India playing like schoolboys' teams: Gavasker

 Batting great Sunil Gavaskar on Thursday blamed poor technique for India’s dismal show in the Test series in England, saying the tourists looked like a ‘schoolboys’ team’.

“India were totally outplayed by England in the second Test so much so that it looked like a contest between a professional team and a schoolboys team,” the former opener wrote in The Hindu newspaper. “The batting has failed to get to 300 in four innings and the bowling in both Tests has faded away after a bright beginning.”

India trail 2-0 in the four-Test series following a 196-run defeat in the first match at Lord’s and a 319-run loss in the second at Trent Bridge.

Drawn games in the last two matches will enable England to dethrone Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Indians as the top-ranked Test team.

“India’s lower order is just not technically good enough, and if a player knows he is technically struggling then mentally too he stops fighting,” wrote Gavaskar, the first batsman to score 10,000 Test runs.

“Not that the top order has shown any great technique, especially the youngsters who plunder millions of runs on Indian pitches getting onto the front foot and then suddenly find that when it comes to overseas pitches and the quicker bowlers, they just don’t know how to play off the back foot.”

Rahul Dravid has looked the best Indian batsman on the tour with two hundreds, while Vangipurappu Laxman has made two half-centuries and Sachin Tendulkar one.

“The guys scoring the runs are those who have honed their technique on the longer version of the game,” Gavaskar wrote.

“Those others who are destroyers of bowling where the ball does not come above the waist are finding how tough Test cricket is.

“There will be talk about preparation etc, but even if this Indian team had played five first-class games before the Test series they would have struggled as the technique is not there.”

India played just one warm-up match before the Test series

news covered by dawn sports

Visa applications for pakistani fans to be processed swiftly

Visa applications of Pakistani fans wishing to visit London for next year’s Olympic Games will be processed speedily, a British High Commission official said on Thursday.

“We have a very excellent visa processing system. Anyone who wishes to witness the Games and applies for visa after fulfilling the pre-requisites it would be a very speedy process,” Britain’s Deputy High Commissioner Dr Peter Tibber told Dawn while highlighting the arrangements being made to hold Olympic Games successfully.

Dr Tibber suggested Pakistan’s fans, intending to attend London Olympics, to apply for visa three months in advance.

However, at High Commission media official said: “Even if anyone fails to purchase a ticket it should not be a worry for them because giant screens would also be installed at different parks and localities across London where the sports lovers could enjoy any sport.”

Meanwhile, praising Pakistan’s hockey team, Dr Tibber wished they win the silver medal in London.

“I know Pakistan’s hockey team looks very good but still we hope Great Britain win the gold medal [in hockey],” he stated.

Pakistan, whose lone medal hope is hockey – also their national game, have already qualified for the Olympics after winning the gold medal in the Asian Games at Guangzhou, China last year.

Pakistan may also get a few wild card entries for the London extravaganza in athletics, shooting and swimming. Pakistan may also get places in rowing, wrestling, weightlifting and boxing if they win Asian qualifiers for the Olympics.

Dr Tibber further said Britain’s economy was set for revival with the Olympic Games.

“Definitely, there will be an economic revival with the 2012 Olympics. The Games are being held in the east of London [a poor neighbourhood of the city] and most of the venues are being developed there for which a comprehensive communication system was also being established,” said Dr Tibber, adding all this would give a huge boost to the British economy.

Britain with the 2012 Games will become the only country in the world to have hosted the Olympics — world’s biggest sporting show — for the third time. Britain also hosted the Olympic Games back in 1908 and 1948.

“We are developing the Olympic structures with an aim to maintain a legacy,” he said, adding most of the Olympics structures are nearing completion.

Dr Tibber said along with Olympic Games preparations his government was also running an international inspiration programme for the youth.

The programme aims to use the power of physical education, sport and play to enrich the lives of millions of children and young people of all abilities.

According to London Olympic Games Committee some four billion people would watch the Games opening ceremony on
television.

news covered by dawn sports

India look towards sehwag to lift morale

 Former India players are united in their belief that Virender Sehwag’s return from injury will stabilise the team’s fragile batting order and lift morale in the remaining two tests against a dominant England.

The dashing opener has been sidelined since undergoing shoulder surgery in May, keeping the 32-year-old out of the tour of the West Indies and India’s first two tests against England.

