|
England's
first match in the Champions Trophy is against Zimbabwe on September 18
before they take on India four days later - two teams they are also due to
face in next year's World Cup.
If they win
their group they will face the winners of the Kenya, South Africa and West
Indies pool in the semi-final - with the final being played on September
29.
Squad:
Nasser Hussain
(capt), Paul Collingwood, Andrew Caddick, Andrew Flintoff, Ashley Giles,
Darren Gough, Matthew Hoggard, Ronnie Irani, Nick Knight, Jeremy Snape,
Alec Stewart (wkt), Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Craig White.
Tendulkar
comes for contrasting reviews in British media
London, August
04:
India's master
batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday came in for contrasting reviews in the
British media with one suggesting that he is not the force he is at home
while another describing him as the finest cricketer since Don Bradman.
"India's
master batsman is not the force he is at home" wrote Jon Henderson in the
Observer in his article headlined "tourist Tendulkar a mere mortal."
Concurring with Sunil Gavaskar's observation that Sachin Tendulkar is an
underachiever for the team overseas, Henderson observed: "It is, of
course, understandable for a player to be more prolific in conditions he
is familiar with, and in this Tendulkar is no exception. He clearly copes
well with the extraordinary adulation at home - even in Tests."
Describing him
as the Best batsman in the World, Tim Adams wrote in the Observer Sport
Monthly: "Sachin Tendulkar was a handy player at the age of five. He's
even better now."
He said "In
India, Sachin Tendulkar is the brightest of stars, a hero whose epic deeds
have stirred a nation and whose status is close to deity. To the rest of
us, he is the finest cricketer since Don Bradman."
Analysing
Tendulkar's batting, Henderson said: "He is a wonderfully destructive
batsman against spin. Of the 15 bowlers who have dismissed him three times
or more only three are slow bowlers - Shane Warne, Saqlain Mushtaq and
Zimbabwe's Raymond Price - and none of them has exactly dominated
Tendulkar. Even Warne has given away 39 runs for each of his three
successes.
"Right-arm
quicks are the men most likely to undo him - and if it's grassy pitch it
helps. The now-retired Allan Donald turned him over five times, and four
of these were in South Africa. His average against Donald was a most
unTendulkar-like 12.
"Partly
because of his record against Donald, and against Glenn McGrath, who has
also claimed him five times, Test captains and their bowlers no longer
seem to regard Tendulkar as the daunting proposition on tour that he is at
home, particularly against quicker bowling.
As a result
they are prepared to apply greater pressure for longer than they did in
the past."
Henderson
noted that at Lord's England carried on the hostile policy of trying to
get Tendulkar before he got them. And it worked.
Nasser Hussain
had clearly instructed Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones to put the
frighteners on Tendulkar and at no time during his two innings did he
exercise the sort of majestic control that he does on the grassless strips
of Delhi or Chennai, he commented.
"Tendulkar may
yet contribute a century to an Indian win in the three remaining Tests
against England, but, as Gavaskar pointed out, the odds are very much
against it," Henderson observed.
Tim Adams, on
the other hand, charts the career of the man who became a myth before he
was 25 years old.
"Because of
his status in Indian consciousness Tendulkar's life at home tends to make
England soccer star David Beckham's existence look like one of peaceful
anonymity," Adams wrote.
"Part of the
attraction of Tendulkar to his countrymen is that in person he suggests
the politeness and familial privacy at the heart of traditional culture
while, in his batting, he projects a possible more liberated future.
"He pays
dutiful respects to the elder statesman of his game, never misses an
opportunity to revere the example of Sunil Gavaskar, or Viv Richards, but
also shows scant regard for his peers when he faces them on the field."
Adams noted
that during a time when Indian cricket was mired in the match-fixing
scandal, which implicated the criminal underworld of Mumbai, "Tendulkar
seemed like a beacon of inspiration for the city and the nation, a symbol
of all that was true in the beloved game."
Bangladesh's
best not enough to beat Sri Lanka
Colombo,
August 04:
Bangladesh hit
their highest total against Sri Lanka in the first of three one-day
internationals, but their best was not enough to win as the hosts took the
match by five wickets on Sunday.
Tushar Imran
and captain Khaled Mashud each scored half-centuries as Bangladesh
finished their first innings at 226 for eight wickets, after 50 overs.
But Sri
Lanka's batsmen proved too much for the young team, as they made 228 in
44.4 overs with five wickets to spare.
Marvan
Atapattu, who opened alongside captain Sanath Jayasuriya, was the highest
scorer, striking eight boundaries and one six in his 83.
