http://forums.bizhat.com/ Discuss about Sports. en Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:36:59 GMT vBulletin 60 http://forums.bizhat.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://forums.bizhat.com/ http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32407-sachin-completes-30-000-runs-international-cricket.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:40:38 GMT AHMEDABAD: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has reached another milestone in his career by completing a phenomenal 30,000 runs in international... AHMEDABAD: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar has reached another milestone in his career by completing a phenomenal 30,000 runs in international cricket during the ongoing Ahmedabad Test against Sri Lanka today.




Tendulkar, who completed 20 glorious years in cricket on Sunday (November 15), needed 35 runs to reach the landmark at the start of India's second innings in the Ahmedabad Test against Sri Lanka.

Next in line for the feat is Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who had recently crossed 24,000 runs.

Tendulkar has 17,178 runs in ODI cricket, 10 runs in the only T20 International he's played, and 12,812 Test runs at the time the landmark was reached.

He holds the record for most ODI and Test runs and centuries.

Tendulkar is clearly widening the gap between him and his contemporaries and it is certainly going to be difficult for anybody to catch up with the great batsman. ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32407-sachin-completes-30-000-runs-international-cricket.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32397-butt-rules-out-shoaibs-return-pakistan-team.html Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:32:49 GMT KARACHI: Pakistan's cricket chief Ijaz Butt has ruled out the return of controversial pacer Shoaib Akhtar to international cricket.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman said Shoaib is already 34 and with a history of fitness problems is unlikely to make a comeback.

Butt was responding to a query whether Shoaib's decision to undergo liposuction would boost his chances of a comeback for the Australia tour next month.

Butt said Pakistan has a number of young fast bowlers to choose from and that makes Shoaib's chances of a comeback "very remote".

Earlier this month, Shoaib decided to undergo a liposuction surgery to remove extra fat from his body. He, however, didn't seek PCB's permission before undergoing the surgery. The PCB was unhappy with it because as a contracted player, Shoaib was supposed to have informed the board about it.

However, Butt refused to comment whether the PCB will take any disciplinary action against the fast bowler.

According to doctors, Shoaib might need nearly five months post-liposuction to regain his fitness.

"After the liposuction surgery, Shoaib will require at least three to five months to make a complete recovery and play competitive cricket once again," said Waqar Ahmed, a famous sports medicine specialist. ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32397-butt-rules-out-shoaibs-return-pakistan-team.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32353-jaywardenes-break-72-year-old-world-record.html Thu, 19 Nov 2009 08:46:19 GMT AHMEDABAD:Sri Lankan batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Prasanna Jayawardene today broke a 72-year-old world record for the highest sixth-wicket... AHMEDABAD:Sri Lankan batsmen Mahela Jayawardene and Prasanna Jayawardene today broke a 72-year-old world record for the highest sixth-wicket partnership in Tests by putting on a 351-run stand against India on the fourth day of the first cricket Test here.

Mahela and Prasanna, who came together yesterday, went past the 346-run stand that was put together by Australian great Don Bradman and Jack Fingleton against England in Melbourne in 1937.

The Sri Lankans' stand was broken after Mahela (275), who completed his double ton yesterday, was dismissed by Amit Mishra while trying to loft the leg-spinner over cover only to have his stumps rattled.

Before going back to the pavillion, Mahela also completed his 9000 runs in Test cricket to become the ninth highest run-getter in the format. ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32353-jaywardenes-break-72-year-old-world-record.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32251-india-blasts-thackeray-taking-sachin.html Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:56:30 GMT New Delhi: India's political establishment Monday joined the cricket board to slam Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray after he criticised cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar's "Mumbai belongs to all" comment. From the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), otherwise a Shiv Sena ally, to the perenially critical Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM), the entire political class said that Thackeray's hard-hitting attack on Tendulkar was uncalled for.

In a signed, open letter to the cricketer published in the Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamna Monday, Thackeray said his "friendly advice" to Tendulkar was that he should "concentrate on international pitch" and stay away from politics for his "own well-being".

Thackeray, whose party suffered a rout in last month's assembly elections in Maharashtra, took umbrage at the cricket maestro's statement last week that he was "a proud Maharashtrian but an Indian first" and "Mumbai belongs to all".