India, 2-0 down in the four-match series, had looked nothing like the world’s number one-ranked team in the Lord’s and Trent Bridge tests but that could change with the return of the explosive right-hander, according to Anshuman Gaekwad.

“It is almost going to be like a new series. To have Sehwag and (Gautam) Gambhir back… It will give a lot of confidence to the team,” the former India international and coach told Reuters.

Sehwag’s opening partner Gambhir injured his elbow while fielding at Lord’s and missed the 319-run defeat at Trent Bridge but is likely to return to the starting lineup for the third test beginning on Aug. 10 at Edgbaston in Birmingham.

The injuries to the top order forced India to tinker with the batting lineup, placing Rahul Dravid in a makeshift opener’s role and Vangipurappu Laxman up the order at number three.

“In a test match, it is of utmost necessity to have a good start. Their return will be a big relief for the captain and the team,” emphasised the former India opener, who played 40 test matches from 1975-85.

Sehwag has 22 hundreds in 87 test appearances but it his strike rate of almost 82 runs per 100 deliveries that make him one of the most intimidating batsmen in cricket.

Former captain Ajit Wadekar said Sehwag’s return would ease the pressure on India’s “Big Three” — Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Laxman.

“Sehwag coming back itself is enough to boost the morale of the team. We never had a solid opening partnership in the series,” Wadekar, the former chief of national selectors, said by phone.

“If our openers do their bit, batsmen down the order will start gaining in confidence.”

MATCH PRACTICE

Sehwag’s audacious strokeplay might be the ideal counter-attacking ploy the team needed to recover from the heavy defeats and avoid a two-clear test series defeat that would enable England to leapfrog India at the top of the rankings.
“The opposition bowlers also get disheartened by Sehwag’s presence,” the 70-year old Wadekar said.

India will play a two-day tour game against Northamptonshire starting on Friday and it will be Sehwag’s only chance to acclimatise himself to the conditions before the third test starts on Aug. 10.

“I don’t know how much practice he will get. He has been out for so long after the injury. Hope he acclimatises quickly with the conditions there,” Wadekar, who led India to series victories in West Indies and England in 1971, said.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly also doubted whether Sehwag had enough time to get match fit.

“It has to be seen whether the dynamic opener has had enough cricket or whether the Northants game is enough to get him ready for Birmingham,” Ganguly wrote in a column which was published in the Hindustan Times on Thursday.

news covered by dawn sports

Aaqib removed as assistant coach for zimbabwe tour

Former Test fast bowler Aaqib Javed was removed as Pakistan’s assistant coach for the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday announced the team management for the tour.

Assistant manager Shahid Aslam could also not retain his position. In his place, the PCB has named Col Wasim Ahmed as security manager with the additional charge of assistant manager for the Zimbabwe tour starting from Aug 26.

While a PCB press release issued on Thursday contained the messages about outgoing and incoming manager of the squad, the statement did not give any reason about Aaqib’s exclusion from the team management.

However, sources told Dawn that former limited-overs skipper Shahid Afridi was a big supporter of Aaqib as part of the team management. But now as Afridi has announced retirement from international cricket and that too after developing differences with the PCB management, it was difficult for Aaqib to retain his post.

No replacement was announced in place of Aaqib. Meanwhile, chairman PCB Ijaz Butt issued a statement, thanking former team manager Intikhab Alam for his role. Intikhab and new manager Naveed Akram Cheema also issued statements.

The PCB chief in his statement said: “Intikhab has done a commendable job as national team manager. His experience as a cricketer and cricket administrator is always a great help. As the director game development he is needed in Pakistan to execute the game development plans.”

Intikhab said: “I am thankful to PCB management for trusting me with responsibilities of team manager in the past. “While I enjoyed working as the team manager, I feel that I now need to dedicate more time to the academies programme which we have restarted after some years. I wish my successor Naveed all the best in his new assignment,” Intikhab added.

Meanwhile, Naveed said: “I am grateful for the confidence reposed in me by the PCB. I will be seeking advice from my predecessor Intikhab Alam. Our collective aim is to ensure that the team do well on the tour and that there is harmony and unity among the squad members.”

Team management:
Naveed Akram Cheema (manager), Waqar Younis (coach), Col. Wasim Ahmed (security/assistant manager), Dr Sohail Saleem (doctor-cum-physio), Saboor Ahmed (trainer), Umar Farooq (analyst), Mohammad Akhtar (masseur).

news covered by dawn sports

Rise to the top will not be over night: Clarke

 Australia’s journey back up the test world rankings is not going to happen overnight but the upcoming series in Sri Lanka will be an indication of their current status, captain Michael Clarke said on Thursday.

