Dhoni eyes 2015 World Cup, may quit tests
PERTH: Mahendra Singh Dhoni has hinted he will quit test cricket if he decides to lead India in their World Cup defence in Australia and New Zealand in 2015.
Dhoni, who led the cricket-obsessed nation to 50-overs World Cup triumph last April, said it was still too early to decide if he would be around for the next tournament.
“Well if I want to see the 2015 World Cup in, I’ll have to retire from one of the formats,” he told a news conference ahead of the third test against Australia.
“It’s too early right now. I am not that old. I am just 30. There is still time. We will see by the end of 2013.”
Dhoni, who is captain of India’s test, one-day internationals (ODI) and Twenty20 sides, carries the extra burden of keeping wicket and said making sure there was a successor ready was a factor in the 2013 deadline.
“What I really meant with that was by 2013 I would have to see where I stand when it comes to my body, whether I will be able to survive for the 2015 World Cup,” he said.
“Of course form is a big factor but also, what I need to see is, if I play till 2014 and all of a sudden say I can’t survive till the World Cup, then all of a sudden you have a new keeper coming in who has not played more than 30 international games.
“So by end of 2013 I need to decide, okay I’m fit enough to proceed in one of the formats.
“It’s not personal interest, it’s for the country. What I want is an individual who, if he is taking my place, should have played at least 60 to 100 ODIs before he goes into the World Cup.
“It’s what my personal thinking is. We will accordingly see where it is. There’s lots of time before that.”
Dhoni took over as ODI Twenty20 captain in 2007 and added the test captaincy in 2008. AGENCIES
Afghan boxing girls aim for 2012 Olympic gold
Women in Afghanistan have been fighting for more rights at home and in society since the Taliban was toppled a decade ago.
Shabnam, 19, and her sister Sadaf Rahimi, 18, are taking the fight more literally than most of their peers, throwing punches in a ring as members of their country s first team of female boxers.
They practice inside a spartan gym with broken mirrors, flaking paint, four punching bags, and a concrete floor padded with faded pink and green mats. Some girls even wear face masks to keep away the dust coming up from the floor.
But they seem oblivious to their modest surroundings as they follow the whistle changes of a rigorous training routine.
“I hope to promote my boxing career and approach the highest level. I wish to be able to win the gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics,” said Sadaf, slightly out of breath from punching the bag.
Female boxing is still relatively unusual in most countries, but especially in Afghanistan, where many girls and women still face a struggle to secure an education or work, and activists say violence and abuse at home is common.
Three times a week, the girls come to practise at the Ghazi stadium, once used for public punishment by the Taliban, the hardline Islamists who ruled the country from 1996 to 2001.
Women were stoned for adultery there and despite an expensive revamp, its gory past sometimes spooks the athletes.
Under the Taliban, all sports for women were banned. They still have far fewer opportunities for exercise than men.
Many in this conservative society still consider fighting taboo for women, and the girls deal with serious threats.
“My family has been threatened several times because we three sisters are in the boxing club, they asked my family why the three girls from one family are boxing. Boxing is a hard and difficult sport even for men that is why people are surprised and our family was threatened because of our choice,” said Sadaf.
Neymar praised by football coach for ‘gorgeous show’
TOYOTA: Santos coach Muricy Ramalho praised star striker Neymar for a “gorgeous show” during the South American champions’ 3-1 Club World Cup win over J-League top dogs Kashiwa Reysol.
The 19-year-old sensation proved he can score when it matters as he curled in a left-footer on 19 minutes to open the account for Santos in the semi-final match in Toyota.
“As you could see, Neymar is that kind of player. He is a man who can decide the match by putting on a gorgeous show,” Ramalho told Japanese media, according to the Nikkan Sports daily.
Santos are likely to face Barcelona — featuring Argentine superstar Lionel Messi — in the final on Sunday, with the European champions favourites to beat Asian title holders Al Sadd in the other last-four match.
“It would be great if we can play Barcelona. I will cheer for them,” Neymar told Japanese media. He was due to watch the Catalan side’s semi-final on Thursday in Yokohama.
The right-footed striker, one of the most coveted players outside Europe, avoided a sliding challenge from Kashiwa defender Hidekazu Otani and kicked the ball with his left foot into the top corner.
