Playing Field
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2012
The games people play
SNIPPETS Warne loses cool over unruly cyclists
DHONI
MELBOURNE: Cricket great Shane Warne on Wednesday hit out at “antagonistic” cyclists after a road rage incident that he reported to police. In a Twitter rant late Tuesday, the spin-king said a cyclist had grabbed on to the back of his car for a free ride as he headed home from a training session at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Then at a change of traffic lights, he said the man rode past and hit the bonnet with his hand. “I yell, ‘hey buddy what the hell are you doing’?” Warne tweeted. The cyclist then pulled up in front of his car, halting traffic, and abused the cricketer, Warne said. The 42-year-old, who has called for mandatory registration for cyclists, told reporters Wednesday that he was fed up with the attitude of some riders.
Calm before The Fall? NEW DELHI: Less than a year after being hailed as India’s greatest cricket captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni finds his head on the block after another woeful Test series abroad. The 30-year-old could do no wrong when he led India to World Cup glory at home in April last year, his second big success as skipper after winning the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007. He now presides over a disintegrating Test team that has lost seven consecutive Tests on foreign soil, four of them by an innings and the rest by margins
of 196, 319 and 122 runs. After 67 Tests and 3,509 runs, some say Dhoni barely merits a place in the team any more. “The need is to find a new captain from beneath the wreckage. Dhoni is no longer the answer in Test cricket,” former Australian skipper Ian Chappell wrote in the Hindustan Times on Tuesday. Dhoni made 220 runs in four Tests in England last year at an average of 31.40 and has managed just 102 runs in three matches in Australia at 20.40. India, ranked the world’s top Test side until they were
blanked 4-0 in England, will slip to fourth place if they lose the fourth and final Test against Australia in Adelaide next week in another series whitewash. Current form suggests they will lose, and lose heavily. Dhoni won’t be playing, having been banned by the International Cricket Council for one match for slow overrates during the third Test in Perth, his second offence in the last 12 months. Ex-captains Kapil Dev and Sourav Ganguly have gone on record to say they feel Dhoni needs a quick turnaround to secure his place as Test skipper,
while stressing his position at the helm in one-day cricket is not in doubt. Batting great Sunil Gavaskar supports Dhoni’s retention as Test captain — but only because there is no suitable replacement. “The team won’t miss him as a batsman,” Gavaskar said, reacting to Dhoni’s ban from the Adelaide Test. “But as a leader he will be missed despite the fact that his record is not good. “At the moment, I can’t think of anyone who is good enough to take over from Dhoni,” Gavaskar told NDTV.
Warner’s fit for fourth test My action is OK, says Ajmal SYDNEY: David Warner says
DUBAI: Pakistani off-spinner
he should be fit for the fourth Test against India after suffering dizzy spells when hit in the head during his stunning 180 in Australia’s thrashing of the tourists in Perth. The explosive opener, whose knock earned him comparisons to left-handed batting great Adam Gilchrist, was the catalyst for Australia’s innings and 37-run win at the WACA Ground on Sunday, with a 69ball century. He took a blow to head which led to the worrying dizzy spells but the 25-year-old said he was confident of lining up at
Saeed Ajmal brushed aside suspicions over his bowling action after wrecking England with career-best figures of 7-55 on the opening day of the first Test here on Tuesday. The 34year-old, whose claims to unveil a mystery delivery he called teesra (the third one) surrounded the build-up of the three-Test series, helped Pakistan bundle out England for 192 on a slow turning pitch at Dubai Stadium. Pakistan finished the day on 42-0, trailing by 150 runs. “I am just focusing on my bowling,” said Ajmal.
the Adelaide Oval when the fourth Test begins on Tuesday. “I think I’m over it,” Warner told reporters on Wednesday. “It’s a day-by-day thing. I’ve got to speak to Alex (Kountouris) about how I’m feeling,” he added, referring to the team physiotherapist.
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Udonis Haslem No. 40 of the Miami Heat dunks during his game against the San Antonio Spurs.
James, Bosh star in Miami Heat’s win MIAMI: LeBron James had 33 points and 10 assists and Chris Bosh scored 30 points as the Miami Heat rallied from a 17-point first half deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-98 on Tuesday. Mike Miller had 14 points off the bench for the Heat who had a dismal first half and trailed 63-49 at halftime. “Once we got back to playing defence we were able to turn the game around,” James said. “We want to protect our home court. We didn’t have a good road trip so to come home after nine days on the road is nice. This is great start for us.” The win snapped a season-high three game losing streak for Miami who went 2-3 on their road swing. They play eight of their next nine games at home. Danny Green scored a team high 20 points and Tony Parker finished with 18 points for the Spurs.