Ponting offers hope to Queensland all-rounder Hopes

Published>Wed, Nov 03 10 01:52 PM

Melbourne, Nov.3 (ANI): Dropped Australian all-rounder James Hopes has received support from captain Rick Ponting ahead of next February's cricket World Cup.

"James has been a very valuable member of our one-day setup for the last three or four years now," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ponting, as saying.

"The fact he's not in this squad at the moment gives him a chance to go back to Queensland and get some really good form under his belt again.

We're looking at giving a few players a bit of experience and finding out a bit about them before the World Cup," Ponting added.

"We only have a few games to look at some of these players, you need a lot of depth and you need a lot of guys to have exposure at international level before you can go into a World Cup. That's a bit of the thinking behind some of the selections at the moment," Ponting said.

Queensland coach Trevor Barsby said he would be "disgusted" if the axing marked the end of Hopes' international career and added the omission left him "dumbfounded". (ANI)

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Sharapova feels "spoiled" with 250K dlrs engagement ring

Published>Wed, Nov 03 10 01:46 PM

Washington, Nov 3 (ANI): Maria Sharapova has admitted that she feels spoiled to receive a 250,000-dollar engagement ring from her fiance/Los Angeles Laker Sasha Vujacic.

"He completely surprised me! I'm so lucky and very much spoiled," UsMagazine.com quoted Sharapova as saying at Monday's Ace Awards at Cipriani 42nd Street in NYC.

"It was very special and obviously a very memorable evening in my life.

"It's something I'll always remember, it was very sweet," the Russia-born Grand Slam champ said.

Jewelry expert Michael O'Connor said that her engagement ring appears to be a cushion-cut diamond of approximately 7 to 8 carats on a split-shank platinum band -- worth about 250,000 dollars.

Vujacic did the ring shopping all on his own, Sharapova confirmed.

"Thank goodness my fiance has great taste! He did good," she said.

However, the sports power couple hasn't started planning their big day.

"We're taking our time. Right now we're just happy to be engaged. We're both very focused on what we do and we travel a lot. We're just happy to have each other!" Sharapova added. (ANI)

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''Guangzhou Asiad to have largest-ever number of dope tests''

Wed, Nov 03 10 01:38 PM

Beijing Nov 3 (PTI) The 16th Asian Games in the city of Guangzhou this month will have the "largest-ever number" of dope tests in the event''s history, a top anti-doping official here has claimed. "We will have about 1,500 urine samples and 200 blood samples during the Asian Games," said Zhao Jian, deputy director general of the China Anti-doping Agency (CHINADA), who is in charge of doping control for the Asiad. "The number is a record for the Asian Games and we will start work on November 6," he was quoted as saying by the official media here. The Games will take place from Nov 12 to 27 in Guangzhou. Chinese official say the event will attract about 11,700 athletes from 45 countries who will compete for 476 gold medals. During the Doha Asian Games four years ago, about 1,200 samples were tested and blood testing was introduced for the first time. All the urine samples for the Asian Games will be sent to CHINADA''s laboratory in Beijing, which carried out the doping tests for the 2008 Olympic Games. The samples will be flown to Beijing each day. Like the Beijing Games, negative results will be reported within 24 hours of its arrival at the lab while positive results will be reported within 48 hours. "During the Guangzhou Asian Games, there will be about 100 staff working for the doping control and about 30 staff in the lab," Zhao said. "The doping control and tests will be conducted along Olympic standards as we upgraded two thirds of our facilities before the Beijing Games," he said. "Three foreign experts will also work in the laboratory and the management system for all the samples and results will be in accordance with the rules. Athletes from all the countries and regions can be at ease that the process will be conducted fairly," he said. Chinese officials say utmost importance will be accorded to a clean doping record. To ensure the Chinese athletes have clean home Games, all members of the team will receive strict anti-doping training, examinations and drug tests before entering the Asian Games Village. "For the Guangzhou Asian Games, China will send its largest-ever delegation and one of the priorities for the squad is to be clean at the Games," Zhao said. "Starting in September, experts from CHINADA went to give lectures and supervise the examinations of athletes at all the training bases across the country. Athletes could only qualify for the Asian Games if they passed the paper examination and the drug tests," Zhao said. The access system requires all athletes training for the Asian Games to attend anti-doping lectures and pass a written examination. .