That comment followed widespread criticism of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena for the assault on Samajwadi Party MP Abu Azmi for taking oath in the Maharashtra assembly in Hindi. A furious Thackeray said that players like Tendulkar "ultimately play only for themselves".

In no time, voices across India, a country which is celebrating 20 years of Tendulkar's glorious career that has made him a cricket legend, hit out at the 83-year-old Shiv Sena founder leader.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said Thackeray's remarks were needless. Said BCCI spokesperson Rajiv Shukla: "It is completely uncalled for. They (Shiv Sena) have no business to talk like this. Tell me what crime Sachin has done? What is wrong in saying that 'I am an Indian and Mumbai belongs to all'... No Marathi will support Shiv Sena if they talk like this."

A day after the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) denounced linguistic chauvinism, the BJP simply refused to side with the Shiv Sena. Party leader Arun Jaitley told reporters here: "If any Maharashtrian says he is proud of being a Maharashtrian as well as an Indian, then I find this statement absolutely correct."

The Congress did not spare the Shiv Sena. Its spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said: "He (Thackeray) should be the last person to preach to a gentleman cricketer like Sachin Tendulkar."

Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor said on Tweet: "On Sachin and Sena, my late dad Chandran Tharoor said in '66: 'With Maharashtra for Maharashtrians and Kashmir for Kashmiris, where is India for Indians'?"

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, a BJP ally, also made clear his displeasure. "Shiv Sena is on the wrong foot in criticising Sachin Tendulkar," said the Janata Dal-Secular leader.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad and the CPM politburo member Brinda Karat also did not spare Thackeray. Karat said: "Thackeray's comments are completely uncalled for."

The sporting community rallied behind Tendulkar.

Said Olympian Milkha Singh: "Whatever Sachin has said is completely right. India comes first and the state comes later. Sport and politics should not be mixed."

In his Saamna article, Thackeray said: "You are free to hit fours and sixers on the cricket field, but keep off the political pitch." Tendulkar grew up in Thackeray's neighbourhood in Bandra East and learnt his first cricket lessons there. "With (your) one statement, you became 'run out' in the pitch of Marathi minds," the Shiv Sena leader said.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), otherwise a more radical Marathi outfit, did not react. Sanjay Raut, editor of the Saamna newspaper, defended Thackeray.

"Bal Thackeray has not said anything wrong," he said. "We also believe that the nation comes first. That is why we say 'Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra'." ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32251-india-blasts-thackeray-taking-sachin.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32227-i-am-not-god-says-sachin-tendulkar.html Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:32:59 GMT NEW DELHI: Legions of fans may adore him as god of cricket but Sachin Tendulkar insists that he is only a mortal who loves playing for his country. ... NEW DELHI: Legions of fans may adore him as god of cricket but Sachin Tendulkar insists that he is only a mortal who loves playing for his country.



"I'm glad so many people follow my career. But I am not a god. I just love cricket, playing for India," said Tendulkar, who completed 20 years in international cricket on Sunday.

India opener Virender Sehwag had said Tendulkar was not just a legend of the game but was actually the god of cricket.

Incidentally, former Australia opener Matthew Hayden also once famously said, "I have seen god, he bats at number four for India."

Tendulkar said he was just a cricketer, who happened to enjoy the support of a sea of humanity.

"I'm an individual but there is a huge force behind me, a big team. My teammates, family, kids, friends and fans. When I go out to bat, I play on their behalf," he said.

"I had not thought of playing for so long for the country but thanks to the support from all quarters I could play for 20 years for my country," he said.

In his illustrious 20 years of international cricket he has broken numerous batting records but Tendulkar said twice in his career he had thought his career was over.

"The first one was on my first Test against Pakistan. I scored just 15 and I thought whether I would get the chance to play the next match but I got. When I scored 58 or 59 in the second Test I was relieved," he said, recollecting that match in Karachi on November 15, 1989.

"The second one was when I had my tennis elbow injury. It was a tough time till I have my surgery. I could not sleep at night. I could not hit a cricket ball and I thought my career was over," Tendulkar said.

