In the context of the ACC Emerging Teams Cup currently being played
in Singapore, Afghanistan's 28-run win over the India Under-23 team was
insignificant. The Indians still topped the group to move into the
semi-final, where they will take on United Arab Emirates on Friday. But
for Afghanistan, despite the fact that the result didn't help them from
exiting the event, the victory was perhaps their most important.
For the first time in their short cricketing history, Afghanistan
had recorded a win over a Test-playing nation, albeit an age-group side
of it, in any format.
The fact that Afghanistan was allowed to enter their main side
for the tournament while the Indians obeyed the age restriction was a
footnote in fine print that in no way took away the shine from this
emerging Asian cricketing nation.
The hero of the day for the Afghanistan was their skipper
Mohammad Nabi, who scored 25 runs with the bat and finished with figures
of 3/32 in a low scoring game. Batting first, Afghanistan scored 184
with Samiullah Shenwari scoring 43 off 44 balls. In reply, the Indians
succumbed to Nabi's off-spin. India were 156/9 at the end of 50 overs.
At the end of group games; India, Pakistan and Afghanistan all
finished with four points. But Afghanistan's poor run rate got them
eliminated.
Assessing potential
Speaking to The Indian Express after the win, Nabi said, "For us
it is a big win, beating India can only be a moral booster." Though,
there were no international players in the Indian side, Nabi and his men
were in awe of their young rivals. With most of the India under-23
players playing in the Indian Premier League, the Afghanistan players
had seen them on television and thus were keen to match their skills
against them.
Friday, 23 August 2013
Sport News Fernando Alonso sets pace in weather-affected first practiceFerrari's Fernando Alonso lapped fastest in a weather-affected Belgian Grand Prix first practice session on Friday as Formula One drivers shrugged off the long August break and got back up to speed. The Spaniard, third in the championship after 10 of 19 races, lapped the longest circuit on the calendar with a best time of one minute 55.198 seconds in a familiar Spa mixture of wet and dry conditions. The two Force Indias of Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil were second and third on the timesheets, with the top three all setting their comparatively slow times in the final half hour of an incident-free session. Morning rain, and occasional drizzle interspersed with cloud and sunshine, dampened part of the fast and flowing Ardennes forest circuit while a dry line emerged through the middle sector. The McLarens of Briton Jenson Button and Mexican Sergio Perez showed encouraging signs of progress, despite the team backing away from earlier assertions that they could challenge for a victory this weekend. Perez was fourth fastest while Button, last year's winner from pole, ended up 14th. Red Bull's championship leader Sebastian Vettel, who has a 38 point lead over Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen, was sixth fastest behind fellow-German Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes. Vettel, who returned from the break with his hair dyed bright blond, had the odd spin on the slippery surface without drama. Raikkonen, who cried off sick on from media engagements on Thursday after weeks of speculation about his future and talk of moves to Red Bull or Ferrari, and Lotus team mate Romain Grosjean propped up the timesheets. Finland's Heikki Kovalainen, dropped by Caterham at the end of last year, made an appearance for the team in place of regular race driver Charles Pic and was 16th quickest.
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso lapped fastest in a weather-affected
Belgian Grand Prix first practice session on Friday as Formula One
drivers shrugged off the long August break and got back up to speed.
The Spaniard, third in the championship after 10 of 19 races, lapped the longest circuit on the calendar with a best time of one minute 55.198 seconds in a familiar Spa mixture of wet and dry conditions.
The two Force Indias of Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil were second and third on the timesheets, with the top three all setting their comparatively slow times in the final half hour of an incident-free session.
Morning rain, and occasional drizzle interspersed with cloud and sunshine, dampened part of the fast and flowing Ardennes forest circuit while a dry line emerged through the middle sector.
The McLarens of Briton Jenson Button and Mexican Sergio Perez showed encouraging signs of progress, despite the team backing away from earlier assertions that they could challenge for a victory this weekend.
Perez was fourth fastest while Button, last year's winner from pole, ended up 14th.
Red Bull's championship leader Sebastian Vettel, who has a 38 point lead over Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen, was sixth fastest behind fellow-German Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes.
Vettel, who returned from the break with his hair dyed bright blond, had the odd spin on the slippery surface without drama.
Raikkonen, who cried off sick on from media engagements on Thursday after weeks of speculation about his future and talk of moves to Red Bull or Ferrari, and Lotus team mate Romain Grosjean propped up the timesheets.
Finland's Heikki Kovalainen, dropped by Caterham at the end of last year, made an appearance for the team in place of regular race driver Charles Pic and was 16th quickest.
The Spaniard, third in the championship after 10 of 19 races, lapped the longest circuit on the calendar with a best time of one minute 55.198 seconds in a familiar Spa mixture of wet and dry conditions.
The two Force Indias of Paul Di Resta and Adrian Sutil were second and third on the timesheets, with the top three all setting their comparatively slow times in the final half hour of an incident-free session.
Morning rain, and occasional drizzle interspersed with cloud and sunshine, dampened part of the fast and flowing Ardennes forest circuit while a dry line emerged through the middle sector.
