CA congratulates Paul Reiffel on Test umpiring debut

Cricket Australia (CA) on Wednesday congratulated former Test fast bowler Paul Reiffel, who will be making his Test umpiring debut in the match between the West Indies and New Zealand in Antigua. Reiffel becomes just the fifth former Australian Test player to umpire a Test match, behind fellow players-turned-officials Charles Bannerman, George Coulthard, Patrick George McShane and Alan Richardson. CA chief executive officer James Sutherland said it was great to see another Australian umpiring at Test level and a testament to CA’s umpire programme.

“Paul was a terrific cricketer for Australia who is now proving that he is an excellent official as well and we wish him all the best for his Test umpiring debut in the Caribbean later tonight Australian time,” Sutherland said.

“Paul becomes just the fifth former Australian cricketer to make the transition from Test player to Test umpire and joins countrymen Steve Davis, Simon Taufel, Rod Tucker and Bruce Oxenford as current Australian Test umpires, the most of any ICC member nation.

“Paul’s rise to the top of umpiring ranks continues Australia’s proud history of producing quality umpires who have come through the development pathway and on to international honours. We hope his transition from player to umpire will continue to inspire others to take that path once their playing days have concluded.”

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BCCI grants amnesty to Kapil Dev

The Indian cricket board on Wednesday lifted the ban on former India captain and legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev, who sought amnesty saying he has resigned from Essel Sports Private Limited, promoters of the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL). The 1983 World cup winning captain met Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N. Srinivasan at Cricket Centre here and in his letter said he will support the board.

“Kapil Dev has informed the board that he has resigned from the Essel Sports Private Limited/ICL. He has also stated in the letter that he has always supported the BCCI, and will continue to do so in the future,” Srinivasan said in a statement.

“The BCCI acknowledges Kapil Dev’s immense contribution to Indian cricket, and looks forward to a fruitful association with him in the years to come,” Srinivasan added.

Kapil will now be eligible for a one-time benefit payment of Rs.1.5 crore and a monthly gratis of Rs.35,000 from the board.

“BCCI is like a parent and we are like its children. Even during my earlier association, I have contributed for welfare of cricket and cricketers and even now I aim to do so,” Kapil told reporters at the BCCI headquarters.

Kapil was banned by the BCCI in 2007 for joining the now defunct ICL, which was a breakaway league.

While others who were associated with the league sought amnesty from the board, Kapil had no intention of requesting the BCCI.

But during a BCCI working committee earlier this month, Kapil met Srinivasan and gave him his letter of resignation from the Essel Sports Private Limited.

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Darren Sammy plays down idea of second frontline spinner

West Indies captain Darren Sammy has down played the idea that another frontline spinner could have been included in the 13-man squad chosen to play New Zealand in the opening Test starting on Wednesday.
Sammy was responding to suggestions that the West Indian selectors could have considered two frontline spinners for the game – and that Dominican off-spinner Shane Shillingford was unfortunate to have missed out on selection, reports CMC.

“I guess the selectors met and came up with the 13 that they think will go out there and win the game for us,” Sammy told reporters at a news conference.

“Last year, the combination we have used in cricket, our bowlers have done well for us and I guess they have stuck with that so whichever eleven they put out, they have to go out and do the job for the Caribbean people.”

One of exciting prospects will be the appearance of spinner Sunil Narine, who will play his first Test in the Caribbean.

Narine ended the one-day series with 13 wickets at a superb average of 11.23, which included an impressive five-wicket haul that restricted New Zealand in the final one-day match.

“Especially the type of wickets we play on in the Caribbean, spin plays an important role,” said Sammy.

“We have a world class spinner in Narine who proved that through the one-day and T20 competitions that he is a handful in the Caribbean. I back him to go out there and do well for us.”

Sammy said he is confident the team, with the return of the likes of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Kemar Roach, will do well against New Zealand.

However, the squad has been highlighted by the return of opener Chris Gayle, who is set to make a return to Test match after 18 months of controversy.

Sammy told the media briefing that Gayle’s position at the top will be key for the team.

