saturday, august 22, 2015
19
BCCI contemplates separate World Championships – the coaches for Tests and limited-overs stars to watch in Beijing
T
he BCCI is contemplating appointing separate head coaches for Test and limited-overs formats for the India team. Its official position, as revealed by board secretary Anurag Thakur, was that it would appoint a coach before the South Africa series in October and the cricket advisory committee has been given the freedom
ting a foreign coach get assistants of his choice. Instead, the BCCI has stressed that the head coach will have to work with Indian assistant coaches. It has resulted in eligible overseas coaches being apprehensive of taking charge. The BCCI is understood to have been in touch with three recently-retired cricketers - all of whom have
Anurag Thakur
to decide on the structure of the coaching staff, but ESPNcricinfo understands the position may be split. According to board insiders, the BCCI over the last month has approached at least half a dozen overseas candidates. None of them have been forthcoming to accept the full-time role, primarily for two reasons: most of them are associated with a Twenty20 franchise or league and wouldn’t like to part ways with a lucrative short-term assignment. The other factor that has worked against attracting an overseas candidate is the BCCI’s emphasis on not let-
assumed coaching responsibilities with T20 franchises. The high-profile cricket advisory committee comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman is likely to interact with them over the coming fortnight. Thakur hinted that team director Ravi Shastri would remain in contention, but stressed it would be up to the advisory committee to formalise the structure and the number of coaching staff required. “I think it is very important to have a full-time coach for any team. We have taken some time to de-
cide and most probably in the month of September, we will finalise the coach,” Thakur said in a chat with Sanjay Manjrekar and Sunil Gavaskar during the lunch break of India’s second Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday on Sony Six. “[Ravi] Shastri is holding the position of the director for the last few months and he has done well with the Indian cricket team, the boys have given us a good feedback about him, so the only issue is if we want a full-time coach then what would be the set-up. We can’t be having 10 people with the Indian cricket team. “So we have left it to the cricket advisory committee to decide how many people will be required, how many coaches will be required, whether a bowling coach, a batting coach, a full-time coach or a director. Let them take a call, come back to BCCI in September and before the South Africa series, I can assure you that we will take a call on that.” Shastri continues to be a contender for one of the positions. Thakur and Shastri, team director for almost a year, are believed to have discussed the roadmap in a meeting in Colombo on Thursday. With Shastri having developed a good rapport with India Test captain Virat Kohli, he could well continue to look after the Test team while the new coach may be in charge of ODIs and T20s. (Cricinfo)
Bolt beating Gatlin would be like Ali beating Foreman says Boldon
T
rinidadian Olympic silver medallist and track and field pundit, Ato Boldon, has said that a win for world’s fastest man Usain Bolt over Justin Gatlin would be similar to boxing great Muhammed Ali’s win over George Foreman in the Rumble in the Jungle. The ballots have now been cast ahead of track and field’s heavy weight showdown between world record holder Bolt and American Gatlin, in a men’s 100m final that seems destined for the hallowed annals of track and field history. Bolt, the defending world champion and bona fide track and field legend, has
struggled for form for most of the season, having been hampered by injury. In the meantime, it is Gatlin who has blazed the track, racking up an impressive 27race win streak with several times in the 9.7s region. Bolt’s season best is 9.87s, the disparity Boldon says has many experts convinced Gatlin is the man to beat. “I have a pool of 10 recently retired top sprinters and all of them were backing Gatlin,” former Olympic sprint star Ato Boldon told UK publication Sportsmail. “Only one of them changed their mind on the Beijing outcome based on London’s race. The rest of us went, ‘Yes, OK, Bolt is
better than he has been all year’, but we’d not seen anything that convinces us that Bolt ought to start that race as favourite. That goes for the 200m as well,” he added. “If Bolt is able to prove me and a lot of other people wrong this time round, it will be in the same vein as Muhammad Ali versus George Foreman and the Rumble in the Jungle where every expert said Foreman by a mile was too good. Even if this is not a fast time, if Bolt can find a way to beat Gatlin, given Gatlin’s last 12 months, it would be the greatest thing he’s ever done — forget the world records.” (Digicel Sportsmax)
his name being dragged through the mud after doping allegations were made against his coach, Alberto Salazar. There is no suggestion that Farah has done anything wrong and the 32-year-old will be happy to focus on competing this month as he looks to defend his world titles in both the 5,000m and 10,000m.
Caterine Ibarguen –Colombia
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
A
head of the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, we take a look at the stars to watch at the Bird’s Nest. With the 2015 World Championships set to start in Beijing on Saturday, Omnisport takes a look at eight athletes to watch.
Women’s triple jump Five Diamond League victories from six meetings this year, overall champion in 2014 and 2013, and reigning world champion -
Dawn Harper-Nelson –United States
Women’s 100m hurdles If you are looking for a certainty for a gold medal at the Bird’s Nest, HarperNelson could be your best bet. With Australia’s Sally Pearson – who has finished first or second at the past two Olympics and world championships - out injured, Harper-Nelson has the best pedigree in the women’s 100m hurdles, as the 31-year-old has won the past three overall Diamond League titles in the event.
Mo Farah – Great Britain
Men’s 5,000m, 10,000m The poster boy of the 2012 Olympic Games has expressed unhappiness at
Shelly-Ann FraserPryce – Jamaica
Women’s 100m, 200m, 4x100m Another member of Jamaica’s impressive sprinting stable, FraserPryce’s record just about matches that of her compatriot Bolt. The 28-year-old will return to the scene of her maiden Olympic gold medal next week, while she will be looking to notch her third world title in the 100m against the likes of American youngsters Tori Bowie and English Gardner.
Reese Hoffa – United States
Usain Bolt – Jamaica
Men’s 100m, 200m, 4x100m No athlete will have more cameras trained on them than Bolt when he takes to the track at the Beijing National Stadium. The four-time individual Olympic champion and five-time world championship gold medallist has been battling a pelvic injury this year but will still be the fans’ favourite for both the 100m and 200m, despite the impressive form of Justin Gatlin in both events in 2015.
be set for gold in Beijing.
Mo Farah
Ibarguen is the dominant force in the women’s triple jump but in no way a certainty to win in China. Ibarguen has notched six of the top-10 jumps of 2015 Russia’s Ekaterina Koneva has registered the other four while Kazakhstan’s Olympic champion Olga Rypakova remains a contender after winning in the absence of her Colombian rival at the London Grand Prix in July.
Men’s shot put At 37, Hoffa may be in the form of his life having won two of the past three overall Diamond League shot put titles. Having won bronze at London 2012 and finished fourth at Moscow 2013, Hoffa’s career looked to be on the slide. However, after topping the Diamond League standings last year, the American veteran will fancy himself next week against the likes of Poland’s Tomasz Majewski and Germany’s David Storl.
Jessica Ennis-Hill – Great Britain
Women’s heptathlon Alongside Farah, EnnisHill was the home nation’s athletics star at London 2012 as one of only three gold medallists. Three years on and
Justin Gatlin – United States
Men’s 100m, 200m There is arguably no athlete in the world in better form than Gatlin at the moment, with the 33-yearold American having run the four fastest 100m times and two best 200m marks in 2015. Gatlin’s two previous doping bans - in 2001 and 2006 - have prompted some critics to question his pace, but the bronze medallist at London 2012 and silver medallist at the last world championships in Moscow could nevertheless
Reese Hoffa
Ennis-Hill has struggled with an ankle injury that forced her to miss Moscow 2013, become a mother and qualified for Rio 2016 - and the 29-year-old will be looking to make a statement in Beijing ahead of next year’s Olympic Games. (Digicel Sportsmax)