Lee named in Australian T20 World Cup squad

MELBOURNE: Injury-ravaged and short of match practice he might be, but pacer Brett Lee still found a place in the 15-member Australian squad announced on Tuesday for the World Twenty20 Championships starting next month in the West Indies.

Lee had been laid low by an elbow injury earlier this year and had even announced his Test retirement to ensure his body remains fit for shorter formats.

Meanwhile, Michael Clarke will lead the Australians in the April 30-May 16 event with all-rounder Cameron White as his deputy, Cricket Australia said in a statement.

"While Brett Lee hasn't played the amount of cricket we would've liked him to in preparation for this World Cup, at his best he is one of the best Twenty20 cricketers in the world. He also has the opportunity of continuing to play in the IPL as preparation for this tournament," said CA's National Selection Panel Chairman Andrew Hilditch.

Hilditch said the squad has the right mix of youth and experience.

"We've been preparing hard for this tournament since the last event and we're pleased with the squad's performance in recent games, under the captaincy of Michael Clarke. The squad has a good mix of experience and exciting young talent and is capable, at its best, of playing competitive and entertaining Twenty20 cricket," he said.

Hussey brothers -- Mike and David -- both earned a place in the squad that doesn't offer any major surprise.

"Mike Hussey brings great international experience and is in fantastic form in all formats of the game right now. We've also added Tim Paine to give us cover in case of injury to Brad Haddin and of course, Tim's ability with the bat, which saw him have a great KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, more than warrants his selection," he added.

Australia are in Group A alongside Pakistan and Bangladesh. They play their first pool match against Pakistan on May 2 before taking on Bangladesh on May 5.

Australia also announced their women's squad for the Twenty20 World Cup and it would be led by Jodie Fields.

The men's squad: Michael Clarke (Captain), Cameron White (Vice-captain), Daniel Christian, Brad Haddin, Nathan Hauritz, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Dirk Nannes, Tim Paine, Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, David Warner, Shane Watson.

The women's squad: Jodie Fields (Captain), Alex Blackwell (Vice-captain), Jessica Cameron, Sarah Elliott, Rene Farrell, Rachael Haynes, Julie Hunter, Shelley Nitschke, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Leah Poulton, Lisa Sthalekar, Clea Smith, Elyse Villani.

CWG OC virtually rules out making Bachchan brand ambassador

NEW DELHI: The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee on Tuesday virtually rejected the demand for making Amitabh Bachchan the brand ambassador for the prestigious event to be held from October 3 to 14.

"We are thinking of brand ambassadors from sports like Milkha Singh, P T Usha. We are thinking of young people," Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi told reporters when asked about the suggestion of BJP leader V K Malhotra that Bachchan be made the main brand ambassador of the event.

Asked whether the organisers will make anybody from the Bollywood the brand ambassador, Kalmadi said nothing has been finalised yet.

"Right now we have Shera, the mascot. We have not thought of the issue of making somebody brand ambassador," he said.

Malhotra, who is the Vice President of Indian Olympic Association, had on Sunday written a letter to Kalmadi suggesting that Bachchan be appointed the main brand ambassador of the mega sporting event.

Attacking the BJP for suggesting Bachchan's name as brand ambassador for the event, Congress had on Monday said the party has a habit of "fishing in troubled waters".

There has been bad blood between Congress and the actor, who was once a Congress MP and close to the Gandhis, and things came to a head after his presence in a Maharashtra government function in Mumbai last week. A section of Congress objected to his presence as the actor is a brand ambassador for BJP-ruled Gujarat.

Struggling Kings XI wait for miracle against Mumbai Indians

MUMBAI: Kings XI Punjab, with their Indian Premier League campaign in total disarray, are to take on high-flying Mumbai Indians in their seventh match at the Brabourne Stadium on Tuesday.

The Punjab outfit, which has managed to win only one match out of six and that too via a tie-break against another struggling side - Chennai Super Kings - would be without regular captain Kumar Sangakkara against the marauding Mumbai team spearheaded by master batsman Sachin Tendulkar.

Sangakkara is to miss the match after copping a one-match ban for the team's inability to maintain required over-rate for the third time and it could not have come at a worse time for the Mohali franchise.

The team, even with match-winners like Sri Lanka captain Sangakkara, his compatriot Mahela Jayawardene and India stalwart Yuvraj Singh, has come a cropper repeatedly in the IPL 3.

In absence of Sangakkara, who had done precious little in the tournament, the team is to be led by another former Lanka skipper - Jayawardene - and they would be hoping that a change at the helm would also bring about change in their fortunes.

Already their chances of making the semifinals appear remote and a sixth defeat tomorrow would dent their hopes further.

Failure of Sangakkara and Jayawardene to do something meaningful and the flop show of Yuvraj has meant the team had to depend mostly on the starts provided by England player Ravi Bopara and the finish by Irfan Pathan to a large extent.

These two players have been the pick of the Kings XI team.

The return of Brett Lee to lead the attack would be one bright spot in an otherwise dismal scenario as S Sreesanth has tended to blow hot and cold while Pathan and Salabh Srivastava can play only support roles.

The Mumbai team, on the other hand, are on a roll with Tendulkar in supreme touch, with four half-centuries to his credit and the others giving him good support.

Mumbai's only loss thus far has come against Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Last night their winning run was in danger of being stopped by defending champions Deccan Chargers before Harbhajan Singh produced a blinder of an innings to make 49 not out off 18 balls and piloted the team to a good score.

Tendulkar has been given good support by youngsters in the team like Saurabh Tiwary and Ambati Rayudu. The duo, however, failed at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai Monday night and would need to get their act together.

Lasith Malinga has been the pick of the pace attack while Zaheer Khan has bowled well overall barring the odd occasion while Harbhajan has been too good in the middle.

Mumbai are hoping their West Indian recruits Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard justify the high hopes the team management has on them. The duo has come up with decent efforts, but not match-winning displays thus far.

The home advantage has also worked well for the team who got solid support from the crowd in Navi Mumbai though it was Deccan's home match.

Mumbai have not travelled outside the state in the initial stages barring the match against the Delhi Daredevils and have one more match scheduled at home, the return home tie against the Chargers at the Brabourne on April 3.

This has been a huge plus for Tendulkar and his men in the opening part of the tournament.

Harbhajan stated after the match that Mumbai wanted to become the first team to book a berth in the semifinals and if they continue to play the way they have done so far they would be hard to stop, least of all by a struggling Punjab.

IPL 2nd highest-paid league, edges out EPL

NEW DELHI: If you think that cricketers' wages in the Indian Premier League don't measure up to what English Premier League footballers make, think again.

According to the inaugural Annual Review of Global Sports Salaries to be published later this week by sportingintelligence.com, the second highest-paid league, based on first-team salaries on a pro-rata basis, is our very own IPL.

Second only to the American National Basketball Association (NBA) league, whose annual average salary is 2.62 million pounds, the IPL's average salary, calculated over a year, is 2.5 million pounds. It must be remembered that the league is only played over a six-week period, making what cricketers earn for playing Twenty20 matches astounding.

The third highest-paid is American Major League Baseball (MLB), at 1.82 million pounds while EPL comes in fourth, at 1.46 million pounds.

In the 211-team list currently monitored by average first-team pay, Royal Challengers Bangalore comes in at 12th, at an average of 57,833 pounds a week, standing two places above Manchester United.

Injuries cast shadow on Twenty20 World Cup selection

MUMBAI: Injuries to key players, including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, would be at the back of the senior national selectors' mind when they sit on Friday to pick the Indian squad for Twenty20 Cricket World Cup which begins next month in the West Indies.

Dhoni and opener Gautam Gambhir were injured during the early part of the ongoing Indian Premier League while Ashish Nehra, another important member, has not played any match in the IPL for Delhi Daredevils due to a rib cage problem.

In last June's Twenty20 World Cup in England, India's defence for the title they won with much fanfare in 2007 in South Africa was affected because of injuries to key players Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan.

The selectors would be wary of the injuries to the key players when they meet to prune down the preliminary list of 30 players to half for the April 30-May 16 tournament in the Caribbean.

The biggest worry could be the injury to left-arm pacer Nehra, whose last competitive tie was against South Africa in the second ODI at Gwalior on February 24.

Gambhir, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, and Nehra went to Sri Lanka for ayurvedic treatment there.

Dhoni, who was hit on his forearm by New Zealand pacer Shane Bond when leading Chennai Super Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 16, has, however, rejoined his team members and declared himself fit.

Barring the odd surprise, the five selectors are unlikely to experiment too much with unknown commodities.

One of the players expected to get a look-in following his impressive show in 2008 IPL and current edition of the lucrative Twenty20 league is Karnataka's Manish Pandey, who has also been in peak form in this year's Ranji Trophy championship.

Pandey has made the wise move to move up the order and accompany veteran South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis in giving his franchise outfit Royal Challengers Bangalore sound starts in IPL 3.

The inclusion of Pandey will give the Indian team the option to have another explosive player at the top of the order to take advantage of the first six overs of power play which sets the tone of the course of the innings.

Another player, who is under a cloud but not because of injury, is Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, an integral part of the Indian ODI squad. The IPL had imposed on him a one-year ban for breaching player guidelines.

