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Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
India vs Australia 4 th Test ( Preview)
India drop Wasim Jaffer in 4 th Test , Adelaide.
ADELAIDE, January 23: A resurgent India have dropped struggling opener Wasim Jaffer but were still undecided on whether to opt for a five-pronged bowling attack as they go into the fourth and final Test against Australia on Thursday seeking to level the four-match series.
Jaffer, who has failed in his six innings in the series so far, has been omitted from the shortlisted 12 for the crucial game which India needs to win to square the series 2-2.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who sat out in Perth where India recorded one of their greatest overseas victories, and wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik have been named in the 12 but the team management has decided to wait till tomorrow before finalising the playing 11.
With the Adelaide Oval expected to assist the slow bowlers on the last two days, Harbhajan stands a good chance of playing the match. The Indians also have the option of going in with a five-pronged bowling attack, in which case Karthik may have to perform the 12th man's duties. But if they stick to the conventional four-man attack, Karthik is almost certain to don the opener's role at the expense of a paceman.
"There are a few possibilities but we would like to take another look at the pitch. It (five bowlers) is an option and that is something we will definitely assess," skipper Anil Kumble said.
India's unheralded pace trio -- RP Singh, Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma -- were highly impressive at Perth and it will be a tough call to leave one of them out to accommodate Harbhajan.
The 72-run triumph at Perth will no doubt serve as a tonic for Anil Kumble and his men who have now proved to be worthy challengers to the champion team, which has been strengthened by the return of opener Matthew Hayden.
The Australians have also not finalised their composition but it is likely to be a choice between paceman Shaun Tait, who was far from impressive in Perth, and spinner Brad Hogg. Captain Ricky Ponting refused to divulge details about team composition and said he was still to make up his mind on whether to persist with Tait or bring back Hogg.
"We just have to toss up in our head whether the spin is the way to go or do we try and use pace with variable bounce late in the game," he said.
"I think historically spin has probably been the preferred option for the Australian team to play in most conditions around the world. But when you have someone like Taity -- it gives you lots of options but makes your decision very difficult as well," he added.
But if spin was to be Ponting's option, the Australian skipper said he would try not to put too much pressure on Hogg.
"If he does come in, it's important we make sure he is not under too much pressure because we all do know how hard it is to perform when you do feel like your spot is on the line," Ponting said.
Source:Indiatimes
ADELAIDE, January 23: A resurgent India have dropped struggling opener Wasim Jaffer but were still undecided on whether to opt for a five-pronged bowling attack as they go into the fourth and final Test against Australia on Thursday seeking to level the four-match series.
Jaffer, who has failed in his six innings in the series so far, has been omitted from the shortlisted 12 for the crucial game which India needs to win to square the series 2-2.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who sat out in Perth where India recorded one of their greatest overseas victories, and wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik have been named in the 12 but the team management has decided to wait till tomorrow before finalising the playing 11.
With the Adelaide Oval expected to assist the slow bowlers on the last two days, Harbhajan stands a good chance of playing the match. The Indians also have the option of going in with a five-pronged bowling attack, in which case Karthik may have to perform the 12th man's duties. But if they stick to the conventional four-man attack, Karthik is almost certain to don the opener's role at the expense of a paceman.
"There are a few possibilities but we would like to take another look at the pitch. It (five bowlers) is an option and that is something we will definitely assess," skipper Anil Kumble said.
India's unheralded pace trio -- RP Singh, Irfan Pathan and Ishant Sharma -- were highly impressive at Perth and it will be a tough call to leave one of them out to accommodate Harbhajan.
The 72-run triumph at Perth will no doubt serve as a tonic for Anil Kumble and his men who have now proved to be worthy challengers to the champion team, which has been strengthened by the return of opener Matthew Hayden.
The Australians have also not finalised their composition but it is likely to be a choice between paceman Shaun Tait, who was far from impressive in Perth, and spinner Brad Hogg. Captain Ricky Ponting refused to divulge details about team composition and said he was still to make up his mind on whether to persist with Tait or bring back Hogg.
