Sports

Wellington, February 01: New Zealand opening batsman Jesse Ryder has vented his anger on the micro–blogging site Twitter after being run out in a mix–up with team–mate Stephen Murdoch during the provincial one–day cricket match.

Ryder, opening for Wellington against Northern Districts at the Basin Reserve on Sunday, was sent packing after a mix–up with Murdoch and he took to Twitter to voice his frustration.

“I just got run out by my other batter. What a waste of time this day is … I love getting left high an [sic] dry by my other batter,” Ryder tweeted.

Birmingham, February 01: Simon Jones, a fast bowler whose England Test career was halted in its prime by one debilitating injury after another, wakes to a daily routine of strengthening exercises and icing his battle-weary limbs.

He is the virtually forgotten spearhead of his country’s glorious 2005 Ashes triumph over a previously dominant Australian team but at 32 refuses to believe his days representing England are over.

Dhaka, February 01: Familiar home conditions, fanatical crowd support and a young energetic side give Bangladesh a chance to emerge from the shadows when the World Cup is played in their backyard.

The ‘Tigers’ have had a miserable time at the Test level, losing 59 of their 68 matches and winning just three against lowly Zimbabwe and an under-strength West Indies.

But limited-overs cricket is their forte as was evident in the previous World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007 when they knocked out India in the first round and stunned South Africa in the Super Eights.

New Delhi, February 01: Sri Lanka’s ability to rise to the occasion makes them one of the most feared teams in the World Cup, especially in favourable home conditions.

When the focus was on other sides in the 2007 edition in the Caribbean, Sri Lanka steadily emerged as deserving challengers to Australia in the final with their solid all-round show.

They have often proved tough customers in all conditions, having depth in batting and bowling. Their best in recent months came when they clinched their maiden one-day series in Australia under Kumar Sangakkara.

Melbourne, February 01: Champions League Twenty20 organisers have not paid the teams and players prize money to the tune of USD six million and the Indian Cricket Board was responsible for it, a report said on Monday.

Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations chief executive Tim May said that the Champions League Twenty20 organisers had failed to honour its commitments to pay prize money totalling USD six million.

Melbourne, February 01: Ricky Ponting is set to start training after a one-month injury lay-off while Nathan Hauritz is hoping to get back into action at the earliest after a radical blood injection treatment, giving some relief to Australia’s injury-ridden lead-up to the World Cup.

Australian team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said Ponting has been given the green light by his surgeon to resume light training, but his progress would become clearer next week, when he starts using a bat.

New Delhi, February 01: Sir Don Bradman finished with a career average of 99.94 in Test cricket, distanced from that magical triple-figure average by a second-ball naught in his last innings at The Oval in 1948.

Sixty-three years later, Sir Don’s mirror image – as confessed by the magician himself – will try to cap a run-loaded career with a World Cup trophy and 100 international hundreds.

New Delhi, February 01: Sachin Tendulkar has been winning matches for India with his amazing batting exploits for more than two decades, and it’s time his team clinched the World Cup for him.

Tendulkar, who turns 38 in April, makes his sixth and probably the last appearance in the showpiece event with one notable omission from his eye-catching CV — a World Cup.

The ‘Little Genius’ may have amassed a record 17,629 runs in 444 one-dayers with 46 centuries — the highest by any batsman — but will be pleased more if the team win the Cup in front of his home crowd in Mumbai on April 2.

Mumbai, February 01: Sachin Tendulkar would be crucial to India`s success in the upcoming World Cup and the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side was far ahead of the history-making `Kapil`s Devils` in terms of talent and experience, feels member of the 1983 Cup-winning side Balwinder Singh Sandhu.

Sandhu said apart from Tendulkar the present Indian team has plenty of match-winners in Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan and skipper Dhoni, who are capable of turning things around from a losing position.

Kolkata, January 31: As he gears up to live the dream of being in a World Cup squad, young Indian off–spinner R Ashwin says he is trying all he can to be of more a utility by improving his batting and, more importantly, learning to handle pressure which “gets easily” to him.

“I’m trying my best to be an asset to the side. I’m working hard on my batting and want to be a utility man for the side so that I can be a real asset to the side. Pressure gets to me easily. I am working hard to be calm in a pressure–filled situation,” Ashwin told PTI in an interview.

Melbourne, January 31: With Ricky Ponting’s illustrious career coming to a close, all-rounder Shane Watson has said that if offered he would gladly accept the role of Australia captain even as Michael Clarke and Cameron White are in the running for the job.

Watson, who is being pushed forward as a candidate to replace Ponting along with Clarke and White, said he would embrace the opportunity with open arms if it comes his way.

Karachi, January 31: Pakistan one-day captain Shahid Afridi has indicated a limited role for experienced fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar in the remaining matches in New Zealand and next month’s World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

After Pakistan’s win over New Zealand in Christchurch yesterday, Afridi said that Akhtar was left out of the match as he still needed to work harder on his fitness and form.

“Shoaib might be given a chance to play if we manage to win the series in the next two games,” Afridi said.

Kolkata, January 31: CAB president Jagmohan Dalmiya on Sunday termed ICC’s rejection of BCCI’s appeal to reconsider its decision to take away India-England cricket World Cup match from Eden Gardens as “unfavourable and disappointing”.

The experienced cricket administrator, however, said that the stadium will be cent per cent ready before the February 7 deadline, when an ICC inspection team travels to Kolkata.