The IPL Governing Council has asked Cricket Board Vice President and legal expert Arun Jaitley to conduct a fresh hearing in the case by calling Jadeja as well as representatives of franchises Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians to sort out the issue.

A green signal for the talented Saurashtra all rounder would be an indication that he would be on the flight to the West Indies too after taking part in the remainder of the IPL that ends on April 25.

There have been news reports that the selectors can look beyond the preliminary list of players chosen on February 25 and sent to the International Cricket Council, but BCCI sources could not confirm it.

Impressive performers in IPL like Robin Uthappa of RCB, Saurabh Tiwary of MI and Murali Kartik of Kolkata Knight Riders were not part of the 30-strong list picked last month.

The selectors would have to decide on important issues like whether a second stumper would be required as back-up for Dhoni, how many pace bowlers need to be in the squad and whether any additional specialist spinner is required to support Harbhajan Singh.

There are quite a number of part-time spinners the team could bank upon like Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh if the selectors decide not to include any other specialist slow bowler apart from Harbhajan.

The 30-strong preliminary list of players: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, M S Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, S Sreesanth, Sudeep Tyagi, Rohit Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma, Abhishek Nayar, Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha, Piyush Chawla, Abhimanyu Mithun, Manish Pandey, R P Singh, Munaf Patel, M Vijay, Vinay Kumar, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin.

Videocon in line to buy stakes in Kings XI Punjab?

CHENNAI: After losing out to Sahara India in its bid to buy rights to new IPL franchise Pune, the Videocon Group, sources said, is now looking at joining the bandwagon by buying into Kings XI Punjab franchise.

Venugopal Dhoot, chairman of Videocon Group told TOI on Thursday, "I lost out in the IPL bid last week in this very city. So I'm certainly open to picking up a stake in one of the existing teams." When asked specifically about the Punjab team, Dhoot refused to confirm. However, he did not deny it either. "There are bound to be such rumours and of course, there are offers from various teams. But I have the Non Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to adhere to and cannot confirm anything at this stage."

Dhoot's VC Digital was in the running for the Pune franchise with a bid of $319.9 million in last Sunday's auction, but lost out to Sahara's hefty $370 million bid for Pune and Rendezvous Sports' bid of $333.33 million for Kochi.

While agency reports quoted Mohit Burman, co-owner of Kings XI Punjab, as saying that he might consider a sale if the bids were in excess of $250 million, the report also said that his team did not have any offers on hand and there were no buyers as of now.

Back in 2008, the Kings XI team had bid $76 million to win franchise rights over the Punjab team for a 10-year period. It is not known if Videocon is interested in buying partially into the team or the stakes held by all the shareholders.

The Kings XI team is currently co-owned by Ness Wadia of Bombay Dyeing, actor Preity Zinta, Mohit Burman of Dabur and Karan Paul of the Apeejay Surendera Group.

Dhoot is known to be a cricket lover. "I used to be the captain of the cricket team during my Fergusson College (Pune) days," he said. "But I am also a businessman, so for me to enter into the IPL, I need to be in a deal that makes business sense."

The IPL, now in its third edition, is currently in a frenzy. With revenue projections of the current edition put at more than $ one billion, IPL commissioner Lalit Modi said, "There is no other sporting event across the world generating more eyeballs than the IPL."

IPL: Dhawan, Tendulkar guide Mumbai to facile win over Chennai

MUMBAI: Sachin Tendulkar and Shikhar Dhawan hit sparkling half-centuries as Mumbai Indians upended Chennai Super Kings by five wickets to soar to the top of the points table of the Indian Premier League on Thursday.

Dhawan (56 off 34 balls) dominated the 92-run opening stand with Tendulkar (72 off 52 balls) to lay the foundation for a successful chase and the Mumbai Indian skipper lingered nearly till the end as the home side cruised to 181 for five in 19 overs for their fourth victory in five matches.

Earlier put into bat, Chennai Super Kings rode on the unbeaten 142-run stand between Suresh Raina (83) and Subramaniam Badrinath (55) to post a competitive 180 for two which in the end proved inadequate.

With Dhawan setting alight the Brabourne Stadium with his fifth IPL fifty, Mumbai Indians' chase got off to a flier as boundaries came thick and fast.

Tendulkar was not at his fluent best early on but Dhawan's clean hitting glossed over even that as the home side cruised along.

Dhawan hit Joginder Sharma for three fours in his first over and smote L Balaji for back-to-back sixes to make his intention clear.

A massive six off Shadab Jakati brought up his fifth IPL fifty but the left-arm spinner settled score in the same over when Raina pouched Dhawan's miscued shot.

Muttiah Muralitharan did not allow Saurabh Tiwary (2) to bloom, while Joginder castled R Satish (5) but Dhoni dropped Tendulkar off Jakati when the batsman was on 23 and the batting great did not look back since then.

Desperate for a breakthrough, Dhoni pressed Thissara Perera in service but the Sri Lankan bled 19 runs in his maiden over and the match was in Mumbai Indians' pocket by then.

Earlier, the 142-run unbeaten partnership between Raina and Badrinath lifted the Super Kings from 38 for two to 180 without losing any more wickets.

Raina was clearly the aggressor while Badrinath was the accumulator as the duo combined to give the visiting team a chance to end their two-match losing streak.

Raina struck three sixes and seven fours in his superbly paced 52-ball innings while Badrinath, slow to begin with, opened out later to strike six fours in 45 balls.

For Mumbai, Harbhajan Singh and Ryan McLaren emerged as the pick of the bowlers, with 1 for 25 and 1 for 23 respectively but Zaheer Khan, Dwayne Bravo and Lasith Malinga were very expensive, each conceding over 40 runs each without success.

The match began on a good note for the home team who won the toss and decided to field first.

Matthew Hayden (20) briefly threatened to take the match away with a flurry of boundaries in the second over but was dismissed by an inspiring piece of captaincy by Sachin Tendulkar.

Kept quiet in the first over by Ryan McLaren, Hayden attacked Zaheer Khan and carted the left arm bowler for four successive boundaries in the second over.

Zaheer was taken off the firing line for the third over by Tendulkar and spin trump card Harbhajan was brought into the attack.

The move paid dividends immediately when the off-spinner trapped the powerful Aussie leg before with his second ball.

Hayden made 20 off 12 balls and had just replaced his regular bat with his Mongoose blade to face the slow bowler.

McLaren, who was bowling superbly at the other end hardly gave anything away barring a flicked four to Hayden, struck another blow by dismissing Parthiv Patel for eight.

The diminutive left-handed batsman, trying to make room and hit to the off, edged the ball into his stumps and the Super Kings slumped to 38 for two after five overs.

Raina looked comfortable in the middle and worked a short ball from Bravo to the third man fence and then swung Harbhajan to the long leg boundary for fours.

Raina hooked Zaheer and pulled Malinga for sixes in successive overs while Badrinath also swung the latter as the visitors added 44 runs in the last five overs.

Rajasthan Royals face test of resilience against Chargers

AHMEDABAD: Their campaign back on track after two consecutive wins, Rajasthan Royals face a stern test of their resilience when they take on a confident Deccan Chargers in an Indian Premier League match on Friday.

The Royals, who had suffered blows after injuries to Graeme Smith and Dmitri Marcarenhas, came up with an all-round show to notch up their second IPL 3 win against laggards Kings XI Punjab last night but a clash against Deccan Chargers would be a much bigger test of character.

Deccan have been on the roll with three victories on the trot after losing their first match against Kolkata Knight Riders and they would want to continue the winning momentum though the crowd at Sardar Patel Stadium at Motera would be rooting for Shane Warne's men on Friday.

For the Deccan Chargers, Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds seemed to be a born-again cricketer after being dumped from the national side. He had been in consistent form for the Chargers in the IPL 3, including his man of the match winning performance against Delhi Daredevils last week.

Besides Symonds, the top order batsmen, including captain Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs, have got the starts and they are due a big score anytime.

In the bowling front, veteran Sri Lankan Chaminda Vaas has been among the wickets and utilising his vast international experience while bowling with the new ball and at the death.

Rohit Sharma and Pragyan Ojha have been doing reasonably well in the bowling front through the former has not been making much contribution with the bat. The only worry for the Chargers has been Rudra Pratap Singh leaking runs without also taking many wickets.

The good news for the Royals is that the side with few big names have been performing as a team in their last two matches.

Fortunately for the Jaipur-based side, Australian pacer Shaun Tait seemed to have got back his rhythm with a fine show against Kings XI Punjab last night. Siddharth Trivedi has been doing the batsmen stiffling job quite well.

In the batting front, the form of Adam Voges who played a quickfire innings last night would be heartening. But the worry of a poor start still persist with the openers not firing so far.

Englishman Michael Lumb made a decent contribution last night but Naman Ojha has not been doing anything worthwhile so far though he has been persisted with at the opener's slot.

More than a potential cracker of a match, the crowd at the adopted city of the Royals will also see a battle of guiles between two old mates, members of then all-conquering Australian side, now in opposite side as leaders of their own army.

