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Cricket Special
Mumbai September 5:
Following the tremendous success of the cash-rich Indian Premier League, the BCCI on Friday warned junior cricketers of falling prey to agents who could lure them to sign deals in return for berths in one of the eight IPL squads.
"It has been brought to our notice that some players' agents have been going around and contacting junior cricketers from state associations, luring them of a place in one of the eight franchisee squads of the Indian Premier League," BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer, Ratnakar Shetty, said in a press release. "Cricketers are cautioned against signing any contracts of this nature," he added.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
September
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Melbourne September 5:
Andrew Symonds' likely absence may leave Australia short on experience when they tour India next month but at the same time, it might ease tension in the high-profile series, reckons India coach Gary Kirsten.
Symonds has had a stormy relation with both the Indian players and the crowds. Booed and barracked in India, he also figured prominently with Harbhajan Singh in the Sydney racism row last summer. Nursing a hurt ego after Cricket Australia downgraded the racism charges against Harbhajan, Symonds is cooling his heels after he was sent back home for preferring a fishing trip to a compulsory team meeting.
Though the volatile all-rounder is likely to miss the India series, Kirsten feels it might help in reducing the tension that of late surrounds an Indo-Australian series.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
September
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Dubai September 4:
India's Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, and England's Charlotte Edwards are expected to have a tough competition among themselves for top spot in the Reliance Mobile ODI Player Rankings for women which the ICC will launch next month.
As part of continued promotion of women's cricket, the player rankings, which will initially apply to ODI cricket only, will help identify where the leading players stand and create further competition and context to their achievements, the ICC said in a statement today.
The first set of the ratings are expected to be released in October, ahead of the eagerly awaited women's series between Australia and India. Some of the game's stars have backed the development of the rankings, believing it will generate greater interest in women's cricket.
Indian fast bowler and ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year 2007, Jhulan supported the initiative. "If there are rankings for women it will be a fantastic thing. I am really looking forward to following the rankings to see who is coming first and second in the list. "It will increase the competition amongst the players, as everyone will want to be the number one player," Jhulan said.
Australia vice-captain Sthalekar said, "Previously we have only had player-of-the-series awards at major events and the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year at the ICC Awards to give us any indication of who the best players in the women's game are." Edwards believes that the introduction of the rankings is timely ahead of an important year for women's cricket in 2009.
"The introduction of a player rankings system for womens ODI cricket is another positive step forward for our game," she said.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
September
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Rajkot September 4:
Cricket Board on Thursday took strong exception to coach Gary Kirsten's comments in the media that Mahendra Singh Dhoni was ready for Test captaincy and asked the South African to concentrate on his job only.
BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah has categorically told Kirsten to avoid airing his personal views in media and focus on his job of coaching. "As per the rules and regulations, Kirsten should not have spoken such things in the media, it is not his job. We have the selectors to decide who should be the captain," Shah told reporters here.
"His job is to coach the Indian team and not give interviews on the selection matters or the captaincy. His comments have not gone down well with those concerned because he is an important member of the support staff. But I will still give him a benefit of doubt," Shah said.
He also dismissed the notion that Kumble should hang up his boots. "Anil is a great cricketer and he knows well when to quit. As long as he is in form, I don't think the selectors are going to drop him," he said.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
September
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Melbourne September 4:
The whole of Australia maybe waiting with bated breath to know if Andrew Symonds will eventually tour India but his bete noire Harbhajan Singh says he just could not care less.
Symonds is reportedly nursing a grudge against Cricket Australia for downgrading his racist charges against the Indian spinner in the Sydney Test, which went on to affect his commitment towards the team.
The all-rounder recently preferred a fishing trip to a compulsory team meeting and was sent home packing from Darwin where Australia hosted Bangladesh for an ODI series. Though Symonds is not yet officially ruled out for the India tour, Harbhajan said he hardly cares whether the Australian tours India or not.
"It doesn't bother me whether he is coming or not," Harbhajan was quoted as saying by the "Courier Mail". "We are playing against a team. If he features in it, fine, if he doesn't, things don't change much for me," said Harbhajan with characteristic nonchalance.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
September
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New Delhi September 4:
Another courtroom battle between the Indian Cricket League and the BCCI seems imminent with the ICL authorities deciding to take up the case of 64 'rebel' cricketers who are yet to get their dues from the Cricket Board.
