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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Coach Kumble admires Kohli’s aggression
(REUTERS) - India’s new head coach Anil Kumble admires Test captain Virat Kohli’s aggression and will not try to curb his natural instincts. The 27-year-old Kohli replaced Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India’s captain in the longest game’s format after the wicketkeeper-batsman’s retirement from Test cricket during the tour of Australia in late 2014. The Delhi cricketer was initially perceived as another brash personality from the streets of a city long accused of encouraging aggression in its youth, having often been involved in wars of words with opponents on the field.
... will not try to curb his natural instincts
Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble address the media on the final day of the Indian team’s preparatory camp at the NCA, Bangalore, yesterday. Former India captain Kumble’s appointment as coach was welcomed by many who expect the former leg-spinner to be a
calming presence in a team led by an expressive captain. “I love his aggression,” Kumble told reporters sitting
alongside Kohli. “I was no different, I was also aggressive, very different in terms of the way we probably came across on the field. “But you don’t want to curb aggression. I will be the last person to curb someone’s natural instincts,” Kumble added. “But we all know how important it is to be ambassadors of India and to be a part of the Indian cricket team. That everybody understands. We will ensure that there is a thin line and everybody knows that.” India will play four Tests against West Indies
and after returning from the Caribbean the world’s second-ranked side are set for a busy season at home when they will play 13 Test matches, eight ODIs and three T20 internationals. “It will be one Test match at a time. It’s a long season, we have the opportunity to plan well,” Kohli told reporters ahead of the team’s departure for the West Indies. “It will be an opportunity for the team to gel together and execute our plans,” he added. “It will be the perfect situation and opportunity to challenge and assess ourselves as a Test team. I feel these few months will determine how India play
Test cricket in the next few years.” Kumble, India’s most successful bowler, capturing 619 wickets in 132 Tests and 337 in 271 one-day internationals, has just overseen a six-day training camp in Bengaluru. “Our intention will always be to go for wins,” Kohli said. “There have been situations in the past where we have lost while trying to go for wins. “But we lost due to our mistakes. We have realised we reached that position playing 80 percent good cricket. Now we are focusing on rectifying the remaining 20 percent and continuing to play positively.”
Harmon urges cricketers to be ‘unifying force’ MINISTER of State Joseph Harmon on Sunday night called on cricket stakeholders to work together to resolve the existing differences so that young cricketers are not hampered in their development. Minister Harmon was at the time addressing awardees and special invitees at the Demerara Cricket Club’s Annual Awards Ceremony for 2015-2016, at which he was also inducted as the Club’s new Patron. The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has been locked in a court battle through a controversy, which erupted seven years ago, with the formation of an Interim Management Committee, following a ruling by former Chief Justice Ian Chang in a legal contest over the legality of the GCB’s Executive Elections after their Annual General Meeting. Since then, there have
... Demerara Cricket Club Induction
Keemo Paul hands over a memento to newly inducted DCC Patron and Minister of State Joe Harmon. (Cullen Nelson photo) been no elections and this has prevented the subsidiary clubs of the Board from per-
forming as they should. Minister Harmon used the opportunity to point out that
cricket, for the longest while, has been a unifying force in the Caribbean and this legacy must be carried forward. “Cricket brings people together. Irrespective of your race, class, colour, creed religion or wealth, cricket brings you together. We need to unify the cricket administration in Guyana. We need to find some common ground that will make the cricket movement much more solid than it is right now,” Harmon said. He continued, “For too long, we have had too much pulling and tugging and as a result we are not getting our best talent from this country and we need to bring an end to that. If there is anything at all I can contribute to this club, I would lend my skill and expertise to making sure that we try to help these sides so that cricket can benefit in Guyana,” Minister Harmon said. In accepting the honour,
Trescothick issues Amir warning M A R C U S Tr e s c o t h i c k warned England’s batsmen to expect a tough time in the middle facing Mohammad Amir after he became the Pakistani’s maiden first-class wicket on English soil in six years yesterday. Former spot-fixer Amir took three for 36 in 11 overs in Pakistan’s opening match of their England tour against Somerset at Taunton. Somerset slumped to 128 all out in reply to Pakistan’s first-innings 359 for eight declared -- a deficit of 231 runs. Pakistan captain Misbahul-Haq opted against enforcing
the follow-on and at stumps, on the second day of three, the tourists were 140 for four for in their second innings -- a huge lead of 371 runs. Azhar Ali was 50 not out and Asad Shafiq 26 not out. Amir ’s exciting career came to a shuddering halt during a Lord’s Test in 2010 when he and new-ball partner Mohammad Asif were caught bowling no-balls to order on the instructions of captain Salman Butt as part of a tabloid newspaper sting operation. After Pakistan had declared yesterday morning following a century by Younis Khan, Amir
took the new ball. Trescothick took two fours off Amir’s opening over. But Amir struck with his 14th ball back in first-class cricket on English soil. Left-hander Trescothick, on eight, could only edge a superb outswinger that moved late and wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmed held an excellent diving catch. Amir had another wicket when a full-length inswinger bowled first-class debutant Adam Hose (10). And eight minutes after lunch, Amir bowled Peter Trego (23) with another fine
inswinger that knocked over the batsman’s middle stump and left the other two standing. “He bowled very well,” said the 40-year-old Trescothick, whose nine-balls faced yesterday were all bowled by Amir, after stumps. “He swung the ball really late, that’s the biggest thing we noticed. “In my ‘magnificent’ eight I thought it was pretty hard work, it was tricky,” added Trescothick, who in 76 Tests from 2000-2006 scored 5 825 runs at an average of nearly 44 with 14 hundreds. (AFP)
Minister Harmon said that selflessness from stakeholders and sponsors and investments in the young people not only help in the personal development of those individuals, but also go a far way in positively impacting communities and the country. Meanwhile, Mr Alfred Mentore, president of the Demerara Cricket Club, in his brief remarks, noted that the club could not have found a better patron and role model for the young players, who frequent the organisation. “Many may think that being the Patron of an organisation is just about having one’s name associated with the organisation. However, we at the Demerara Cricket
Club see the Patron of the Club as a person of respectability, credibility, stature, care and who is people-centred.” Mentore noted that Minister Harmon’s acceptance to be Patron of the Club and his stature and respectability will now be the distinct standard to which the Club will hold itself. Minister within the Ministry of Education, Ms Nicolette Henry, who has responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport, was also present. Among the awardees were Keemo Paul and Tevin Imlach, the two Guyanese Under-19 players, who played in the Under-19 Twenty20 World Cup Cricket for the West Indies.
CPL tickets will not be sold at Stadium for Guyana leg
CPL Guyana wishes to advise the general public that tickets for the Guyana games of Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will not be on sale at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence on match days. Ticket sales will continue on a daily basis at the Ticketing Office at Camp and Quamina Streets, Georgetown and at distributors in Berbice and Essequibo. All tickets purchased online can be uplifted at the Ticketing Office. Team Operations Manager of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, Omar Khan, is urging cricket fans to purchase their tickets early to avoid disappointment. The Guyana Amazon Warriors, fresh from two victories in their opening matches will continue their campaign at home starting on Thursday against the Jamaica Tallawahs from 19: 00hrs. The Warriors will square off with St Kitts/Nevis Patriots on Saturday at 12:00noon. They face the Trinbago Knight Riders on Sunday at 19:00hrs before closing off their home series against St Lucia Zouks on July 12 from 19:00hrs.