Jesse Ryder, Doug Bracewell fined for late-night drinking binge

New Zealand's temperamental batsman Jesse Ryder and medium-pacer Doug Bracewell have been fined an undisclosed amount by the country's cricket board for a late-night drinking binge ahead of the opening Test against India at Auckland. (Ryder fights teammate Bracewell in Auckland)

The two cricketers, who had reportedly got into a physical altercation with each other at an Auckland bar during the night out, were dropped from the second match by coach Mike Hesson recently. (Ryder dropped from New Zealand Test squad)

Bracewell, who is nursing a broken bone in his foot, has flown back to Napier.

New Zealand Cricket operations boss Lindsay Crocker said the players had accepted the charge of misconduct and were fined an undisclosed amount.

"By far the biggest consequence for the pair will be the damage caused to their relationship with the Black Caps selectors," A New Zealand Cricket statement said.

Crocker said: "The New Zealand selectors place great emphasis on qualities such as personal responsibility, trustworthiness and dependability and will continue to do so with our encouragement.

"All players in contention for the Black Caps need to satisfy the selectors of their commitment to prepare conscientiously for international fixtures," he added.

According to reports, Ryder is unlikely to be considered for the World Twenty20 squad, the announcement of which has been pushed to Sunday after the latest drama.

A CCTV footage released shows an intoxicated Ryder being cajoled into a taxi outside an Auckland bar by team-mate Jimmy Neesham at 3 am on the morning after the tied one-dayer on January 25. (Ryder suspended for late-night drinking session)

The 29-year-old Ryder, who has a history of alcohol-related misdemeanours, had returned to the New Zealand side on Boxing Day after a self-imposed exile of 22 months to sort out his personal issues.

Ryder and Bracewell did not play the first Test but were on standby if there were any injuries to any of the players.

Source: Cricket News in Hindi

From NDTV News

India vs New Zealand: Who says Test cricket is dull?

I am devastated – I am in deep, deep pain – I am filled with a joy of such delicate wonder – I am stunned – I am in awe of the beauty of sport – I am angry – I am completely out of breath – I am moved to silence – I am in a mood to scream and weep – I look back and forward, and find both complete hope and total disappointment. 

In six weeks, we have witnessed two of the great Test matches in the history of cricket – one we should have won, and drew; another, we lost, and deserved to, but also played with such spirit over the last one and a half days that if there were a God, we would have won.


And both Tests should have been followed by at least two more. Instead, they are followed by only one more and hence the pain and the anger and the screaming and the weeping and the total disappointment. I watched the last day of the first South Africa Test at our home in Mussoorie – and the last day – the wonderful, wonderful last day – of the first New Zealand Test at the Ahiliya Fort in Maheshwar – two beautiful places that were perfect situations to watch perfect cricket. 

Test cricket – who says it is boring and dull and a waste of time – these two Tests were not battles, they were dances of such grace and skill, of such timeless and yet time bound passion, of such immense and yet minute skill and precision. This morning I really thought we would win, but the dismissals of Rahane and then Dhoni did us in. The Kiwis won, as they deserved to, and cricket won, as it deserved to. Can you imagine, can you imagine, if the South African series and the Kiwi series had been at least three Tests? Or even five? 

Can you imagine the sheer hope of it? But no, these two Tests of such glory and such spirit and such beauty are destined to become but small footnotes in the bank balance of today’s cricket. I would like to hear just a word - not a statement, that would be too much to expect – from BCCI president N Srinivasan about these two Tests. Just a word. 

After all, he is the leader of the group that runs Indian cricket, that organizes Indian cricket. but we will hear nothing from him, nothing as he plans the next series of IPL and how to rule world cricket. I want to see him in tears – of joy, of wonder, of love for cricket. I want to see him talk about the partnership between Kohli and Dhawan, and Jadeja’s daring, and Dhoni’s despair. I want to hear him say that Dhoni was out to a no-ball, and yet it was a wonderful Test. 

I want to hear him say something from his heart about the sport he controls. But I won’t. and because of him, and his cronies, we have only one more Test to look forward to in Kiwi land – may it be as eternal as the first. Virat Kohli, I salute you. Today you played as Gavaskar and Vishwanath and Dravid and Sachin used to play and Merchant and Manjrekar before them. 

