Inzamam enjoys working with Prabhakar

Their nations are still not engaging in bilateral cricketing ties but former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq is “enjoying the experience of working with former India seamer Manoj Prabhakar” as a part of the coaching staff in the Afghanistan cricket team. While Inzamam joined the Afghanistan team as head coach three months back Prabhakar has also signed on as bowling coach of the Afghanistan outfit.

Since Inzamam took charge Afghanistan has beaten Zimbabwe in a limited over series in Zimbabwe and leads a five-match series 2-0 in Sharjah.

“It is a different experience for us (him and Prabhakar) given the cricket rivalry associated with Pakistan and India. No one would expect a Pakistani and Indian to be working on the coaching staff of an international team,” Inzamam said from Sharjah.

“But I am enjoying this experience because despite all the issues surrounding relations and cricket matters Pakistan and Indian players have lot in common,” Inzamam said.

He said Prabhakar had made a difference to the team and was strong in his core coaching area. He said Prabhakar’s inclusion was also helpful since the Afghanistan team now held its home training camps in Noida near New Delhi instead of Sharjah.

Mumbai banking on IPL experience

• AMOL KARHADKAR

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  Dhawal Kulkarni
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  Shreyas Iyer

With most players busy with their local clubs, preparations have been far from ideal

Indian Premier League (IPL) is technically a domestic tournament organised by the Board of Control for Cricket in India. But it’s not the only domestic T20 tournament. Ahead of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the inter-State T20 tournament, Mumbai is banking on its players’ IPL experience to help them sail through the league stage.

Thirteen Mumbai cricketers among the 15-member squad have been part of an IPL team’s dressing room at some point over the eight editions of the glitzy T20 league. Coach Chandrakant Pandit is banking on their experience over the next week.

“We are obviously banking on their IPL experience,” Pandit told The Hindu after the team arrived in Cuttack, the venue for its group matches. “Most of them have played in the IPL, while some have been part of the squads. Their experience of having learnt the tricks of the trade from some of the greats of the game will definitely help us not just on the field but even when it comes to strategising.”

New format

Just like the Vijay Hazare Trophy, the structure of the Mushtaq Ali Trophy has been changed this year. Instead of a zonal league stage, the 27 teams have been divided into four groups, with the top two in each group proceeding to the eight-team Super League. Mumbai is placed in a tough Group D along with Karnataka, Services, Odisha, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

Some promising Mumbai players like Shreyas Iyer, Dhawal Kulkarni and Shardul Thakur will be hoping to knock on the national selectors’ door for the World T20, to be played in India in March-April. Moreover, the tournament will also be an opportunity for all players to make a strong case during next month’s IPL auction.

However, Pandit wasn’t really focussed on it. In fact, the former India wicketkeeper-batsman was hoping that Mumbai’s lack of preparation would not hamper it a great deal during the league stage.

Despite bowing out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy in the league stage, the Mumbai T20 squad hasn’t been able to train together over the last two weeks. According to Pandit, the only time the whole squad trained together was during a couple of simulation matches it played at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s facility at Bandra-Kurla Complex.

“We haven’t had the ideal preparation. Most players were busy playing for their clubs in local tournaments. Since a prestigious tournament like the Police Shield was on, it would have been unfair to ask them to skip club games and train for the T20 league,” Pandit said.

As a result, the team hasn’t really gelled together despite the core remaining the same as the Ranji Trophy.

“It becomes difficult for players to keep adapting to various formats with very little time for preparation in between,” Pandit said. “From a coaching staff’s perspective, it is challenging to re-jig combinations with specialists coming in and get the best out of them. We hope things fall in place for us over the next week.”

T20 specialists

Mumbai selectors, headed by Milind Rege, have decided to include T20 specialists. As a result, medium-pacer Rohan Raje and big-hitter Siddharth Chitnis, who has been barred from bowling his part-time off-spin due to a dubious action, have been included in the squad.

Pravin Tambe, the leggie who has been a revelation for Rajasthan Royals, has also been selected.

He will hope to deliver the goods along with left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdullah. The only players who have never been part of the IPL so far are openers Akhil Herwadkar and Jay Bista.

THE SQUAD

Aditya Tare (capt), Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Iqbal Abdullah, Shardul Thakur, Siddhesh Lad, Abhishek Nayar, Abhishek Raut, Jay Bista, Akhil Herwadkar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Pravin Tambe, Sagar Trivedi, Rohan Raje, Siddharth Chitnis.

