Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info
25
September 24-30, 2011
Don't force seniors into retirement: Sourav New Delhi: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly says it is not right for the selectors to force the senior players into retirement. Ganguly said that seniors like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and V.V.S. Laxman should decide on their own when it comes to taking a call on quitting the game. "The day their performance drops, they will leave on their own. Dravid and Laxman have already phased out from ODI cricket. Sachin also plays very less. It is good to see youngsters perform so well in the shorter format but I am more worried about Tests. We haven't seen anyone who can challenge these seniors. Definitely, the time hasn't come to phase out seniors in Tests," Ganguly was quoted as saying by
Kapil Dev disagreed with Ganguly and said that selectors should take a call on the retirement of the senior players.
BCCI gets new chief, Kochi out of IPL
New Delhi: Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) newly appointed president N.Srinivasan said that there is no conflict of interest in his heading the board and being the managing director of India Cements, which owns the Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise of Chennai Super Kings. "I have no personal conflict of interest and will excuse myself on key matters. It's India Cements that holds the ownership rights of the franchise and not me," said Srinivasan. Srinivasan said the matter is sub judice and it would not be appropriate for him to comment on the issue. Srinivasan took over as the BCCI president after the Supreme Court refused to restrain him from taking over. But while allowing him to take over as BCCI chief, a bench of Justice Aftab Alam and Justice R.M. Lodha made it clear that his appointment would be subject to the final outcome of a petition by former BCCI president A.C. Muthiah, who had questioned his eligibility for holding any board post while owning an IPL team.
"The conflict of interest matter is sub judice and it wouldn't be appropriate for me to go on further on this subject," Srinivasan was quoted as saying by CNN-IBN. The BCCI president also made it clear that in no way terminated IPL franchise Kochi Tuskers would be allowed to take part in next year's league. He said the IPL Governing Council will decide whether the league will continue as a nine-team affair or fresh bids would be invited to replace the Kerala franchise. "Kochi cannot return to the IPL and now it's up to the Governing Council to see the future prospect of filling in the vacant slot by a new side. It's the IPL Governing Council which will decide what to do after Kochi's termination," Srinivasan said. Srinivasan said the players affected due to the termination of the Kochi franchise will be taken care of by the board. "Interests of players affected by Kochi's axing will be protected," said Srinivasan. The BCCI president also rubbished suggestions that "non-stop" cricket was taking a toll on Indian cricketers.
talented youngster without taking too much risk and making too many changes all of a sudden," Kapil said. Kapil said it is not going to be easy to find replacements for the likes of Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman. "It is going to be extremely difficult. But, youngsters, even though they might have failed in whatever chances they've got till now, have to be given another go. Actually, the problem is not with their (youngsters') talent. It is their poor fitness level which is letting them down. Coach and selectors will have to play a big role in coming times. Youngsters should also learn to take pride in their cricket," said Kapil.
Somerset, Knight Riders qualify for CLT20 Hyderabad: Kolkata Knight Riders lost to Somerset by 11 runs in their last qualifying match pool A match here at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium here Wednesday but both teams qualified for the final round of Champions League Twenty20. Chasing a target of 167, Knight Riders made 155 for eight in 20 overs after a brilliant 31-balls 46 by Dutch star Ryan ten Doeschate and qualified for the main round on the basis of better net run rate. Opting to bat first, Somerset put on a competitive 166 for six in 20 overs thanks to a crucial 72-run
BCCI’s newly-appointed president N. Srinivasan.
a TV channel. Kapil Dev, captain of the 1983 World Cup winning team, disagreed with Ganguly and said that selectors should take a call on the retirement of the senior players. "It is the selectors who will have to take a call on their retirement. A player never likes to retire. Selectors should see the bigger picture and take a tough decision. But, they (selectors) should this while giving full respect to these seniors," Kapil said. Kapil also proposed that the three seniors - Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman - should not play together in a single Test. "Two of them can play and one can be rested so that a youngster can be tested in his place. In this manner, we can give a chance to a
stand between Peter Trego (70) and the county's South African import Roelof van der Merwe (40). Besides Knight Riders and Somerset, who have qualified for the third time, Trinidad and Tobago is the third team that qualified while for the next stage, while Leicestershire Foxes, Auckland Aces and Ruhunu Rhinos went back home. Trego, Man of the Match, said: "I have been playing for Somerset for some time and this one of the proudest nights of my career with them. When Roelof bats the way he did, it takes the pressure. All
other batsmen batted at more than run a ball. We had nothing to lose as outsiders, so we can give it our all." Knight Riders captain Jacques Kallis said he was happy that his team has qualified but termed it as a poor performance. "To be honest, we are happy to qualify. It was tight in the end. To be brutally honest, it was a poor performance. We fielded poorly, didn't bat well. Ryan played an exceptional innings to get us through. When we lost a couple of wickets up front, we realized we didn't need to be heroes," he said.
Sachin’s ODI proposal not accepted by ICC Colombo: International Cricket Council (ICC) said that the world cricket body has no plans to tinker with the format of the One-Day Internationals as suggested by batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar. ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said that he had a discussion with Tendulkar on the future of the 50-over cricket. "I was engaged with Sachin a long time back on his thinking on the 50-over format. I met with him during the World Cup. He gave me a written proposal which we took to the Cricket Committee in May. The Cricket Committee considered that proposal," said Lorgat, who was here for the launch of the ICC's Twenty20 World Cup that will be held here next year. The South African said that the Cricket Committee felt that there was no need to alter the format of 50-over cricket because it is in good health. "But the view of the committee, which was supported by the board, was that the 50-over format was in sound health and there was no need for dramatic changes to it at this stage. You are well aware of the two new innovations introduced. And that is what was felt was sufficient at this stage," he said. Tendulkar, in a letter to the ICC, said that ODIs should be changed to four 25-over innings. He said that it was the best way to balance the advantages gained by the team that won the toss. Tendulkar had also proposed voluntary Powerplays.
Sachin Tendulkar, in a letter to the ICC, said ODIs should be changed to four 25-over innings.