Dhoni's return boosts CSK for Mumbai Indians clash

MUMBAI: Two back-to-back losses can be a demotivating factor for any team in the fast-paced world of IPL. However, Chennai Super Kings players looked in a cheerful mood on Wednesday - the eve of their match against Mumbai Indians.

The return of their captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni surely had something to do with that.

After being laid low for almost a week by a hit on his right elbow from a Shane Bond delivery, MSD was back to the nets at the Brabourne Stadium on Wednesday evening.

The big shots boomed in the intervals and the phsyio was on standby to loosen the medical tapes on the elbow. "It's a psychological boost having your skipper back," said the team's Kiwi coach Stephen Fleming before cautiously adding "We are hopeful and looking forward to Dhoni playing."

Recalling the topsy turvy loss to Kings XI Punjab in the Super Over and then the thrashing at the hands of the Royal Challengers, Fleming quipped, "We're a pretty positive side and we understand there are ups and downs in this form of the game. It doesn't get any easier but we are confident of what we can do, if we play well." The task surely isn't an easy one given the Mumbai Indians' run on home turf. But Fleming said his side was ready for the bullfight.

"Bangalore and Mumbai are certainly the most in-form teams at the moment and it is for the other teams to bring them down. That's our responsibility against Mumbai," he said.

For that to happen, the Super Kings would expect their big gun Matthew Hayden to explode once again, maybe with the Mongoose bat. What if he fails? "Hayden is a big-game player. If he doesn't perform, then we look to the Dhonis, the Rainas and Morkels. That's the beauty of having a good side," was Fleming's cool reply.

There will also be another difference between CSK's match at Bangalore on Tuesday and this one on Thursday: unlike the bouncy Chinnaswamy pitch, the track at Brabourne is a slow one. That will make Harbhajan Singh and Muthiah Muralitharan the ones to watch out for.

"I feel very good about it as it suits our game. Our leading wicket-taker is Murali and our spinners are also comfortable playing on slow tracks. It's good for us," felt Fleming.

There's perhaps also one huge difference on either side: the blazing form of Sachin Tendulkar. If the master continues from where he left two nights ago, it could well be another toughie for the Super Kings.

Ferrari flying start boosts Australian GP hopes

MELBOURNE: The Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa take the edge into Sunday's Australian Grand Prix after their one-two finish in the season opener in Bahrain a fortnight ago.

Alonso, the Spanish two-time world champion, won on his Ferrari debut as he led Brazilian teammate Massa home in the Bahrain Grand Prix with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton third.

Ferrari last won in Melbourne three years ago and are coming off a dismal 2009 season when the Italian giants limped home in fourth place in the constructors' championship behind Brawn, Red Bull Renault and McLaren for their lowest season finish since 1993.

Ferrari are expecting a sterner challenge from their main rivals around the Albert Park street circuit this weekend with reigning champion Jenson Button, then with Brawn, and Hamilton winners of the last two Australian races.

"The one-two win in Sakhir gave us confidence and was a great result but we can't take anything for granted," Alonso said.

"We have to keep our feet on the ground. In Melbourne we're starting from square one.

"Nothing has changed for me. There are four teams and eight drivers who can fight for victory and we have to give it our all to stay ahead of everybody else."

The Australian race offers an intriguing mix of four world champions and four race winners -- Alonso, Hamilton, Button and seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, who is back on the circuit at the age of 41.

"I had a great race in Bahrain and despite losing time in the opening stint I'm pleased that we've got some decent points on the board," 2008 champion Hamilton said.

"I like the Melbourne circuit, I think we'll go well there and I don't think we'll have the same problems that slowed our progress in Bahrain."

Schumacher, who dominated F1 racing before his retirement in 2006 with 91 wins in 249 GPs, has won the Australian race four times and can never be counted out of calculations, even if he has been away from the scene for three years.

"I am very happy with the outcome of the season opener in Bahrain," Schumacher said. "Sixth position was good for me, especially considering how few times I have driven an F1 car since my retirement.

"I am sure that Melbourne will help me to get into the rhythm even more and I am looking forward to it."

The Red Bull pair of Sebastian Vettel and Australian hope Mark Webber are looking to go one better than runner-up to Brawn last season.

Vettel began the season strongly in Bahrain until he was forced to slow down with reduced power and finished fourth.

"I think coming out of Bahrain we have very good cars so there is no reason we shouldn't be competitive here," the German said.

Webber, who is always a focal point at his home GP, has had a frustrating sequence of results since his debut fifth placing for Minardi in 2002.

The Australian has failed to finish four times and was 12th last year.

"Red Bull Racing's RB6 should be competitive this weekend, so my aim is to bang in a podium in Sunday's race," Webber said.

"There will be a lot of competition at the front, particularly from Ferrari, but on the strength of the RB6's pace in Bahrain my aim is to be at the sharp end from the outset."

The twisting 5.3-kilometre (3.3-mile) Albert Park circuit offers some tight corners, 16 of them dotted around the parkland layout, making overtaking difficult.

That will make Saturday's qualifying for starting grid positions even more important than other races and with no refuelling stops allowed this season cars will be heavier.

Cars are estimated to be carrying around 170 kilograms' (375 pounds) worth of fuel in Sunday's race.

Practice gets underway on Friday.

Masters expectations high for Tiger from Palmer, Monty

ORLANDO: Arnold Palmer says Tiger Woods should do everything to put his sex scandal behind him while Colin Montgomerie expects Woods to overcame nerves and handle any hecklers on his return.

On the eve of the $5.8 million US PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational, the main topic of conversation on Wednesday was Woods and his impending comeback at the Masters from a five-month break following a sex scandal.

"Move on. I think that's probably the best thing to do. Move on," Palmer said. "I suppose the best thing he could do would be open up and just let (reporters) shoot (questions) at him... that might be the best way to move on."

World number one Woods, a 14-time major champion chasing the all-time record of 18 major titles set by Jack Nicklaus, often screams obscenities after poor shots but has said he will be more respectful of the game when he returns.

Palmer, the 80-year-old US legend who helped popularize the sport a generation ago, held off on giving advice to Woods about that or about what more he needed to say after a public apology statement and two interviews last Sunday.

"I don't think it's my position to say," Palmer said. "I think it's up to him to do and say whatever he feels he needs to do to redeem the situation, put it in the proper place."

The first chance for Woods is tentatively set for April 5, the Monday before the Masters begins, when he is listed to conduct an afternoon news conference in a schedule released Wednesday by Augusta National Golf Club.

Woods has admitted he is nervous about the reception he will receive from spectators at Augusta National, where he played practice rounds Monday and Tuesday.

Unlike most PGA events, spectators at Augusta could lose their entry badges if they violate the traditional decorum of the Masters, so Woods might not have a true test from hecklers anyway.

But Scotsman Montgomerie, the 2010 European Ryder Cup captain, has been well-tested by US hecklers and doubts Woods will have any problems.

"I heard when he said that he's nervous to come back and that's the first time I've ever heard Tiger say those words," Montgomerie said. "It's going to be interesting.

"It's very shrewd what he has done, to come back in the most controlled atmosphere possible, the Masters. The patrons are very knowledgeable and will respect him as the golfer that he is and I think that there will be no issue at all.

"He will get over those nerves and be as determined as anyone has ever been on a golf course to prove that he's still the No. 1 player in the world, and in my opinion, the best player ever to play the game."

Montgomerie expects a Masters-like respect for Woods at the British Open in July at St. Andrews.

"I think we'll be welcoming him with open arms when he comes over," said Montgomerie. "He has won in 2000 and 2005 (at St. Andrews) and would start as a heavy favorite to do that again. We know that the crowd there will respect him as they do at the Masters as the golfer that he is."

Even after the ridicule of numerous affairs, taunts from spectators will be nothing for a player like Woods who has been in the spotlight since a television appearance golfing as a child, Montgomerie said.

"Tiger is different. He has a spotlight and has had on him for the last 10 years," Montgomerie said. "It's amazing how sometimes you see him swing a club and it comes down and just stops and it's incredible how he has that control to stop the club at that speed coming through.

"He has been used to this most of his professional career so I don't envisage my problems arising with that at all. He's the most focused sportsman I've ever known and I think that he will adapt accordingly."

Palmer and Montgomerie were divided over the potential drawbacks or benefits of returning at Augusta after a five-month layoff.

"You can't get very sharp not playing. Even just practicing won't do it. To be sharp, you have to compete," Palmer said.

Montgomerie sees it differently.

"There are more advantages than disadvantages," he said. "He's physically fit. He knows how to swing a golf club. He knows how to win. He just hasn't done it for a while. But he's the best player that has ever played and he will adapt accordingly."

Injuries cast shadow on Twenty20 World Cup selection

MUMBAI: Injuries to key players, including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, would be at the back of the senior national selectors' mind when they sit on Friday to pick the Indian squad for Twenty20 Cricket World Cup which begins next month in the West Indies.

Dhoni and opener Gautam Gambhir were injured during the early part of the ongoing Indian Premier League while Ashish Nehra, another important member, has not played any match in the IPL for Delhi Daredevils due to a rib cage problem.

In last June's Twenty20 World Cup in England, India's defence for the title they won with much fanfare in 2007 in South Africa was affected because of injuries to key players Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan.

