Sports

Karachi, April 29: Pakistan Cricket Board and other sports federations have been told by the country’s biggest power providers to stop organising matches and events under floodlights as part of the power conservation drive in Pakistan.

“We have already informed the Cricket Board and all other sports bodies that the country is facing a severe power crisis and they should not hold matches under floodlights to conserve energy,” Pakistan Electric Power Company the Chairman Muhammad Khalid told PTI.

St Lucia, April 29: The event technical committee of the Twenty20 World Cup has approved Ryan Harris as replacement for injured Brett Lee in the Australian squad for the tournament which begins in the Caribbean tomorrow.

The confirmation was conveyed to Cricket Australia which has sought a replacement for Lee for the entire event.

Lee suffered a muscle strain on his right elbow during Australia’s loss in the warm up game against Zimbabwe on Tuesday.

30-year-old Harris from New South Wales has played two Tests, 12 ODIs and two Twenty20 Internationals.

Bulgaria, April 29: World champion Viswanathan Anand scored a rampaging victory over challenger Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in the fourth game to grab the lead in the 12-game World Chess championship in Sofia.

Anand, who had lost the first game unceremoniously won the second in sparkling fashion and after drawing the third and winning the fourth game comprehensively, the fans are looking up to him to do what he did to Russian Vladimir Kramnik a couple of years ago at Bonn in Germany.

The scores are now on Anand’s side as he leads the 12-games match by a 2.5-1.5 margin.

Mumbai: April 29: For those who simply could not afford a whopping Rs 40,000 entry fee to be part of the Indian Premier League (IPL) parties at night, it is time to rejoice, although the tournament itself may lose some of its glamour.

The very first act of the interim IPL chief, Chirayu Amin, is to shut down those parties. “The parties will be stopped, “ he declared, bringing to an end the extravaganza introduced by the suspended IPL commissioner, Lalit Modi.

Mumbai, April 29: Actor Raveena Tandon has come out in support of suspended Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi.

“Look at the heights where this man has taken the game of cricket to. In all the nations where cricket is played or has fans of this game, IPL is a hit.”

In the same breath, Tandon came to the defence of her colleagues Shilpa Shetty, who is one of the owners of Rajasthan Royals, and Preity Zinta, who co-owns Kings XI Punjab, by saying, “I stand by these two for I know they would never lie.”

New Delhi, April 28: In a major respite to BCCI and IPL team owners, the Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid has given clean chit to IPL teams, saying there are no tax violations by franchises.

Khurshid said, “Prima facie there is no tax violation by the IPL team.”

He further said that Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai have filed their return.

Government has asked Corporate Affairs ministry to probe the fund irregularities in cash-rich IPL.

New Delhi, April 28: Reality show star Rahul Mahajan’s high-profile marriage and his wife Diampe past two months, not even her husband’s loyalty towards her to examine the test cast.

21-year-old model and actress Dinpe a reality show in March this year during the 35-year-old James was married. He ‘Emotional Torture’ loyalty to her husband through the show’s Parakie.

Reyalitie show through the male and female secret agents sent from the channel with the help of his partner’s loyalty checks.

Australia, April 28: Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne for his or any other Australian cricketers involved in match-fixing in IPL related reports dubbed crap.

He said that if someone is found guilty then it should be banned for life.

According to unconfirmed reports, 27 players for match-fixing in IPL Indian tax authorities are reportedly under scrutiny which includes a famous Australian player.

Warne said he had not surprised by the controversy but Hsita without leaving your name and proving that he is hurt.

Gros Islet (St Lucia), April 28: Zimbabwe stunned Australia by one-run in a warm-up match ahead of the World Twenty20 Championship beginning Friday, at the Beausejour Stadium here Tuesday.

Chasing Zimbabwe’s 173 for seven off 20 overs, Australia reached 172 for seven despite scoring 31 runs in the final two overs.

Zimbabwe fought back from 36 for 4 through Elton Chigumbura’s couterattacking 76 off 33 balls. Chigumbura blasted six sixes and five fours while Craig Ervine chipped in with 39 in the stand of 114 to post a challenging total.

Melbourne, April 28: Injury-plagued Australian paceman Brett Lee is out of the World Twenty20 owing to a strained muscle in his right arm.

Lee picked up the injury during Australia’s one-run loss to Zimbabwe in the warm-up game Tuesday. The World Cup begins April 30.

Lee’s injury is not the same as the elbow problem he had been operated on before the tournament. The forearm injury is near the inner side of Lee’s right elbow, but separate to his elbow surgery, the team spokesman was quoted as saying in The Age.

Melbourne, April 28: Australia’s campaign at the Twenty20 World Cup suffered a jolt as paceman Brett Lee was today ruled out of the elite event after injuring his bowling arm.

Lee suffered the injury during the yesterday’s lost warm up game against minnows Zimbabwe.

A few weeks back, Lee’s IPL stint was also hit by a fracture in the thumb of his right hand.

According to the team spokesman, Lee strained a muscle in his right elbow.

“It’s a muscle strain. We have gone to the ICC Technical Committee to ask for a replacement player,” the spokesman was quoted as saying by local media.

New Delhi, April 28: Suspended IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi arrived in the city today amid speculation that he is set to take legal action against the BCCI for ousting him for alleged financial bungling.

Modi landed in the capital and had to jostle hard to get out of the airport as waiting media persons blocked his way.

