lukewarm response for cricket
Mumbai: Cricket has elicited lukewarm response from the full ICC members of the continent for the upcoming Incheon Asian Games with India skipping the event altogether and Pakistan electing to send only its women’s team. “For upcoming 2104 Asian Games, Bangladesh and Sri lanka will be sending both men and women’s cricket teams,” it has been mentioned on the FaceBook page of the Games. “As for Pakistan, they will be sending women’s cricket team only,” it adds. Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) has already decided that it would not send any team (men or women) to the quadrennial pan-Asian sports spectacle that is to be hosted by South Korea for the third time (earlier editions: 1986 in Seoul and 2002 in Busan). India had not sent any team for the Games in the previous edition four years ago at Guangzhou, China, where cricket made its debut. Bangladesh men and Pakistan women won the gold medals in the 16th Asian Games. Cricket will be run from September 20 to October 3 in the 17th Games in Incheon whose organisers were persuaded to keep it in the schedule by the Olympic Council of Asia.
India ‘A’ beat Aus ‘A’, win series
Darwin: Rishi Dhawan (56) and Akshar Patel (45) put up a splendid rearguard action under pressure as India A clinched the Quadrangular series trophy with a narrow four-wicket win over Australia ‘A’, here on Saturday, Chasing 275, India A were in a spot of bother after losing their top-order for a mere 51 runs and then reeling at 182 for six but Dhawan and Patel combined for a match-winning 93-run stand for the unbeaten seventh wicket. Dhawan scored 56 off 55 balls while Patel hit 45 off 38 balls as India A chased the target with just eight balls to spare. Before that stand, Kedar Jadhav (78 off 73) and Manoj Tiwary (50 off 75) had kept the Indian team in the hunt with their fighting half-centuries before being scalped by Ben Cutting (3/46). For the hosts, skipper Cameron White smashed his way to a magnificent 137 that set up Australia’s challenging total. White and his opening partner Phillip Hughes (51) had rattled up a 146-run stand to provide the hosts a solid start after deciding to bat. Once Huges was dismissed by Dhawal Kulkarni (3/51), India kept getting wickets at regular intervals and that helped them restrict Australia to a gettable total. Alex Doolan (24) in the top and Ben Cutting in the lower order batted well for the hosts. Brief Scores: Australia A: 274/5 in 50 overs (Cameron White 137, Phillip Huges 51, Ben Cutting 35; Dhawal Kulkarni 3/51) lost to India A: 275/6 in 48.4 overs (Kedar Jadhav 78, Manoj Tiwary 50, Rishi Dhawan 56 not out; Ben Cutting 3/46) by 4 wickets.
Will look for early wickets: Misbah
Karachi: Pakistan’s Test and One-day captain, Misbah-ul-Haq has said his teammates will have to take the wickets of the stalwarts like Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara early if they want to win the upcoming two-Test series in Sri lanka, commencing at Galle on August 6. Jayawardene, 37, has announced that he would retire from Test cricket after the two-Test series this month, and is hoping to have a memorable farewell series. “Obviously you have to take 20 wickets to win a Test match and we will try to do that. But we also know how important it is for us to not allow their senior players to get runs,” Misbah told reporters before the national team’s departure for Sri lanka. “If we are to win the series then we have to ensure their players don’t score runs, particularly guys like Jayawardene and Sangakkara,” he added.
Billiards league set for debut
Mumbai: A neglected Indian sport, Billiards is the latest to join the bandwagon of growing Premier league’s of various games after the success of IPl in cricket. The Billiards and Snooker Association of Maharashtra announced the inaugural Videocon Billiards Premier league to be held soon in the commercial capital of India. After the Indian Badminton league (IBl), Hockey India league (HIl), Indian Super (football) league, Pro Kabaddi league and the announcement of Mahesh Bhupathi’s and Vijay Amritraj’s tennis leagues, Billiards also eyes the format to popularise the sport. Formidable teams, comprising the crème de la crème of Indian billiards exponents, will feature in a nine-day extravaganza that will be held at six clubs across South Mumbai that are the hub of cue sports. The tournament has attracted the country’s star cueists who are specialists in the three-ball game.