“We have struggled with the new ball last year, so his experience he can pass it on to the younger players,” Sammy explained.

“I know he is looking forward to be back in white clothes as well. Not only Chris but the entire team is looking forward to the Test series”.

The West Indies won the five-match one-day series by a 4-1 margin after sweeping the T20 doubleheader in Florida, US.

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Sunil Narine breaks into ICC top 20

West Indies off-spinner Sunil Narine has broken into the top 20 for the first time in the International Cricket Council Player Rankings for ODI bowlers. Narine, buoyed by impressive spells against New Zealand recently, jumped 23 places to move to the 13th position, according to the latest rankings released by the ICC Tuesday, reports CMC. The 24-year-old Trinidadian was the star player for the West Indies who triumphed over New Zealand 4-1 in their just concluded ODI series.

Narine engineered New Zealand’s demise in the fifth ODI by claiming a career best five-wicket haul to finish with 13 wickets in the series.

He finished the game with the best bowling analysis by a West Indian against New Zealand in an ODI and the best ODI figures at Warner Park to earn the Man-of-the-Match award.

News of Narine’s ascendancy in the international rankings comes as he prepares to make his test debut in the Caribbean.

He has been chosen as the frontline spinner in the first Test between the West Indies and New Zealand starting in Antigua Wednesday.

Meanwhile, West Indies all-rounder Andre Russell also figured impressively in the latest ICC player rankings.

Russell jumped 26 spots to be ranked 38th in the batting rankings and 10th among ODI all-rounder in a list topped by Bangladesh’s Shakib al Hasan.

Both rankings are the highest to date for the 24-year-old Jamaican.

The bowler’s list is still topped by South Africa’s Lonwabo Tsotsobe while South Africa’s Hashim Amla also tops the rankings for ODI batsmen.

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West Indies speedster Kemar Roach ready to face Kiwis

Fit-again fast bowler Kemar Roach says he is looking to make a big impact when he returns to the Test side for the two-match series against New Zealand starting on Wednesday. The right-armer, who was forced out of the recent tour of England with a shin injury, signalled a return to full fitness with a devastating burst on the opening day of the three-day match against the Kiwis  last Friday. He claimed four for 34 from 17 hostile overs at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground to reduce New Zealand to 149 all out in their first innings.

“I was happy with the way I bowled. I was away from the game for a little while so I wanted to get back into the groove and prove that I’m ready for the upcoming Test matches,” the 24-year-old was quoted as saying by CMC.

“While I was away I had therapy and fitness sessions and my body is feeling fit and ready for the challenges ahead.

“To get those early wickets, and especially the leading batsmen in their team, was a good return. It put them under pressure from the start and we maintained that grip. I got the ball to move both ways and that’s something I have been working hard to perfect.”

He added: “With these two games coming up next week and then the following week in Jamaica, I want to make it count big time.”

He produced a superb inswinger to trap opener Martin Guptill plumb before the wicket and claim his 150th first class wicket. He then conjured up two perfect outswingers to account for Brendon McCullum and captain Ross Taylor.

He prised out veteran Daniel Vettori with a bouncer which was miscued to mid-on.

Roach has been the leading bowler for the Windies in Tests this year, tallying 27 wickets in five Tests at an average of 24.

A match haul of ten for 146 against Australia on a slow pitch at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad earlier this year was one of his outstanding performances and one which Roach still cherishes.

“The performance in Trinidad is sort of a benchmark for me. Obviously, it was the first ten-wicket and my best overall (haul) in Test cricket so that is something I will remember throughout the rest of my career,” he noted.

“It came on a pitch that wasn’t really offering a lot to the fast bowlers so I had to dig deep and make it happen.

“It taught me a lot and the greatest lesson was how to work when the odds are against you. Some days the ball comes out and does exactly what you want. Other days you have to make it happen, so I’m prepared to make it happen.”

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Roger Federer, Azarenka top seeds at London Olympics

World number one players Roger Federer and Victoria Azarenka will head the list of seeded players in the draws for the London Olympics’ tennis tournament. The draw will be held at Wimbledon on Thursday for the star-packed tennis competition beginning on Saturday, agency reports. Each of the singles tournaments has 64 competitors, with 16 seeds based on the world rankings of June 11.