"We just have to toss up in our head whether the spin is the way to go or do we try and use pace with variable bounce late in the game," he said.
"I think historically spin has probably been the preferred option for the Australian team to play in most conditions around the world. But when you have someone like Taity -- it gives you lots of options but makes your decision very difficult as well," he added.
But if spin was to be Ponting's option, the Australian skipper said he would try not to put too much pressure on Hogg.
"If he does come in, it's important we make sure he is not under too much pressure because we all do know how hard it is to perform when you do feel like your spot is on the line," Ponting said.
Source:Indiatimes
Live Coverage Next 7 days
Jan 24-28 00:30 GMT Australia v India at Adelaide 4th Test
Jan 24 04:15 GMT Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Hyderabad (Sind) 2nd ODI
Jan 25 12:30 GMT South Africa v West Indies at Cape Town 2nd ODI
Jan 27 06:00 GMT Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Multan 3rd ODI
Jan 27 08:00 GMT South Africa v West Indies at Port Elizabeth 3rd ODI
Jan 30 06:00 GMT Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Faisalabad4th ODI
Jan 24 04:15 GMT Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Hyderabad (Sind) 2nd ODI
Jan 25 12:30 GMT South Africa v West Indies at Cape Town 2nd ODI
Jan 27 06:00 GMT Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Multan 3rd ODI
Jan 27 08:00 GMT South Africa v West Indies at Port Elizabeth 3rd ODI
Jan 30 06:00 GMT Pakistan v Zimbabwe at Faisalabad4th ODI
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Indian Squad for ODI Tri Series and T20 in Australia
India squad: MS Dhoni (Captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh (Vice Captain), Harbhajan Singh, Robin Uthappa, Gautam Gambhir, Irfan Pathan, S Sreesanth, RP Singh, Ishant Sharma, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Piyush Chawla and Praveen Kumar.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
ICC ODI Rankings
LG ICC ODI Championship
31 Dec 2007
Team Matches Points Rating
Australia 35 4565 130
South Africa 35 4325 124
New Zealand 33 3683 112
India 48 5256 110
Sri Lanka 37 4014 108
Pakistan 28 3005 107
England 35 3736 107
West Indies 32 3192 100
Bangladesh 29 1350 47
Ireland 8 227 28
Zimbabwe 26 508 20
Kenya 6 0 0
31 Dec 2007
Team Matches Points Rating
Australia 35 4565 130
South Africa 35 4325 124
New Zealand 33 3683 112
India 48 5256 110
Sri Lanka 37 4014 108
Pakistan 28 3005 107
England 35 3736 107
West Indies 32 3192 100
Bangladesh 29 1350 47
Ireland 8 227 28
Zimbabwe 26 508 20
Kenya 6 0 0
ICC Test Rankings
India moved to 3rd place in ICC Test Rankings.
LG ICC Test and ODI Championships
12 Jan 2008
Team Matches Points Rating
Australia 28 4005 143
Sri Lanka 32 3490 109
India 33 3591 109
South Africa 37 3991 108
England 40 4299 107
Pakistan 33 3107 94
New Zealand 18 1646 91
West Indies 28 2053 73
Bangladesh 18 65 4
LG ICC Test and ODI Championships
12 Jan 2008
Team Matches Points Rating
Australia 28 4005 143
Sri Lanka 32 3490 109
India 33 3591 109
South Africa 37 3991 108
England 40 4299 107
Pakistan 33 3107 94
New Zealand 18 1646 91
West Indies 28 2053 73
Bangladesh 18 65 4
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Shaun Pollock announces Test retirement
Former South African cricket captain and fast bowler, Shaun Pollock has announced his retirement from international cricket, following the second day's play of the third Test match against the West Indies.
Pollock, 34, said the current third and final Test would be his last and he would retire from the international cricket after the one-day series against the West Indians.
His final appearance will be at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on February 3.
His announcement follows his outstanding bowling performance, which helped the Proteas to restrict the West Indies for 139 runs on the opening day.