The selectors would be wary of the injuries to the key players when they meet to prune down the preliminary list of 30 players to half for the April 30-May 16 tournament in the Caribbean.

The biggest worry could be the injury to left-arm pacer Nehra, whose last competitive tie was against South Africa in the second ODI at Gwalior on February 24.

Gambhir, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, and Nehra went to Sri Lanka for ayurvedic treatment there.

Dhoni, who was hit on his forearm by New Zealand pacer Shane Bond when leading Chennai Super Kings against Kolkata Knight Riders on March 16, has, however, rejoined his team members and declared himself fit.

Barring the odd surprise, the five selectors are unlikely to experiment too much with unknown commodities.

One of the players expected to get a look-in following his impressive show in 2008 IPL and current edition of the lucrative Twenty20 league is Karnataka's Manish Pandey, who has also been in peak form in this year's Ranji Trophy championship.

Pandey has made the wise move to move up the order and accompany veteran South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis in giving his franchise outfit Royal Challengers Bangalore sound starts in IPL 3.

The inclusion of Pandey will give the Indian team the option to have another explosive player at the top of the order to take advantage of the first six overs of power play which sets the tone of the course of the innings.

Another player, who is under a cloud but not because of injury, is Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, an integral part of the Indian ODI squad. The IPL had imposed on him a one-year ban for breaching player guidelines.

Dhoni practices with CSK, to take final call on Thursday

MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings' IPL campaign received a major fillip on Wednesday with injured skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni joining the squad and practising at the nets ahead of their clash with Mumbai Indians on Thursday.

Dhoni had injured his right elbow after being hit by a Shane Bond delivery during their match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens and eventually was ruled out of three subsequent matches against Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Coach Stephen Fleming said the team was cautious but optimistic about Dhoni's return against the high-flying MI and if it happens it would be major psychological boost.

"It looks good. He is right back with the team and he's also training. We will take a call on his fitness tomorrow. We have to see how his arm reacts. We are happy at this stage but we will be cautious," Fleming said.

The former New Zealand captain explained that there were extraneous factors outside the IPL's ambit that has to be considered before a call is taken on whether the India captain can play on Thursday.

"We are looking at his full fitness and there are also responsibilities to the Indian cricket. There are a lot of interested parties. We will be cautious but we are optimistic," he said.

Fleming admitted that the loss to Kings XI Punjab prior to loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore has hurt the team badly.

"That was a big game to lose for us. That did hurt. Then we faced a very good side, the Royal Challengers last night. It has been tough couple of days for us but we are still very positive. We have been in this position before in the two previous editions.

"I guess it is a psychological boost to have the skipper back, good for the team morale. It's great to have him around. We understand there are ups and down. We are positive and we are looking forward to playing another good side," he said.

Fleming feels if a team wins 60 per cent of the matches, it would be enough to gain the top four berth and said that's what his team would be aiming at.

"History of the competition says it is going to come down to the wires. Early round wins are important. That's why the loss to Punjab certainly hurt us in the dressing room.

"We know winning 50 or 60 per cent of games or seven or eight games will be enough. All we have to do is make last four. We are realistic we want to get back on that winning roll," he said.

Conceding that RCB and Mumbai Indians are the two teams who were looking good to make the semis, Fleming said it was for the other teams to bring them down on level terms.

"At the moment Bangalore and Mumbai are certainly the teams in form. It can change with injuries and form slump. It's for other teams to stop that and bring them to the pack. It's our responsibility with Mumbai tomorrow," he said.

He also felt that giving the captaincy of CSK to Suresh Raina, even when Mathew Hayden was around, was the right decision.

"The IPL is all about developing the Indian players. Suresh Raina is a champion in the making and he's going to be a very good captain. He did an exceptional job when the resources were down and the balance of the side had changed. Developing him as captain through Chennai for India is good," he said.

Tendulkar rules out playing Twenty20 World Cup

NEW DELHI: Master batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday ruled out playing in this year's Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies, saying he sticks to his stance of not playing Twenty20 Internationals anymore.

Even though Tendulkar is not among the 30 probables already selected for the April 30-May 16 event, former captain Sunil Gavaskar led the chorus, asking Tendulkar, who is in sensational form, to change his stance and play in the Twenty20 World Cup.

Tendulkar, however, dismissed the possibility. "I will not be playing the ICC World Twenty20. I have not played Twenty20 Internationals from 2007 onwards and I don't think it should become an issue now," Tendulkar said.

Tendulkar, along with senior players Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, had opted out of the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup, which Indian won under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's captaincy.

Since then, Tendulkar has kept himself out of Twenty20 Internationals, saying he did not want to upset the team which had won the 2007 World Cup.

Will Sahara now drop Team India?

NEW DELHI: Is IPL's ever-growing stature adversely affect Team Indian's fortunes? It's likely. After buying the IPL Pune franchisee for a whopping Rs 1702 crore, a strong buzz is that Sahara India is having a rethink on its deal as the main sponsor of the Indian team.

"We haven't taken a call. We will decide on it once the Twenty20 World Cup is over. As of now, we are still with the Indian team and hopefully, will continue our association," Abhijit Sarkar, Sahara's head of corporate communications, told TOI on Tuesday.

Till date, Sahara has paid Rs 400 crore for the Indian team sponsorship in the last four years and so. It's four-year contract with the Indian cricket board ended in December 2009. But it was asked to continue for another six months after BCCI could not find any takers for the sponsorship, at the price it was asking for. As per the deal, Sahara is paying more than Rs 2 crore for an ODI, almost Rs 2 crore for a Test and more than Rs 1.5 crore for a Twenty20 match that India play.

Now that Sahara has joined the big league of IPL team owners after forking out a huge sum, will it have the money and the inclination to continue to be the main sponsors of the national team? If no, then what happens to brand Team India? Well, only time will tell. Sarkar, on his part, clarified, "We wish to continue the association and we'll discuss it out."

On Tuesday, Sahara chief Subroto Roy was quoted by agencies that the group was reviewing the sponsorship with the Indian team.

Rajasthan, Punjab clash in battle of laggards

MOHALI: High on morale after ending their three-match losing streak, both Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab would be hoping to carry on the winning momentum when the two teams clash against each other in an Indian Premier League on Wednesday.

Kings XI and Rajasthan Royals are at the bottom of the points table with just one win out of the four matches they played in the event so far and both the teams need to get their acts together to be in with the slightest chance of progressing to the semi-finals.

Notwithstanding, their performance in the tournament so far, on paper Kings XI look a more formidable side as the team has plenty of international stars up its ranks.

As if Yuvraj Singh's return to form was not enough of a worry for Rajasthan, Kings XI, who snapped their losing streak with a thrilling Super Over win over Chennai Super Kings last Saturday, got a major boost when Aussie speedster Brett Lee and opener Shaun Marsh joined the side on Monday.

In the last match against Chennai, Punjab's batting mainly revolved around Irfan Pathan and Yuvraj with the duo managing 82 runs in the 10 overs they faced between them, while the rest of the batters wore a sorry look, scoring just 54.

Englishman Ravi Bopara too has been inconsistent with the bat, but the major concern for Kings XI would be the form of its Sri Lankan recruits skipper Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene.

Both Sangakkara and Jayawardene have so far done very little in the tournament and its high time for the duo to come up with performances to justify their star status in the team.

Devoid of any big names, the Punjab side bowling department did more than a decent job against a strong Chennai batting line-up in the last match.

A little-known South African pacer Juan Theron, making his IPL debut turned out to be Punjab's bowling hero in the regulation time against Chennai.

And Lee's return has further strengthened Kings XI bowling department which lacked the firepower up front.

Rajasthan Royals, on the other hand, finally clicked as a unit during their 34 runs victory over Kolkata Knight Riders last week.

The Jaipur-based team, which won the inaugural IPL in 2008, is a depleted outfit this year and mainly boasts of bits and pieces players.

In the absence of Australian Shane Watson, Rajasthan's batting completely relies on big-hitting Yusuf Pathan who registered the first century on IPL 3 against Mumbai Indians in their tournament opener.

But overdependence seems to have affected Yusuf's batting off late as he failed to make any significant impact with the bat after the ton.

But ICL-returnee Abhishek Jhunjhunwala has turned out to be the anchor of Rajasthan batting line-up with consistent performances and Adam Voges has been a valuable addition in the middle-order.

On the bowling front, Shaun Tait came up with a much-improved display against Kolkata and seemed to have learnt from his mistakes of spraying the ball all around the wicket.

However, Rajasthan's main weapon would be the spin department as they rely heavily on slow bowling.

If not the bat, Pathan has proved his worth with his slow off-spinners that proved more than handy against Kolkata.

To help Rajasthan's cause, captain Shane Warne seems to have found his mojo as he extracted drift and turn from the wicket against Kolkata to keep the batsmen on tenterhooks.

Sania drops eight places to 92 in singles rankings

NEW DELHI: India's Sania Mirza, out of action because of a chronic wrist injury, has dropped eight places to 92 in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings released on Monday.

Meanwhile, Somdev Devvarman has climbed a place to 120 in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) rankings.

