Rahul Dravid, the Indian captain, has been recommended for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, India’s highest award for sports. Dravid was recommended for the award last year as well but lost out to Pankaj Advani, the billiards player.Yuvraj Singh, the middle-order batsman, and Anjum Chopra, the former women’s team captain, were recommended for Arjuna awards. Incidentally, Yuvraj was also recommended for the same award last year.Sachin Tendulkar is the only cricketer to have received the Khel Ratna to date. It is awarded for spectacular and outstanding performance in sport and carries a cash award of Rs 5 lakh. The Arjuna award is given for consistent performances in the last three years and has a cash award of Rs 3 lakh.
Pakistan have indefinitely postponed a three-match ODI series with Zimbabwe originally scheduled for September this year because the tour is unlikely to be an economically viable one.The Pakistan Cricket Board had been thinking about the move for some time, though it was reluctant to make it official. It was reported in Pakistan recently that Shaharyar Khan, chairman PCB, had written to Zimbabwe cricket authorities, suggesting they play a Pakistan A team in a series of ODIs and four-day matches.A senior official in the Pakistan board confirmed to Cricinfo that the series had been “postponed, possibly till 2008, though that is not final.” Another cited the reason as the relative unattractiveness of Zimbabwe to broadcasters and sponsors alike.”Our thinking was basically that organising a tour of three ODIs will not be particularly feasible in an economic sense especially given that Zimbabwe are not attractive tourists,” explained the official. “Broadcasters I doubt will come for only three ODIs against Zimbabwe, though if it was linked with another tour then maybe they would be interested,” he added.There may still be a chance that Zimbabwe do come in that period, though only to play the A team. Reports suggest that Zimbabwe, who are under growing international pressure after a string of dismal performances, do not intend to dispute the PCB’s decision to postpone the series. Instead, they now want Zimbabwe to play a series of matches against Pakistan A in Pakistan during that time period.Meanwhile, reported that Zimbabwe are trying to attract clubs from Pakistan and elsewhere in Asia to provide a boost to its faltering first-class cricket structure.Drawing from media reports in Zimbabwe, a week after dissolving traditional provincial structures, Zimbabwe cricket is trying to import at least two top club sides from Asia to help revive a first-class competition struggling to survive after over 30 experienced players either retired or left the country.”ZC is in discussion with a number of cricket institutions with the willingness to send clubs to participate in first-class cricket in the country,” the quoted a source as saying. The source believes the clubs might come from Pakistan or India.
Mark Sorell, the South Australian high-performance co-ordinator, has been appointed as the new coach of the Australian women’s cricket team. Sorell takes over from Stephen Jenkin, who will finish his post early next month after four years in the role. Sorell’s first assignment will be to lead the side on their tour of Ireland and England in July and August, including the women’s Ashes series.A Cricket Australia level-three coach, Sorell has enjoyed a long career with the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) including as a coach and development officer, regional cricket manager and community cricket manager. After six years as coach of Glenelg District Cricket Club in the SACA Grade competition, Sorell led the state women’s cricket team, the South Australian Scorpions, in the Women’s National Cricket League from 2002 to 2004. Sorell will commence his role on 11 July.Michael Brown, Cricket Australia’s general manager of cricket operations, said the direction of women’s cricket in Australia over the next four years was set to enter a new phase. “Our national women’s team has enjoyed tremendous success over the past few years, including our recent World Cup win in South Africa,” said Brown. “This was achieved under the guidance of a professional team management structure led by head coach Steve Jenkin. Steve has had a positive influence on the team and we congratulate and thank him for his dedication and support of women’s cricket.Commenting on his appointment, Sorell said: “This is a tremendous opportunity for me, and I am really looking forward to the chance to work with the Australian women’s team. It is an exciting time for the Australian women’s team having just won the World Cup, preparing to embark on an Ashes campaign and a host of young players coming through the system, so there is much to look forward to.”
Rameez Raja, the chief executive of the Pakistan board, has said that he has no intentions of resigning. Addressing a news conference at the Gaddafi Stadium, Rameez spoke about how Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the PCB, backed him completely and that the allegations of corruption targeted at him were completely baseless.”If they [ex-cricketers] consider it is a right way in which they can compel me to leave the office”, he said, “they are wrong because my chairman has reposed his full confidence in me.”If someone thinks that I will be stepping down due to the negative criticism on me after defeats to the Pakistan team, he is wrong. I do not have such plans.” Rameez had been severely criticised for performing the dual role of both the CEO and a TV commentator.Meanwhile, the PCB has initiated disciplinary action against Rashid Latif for making match-fixing allegations during the one-day series. In a letter to Latif, Shaharyar said that his case has been referred to the disciplinary committee for investigation as well as follow-up action. Latif, reputed for his whistle-blowing, responded by threatening to reveal a lot more on match-fixing and exposing many more players.Latif was quoted as saying by The News that he had certain “details and information” which had led him to question the result of the fourth one-dayer at Lahore. “If the board wants to open the Pandora’s Box, then I cannot help it. But I have been in constant touch with the ACU [Anti-corruption unit of the ICC] on this issue and have already given them whatever information I had with me.”
