Bhullar 4th in Asian Tour OM
Kuala lumpur: Savouring his fifth Asian Tour victory at the Indonesia Open, Indian golfer Gaganjeet Bhullar on Monday moved up to fourth in the latest Order of Merit. Bhullar’s earnings have gone up to $462,378 this season after he clinched his first title of the year on Sunday. With the top four Asian players at the end of the 2013 season qualifying for Team Asia to face Europe in the Ryder Cup-styled EurAsia Cup at Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Malaysia, the talented Bhullar is poised to make the Asian team on his own merit.
Wadiyar elected KSCA President
Bangalore: Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wadiyar has been elected President of the Karnataka State Cricket Association after a thumping win in the body’s elections held during its Annual General Meeting here. “The Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) members have taught (the outgoing team of) Anil Kumbleand Javagal Srinath group a lesson for their arrogance and egoism,” Dr P Dayananda Pai, who was elected the treasurer, said. Wadiyar said it is overwhelming that his group won all 24 seats by convincing margins.
Tambe to make Ranji debut at 42
Mumbai: Forty two year old leg spinner Pravin Tambe was on Monday surprisingly included in the Mumbai Ranji Trophy team to take on Jharkhand in the four-day Group A match starting at the Wankhede Stadium here on December 6. lack of top quality spinners has apparently forced the Mumbai selectors to include Tambe, who made his mark in T20 cricket while playing for Rajasthan Royals in last season’s IPl and Champions league but is yet to figure in first class cricket. All rounder Abhishek Nayar will lead the side in Zaheer’s absence. Squad: Abhishek Nayar (c), Aditya Tare, Wasim Jaffer, Hiken Shah, Suryakumar Yadav, Sushant Marathe, Vishal Dabholkar, Siddhesh lad, Javed Khan, Shardul Thakur, Akbar Khan, Kshemal Waingankar, Manish Rao, Pravin Tambe and Sagar Kerkar.
Winner of ICC Awards today
Mumbai: The International Cricket Council is scheduled to announce the shortlists for lG ICC Awards and ICC Test and ODI teams of the Year 2013 here on Tuesday. ICC’s Chief Executive David Richardson would announce the shortlists and reveal the ICC Test and ODI Teams of the Year 2013, the game’s governing body said. The lG People’s Choice Award winner would also be announced during the event, the media release added. This year’s award sees five players from four different countries nominated to win the only award voted by the public at the annual lG ICC Awards. The quintet of players in the running for the award are India captain M S Dhoni and his teammate Virat Kohli, Australia captain Michael Clarke, England skipper Alastair Cook and South Africa batsman AB de Villiers.
Airlines misplaces player’s bag
New Delhi: Former national champion Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan is going through a torrid time in Senegal as an airlines has misplaced his bag, leaving the young Indian tennis player without clothes, shoes and most importantly his racquets ahead of his doubles match in an ITF Futures event. Jeevan, who flew by Ethiopian Airlines, was in for a rude shock after landing in Dakar, Senegal last evening as he learnt that his bag has not arrived in the same flight. Now he was frantically looking forward to buying T-shirts, shorts and shoes from a local market. He is scheduled to play his doubles match with Bosnian partner Aldin Setkic later today and has no option but to borrow racquets from somebody until he gets back his belongings.
Kambli to be discharged today
Mumbai: The condition of former cricketer Vinod Kambli, admitted to lilavati Hospital here on Friday after he apparently suffered a heart attack, improved today and he will be discharged on Tuesday. Kambli’s wife Andrea said doctors attending to him has told her that there was “no reason to worry”. “Angiography was done on Vinod earlier in the day. The doctors said everything is fine and that there is no reason to worry. His health is a lot better now. He will be discharged tomorrow,” she said. The 41-year-old was rushed to the suburban hospital by police personnel after he complained of chest pain while driving his car and sought help. He was kept at the ICU of the hospital since then.
Jr National Athletics begins today
Bangalore: Around 2,000 athletes from across the country are expected to take part in the 29th Junior National Athletics Championships which begins here on Tuesday. The five-day meet, to be held at Sree Kanteerava Stadium, will have 125 events in eight age-group competitions, four for boys and an equal number for the girls. Athletes who excelled in the meet will be selected for the national junior camps and thereafter for the next year’s Asian Junior Championships in Chinese Taipei and World Junior Championships at Eugene, United States. The Championships were originally scheduled to be held from October 15 to 19 but had to be postponed due to elections for Karnataka Athletics Association.
Williamson out of 1st Test
Dunedin: New Zealand batsman Kane Williamson has been ruled out of the first cricket Test against the West Indies starting on Tuesday, allowing Aaron Redmond to revive a test career which stalled five years ago. Captain Brendon McCullum said on Monday it has been decided not to risk Williamson, who was forced out of New Zealand’s recent tour to Bangladesh with a broken thumb. Squad: Peter Fulton, Hamish Rutherford, Aaron Redmond, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Corey Anderson, BJ Watling, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Trent Boult. Doug Bracewell, 12th man.
‘Batting coach could benefit pak’
Islamabad: Test and one-day captain Misbah-ul-Haq says Pakistan needs a batting coach to solve the team’s top-order batting problems at the crease in international matches. Misbah returned home Monday after leading Pakistan to its first ever one-day series victory against South Africa, a 2-1 win. Pakistan also drew the Twenty20 series 1-1. “We have to think a lot about our batting and (a batting) coach could be beneficial,” Misbah said. “Batting is a constant problem for us for the last 2-3 years and we have to seriously start thinking about it.” Despite the top order batsmen struggling against South Africa, rookie allrounders Bilawal Bhatti and Anwar Ali emerged as future stars in the series. Both Bhatti and Ali shared a productive half-century stand in Pakistan’s 23-run win in first one-dayer at Cape Town after South Africa reduced the visitors to 131-7. PNS/Agencies