Page 1592 - Sports
Mike Hesson, Belinda Clark appointed to ICC Cricket Committee
New Zealand national team coach Mike Hesson, former Australian women's team captain Belinda Clark, and Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer have been appointed to the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket Committee.Clark has been named as the women's cricket representative, and replaces Clare Connor (who has completed her third and final three-year term), while Coezter has replaced Ireland's Kevin O'Brien as the Associate Members representative.It may be noted that since Ireland is now a Full Member, O'Brien has become ineligible.Meanwhile, Hesson has taken over from Darren Lehmann, who has become ineligible following his resignation as Australia national team coach in March in the aftermath of the massive ball-tampering scandal.All three have been appointed to the committee for an initial three-year term each and next week's annual meeting in Mumbai, which will take place on May 28 and May 29, will be their first meeting.Spirit of Cricket and player behaviour, World Test Championship .
Gagan Narang to mentor 135 young shooters
With an ambitious goal of finding 10 best Indian shooters to chase medals in the 2024 Olympics, ace shooter Gagan Narang is all set to provide advanced training to 135 young players under his Project Leap initiative.Gagan Narang Sports Promotion Foundation's (GNSPF) backed Project Leap trained shooters are already making strong impression at the international arena.The project, in its second year, has initiated its annual trial for all talented young shooters from across the country.An unprecedented 176 shooters had applied and 130 have been selected for the trial which is currently underway at the state of the art Gun for Glory shooting Academy in Pune.This will be the first time that this highly cognitive trial has been made open for all shooters of the country falling under the age group of under-21 and the final selected best shooters will be trained by immensely experienced Slovakian rifle coach Anton Belak and South Korean pistol coach Kim Seonia and mentored by the ace Olympic .
Argentina's Romero to miss World Cup
Sergio Romero, the goalkeeper of the Argentine team in the last two FIFA World Cups, has suffered an injury on his right knee and will be left out of the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Hesson replaces Lehmann in Kumble-led ICC Cricket Committee
New Zealand's Mike Hesson today replaced Australian Darren Lehmann as the coach representative in the ICC Cricket Committee led by former India captain Anil Kumble. Lehmann had stepped down as Australia coach in the wake of the ball-tampering controversy in South Africa in March, making him ineligible to be a part of the committee. Former Australia women's captain and ICC Cricket Hall of Famer Belinda Clark and Scotland captain Kyle Coetzer have also been appointed to the committee, the ICC said in a statement. Andrew Strauss and Mahela Jayawardena are past player representatives. Clark has been appointed as the women's cricket representative and replaces Clare Connor (who has completed her third and final three-year term), Coezter has replaced Ireland's Kevin O'Brien as the Associate Members representative (Ireland is now a Full Member, which means O'Brien has become ineligible). Hesson, 43, has been New Zealand's coach since 2012. He masterminded the Black Caps' maiden appearance in
IPL: In-form KKR to lock horns with resurgent RR in Eliminator
Following a cracking first play-off match of the 11the edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) between two-time winners Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, the attention will now switch to the Eliminator where resurgent Rajasthan Royals will come up against 'home favourite' Kolkata Knight Riders here at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday.KKR have had an excellent IPL campaign this year as they won eight of their 14 group stages match, including their last three matches to storm into the playoffs.The Dinesh Karthik-led side defeated table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets in their last league fixture of the IPL season.Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, once had just three wins in hand and were placed at the bottom of the table following their ninth IPL match.However, Rajasthan rebounded strongly and rode on England batsman Jos Buttler's three consecutive match-winning knocks to finish the group stage at the fourth spot.But, Rajasthan would head into the match without
Fleming concedes slow proceedings in IPL
Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming admitted that slow over rate has been a problem this IPL and blamed the hot and humid weather for teams taking too much time to get things moving. "We can all feel how humid it is. Late season games in Mumbai and Chennai are going to be longer, because the players do suffer. If a player bats, say for a period of time, they are under some stress," Fleming said after his side's win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the first qualifier. Chasing a modest target of 140, CSK were down in the dumps at 92 for seven, before Faf Du Plessis (67 off 42 balls) engineered a stunning comeback. Speaking about the South African, Fleming said, "And Faf (du Plessis) is like a Ferrari car, he needs a lot of attention. So, it is always going to take time when he is over there." Quite a few teams and captains have already been fined for slow over rate this season. "But it can be sped up, there is time wasting in cricket in general, but that's a separate discussion. .