Colombo, January 31: West Indies players take part in a practice session at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo on January 30. West Indies captain Darren Sammy elected to bat after winning the toss against Sri Lanka in the opening one-day international on Monday.

West Indies players take part in a practice session at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) Ground in Colombo on January 30. West Indies captain Darren Sammy elected to bat after winning the toss against Sri Lanka in the opening one-day international on Monday.

New Delhi, January 31: The ICC on Sunday rejected BCCI’s appeal to reconsider its decision to take away India-England World Cup match from Kolkata but its president Sharad Pawar said the Eden Gardens can host the other three ties if it is ready on time.

“The first match may not take place there but the rest of the three matches could have a chance if the requirements are fulfilled,” Pawar told reporters here.

“We have written to BCCI regarding this. I spoke to BCCI president Shashank Manohar to get the stadium ready so that other matches are staged there,” he added.

New Delhi, January 31: Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya on Sunday backed the Mumbai Indians in its fight against the alleged rigging of the IPL 4 auction and called for more “transparency” and “inclusive approach” in the administration of the Indian Premier League.

The Mumbai Indians had shot a letter to the IPL governing council, asking why the auction was changed from “selection of sets at random” to pre-decided “order of auction list” for the January 8-9 players auction.

Kolkata, January 31: With ICC president Sharad Pawar reportedly setting February 7 as the deadline to prepare Eden Gardens for the India-England World Cup match, the West Bengal PWD on Sunday stepped in to help the Cricket Association of Bengal complete the work within the deadline.

“Yesterday (CAB president) Jagmohan Dalmiya requested me to involve PWD in the work for preparing infrastructure. A team of engineers will visit the site today to see what needs to be done,” PWD minister Kshiti Goswami told newsmen.

London, January 31: England batsman Kevin Pietersen has blasted the Cricket World Cup schedule, saying that the six-week fixture is too long and playing matches with six-day intervals is “ridiculous”.

“It`s far too long. How can the England team play once and then in six days` time play again, and then in six days` time play again?” Pietersen asked.

“It`s ridiculous but there`s nothing we can do about the schedules,” he added.

The outspoken cricketer also slammed England`s hectic schedule leading up to the World Cup, starting on February 19 in the sub-continent.

New Delhi, January 31: The ICC has formally conveyed to the BCCI about its inability to hold the India vs England World Cup match at the Eden Gardens, February 27.

The BCCI issued a release to the ICC conveying its inability to hold the match at Eden Gardens on February 27. The Cricket Board said it has recommended Bangalore as the alternate venue for the match.

“The ICC has conveyed to the BCCI that it will not be able to hold the India Vs England match of the ICC CWC 2011 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on 27 February 2011.

Melbourne, January 31: Embattled Australian captain Michael Clarke said he had no concerns about being booed by local fans in Sunday’s one-day international win against England at Brisbane’s Gabba ground.

Clarke received a harsh response from the home fans when he came out to bat in the match, which Australia won by 51 runs to secure the seven-match series by taking an unbeatable 4-1 lead.

The 29-year-old went on to top score for Australia with 54 in a sign of a return to form and after the match said he was not bothered by the boos.

New Delhi, January 31: Harbhajan Singh believes that the India’s impressive performance in South Africa will be of little consequence when they embark on their World Cup journey against Bangladesh next month.

“From my personal experience, I can tell you that our good show in South Africa may give us a bit of confidence but that’s about it. Doing well in bouncy pitches in South Africa and playing in the World Cup is a different ball game altogether,” Harbhajan told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Brisbane, January 31: Australia claimed the one-day international series against England with a 51-run win in the fifth match at the Gabba in Brisbane on Sunday.

After winning the toss and batting Australia made 249, with second-gamer Chris Woakes picking up a record-equalling six wickets.

It seemed insufficient, but the tourists slumped to 145-9, before a late flurry from Steve Finn (35 off 24 balls) boosted their score to a more respectable 198.

Bogota, January 31: Eight players, the coach and assistant coach of a second-division soccer club in Colombia were injured when their bus overturned in a rural area in the northeastern part of the country.

The vehicle – carrying the members of the Alianza Petrolera club – flipped over near San Alberto town on way to Barrancabermeja in Santander province.

Sunday’s accident was apparently caused due to excessive speeding, Santander highway patrol chief Col. John Fredy Suarez said.

The men were returning from Tunja, where they had played a match Saturday afternoon.

Kolkata, January 30: After ruling Eden Gardens unsuitable for the Feb 27 India-England World Cup game, the International Cricket Council (ICC) will make an inspection Feb 7 to gauge the venue’s progress for hosting the remaining three scheduled matches in March.

Apart from the India-England encounter, the Eden Gardens is slated to host South Africa vs. Ireland (March 15), the Netherlands vs. Ireland (March 18), and Zimbabwe vs. Kenya (March 20).

Kolkata/New Delhi, January 30: Kolkata’s hopes of getting back the India-England World Cup match Feb 27 were dashed with the International Cricket Council (ICC) conveying to the Indian cricket board Sunday that holding the match at the historic cricketing venue is not possible.

‘The ICC has conveyed to the BCCI that it will not be able to hold the India vs England match of the ICC Cricket World Cup at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, Feb 27,’ Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary N.Srinivasan said in a statement Sunday night.