Pollock was dropped for the first two tests but came back with figures of four for 35 from 11 overs. His stint also included two maidens.
"I'd like to thank Cricket South Africa for allowing me the opportunity of representing my country for the last 12 years," he said.
"I thoroughly enjoy the honour and privilege of wearing the Protea badge and take with me some remarkable memories having played against some great players.
"I realise I have been blessed by God and feel I have nurtured my talents to the best of my abilities," Pollock said.
Pollock, the nephew of legendary South African cricketer Graeme Pollock and son of former South African fast bowler, Peter Pollock, started playing for South Africa twelve years ago in the home series against England.
He cemented his place in the team with some excellent performances and found a steady bowling partner in Allan Donald. They were to be the mainstay of South African bowling till Donald's retirement.
After the late Hansie Cronje was banned from cricket for match-fixing, Pollock took over the captaincy in April 2000. He was eventually replaced by Graeme Smith after South Africa's poor performance in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
He has the lowest economy rate of any bowler to have taken 300 ODI wickets, and he is also the first South African and only the tenth player in the world to take 400 Test wickets.
Besides South Africa, Pollock has also played for Africa XI, World XI, Dolphins and Warwickshire.
The South African all-rounder said he had decided at the beginning of the season that it would be his last but he had not made an announcement because he had not been picked for any of South Africa's first six Tests.
"I had wanted to make an announcement at the beginning of the West Indies series but having been left out of the New Zealand games (earlier in the season) the last thing I wanted was to catch a game just for sentimental reasons or as a last hurrah," he said.
Pollock said he believed his timing was right.
"It is pleasing to see the wealth of budding (South African) bowling talent in the wings and I am happy that I am finishing on my own terms."
Pollock is playing in his 108th Test. He has also scored 3781 runs to rank among the leading all-rounders of all time.
Pollock has played in 298 one-day internationals, scoring 3476 runs and taking 387 wickets.
Pollock, 34, said the current third and final Test would be his last and he would retire from the international cricket after the one-day series against the West Indians.
His final appearance will be at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on February 3.
His announcement follows his outstanding bowling performance, which helped the Proteas to restrict the West Indies for 139 runs on the opening day.
Pollock was dropped for the first two tests but came back with figures of four for 35 from 11 overs. His stint also included two maidens.
"I'd like to thank Cricket South Africa for allowing me the opportunity of representing my country for the last 12 years," he said.
"I thoroughly enjoy the honour and privilege of wearing the Protea badge and take with me some remarkable memories having played against some great players.
"I realise I have been blessed by God and feel I have nurtured my talents to the best of my abilities," Pollock said.
Pollock, the nephew of legendary South African cricketer Graeme Pollock and son of former South African fast bowler, Peter Pollock, started playing for South Africa twelve years ago in the home series against England.
He cemented his place in the team with some excellent performances and found a steady bowling partner in Allan Donald. They were to be the mainstay of South African bowling till Donald's retirement.
After the late Hansie Cronje was banned from cricket for match-fixing, Pollock took over the captaincy in April 2000. He was eventually replaced by Graeme Smith after South Africa's poor performance in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
He has the lowest economy rate of any bowler to have taken 300 ODI wickets, and he is also the first South African and only the tenth player in the world to take 400 Test wickets.
Besides South Africa, Pollock has also played for Africa XI, World XI, Dolphins and Warwickshire.
The South African all-rounder said he had decided at the beginning of the season that it would be his last but he had not made an announcement because he had not been picked for any of South Africa's first six Tests.
"I had wanted to make an announcement at the beginning of the West Indies series but having been left out of the New Zealand games (earlier in the season) the last thing I wanted was to catch a game just for sentimental reasons or as a last hurrah," he said.
Pollock said he believed his timing was right.
"It is pleasing to see the wealth of budding (South African) bowling talent in the wings and I am happy that I am finishing on my own terms."
Pollock is playing in his 108th Test. He has also scored 3781 runs to rank among the leading all-rounders of all time.