Williamson praises SRH bowlers after two-wicket loss to CSK
Sunrisers Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson has defended his decision to use Carlos Brathwaite at the death overs and praised his bowlers after a two-wicket defeat to Chennai Super Kings in the first qualifier of Indian Premier League. "Yeah, certainly we backed Carlos (Brathwaite) with his death bowling. That's why he's in this side, as another death option. When you're under pressure, sometimes, life gets a little bit tough," Williamson said at the post-match press conference last night. Chasing a modest target of 140, CSK were down in the dumps at 92 for seven, but Faf Du Plessis (67 off 42 balls) engineered a stunning comeback. The New Zealand batting maestro added, "Credit to the way Faf batted - he batted beautifully." Brathwaite, playing in only his second game of the season, conceded 20 runs in the 18th over. With 43 needed off last three overs, Du Plessis, who opened the batting, launched into Brathwaite's 18th over and smashed him for 20 runs. "It's obviously very tough to .
Faf got chance to play after Billings' injury: Fleming
Coach Stephen Fleming says Faf du Plessis, who single-handedly guided Chennai Super Kings into the final of Indian Premier League's 11th edition, was played in the first qualifier because of an injury to Sam Billings. Coming back after a two-year ban, two-time champions CSK last night pulled off a thrilling two-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad to make theie seventh final of the cash-rich league, with du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock leading the chase. "Sam got hurt in the last game. He fell awkwardly on his hip and it has been quite bruised. He probably could've played if he was pushed but he was uncomfortable. "So we just took that opportunity to keep Faf in the side, having introduced him in the last game. We've got different combinations that we can use and today I'm very happy that Faf was able to contribute the way he did," said Fleming in his post-match media conference. Chasing a modest target of 140, CSK were down in the dumps at 92 for seven before Du Plessis (67 off 42 ..
Calm Dhoni says it's more about 'dressing room atmosphere'
Mahendra Singh Dhoni was soaking in everything with his usual calm demeanour before attributing Chennai Super Kings' seventh IPL final appearance to "dressing room atmosphere", a far cry from the awe that was best summed up a popular teammate's groovy tribute. Coming back after a two-year ban, two-time champions CSK last night pulled off a thrilling two-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad to make the final of the cash-rich league, with Faf du Plessis leading the chase. "We have been a very good team over the past ten seasons, but it's more about the dressing room atmosphere," Dhoni said at the post-match presentation ceremony. The two-time World Cup winning captain added, "And you can't do that without the players and the support staff. And if atmosphere is not good, then players go to different directions. But somehow, we have managed to keep our boys on track." All-rounder Dwayne Bravo celebrated the victory with a dance in the dressing room. A video of the same was posted on ...
England chief Strauss to step down for summer
England cricket director Andrew Strauss is to stand down temporarily for the season while his wife Ruth continues her treatment for cancer, with Andy Flower filling in while the former Test captain is on leave. "My wife was diagnosed with cancer in December," Strauss told reporters at Lord's on Tuesday. "We are very lucky she has been very well up to now although she is starting a new treatment on Friday which is going to be more challenging for her and as such I am going to be stepping back from my day-to-day duties while that treatment is going on." He added: "On a day-to-day basis Andy Flower is going to be stepping in for me over the course of the (English) summer." Flower was England's coach while former opening batsman Strauss enjoyed a successful spell as national captain that included a 2010/11 Ashes series victory in Australia. The former Zimbabwe batsman has remained in the England and Wales Cricket Board set-up and is currently the coach of England's second-string ...
Atletico Madrid beat Nigerian selection in friendly
Europa League winners Atletico Madrid beat a Nigerian selection 3-2 in a friendly on Tuesday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. Kelechi Nwakali put the home team in front in the 31st minute with a superb strike from outside the box that beat goalkeeper Jan Oblak. However, the La Liga outfit drew level in southern Nigeria minutes later through Angel Correa after Turkey-based striker Emem Eduok was dispossessed in his own half of the pitch. Substitute Destiny Ashadi ought to have restored the Eagles' lead just before the interval, but he badly miscued from inside the box after he was set up by the bright and lively Samad Kadiri. Substitute Fernando Torres put Atletico ahead for the first time on 64 minutes after the visitors had missed a sitter earlier in the second half. Norway-based midfielder Usman Mohammed hauled the Nigerians level in the 79th minute with a great solo goal as he dribbled his way inside the box. However, Borja Garces fired past goalkeeper Femi ...