The most inconsistent team in the Carib Beer Cricket Series has returned to Barbados with a new lease on life.India "A", badly beaten here inside three days immediately after their late arrival in the Caribbean six weeks ago, would have been on their way home had they not won last weekend against dethroned Cup champions Jamaica.The win lifted them from seventh to sixth in the points table on 33 points and victory against cellar-placed West Indies "B" in their rescheduled first round match at Kensington Oval, starting today, will leapfrog them to third position and into the semifinals of the International Challenge."We know this is do or die for us," team coach Ashok Malhotra told WEEKENDSPORT during a practice session at Weymouth yesterday. "The Jamaica game has given us a new lease on life. We are hoping to get 12 points against West Indies "B"."If we get 12, we are in, otherwise we are going home. The boys know the job is cut out for them."For a team that includes at least six players with international experience, the Indians have not lived up to expectations.They could be excused for the match against Barbados when they would not have been fully acclimatised."It has been a roller-coaster ride. The match which really hurts me is the Windwards one, which we lost outright after beating Trinidad and Tobago outright," Malhotra said. "We all know Windwards is not a great side."Malhotra, who was part of Kapil Dev’s team that played five Tests in the West Indies in 1983, attributes the India "A" team’s inconsistency to his batsmen."The batters we have on this tour, once they pass 30s and 40s back home they score hundreds and big hundreds," he said. "In about 50 (individual) innings we have only one hundred to show for it. The batsmen are getting 20s and 30s and getting out."It has nothing to do with adjusting to conditions, he added."The pitches are more or less like back home. We haven’t seen any bouncy tracks in the Caribbean. When I came here 20 years back, the ball used to bounce much more."Some of their batsmen have done reasonably well, however. Left-handed opener Gautam Gambhir has four half-centuries and an aggregate of 508 runs (ave. 46.18), while fellow opener Akash Chopra has 455 runs (ave. 41.36) with a highest of 174.After the match against Jamaica which India "A" won by two wickets with the help of an unbroken ninth wicket half-century stand, they are quietly confident better things are ahead."It was a launching pad for us. We know that if we play one good game, we are playing Guyana, whom we had a good game against. We know what we can do to them," Malhotra said. "I feel if we beat West Indies "B", I think we might go through to the finals."Victory against the youngsters will put them in third place and it will give them a semifinal berth against the defending international champions. The other semi would therefore bring together new Cup champions Barbados and Jamaica at Kensington, starting a week from today.If India "A" fail to win, Barbados will host Trinidad and Tobago in the semis, which will also feature Guyana and Jamaica in Georgetown.India "A" are hoping captain VVS Laxman, who missed the match against Jamaica with a back injury, will be fit to take his place. He batted in the nets yesterday, but the decision will be left to him just prior to the start of the match.The tourists will definitely be without left-arm spinner Murali Kartik, who broke his thumb while fielding to his own bowling against Jamaica.
One of the features of New Zealand Cricket’s annual report is its tribute to Kiwi legend Bert Sutcliffe.His obituary, recording the feats of his cricket career, is superimposed over a magnificent photograph of the Bert Sutcliffe Oval and pavilion at Lincoln University.The photograph is taken in the late afternoon sun and is a superb study of the ground named in his honour and which was the site of the CLEAR White Ferns’ CricInfo Women’s World Cup victory over Australia last summer.His obituary noted: “Bert Sutcliffe is remembered universally for his modesty and personal integrity, and is most oft described as a true gentleman.”Bert Sutcliffe was also one of New Zealand’s finest ever batsmen.”He played in an earlier era but retained a genuine interest and appreciation for the modern cricketer. He met with many of the CLEAR Black Caps in recent years and was an inspiration to them.”The Bert Sutcliffe Oval will be a permanent memorial to him, along with New Zealand Cricket’s prestigious annual award, the Bert Sutcliffe Medal, presented annually in recognition of outstanding service to cricket.
Tottenham have held talks with an in-form star over personal terms and outlined their project to him, with the ‘crazy’ race for his signature poised to take further shape.
Spurs are staring down the barrel of another wasted campaign unless they act decisively when the January transfer window opens.
Thomas Frank’s side sit miles off the pace in the Premier League with their European ambitions also looking increasingly fragile, having won just one of their last seven matches.
The numbers tell a damning story.
Spurs have dropped points in matches they should have controlled and looked painfully short of quality in key areas. Frank inherited a squad with glaring weaknesses, and those deficiencies have been brutally exposed throughout the first half of the season.
Tottenham ready to make January target their highest-paid star to shatter wage structure
Spurs are pulling out all the stops.
ByEmilio Galantini
Pressure has mounted on the Dane this week after their 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest last weekend, with the Lilywhites believed to be making contingency plans in the event they need to sack Frank.
The left wing remains a gaping hole in the starting eleven, and Frank has been forced into makeshift solutions week after week. It’s cost them goals, points and momentum at crucial moments.