Vijender Singh’s next bout on Feb 13

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  Vijender Singh. Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma                                                                                                     When most people are looking for a place to party on new year’s eve, star Indian boxer Vijender Singh is running around trying to gain access to a decent gym as he gears up for his next professional contest scheduled on February 13 in Liverpool.
  On a short break in India, Vijender, who has won all his three pro bouts so far via knockouts, would be flying back to the United Kingdom on January 4.
  “The next fight is on February 13, the opponent is not known yet but I continue to train regularly. Right now I am looking for a gym to do the routine for today. It’s New Year’s eve so gyms seem to be closed because I guess people want to party. But I will request somebody to let me in for some time,” Vijender told PTI after being turned away by a five-star facility near his home in Gurgaon.
  “I can’t afford to take it easy. I have to be on my toes because my body cannot do without workout. So let people party, I would be in gym working out,” he said.
  The 30-year-old’s nascent pro career has been nothing short of sensational with all his wins coming in under three rounds.
  His first two bouts were meant to be four-round affairs, while the third one was to be a six-round contest. His next bout could be an eight-round fight but India’s first Olympic and World Championships medallist prefers to keep things short and sensational.
  “Isn’t it thrilling? It’s like blink and you miss it, it’s fun to fight like that. It saves me effort, the longer the bout, more the effort. Who would want to drag things? I give so much in my training that it’s good that the actual contest doesn’t last long,” he said.
  The former world No.1 in the amateur circuit has so far faced rivals who have been more aggressive with words than their punches.
  While one (Sonny Whiting) threatened to batter him, another (Samet Hyuseinov) promised to send him back to India broken and beaten. Eventually all of them needed to be rescued by the referee when faced with Vijender’s onslaught in the ring.
  Asked if it is, at times, disappointing to face opponents who talk big but deliver little, Vijender said, “It’s actually great for me that these guys speak so much before the bout and then I thrash them inside the ring. I am always looking to finish things off early, so I am glad I face opponents who talk a lot but eventually come a cropper in the actual fight.”
  Apart from the big wins, another confidence-booster for Vijender has been the feedback that he has got from fellow boxers in the UK.
  “The feedback there has been very honest. I get criticised by fellow boxers when they feel that I have gone wrong somewhere. And it has helped me adapt well,” he said.
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  Vijender Singh

AIFF issues show cause notice to FC Goa

The Hindu

John Stiven Mendoza (right) of Chenniyan FC engaged in a tussle for the ball during the Indian Super League (ISL) football championship final against FC Goa at Nehru Stadium in Fatorda on December 20, 2015. Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has issued a show cause notice to FC Goa, asking them to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against them for the fracas, after their defeat to Chennaiyin FC in the final of ISL on December 20.

In a letter to FC Goa yesterday, the AIFF charged the Goa franchise as well as individuals seperately and have asked them to file a reply before January 8.

FC Goa have been charged under article 53 of AIFF disciplinary code (team misconduct), under 58 (offensive behaviour), article 60 (threats), according to federation sources.

Soon after the final whistle was blown, many FC Goa substitute players and officials led by Rajesh Malgi, equipment manger of FC Goa, rushed to the referee, surrounded him and tried to intimidate.

Referees (all from Japan) were abused in filthy language and were threatened with physical assault, AIFF sources said.

The letter also says FC Goa’s decision to boycott the prize distribution ceremony had brought disrepute to the game and was liable for action under article 22.2 of the ISL regulations.

Article 22.2 deals with any action that brings disrepute to ISL, IMGR/FSDL, AIFF and have seperately asked FC Goa President Dattaraj Salgaocar for an explanation.

“Dataraj Salgaocar of FC Goa engaged in public criticism of ISL/AIFF and match officials and alleged match fixing in the media,” stated the AIFF notice.

Aamir returns to Pak squad for New Zealand tour

Karachi, Jan 1, 2016, PTI:

Tainted pacer Muhammad Aamir today returned to the Pakistan cricket squad for the limited-overs away series against New Zealand, completing a cycle of redemption following his spectacular fall from grace in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal.

Aamir, who served a five-year ban and jail time for indulging in spot-fixing during the 2010 tour of England, was expected to make the squad after being brought back into the national camp despite some resentment by fellow players.

"We have picked Aamir in the touring squads for the internationals in New Zealand because he has done lot of hard work and shown intent to do well for Pakistan since returning to domestic cricket last year," chief selector Haroon Rasheed told PTI.