Pollock has played in 298 one-day internationals, scoring 3476 runs and taking 387 wickets.
Friday, January 11, 2008
India vs Australia 3 rd Test Live
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Thursday, January 10, 2008
The Indians were robbed
Guys
Check below column written by Robert Craddock. He is Australia's premier cricket writer who has covered the sport for more than 20 years. He has covered more than 150 Test matches and the past five cricket World Cups.
Robert Craddock – Monday, January 07, 08 (12:06 pm)
SORRY to spoil the party but is there anyone else out there feeling sorry for the Indians?
You have to dip your lid to the unyielding self-belief of the Australians but any fair-minded judge has to feel sympathy for the Indians who were completely dudded by the umpires.
At least six poor decisions went against them and don’t be surprised, with their spirit broken, if they struggle to fire a shot in the final two Tests of the summer unless that shot it is in the direction of umpire Steve Bucknor. A draw was the very least they deserved.
Bucknor was absolutely dreadful and his decision to give Rahul Dravid out caught behind yesterday shaped the day and exposed Bucknor as
being horribly substandard.
You can forgive an umpire for struggling with the occasional caught behind verdict - but not when a batsman has his bat behind his pad which Dravid did with easily detectable precision.
He even held it there after Adam Gilchrist took the ball as if to prove the point he was nowhere near the ball.
For an umpire not to appreciate that is an unforgivable lapse in concentration by a man who makes Mr Maggoo seem coherent and decisive.
While blogging for The Courier-Mail over the past five days I have been deluged with the outraged writings of shattered Indian fans from Mumbia to San Francisco who feel 61-year-old Bucknor’s best days - and undoubtedly they were good ones - are long gone. I haven’t disagreed with a word of it.
He should be banished forever imediately but sadly he will be back in the middle for the next Test in a fornight - and therein lies the problem with the system.
There is simply not enough accountability for umpires who perform badly.
It’s got to the stage that for a senior umpire to be dropped off the panel it almost has top be established he has links with Osama bin Laden an even then he’d probably pick up a job as a third umpire.
Bucknor has become Test cricket’s John Howard, a man who refuses to accept Father Time has tapped him on the shoulder. He may be a god-faring man who reads a passage of the bible before play each day but he is not without a decent sized ego which keeps him on the circuit at a time when he should be calling stumps.
A poignant moment was showcased Bucknor’s fading reputation came when Michael Clarke refused to walk for a blatant edge to slip in the second innings, one of the most obvious dismissals of the match. So poorly was Bucknor performing Clarke obviously thought there was a chance he would be given not out.
Dear oh dear. My hand is in the air as a critic of Ricky Ponting’s declaration yesterday which looked half an hour too late but turned out perfect. I initially thought it showed he lacked confidence in his bowlers and would have made it 30 minutes earlier had Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath been played. But he came up trumps. Good luck to him.
The more you watched Ponting’s anguish under pressure in this Test the more you have to admire Allan Border. Pressure like that is foreign to Ponting and the two captains who preceded him, Mark Taylor and Allan Border. Border had it in probably four out of every five games in his marathon captaincy career.
How on earth did he do the job for 10 years?
The day also showed that Brad Hogg, for all his zest, character and honorable talent, is a grinder rather than a match-winner. Not being able to take a wicket against India in an innings is no crime - Warne struggled against them too - but this was Sydney, it was the last day and the ball was turning. The best and worst spinners in the game know that scenario means pay day.
As hard to pick as Hogg’s wrong un undoubtedly is, the fact that his stock ball turns into the pads of right-handed batsmen means he will always have to work hard for his wickets. Before this series the selectors felt that Hogg tended to feel the pressure badly in big games. He certainly struggled yesterday.
The was controversy ridden but that added to its incredible flavour.
The umpiring, the sledging, the mistakes provided moments of irresistable drama that were chewed over in thousands of bars and living rooms around the country.
The sledging between Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh proved yet again that the Australian and India sides have a cultural gap between them that decrees they will never fully understand each other.