Somdev, who is now playing in the qualifiers of Sony Ericsson Open, has a career-best ranking of 116.

US-based Indian Prakash Amritraj also climbed a place to 217th.

In the men's doubles rankings, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi remain unchanged at sixth and eighth place.

Mumbai Indians thrash Knight Riders by 7 wickets

MUMBAI: In-form Sachin Tendulkar hammered a blistering unbeaten half century to lead Mumbai Indians to an easy seven-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League on Monday.

Captain Tendulkar, who struck a 48-ball unbeaten 71, tore apart the Knight Rider bowling attack with a superb exhibition of strokeplay to notch up his second IPL 3 half century in front of a packed crowd at the Brabourne Stadium.

He was given good support by opener Shikhar Dhawan (23 in 21 balls) and one-down Saurabh Tiwary, who made a quick-fire 30 in 24 balls with three fours and a six, as Mumbai Indians romped home with nine balls to spare in chase of 156.

Earlier, Chris Gayle's stroke-filled 60-ball 75 in his first IPL 3 appearance powered Kolkata Knight Riders to a competitive 155 for three after the visitors elected to bat.

Tendulkar, who hit 10 fours for his fifth IPL half century, was particularly severe on speedster Ishant Sharma whom he hooked and pulled with disdain for the majority of his boundaries.

Tendulkar and Dhawan, playing his first match, put on 61 runs in 6.5 overs to give the MI innings a flying start, and 56 for the second wicket with Tiwary.

Tendulkar, whose previous half-century (63) helped MI to beat Delhi Daredevils in their second tie, later forged an unfinished stand of 27 with Rajagopal Satish (21 not out in 11 balls) for the fourth wicket to take the home team past the finish line in 18.3 overs.

With the win, their third in four matches, Mumbai Indians joined Royal Challengers Bangalore and Deccan Chargers at the IPL 3 table with six points.

Kolkata Knight Riders, on the other hand, slumped to their third loss on the trot after winning their first two matches in IPL 3.

Mumbai Indians rocketed off to a brilliant start in their run-chase with Dhawan setting the tone in the first over before Tendulkar took over the attacking reins from his junior partner.

Dhawan, included in the team to launch the innings after MI left out out-of-touch veteran Sri Lankan batsman Sanath Jayasuriya, struck New Zealand speedster Shane Bond for three fours in the first over.

Turning Bond to the fine leg fence off the first ball, the left-handed opener from Delhi cover-drove the Kiwi fast bowler exquisitely for his second boundary before finishing the over in style by square driving for another four.

Tendulkar, who watched his teammate from the other end in appreciation, followed suit immediately by carving the tall Ishant for three fours, the first two shots passing the bowler on his follow through on either side and the last a superb cover drive.

With 24 runs coming in first two overs, KKR skipper Sourav Ganguly turned his attention to Gayle's fast off breaks and the West Indian applied the brakes in third over.

But another poor over by Ishant, coupled with a misfiled due to bad bounce from the practice wicket, was taken full advantage by Tendulkar who struck the India pacer for three more fours -- a cover drive, followed by a hook and a ferocious pull.

Another excellent on-drive off Gayle by Tendulkar brought up the MI's 50 in the 5th over. Bond was struck for another four by Dhawan and at the end of the power play.

But Dhawan lost his patience when left-arm spinner Murali Kartik was introduced and flicked the slow bowler straight to rival skipper Ganguly at short mid-wicket to depart for 23 in 21 balls, with four hits to the fence.

Tiwary joined Tendulkar and with the field spread out singles and twos were the staple diet before in one fruitful over -- the 13th of the innings -- Tiwary slammed the till-then miserly Gayle for three boundaries after having carted Mathews with a flat bat for his and the innings' first six in the previous over.

Tendulkar pulled down the asking rate further the moment Ishant was back into the attack as he pulled the hapless bowler for two fours in successive balls, the first one helping him complete his 50 in 35 balls with nine fours.

Ishant took his revenge by dismissing Tiwary who was caught brilliantly by Ganguly but MI were by then well on way to their third victory in four matches, and second at home.

The home side lost West Indian Kieron Pollard cheaply, before Tendulkar and Satish finished the job in style.

Earlier, Mumbai Indians produced a disciplined bowling performance to restrict Kolkata Knight Riders to 155 for three after the visitors elected to bat after winning the toss.

The Knight Riders innings revolved around Chris Gayle's stroke-filled 75 in his first IPL 3 appearance.

After missing the previous tie against Rajasthan Royals in Ahmedabad due to flu, the West Indies skipper slipped into the groove smoothly during his 60-ball knock, that included two sixes and seven fours, besides forging two fruitful half century partnerships.

The left-handed Gayle, who missed KKR's first two ties because of his international commitments, gave the Knight Riders a flying start of 70 runs with skipper Sourav Ganguly, who made 31 in 34 balls.

After Ganguly's dismissal, Mumbai Indians bowlers got their act together to apply brakes for a while before Gayle opened up in his inimitable style in the company of Owais Shah (31 in 23 balls) to give the visitors a fighting total.

Gayle, who shared an 82-run stand for the second wicket with Owais Shah, was out to the last ball of the innings, trapped LBW by Zaheer Khan, the most successful bowler with 2/27.

Harbhajan was easily the pick of Mumbai Indians attack with a four-over spell in which he gave away 17 runs for the prized wicket of Ganguly.

Confident Bangalore take on wounded Chennai

BANGALORE: On a roll with three successive wins, a Jacques Kallis-propelled Royal Challengers Bangalore juggernaut runs into a staggered but robust Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.

RCB have been on a wild run, notching up three consecutive wins since their defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in their tournament opener.

Their batting have come alive with Kallis leading the batting brigade with a bevy of unbeaten and match-winning knocks like 65, 89, 44 and 66 in the last four ties.

The supremely talented Manish Pandey has also been in rollicking form, producing cameos that have left even seasoned cricketers bewildered on the field.

The 21-year-old, who has been shortlisted for the ICC T20 World Cup in the Caribbean islands, has not only destroyed bowling attacks with impunity but has also caught the eye with his outstanding fielding.

RCB have another big hitter in Robin Uthappa, who virtually butchered Sreesanth, plundering 25 runs in one eventful over off the emotive Kings XI Punjab paceman.

Having been part of the triumphant T20 World Cup team in South Africa, Uthappa would be itching to win back his place in the Indian team with more blazing performances in the IPL.

Besides their batting, RCB have also jelled well as a bowling unit, restricting Rajasthan Royals (92) and Mumbai Indians (151) to modest scores in the their last two outings.

Speedster Dale Steyn, hat-trick man Praveen Kumar and last match's hero R Vinay Kumar have done their job pretty well, giving skipper Anil Kumble the liberty to tease and lure batsmen to their doom with flight and guile.

All-rounder Kallis have also contributed with the ball and have chipped in whenever the team needed him most.

Considering their match-winning performance over the last week, RCB should start favourites. But they would make a mistake if they take Chennai Super Kings for granted.

For Chennai, Matthew Hayden, who destroyed Delhi Dare Devils with a blistering 43-ball 92, could be dangerous anywhere, anytime. So could Suresh Raina, captaining the side in place of the injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Raina's men, who have lost two of their first four games, should be an incensed lot and last night's nail-biting Super Over defeat to Kings XI Punjab is bound to play on their mind.

Chasing a modest 136, CSK could only manage to tie the game. And when it mattered most, they fell excruciatingly short in the one-over eliminator, throwing a life-line to Punjab who had lost three games on a trot.

Defeats like these could be demoralising but, on the converse, could also trigger performances which are much above their potential. But for that to happen, they would have to consign the dramatic loss to history before the game starts.

The wheels of fortunes can change quickly in a T20 game. A different venue and a bouncy and lively wicket could produce different results. With two teams of equal professional ilk and skill challenging each other, Tuesday's night game should be an enthralling fare.

Saina Nehwal breaks into top 5 of world badminton rankings

NEW DELHI: Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal touched a new high on Thursday as she zoomed into the top-five of the world rankings at a career-best fifth spot following her stupendous show in the All England Badminton Championships earlier this month.

Saina, whose previous best on the chart was the sixth spot she attained last year, surprised one and all by becoming the first Indian woman to reach the semi-finals of the prestigious All England Super Series Championships.

Saina lost to Tine Rasmussen of the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the event.

Riding on her fantastic show, the Indian gained a couple of spots in the latest list with 58516.7646 points in her kitty.

Chinese shuttlers dominate the top half of the women's rankings with Yihan Wang leading the pack followed by Wang Lin, Xin Wang and Jiang Yanjiao respectively.

In the men's rankings, Chetan Anand dropped a rung to 10th but P Kashyap gained one spot to be 29th. Arvind Bhat remained static at 36th but Anup Sridhar slipped to 40th, a loss of one position.

In the mixed doubles rankings, Jwala Gutta and V Diju's pair slipped one spot to 10th in the latest list.

Modi plans second IPL, this one overseas

NEW DELHI: Imagine an Indian Premier League (IPL) match being played in Los Angeles, California. If IPL chairman Lalit Modi has his way, this could well become a reality.

After its roaring success at home, Modi is mulling the idea of taking the league overseas every year to places like the UK, Middle East and North America.