Reigning Wimbledon champion Federer aims to win his first Olympic singles medal, having captured mixed doubles gold with Stanislas Wawrinka at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Second-ranked Novak Djokovic is the defending bronze medallist and fourth-ranked Andy Murray looks to win a medal on home soil.

Reigning gold medallist Rafael Nadal was forced to withdraw from the event with knee tendinitis.

In women’s category, Belarussian Azarenka will lead the pack of top ten players in the prestigious event to be held at All England Club.

The doubles events will each contain 32 teams, with eight seeded pairs selected at the discretion of the International Tennis Federation (ITF).

If there are two players or doubles teams from the same National Olympic Committee (NOC) in any event, they will be drawn in opposite halves of the draw. If there are three or four players or teams from the same NOC, they will be drawn into different quarters of the draw.

The draw for the 16-team mixed doubles, based on the rankings of June 11, will be held July 31.

Players can only enter the mixed doubles event if they are competing in at least one of the other four events.

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Chris Gayle returns to Sydney for Big Bash T20

West Indies batsman Chris Gayle has again signed with Sydney Thunder for another season of Australia’s Twenty20 Big Bash. The 32-year-old left-hander turned out for the Thunder last season and was a hit at the ANZ Stadium, smashing 252 runs at an average of 42. “I am really happy to have re-signed with the Thunder,” Gayle said Monday.

“After my experience last year, I always wanted to return. I love Sydney so I cannot wait to get amongst the guys again. The Thunder squad is looking good with a solid mix of youth and experience,” he added.

Gayle is currently in Antigua where he is preparing for the opening Test against New Zealand starting Wednesday.

He was only recently recalled to the West Indies side following a 15-month hiatus, owing to an impasse with the West Indies Cricket Board.

During his time away from international cricket, he increased his Twenty20 stocks significantly with successful stints in Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and the cash-rich Indian Premier League.

Gayle will be joined at Thunder by Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi who played for Melbourne Renegades last season.

Afridi, a big-hitting right-hander and wily leg-spinner, said Gayle’s presence at the outfit was a big plus for him.

“Chris is a great guy and a tremendous player. It is always fun playing alongside him and I look forward to seeing him annihilate bowling attacks once again,” Afridi said.

Gayle is one of the four West Indies players already confirmed for the December 7 to January 19 showpiece.

Mystery off-spinner Sunil Narine will debut for the Sydney Sixers, batsman Kieron Pollard will play for the Adelaide Strikers while fast bowler Kemar Roach has signed for Brisbane Heat.

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Saina Nehwal-led team arrives in Delhi enroute to London

The five-member Indian badminton team led by Saina Nehwal arrived here Monday evening enroute to London for the Olympics beginning Friday. The contingent comprising Saina, Ashwini Ponnappa, Jwala Gutta, Parupalli Kashyap and V. Diju will leave for London Tuesday morning under the supervision of chief coach Pullela Gopichand. The majority of India’s 81-member Olympic contingent has reached London.

“The reason we stayed back in India is that we prefer training amongst ourselves. We would do the same in London rather than sparring with players from other countries,” Ashwini, who will be representing India in the women’s doubles with Jwala, told reporter.

World No.5 Saina, one of India’s brightest medal hopes in London, starts her women’s singles campaign Saturday.

Kashyap, ranked 21, will be the sole representative in men’s singles after pipping Ajay Jayaram for the Olympic qualification.

A medal can be expected from Jwala and Ashwini, who made history by wining a bronze at the World Championships last year.

Jwala will also pair up with Diju for the mixed doubles event.

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Indian coach Sunny Thomas asks shooters to make the best of pressure

India’s chief shooting coach Sunny Thomas asked his shooters to shoot with pressure and not against it if they want to win a medal at the 2012 London Games. Thomas, who is here for his fifth Olympics, said the shooters are trained to handle pressure and they won’t get overawed by the situation. “You have to shoot with the pressure, you don’t have to fight against it. The shooters are trained for this entire situation,” said Thomas at the Games Village on Monday.

