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July 6, 2001
Cricket |
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Coca-Cola Triangular in Zimbabwe :
The Ashes Tour :
England began by making steady progress in the pre lunch session of the first Ashes Test being played at Birmingham yesterday. England went into lunch looking comfortable at 106-2 but by the time one over of the last session was bowled the home side were left staggering at 191-9.McGrath (3-67) and Warne (5-71) were the destroyers in chief. The British Police have released photographs of eight men who are assumed to have been involved in the crowd trouble that was caused during the presentation ceremony of the NatWest Trophy triangular final. A missile that was thrown from the crowd struck Bevan on the cheek causing the Australian's to walk away from the presentation area. The award ceremony was later held indoors. Close examination of television footage helped the police identify the people who they think caused trouble on the day of the final. All men are Asians in the age group 18-30. The police have requested the people to come out with any information they may have on the persons in the photographs. The Somerset County Cricket Club have reportedly hired Pakistanis Shoaib Akhtar and Aamer Sohail to play for them in the counties match against the touring Australians. Fans will thus be treated to two of the fastest bowlers in world cricket today hurling their stuff at each other's teams. The Somerset club also clarified that it would be taking steps to ensure no crowd trouble arises during the match.
Drug scam
The Outlook magazine is in no mood to apologize after it took the cricket world by storm since publishing an interview with former India coach Anshuman Gaekwad, who said many senior players used performance-enhancing drugs.
Reacting to the reports in the Indian media about the drugs scam a former South African wicket keeper Ray Jennings has said that he was aware that many top South African cricketers have played international matches under the influence of drugs. He pointed out that in many cases these players had used substances that would have got them banned in most other sport. He stressed the need for drug testing in cricket in all levels of the game as it could turn out to be as big an issue as match fixing. Jennings now coaches a provincial side in South Africa. The current South Africa team have recently signed a pledge in support of an anti-drugs campaign.
ACU seeks CBI's help
Miscellaneous : Javed Miandad, former skipper and Pakistan team coach has reportedly turned down an offer made by the PCB to be Chairman of the Management Committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). This committee is to look after the affairs of domestic cricket, umpiring, rules and discipline. Miandad was offered the post following the recent restructuring of the Pakistan Cricket Board. Miandad who is currently in London and learnt of the offer through the media has asked the Chairman of the PCB Lt Gen Tauqir Zia to be excused from the responsibility. Miandad is currently in the process of negotiating a short term coaching assignment with the Bangladesh national team. The Middlesex county are also reported to have approached him to help their team out. The petition filed by Mumbai based Gayatri Arts against the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was dismissed by a Mumbai court yesterday. The petition was filed challenging the award of sponsorship rights for the national team to IMG-TWI. Sham Dhumatkar the proprietor of Gayatri Arts had claimed that his firm had been given the contract by the BCCI through a letter issued by the BCCI secretary JY Lele on the 3rd May 2001. The court however dismissed the case saying there was no evidence that a contact between the two parties had been agreed upon.
Fomer Mumbai and India all-rounder Karsan Ghavri is to coach the Bengal Ranji Trophy team for the 2001-2002 season. Ghavri will be taking over from Palash Nandy as coach.
In a lighter vein An old man once asked George Bernard Shaw, "What do u think of this Test". A puzzled Shaw asked "What are they testing?"
SCORES AT A GLANCE
England vs Australia(1st Test) |
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South African match referee Dennis Lindsay slammed a three-match suspension on West Indian wicket keeper Ridley Jacobs for "cheating". Jacobs's stumping of Sehwag during the last match played at Harare was clearly shown to have been effected without the ball in his hand. Jacobs chose not to call back the batsmen after the umpire ruled him out on appeals from the other close in fielders. The West Indian keeper however will be permitted to play the final against India tomorrow as the suspension takes effect only from the next three one day internationals that West Indies are to play against Kenya when they tour there in August. The irony of the issue is that Jacobs is not to be a part of the Kenya tour as the West Indies Board had already announced that Courtney Browne would replace him.
A team of investigators from the Central Bureau of Investigation, India was in London recently to meet Sir Paul Condon and his team. Condon who heads the ICC Anti Corruption Cell has been interested in looking into the allegations made in the CBI report against the nine foreign players (including Alec Stewart, Brian Lara, Arjuna Ranatunga, Aravinda deSilva, Martin Crow among others). The Indian agency had clarified that it could not extend its probe to the foreign players as that was beyond its jurisdiction. The ICC has requested the CBI for the addresses and telephone numbers of some Mumbai based bookies allegedly involved in the betting nexus. The CBI has assured the ACU of providing all necessary help in the matter.
The Lashings cricket clubs newest recruitment is Sir Vivian Richards, who the club have managed to drag out of retirement to play the day/night challenge game against Kent on 6 August. Lashings have managed to rope in Richie Richardson, Jimmy Adams, Stuart Williams and Junior Murray as well as Pakistanis Wasim Akram and Inzamam-ul-Haq and the South African pair of Allan Donald and Herschelle Gibbs.