"This is just a proposal at the moment. The idea is to begin with exhibition matches overseas. It all depends on how the British, North American and Middle Eastern TV viewers react to this year's IPL. Based on that, there could be a short IPL played outside India in the future," Modi told TOI on Thursday.

Modi clarified that if overseas matches do become a reality, they would form part of a second IPL tournament.

IPL is already set to expand from 2011, with 10 teams instead of eight and be 94 matches instead of 60.

Modi plans second IPL, this one overseas

NEW DELHI: Imagine an Indian Premier League (IPL) match being played in Los Angeles, California. If IPL chairman Lalit Modi has his way, this could well become a reality.

After its roaring success at home, Modi is mulling the idea of taking the league overseas every year to places like the UK, Middle East and North America.

"This is just a proposal at the moment. The idea is to begin with exhibition matches overseas. It all depends on how the British, North American and Middle Eastern TV viewers react to this year's IPL. Based on that, there could be a short IPL played outside India in the future," Modi told TOI on Thursday.

Modi clarified that if overseas matches do become a reality, they would form part of a second IPL tournament.

IPL is already set to expand from 2011, with 10 teams instead of eight and be 94 matches instead of 60.

IPL's shadow over T20 World Cup

NEW DELHI: Could the sheer intensity of IPL games derail India's World T20 prospects? Given the spate of injuries to players who are expected to play a key role in the West Indies starting from April 30 - New Zealand play Sri Lanka at Providence just five days after the IPL final - it might finally be time for some cricketers to take a call on how best to preserve their energies.

The latest to join the bandwagon is Delhi Daredevils skipper and India opener Gautam Gambhir, who strained his hamstring while fielding against Mumbai Indians on Wednesday and might be out for some time. Gambhir played a central role in India's victory in South Africa in the inaugural edition of the World T20 and the injury has come at a critical time. The team's worries, though, might just begin there.

MS Dhoni is already out for 10 days from the IPL after being struck on the arm by a Shane Bond delivery. Will he be carrying a niggle to the Caribbean? Yusuf Pathan is being persisted with by the depleted Rajasthan Royals in spite of injuring his shoulder while fielding. How fit will the big-hitter be to free his arms for India when the time comes?

Ashish Nehra has picked up a rib injury which has ruled him out for two weeks. The left-arm pacer's track record on injuries, incidentally, is not too inspiring. Harbhajan Singh too survived an early scare. Yuvraj Singh is yet to fully recover from a wrist injury and given how injury-prone India's T20 batting mainstay has become, is it a wise idea for him to go all out in the IPL?

Another player central to India's plans, Suresh Raina, wouldn't be drawn into the debate. "You never know about injuries. My job is to play as much as I can and I will try," he said. Delhi Daredevils assistant coach Eric Simons was more forthcoming on Gambhir's condition: "Gambhir had gone this morning for a scan. I think (the injury) is reasonably serious. We don't know at this stage how bad the injury is."

Understandably, Simons was cautious when asked if the IPL was affecting national teams' fortunes, given that South Africa skipper Graeme Smith has also gone home after yet another serious finger injury. "The IPL has become a very important part of international cricket. I suppose one has to look at the overall picture of over 12-24 months. If after assessment one finds that the injuries are related to the tournament, then we will be more aware," he said.

These are all questions India's think-tank must seriously consider, though whether the franchisees are willing to make allowances for the national team in the high-stakes bustle of the IPL is another matter. Last year, Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan picked up injuries in South Africa during IPL 2 and amid reports of team discord, India put up a dismal performance immediately after in the second World T20 in England. Can India avoid a repeat? Given that their recent track record in ICC tournaments is poor, can MS Dhoni afford to risk his key players, or himself?

Lee's return to Australia prompted by security fears: Report

MELBOURNE: Security concerns in India prompted Brett Lee's return to Australia for treatment on his injured elbow, his agent has claimed.

The fast bowler, who plays for Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League, is in Sydney to get treatment on his elbow, which was operated a couple of months ago.

Lee's agent Neil Maxwell said the bowler would rather be at home for treatment than in India owing to security fears.

"From a security point of view he'd prefer to be spending the time waiting in Sydney rather than Chandigarh," Lee's manager Neil Maxwell told 'The Age'.

However, Kings XI Punjab CEO Anil Srivats insisted that Lee's decision to return had "nothing to do with security".

"There is enough precedence to know that this (kind of) stuff can always be cooked up," he said.

Michael Clarke breaks silence

WELLINGTON: Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke faced the news media on Wednesday for the first time since his split with fiancée Lara Bingle and said temporarily quitting the tour of New Zealand to resolve a relationship problem was important.

Clarke left the tour before the third of five one-day internationals when Bingle, a 22-year-old bikini model, became embroiled in a dispute over the publication of nude photographs taken by a former boyfriend.

He rejoined his teammates in Wellington ahead of the first of two Tests against New Zealand and after his split with Bingle became a major news story in Australia.

Clarke refused to discuss his private life at a news conference but said leaving his teammates to deal with personal issues was something he needed to do.

"I made a decision firstly to go home and then to come back," he said. "It was obviously something I felt was very important and needed to be done and I did that.

"My teammates were fantastic and very supportive, all my friends and family have been wonderful.

"For me it's important to do what I had to do in my personal life and it's important for me now to be back with my teammates and make sure I'm concentrating on playing a Test match for Australia."

Clarke said he understood the continuing interest in aspects of his private life and appreciated the support of his teammates during a difficult period.

"I'm not going to comment on my personal life," he said.

"It's been a very interesting couple of weeks but it's great to be back here in New Zealand with my teammates. The guys have been fantastic, so supportive, and I'm here preparing for a Test match and I'm really looking forward to Friday.

"Everybody is entitled to their ... have their jobs to do, I guess, and I certainly understand being a professional athlete, what you do on and off the field is going to be recognized, and I accept that."

Clarke expects to be heckled by spectators during the Wellington Test over his breakup with Bingle.

"I'm sure I'll get a little bit of stick but I don't mind that," he said. "No matter where you are in the world, every country wants their team to win and do well. We'll wait and see what happens on Friday but I don't think it will affect me too much.

"I've copped a fair bit of sledging in my time whether it be about stuff on the field or off the field. I have the utmost respect for the New Zealand guys and I'm sure they're the same. We'll play it by ear but I don't think it will affect me."

IPL: Super Kings beat Knight Riders by 55 runs

KOLKATA: Pacer Justin Kemp took three wickets for 12 as Chennai Super Kings capitalised on some pathetic batting display by Kolkata Knight Riders to score a 55-run victory in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.

Scorecard Match in Pics

Kemp bowled a tight line and length in his three overs and he was ably supported by his pace colleague Lakshmipathy Balaji who took two wickets by conceding just nine runs from his 2.2 overs as CSK shot out the home team for just 109 in 19.2 overs in chase of 165.

Earlier, electing to bat, CSK rode on a late blitzkrieg by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who plundered an unbeaten 66 from 33 balls, and Subramaniam Badrinath (43 not out off 33 balls) to post 164 for three after a slow start.

Chasing a challenging total, the Kolkata batsmen competed in gifting away wickets as their top half were back in the pavillion by the ninth over at team score of 55.

None of the KKR top order batsmen made any significant contribution with Wriddhiman Saha top-scoring with a 13-ball 22. Spinner Murali Kartik was the next highest scorer with 21. Laxmi Ratan Shukla contributed 19 while captain Sourav Ganguly made 11. With today's loss, KKR's two-game winning streak was snapped.

The Kolkata outfit made a disastrous start in their run chase with opener Brad Hodge falling for a duck in the second ball of the innings with R Ashwin taking a fine catch after the Australian tried to pull an Albie Morkel short ball.

Seven balls later, last match half centurion Manoj Tiwary perished to a Manpreet Gony incoming delivery and the KKR batsman found his middle stump cart wheeling for eight.

Wriddhiman Saha looked good in his brief innings of 22 from 13 balls studded with five fours. Having hit Balaji for a four, Saha's inexperience was exposed when the former India pacer gate-crashed his defence to uproot the middle stump.

Owais Shah (5) followed suit and captain Ganguly (11) too joined him in the pavillion as the former India skipper was caught at the mid-on off Kemp. KKR were 55 for five then and never recovered from there.

KKR found the going tough at their home ground with wickets continued to fall as Balaji and Kemp were on a roll.

Kemp got his second scalp in the form of Angelo Mathews (6) and followed it up with that of Rohan Gavaskar (2) as KKR almost gave up the fight.

Laxmi Ratan Shukla (19) and Shane Bond (1) departed in consecutive overs as KKR were 84 for nine in 14.1 over and an eerie silence engulfed the packed Eden Gardens.

Kartik briefly put up resistance with a 20-ball 21 before he was the last man out.

Earlier, Dhoni and Badrinath amassed 109 runs in 65 balls in their unbroken fourth wicket. Dhoni hit six fours and three sixes in his explosive knock while Badrinath hit three fours and a six as KKR conceded 58 runs in the last five overs.

The Knight Riders had a disciplined start with their new recruit Shane Bond bowling a tidy fast bowling spell with the new ball as he began his IPL stint conceding just one run from his first over.