But Aamir's comeback to international cricket remains dependent on him getting a visa and clearance to tour New Zealand, Haroon said.

"If there are problems with travel documents and Aamir can't tour than Muhammad Irfan will replace him in the T20 squad. Irfan is not originally selected in the T20 squad because we want to give him a short break from the game," Haroon said.

Aamir, 23, last appeared for the national team in a Test against England at Lord's in August 2010 before the scandal came to the fore.

Aamir and two other players -- captain Salman Butt and Muhammad Asif -- were suspended by the International Cricket Council after the Test for taking money to bowl predetermined no-balls in a spot fixing scam.

The trio was than banned in February 2011 for five years for spot-fixing by the anti-corruption tribunal of the ICC and also served varying jail terms for corruption and cheating in the United Kingdom.

Their bans expired in September last year and the ICC, under a special clause of its anti-corruption code, allowed relaxation to Aamir to resume playing domestic cricket in early 2015.

The left-arm pacer was just 18 and had appeared in 14 Tests, 15 ODIs and 18 T20 internationals when he played in the Lord's Test. It remains to be seen whether he would be able to reproduce the same form and talent he showcased five years back.

Haroon also announced the comeback of experienced pace bowler Umar Gul to the T20 squad.

Gul, 31, was recalled after a string of impressive performances in domestic first class cricket this season, triumphing over fitness issues that had derailed his Pakistan career in the last two years.

Gul last played a T20 against Bangladesh in last April but before that had struggled with a knee problem and lost the confidence of the national selectors. "We felt he is ready to come back to international cricket that is why we have just included him in the T20 squad," Haroon said.

The seasoned pacer has taken 163 Tests, 173 ODI and 83 T20 wickets. The chief selector also made it clear that while selecting the T20 squad importance was given to players who were utility players.
Pakistan T20 squad: Shahid Afridi (Captain), Muhammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Saad Nasim, Shoaib Malik, Ifthikar Ahmed, Muhammad Rizwan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Anwar Ali, Aamir Yameen, Imad Wasim, Wahab Riaz, Muhammad Aamir, Umar Gul. Reserve Muhammad Irfan.
Pakistan ODI squad: Azhar Ali (Capt), Muhammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Sohaib Maqsood, Shoaib Malik, Asad Shafiq, Babar Azam, Zafar Gohar, Imad Wasim, Anwar Ali, Sarfraz Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Rahat Ali, Muhammad Irfan, Muhammad Rizwan, Muhammad Aamir.

PBL kicks off tomorrow, to experiment with Trump match

Mumbai, Jan 1, 2016, PTI:

The revamped Premier Badminton League (PBL), commencing here tomorrow with hosts Mumbai Rockets taking on the Saina Nehwal-spearheaded Awadhe Warriors, is to experiment with a new concept - Trump match - that's expected to keep the interest till the end of a tie.

The League, revived after a gap of two years following a successful inaugural Indian Badminton League in 2013, has brought in the fresh idea in which each of the competing teams will nominate one match in each tie as their Trump Card.

A victory by the team that picked the particular game as its Trump will provide it with one extra point but a defeat will set it back by one point, and the intrigue generated by this new concept would keep the ties alive till the end, according to national coach Pullela Gopichand.

"It's a great addition to the league to ensure that the excitement remains till the end of the tie. Two teams can nominate the same match as Trump match. This ensures that the last two matches are also important in a tie," said Gopichand here in the run-up to the League opener.

"Even a 3-0 lead is not sufficient to win as you still can lose the tie. Spectators' interest will be kept alive. It needs to be seen how the players react to the extra pressure. Some play better under pressure and some others crack," he said.

World no. 2 Saina, who commanded USD 100,000 at the auction, would be leading Awadhe Warriors' challenge against Mumbai Rockets who appear strong in men's singles with two top men shuttlers of the country - H S Prannoy and R M V Gurusaidutt - leading their charge.

The host outfit has a strong men's doubles players in Denmark's Mathias Boe and Russia's Vladimir Ivanov.

World no. 20, Prannoy, has already sounded upbeat about his team's chances."Over the last two years I have been playing really well, along with Gurusaidutt. We both are in good form. We are a pretty balanced outfit. We have really good doubles players too," said the 23-year-old, who hails from Kerala, here ahead of the tournament opener.

The Warriors would look up in the main to Sai Praneeth, Sourabh Verma and Tanomgsak Saensomboonsuk of Thailand in men's singles, apart from the undoubted skills and fighting spirit of London Olympics bronze medallist and World Championship silver medallist Saina.