The McLarens of Briton Jenson Button and Mexican Sergio Perez showed encouraging signs of progress, despite the team backing away from earlier assertions that they could challenge for a victory this weekend.
Perez was fourth fastest while Button, last year's winner from pole, ended up 14th.
Red Bull's championship leader Sebastian Vettel, who has a 38 point lead over Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen, was sixth fastest behind fellow-German Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes.
Vettel, who returned from the break with his hair dyed bright blond, had the odd spin on the slippery surface without drama.
Raikkonen, who cried off sick on from media engagements on Thursday after weeks of speculation about his future and talk of moves to Red Bull or Ferrari, and Lotus team mate Romain Grosjean propped up the timesheets.
Finland's Heikki Kovalainen, dropped by Caterham at the end of last year, made an appearance for the team in place of regular race driver Charles Pic and was 16th quickest.
Sport News Nicolas Anelka wants to quit football: West Brom
West Bromwich Albion manager Steve Clarke says Nicolas Anelka has
told him he is contemplating quitting football in the wake of the death
of his agent.
Anelka wrote on his Facebook page that he was feeling "immense sorrow" following the death of Eric Manasse, and has been granted compassionate leave by West Brom.
Asked if Anelka had talked about quitting, Clarke says "I'm not going to deny that he used that word in the conversations we had with him."
Clarke spoke briefly with the 34-year-old Anelka on Thursday before the striker left the training ground, adding Friday "he wasn't in a good place, so the club have decided just to give him a bit of time to go away and think about it."
Anelka wrote on his Facebook page that he was feeling "immense sorrow" following the death of Eric Manasse, and has been granted compassionate leave by West Brom.
Asked if Anelka had talked about quitting, Clarke says "I'm not going to deny that he used that word in the conversations we had with him."
Clarke spoke briefly with the 34-year-old Anelka on Thursday before the striker left the training ground, adding Friday "he wasn't in a good place, so the club have decided just to give him a bit of time to go away and think about it."
Sport After Arjuna award, Gaganjeet Bhullar aims to win first event on European Tour
Elated at joining the small list of Indian golfers who have been
conferred with the Arjuna award, Gaganjeet Bhullar said the honour will
motivate him to perform better at the international events besides
inspiring youngsters to take up the game.
Bhullar became the 17th golfer and the eighth Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) member to be conferred with the Arjuna Award, the nation's second highest sporting honour.
"It is a very proud moment for me and my family. I would like to thank the Government of India for acknowledging the fact that Indian golfers are making the country proud with their performances at the international level," Bhullar said.
"This is a result of the hard work I have put in over the years and the strong support I have received from my family. This award will not only motivate me to achieve greater things but will also encourage many other young golfers in the country to work harder and succeed at the highest level," he added.
PGTI members who have won the Arjuna Award in the past include Ali Sher (1991), Amit Luthra (1996), Harmeet Kahlon (1997), Jeev Milkha Singh (1999), Shiv Kapur (2002), Jyoti Randhawa (2004) and Arjun Atwal (2007).
Bhullar became the 17th golfer and the eighth Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) member to be conferred with the Arjuna Award, the nation's second highest sporting honour.
"It is a very proud moment for me and my family. I would like to thank the Government of India for acknowledging the fact that Indian golfers are making the country proud with their performances at the international level," Bhullar said.
"This is a result of the hard work I have put in over the years and the strong support I have received from my family. This award will not only motivate me to achieve greater things but will also encourage many other young golfers in the country to work harder and succeed at the highest level," he added.
PGTI members who have won the Arjuna Award in the past include Ali Sher (1991), Amit Luthra (1996), Harmeet Kahlon (1997), Jeev Milkha Singh (1999), Shiv Kapur (2002), Jyoti Randhawa (2004) and Arjun Atwal (2007).
News World cricket divided into haves and have-nots
Rahul Dravid's eloquent plea for test cricket, his words have the
same grace as his shots, needs to be taken seriously, as does his thesis
that T20 needs test cricket. And he makes an old-fashioned plea for not
putting profits through television rights above the greater need to
develop sport. It is interesting too that it comes at a time when the
game's parents have been obsessing over whether a mark on a bat is good
for the game. Also Read: Dravid wants an open approach towards day-night Tests
You would expect Dravid to say what he does and to be fair to him, the manner in which he thought about and played cricket is consistent with what he advocates. But I can see those that run the game tut-tutting about romantics not making good businessmen. Of those that earn money from the game, the ICC is doing fairly well so are India, England and Australia and there aren't alarm bells ringing in the accountants office in South Africa either. But of the others Sri Lanka is broke, so, by their admission, is Pakistan. New Zealand are very honest about the state of their finances and the West Indies aren't exactly rolling in wealth. And there is some debate on whether Zimbabwe cricket is broke or has been broken into. That means a majority of cricket's constituents are either struggling to stay afloat or are waiting for the next payout from the ICC which derives its own income from television rights and attendant benefits. Like with the world of economics that Dravid so charmingly alludes to, cricket is split between the haves and the have-nots.