The
right-hander's stay at the crease was extended when Bangladesh's Mohammad
Ashraful fumbled an easy catch.
Jayasuriya's
40 got the team off to a solid start before he was caught out by Ashraful
from a careless hit off the bottom of the bat on the bowling of Tapash
Baisya.
It was the
first wicket in a one-dayer for Baisya, who was making his debut.
The only Sri
Lankan not to reach double figures was veteran Aravinda de Silva, who last
played a one-day match in February 2001 against New Zealand.
De Silva was
caught out by Mashud off Mohammad Rafique after scoring just one run.
But despite
Bangladesh's failure to win a match so far during their tour of Sri Lanka,
the team improved on previous performances, with Imran, Mashud and
17-year-old Ashraful showing some staying power at the crease.
Imran struck
six boundaries for his 61, to make the second half-century of his one-day
career before being caught out on a Muttiah Muralitharan off-spinner taken
near the boundary by Russel Arnold.
Ashraful, who
made 75 during the second test last week, hit two back-to-back boundaries
off of Muralitharan and two sixes for his 36.
But he took
one too many chances against the off-spinner, who took him out with a
catch by Hasantha Fernando.
Captain Mashud,
batting at number six, was caught out by his Sri Lanka counterpart
Jayasuriya off of fast-medium bowler Chamila Gamage after striking four
boundaries in his 54.
It was
Gamage's second wicket on his one-day debut. He also bowled Bashar.
Bangladesh did
not make more than 184 in an innings against Sri Lanka in the two test
matches they played during the tour
The teams will
play the second one-dayer in Colombo on Monday, and their final match on
Wednesday.
Sri Lanka:
Sanath Jayasuriya (capt), Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Aravinda de
Silva, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Chaminda Vaas, Hasantha
Fernando, Chamila Gamage, Dilhara Fernando, Muttiah Muralitharan.
Bangladesh:
Khaled Mashud (capt), Al Sahariar, Mohammad Rafique, Habibul Bashar,
Mohammad Ashraful, Alok Kapali, Khaled Mahmud, Manjural Islam, Naimur
Rahman, Tushar Imran, Tapash Baisya.
Umpires: Steve
Bucknor (WIs) and Asoka de Silva (Sri).
Match-referee:
Wasim Raja (Pak).
India a
moderate Test team, says Michael Atherton
London, August
04:
India are a
moderate team in Test cricket and their batting frail, according to former
England captain Michael Atherton.
"Nasser
Hussain continually talks up India's batting line-up. The truth is that
India are a moderate team in Test cricket and their batting frail. Even
with injuries, England are good value to keep their successful spell
going," Atherton wrote in the Sunday Telegraph analysing England's chances
in the second Test starting at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
He also opined
that the injuries to key players helped the English selectors to shed
their conservative approach.
"In the
long run the injuries may even be a good thing, forcing the selectors out
of their inherent conservatism. At the end of the summer the team could be
winning, and the selectors will have a larger pot than usual to dip into,"
he said.
Pakistan
threaten boycott if Australia refuse to tour
Karachi,
August 02:
Pakistan's
cricket chief threatened Friday to lead an Asian boycott of Australia if
the Australian side refuses to go ahead with an October tour of Pakistan.
Pakistan
Cricket Board chairman Tauqir Zia said President Pervez Musharraf had
personally intervened in the row.
"It is now no
longer a matter between the two boards," Lieutenant General Zia said,
firing a warning shot at the Australian Cricket Board
"The heads of
the states are involved and if the ACB can't trust General Musharraf's
words, then I am afraid we will have to review our relationship," Zia
said.
"General
Musharraf talked to Australian Prime Minister John Howard for 25 minutes
(last week) and has urged him to convince the ACB to send the team."
The fate of
the October 1-24 Test tour has been in the balance after Australia's
players expressed fears for their safety in violence-torn Pakistan.
The New
Zealand team cut short a tour of Pakistan without playing the second Test
in Karachi after an explosion outside their hotel here on May 8.
Pakistan have
been forced to shift the venue for next month's tri-series one-day
tournament involving Australia from Karachi to Nairobi after New Zealand
pulled out. Kenya are now the third team.
Leading
Australian players Shane Warne, Mark Waugh and Glenn McGrath have already
ruled out touring Pakistan saying they do not want to risk their lives,
but Test captain Steve Waugh has said he will tour if the ACB gives the
go-ahead.
Zia warned of
reprisals if the tour fails to happen.