Tendulkar would rate his match-winning 103 against England last year in Chennai Test ahead of his 119 against a fiery Australian pace attack in Perth in his first tour Down Under in 1991, as it had come after the "horrible" Mumbai terror attack.

"I would say the Perth innings was one of my top innings. But the innings I played last year in Chennai would be ahead of all because of the horrible incident that happened in Mumbai just before that match.

"So many people lost their near and dear ones and nothing could have compensated for that. But by that win we were able to divert for a fraction of a second their attention from their sorrow and that was our credit," he said.

Asked whether he would like his son follow his footsteps and play cricket, Tendulkar said he would not force Arjun take up the game.

"He is just 10 years old and he should be left alone. But I won't force him (to play cricket). If he is to play cricket it has to find way in his heart first and then go up to his head. This is not only for Arjun but for all the youngsters," Tendulkar said.

"At the moment he (Arjun) likes to hit a lot of sixes. Twenty20 ka jamana hai (Twenty20 is the current flavour)," he quipped.

The two stints as India captain have been a grey area of sort in his otherwise illustrious career, but Tendulkar insists he enjoyed the experience "as a package".

"I did not feel that captaincy was too much of a burden. Obviously, it was an honour to captain my country. It was a different experience. We won a Test against Australia, won the Titan Cup, beat Pakistan in Toronto but failed to win against West Indies chasing 120 at Barbados.

"As a package I enjoyed it. It was about learning and I learnt from it," he said.

Tendulkar rued he could not be part of the history-making Indian team under Rahul Dravid that won a Test series in West Indies in 2006.

"That was a fantastic moment for Indian cricket. I would have loved to have been part of that team. I called up Rahul Dravid after the victory and congratulated the team," he said.

Asked what legacy he thinks he would have left for the future generation, Tendullkar said, "I want to be remembered as somebody who is unselfish, a team man, who always thinks for the team first." ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32227-i-am-not-god-says-sachin-tendulkar.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32153-sachin-16th-all-time-longest-careers-list.html Sat, 14 Nov 2009 08:57:06 GMT NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar will become the 16th player in the history of the game to have an international career spanning more than 20 years... NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar will become the 16th player in the history of the game to have an international career spanning more than 20 years tomorrow but the champion batsman is still well short of former English all-rounder Wilfred Rhodes's mark.



Tendulkar, who completes 20 years in international cricket tomorrow, occupies the 16 place in the longest Test careers list.

In his Test career spanning 19 years 143 days till date, he has represented India in a record 159 Tests.

Tendulkar will reach the milestone of 20 years and one day when he comes out to play against Sri Lanka in the first Test of the three-match series in Ahmedabad on Monday.

However, Tendulkar is unlikely to dislodge Rhodes from the top of the longest Test career chart as the former English all-rounder has a unique record of representing his country for 30 years 315 days from June 1, 1899 to April 12, 1930.

However, interruption in cricket matches during the World Wars played a big part in Rhodes having such a long career.

Even though he occupies the 16th spot in longest Test careers list, the Indian batting great is placed in the second position behind Pakistan's Javed Miandad in the longest ODI careers chart. ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32153-sachin-16th-all-time-longest-careers-list.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32001-germany-goalkeeper-commits-suicide.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:59:52 GMT HAMBURG: Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke has died, the president of his Bundesliga club Hanover 96 announced Tuesday.

Enke's advisor Joerg Neblung confirmed Tuesday night to DPA that Enke, who died early Tuesday evening after being hit by a train at a railway crossing near his home, had committed suicide.

"It was suicide, but I do not want to say anything else at this stage," Neblung said.

Hanover 96 president Martin Kind described the death of the 32-year-old as a tragedy. "You expect many things, but not something like that. I do not know how and why it happened, but I do not think that it had anything to do with football," he said.

"He was unstable, but he did not show that to the outside world and he managed to mask it."

Kind was returning from a meeting of the German football league (DFL) Tuesday when he received the shocking phone call.

Germany coach Joachim Loew and manager Oliver Bierhoff informed the German players of Enke's death at their training camp in Bonn, where they are preparing for two friendly internationals against Chile and Ivory Coast Saturday and Nov 18.