AC Milan bosses 'surprised, bitter' as UEFA deny fair play settlement
AC Milan managing director Marco Fassone said he felt "surprise and bitterness" that UEFA had refused to offer a settlement agreement to the Italian club for violating Financial Fair Play rules, as the club could now be excluded from Europe. The Serie A club face UEFA sanctions after their request for a settlement agreement was rejected by European football's governing body earlier on Tuesday. UEFA is concerned over AC Milan's stability after it was purchased by a Chinese-led consortium from Silvio Berlusconi for 740 million euros ($918mn) in April last year. The club also spent more than 200 million euros on new players in the summer. The seven-time European champions have a massive high interest loan of 300 million euros from US hedge fund Elliott Management. "The UEFA Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) has decided to refer Italian club AC Milan to the Adjudicatory Chamber of the CFCB for breach of the Financial Fair Play regulations, in particular the break-even requirement," a ...
Ancelotti poised to take over as Napoli coach
Former Bayern Munich manager Carlo Ancelotti is set to take over as Napoli coach, according to reports in Italy on Tuesday. Ancelotti, who was sacked by the Bundesliga champions last September, was reported to be holding talks with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis in Rome on Tuesday night. The 58-year-old Ancelotti and Italian film producer De Laurentiis are finalising details of a three-year contract. Corriere dello Sport reported that everything was now in place for Ancelotti to take over the southern side, but only if Maurizio Sarri decides to leave the club. Contact between De Laurentiis and the former AC Milan and Real Madrid coach has been ongoing for weeks amid the indecision of Sarri, who has a contract with Napoli until 2020. Sarri indicated last Sunday that he was ready to leave the Serie A side he joined in 2015 after finishing runners-up for the second time in three seasons behind Juventus. Ancelotti, who also had spells in charge of Chelsea, Juventus and Paris ...
Cech happy to regain shirt number one at Arsenal
Arsenal keeper Petr Cech said today he was happy to finally get back the shirt number one he wore throughout his eleven seasons at Chelsea but never with the Gunners. Cech joined Arsenal in 2015 at age 33 so he picked a shirt number 33. "I already wanted number one when I came but it belonged to Wojciech Szczesny at the time," the 36-year-old Czech keeper told the public Czech Television. "Last season when he left, it was at the last possible moment so I couldn't get it either." "When they asked me if I would take it this year, of course I was happy to have the opportunity," added Cech, who has a record 201 clean sheets from 436 Premier League games. When Cech started his top-flight career at Czech side Blsany in 1999, he wore number 12. Then he put on number 17 at Sparta Prague. After his move to Stade Rennes of France in 2002, he wore number 34, but then switched to number one when he joined Chelsea in 2004. He also wore the number-one shirt in the Czech Republic national team, for .
Decision time for Zidane as Bale awaits chance for reconciliation
Gareth Bale's relationship with Zinedine Zidane will come to a crossroads when Real Madrid play Liverpool in the Champions League final on Saturday. The pair have not seen eye-to-eye for some time, ever since Zidane jettisoned the Welshman for Real's last 16 first leg game at home to Paris Saint-Germain in February. With their La Liga challenge all but over, Zidane's reputation hinged on a run in Europe and dropping Bale delivered a resounding message about a lack of trust when it mattered most. But breaking point arrived in April, in the quarter-finals, in the second leg at home to Juventus. Bale had scored three goals in his previous three games, six in five including matches for Wales, and he was rewarded with a start at the Santiago Bernabeu. Zidane, however, hauled him off at half-time, with Real trailing Juve 2-0. At best, it seemed the Frenchman was apportioning blame to Bale. At worst, it seemed like punishment by public humiliation. "It was not to punish Gareth but something .