There were eras when that may have been solved by interaction after stumps but in today’s professional world that rarely happens.
Check below column written by Robert Craddock. He is Australia's premier cricket writer who has covered the sport for more than 20 years. He has covered more than 150 Test matches and the past five cricket World Cups.
Robert Craddock – Monday, January 07, 08 (12:06 pm)
SORRY to spoil the party but is there anyone else out there feeling sorry for the Indians?
You have to dip your lid to the unyielding self-belief of the Australians but any fair-minded judge has to feel sympathy for the Indians who were completely dudded by the umpires.
At least six poor decisions went against them and don’t be surprised, with their spirit broken, if they struggle to fire a shot in the final two Tests of the summer unless that shot it is in the direction of umpire Steve Bucknor. A draw was the very least they deserved.
Bucknor was absolutely dreadful and his decision to give Rahul Dravid out caught behind yesterday shaped the day and exposed Bucknor as
being horribly substandard.
You can forgive an umpire for struggling with the occasional caught behind verdict - but not when a batsman has his bat behind his pad which Dravid did with easily detectable precision.
He even held it there after Adam Gilchrist took the ball as if to prove the point he was nowhere near the ball.
For an umpire not to appreciate that is an unforgivable lapse in concentration by a man who makes Mr Maggoo seem coherent and decisive.
While blogging for The Courier-Mail over the past five days I have been deluged with the outraged writings of shattered Indian fans from Mumbia to San Francisco who feel 61-year-old Bucknor’s best days - and undoubtedly they were good ones - are long gone. I haven’t disagreed with a word of it.
He should be banished forever imediately but sadly he will be back in the middle for the next Test in a fornight - and therein lies the problem with the system.
There is simply not enough accountability for umpires who perform badly.
It’s got to the stage that for a senior umpire to be dropped off the panel it almost has top be established he has links with Osama bin Laden an even then he’d probably pick up a job as a third umpire.
Bucknor has become Test cricket’s John Howard, a man who refuses to accept Father Time has tapped him on the shoulder. He may be a god-faring man who reads a passage of the bible before play each day but he is not without a decent sized ego which keeps him on the circuit at a time when he should be calling stumps.
A poignant moment was showcased Bucknor’s fading reputation came when Michael Clarke refused to walk for a blatant edge to slip in the second innings, one of the most obvious dismissals of the match. So poorly was Bucknor performing Clarke obviously thought there was a chance he would be given not out.
Dear oh dear. My hand is in the air as a critic of Ricky Ponting’s declaration yesterday which looked half an hour too late but turned out perfect. I initially thought it showed he lacked confidence in his bowlers and would have made it 30 minutes earlier had Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath been played. But he came up trumps. Good luck to him.
The more you watched Ponting’s anguish under pressure in this Test the more you have to admire Allan Border. Pressure like that is foreign to Ponting and the two captains who preceded him, Mark Taylor and Allan Border. Border had it in probably four out of every five games in his marathon captaincy career.
How on earth did he do the job for 10 years?
The day also showed that Brad Hogg, for all his zest, character and honorable talent, is a grinder rather than a match-winner. Not being able to take a wicket against India in an innings is no crime - Warne struggled against them too - but this was Sydney, it was the last day and the ball was turning. The best and worst spinners in the game know that scenario means pay day.
As hard to pick as Hogg’s wrong un undoubtedly is, the fact that his stock ball turns into the pads of right-handed batsmen means he will always have to work hard for his wickets. Before this series the selectors felt that Hogg tended to feel the pressure badly in big games. He certainly struggled yesterday.
The was controversy ridden but that added to its incredible flavour.
The umpiring, the sledging, the mistakes provided moments of irresistable drama that were chewed over in thousands of bars and living rooms around the country.
The sledging between Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh proved yet again that the Australian and India sides have a cultural gap between them that decrees they will never fully understand each other.
There were eras when that may have been solved by interaction after stumps but in today’s professional world that rarely happens.