Enke, who had become Germany's number one goalkeeper after Jens Lehmann retired at the end of last year's Euro championships, had to miss Germany's last four internationals with a bacterial bowel infection, but had just returned to the game and had played in Hanover's 2-2 draw against SV Hamburg on the weekend.

He had not been selected for the games against Chile and Ivory Coast, but Loew had indicated that Enke was still one of the favourites to be Germany's first choice goalkeeper at the World Cup finals in South Africa next year.

Bierhoff said the players were shocked: "I am lost for words." The president of the German football federation, Theo Zwanziger, said the entire football community was "deeply distressed and full of mourning".

It was not immediately known if Germany's international matches would go ahead as planned.

Enke played his first game for Germany March 28, 2007 during their 1-0 defeat against Denmark. It was to be his only defeat in the national dress as the team won five and drew two of the seven subsequent matches in which he played.

He last played for his country Aug 12 in the 2-0 victory against Azerbaijan.

Enke was first called into the Germany squad for the 1999 Confederations Cup, but was not fielded in a match by then coach Erich Ribbeck.

He was next nominated by Loew seven years later, sitting on the bench in Germany's 2-0 victory against Georgia.

Enke's two-year-old daughter Lara died two years ago from a heart defect. He leaves his wife and an eight-month-old daughter whom the couple adopted earlier this year. ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32001-germany-goalkeeper-commits-suicide.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32000-yousuf-replaces-younus-pakistan-captain.html Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:58:16 GMT KARACHI: Controversial Younus Khan was yesterday replaced as captain of Pakistan's cricket team amid intense speculation that he was sacked in the wake of a players' revolt though the PCB insisted that the change was done only because the veteran batsman wanted to take rest.

Two days after Pakistan's ODI series defeat against New Zealand in Abu Dhabi, the Pakistan Cricket Board appointed seasoned batsman Mohammad Yousuf as captain for the three-match Test tour of New Zealand.

"Younus has asked for rest and that is why Mohammad Yousuf has been named captain," PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt said.

But despite Butt's explanation rumours were strong that the whole drama to change the captain was taken by him after several senior players flatly refused to play under Younus during a meeting in Dubai where Pakistan play two Twenty20 internationals against New Zealand on Thursday and Friday. ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/32000-yousuf-replaces-younus-pakistan-captain.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31867-9-weirdest-sports-world.html Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:59:25 GMT Underwater Rugby. Germany: This sport, which has little in common with the other rugby, is played in a pool between three and a half to five meters... Underwater Rugby. Germany: This sport, which has little in common with the other rugby, is played in a pool between three and a half to five meters deep. Two teams, each with six players, attempt to put a slightly negatively buoyant ball into the goals at the bottom of the pool. Because of water resistance, the ball only can be thrown roughly two to three meters at a time. The game is exhausting and teammates are often replaced during a game.



Unicycle Hockey. This sport is has been played for nearly 25 years in America, Europe, and Asia, with actual leagues created in Great Britain and Germany. According to the rules, all players must have both feet on the pedals to engage the ball.



Bossaball. Belgium: This game is just like volleyball, except that players compete on giant trampolines. The name derives from bossa nova, the Brazilian musical style, probably because the referees play drums during the game.




Man vs. Horse Marathon. Wales: Rather than riding horses, people race against them on a 22-mile course laden with several natural obstacles. While the horses have the advantage in the open terrain, the human competitors benefit from the thick wooded areas, making it a contest.




Bog Snorkeling. Wales: This aesthetically unappealing sport, first held in 1985, involves competitors swimming in water-filled trenches cut through peat bog. The trenches are 55 meters long, and swimmers must complete the race without using conventional swimming techniques. (One offshoot of the sport is Mountain Bike Bog Snorkeling, in which participants ride through the bog on specifically prepared bikes.)

Chess Boxing. First envisioned in 1992 by Dutch artist Enki Bilal, this sport alternates between eleven rounds of boxing and chess. It begins with a four minute round of speed chess, then with three minutes of boxing, and then repeats the cycle. Opponents either win by knockout or checkmate. (We would have loved to have seen Bobby Fischer versus Boris Spas sky in this competition.)