Australia are fifth in the rankings after the humiliating Ashes defeat at the turn of the year and take on the fourth-placed Sri Lankans in three tests starting at the end of the month after a one-day series.

Clarke, speaking before boarding the plane for his first tour in charge of the side, said he would like to promise Australian cricket fans no more pain but conceded that any improvement would be hard-earned.

“I really hope we can turn things around straight away (but) I think it is going to take time for us to work our way back up the rankings,” Clarke told reporters at Sydney airport.

“I’m confident with the talent we have, not just in our squad but around domestic cricket, if we keep the same attitude as we’ve had over the last few months with our training and our dedication, I can see us having some success.”

The 30-year-old faces a difficult introduction to test captaincy with tours of Sri Lanka and South Africa followed by a home series against New Zealand and then India, who are battling it out for number one status with England.

“We’re certainly not blinded by the fact we have two of the best teams in the world in their own conditions coming up in Sri Lanka and South Africa, so it’s going to be a tough start for us,” he said.

“But it’s a good test for us to see where we’re at, and if we can have some success against both these teams, playing away from home, I think that will give us some real confidence coming to the summer to play against India.”

Four uncapped players boarded the plane for Colombo on Thursday and Clarke admitted he had never met offspinner Nathan Lyon, although he had received “great reports” about the 23-year-old’s bowling on an Australia A tour of Zimbabwe.

“He’s got an opportunity to grab it with both hands and, by all reports, I’m pretty confident he’ll do that, so he’s certainly got a lot of talent,” Clarke said.

“Now it’s about giving him a go and seeing how he handles playing cricket for Australia.”

Clarke said he was confident of the security measures in place for the tour and was certain the team would be treated “like gold” in Sri Lanka.

Batsman Shaun Marsh and quick bowlers James Pattinson and Trent Copeland are the other uncapped players in the party and were desperate to take their chance at the top level, Clarke said.

“I love the fact we’ve got some new fresh faces that are excited and itching for their opportunity. I think that’s a great thing to have around the group,” Clarke concluded.

“But the facts are we have to have some success, we have to play good cricket, we have to improve from our recent results throughout the last Australian summer.

“We need to get better, and we know that as players, and I can guarantee we’re working as hard as I’ve ever worked in my career, so hopefully we can turn that around sooner rather than later.”

news covered by dawn sports

PHF imposes two-year ban on umpire waqar after he turns up azerbaijan

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has imposed two-year ban on umpire Waqas Ahmed Butt for participating in the Euro Hockey Nations Championship as a regular member of the Azerbaijan hockey team without first obtaining a NOC from the PHF.

Waqas is an international umpire, who was elevated last year to the rank of FIH International panel of umpires.

“For the violation of constitution of his parent body, the PHF has banned umpire Waqas Ahmed Butt for two years with effect from Aug 3 from participating in all domestic and international activities as a player and as an umpire,” a PHF statement said

news covered by dawn sports

Pakistan reach south asian football semis

Four goals by Mohammad Bilal and two by Sher Ali helped Pakistan U-16 team reach the semi-finals of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship after earning a convincing 6-0 win against Maldives in their second Group ‘A’ match in Kathmandu.

According to the information released by the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), Pakistan led the first half 1-0 as Bilal put his side ahead from a Mansoor Khan corner in the 19th minute.

The second half saw full domination of Pakistan as Bilal slammed his second goal in the 56th minute followed by Sher Ali’s goals in the 79th and 80th minutes to make it 4-0.

In the 84th minute, Bilal completed his hat-trick with a superb solo run making it 5-0. Bilal then added his fourth goal in the 88th minute to complete the tally

news covered by dawn sports

Shoaib trumps Sania in tennis match

Former captain of the national cricket team Shoaib Malik has taken to playing tennis and defeated his wife, tennis ace Sania Mirza, on a mini court.

“I play tennis with Sania twice a week. I beat her at a mini court recently,” Malik was reported as saying by the Press Trust of India (PTI).

Malik, who developed an interest in the game after his marriage to Mirza, said he was now aiming to beat her on a full sized court and said that the tennis star’s game had improved after their marriage.

“I now want to win a game on a full-sized court,” he said.