“It worked very well. It was an excellent goal,” said Neymar, in his third year as a professional at Santos, the club where the legendary Pele also plied his trade. “I thought for a moment what I should do. But I decided to shoot right off.
“Kashiwa are a very good team and they made us work. But we were lucky we could beat them.” AGENCIES
Football: Libya, Niger qualify for African Cup
Nigeria and South Africa were eliminated after a day of drama and confusion.
South African footballers, coaches, supporters and media celebrated after a 0-0 home draw with Sierra Leone believing Bafana Bafana (The Boys) had made it only to discover later that little Niger had topped the table on the head-to-head rule despite a 3-0 drubbing in Egypt.
The eight qualifiers join co-hosts Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Senegal at the biennial African football showcase during January and February with the final two slots to be filled Sunday.
Although Zambia and Libya failed to score in Copperbelt town Chingola, the 0-0 draw took the home team through as a group winner while the North Africans took one of two places reserved for the best runners-up.
It was a remarkable achievement for the Libyans as fighting between pro and anti-Moamer Kadhafi forces meant the national team played only one of three home fixtures in Tripoli with Mali and Egypt hosting the others.
Only results against first and third-place finishers in four-nation groups count in the battle for the runners-up slots and Libya amassed eight points by taking four each off Zambia and Mozambique.
Salman Butt agreed to bat maiden over – prosecutor
LONDON: Former Pakistan cricket captain Salman Butt agreed to score no runs in an over during a Test match against England last year as part of a ‘spot-fixing’ scam, a court in London heard on Thursday.
Prosecutors said Butt, 26, confirmed in a telephone call with his agent — a conversation recorded by an undercover journalist — that he would bat out a maiden in the third Test at the Oval in August 2010.
Butt is on trial with fast bowler Mohammad Asif, 28, on charges of conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, and conspiracy to cheat at gambling. They have both pleaded not guilty.
Prosecutor Aftab Jafferjee told Southwark Crown Court that Butt’s agent Mazhar Majeed rang the journalist from the now-closed News of the World tabloid, after an earlier arrangement for no-balls to be bowled in exchange for £10,000 ($15,500, 11,600 euros) fell through.
In what Jafferjee said was “potentially damning evidence concerning Salman Butt directly”, a plan emerged for Butt to bat out a maiden in the first full over he faced.
The journalist said that could happen in any case and that he wanted proof, so Majeed called Butt on his other phone and put it on loudspeaker so the reporter could hear.
“You know the maiden we were doing in the first over?”, Majeed said.
“Yeah”, Butt replied. Majeed then tried to get him to do another in his third over, but Butt did not want to, the jury heard.
The following day Majeed met the journalist, then texted Butt four times to remind him to tap the middle of the pitch after the second ball he faced as a signal that he would bat out that over.
Jafferjee said that that day, “as events transpired at The Oval, matters were somewhat out of Butt’s control”, as he had come in to bat earlier than expected, faced a new ball and had to take a single run.
The journalist had pressed Majeed on why the promise he had paid for had not materialised. Majeed explained and the reporter said he wanted a no-ball or something from Butt.
Majeed said he could have two ‘brackets’ for £150,000 in the next Test at Lord’s. A bracket is where bets are made on incidents during a certain period of play, for example 10 overs.
“As events would prove, he got a bit of both — no-balls from Asif and Aamer which could not have taken place without Butt’s complete involvement,” Jafferjee said.
Young Pakistan bowler Mohammad Aamer and Majeed have also been charged with the same offences but are not standing trial alongside Butt and Asif. AGENCIES
Tendulkar’s legs shivered facing Shoaib Akhtar: Afridi
Afridi said Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar was scared of his pace, saying that he was a witness of “Tendulkar s legs shivering” in front of the Rawalpindi Express.
In his book, Controversially Yours, Akhtar wrote that Tendulkar was scared of his bowling, a comment that has caused furore across the border, forcing publishers to cancel all launch-related and publicity events.
When asked about Akhtar’s claims in his book, Afridi showed no hesitation in backing the former speedster.
“Shoaib is telling the truth. Tendulkar was afraid of him, and while fielding, I saw Tendulkar’s legs shivering while facing his bowling,” Afridi said.
However, the all-rounder added that it was not an unusual feature of a batsman.
“There are times when every batsman feels the pressure, it happens against Pakistani off-spinner Saeed Ajmal even,” said Afridi.