'Fearless' Pakistan ready to put England under pressure
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur believes his "fearless" side have everything to gain when they face an "under the pump" England in the first Test at Lord's on Thursday. England will be looking for some much-needed home comfort after recent winless Test tours of Australia and New Zealand extended their poor away record in cricket's longest format to 13 matches without a victory. Pakistan, by contrast, enter this two-match campaign on the back of a morale-boosting five-wicket win over Test debutants Ireland at Malahide last week. "We haven't come here not to win," Arthur told reporters at Lord's on Tuesday. "It's a changing room full of very, very skilled cricketers, very young cricketers, fearless cricketers. If we get the breaks and things go our way, they will certainly put England under pressure." England, in their first Test since Ed Smith became their new head selector, continue to have doubts over a batting order where captain Joe Root has been promoted to number three, ...
Argentina goalkeeper Romero out of World Cup with knee injury
Argentina's World Cup preparations suffered a blow on Tuesday as goalkeeper Sergio Romero was ruled out of the tournament with a knee injury, the Argentina Football Association (AFA) said. The Manchester United goalkeeper injured his right knee during training in Buenos Aires yesterday. "Romero will be removed from the list of 23 players who will participate in the 2018 World Cup in Russia," the AFA said in a statement. Romero, 31, is the most capped goalkeeper in the history of the Argentina national team with 83 appearances and represented the country at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. The AFA said Romero had suffered a blockage in his right knee and was being evaluated surgically. A replacement will be announced "in the coming days," the statement said. As well as his World Cup experience, Romero has represented Argentina in three Copa Americas and was also a member of the side that won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Argentina, beaten finalists in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, ...
Cricket Australia snares major new sponsor despite scandal
Cricket Australia signed a four-year deal with a new shirt sponsor today, seemingly unperturbed by the ball-tampering scandal that badly damaged the sport's reputation. Alinta Energy will become the principal partner of the men's team in all three formats of the game, securing branding rights to have its name on shirts for all international cricket played in Australia. They replace Qantas Airways, although the national carrier remains a key sponsor and will continue to be the shirt partner for overseas tours. No value was put on the new deal, which follows the tampering scandal in South Africa this year that led to bans for then captain Steve Smith, his deputy David Warner and batsman Cameron Bancroft. In the fallout, fund manager Magellan tore up its contract as naming rights sponsor for Australia's domestic Tests while several companies withdrew their partnerships with the three players. Alinta chief Jeff Dimery said Australian cricket was "an institution that will continue to ...
Bowlers were fantastic; fell short with bat: Williamson on Qualifier 1 defeat
Reacting to Sunrisers Hyderabad's (SRH) loss to Chennai Super Kings by two wickets in the first Qualifier on Tuesday, skipper Kane Williamson maintained a defensive stance for his bowlers and indicated that 15-20 extra runs could have booked their spot in the finals."The bowlers were fantastic, we did back our death bowling to close the game from there, but that's not where we want to correct ourselves, I think with the bat we could've taken some better options in the order to get maybe another 15 or 20 runs. It was probably a 160 wicket, so we were a little short with the bat." Williamson said in the post-match press conference.Claiming that death bowling was a strength for his side, he lamented the little incidents of misfortune that went against them in the game."Death bowling is a strength for us, the way we fought back with the ball was great, but it is the kind of game we play, there's such a fine line. We have been on the right side of a number of those results and we're moving
CSK beat SRH by 2 wickets to book record 7th Final appearance
Chennai Super Kings (CSK) booked their place in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final for the seventh time on Tuesday as they narrowly defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by two wickets.The CSK batting order had collapsed initially, as a spectacular SRH bowling attack; spearheaded by Afghanistan's Rashid Khan; reduced them to 62 for the loss of six wickets and the two-time champions looked all set to concede the first final spot to the Hyderabad outfit.However, opener Faf du Plessis dug deep in the innings, scoring a composed 42 ball-67 to help CSK chase down the 140 run target.Winning the toss, CSK captain M. S. Dhoni elected to bowl first. The Super Kings' bowlers got off to a great start, with opener Shikhar Dhawan getting clean bowled by Deepak Chahar on the very first delivery.Getting reduced to 88-6 themselves, some hard-hitting towards the end of the innings by Carlos Brathwaite ensured the SRH bowlers had something to bowl at.The CSK batsmen also struggled to get going, with ...