Monday, May 5, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
We are not against Shoaib earning his livelihood : PCB
Pakistan Cricket Board today made it clear that they allowed the banned speedster Shoaib Akhtar to play in the Indian Premier League because they did not want to prevent the bowler from earning his livelihood.
PCB's legal counsel Tafazzul Rizvi said it may have appeared strange that while the PCB was not reducing the five-year ban on Shoaib for indiscipline, it was ready to allow him to play anywhere else, but the Board did not want to stop him from earning his livelihood.
"As the council of the Board, I told the tribunal today that we have no issues with Shoaib playing outside
Rizvi said the Board had shown unusual patience, tolerance and a big heart with Shoaib despite his repeated allegations against the Board, its Chairman and fellow players.
"If anyone asks us for clarification, we will make it clear that the order has been clarified by the appellate tribunal. The order was not clarified before today but now it has received clarification. The Board has not opposed the decision and by doing so we have shown open heartedness," he said.
Rizvi added that it was now up to the Indian Premier League whether they use Shoaib's services or not. "If he follows their rules, regulations in
"If (IPL Chairman and Commissioner) Lalit Modi asks us, we will clarify our position, stance. We have no objection," he said.
Rizvi stated that the tribunal had adjourned its proceedings until June as it is not possible for the individual members to meet daily.
Rizvi said Shoaib's lawyer had argued for the stay application and wanted the PCB to suspend the order indefinitely but had that been done, the appeal would have been negated. By law the interim relief can never be the main relief.
He said the public apology made by Shoaib was one of the factors that were included in the interim order.
"An apology is always used on a mitigating factor in reducing, lessening the final saga, the final, sentence," he said.
Bangalore RC is not a Test squad in T20 : Rahul Dravid
Bangalore Royal Challengers may have sunk to their fourth defeat in five matches but skipper Rahul Dravid vehemently dismissed suggestions of them being a Test side in Twenty20 jersey.
Talking to reporters after their 10-run defeat against Delhi Daredevils, Dravid refused to buy the theory that his presence, along with the likes of Wasim Jaffer and Jacques Kallis makes it look more like a Test squad than a Twenty20 outfit.
"I don't think so. Twenty20 fates are decided in an over or two. Luck, and rub of the green are factors here," said the former India captain. "And it's not that our team does not have youngsters. If there is any missing link, I think we lack that X-factor," he said.
According to Dravid, Delhi bowlers made all the difference in Wednesday’s match. "I think the difference (between the sides) were (Glenn) McGrath's wickets, both upfront and in the later stage. (Daniel) Vettori gave next to nothing in his four overs, and (V) Yomahesh bowled tight too.
"Twenty20 matches are decided in one-two overs and we needed two big overs, which we just didn't get. Chasing 10 per over, we were right on track but could not eventually make it," he rued.
Dravid also defended the ploy to open with Praveen Kumar, which fell flat on its face with the player falling in the first over itself. "Chasing 10 runs per over, we had to send our stroke-players upfront. Praveen was sent up with this idea. If he could score 15-20 quick runs, things could have changed. There was nothing wrong with the strategy," he said.
Asked why the side kept out Misbah-ul-Haq despite the Pakistani's expertise in this format of the game, Dravid said, "It was difficult fielding all the foreigners. We needed an all-rounder because our bowling was not strong, so (Jacques) Kallis played. Ross Taylor would leave now and Misbah will definitely get his chance."
Dravid is also banking on Anil Kumble's return to bolster the attack. "I hope things would improve when Anil returns. Our fifth bowlers are conceding 50-odd runs. If Anil concedes a little less, it would help the side," he added.
IPL 19th Match : Deccan Hyderabad chargers Vs Kings 11 Punjab, match preview - Live ipl scores
Buoyant after registering their first win of the tournament, the Hyderabad Deccan Chargers take on Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League today with both the sides depleted due to the exit of their Australian imports.
The Chargers notched their first win in the tournament against Mumbai Indians on April 27 after losing three consecutive matches against Kolkata Knight Riders, Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals.
Captain VVS Laxman would be under considerable pressure to score on his gome turf. His highest score in the series so far has been 37.
The team will miss the services of Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds, who has left for home to join his team for a training camp ahead of the tour of the West Indies. South African opener Herschelle Gibbs is likely to replace him.
In the absence of Symonds, retired Aussie star Adam Gilchrist, Laxman, Pakistani swashbuckler Shahid Afridi and Gibbs will shoulder the responsibility of making big scores for the team.
Gilchrist hit a scintillating century in the match against Mumbai Indians and the team banks heavily on him. Though Afridi is the highest wicket taker for the team so far, his batting has remained lackluster. Afridi's highest score in the series has been 10.
The Kings XI Punjab, meanwhile, has won two of the four matches it has played so far and looks strong with Kumar Sangakkara, Yuvraj Singh, Simon Katich and James Hopes doing well with the bat. Irfan Pathan is the highest wicket-taker for the team but Brett Lee's departure will add to the pressure on Pathan and new-ball bowler S Sreesanth.
The pitch at the Rajiv Gandhi stadium is ideal for batting and the team chasing a target is expected to have an edge. PTI
Deccan Chargers probable Team: Adam Gilchrist (wk), VVS Laxman (capt),Herschelle Gibbs, Rohit Sharma, Shahid Afridi, Sanjay Bangar, Arjun Yadav, Nuwan Zoysa, Pragyan Ojha, RP Singh, D Kalyankrishna.
Punjab probable Team: Kumar Sangakkara (wk), James Hopes, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Yuvraj Singh (capt), Mahela Jayawardene, Tanmay Srivastava, Irfan Pathan, Ajitesh Argal, Piyush Chawla, Sreesanth, VRV Singh.
IPL 18th Match : Rajasthan Royals Vs Kolkata Knight riders match preview, live ipl score
The pink city of Jaipur is all set to witness a battle of wits between Shane Warne and Sourav Ganguly when the Rajasthan Royals meet the Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL tie at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium on Thursday.
The Rajasthan Royals, tagged underdogs before the start of the meet, are on a roll. Coach-cum-captain Shane Warne has turned the team into a well-knit side. “We are waiting for our fourth straight victory on Thursday,” Warne said. Though Warne refused to name his final eleven, Dmitri Mascarenhas, the only English cricketer in the IPL, is expected to replace Sohail Tanvir.
Warne has transformed his team from underdogs to frontrunners and hopes to continue the winning streak against the Knight Riders who have performed well below expectations in their losses to Bangalore Royal Challengers and Mumbai Indians.
There’s no doubt Sourav and Warne will hold the key to any excitement this match could generate. They will need to come good in their respective departments to make an impact.
With little time in hand to get used to scorching heat and ground conditions, the visitors may find the going tough in a day match. They are also hit by the loss of overseas players like New Zealand's Brendon McCullum and Australian skipper Ricky Ponting, who are leaving for their national assignments.
The form of Knight Riders' skipper Sourav Ganguly has also been a worrying factor and he has failed to make any impression so far. West Indian Chris Gayle apparently has also not recovered from his injury. The Knight Riders, however, will be strengthened by the inclusion of Salman Butt and Brad Hodge, their two new foreign recruits. PTI
Rajasthan probable Team: Graeme Smith, Mahesh Rawat (wk), Yusuf Pathan, Shane Watson, Mohammad Kaif, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Ravindra Jadeja, Dinesh Salunkhe, Shane Warne (capt), Siddharth Trivedi, Munaf Patel.
Kolkata probable Team: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Salman Butt, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Mohammad Hafeez, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Ajit Agarkar, Murali Kartik, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda.