The former captain, however, was critical of Akhtar’s comments blaming Afridi for his omission from the 2011 ICC World Cup semi-final squad against India.
“Shoaib should remember that I apologised to the chairman and manager on his behalf and got him back into the national squad. While he hasn’t lied about other things, he won’t be able to look at me in the eyes after he’s said all that,” Afridi said.
Afridi is out of his mind, says Ganguly
”Afridi is out of his mind,” Ganguly quipped, reacting to the former Pakistani skipper s claim that he has seen Tendulkar “tremble” while facing Shoaib.
Afridi also said that Ganguly’s career was cut short due to Shoaib Akhtar’s furious bowling.
Ganguly is not surprised at off-spinner Harbhajan Singh s omission from the upcoming first two ODIs against England.
He is confident that the off-spinner s return for India s year-end tour of Australia for a four-Test series.
Zardari backs Ijaz Butt, orders end to standoff with Afridi
President refused to sack chairman PCB Ijaz Butt, but ordered addressing the issue of Shahid Afridi.
As per details, ex-cricketers and hockey players called on President Asif Ali Zardari at Balawal House in Karachi and agreed to play matches for restoration and revival of flood affectees.
The President said that players, artists, literary persons and intellectuals are an integral part of the society, so they should assist the government by tackling problems of flood affected people.
Former Olympian Samiullah Khan said that players would stand by the nation in this crucial situation.
Javed Miandad said that President Zardari is fully aware of the problems of the Cricket Board. He suggested playing T-20 matches in Karachi rather than in Lahore.
Pakistan shocked at Tiger Pataudi’s death
KARACHI: Pakistanis on Friday paid tribute to former Indian captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, saying the death of the charismatic player left a void in the cricket world.
Pataudi, nicknamed “The Tiger” for his superb fielding, who died Thursday aged 70, was equally popular across the border for his grace and charismatic character.
He played 46 Tests between 1961 and 1975, scoring 2,793 runs at an average of 34.91 with six centuries despite losing his right eye in a car accident in England.
Former Pakistan captain and a contemporary of Pataudi, Hanif Mohammad said the news came as a shock.
“I recently watched him on television and he looked great, but the sudden news of his death is a shock to me,” said Mohammad, nicknamed “Little Master” for his batting in 1950s and 60s.
Mohammad said he didn’t play against Pataudi as India-Pakistan ties were stalled during that period but they were team-mates in a World XI.
“When Pataudi started his career, we didn’t have Indo-Pak ties but we got a chance to play in a World XI and I found him a great human being, a charismatic character and a genuine cricket buff,” Mohammad reminisced.
Former Pakistan Cricket Board (AFP) chairman Shaharyar Khan, a cousin of Pataudi, said his death was a great loss for the game.
“Pataudi was a great ambassador of Indian cricket and was a very genuine cricket lover, his death will leave a great void for the family and for the cricket world,” said Khan.
Pataudi became India’s youngest captain at the age of 21 during a tour of the West Indies in 1962 when the then skipper Nari Contractor was injured after being hit on the head by a bouncer from Charlie Griffith.
He led India in 40 of his 46 Tests, winning nine and securing the country’s first series win abroad on the 1967-68 tour of New Zealand.
Former PCB chief executive Arif Abbasi remembered Pataudi as a “great friend.”
“I have lost a great and a very close friend,” said Abbasi. “He had a great vision of the game and his demise is not only a great loss for Indian cricket but also for international cricket as well.” AGENCIES
Pakistan beats Zimbabwe by 5 runs in 2nd T20
Pakistan completed a clean sweep of Zimbabwe in all three formats of the game, with a victory in the second Twenty20 in an exciting, last-ball finish in Harare. Zimbabwe s chase – thanks to controlled bowling from Pakistan – did not have any momentum until the final over, when Tatenda Taibu attacked.
With 20 runs required off six balls, Taibu smacked the first delivery for a six over long-on to set the tone for a fighting finish. His feisty running ensured two runs off each of the next four deliveries and left him with six to get off the last ball. Sohail Khan held his nerve and bowled a low, full toss wide outside off stump.
Taibu had backed away to the leg side and was not even able to play a shot. It brought an anti-climatic end to a chase that Zimbabwe allowed to get too big for them, when it should not have.