Much has been made of their lack of creativity in the final third, with Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo being eyed up as a potential solution.
The Ghana international, similar to last season, has stood out as one of the Premier League’s most potent attacking threats, and his £65 million release clause has tempted elite clubs across the division.
Man City, Man United, Liverpool and Spurs are all believed to be contending for Semenyo before his clause expires on January 10, with reliable journalist Mark Douglas and his colleague Pete Hall sharing an update today.
Tottenham hold talks with Antoine Semenyo over personal terms
According to Douglas and Hall, in a piece for inews, all four clubs have ‘formally’ held talks with the 25-year-old about personal terms whilst sharing their overall first-team plans for Semenyo as well.
In what is described as a ‘crazy market’ race, the English quartet all have a chance, but some more than others.
According to this inews report, United are now seen as the frontrunners for Semenyo, and Spurs are seen as ‘outside’ contenders with Liverpool and City.
That being said, the north Londoners still aren’t ruled out completely, but their odds have just dropped for a reason that isn’t entirely disclosed.
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The winger has been called ‘world-class’ for his recent form in England, so much so that his £65m clause is clearly seen as an unmissable opportunity next month.
Semenyo’s clause was due to drop to around £55 million in the summer, though United, City, Liverpool and Spurs are now forced to contend for him now as they all vie for his signature.
If Tottenham miss out on the former Bristol City star, they do have alternatives for the left-wing.
According to some reports today, club scouts are urging Spurs to sign Monaco star Maghnes Akliouche, who’d cost just £40 million.
Tottenham hold loose talks to sign "strong" Man City player amid worry over mainstay
The Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) believes the national players are likely to be allowed to participate in the initial stages of the Indian Premier League before beginning preparations for the tour of the West Indies in May.The ACA said Cricket Australia has indicated there would be no objection to players taking part during the first 14 to16 days of the Twenty20 tournament in India, which begins on April 18. However, they would have to return to Australia for a training camp before leaving for the West Indies in the second week of May.”I don’t think there will be a problem,” the ACA chief executive Paul Marsh told . “Certainly based on our discussions with Cricket Australia to date I don’t see any reason why they wouldn’t be able to play in the IPL, assuming there are no other commitments to Cricket Australia.”The Cricket Australia spokesman Peter Young said the first priority was to ensure the team had adequate preparation for the tour of the West Indies. Australia are scheduled to play a warm-up match on May 16 ahead of the first Test in Kingston from May 22.
Speculation over the possibility that Bob Woolmer, the late Pakistan coach, was poisoned has increased following a report in a Jamaican paper, apparently quoting the toxicology report, to that effect. says samples taken from Woolmer’s blood, stomach and urine have shown the presence of a foreign substance and has quoted an unnamed government official as saying that the substance could have been poison.This seems to tie in with the theory that Woolmer may have been poisoned before being strangled.The also says that Scotland Yard has been called on to analyse the results of the report.Mark Shields, the Jamaican Deputy Commissioner of Police, has decided not to comment on the report till all investigations are over. “We have some results from toxicology now, but they will require further investigation and analysis, and therefore it would be totally inappropriate for me to elaborate any further on that,” Shields was quoted as saying in the newspaper.Woolmer was found unconscious in his hotel room in Jamaica on March 18, just a day after Pakistan’s sudden exit from the World Cup, and was pronounced dead after being rushed to hospital. The post mortem, conducted by a government pathologist, stated that the death occurred due to asphyxia from manual strangulation. The histology tests will establish the time of death, while the toxicology tests are expected to reveal whether Woolmer was poisoned before being attacked.There is speculation that he may have been poisoned with aconite, a poison that causes the body’s organs to stop functioning and leads to death through asphyxiation within 30 minutes.
The Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) has named a strong 15-man squad, including eight Test players, for next Tuesday’s match between the touring Indian team and Jamaica at Jarrett Park. Wavell Hinds, the West Indian batsman, has been named as captain for the one-day match.Brian Breese, the JCA’s cricket operations manager, said that there was a possibility that all eight Test players may not take part, however. “The West Indies team will be playing the Indians two days after the Montego Bay game so the West Indies Cricket Board could well ask one or two of the players named to sit out the game,” he has been quoted as saying by the . “Nonetheless, it should be a very strong Jamaican team going up against the Indians.”Breese added that Xavier Marshall, the Jamaican opener, was not included owing to a suspension from his parish team while Dwight Washington, the fast bowler, was away in the United States. “Young Washington would most certainly be under consideration for this game but he is away in the United States at this time,” said Breese. “We are in touch with him and he is still very much a part of the national programme.”Jamaica Cricket Association squad : Wavell Hinds (capt), Chris Gayle, Donovan Pagon, Marlon Samuels, Daren Powell, Jerome Taylor, Nikita Miller, Carlton Baugh (wk), Jermaine Lawson, Tamar Lambert, Bevon Brown, Danza Hyatt, Andrew Richardson, Damion Ebanks and Donovan Sinclair.