The ICL cricketers are yet to get their dues to the tune of Rs 1.27 crore from the BCCI on account of their appearance in Ranji, Duleep and Deodhar tournaments before they turned 'rebel', according to a report in Cricinfo. The report said though non-ICL players have received their payment for the same period, 'rebel' cricketers are yet to get their dues.
BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, however, passed the buck on the state associations. "As far as the board is concerned, all dues for players who have played in BCCI-organised tournaments must be paid. But it's up to the state associations to pay the money because they are the ones who claim money from the board to be paid to their players. The associations or the players don't seem to have understood the situation properly," Shah added.
ICL Executive Board Chairman Kapil Dev alleged the players were being treated like outcasts and business head Himanshu Mody said they might approach the court to get the dues cleared. Hemang Badani, who claimed the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) owes him Rs seven lakh, was upset with the delay and said, "They have to treat us like human beings."
"In my case, apart from the Ranji Trophy matches and one-day games before I joined the ICL, I have been denied my share of the prize money for being part of the winning Twenty20 team. I have spoken to KS Viswanathan, the TNCA secretary, but am yet to get a reply," he said. "Of course, they may be angry with me or disappointed because they had nurtured me from the beginning, from the age-group stage. I can understand the anger and the hurt, but not the silence. There has to be a basic decorum, some correspondence," Badani added.
Former India wicket-keeper Deep Dasgupta was also miffed with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) not paying him Rs 3.32 lakh. "It's something we have all worked hard for most of our lives...We know there are problems with the ICL, and we understand the state association's position. But I am sure the CAB feels that this is unjustified," said the former Ranji captain.
Subir Ganguly, the new treasurer of the CAB, however, blamed it on the recent change of guard. "We (the new regime) have just taken over and it's difficult for me to comment at this stage without studying the issue," he said.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
September
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New Delhi September 3:
Anil Kumble has rendered a yeoman service to the Indian cricket team but it's time for the seasoned leg-spinner to quit and pass the Test captaincy to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, feels former Pakistan skipper Wasim Akram.
After India coach Gary Kirsten said that Dhoni is ready for Test captaincy, Akram echoed the view and said Kumble should quit at the top of his form, passing over the Test captaincy to Dhoni. "I respect Anil for what he has achieved. He has done enough for India and I think it's time for him to take a bow at a time when he is still counted as one of the best," Akram told Mobile ESPN.
Though Kirsten said Dhoni's anointment as Test captain should not be rushed, for Kumble was doing a fine job, Akram felt the veteran spinner should not prolong his retirement and call it quits at a time when he is still regarded among the best in the business. "Dhoni is the man" to replace Kumble, said Akram.
Thoroughly impressed by Dhoni's leadership qualities, Akram pointed out India's string of good shows under the star stumper-batsman and also referred to how Dhoni remodelled himself from a hard-hitting batsman to a middle-order mainstay. Akram in fact went on to say that Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik should take a leaf out of Dhoni's book and learn how to lead from the front.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
September
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New Delhi September 3:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership qualities got a thumbs up from India's cricket coach Gary Kirsten who said the ODI skipper was now ready to take over the Test captaincy from Anil Kumble.
"He (Dhoni) is ready for it (Test captaincy) but there is no need to rush as of now. Anil has done an exceptional job, he is a great leader and he is toiling in many overs for India. He is prepared to do 30 overs in a day. But he is on the other side of the physical side of the game.”
"MSD is a great thinker. He has got fantastic skills in terms of understanding the situation. He is the best ODI batsman in the world. He plays every situation really well. He is a very good keeper as well," Kirsten told reporters. Asked about Yuvraj Singh's prolonged poor run of form, Kirsten said this break would help him to make a strong comeback.
"You too go through that. They have an extended run of form, then confidence drops. They have a fear out there of going to bat. Sometimes the break does a world of good. They come back. I am hoping that this break does him a lot of good and that he can comeback really motivated and determined. We all want to see Yuvraj hitting the ball hard. He is as good as anyone," he said.