You played with a deep, calm and electric skill. You took the fight to the enemy camp, and when you were dismissed – to the worst ball you faced – I knew that the gods were wearing black. All black.

Source: Cricket News in Hindi

From FP News

PCB chief says N Srinivasan has agreed to Indo-Pak bilateral series

The chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) - Zaka Ashraf - has said that his Indian counterpart N Srinivasan had agreed to India playing a bilateral series with Pakistan at a neutral venue.

"Mr Srinivasan has reassured me they are serious about playing a bilateral series with us even at neutral venues of our choice, but eventually we will need some written assurances and firm guarantees that this series will happen," Ashraf told the media in Lahore on Monday.

Ashraf termed the offer by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as a positive gesture.

"We want to be sure that this proposed series against India will actually take place, because you have to keep in mind that India had avoided playing regular bilateral series with us in recent years," he said.

Ashraf pointed out that, in contrast, Pakistan had gone out of its way to play against India and had toured India in 2007 and 2013 but in this period India only came to Pakistan for the Asia Cup in 2008.

The offer from the BCCI for a bilateral series at a neutral venue has come after Indian cricket board along with its Australian and England counterparts moved a draft proposal paper at the ICC, which proposes to restructure the governance model of the world body and also revise the distribution of finances and revenues among member nations.

Ashraf said that as far as relations with India were concerned, PCB would seek guarantees and written assurances from the BCCI for any future series.

He admitted that the BCCI had told Pakistan before the ICC meeting late last month that they needed to sign the draft proposal by the three boards but since then India's stance had changed for the positive.

Ashraf also said that the PCB was in talks with the South Africa and Sri Lankan cricket boards to have regular series with them.

"With South Africa we are looking to have a regular series named the Jinnah-Mandela trophy," he said.

Asked about the Umar Akmal road rage incident and his subsequent arrest by the police, and his time in lock up, Ashraf said the board would be inquiring into the matter to find out what actually happened and why the incident took place.

Source: Cricket News in Hindi

From NDTV News

Mourinho abandons the bus to put relentless Chelsea into title driving seat

Chelsea's trip to the Etihad Stadium was billed as one of Jose Mourinho's greatest tests. Manchester City, so deadly on home turf, boasted a 100 percent Premier League record in its backyard, netting six times against both Tottenham and Arsenal, and, before the encounter, laid claim to the highest post-war goals per game ratio.

Not only was City the favorite but, according to Mourinho, it was odds-on to hit yet another London club for six. Much of the pre-match build-up centered on the Chelsea manager's criticism of West Ham's ultra-defensive display in midweek; would the former Real Madrid coach flirt with hypocrisy and travel to the Etihad simply looking to resist?

The answer was a resounding no. Mourinho, enthusing that his side would “try to win knowing perfectly we can lose”, employed a bold, exhilarating and even risky strategy. His side absorbed pressure, and admittedly in the latter stages dropped deeper and deeper, but it also attacked in numbers and with a gleeful expression and exuberance.

This was not the typical 1-0 win that was so allied with Mourinho in his first coming. Previously the side would have sat back after taking the lead, but this Chelsea side wanted more. The London side wanted to rip City apart as the Sky Blues have done to so many teams this season. If there was one criticism, it is that Chelsea did not make the most of the chances it created and would have been out of sight but for its profligacy.

MAN CITY 0-1 CHELSEA
STAR MEN

EDEN HAZARD

Terrifying is the only word for it. Toyed with the City back four with his panache and confidence. Set up the goal with his ability to dribble and draw in defenders.    


NEMANJA MATIC

Solid display in the heart of midfield from the Serb who not only broke play up but also threatened with his through passes and shooting ability.
CLICK HERE FOR THE MATCH REPORT
Mourinho's masterplan was built on a solid defense, with Petr Cech not tested until the 73rd minute, clawing David Silva's free kick away from goal. City only managed three shots on target (half as many as Chelsea), and save for some dangerous crosses into the six-yard box, was limited to shots from range.

The shutout marks a remarkable turnaround from a side that was a late and controversial Eden Hazard penalty away from losing at home to West Brom and looked abject at the back earlier this term. But, since losing to Stoke City at the start of December, Chelsea is undefeated and has conceded just three times, recording six clean sheets in its last eight games. In recent weeks, the back-line has begun to resemble the defense that dominated domestically during Mourinho's first reign.