The haves don't mind playing test cricket because their lucrative television deals cover that. But outside of the top four, there are virtually no television deals and so they must offer the market what it craves for. And what the market wants in these countries is fast food, not fine dining. These countries, to be able to afford to play home tests, must generate revenue from what the market demands. And while the market makes the right noises about test cricket, it does so much like people support social causes; it rarely extends beyond words and into actual support. So to that extent, test cricket, at least in these countries, needs T20 and not the other way around.
You would expect Dravid to say what he does and to be fair to him, the manner in which he thought about and played cricket is consistent with what he advocates. But I can see those that run the game tut-tutting about romantics not making good businessmen. Of those that earn money from the game, the ICC is doing fairly well so are India, England and Australia and there aren't alarm bells ringing in the accountants office in South Africa either. But of the others Sri Lanka is broke, so, by their admission, is Pakistan. New Zealand are very honest about the state of their finances and the West Indies aren't exactly rolling in wealth. And there is some debate on whether Zimbabwe cricket is broke or has been broken into. That means a majority of cricket's constituents are either struggling to stay afloat or are waiting for the next payout from the ICC which derives its own income from television rights and attendant benefits. Like with the world of economics that Dravid so charmingly alludes to, cricket is split between the haves and the have-nots.
The haves don't mind playing test cricket because their lucrative television deals cover that. But outside of the top four, there are virtually no television deals and so they must offer the market what it craves for. And what the market wants in these countries is fast food, not fine dining. These countries, to be able to afford to play home tests, must generate revenue from what the market demands. And while the market makes the right noises about test cricket, it does so much like people support social causes; it rarely extends beyond words and into actual support. So to that extent, test cricket, at least in these countries, needs T20 and not the other way around.
News
Spinner Akshar Patel did the star turn for India Under-23 as they
fought their way back from a tough situation to set up a title clash
with Pakistan after a 46-run win over United Arab Emirates in the
semifinals of the ACC Emerging Teams Cup.
In what turned out to be another low-scoring match, the Indian colts defended a modest 208 as the opposition folded for 162 runs in 48.3 overs.
19-year-old left-arm spinner Patel snared three wickets for three runs in as many overs to trigger a collapse that saw UAE folding up for 162 after being comfortably placed at 97 for one at one stage.
Patel was the pick of the Indian bowlers returning impressive figures of four for 29 in 8.3 overs at the Kallang Ground.
India had suffered a shock 28-run defeat to Afghanistan on Thursday.
Manpreet Juneja (76) top-scored with the bat for India. Juneja's was a labored knock that mostly comprised running between the wickets - his runs came in 121 balls with a solitary boundary in the form of a six.
After skipper Suryakumar Yadav elected to bat first, India U-23 were dealt an early blow in form of Unmukt Chand (0) in the first over.
However, a 94-run stand between opener Lokesh Rahul (43) and Manpreet Juneja (76) put the innings back on course.
The UAE bowlers came back into the match with regular wickets as the Indian middle-order batsmen failed to convert their starts. Juneja was the only Indian batsman to score a half-century as wickets tumbled around him.
UAE off-spinner, Nasir Aziz (9.5-0-51-5) was India U-23's tormentor-in-chief as after dismissing Ankit Bawne (23) and Ashok Menaria (30), he returned to clean up the tail quickly.
Aziz was wonderfully supported by Mohammad Naveed (10-1-37-3) who was both economical and among wickets.
In what turned out to be another low-scoring match, the Indian colts defended a modest 208 as the opposition folded for 162 runs in 48.3 overs.
19-year-old left-arm spinner Patel snared three wickets for three runs in as many overs to trigger a collapse that saw UAE folding up for 162 after being comfortably placed at 97 for one at one stage.
Patel was the pick of the Indian bowlers returning impressive figures of four for 29 in 8.3 overs at the Kallang Ground.
India had suffered a shock 28-run defeat to Afghanistan on Thursday.
Manpreet Juneja (76) top-scored with the bat for India. Juneja's was a labored knock that mostly comprised running between the wickets - his runs came in 121 balls with a solitary boundary in the form of a six.
After skipper Suryakumar Yadav elected to bat first, India U-23 were dealt an early blow in form of Unmukt Chand (0) in the first over.
However, a 94-run stand between opener Lokesh Rahul (43) and Manpreet Juneja (76) put the innings back on course.
The UAE bowlers came back into the match with regular wickets as the Indian middle-order batsmen failed to convert their starts. Juneja was the only Indian batsman to score a half-century as wickets tumbled around him.
UAE off-spinner, Nasir Aziz (9.5-0-51-5) was India U-23's tormentor-in-chief as after dismissing Ankit Bawne (23) and Ashok Menaria (30), he returned to clean up the tail quickly.
Aziz was wonderfully supported by Mohammad Naveed (10-1-37-3) who was both economical and among wickets.
Sport Barcelona sign Suarez from City
|
|
Barcelona sign Suarez from City
Barcelona says Suarez will play with its second team in Spain's second division.
His contract includes a buy-out clause of ?12 million that will increase to ?35 million if he joins Barcelona's first team.
Suarez played for Spain at the under-20 world championships. He joined City from Spanish club Celta Vigo in 2011.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)