Thomas feels Indian shooters are hogging the limelight because of their consistent good performance in the international arena.

“I will not agree with the view that it is a sudden development, because if you see, we have been performing well for last so many years, but yes we were not noticed or acknowledged properly.

“We have produced lot of champions, record holders but they all went unnoticed. However when Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore got the silver in Athens, the world started noticing the Indian shooters and began following them. When Abhinav Bindra won the gold in Beijing, it may have been surprise for many but not for us. The reason being that he (Bindra) was earlier the World Junior Champion and then Senior World Champion,” he said.

Thomas also said that good showing by the Indian shooters, especially in the Commonwealth Games Asian Games, World Cups and World Championships have ignited interest in this sport in India.

Asked about his squad’s chances, Thomas said: “Well we got a silver in Athens and gold in Beijing. I hope we will have better results here. The shooters have adapted to the conditions. In any case they have been training in Europe so weather is no problem because all of them are used to it.”

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Bopanna gains a place in doubles rankings, Mahesh Bhupathi drops one

Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna gained a place in the ATP World Tour doubles rankings to go up to 13th with 4,540 points. The Bangalore boy last played in the recently concluded Hamburg Open where he, partnering Mahesh Bhupathi, lost in the quarter-finals to Jeremy Chardy and Gilles Simon. Bhupathi on the other hand dropped a place to 16th with 4,330 points. Bhupathi-Bopanna are ranked seventh as a team on 2,165 points.

Reigning Australian Open men’s doubles winner Leander Paes remained on fifth with 6,335 points.

In the WTA rankings, Sania Mirza gained a place in the singles rankings to reach 247 while her doubles ranking remains the same at 18.

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Goan expats want state to host mini-NRI football World Cup

Football crazy Goan expats are rooting for the state to host a mini non-resident Indian (NRI) football ‘World Cup’. The idea, which was first mooted in 2001 is now slowly finding supporters, especially among st the Goan community settled in the Middle East, which is aggressively backing the concept. “Football holds great interest among expatriates in Kuwait. Qatar, Dubai and Bahrain and they also conduct proper league tournaments.

Not too sure about the rest of the world, but for sure teams will participate as players who are taking their vacation during that time of the year will represent their countries,” said Julio Cardozo, a Goan settled in Kuwait who is the chief promoter of the concept.

When Bruno Coutinho, a former captain of the Indian football team and now a bureaucrat with the state sports ministry, visited Kuwait last month, Cardazo, along with several other friends bounced the idea of Goa hosting a regular football World Cup for NRIs.

“When Bruno Coutinho was in Kuwait, I sounded him on this matter as I feel that with genuine support from SAG (Sports Authority of Go a), we could probably have a proper tournament in Goa,” Cardozo said.

“Actually, a few years back, 2001 to be precise, a mini World Cup was organized in Goa and it was initiated by a friend from Goa. Team s from Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, Britain and Bahrain and a veteran’s team representing India participated. It was a moderate success,” Cardozo said, explaining how the concept was birthed.

What the expat community is now advocating is widening the scope and dimensions of the tourney in accordance with the expansion of the Goan diaspora to other countries.

“The concept would be to have NRI teams participat ing from the USA, Canada, Britain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Dubai, among others, in a league-cum-knock-out tournament in December-end or January-beginning. Invitations would have to be sent to the prominent associations representing Goans in these countries. SAG would have to support in terms of grounds and referees. Some funds from the Government would also help,” Cardozo said.

“If the rules and regulations are clear and the invitations go out from the Goa government, the tournament can be a huge success. Important matters, like who is an NRI, would have to be considered, as I remember the last time there was some cheating with teams fielding players based in Goa who originally worked in the Gulf,” he further said.

Coutinho said the idea was certainly worth considering, but added that executing it would not be a walk in the park.

“Yes, I am thinking about it. It can be made possible. But it will not be like a picnic. It will need a lot of work,” Coutinho told reporter.

Football gets the better of cricket in soccer crazy Goa, which has had several teams like the Dempo Sports Club, Salgaocar Sports Club and Churchill Brothers top the national football league championship s. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has recently declared football a state sport.