Nemanja Matic, making his first Premier League start, was simply brilliant in front of the back four. He matched the muscle and horsepower of Yaya Toure, shrugging off the Ivorian at times, and snuffed out danger, but he also stepped up, drove forward, rattled the bar and posted the highest pass success of any Chelsea player. The Serb typified a team performance that married defensive responsibility and attacking drive.

When Chelsea did win possession, it sprung forward with almost delirious ferocity and pace. Chelsea may have lured City on, but it never parked the fabled bus. Mourinho's men attacked with gusto, engineering a four-versus-one situation that should have produced a goal, while Samuel Eto'o smashed the bar, before right back – yes, right back – Branislav Ivanovic bombed forward and thundered a shot into the bottom corner.

This was not football from the 19th century – and if it was, it has been meticulously re-polished and re-made for the 21st century – and at no point did Chelsea have its back to the wall. Mourinho had been criticized for his damage limitation emphasis in goalless draws at Old Trafford and the Emirates, but this was a display of front-foot football. It oozed positivity and pulsed with attacking adventure.

Any doubts surrounding Mourinho's decision to axe Juan Mata and sell the Spaniard to the reigning champions, meanwhile, has surely been eviscerated. The attacking trio behind lone frontman Eto'o was everything Mourinho had asked Mata to become. They defended from the front, they pressed relentlessly, they forced errors and they darted towards goal with fearsome speed upon recovering possession.

City's back line and midfield, Martin Demichelis in particular, were constantly on the turn, constantly under pressure. Eden Hazard, much like the transformation that Arjen Robben has undergone at Bayern Munich, combined his tricky, gliding genius with renewed work rate, Willian brought tenacity and drive in the hole, while Ramires played as though he had a third lung. Mata's patient probing has been replaced with a flurry of jabs.

There is an idea that Mourinho can suck the soul out of brightest attacking talents, his defensive pragmatism overriding their unpredictable sparkle (which, of course, is why Mata the non-conformist was exiled), but Hazard has only improved under his tutelage. His every touch of the ball fizzed as he danced towards goal and Chelsea's new style feels as though it can take the Belgian to another level.

One minor concern will be whether this is a style that can overcome teams who sit back and don't allow space on the break, with wins over fellow title challengers rendered insignificant if Chelsea's continues to suffer as it did against West Ham. There's also a sense that this side has been engineered predominantly with the Champions League in mind.

Mourinho has been at pains to stress that this Chelsea team, remoulded and reimagined, is still in its infancy, still forging an identity, but even at this early stage it looks a fearsome prospect. There is also more fun and attacking freedom now, even if the Blues aren't playing tiki-taka, and the rest of the Premier League should be extremely worried by just how easy Chelsea made victory over City look.

Source: Cricket News in Hindi

From Goal News

Australia claw back to snatch victory from jaws of defeat

Australia made 217-9 in their 50 overs after choosing to bat on a sluggish pitch at the Adelaide Oval and England lost their last wicket at 212 with three balls remaining in a match marking the Australia Day national holiday.

England were bowled out on the fourth ball of the last over as the hosts fought back from what had looked like a losing position for most of the match.

Skipper Michael Clarke praised Australia’s spirited fightback.

“A magnificent performance by the boys, with the ball especially,” he said.

“I thought our batting was disappointing today,” Clarke admitted. “For us to win the game, we had to bowl England out.”

And they did just that in dramatic fashion with England needing just six runs to win.

The visitors contrived to turn another winning position into defeat.

“We should have got over the line there. We got ourselves into a good position,” said captain Alistair Cook.

“Credit to Australia: in the end they held their nerve better than we did. Poor shots were played under pressure.”Cook flies home on Monday after a miserable tour which included a 5-0 Test whitewash.

“Australia have had a great summer against us and they have managed to win the critical times,” he said.

“It has been a tough couple of months for us but, you know, we’ve got a lot of things we can work on. In 12 months’ time we should be in better shape for the World Cup, in Australia and New Zealand next February and March.”

Both sides found batting difficult on a day when the bowlers were well on top on a slow drop-in pitch.

