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Aug 11, 2001
Cricket |
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India in Sri Lanka
Finally the air has been cleared of the cloud that hung over Indian cricket regarding Sachin Tendulkar. Doctors treating him felt Tendulkar's injury had not healed enough and was not worth the risk of him playing in the Test series against Sri Lanka. So for the first time since his debut in November 1989, Tendulkar after playing 84 matches in a row will be missing a Test match. Baroda's captain Jacob Martin will replace Tendulkar in the squad. The tour match between the Indians and a Sri Lankan Board President's XI was called off after one over was bowled on the third and final day after the wicket was deemed unfit for further play. Skipper Sourav Ganguly who watched Dighe negotiate one over from the non-striker's end at the P Saravanamuthu Stadium, Colombo, decided to declare his innings at the overnight total to avert any injury to his players leading up to the first Test. After the skipper of the home team too expressed unhappiness about exposing his team (that consists of six players likely to play the first Test) to the uneven bounce of the pitch the umpires Lalith Jayasundara and Gamini Silva decided to call off the match. The president of the BCCI AC Muthiah denied that he had any talk with the Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly regarding his behaviour on the tour of Sri Lanka. Sourav was suspended for one match after showing dissent to an umpiring decision and was fined 75% of his match fee following a verbal duel with Russel Arnold in the next match. Reports in the media quoting the JY Lele, the BCCI secretary said that the president and national selectors had expressed concern over Ganguly's flaying temper and the former would be taking to the Indian skipper. 
The Ashes series Yorkshire fast bowler Chris Silverwood who was in the list of probables to play in the fourth Test against Australia at Headingley has been ruled out following a back injury. Silverwood suffered the injury while playing for his county in a match against Lancashire. The same injury had ruled Silverwood out of the third Ashes Test as well. A disappointed Silverwood said the recurrence of the back problem was a big set back for him. Another injury this time to the 24-year old Queensland fast bowler Ashley Noffke will result in him returning home. Noffke injured his ankle while playing the Australian tour match against Sussex at Hove yesterday. Noffke was included in the touring squad after injury to Nathan Bracken forced a replacement. He is yet to play a Test match for Australia.
The thrilling victory at Hove was however marred by the fact that the Australians were shocked to find that their equipments worth about £1,200 were stolen from their dressing room on the last day of their match against Sussex. Stolen equipments included clothing, bats and helmets and autographed books of Shane Warne. The Australian Prime Minister and avid cricket follower John Howard has joined the clamour calling for the Ashes trophy to be released to Australia. The 118 year old trophy (urn) is kept in the Lord's museum and English authorities are stubborn in their decision not to part with it come what may. Howard argued that if the urn were brought to Australia it would serve as a great incentive to Englishmen to try and win it back. The winning team is normally presented with a crystal replica of cricket's oldest trophy.
West Indies in Kenya West Indies are 117 without loss at close on the second day, in reply to Kenya's total of 290 at the Mombasa Sports Club ground, Nairobi in the second un-official Test match between the two teams. West Indies had won the first 'Test" by an innings and 47 runs earlier this week.
The Asian Test Championships The Indian government is back playing ping-pong with the clearance of the Indian tour of Pakistan. The Union Minister for Sports, Ms. Uma Bharti is said to have received a proposal for the tour from the BCCI and says she has forwarded it to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for clearance. As per schedule India are to play in Pakistan in the third match of the ATC at Lahore between 12-16 September. If India, for political reasons fail to give the go ahead for the tour the 2001-02 edition of the ATC may never see the light of day.
Miscellaneous Sachin Tendulkar will not attend the BCCI meeting in Baroda tomorrow as he wishes to give more rest to his injured leg. The other invites Anil Kumble, Kris Srikkanth and Arun Lal may also not attend the meeting. Sunil Gavaskar is to chair the meeting that is being called mainly to discuss the Ranji and Duleep Trophy formats and the changes that could be made to make them more competitive. England are to tour Zimbabwe next month for a series of five one-day internationals. However the English selectors have delayed announcing the squad to Zimbabwe following the spate of injuries to the side. They plan to wait till the end of the month to announce the team to give sufficient time to the frontline players to heal their various injuries. Nearly six of the 18 counties on the current English circuit are said to be in the middle of a severe financial crunch. Lancashire, one of the best run counties is said to be staring at a £5m in debt. Jim Cumbes, the Lancashire county's chief executive said they were being faced with a situation where over the next few years clubs would be pulling down shutters due to lack of funds. However officials are looking to try and make the game more attractive and bring back the crowds including the formation of a 20-over evening league. There is also a move to reduce the number of County Championship matches. Pakistan are likely to hire South African Richard Pybus as coach, but this time on a short term coaching stint. In a first step towards that Pybus will coach the team in the home series against New Zealand and the trip to Sharjah. Pybus who had indicated his willingness to work on short term assignments is yet to give the final confirmation on his appointment. Pybus is unwilling to spend long periods away from South Africa due to family commitments. After curtains were pulled over the Aravinda deSilva, Arjuna Ranatuna, Martin Crowe and Mark Waugh in the match fixing episode, the ICC's Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) have now pulled up new suspects including Pakistanis Inzamam ul Haq and Wasim Akram and West Indian Brian Lara. Inzamam is being investigated about his performance in a one-day game against Australia on June 9, 2001 in the Natwest series at Cardiff. The ACU chief Paul Condon said there were more cases under the preview that the ICC cannot reveal as yet. The Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai a Test venue until 1972-73 will play host to a unique triangular cricket tournament featuring three of the top cricket clubs in the world. The Cricket Club of India (CCI) promoted event will see the Marylebone Cricket Club (London) and Melbourne Cricket Club in action in a 45 overs a side match. The three clubs have been asked to pick players, who are over 30 and have not played a first class match since 1996. Sanjay Manjrekar has been named the captain of the CCI. The other players who are likely to figure in the team are K. Srikkanth, Madan Lal, Sandeep Patil, Raju Kulkarni and Kiran More. The CCI has also invited former English captains Ted Dexter and Tony Lewis for the event.
SCORES AT A GLANCE
INDIA IN SRI LANKA
SL Board XI: 326 (M Vandort 116, T Samaraweera 76; J Srinath 3-68, RL Sanghvi 3-143)
AUSTRALIA IN ENGLAND
Sussex:355-4 decl (M Goodwin 105, RR Montogmerie 157CJ Adams 66 not out) Yesterday's News ......................... News Roll archive |
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Sri Lanka announced their squad for the first Test against India beginning at Galle on 14 August. Centurion of the tour match against the visitors left-hander Michael Vandort gets a look in, while veteran Hashan Tillekeratne makes a comeback. 
The touring Australians pulled off an unlikely victory over Sussex by a huge margin of 8 wickets. The match saw two innings (one each by the host and the visitors) declared with team totals less than hundred. Sussex batting first piled up 355-4 with the Australians in reply declaring their first inning closed at 86-2 - 269 runs behind. Sussex batting second declared their innings closed again at 67-5 leaving the Aussies 337 to get within 68 overs on the last day for a seemingly improbable win. The Aussies coasted to a win in the 64th over thanks to centuries from Gilchrist (114) and Ponting (147).