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Harbhajan banned for three tests
Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was on Sunday banned for three Test matches after the ICC Match Referee Mike Procter upheld the Australian charge that he had racially abused their all-rounder Andrew Symonds, a decision against which the Indian team will appeal within 24 hours.
Procter gave a marathon six-and-a-half hour hearing to Harbhajan, who denied the charge and was supported by skipper Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, manager Chetan Chauhan and media manager MV Sridhar during the deliberations.
Procter also heard Symonds, who was backed by Australian captain Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke along with team manager Steve Bernard, who attended the hearing to testify against the Indian spinner.
After the hearing, there was no official word about the verdict but sources said that the three-Test ban was being slapped on Harbhajan, who is fully backed by the BCCI and the team.
The appeal will be made to the Commissioner of Appeals and pending the appeal, the off-spinner can continue to play.
After the hearing, Sridhar had said that they had not ruled out returning home, but the BCCI later played down the threat.
Meanwhile, the Indians have also filed a complaint against Australian spinner Brad Hogg for using abusive language during the ill-tempered second Test.
The Indian team lodged the complaint against Hogg during the hearing, giving a new twist to the simmering feud between the two sides.
BCCI officials promptly said that they would appeal against the three-match ban imposed on Harbhajan. Board vice-president Rajiv Shukla said they had not yet received any communication from the International Cricket Council regarding the ban.
"Nothing has been communicated to us yet. But if a ban is imposed, we will appeal against it within 24 hours. Harbhajan will appeal and the BCCI will also appeal," Shukla said.
BCCI's chief administrative manager Ratnakar Shetty said it was an "unfortunate" development.
"There was no evidence against Harbhajan so I don't know how they could arrive at such a conclusion."
When asked what the Aussies brought to the hearing which resulted in a verdict in their favour, Shetty said "we are not concerned about what the Australians think."
Harbhajan was charged under rule 3.3 of the ICC's Code of Conduct that deals with using language or gestures that insults a person on the basis of race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.
The off-spinner vehemently denied saying anything racial during the altercation.
Sridhar said both sides were together during the hearing into the alleged racial abuse.
"We are extremely disappointed since we feel that there is no evidence against Harbhajan," Sridhar said after the hearing.
The three-match ban came as a surprise for the Indians as both the on-field umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson had gone on record as saying that they had not heard anything offensive being said. The hearing was originally scheduled for Saturday but Procter agreed to a request by the Indian management to defer it by a day.
Harbhajan was charged last night under Level 3 of the International Cricket Council's Code of Conduct following his run-in with Andrew Symonds at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The charge was laid by match umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor after the third day's play following a complaint from Australia captain Ricky Ponting.
The complaint was made by Ponting after the 116th over of India's first innings, prior to which Harbhajan is alleged to have made a racist comment directed at Symonds.
Source:Indiatimes
Procter gave a marathon six-and-a-half hour hearing to Harbhajan, who denied the charge and was supported by skipper Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, manager Chetan Chauhan and media manager MV Sridhar during the deliberations.
Procter also heard Symonds, who was backed by Australian captain Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke along with team manager Steve Bernard, who attended the hearing to testify against the Indian spinner.
After the hearing, there was no official word about the verdict but sources said that the three-Test ban was being slapped on Harbhajan, who is fully backed by the BCCI and the team.
The appeal will be made to the Commissioner of Appeals and pending the appeal, the off-spinner can continue to play.
After the hearing, Sridhar had said that they had not ruled out returning home, but the BCCI later played down the threat.
Meanwhile, the Indians have also filed a complaint against Australian spinner Brad Hogg for using abusive language during the ill-tempered second Test.
The Indian team lodged the complaint against Hogg during the hearing, giving a new twist to the simmering feud between the two sides.
BCCI officials promptly said that they would appeal against the three-match ban imposed on Harbhajan. Board vice-president Rajiv Shukla said they had not yet received any communication from the International Cricket Council regarding the ban.
"Nothing has been communicated to us yet. But if a ban is imposed, we will appeal against it within 24 hours. Harbhajan will appeal and the BCCI will also appeal," Shukla said.