George Bailey top-scored for Australia with 56 off 74 balls, while Joe Root hit 55 for England but took 86 balls to do it.  Read more..

Source: Cricket News in Hindi

From Dawn News

India bowlers need to curb mistakes under pressure

India have already lost the No 1 ODI ranking following two defeats in Napier and Hamilton. One more defeat in Auckland will see them lose the series as well. The games at Napier and Hamilton must have felt almost like playing at home, seeing the bowlers go for so many. However, the batsmen, despite coming close, have been unable to mop up for the bowlers and that has been the crucial difference compared to playing in India. 

New Zealand's one-day pitches may have flattened out over the past decade but they are still nowhere close to the roads that Indian bowlers are used to back home. There is little the team can do if the bowlers are slammed for 320 in Rajkot, apart from hoping that the batsmen do not have a rare off day. But New Zealand have shown that there was something in Napier and Hamilton for bowlers who were prepared to and knew how to squeeze out that help from the pitches. Napier had bounce and pace, Hamilton was a touch two-paced. 

India, though, went through periods where they conceded too much ground in a short burst. It was not as if they were poor throughout, but their attack has this tendency to suddenly lose it in unison, especially if a batsman starts going berserk. The new fielding restrictions have only exacerbated that tendency. Corey Anderson has gone after them in both games, and although India, by their standards, have done admirably to come back at the death, the damage he inflicted proved too costly.  Read more..

Source: Cricket News in Hindi

From ESPN News

WV Raman is KKR's batting coach

The Kolkata have taken the services of WV Raman as batting coach for the upcoming IPL season.

Commenting on the announcement, KKR CEO Venky Mysore said, "We are delighted to have Raman join our coaching staff. He becomes part of a strong core group of Trevor Bayliss, Wasim Akram and Vijay Dahiya."

Raman, who is the coach of the Tamil Nadu Ranji team, previously had a stint with Bengal as their coach. He has also worked with another IPL franchise, Punjab as a coach.

"His experience with the Bengal team and at the Eden Gardens will be really useful going into the new season," said Venky Mysore.  Read more..

Source: Cricket News in Hindi

From CB News

Sania-Tecau sail into mixed doubles semis of Australian Open

India's Sania Mirza and her Romanian partner Horia Tecau stormed into the semi-finals of the mixed doubles event at the Australian Open with straight sets victory over Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Julia Georges, here on Thursday. 

Sixth seed Sania and Tecau hardly broke a sweat to prevail over the unseeded Aisam-Julia combination 6-3, 6-4 in their quarter-final clash that lasted just 63 minutes. The Indo-Romanian duo will play Australian pair of Jarmila Gajdosova and Matthew Ebden in the semi-finals. 

The unseeded Australian pair stunned second seeds Katarina Srebotnik of Sloivakia and India's Rohan Bopanna 7-5, 6-3 in another quarter-final yesterday. Sania and Tecau got three opportunities to break their opponents in the opening set, out of which they converted one, which was enough for the Indo-Romanian pair to pocket the set in 28 minutes.Read more..

Source: Sports News

From IBN News

Tennis-Li's feet on the ground after reaching third final

Li Na will hope to keep her head in check and feet on the ground during her third Australian Open final after her coach Carlos Rodriguez helped calm her for a thumping victory over teenager Eugenie Bouchard in the semi-finals on Thursday.

Runner-up last year and in 2011, the battle-hardened Chinese smashed the Canadian sensation 6-2 6-4 in a sun-drenched Rod Laver Arena and will battle Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova, the 20th seed, for the trophy.

Of all her three runs to the decider, the 2011 French Open champion has her best chance of casting off her 'one-slam wonder' status at the ripe age of 31.

First-time nerves cost her dearly when she was overhauled by Belgian Kim Clijsters in 2011, and last year it was two unlucky tumbles on the hardcourt against Victoria Azarenka that took their toll on Asia's first grand slam singles winner.

"I think it's the third time, so pretty close to the trophy," said Li, who rolled her ankle against Azarenka and blacked out for a moment when she thumped her head in the second fall last year.

"At least I'll try to not fall down this time, because last year in the final I think I played well but I only can say I was unlucky because of falling down twice," she told reporters.

The only slip-up Li had against the highly-fancied Bouchard was on serve in the second set when she was broken early to fall behind 2-0.  Read more..