The opening tie will be followed on January 3 by clashes between Hyderabad Hunters and Bengaluru Top Guns, to be followed by the evening encounter between the Rockets and Chennai Smashers.

Top Guns have roped in a pretty strong men's singles players in Kidambi Srikanth, India's highest ranked player in the world (no. 9), Anand Pawar and Sameer Verma - who recently won the men's singles crown at the Tata Open Indian Challenge.

The Malaysian men's doubles combination of Kim Wah Lim and Thien How Hoon, ranked 32nd, adds meat to the squad's overall strength along with India's women's doubles specialist Ashwini Ponnappa.

Hyderabad, on the other hand, have the formidable Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia, currently the world no. 5, to lead the challenge from the front. He's got the added experience of having played in season 1 of the League.

Hunters would also depend on 2012 Olympic Games quarter finalist Parupalli Kashyap, the world no. 15 who is on the comeback trail after an injury lay-off, in singles.

They also have the vast experience of Carsten Mogensen (men's/mixed doubles) of Denmark and veteran Indian shuttler Jwala Gutta (women's/mixed doubles). The team looks very well equipped.

Chennai Smashers don't have any top men's singles players in their ranks and would be depending a lot on the performance of their top woman singles player P V Sindhu, ranked 12th in the world.

They have the seasoned Indian men's doubles player Prannav Jerry Chopra to bank on along with England's top mixed doubles player Chris Adcock whose regular partner Gabrielle Adcock, however, will be representing Delhi Acers whose shuttlers will not be playing here.

The second leg of the tournament, after its two-day stint in Mumbai, is to be held in Lucknow on January 4, 5 and 6.
The tournament would be telecast 'live' by Star Sports which has signed up as the title sponsor for the PBL, the channel announced today.

"Star Sports plans to introduce several innovative broadcast initiatives to the League in its efforts to forge a deeper engagement with fans and place them right in the thick of this fast-paced sport. The broadcaster will project telemetry like players’ heart rates live on screen," the channel said in a media statement.

"Tweaks to the rules, like unpredictable player draws, ‘Trump Matches’ – which are worth bonus points – and the newly-introduced ‘sudden death’ rule will add a further dose of excitement to the tournament.

"It will also hand out four awards after each day of play for the best rally, the fastest smash, the player of the day and the fan of the day as selected through contests run by franchises across locations," it added.

Challengers ease out Karthik

Bengaluru, Dec 31, 2015, DHNS:

Royal Challengers Bangalore have released Dinesh Karthik, their costliest buy of 2015 (not considering the retained ones), during a trading window that closed on Thursday.

The Bengaluru franchise had bought Karthik for a staggering amount of Rs 10.5 crore but the wicketkeeper-batsman didn’t live up to expectations with the bat during a campaign that ended after the team’s defeat in the play-off against Chennai Super Kings in Ranchi.

Besides Karthik, Royal Challengers also let go West Indies all-rounder Darren Sammy, South African opener Rilee Rossouw and Aussie paceman Sean Abbott.

Among the Indians, pacer Ashok Dinda and veteran batsman S Badrinath too were off-loaded.

Expectedly, the team’s core unit, which is batting-heavy, was kept intact with Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers besides skipper Virat Kohli being retained.South African all-rounder David Weise and Aussie paceman Mitchell Starc too have been retained.

The only new addition to the side is that of Maharashtra batsman Kedar Jadhav.Royal Challengers owner Vijay Mallya was happy to have the right-hander in his team.

“RCB are very pleased to have acquired Kedar Jadhav who, we believe, has the potential to change the course of a T20 game with his finishing talent with the bat. Kedar will add tremendous value to our middle-order and will complement our existing line-up,” said Mallya.

Among the local players, left-arm seamer S Arvind retained his place while left-handed batsman Shishir Bhavane was released.  In all, RCB spent Rs 44.37 crore to retain 14 players and they are now left with Rs 21.62 crore to buy the rest of the squad at the February 6 auction in Bengaluru.

Other Karnataka players to be retained were Mayank Agarwal (Delhi Daredevils), Manish Pandey and Robin Uthappa (both Kolkata Knight Riders), J Suchith, Shreyas Gopal and R Vinay Kumar (all Mumbai Indians) and KL Rahul (Sunrisers Hyderabad).

CM Gautam (Daredevils), KC Kariappa (Knight Riders) and Abhimanyu Mithun (Mumbai Indians) were released from their respective teams.