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Now Rani does lavani item song in ‘Aiyya’

After Katrina Kaif and Vidya Balan, it’s Rani Mukerji’s turn to do a lavani item number. She has done it in “Aiyya” and the song has been choreographed by Vaibhavi Merchant. “Rani does three item numbers in her dream in ‘Aiyya’. In this film, the girl has this habit of dreaming. One of her item numbers is a lavani song, again in her dream,” Sachin Kundalkar, director of the film, told reporter. “She was quite good with her lavani dance. She shared a great equation with Vaibhavi Merchant. She did rehearsals on the sets. So it’s a rapid, classical, sensuous lavani song,” he added.

Co-produced by Anurag Kashyap and Viacom 18, the movie is said to be about a woman who finds a man desirable because he smells good. Rani plays a Marathi girl in the movie and is paired opposite southern star Prithvi Raj.

Final editing of “Aiyya” has been locked and Kundalkar added that “final edit happened yesterday (Sunday), which was locked by Anurag Kashyap. He really liked the film”.

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Dull Moscow track is a shame: Prost

Four-time Formula One world champion Alain Prost added his voice to those criticizing Russia’s new international-standard circuit for its lack of overtaking potential, calling the track “a shame”. The Moscow Raceway opened Saturday with a round of the Renault World Series, but competitors and Russia’s F1 driver Vitaly Petrov said it lacked places to overtake.

“The infield part is very similar and very difficult to overtake. I was a bit surprised that at the end of the straight, it was not also that easy to overtake,” Prost said after a few laps in a Renault Megane trophy racing car.

“There’s some places where it’s quite nice, but overtaking is not easy.”

Asked whether the situation was the result of the track being designed by prolific F1 architect Hermann Tilke, Prost said: “I don’t want to blame anyone. It’s really a shame.”

Tilke has designed 10 of the last 11 circuits to join the F1 calendar, with the exception of the remodelled Indianapolis venue in the United States.

His latest track, the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, will be part of the championship for the first time this year.

The Moscow Raceway has been certified fit to host F1 testing and will also hold rounds of the FIA GT1 and Superbike world championships this year.

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McLaren must bounce back in Germany: Prost

McLaren must recover from a string of poor results at the German Grand Prix next weekend or will be left behind by Red Bull and Ferrari, four-time champion Alain Prost has said. McLaren stormed to the top of the constructors’ standings after strong results in the first three races of the year, but have scored only one podium finish in the six races since then. “If they don’t come back immediately, from Hockenheim, the next race, I think it’s going to be difficult,” Prost said.

“In front, Red Bull and Ferrari are very motivated and it’s going to be tough.”

One of the reasons for McLaren’s decline is that they have failed to cope with the new tire compounds introduced this season, he said.

“It looks like they do not understand what is happening with the new tires, which is not good news.”

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso leads the drivers’ championship by 13 points from Red Bull’s Mark Webber, who won the last round in Britain, while Webber’s teammate Sebastian Vettel is third with Lewis Hamilton fourth for McLaren.

In the constructors’ standings, Red Bull have a commanding 64-point lead over Ferrari, who enjoy a narrow advantage over third-placed Lotus and fourth-placed McLaren.

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Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh wins Scottish Open

Indian golfer Jeev Milkha Singh beat Italian Francesco Molinari in a play-off to win the Scottish Open here Sunday and qualify for next week’s British Open. Jeev, who began the day at the 16th spot, carded a final round 67 to ensure a play-off with Molinari. “The last three, four years have been a struggle for me with the injuries,” Singh said after winning his fourth European title and securing 518,046 euros as prize money.

“It has been really tough and frustrating more than anything else. You feel like your game is coming back and another injury creeps up, but I just stuck myself in there and said that you need to work on the physical side, and I worked hard on that.”

“Everything has paid off, and I just want to think about the good things and not what is past and I want to look towards the future now,” he added.

Jeev’s other European crowns include the China Open in 2006, Volvo Masters of Europe the same year and Austrian Open in 2008.

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