While pointing out that a balance is important for the side, Kirsten also made it clear that the seniors players cannot sit on their past laurels and need to perform consistently. "We will have to discuss. Mixture is important. The important thing is that we are not rushing into making the right decision at the right time. Senior players in the Indian team are fully aware that they need to continue performing. It's not what you did three years ago but what you did a couple of months ago," the 40-year-old said.
Having seen both the captains from close quarters, Kirsten said both Dhoni and Kumble differed in their strategies but were great leaders in their chosen format. "Their characters, their strategies are different. Their thinking is different but they both are exceptional cricketers and in different formats of the game they have proved their worth. They lead from the front and lead by examples. It's always good to have captains that are performing well, it makes a big difference to the morale of the team, to the energy and intensity of the game," he said.
The South African also heaped praise for Dhoni's batting and his mental faculty which has made him the best ODI batsman in latest ICC ranking. "I am not surprised that he could do it because he is capable mentally. I think he has worked his heart out, how to win games batting in the middle period. It is fantastic to have him in the team," he said.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
September
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Karachi September 3:
Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi denied undermining the authority of VVS Laxman, his captain at Deccan Chargers, but maintained that the Indian lacks aggression.
The flamboyant all-rounder started a war of words with Laxman with his unflattering remarks that the Indian lacked both aggression and leadership qualities. Afridi also felt that Adam Gilchrist would have been a better skipper for the Deccan Chargers who cut a sorry figure in the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League.
Stung by Afridi's remarks, Laxman said the Pakistani lacked team ethics and criticised him for his outburst without any provocation. Seeking to placate Laxman, Afridi said he was being misunderstood but maintained that Laxman was not aggressive enough. "Perhaps what I said about the Chargers team on the television show has come out a bit too strong but my only point was that Laxman needs to be more aggressive on the field," Afridi said on Tuesday.
"There was neither any intention to demean Laxman's stature or contribution as a player and captain nor to create a controversy. I was asked a simple question and I answered it honestly," Afridi said. Once again making it clear that he was less than impressed by Laxman's captaincy, Afridi said, "I still maintain that Laxman needs to be more aggressive on the field and push his players. In Twenty20 cricket the captain pushes and motivates the players it is such a short game. I just felt that Laxman should have played a bit more on the front foot instead of the back foot," Afridi said.
He also made it clear that it was his personal opinion that Gilchrist was a better captain. "There is no question of me violating team ethics. I know I disappointed my fans and captain and management in the IPL and I aim to make amends in the next season. In fact I did say clearly that only Gilchrist, Rohit Sharma and Laxman had made some good contributions in the IPL but we didn't click as a team," said Afridi who himself was a big flop with the bat.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
September
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Chandigarh September 3:
Renowned cricketers like Yusuf Pathan, Mohammed Kaif, Khalid Basir and Tafiq Omar will be seen in action at Sirsa in Haryana, during the first Jan Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal National Cricket tournament, slated from September 5.
All matches of the Twenty20 tournament, which is being participated by eight teams, would be floodlit, organisers said. The tournament, which will last till September 15, is being held under the agies of Jan Nayak Chaudhary Devi Lal National Cricket Academy. Academy chief Digvijay Singh, grandson of former Haryana chief minister Om Parkash Chautala, said that the aim of the academy was to promote the game of cricket at the grassroot level.
The teams that will feature in the tournament include Lahore Lions (Pakistan), Young Talent Cricket Club, national team of United Arab Emirates (UAE), Air India, Indian navy, Indian Air Force and Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), besides Academy's own team.
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Source :
Punjab Mail Online
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News Date :
September
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Melbourne September 2:
With his commitment being questioned, quitting international cricket and playing in the cash-awash Indian Premier League (IPL) would be a tempting option for Andrew Symonds but teammate Shane Watson does not want the feisty all-rounder to tread that path and waste his talent.
Watson reckons playing just two months a year and getting paid USD 1.5 million might tempt Symonds to abandon the baggy green for the IPL but feels it would be a waste if he falls for the lure. "As a player, I love watching him playing for Australia and for the general public as well," Watson said.
"I hope that's (IPL) not the way he goes because I don't want this to be the last of the Australian public seeing Andrew Symonds playing," Watson was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press (AAP). "I personally think it would be a waste, because he's an amazingly talented player and I love watching him play," he added.
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