He revealed that Sania was passionate about cricket and they (the couple) supported their respective countries during matches between the arch-rivals, Pakistan and India.

“We watch the game together, she supports India and I support Pakistan,” he said.

About their marriage, the cricketer said both were happy. They are based out in Dubai but visit their countries frequently.

“We live in Dubai but keep visiting both India and Pakistan. The High Commissions of the two countries have been very cooperative in issuing us visas,” he said.

news covered by dawn sports

Warne likens England to the australia of his time

Shane Warne has likened England to the successful Australia side of which he was a key member after seeing Andrew Strauss’s men thrash India in the second Test.

England crushed their opponents by 319 runs with more than a day to spare at Trent Bridge on Monday to take a 2-0 lead in the four-match series following a 196-run first Test triumph at Lord’s.

If England at the very least maintain that advantage over the next two Tests they will replace India as leaders of the ICC’s Test Championship table and leg-spin great Warne is an admirer of the ‘Poms’ recent performances.

“England are improving and have a hunger for victory,” Warne, 41, wrote in Tuesday’s edition of The Daily Telegraph.

“They have a good team spirit and, as Andrew Strauss says, they can still improve. Don’t forget they were 124 for eight on day one of this game.

“But most impressive about England was how aggressively they approached the situation,” he added.

“When Australia were on top and dominating world cricket, the things we wanted to do were score fast, take the game away from the opposition and intimidate the tail.

“England are doing all those and showing qualities that will make them number one if they continue to play like this.

“At times the pitch looked flat when India were bowling but, by showing intensity, aggression and a lot of hunger to be the best in the world, England demonstrated what could be achieved.”

Meanwhile former England captain Nasser Hussain was in no doubt about the quality of the current side, proclaiming in the Daily Mail: “They are the best England team I have ever seen.”

Hussain cited Tim Bresnan, only called up at Trent Bridge after fast bowler Chris Tremlett was injured, as proof of England’s progress.

Bresnan scored 90 batting at number eight in the hosts’ second innings on Monday and then the Yorkshire seamer took a Test-best five for 48 as India collapsed to 158 all out.

“Tim Bresnan is the perfect example of how outstanding England have become,” Hussain said.

“When he was first picked he was thought of as a good, honest trier and a bits-and-pieces player. Now look at him… He is bowling quickly and with nous, and he looked like a proper batsman yesterday (Monday) too.

“These are good times for England. And they will last for a while yet.”

news covered by dawn sports

Amir Atlas khan improves international ranking by five places

Pakistan’s No 1 squash player Aamir Atlas Khan has improved his international standing by five places, according to the rankings published by the Professional Squash Association (PSA) for the month of August.

Aamir, who was ranked at No 28 in the month of July, leapfrogged five places up to occupy the 23rd spot.

Aamir featured in two tournaments in the month of July and performed brilliantly in the first tournament, the CIMB Malaysian Open, where he reached the final after beating World No 10 Malaysian Mohammad Azlan Iskandar and World No 17 Australian Cameron Pilley.

After playing the events final against World No 6 Gregory Gaultier, Aamir left for Egypt, where he featured in Sportsmax Squash Open in Cairo. He fell in the quarterfinals of the event to Egyptian qualifier Marwan El Shorbagy, who has recently been crowned the World Junior Champion.

“It was a bad decision to play back to back tournaments. I played some tough matches in Malaysia and left the same day for Egypt after playing the final of the Egyptian Open. I played the first round of Sportsmax Open only 24 hours after having played the final of the Malaysian Open.

“The quarterfinal, which I lost, was also in the next 24 hours of the first round. I was exhausted and needed a rest while Marwan was in form and played well in the quartefinal,” Aamir told PPI.

Aamir, who will represent Pakistan in the World Team Championship later in this month in Germany, said that he was expecting improvement in his rankings and he is delighted to jump to the 23rd spot.

“Improvement in my rankings may help Pakistan to feature in World Team Championship as a seeded side.

“This would help us face weak teams in the beginning and may help us advance in the tournament and achieve a worthwhile place at the end of the event,” he explained.

However, Aamir is the only player in the World Team Championship squad who is ranked in the top 100 and other than him no other Pakistan player going to Germany is ranked among the top 100 elite squash players of the world.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s No 2 Farhan Mehboob, fell five places down and is now ranked at No 41. Farhan was not selected for the World Team Championship event after the left-hander fell early in the trials.

news covered by dawn sports