On the other end, Ishant Sharma tested Murali Vijay who had a couple of lucky boundaries but it was Bond who gave the former Australian opener Matthew Hayden some anxious time.

Preferring not to use his mongoose bat, Hayden batted with the conventional willow and took seven balls to open his account. The pressure created by Bond, who had a tidy two over spell giving away just seven runs, was enough to panic Hayden who played on to his stumps in Ishant's first ball of the second over.

Ganguly then brought in his leading wicket taker Angelo Mathews and Laxmi Ratan Shukla, a move that saw the run-rate of Dhoni's team coming down to 4.40 at the end of five overs.

After Hayden's fall at 16 in the fourth over, Suresh Raina had a tentative start but soon came into his act with Vijay as the duo managed to take the run-rate to six.

But with Ganguly smartly rotating his bowlers, KKR got their second breakthrough in the ninth over. He brought Laxmi Ratan Shukla from the pavilion end gave and KKR got second breakthrough with Vijay inside-edging a full length delivery.

Another bowling change in the form of off-spinner Brad Hodge yielded another wicket as CSK were reduced to 55 for three in 9.1 overs. Raina fell in the off-spinner's first ball as he found his leg-stump knocked off.

Dhoni started cautiously but opened up only in the 15th over when he smashed Angelo Mathews for a six over long-on to see the run-rate creep above six. He and S Badrinath hit some lusty blows as they put on 83 runs from the last six overs to take the score past 160.

Dhoni completed his half-century in 28 balls, scoring 17 from Bond's last over and CSK's 19th over.

Ishant, Shukla and Hodge took one wicket each conceding 38, 37 and four runs while Bond returned wicketless conceding 33 runs from his four overs.

Wasteful Federer suffers shock loss to Baghdatis

INDIAN WELLS, California: Roger Federer squandered three match points before suffering a shock 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 defeat at the hands of Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis at the Indian Wells ATP tournament on Tuesday.

The Swiss world number one, who had beaten the Cypriot in all six of their previous meetings, lost the tiebreak 7-4 and the third-round match when he failed to return his opponent's powerful first serve.

Federer, a three-time champion at Indian Wells, held two match points late in the second set and another in the 12th game of the third but wasted all of them through unforced errors.

"Seven is my lucky number," a jubilant Baghdatis said in a courtside interview after claiming victory in two hours, 22 minutes. "I don't know what to say. I'm very happy. It's an amazing win for me."

The 27th-ranked Baghdatis will next meet Spaniard Tommy Robredo, who beat Israel's Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-0 earlier in the day.

"I used up too many chances," Federer told reporters, having lost when holding at least one match point for the first time since his defeat by Rafael Nadal in the 2006 Rome final.

"Comes back and haunts you. But he hung in there, obviously, otherwise he wouldn't be there. That was the result."

Federer appeared to have the match under control when he broke Baghdatis in the 12th game to take the opening set in 45 minutes.

The second went with serve until Federer, leading 5-4, wasted two match points after going 15-40 up on his opponent's serve.

The 16-times Grand Slam champion hit a forehand long and then watched as a backhand floated beyond the baseline for Baghdatis to get to deuce before holding for 5-5.

The Cypriot, who reached his first Grand Slam final at the 2006 Australian Open where his run was ended by Federer, broke the Swiss in the next game and then held again to level the match.

Federer regained control when he broke Baghdatis in the fourth game of the final set but the Cypriot broke back in the seventh when the Swiss netted a forehand.

Although Federer earned a third match point in the 12th after Baghdatis dumped a forehand volley into the net, he failed to convert when going for a backhand winner down the line.

The Cypriot, who entertained the stadium court crowd all night with his deft mix of intelligent lobs and bold drop shots, held serve when a mistimed Federer backhand sailed wide and went on to dominate the tiebreak.

"It wasn't the worst match, you know," Federer said. "Conditions are quick, it's tough to return, but I did many good things tonight but also many bad things.

"It's just a question of not letting that happen too often. I could be sitting here an hour earlier and saying how comfortably I won the match in straight sets not playing great, but moving forward.

"It's always a very fine line. That's not why I don't like to now beat myself up too much after a loss like this."

Knight Riders beat Royal Challengers by 7 wickets

KOLKATA: Angelo Mathews returned with a four-wicketaul as a disciplined Kolkata Knight Riders notched up their second successive win, beating Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets in the third Indian Premier League on Sunday.

Cheered on by Shah Rukh Khan at the jam-packed Eden Gardens, Knight Riders first restricted the Royal Challengers at 135 for seven and then rode on half centuries by Manoj Tiwary (50) and Brad Hodge (50) to overhaul the target with four balls to spare.

Having excelled with the bat against defending champions Deccan Chargers in their last match, Sri Lankan all-rounder Mathews this time ripped the Royal Challengers apart with four for 19 to become the destroyer-in-chief.

The medium-pacer was brilliantly supported by left-arm spinner Murali Kartik as Knight Riders prevailed from the beginning.

Chasing 136 to win, Knight Riders had a flying start with Tiwary and Hodge milking the Royal Challengers bowlers as they cruised to 85 for no loss in 10 overs.

Kumble used five bowlers in the first 10 overs but they failed to get a breakthrough with Tiwary and Hodge on fire.

The duo did not let Kumble's opening bowling pair of Praveen Kumar and Jacques Kallis to settle as he brought in himself and Dale Steyn but without any success.

RCB even struggled on the field and failed to bring in an easy run out in the 3.2 overs when Tiwary had some problem in his ankle and struggled to go for a second run.

Steyn had a brilliant throw from the rope but stumper Goswami and Dravid made a mess of it with Kallis and Kumble looking aghast at the other end.

Tiwary, however, wasn't complaining as he continued his assault smashing ace leg-spinner Kumble for 15 from eight balls including three boundaries as he cruised to 50 in 28 balls before being caught and bowled by Roelf van der Merwe.

With Knight Riders 101 for one in 11.4 overs, Ganguly joined Hodge in the middle but the agony for the Royals Challengers continued with butter-fingered Goswami dropping Ganguly when he was yet to open his account.

Hodge, in the mean time, completed his half-century and soon found himself caught by Manish Pandey off the bowling of van der Merwe as Cheteshwar Pujara joined Ganguly in the middle.

Looking to complete the formality with three runs remaining, Ganguly found himself dismissed by Praveen Kumar. The ace southpaw scored 23 runs facing 22 balls with one boundary and one six in his knock.

Earlier put into bat, Jacques Kallis anchored the RCB innings with a defiant 65 not out off 52 balls that included six boundaries.

Ray Jenning's tactics of banking on rookie Indian youngsters in batting misfired as the trio of Shreevats Goswami (8), Manish Pandey (0) and Virat Kohli (2) could only manage 10 runs.

Charl Langeveldt and Ishant Sharma tested Goswami, who opened the innings with Kallis, with pace and bounce. The stumper couldn't negotiate the short deliveries and soon became a victim of the former caught at third man.

Manish Pandey also departed in no time as RCB slided to 17 for two. In desperation to open his account, Pandey (0) dragged one onto his stumps as Mathews got his first wicket in his third ball.

Left-arm spinner Kartik then scalped two wickets from his two overs as Royal challengers were tottering at 35 for four.

Kartik first scalped Kohli (2) as he charged down the track only to find Mathews near the rope. English recruit Eoin Morgan was the next to go as in his pursuit for a reverse sweep he was castled by Kartik.

Opener Kallis, however, remained unruffled at the other end as he along with another veteran Rahul Dravid tried to make some repair work.

But thinking skipper Ganguly brought in Mathews again and he dismissed Dravid who inside-edged a low full toss to see his team slip to 73 for five.

The duo yielded 38 runs for the fifth wicket as Dravid departed for 21 from 16 balls with three fours.

With Ganguly rotating his bowlers, boundaries dried up and Mathews took two more wickets in Robin Uthappa (20) and Roelof van der Merwe (1) in his last over to emerge as the wrecker-in-chief.

Confident Daredevils up against dejected Royals

AHMEDABAD: On a high after launching their IPL-3 campaign on a positive note, title favourites Delhi Daredevils will be looking to carry on their winning momentum against an unpredictable Rajasthan Royals on Monday.

Semi-finalist in the last two editions of the Twenty20 tournament, the Daredevils are desperate to better the mark this time and they began their IPL-3 campaign in style, beating Kings XI Punjab comprehensively by five wickets at Mohali with skipper Gautam Gambhir leading from the front.

Taming the Royals, however, would be far from a cakewalk since the Shane Warne-led side, powered by Yusuf Pathan's blistering century, nearly pulled off a stunning chase against Mumbai Indians on Saturday.

Gambhir, however, can rely on his bowlers who put up an impressive display on Saturday, restricting Kings XI Punjab to a modest 142.

Left-arm pacer Dirk Nannes sparkled with the new ball, while Farvez Mahroof, Pradeep Sangwan, Yo Mahesh, Amit Mishra and Tillakaratne Dilshan proved decent enough to deny Kings XI a big score.

On the batting front, Gambhir led from the front with a well compiled 72 while Mithun Manhas and Dinesh Karthik gave him good support at the middle-order.