Toe Wrestling. United Kingdom: The first World Toe Wrestling Competition began in 1976 at a pub in Derbyshire, and involved competitors locking toes and forcing each other's feet to the ground. In 1997 the organizers applied to have the game added to the Olympics, but were declined. However, it's a very popular sport, and top player Alan "Nasty" Nash even appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in 1997.

Wife Carrying. Finland: Originally invented as a joke centuries ago, this sport involves male competitors racing while carrying a female teammate through an obstacle course. The official track is 253 meters, and has two dry obstacles and a meter deep water obstacle. The sport is now played around the world, and has a category in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Cheese Rolling. England: Competitors chase a round of Double Gloucester cheese which is rolled down a hill. The first person to cross the finish line at the bottom wins the cheese. Although theoretically the goal is to catch the cheese itself, that hardly happens due to its head start and natural speed. Not surprisingly, there is lots of falling, tumbling, and grass stains. ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31867-9-weirdest-sports-world.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31774-sachin-tendulkar-crosses-17000-run-mark-odis.html Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:43:50 GMT NEW DELHI: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar finally touched the magical 17,000-run mark in One-Day International cricket during the fifth ODI against... NEW DELHI: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar finally touched the magical 17,000-run mark in One-Day International cricket during the fifth ODI against Australia at Hyderabad on Thursday.

Tendulkar completed the formality as he needed just seven runs to reach another milestone in his glittering career.

Sanath Jayasuriya is second on the list with 13,377 runs while Aussie captain Ricky Ponting has a lot of catching up to do.

The moment Tendulkar attained that mark the packed vociferous Rajiv Gandhi Stadium crowd jumped out of their seats and erupted in jubilation.

Tendulkar's wait to reach the 17,000-run mark in One-dayers continued in Mohali as he missed the milestone by just seven runs after getting dismissed for 40 on a dubious decision in the fourth ODI against Australia.

The 36-year-old scored the requisite seven runs to put another feather in his cap, which is already full of feathers but still managing to have some more. The Indian batting legend has 44 One-day hundreds and 91 ODI fifties under his belt.

The diminutive Mumbaikar, who made his ODI debut Pakistan in 1989, is already way ahead of his contemporaries when it comes to accumulating runs.

Rated as the world's best batsman after Australian legend Sir Donald Bradman, Tendulkar has an awe-inspiring Test record. In the whopping 159 matches that he has played thus far, Tendulkar has scored 12,773 runs at an average of 54.58.

The veteran batsman has scored 42 hundreds and 53 half centuries in the longer format of the game. ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31774-sachin-tendulkar-crosses-17000-run-mark-odis.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31734-dope-more-harmful-cricketers-says-expert.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:45:26 GMT NEW DELHI: Cricket and tennis were thought to be the sports where performance-enhancing drugs would not work. The myth has been broken in tennis and... NEW DELHI: Cricket and tennis were thought to be the sports where performance-enhancing drugs would not work. The myth has been broken in tennis and cricket, too, has had its share of doping cases leading to the International Cricket Council (ICC) signing the re-drafted World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code in January.

There was a furore when Indian cricketers, like many of world's top athletes rejected WADA's whereabout clause. But, David McDonagh, a member of ICC's anti-doping tribunal, attributes the controversy to the lack of awareness about the undesirable effects of drugs on the sportspersons.

"There is not much awareness among not only Indian cricketers, but also among players in general," McDonagh, here to attend an international congress on sports medicine, told IANS.

"Cricketers need to be educated on doping, they don't need to dope. Good thing is that we hardly had any doping cases coming to the ICC."

"If you increase your bulk, you run the risk of tearing your tendons. Doping is not a long-term solution for cricketers. Fast bowling is one of the most toughest aspects of cricket and you will only be prone to more injuries if you are on drugs," said the Irishman.

Asked whether WADA would drop the whereabouts clause in view of the opposition from top sportspersons, McDonagh would only hint that to catch cheats all sorts of methods need to be used.

McDonagh, who has been associated with variuos international federations as well as the Olympic movement, agrees that the whereabouts clause is "harsh" on the players, but in the same breath said: "Random testing is the unfortunate price we have to pay for doping. We all have the responsibility to clean up sport and this is where WADA comes in. The registration and whereabouts clause is hard on the athletes, one cannot take chances if sport has to be dope-free."