Although the exact reasons for his sudden visit to the city are not known, there is speculation that he is here to meet his lawyers.

Bridgetown, April 28: Australia suffered a stunning one-run loss to outsiders Zimbabwe in their opening World Twenty20 warm-up match in St Lucia on Tuesday.

Zimbabwe made 173 for seven, featuring a dashing 76 from Elton Chigumbura, in their 20 overs before holding Australia to 172 for seven.

Opener David Warner top-scored for Australia with 72 and Twenty20 captain Michael Clarke made 49 but, even though left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson had earlier taken four wickets for 23 runs, Zimbabwe denied Australia victory.

New Delhi, April 28: The success of the IPL was not because of Lalit Modi alone, according to a top BCCI official, who reckons the Twenty20 league will continue to flourish without the suspended Commissioner as cricket sells itself in India.

The BCCI’s Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said that the Board has enough competent people to take the event forward.

“The IPL will continue to flourish. The success is not only because of Modi. BCCI will put up a good team to make IPL even more successful,” Shetty told PTI in an e-mail interview today.

Castries, April 28: Following the disastrous tour of Australia last summer, skipper Shahid Afridi believes he has united the Pakistani team and intends to lead a reversal of fortunes in Sunday’s clash against the Michael Clarke’s men.

New Delhi, April 28: The biggest compliment Lalit Modi got is from the man he reduced from a king to a commoner in the Indian cricket board, Jagmohan Dalmiya.

Dalmiya may have hated Modi for the methods he has adopted to get rid of him, but after the first year of the Indian Premier League he called him to shower unabashed praise. “Honestly, I doubt if I could have conceptualised anything like this.” It has come from a man who himself is considered the marketing wizard before Modi’s arrival on the scene.

Bangalore, April 28: The new chairman of the Indian Premier League, Chirayu Amin, said his top priority was to reassure all stakeholders that the tournament would emerge stronger from the current crisis.

Amin was also confident of having a bigger and better IPL-4, though he did speak about some changes, including the fact that the IPL Night Parties would no longer be held.

“My first priority is to stabilise the ship, gain the confidence of the people who love cricket and people who are involved with it,” Amin told NDTV.

Bangalore, April 28: Brett Lee continues to be haunted by injuries, with his latest attempt at making a comeback to the national side aborted by a muscle strain in his right forearm, ruling him out of the World Twenty20 Cup in the Caribbean.

Lee suffered the injury during Australia’s shock one-run loss in their warm-up match against Zimbabwe. He is likely to be replaced by either Doug Bollinger or Ryan Harris, both of whom were in terrific form in the recently concluded Indian Premier League.

London, April 28: The British media acknowledged that suspended IPL chairman Lalit Modi realised Twenty20’s potential in a huge and growing Indian market but said his downfall will not be mourned in the United Kingdom.

“There is no doubt Mr. Modi’s vision and drive have changed the game profoundly. Australia are committed to a 20-over event featuring eight city franchises in 2011-12. The ECB tried and failed to establish an English Premier League for 2010,” ‘The Times’ newspaper said in a commentary.

New Delhi, April 28: The success of the IPL was not because of Lalit Modi alone, according to a top BCCI official, who reckons the Twenty20 league will continue to flourish without the suspended Commissioner as cricket sells itself in India.

The BCCI’s Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty said that the Board has enough competent people to take the event forward.

“The IPL will continue to flourish. The success is not only because of Modi. BCCI will put up a good team to make IPL even more successful,” Mr. Shetty told in an e—mail interview on Wednesday.

New Delhi, April 28: With doubts raised about who its owners were, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals said its promoters put in place a corporate structure only after they won the Jaipur team in 2008.

The admission comes within days of the suspension of IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, who was charged with hiding his relationship with the owners of the Rajasthan Royals including his brother-in-law Suresh Chellaram, among other things.

Mumbai, April 28: Confident after taking Chennai Super Kings to crowning glory in recently concluded IPL -3, India captain MS Dhoni expressed deep faith in team’s chances of winning the twenty-twenty World Cup in Caribbean Islands.

“We are confident of putting our best show in West Indies as there are no serious injuries to our key players. We have got very talented players in our side and if we play according to our plan, I have no doubt that we will do good,” India skipper MS Dhoni said in a jam packed press conference in Mumbai.

Mumbai, April 27: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Tuesday that allegations of match-fixing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) are serious and should be handled carefully.

“Match-fixing is the worst allegation against a cricketer… anyone involved should be punished. Cricket should be clean,” said Dhoni, who led the Chennai Super Kings to their maiden triumph in the third IPL tournament here on Sunday.

Chandigarh, April 27: Golf clubs in Haryana have been exempted from payment of entertainment duty, the state cabinet decided here Tuesday.

An official spokesman said that the decision was taken to promote golf in the state.

The state cabinet also decided to reduce the rate of entertainment duty on fun parks and cultural activities from existing 25 percent to 10 percent.

Chandigarh, April 27: Haryana state cabinet today gave its approval to the appointment of international wrestler Ramesh Kumar Gulia for the post of DSP under sports quota in state police.

As per provision to sub-rule (1) of Rule 6 Haryana Police Service Rules, 2008, six per cent of total posts of DSP are reserved for outstanding sports persons of Haryana who win a gold, silver or bronze medals in Olympic Games or those sports persons who bring extra ordinary laurels to the state.