' Uchitel celebrates 35th b'day - with pals, police escort

Published>Mon, Feb 01 10 12:10 PM

New York, Feb 1 (ANI): Tiger Woods' alleged mistress Rachel Uchitel recently celebrated her birthday in West Palm Beach, Fla..

According to sources, Uchitel, the first one of a bevy, celebrated her 35th birthday by partying it up early Saturday, reports The New York Daily News.

She sipped champagne, chain-smoked and had a blast with several gal pals at the French bistro Pistache until 3:20 a.m., Radaronline.com reported.

After the party was over, a full police escort reportedly led Uchitel away from the venue. The move left several revelers clueless. (ANI)

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I will not repeat "the mad thing": Afridi

Published Mon, Feb 01 10 11:40 AM

Karachi, Feb 1 (PTI) A repentant Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi tendered an unconditional apology to the country and the cricket world after being penalised by the ICC for ball tampering, saying he would not repeat the "mad thing" again in future. Afridi, who was caught on television biting into the ball during the final overs of the Australian innings in the fifth ODI in Perth and was slapped two Twenty20 International ban, said he was sorry for having caused embarrassment to his countrymen and fans. "I really don''t know what happened to me that made me do such a mad thing. It was not right and I apologize for my actions to everyone," he said. Afridi was charged with an article 2.2.9 offence of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to ''changing the condition of the ball in breach of Law 42.3 of the Laws of Cricket''. He will miss Pakistan''s next two Twenty20 Internationals against the same opponents on Friday in Melbourne and against England in Dubai on February 19. "What happened was very unfortunate and should not have happened. I have learnt from my mistake and will not repeat it again," Afridi said. "Maybe I lost my cool because our team had not done well in Australia and finally close to a win. But my intentions were just to help the bowlers but I chose the wrong way to do it," he added.

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Superb Man Utd humble Arsenal

Published>Mon, Feb 01 10 11:34 AM

Champions Manchester United delivered a devastating statement of Premier League title intent by beating rivals Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

United produced a superb attacking display, taking the lead when Nani's cross was turned into his own net by goalkeeper Manuel Almunia after 33 minutes before Wayne Rooney started and finished a stunning counter-attack before halftime.

Park Ji-sung got the third seven minutes after the interval and Arsenal had only the minor consolation of Thomas Vermaelen's deflected volley 10 minutes from time.

"We delivered a completely off-the-mark performance and that's why we were well beaten," Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said.

"We gave them too much room, we were naive and that's why we have to stick together and produce a much better performance next Sunday when we go to Chelsea."

Chelsea, who won 2-1 with a late goal at Burnley on Saturday, top the standings on 54 points, one ahead of United and five clear of Arsenal. Chelsea have a game in hand on both rivals and play it against Hull City in midweek.

Arsenal went into the United match full of confidence after a 10-game unbeaten run and both sides showed total commitment to attack.

Arsenal's Andrei Arshavin escaped three times down the left but finished poorly on each occasion while Nani looked highly dangerous down the United right.

It was the Portuguese winger who made the breakthrough with a brilliant piece of trickery to get past three Arsenal defenders and when he hoisted over a deep cross, Almunia, trying to turn it over the bar, only flapped it into the net.

SNUFFED OUT

The second goal was a classic as United snuffed out an Arsenal attack in their own penalty box and broke.

Rooney turned the ball into the path of Nani before sprinting 70 metres to collect the return and sweep it in first time.

It was the 100th Premier League goal of the 24-year-old England striker's career and came just over seven years after he opened his account for Everton against Arsenal when he was 16.

United's third was another long-range break and hesitant defending allowed Park to travel from halfway before calmly slotting his first goal of the season.

Vermaelen's goal led to a brief flurry but United held out quite comfortably and Arsene Wenger's side must bounce back immediately at Chelsea.

"We need to deliver a special performance at Stamford Bridge next Sunday before we can even start thinking about winning the game," Wenger said.

United manager Alex Ferguson said he would be hoping Arsenal found their form against Chelsea.

"Arsenal are not out of it, I hope that Arsenal go to Stamford Bridge and batter them," he told Sky Sports.

Ferguson had special praise for the "unbelievable Rooney."

"He was the key player for us and they could just could not handle him. He was a really great player today," he said.

In Sunday's other game, Emmanuel Adebayor marked his return from Togo's traumatic time at the African Nations Cup with the opening goal in Manchester City's 2-0 win over bottom club Portsmouth at Eastlands.

Vincent Kompany headed the second as City won without breaking sweat to close on Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in the battle for fourth place.

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Ponting hits 55 as Australia sweep ODI series 5-0

Published>Mon, Feb 01 10 11:30 AM

Australia were made to fight every inch for their two-wicket win on Sunday to complete a 5-0 series whitewash of Pakistan at Perth. Having bowled out Pakistan for 212, it was left to Michael Hussey to steer them home with an unbeaten 40. After Clint McKay set the tone with 4 for 35, there was a welcome return to form for Ricky Ponting, whose 55 gave Australia the early initiative.

Pakistan began their defence of a modest total by taking three wickets, but Ponting's presence at the half-way mark meant the balance was safely tilted Australia's way. Defending a low total, Pakistan's only chance was to bowl Australia out. But despite taking three wickets, Ponting's presence at the crease gave Australia the edge.

Pakistan's Umar Akmal took charge of rebuilding the innings with 67 after the top order struggled. Fawad Alam was left to carry on whatever momentum Pakistan had achieved through Umar's resistance, and he played his part with 63 runs.

Brief scores: Pakistan 212 all out in 49.3 overs (U Akmal 67, F Alam 63; McKay 4/35) vs Australia 213/8 in 49.2) R Ponting 55, M Hussey 40 not out; Naved 2/55, Afridi 2/31)

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