The testing process today is far more advanced and tighter than it was in 1997, when Andre Agassi took banned substance crystal meth and and got away lying. The honest revelation of eight-time Grand Slam winner in his autobiography 'Open' has shocked the tennis world.

Asked whether Agassi would have been caught had he committed the offence today, McDonagh said: "You never know. We now have a far stricter testing methods."

"In the 90s the drugs control was only at the Olympics and not at other events. The effect of WADA influence was felt only recently. The level of testing now is far more superior. The tests are widespread now, but dope, too, has found newer methods." ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31734-dope-more-harmful-cricketers-says-expert.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31733-gautam-gambhir-likely-play-5th-odi.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:43:10 GMT HYDERABAD: With the seven-match series tantalisingly poised 2-2, India will have to overcome its batting shortcomings when they go into the crucial... HYDERABAD: With the seven-match series tantalisingly poised 2-2, India will have to overcome its batting shortcomings when they go into the crucial fifth cricket one-dayer against a spirited but depleted Australia here on Thursday.

The Indians, seeking to dethrone Australia from the number one spot in world rankings, will be strengthened by the expected return of Gautam Gambhir, who had to skip last match due to a neck injury.

Although the left-hander Gambhir's presence will lend solidity to the top order, the worrying factor for the hosts has been the lack of good starts in the series so far. Clearly the onus is on the Indian batsmen to deliver the goods on a track which according to the curator has plenty of runs to offer but will also aid the bowlers.

Virender Sehwag and Sahin Tendulkar have put on stands of 25, 21, 37 and 40, and the home team would be hoping this can be extended to something closer to the hundred mark which would be the ideal platform for Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni and Raina to launch a blitz later on.

Tendulkar is on the verge of reaching another milestone in his glittering career as he his just seven runs short of touching the 17,000 run-mark and the champion batsman would take inspiration from the moment to score big. ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31733-gautam-gambhir-likely-play-5th-odi.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31732-australia-struggling-field-eleven-players.html Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:39:35 GMT HYDERABAD: After being struck by more injuries, Australia were struggling to put up eleven fit players in the fifth One-Day International against... HYDERABAD: After being struck by more injuries, Australia were struggling to put up eleven fit players in the fifth One-Day International against India here Thursday.

Moises Henriques is the latest to join Australia's growing list of the injured. The all-rounder, who picked up a hamstring injury in the Mohali ODI, would be be the fifth Australian player to fly back home.

Another Australian injured in the Mohali ODI is fast bowler Peter Siddle, who was ruled out of the series and took a flight back home earlier in the day.

Though all-rounder Andrew McDonald and fast bowler Burt Cockely are flying down to India as cover, the duo would only be available for the sixth ODI in Guwahati.

Australians have done well to level the series 2-2 in Mohali after losing consecutive matches in Delhi and Nagpur. But the spate of injuries has left Australian captain Ricky Ponting utterly frustrated ahead of the crucial match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at the Uppal here.

"It's disappointing to see these guys go down because you know how much they want to play and be a part of the series, and do the best they can to win games," Ponting said Wednesday.

"I am sure everyone who has returned back home would much rather be here with the series as it is at the moment, but we've got what we've got."

Ponting said that if Australia manages to win the series with a depleted squad, then it would be one of the most "amazing" performances for the team in recent years.

"If you consider everything that has happened to us over the last couple of weeks, it would be an amazing effort if this group of players were good enough to get over the line," Ponting said.

"But with five or six guys -- probably more than that -- out of our starting line-ups, we are going along nicely. Certainly for me, every game I play with these guys I want to win, but sometimes that means pushing guys a little bit too hard and some of these injuries come along," he added.

India, however, are likley to retain the same side that played in Mohali and the onus will be on youngsters like Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja to perform with the bat.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni had said that India would bounce back in Hyderabad to take the lead in the series.

The good news for the team is that Gautam Gambhir will be fit and would be back in the No.3 spot.