Source: Sports News

From Reuters News

Frustrating Australian Open all over for Maria Sharapova

 X 

Frustrating Australian Open all over for Maria Sharapova

 

Picking up her racquet bag and marching straight out of Rod Laver Arena without a nod or a wave, Maria Sharapova's abrupt exit after her fourth-round loss to Dominika Cibulkova on Monday spoke volumes of her disdain for a forgettable Australian Open. 

After a long layoff and with doubts surrounding the state of her troublesome right shoulder, the 26-year-old entered the tournament with only four matches of preparation and with rust caked on so thick she could not shake it off. She had enough fight to survive three tests against unheralded opponents at Melbourne Park, but against 24th seed Cibulkova, a tenacious counter-puncher who has worried the Russian in the past, the wheels fell off. 

The shoulder was put to one side as a hip strain came to the fore, and the 2008 champion took a medical time-out between the second and third sets of the 3-6 6-4 6-1 loss. Blaming injuries has never been Sharapova's way, and the Russian has grit her teeth and toughed it out before on her way to winning four grand slam titles. "I don't think it's rocket science. 

Just when you play a lot of tennis, you're going to get these types of aches and pains and certain movements that you feel it on," she told reporters glumly. "I certainly would have loved to play a little bit more before playing a grand slam, but this is the chance that I was given. "I'm smart enough to be able to take it and acknowledge that I'm still pretty lucky to be in the draw and giving myself a chance to try to win it." While she played down the hip injury, Sharapova's serve may not be as easily fixed before her next tournament, likely to be the Paris indoors starting next Monday.Read more..

Source: Sports News

from DNA News

New Zealand will be formidable at home, says Gautam Gambhir

Indian opener Gautam Gambhir whose heroics when India last toured New Zealand in 2009/10, is still fresh in memory stated that New Zealand, despite their lowly rank in the ICC team list will be a formidable outfit at home.


Former India opener and chairman of DDCA selection committee, Chetan Chauhan expressed his “shock and disappointment” at the exclusion of senior opener Gautam Gambhir from the 30-member probables list for theICC World Twenty20 2014 in Bangladesh.


“I am surprised and shocked that Gautam is not there in the 30-member list. You want to tell me that the guy is so bad that he is not among the top-30 T20 players in the country. I would like to know the logic behind such a selection. Look at his performance for India in T20. If I am not wrong, he is still the highest run-getter for India in this format,” an angry Chauhan told PTI on Saturday. Read more..

Source: Cricket News in Hindi

From CC News

Harbhajan Singh returns, 34-year-old Rajat Bhatia included in ICC World T20 probables

Seasoned opener Gautam Gambhir was omitted from India’s 30-member probables for the upcoming ICC World Twenty20 scheduled to be held in Bangladesh while veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh was named in the list.

Delhi all-rounder Rajat Bhatia was a surprise inclusion while young Kerala wicket-keeper Sanju Samson, who has been a revellation in the shortest format, and former India U-19 captain Unmukt Chand were also included in the probables list for the event to be held from March 16 to April 6.

Unheralded Railways leg-spinner Karn Sharma, who made an impression in the IPL and Champions League for Sunrisers Hyderabad, has also been named in the list announced by the BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel.

Harbhajan has been rewarded for his IPL performance last season where he was among the top wicket-takers with 24 scalps at an impressive economy rate of 6.15. His batting form has also been good of late as he hit a match-winning 92 for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final last week. Read more....

Source: Cricket News in Hindi

From TIE News

Johnson to compete with Warner as Oz's `most valuable` T20 player in IPL auction

Australian pace sensation Mitchell Johnson will reportedly compete with his Australian teammate David Warner as the country's most valuable Twenty20 player at next month's Indian Premier League (IPL) player auction following his successful return to the elite ranks of international cricket.

Warner has long been regarded as Australia's best player in the shortest form of the game but Johnson's stocks have risen in the eyes of IPL buyers after his bruising performances in the Ashes.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Johnson is tipped to fetch a 1.12 million-dollar price tag after his Ashes performance and could even go as high as 1.2 million dollars, with an IPL team director putting Johnson's name on top of his list of the five most sought after Australians- Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell... Read More..

Source:  Sports News in Hindi


From ANI News