"If Australia
don't tour then we might decide against making a return tour to Australia
in 2004," he said.
"India,
Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding and if Australia don't tour Pakistan, then I don't think any
Asian country will be visiting them."
The four Asian
Test nations signed the MoU in Sharjah in April vowing to boycott any
country that refuses to tour any one of them.
But Zia added:
"We are optimistic about the tour going ahead and have good relations with
the ACB."
Australia
cancelled a tour of Zimbabwe in April this year over security fears.
Australia granted a walkover to Sri Lanka rather than play a 1996 World
Cup match in Colombo after bomb attacks in the city.
Cricket in
Pakistan has suffered badly since the September 11 terror attacks in the
United States and the resulting US military action in Afghanistan, as well
as from tensions with India.
Pakistan were
forced to play a home series against the West Indies at a neutral venue in
Sharjah in February-March this year.
Ganguly
retained skipper for ICC Champions Trophy
Mumbai, August
02:
Sourav Ganguly
has been retained as Indian skipper for next month's International Cricket
Council (ICC) Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, a top official said Friday.
"Ganguly has
been handling the team quite well, especially in one-dayers," Indian
cricket board secretary Niranjan Shah told reporters here.
"He led the
team to a 2-1 victory in a one-day series in the West Indies and then in
the triangular NatWest Trophy in England, so the selectors decided to
retain him as captain," said Shah.
The 12-nation
ICC one-day tournament will start in Colombo on September 12.
Ganguly's
Indians stunned England by successfully chasing a stiff 326-run target
with two wickets to spare in the one-day series final at Lord's last
month.
The
second-highest total ever made to win a one-dayer -- just behind
Australia's 330 against South Africa earlier this year -- gave India their
first title after nine successive defeats in limited-overs finals.
The Indian
team is currently in England for a four-Test series.
Shah said the
national selectors had also named 20 probables for the ICC tournament.
"A 15-member
team will be selected here either on August 9 or 10 as we've to send the
list of the players before August 12 to the host nation," said Shah.
Fast bowler
Javagal Srinath failed to find a place among the probables.
"The selectors
discussed Srinath's name, but didn't include him," said Shah.
"They picked
the players keeping in view the 2003 World Cup in South Africa. All the
players who did duty in the NatWest series have been retained after their
good showing."
Srinath, 32,
announced his retirement from Test cricket after the West Indies tour in
June, saying he wanted to concentrate on the World Cup.
The selectors,
however, snubbed the veteran seamer by ignoring him for the one-day
tournament in England.
All-rounder
Jai Prakash Yadav and promising seamer Lakshmipathy Balaji were the only
newcomers in the list of probables.
India have
been placed in Group B along with England and Zimbabwe.
Probables for ICC Trophy: Sourav Ganguly (capt),
Virender Sehwag, Dinesh Mongia, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj
Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Harbhajan Singh, Anil Kumble, Zaheer Khan, Ajit
Agarkar, Ashish Nehra, Parthiv Patel, Ajay Ratra, Venkatsai Laxman, Murali
Kartik, Jai Prakash Yadav, Sanjay Bangar, Lakshmipathy Balaji and Tinu
Yohannan.
Mark Waugh haunted by
troubled past: book
Sydney, August
01:
Mark Waugh may
be in the twilight of his international playing days but he is still
haunted by the biggest mistake of his stellar career.
In 1998 it was
revealed Waugh had been fined 10,000 dollars (5,400 US) by the Australian
Cricket Board for accepting money from a bookmaker in return for
information on pitch and weather conditions in 1994 in Sri Lanka.
May felt the punishment was too lenient, especially given the life ban
later administered to South African captain Hansie Cronje for
match-fixing.
Waugh endured
years of further allegations until his name was finally cleared in August
last year by the International Cricket Council's anti-corruption body.
But it appears
his sense of guilt remains.
Waugh, the
37-year-old twin brother of Test skipper Steve, launched his biography
here on Thursday and wrote in the foreword: "I have had my ups and downs,
and made my mistakes."
He admintted
to reporters at the launch: "The sport could have done without the
scandal, obviously, but it's happened now and the important thing is that
it doesn't happen again."
Waugh says his
perception of those around him has changed, especially with the media.
"Since 1998 I
haven't really enjoyed my cricket career," said Waugh, who revealed he
suffered headaches, felt ill and lost weight throughout the ordeal.
"I've felt the
media has always been nagging away, keeping a close eye on me and my form.
I don't think I hate anything more in my career than dealing with the
media."
No matter how
many stories of match-saving innings, freakish catches and witticisms
permeate the book, Waugh's sense of victimisation remains.