The bowlers have done a decent job in the series so far but all eyes will be on the batsmen who could not surpass 250 on a good batting track in Mohali. Sachin Tendulkar, who was unlucky to be given out lbw in a bad umpiring call in the last ODI, is seven short of reaching the personal milestone 17,000 run. ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31732-australia-struggling-field-eleven-players.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31495-less-odi-would-prolong-tendulkars-career-border.html Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:33:01 GMT NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar should cut down on his limited over appearances to prolong his Test career, feels former Australia captain Allan Border.... NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar should cut down on his limited over appearances to prolong his Test career, feels former Australia captain Allan Border.

"I have high esteem for Tendulkar and his achievements in international cricket. But I think, it would be better for him to appear in fewer limited over matches, including one-dayers.

It would help him to prolong his Test career," Border said here yesterday.

Border, who made 11,174 runs for Australia from 156 Tests, feels Tendulkar's ability to handle pressure is the mantra behind his success in international cricket.

"Representing your country for 20 years in international arena is not a small achievement. There is always a lot of pressure on an international cricketer and I must say he (Tendulkar) has managed it beautifully," Border said. ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31495-less-odi-would-prolong-tendulkars-career-border.html http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31442-agassi-admits-taking-crystal-meth.html Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:06:56 GMT Andre Agassi's upcoming autobiography contains an admission that he used crystal meth in 1997 and lied to tennis authorities. (File Photo: AP)
Mark Hodgkinson
First Published : 28 Oct 2009 04:04:41 PM IST
Last Updated :

Andre Agassi was "worried for a moment, but not for long" about how his fanbase would react to his admission in his autobiography that he took crystal meth, an addictive stimulant more commonly associated with the American underclass than former Wimbledon champions.

But perhaps the Las Vegan, who won the 1992 Wimbledon Championships, should be concerned about how the tennis authorities will view another disclosure in his book, that he lied to the men's tour about why he failed a drugs test, after writing a letter saying that he "unwittingly" took crystal meth after sipping from a drink that had been spiked by his personal assistant. The ATP Tour accepted Agassi's story and he avoided a ban.Agassi, who gathered eight grand slam titles, and is only of only six players to have won all four slams at least once, took the drug in 1997. He was at home with his assistant, who was known as Slim. "Slim is stressed too. He says, 'You want to get high with me?'

'On what?'

'Gack.'

'What the hell's gack?'

'Crystal meth."

'Why do they call it gack?'

'Because that's the sound you make when you're high. Makes you feel like Superman, dude.'

As if they're coming out of someone else's mouth, I hear these words: 'You know what? F*** it. Yeah. Let's get high," Agassi recalled in his autobiography, Open.

"Slim dumps a small pile of powder on the coffee table. He cuts it, snorts it. He cuts it again. I snort some. I ease back on the couch and consider the Rubicon I've just crossed," Agassi wrote.

"There is a moment of regret, followed by vast sadness. Then comes a tidal wave of euphoria that sweeps away every negative thought in my head. I've never felt so alive, so hopeful - and I've never felt such energy. I'm seized by a desperate desire to clean. I go tearing around my house, cleaning it from top to bottom. I dust the furniture. I scour the tub. I make the beds."

Later that year, Agassi received a phone call from a doctor working for the ATP.

"There is doom in his voice, as if he's going to tell me I'm dying. And that's exactly what he tells me. He reminds me that tennis has three classes of drug violation. Performance-enhancing drugs would constitute a Class 1, he says, which would carry a suspension of two years. However, he adds, crystal meth would seem to be a clear case of Class 2. Recreational drugs. My name, my career, everything is now on the line. Whatever I've achieved, whatever I've worked for, might soon mean nothing. Days later I sit in a hard-backed chair, a legal pad in my lap, and write a letter to the ATP. It's filled with lies interwoven with bits of truth."

I say Slim, whom I've since fired, is a known drug user, and that he often spikes his sodas with meth - which is true. Then I come to the central lie of the letter. I say that recently I drank accidentally from one of Slim's spiked sodas, unwittingly ingesting his drugs. I ask for understanding and leniency and hastily sign it: Sincerely. I feel ashamed, of course. I promise myself that this lie is the end of it. ]]> Sports Forum netfree http://forums.bizhat.com/sports-forum/31442-agassi-admits-taking-crystal-meth.html