KHI 31-08-2013_Layout 1 8/31/2013 1:35 AM Page 17
One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it. – Knute Rockne
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saturday, 31 August, 2013
korea hands Pakistan world cup sorrow IPOH
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india qualify for 2014 wc, beat malaysia 2-0 in semis
AGENCIES
AKISTAN hopes of qualifying for next year’s World Cup were shattered by a lively Korean side, whose 2-1 win in the semi-final of the Asia Cup meant that the Greenshirts will not be part of hockey’s most prestigious event for the first time in the game’s history. Pakistan, the most successful team in hockey with four World Cup titles (1971, 1978, 1982 and 1994) needed to win the Asian event to claim the sole qualifying ticket from this tournament. The loss means India have virtually qualified for the 2014 World Cup and Malaysia have confirmed their ticket to The Hauge, Holland, where the tournament will be played. “This is indeed bad news for Pakistan hockey as we are out of the World Cup. Before coming here, we knew this was our final chance of making it to the World Cup … unfortunately we lost (to South Korea),” coach Tahir Zaman said while talking to Sports247. “We have to live with the reality now and we will have to make a long-term plan for Pakistan hockey,” he added. The Greenshirts, who had run over Japan, hosts Malaysia and Chinese Taipei in the run up to the semi-final, had only themselves to blame for their loss after squandering several opportunities in front of goal. The first came as early as the third minute when they earned a penalty corner. Captain Muhammad Imran, however, could not make it count. It set both players in motion, though, and the Koreans were the first to strike in the 31st minute through
maJoRity of PlayeRS decide to Play foR iPl teamS in clt20 NEW DEHLI AGENCIES
A huge majority of players have declared their allegiances to Indian Premier League (IPL) franchises over their respective countries’ domestic sides ahead of the upcoming Champions League Twenty20, with Sri Lankan veteran Kumar Sangakkara being the only exception. 10 out of the 12 international cricketers have chosen to play for the IPL franchises instead of their domestic sides competing in the USD 6 million event starting on September 21. While Sangakkara will be turning out for Sri Lanka’s Kandurata Maroons instead of his IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad, players such as Mike Hussey, Dwayne Bravo and Shane Watson will be playing for the Indian clubs.IPL-6 winners Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals will kick start the 2013 CLT20 with a Group A match in Jaipur on September 21 in a tournament which will witness the world’s 12 best domestic teams fighting it out for the coveted prize. A total of 29 matches will be played. Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals apart, Group A will comprise Highveld Lions (winner of South Africa’s domestic T20 competition), Perth Scorchers (KFC T20 Big Bash League runner-up), and a team from the Qualifier. Group B will comprise Brisbane Heat (KFC T20 Big Bash League champion), Trinidad & Tobago (West Indies T20 champion), Chennai Super Kings (runner-up in the Pepsi IPL 2013), Titans (South Africa’s domestic T20 runners-up), and a team from the Qualifier.
Jong Hyun’s penalty corner. Another missed penalty corner by Pakistan meant that Korea went into halftime 1-0 up and with a lot of confidence. They started in the same vein in the second half and doubled their lead in the 40th minute when Lee Nam Yong tapped home a saved penalty corner.
Pakistan pulled a goal back six minutes later from their third penalty corner of the game, Imran finally coming good with his effort. Pakistan found a burst of energy and attacked in waves, but once again missed the target. With time running out, they replaced their goalkeeper with a kicking
back but to no avail. “It is sad Pakistan couldn’t make it to the World Cup, but I would like to congratulate Malaysia and India who are virtually through to the competition,” said South Korea coach Shin Seok Kyo. “Our aim now is to win create history by winning the Asia Cup the fourth time.”
PCB confident Gul will return for Africa series LAHORE STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) was confident that experienced pace bowler, Umar Gul will make a comeback in the forthcoming series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates that begins in mid-October. “Gul has started training from at the national cricket academy which means he is now bowling and training with the other players which is the final phase of his rehabilitation program. Gul, 29, has been out of action since playing in South Africa early this year due to a knee surgery. The pacer was flown to Melbourne in May by the board to undergo a knee surgery after he complained ofpain and swelling in his right knee during the South Africa tour where he missed the final Test and played in only two One-Day Internationals (ODIs)
before returning home. The pacer, who has taken 163 wickets in 47 Tests and 161 in 116 ODIs besides being the most successful bowler in T20 Internationals with 74 wickets in 52 games, was told to undergo a six to eight-week rehabilitation program after recovering from his surgery which was carried out by a well- known Australian orthopedic surgeon. “Gul bowled in the nets around five overs and also trained and jogged and he is being constantly monitored by our
medical panel,” the official said. “We are confident that he will be available for the South Africa series as his experience is invaluable to the national team,” he added. Sources said that Gul had trained and then bowled to Younis Khan, Azhar Ali and Adnan Akmal who will be part of the Test squad in Zimbabwe. The official said that after the team returns from the ongoing tour in Zimbabwe, all the players will be put through a proper fitness test and training program at the NCA before they start the next international home season in October. “Since it is going to be a long season the board has decided to carry out proper fitness tests of all players and we are hopeful that Gul will also clear these tests,” he added. He said there was a possibility that Pakistan could play a short bilateral one-day series in Bangladesh.