"I didn't hear
the ACB come out once and say that Mark has been a great player for
Australia," writes Waugh, who said he was still hopeful of playing in next
year's World Cup in South Africa after being dropped from the national
one-day team earlier this year.
"He's played
100 Tests, we're fully behind him. They never once said that."
While Waugh
will be remembered for his languid stroke-making and clean hitting, he has
gained an image of a carefree approach to batting that leaves him with a
Test average of just over 42.
"I've copped a
fair bit of criticism from people who say I don't give my best, people who
say I look lazy and don't value my wicket enough," Waugh concludes in the
book.
"I've had some
tough times because of the corruption issue. All I can say is that I have
played my guts out for my club, my state, my country. I'm proud of what I
have achieved."
Waugh, has
played 125 Tests and scored 7,949 runs with 20 centuries, averaging 42.28.
He has also played 244 one-day internationals and scored 8,500 runs.
Akhtar
to skip Morocco triangular despite requests from PCB
Islamabad,
August 01:
Pakistan's
tearaway fast bowler Shoiab Akhtar has turned down a request from Pakistan
Cricket Board chief Tauqir Zia to play in a one-day international
triangular tournament in Morocco later this month.
"I am not
going to Morocco. I had said that earlier and also informed the PCB about
it", Shoiab, who is in London, was quoted as saying by The News.
Apart from
Pakistan, the triangular series at cricket's newest venue also features
Sri Lanka and South Africa and it will be held from August 12 to August
21.
Shoaib denied
that he was not taking part in the tournament due to differences with
manager Yawar Saeed and other teammates.
"All this is
mere speculation that I've been called up. But I'm definitely going to
play in the triangular series in Nairobi," he said
With just over
ten days to go for the Morocco tri-series, PCB is yet to announce the team
for the tournament.
The daily said
Shoaib left for London last month without reporting for the national camp
amidst conflicting reports that he had a dispute with team manager Yawar
Saeed and others over not being given permission to fly to England to play
matches for village team Lashings.
Yawar and PCB
said Shoaib had complained of a problem in his legs and had requested to
be rested for the Morocco tournament.
The official
version was that trainer Dr Tauseef Razak had confirmed that it would be
better if Shoaib was allowed to take a break from the Morocco event.
Shoaib later
said he had no dispute with anyone and had decided to skip the event with
the permission of PCB chief. "I'm very keen to play for Pakistan and take
more wickets. That's why I'll be going to play in Nairobi."
Asked if he
had informed the selectors about his availability for the series in
Nairobi, Shoaib maintained he would be playing there.
He said he did
not know about captain Waqar Younis' statement that Pakistan team could do
without Shoaib as no player was indispensable.
"Anyway it's
the captain's opinion and he has every right to his views. I've never said
I'm indispensable."
Shoaib said he
had been training hard in London and also playing friendly games to keep
himself fit.
Minister
refuses to re-induct a chapter on Kapil Dev
Ahmedabad,
August 01:
Wisden's
Indian Cricketer of the Century award to Kapil Dev has failed to revive
his fortunes in Gujarat as the state education minister has refused to
re-induct a chapter on Kapil Dev in text books here.
'The World of
Kapil Dev', a 14-page chapter in a Class 10 textbook was dropped from the
curriculum in July 2000 following allegations of Kapil's involvement in
match-fixing. The chapter portrayed Kapil as an Indian cricket hero.
Gujarat
Education Minister Anandiben Patel had said she took the decision to drop
the chapter as it created an ethical dilemma for the immature students.
Patel told on Thursday: "We are sticking to our decision and there is no
question of re-inducting the chapter on Kapil Dev.
Whether he has
won the award or not doesn't make much difference as the decision has
already been taken."
The state
government had in July 2000 decided not to include the name of any living
person in school textbooks. Patel had reasoned that it was quite possible
that a person who won laurels in his or her field later indulged in
illegal acts.
But Narhari
Amin, vice-president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
and former education minister of Gujarat, is enraged. Said Amin: "The
state government had taken the decision at that time just for cheap
political publicity. It was their mistake and they should undo it now by
re-inducting the chapter on Kapil.
"Kapil was not
convicted by the law and everybody including BCCI had given him a clean
chit". He said that there was consensus among cricket-lovers that the
government should undo its mistake as nothing has been proved against
Kapil.
On the
contrary he has been declared the greatest Indian cricketer of the
century, Amin said. "A chapter on Kapil would only enhance children's
interest in cricket, which is good for the game."
| 