BCCI's chief administrative manager Ratnakar Shetty said it was an "unfortunate" development.
"There was no evidence against Harbhajan so I don't know how they could arrive at such a conclusion."
When asked what the Aussies brought to the hearing which resulted in a verdict in their favour, Shetty said "we are not concerned about what the Australians think."
Harbhajan was charged under rule 3.3 of the ICC's Code of Conduct that deals with using language or gestures that insults a person on the basis of race, religion, colour, descent or national or ethnic origin.
The off-spinner vehemently denied saying anything racial during the altercation.
Sridhar said both sides were together during the hearing into the alleged racial abuse.
"We are extremely disappointed since we feel that there is no evidence against Harbhajan," Sridhar said after the hearing.
The three-match ban came as a surprise for the Indians as both the on-field umpires Steve Bucknor and Mark Benson had gone on record as saying that they had not heard anything offensive being said. The hearing was originally scheduled for Saturday but Procter agreed to a request by the Indian management to defer it by a day.
Harbhajan was charged last night under Level 3 of the International Cricket Council's Code of Conduct following his run-in with Andrew Symonds at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The charge was laid by match umpires Mark Benson and Steve Bucknor after the third day's play following a complaint from Australia captain Ricky Ponting.
The complaint was made by Ponting after the 116th over of India's first innings, prior to which Harbhajan is alleged to have made a racist comment directed at Symonds.
Source:Indiatimes
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
India vs Australia 2 nd Test Live (Preview)
India have decided to persist with Rahul Dravid as opener despite his poor form as they go into the second cricket Test against Australia on Wednesday with a question mark on the avaibility of pace spearhead Zaheer Khan.
Zaheer, a vital cog in India's bowling attack, suffered a muscle pull during the net session forcing the team management to wait till tomorrow to take a decision on his inclusion for the crucial game.
Unfazed by Dravid's flop show in Melbourne where India crashed to one of their biggest Test defeats, the think tank has decided to persist with him as an opener by leaving out Virender Sehwag from the playing eleven.
Many former cricketers had called for Sehwag's inclusion in the team but the Indians apparently are in no hurry to tinker with the batting line-up on a SCG track which was expected to provide some assistance to the quick bowlers.
While the injury to Zaheer has come as a big blow for the jittery Indians, there was at least some good news for the visitors with Sourav Ganguly, who was down with high fever, having recovered fully.
In case Zaheer does not recover, Irfan Pathan was likely to take his place in the playing eleven with the team management having sounded out the Baroda paceman to be mentally ready to take the field.
The crushing 337-run defeat in the opening Test will no doubt have a demoralising effect on the visitors who need to put up an inspired show to stop Australia from equalling a record-breaking sequence of 16 consecutive Test wins.
The Australians have opted to retain the same team that did duty in Melbourne, which means that the talented Shaun Tait will have to wait for his chance.
Indian Skipper Anil Kumble stressed the need for his batsmen to break the shackles and play freely in the game.
"It's very important to get partnerships. When we had that 60-70 run stand (between Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly) it was fine. When we have a partnership, it's important to go on and make a big score," Kumble said.
"I thought our batters were very uptight in Melbourne. They needed to play their natural game," he said.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting, on the other hand, sounded confident and said his team had the momentum going into the match after the huge vicctory in Melbourne.
"We have the momentum going but if we just sit back and expect it to happen, India is a good enough side to let the momentum going. It could cause us a headache," he cautioned.
The Australian captain felt too much was being made about India's lack of preparation for this series having been granted just a solitary first class game.
"I think too much is being made of it. They came after a three-Test series against Pakistan. They played on a track which was more suited to their style of playing," he said.
"A lot is being made of India's batting but it was to the credit of our bowlers that we didn't let them have a lot of scoring opportunities," he added.
Ricky Ponting's men have tasted blood and are chasing their 16th successive Test win which would put them at par with Steve Waugh's record shattering Australians of early 2000.