PCB wants broadcasters to bear DRS costs for S Africa, Lanka series LAHORE STAFF REPORT
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has made it mandatory for broadcasters interested in buying rights for the forthcoming series against South Africa and Sri Lanka to have technological facilities for the Decision Review System (DRS). The PCB bid committee that will award the rights for the two series to be played in the United Arab Emirates, has said the broadcaster who wins the rights will have to bear costs for the DRS. “The PCB wants to have DRS in the Test and one-day series against South Africa and Sri Lanka as both countries are keen on this technology,” a source close to a broadcaster said. “Having the DRS means extra costs of around USD 300,000 for the broadcasters for both series besides the production costs of around two million dollars,” he said. The source added the PCB had not made it clear as yet whether the broadcaster would have to provide facilities for just the Snickometre and Hawkeye in the DRS or they would also have the controversial Hotspot technology, which will increase the
costs of broadcasters further. The PCB has decided to sell broadcasting rights of the two series as a separate venture instead of entering into a long-term four or five-year deal with a broadcaster for Pakistan cricket rights. “The long-term deal will be done later because of shortage of time and for now we are selling rights of just these two series as our long-standing contract with Ten Sports expired in June,” the source said.
The bid committee, which is overseeing the whole process under the supervision of former International Cricket Council (ICC) Chairman Ehsan Mani and also includes a Supreme Court retired judge, will open technical bids of interested broadcasters in Lahore on Friday. “Later in the evening the financial bids will also be opened and the highest bidder which is over or meets the reserve price set by the committee will get the rights,” he said.
IPoH: India qualified for the 2014 hockey World Cup even before playing their semi-final match vs Malaysia. But that didn’t stop them from scoring a dominant 2-0 win over the hosts to storm into the Asia Cup final. India got on the scoresheet early at the Sultan Azlah Shah stadium, with VR Raghunath converting the team’s first penalty corner to put India up 1-0 in the 8th minute in the second semi-final. The hosts were desperate to hit back but India’s defence overall was impressive. India’s goalkeeper and vice-captain PR Sreejesh was once again brilliant. India got their 2nd penalty corner in the 32nd minute, but Rupinderpal’s flick was saved by the Malaysian goal-keeper S Kumar. The teams took half-time break with India leading 1-0. Post the break, the Malaysians understandably were the more anxious, snatching a penalty corner in the 47th minute. However, a diving Sreejesh ensured the scoreline remained 1-0. It became 2-0 thirteen minutes later, with Ramandeep drawing the Malaysian keeper out, before sending a delightful pass to Mandeep who found the back of the Malaysian goal. Malaysia threw everything at the Indian goal post that but the Indian defence did not disappoint. Overall, the hosts had a total of nine shots at goal as compared to India’s seven. And that’s how the scoreline stayed. AGENCIES
latif to meet Pcb officialS to PRovide evidence on bookie claimS LAHoRE: Pakistan’s former captain, Rashid Latif will meet the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) officials and its legal team next week to convince them that he has enough evidence to back up his claim that an alleged Indian bookmaker, Anu Bhatt, was the guest of the board in 2005-06. Well-informed sources said that after the PCB sent him a legal notice asking him to provide evidence to back his claims about Bhatt having visited Pakistan as a guest of the board, Latif told them he wanted to meet them in person. “Rashid said he would prefer to meet with PCB’s top officials and legal team in person next week in Lahore,” a source said. “He has indicated that he will provide them with all the documents on the basis of which he made the claim about Bhatt having visited Pakistan as a guest of the PCB when England and India toured Pakistan in 2005-06.” The source said that the board had told Latif to meet them next week and come prepared with evidence or retract his earlier statement. Latif made the claim in a statement he released on the Danish Kaneria spot-fixing case in which Bhatt has been deemed as a central figure by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), which has imposed a life ban on Kaneria from playing cricket. The ECB ban was later endorsed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and its member boards and the leg-spinner can now have no association with cricket at any level in all Test playing nations. Bhatt has been dubbed as a “bookmaker” by the ECB which says that Kaneria knew him and tried to corrupt and lure players in his Essex team to do spotfixing for Bhatt in 2009. An Essex police investigation into the spot-fixing charges ended without them filing any charges against Kaneria due to lack of evidence. In the documents and statements examined by the ECB disciplinary panel in the hearings in 2012 and 2013 which led to the ban on Kaneria, England captain, Alastair Cook has also given his statement. STAFF REPORT