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Gilani to press for PCB chief Ijaz Butt's dismissal with Zardari

Published>Wed, Nov 03 10 01:22 PM

Islamabad, Nov 3(ANI): Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that he would discuss the deteriorating situation of cricket in the country with President and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) patron Asif Ali Zardari.

The government is reportedly under tremendous pressure to sack PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt, who is being held responsible for bringing the national team into disrepute.

"I will convey to President Zardari regarding the demand of dismissal of PCB chairman Ijaz Butt," the Daily Times quoted Gilani, as saying.

Earlier, it was reported that Butt had been told by higher authorities to appoint new board officials or forget about getting an extension to his two-year term.

"Ijaz has been told he can continue till the World Cup, but only with a new team and the present set of officials should be changed. The orders have come from the top including the President who is also chief patron of the board and the Prime Minister," a source had said.

The source had also said that former captain Javed Miandad was expected to get more authority in the new set-up.

"Until now Ijaz has kept Miandad sidelined by making him director cricket, but virtually giving him no authority or say in cricket matters at all. But the higher authorities now want Ijaz to bring about changes and try to put Pakistan cricket back on the right track," he added.

Butt was appointed as PCB chief by Zardari in October 2008. (ANI)

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Vettori backs UDRS but system won't be used during India tour

Published>Wed, Nov 03 10 01:12 PM

Ahmedabad, Nov.3 (ANI): New Zealand cricket captain Daniel Vettori has thrown his weight behind the use of the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS), insisting "it is good for the game".

The system, however, will not be used in the upcoming three-match Test series in India after the Board of Control for Cricket in India and some key Indian players, including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, expressed doubt about its efficiency.

Vettori believes the UDRS represents the way forward.

"I like the referral system. There are still a few hiccups with the technology, but I think it is good for the game if it is used consistently," Sky Sports quoted Vettori, as saying.

Black Caps manager Mark Greatbatch echoed Vettori's thoughts and feels the system would help the game. (ANI)

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McGrath tips Australia to win Ashes series 5-0

Published>Wed, Nov 03 10 12:58 PM

Sydney, Nov.3 (ANI): Fast-bowling great Glenn McGrath has again tipped Australia to regain the Ashes with a 5-0 whitewash agaisnt England.

"I couldn't have more faith in the boys. We had a Twenty20 loss to Sri Lanka on Sunday, but those matches are unpredictable. I think we'll bounce back and win all Tests. They'll be close, but I'm tipping a 5-0 whitewash," The Age and the Herald Sun quoted McGrath, as saying.

McGrath famously tipped a 5-0 sweep before the 2005 Ashes series, which England won 2-1.

McGrath said he was unlikely to be at the Boxing Day Test, and would spend time with his children and fiancee Sara Leonardi.

The McGrath Foundation's High Tea at the 'G will be hosted by Lee Furlong on December 27.

"The Sydney Test match is a big one for us too, so I'll be there and we'll also hopefully be cheering on a good win," McGrath said. (ANI)

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'Spot-fixing' scam diverted attention from possible 'home games': Butt

Published>Wed, Nov 03 10 12:38 PM

Lahore, Nov 3(ANI): Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt has said that the tour of England 'spot-fixing' scam has ruined the country's chances of holding 'home games'.

Leading cricket teams have refused to visit Pakistan following last year's terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka team bus, which has also forced Pakistan to hold its 'home' series against Australia and England in England.

"The ICC Task Force was well on its way to bringing a MCC XI team to Pakistan in which two players of each cricket board were to be included. Moreover, Zimbabwe were also interested in sending their national team to Pakistan," the News quoted Butt, as saying.

"The current spot-fixing scam has diverted attention to other issues as work of inviting some teams to Pakistan could not be materialized," he added.

Butt also said that at the moment there is no space left in the cricket calendar to accommodate a visiting team.

"There is no appropriate time left for such activities due to hectic schedule of Pakistan till the World Cup," Butt said.

The ICC's Pakistan Task Force Chairman, Giles Clarke, had called for Pakistan to resume hosting international matches back in August.

He had suggested that an ICC World XI would tour the country "in due course".

In the last two years, Pakistan 'home' games have also been staged in the United Arab Emirates and New Zealand.

Pakistan, which was due to co-host the 2011 World Cup, was also stripped of its matches following the attack on the Sri Lankan team.

Pakistan was supposed to hold 14 matches, including one semi-final. Eight of Pakistan's matches have been awarded to India, four to Sri Lanka and two to Bangladesh. (ANI)

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