All the batsmen, barring captain Ricky Ponting, ran themselves into some sort of form at the MCG but it was their bowling which caught the eye.
Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson have made it an almost seamless transition in the post Glenn McGrath-Shane Warne era and are now quite adept at delivering blows even on pitches which are more like sub-continental tracks.
Curator Tom Parker has predicted that the pitch would be more favourable for fast bowlers than it has ever been in the past.
"I think we will see a lot of bounce and good carry in it. I do not see any gremlins in it. I expect it to be a very similar to the Ashes deck last year," Parker said.
Teams:
Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Matthew Hayden, Phil Jacques, Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Hogg.
India (from): Anil Kumble (capt), Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma
Source:India times
Zaheer, a vital cog in India's bowling attack, suffered a muscle pull during the net session forcing the team management to wait till tomorrow to take a decision on his inclusion for the crucial game.
Unfazed by Dravid's flop show in Melbourne where India crashed to one of their biggest Test defeats, the think tank has decided to persist with him as an opener by leaving out Virender Sehwag from the playing eleven.
Many former cricketers had called for Sehwag's inclusion in the team but the Indians apparently are in no hurry to tinker with the batting line-up on a SCG track which was expected to provide some assistance to the quick bowlers.
While the injury to Zaheer has come as a big blow for the jittery Indians, there was at least some good news for the visitors with Sourav Ganguly, who was down with high fever, having recovered fully.
In case Zaheer does not recover, Irfan Pathan was likely to take his place in the playing eleven with the team management having sounded out the Baroda paceman to be mentally ready to take the field.
The crushing 337-run defeat in the opening Test will no doubt have a demoralising effect on the visitors who need to put up an inspired show to stop Australia from equalling a record-breaking sequence of 16 consecutive Test wins.
The Australians have opted to retain the same team that did duty in Melbourne, which means that the talented Shaun Tait will have to wait for his chance.
Indian Skipper Anil Kumble stressed the need for his batsmen to break the shackles and play freely in the game.
"It's very important to get partnerships. When we had that 60-70 run stand (between Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly) it was fine. When we have a partnership, it's important to go on and make a big score," Kumble said.
"I thought our batters were very uptight in Melbourne. They needed to play their natural game," he said.
Australian captain Ricky Ponting, on the other hand, sounded confident and said his team had the momentum going into the match after the huge vicctory in Melbourne.
"We have the momentum going but if we just sit back and expect it to happen, India is a good enough side to let the momentum going. It could cause us a headache," he cautioned.
The Australian captain felt too much was being made about India's lack of preparation for this series having been granted just a solitary first class game.
"I think too much is being made of it. They came after a three-Test series against Pakistan. They played on a track which was more suited to their style of playing," he said.
"A lot is being made of India's batting but it was to the credit of our bowlers that we didn't let them have a lot of scoring opportunities," he added.
Ricky Ponting's men have tasted blood and are chasing their 16th successive Test win which would put them at par with Steve Waugh's record shattering Australians of early 2000.
All the batsmen, barring captain Ricky Ponting, ran themselves into some sort of form at the MCG but it was their bowling which caught the eye.
Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Mitchell Johnson have made it an almost seamless transition in the post Glenn McGrath-Shane Warne era and are now quite adept at delivering blows even on pitches which are more like sub-continental tracks.
Curator Tom Parker has predicted that the pitch would be more favourable for fast bowlers than it has ever been in the past.
"I think we will see a lot of bounce and good carry in it. I do not see any gremlins in it. I expect it to be a very similar to the Ashes deck last year," Parker said.
Teams:
Australia: Ricky Ponting (capt), Matthew Hayden, Phil Jacques, Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark, Mitchell Johnson and Brad Hogg.
India (from): Anil Kumble (capt), Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan and Rudra Pratap Singh, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma
Source:India times
Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!
This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!.......William Arthur Ward
I wish you and your family a Happy New Year 2008
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!
This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!.......William Arthur Ward
I wish you and your family a Happy New Year 2008
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