To add to Rajasthan's woes, the dangerous trio of Virender Sehwag, Dilshan and AB de Villiers are due for runs, having missed on the opportunity in the opening encounter against Kings XI Punjab.

In contrast, Rajasthan Royals, their batting line-up at least, looks more or less a one man army, completely dependent of Yusuf Pathan, who on Saturday struck the fastest century of the tournament to bring his side close to a famous victory.

Chasing a mammoth 213, Pathan singlehandedly brought the Royals in sight of a victory with a majestic 37-ball 100-run knock but eventually it was heartbreak for the Shilpa Shetty-owned side as they fell short by just four runs.

Paras Dogra too shone with the bat with a quickfire 41 and gave Pathan the much-needed support from the other end.

However, if they wish to turn the tables tomorrow, Royals top-order, that includes South African captain Graeme Smith and flamboyant Swapnil Asnodkar among others, needs to share Pathan's responsibility.

Apart from Australian pace sensation Shaun Tait and Dimitry Mascarenhas, the Royals bowling department lacks firepower.

Out of practice for most part of the year, captain Shane Warne did not look that menacing but Daredevils batsmen would err if they underestimate the wily Australian.

Teams

Rajasthan Royals: Warne (Capt), Asnodkar, Botha, Fazal, Jhunjhunwala, Kamran, Michael Lumb, Martyn, Mascarenhas, Morne Morkel, Sumit Narwal, Naman Ojha, Munaf, Yusuf, Amit Paunikar, Syed Quadri, Abhishek Raut, Amit Singh, G Smith, Tait, Siddharth Trivedi, Shrikant Wagh.

Delhi Daredevils: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Virender Sehwag, T Dilshan, David Warner, AB de Villiers, Mithun Manhas, Rajat Bhatia, Dinesh Karthik, R Bhatia, A Mishra, DP Nannes, MC Henriques, A Nehra, AM Salvi, PJ Sangwan, MF Maharoof, Joginder Singh, Y Nagar

Tendulkar was the lone candidate for ODI double-ton: Gilchrist

MUMBAI: Only Sachin Tendulkar could have cracked a double-century in ODIs, according to former Australian cricketer Adam Gilchrist, who feels the stupendous achievement is a testimony to the iconic Indian batsman's longevity in international career.

"If there's one man who's going to do it, it was he (Tendulkar). It is a wonderful testament to his longevity. The greatest sign of a champion is longevity and Tendulkar is beyond anyone else in this regard," Gilchrist said on Thursday.

"Probably in 10 years' time he'll get 300," added the wicketkeeper-batsman, who will lead defending champions Deccan Chargers in the third edition of the Indian Premier League commencing on Friday.

Looking ahead to Chargers defending their title that they won in South Africa last year, Gilchrist was of the opinion that the tournament was a good preparation for all countries on the run-up to the Twenty20 World Cup to be held in the West Indies later this year.

"It would be a great preparation for the World T20 in terms of skills and match fitness," he said.

The Chargers open their title defence against former India captain Sourav Ganguly-led Kolkata Knight Riders at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on first day of the tournament.

"Knight Riders had a controversial approach last year (when their coach John Buchanan tried out multiple-captaincy theory that failed), but I think they would be more settled this time. I expect them play aggressively," Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist was of the opinion that Pakistan players, who were ignored at the auction by all the franchises, could be on their radar next year.

"They could come in next year when most of the players would be auctioned again," he said.

Looking behind, the left-hand opening batsman said when it started IPL was an unknown commodity, which has grown in stature to become a serious business.

"It was an unknown concept to everyone. It was one of the enduring moments when (Knight Riders') Brendon McCullum played that knock (against Royal Challengers Bangalore). It is now a big business," he said.

Gilchrist also felt it was difficult to predict what can be a good score in T20 and that 200 is normally considered so, but it will depend on the conditions.

"The scores will depend on the conditions. It could be normally 200-plus, but low scores could also make for exciting matches," he said.

He once again reiterated the players' demand for a clear window for the event and advised IPL authorities and the ICC to come to an understanding.

"This is the premier club tournament in the world and it will help the brand to grow," the Australian said.

Gilchrist also said it was disappointing for the fans of Hyderabad not to witness any IPL matches this season but added his team members knew the feeling of playing away from home from last year's example when the tournament had to be shifted to South Africa due to security reasons.

He was full of praise for the DY Patil Stadium which is hosting the tournament opener as well as the final.

"We've played there once and it was our first win in the IPL. So the guys really enjoyed getting back to the stadium yesterday, having a look around. It looks in magnificent condition. No doubt, it's world-class. That's going to be exciting," Gilchrist said.

Welcoming cricket's inclusion in the Olympic fold, Gilchrist said that T20 was the ideal format for the quadrennial sporting extravaganza.

"It's wonderful, a fantastic story for cricket. It just shows the value which T20 holds for cricket as a model. I have said before that if we want to push for the Olympic acceptance the ICC should have that as a primary agenda," he said.

He drew a parallel with the game of field hockey gaining ground in China through the Olympics that Beijing hosted in 2008.

"The way to do that (popularise cricket) is through T20 cricket. And the way that countries can best quicken up their development is in this form. We have seen it in hockey. Afghanistan is a great story based on that T20 format," Gilchrist pointed out.

India hit another familiar roadblock against Argentina

NEW DELHI: The final hurdle is here - it’s a familiar roadblock which has seen India stumble often in the past. The Blue Sticks take on Latin American champions Argentina for the seventh spot on Friday and the contest between these two teams promises to be a bruising affair.

Argentina have always raised their game against India - be it the World Cup or anywhere. The World Cup head-to-head figures say this story well: Argentina have won four of the seven contests, with India winning two and one ending in a draw.

Argentina are known for their compact, physical game; they are not a flair team like their football superstars. They are tenacious in defence and rely on counter-attacks to trouble their rivals. They have raised their game here and the possibility of going higher up the rankings ladder will be a huge motivating factor for them.

In fact, in a country which is now passionately following every move being made by Diego Maradona’s men, on and off the field, the achievements of the stick masters would have not got the attention it deserves. Coach Pablo Lombi understands this but said that he’s happy with what his boys have achieved here. "Top eight finish opens up possibilities. The government will give us more money for playing tournaments," he told a news agency.

As for India, finishing on a winning note will leave the fans with some happy memories from a tournament which has come home after years. They have won just won one game so far and came close to winning the second against South Africa. Friday gives them the opportunity to set a few things right. Seventh-place finish does not sound big but it would surely be an achievement for this team. It would be their best finish in 16 years.

They have made errors, conceded early goals, often failed to make inroads in the midfield and also missed opportunities upfront. But the positive bit is that India have played like a team; a team which fights when chips are down. They need to get that spirit going against the men in blue and white stripes.

India’s coach Jose Brasa would be hoping they would. "Hopefully we can win against Argentina. That wouldn’t be too bad."

Australia beat Netherlands 2-1, to meet Germany in the final

NEW DELHI: Australia defeated the Netherlands 2-1 on Thursday to qualify for a third successive final against defending champions Germany in the Hockey World Cup.

The Kookaburras recorded their 10th win in a row over the Dutch in major competitions to set up Saturday's title clash between the top two teams in the sport.

Luke Doerner and Glenn Turner scored once in each half, before Taeke Taekema converted a penalty stroke 12 minutes from the end to narrow the margin.

Doerner and Taekema, the two leading penalty corner specialists, head the goal-scorers list in the tournament with seven goals apiece.

Germany won the last two World Cup finals against Australia in 2002 and 2006, before adding the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

The Germans, hoping to become the first team in history to bag a hat-trick of titles, outclassed England 4-1 in the other semi-final to avenge their defeat in the European Cup final last year.

Germany took a 2-0 lead by the 11th minute as Jan-Marco Montag converted a penalty corner and Oliver Korn deflected in a pass from the right.

England, playing their first World Cup semi-final since 1986, made it 1-2 in the 19th minute with their lone penalty corner of the match when Richard Smith scooped the ball into the net.

Martin Haner and Linus Butt scored on either side of the break to seal the emphatic win for the champions.

The Germans, with just three players who helped win the last World Cup at home in Moenchengladbach in 2006, remain the only unbeaten team in the current tournament with four wins and two draws.

"It was a tough match, the scoreboard does not reflect what happened on the field," said German coach Markus Weise.

"We were clinical, but then a coach is not always pleased. If we had not scored two early goals and England had scored one, it would have been a different game."

England coach Jason Lee said his team's lack of experience told in the end.

"Germany has played in 11 World Cup semi-finals and this was only our second," he said. "We lagged in experience, but we will learn from our defeat.

"Going 2-0 down softly was the turning point. The semi-final did not do justice to the way we played in this tournament."

Australian coach Ric Charlesworth, who played in his team's lone World Cup-winning team in 1986, hoped it will be "third time lucky" against the Germans.

"Semi-finals are always difficult and this too was a difficult game," he said.

"We learnt from our earlier mistakes and stepped up our game. Now I hope we play a further step up in the final.

"Germany are very consistent in their game and have high quality players around the field. They don't have any weaknesses, but we have to find some in the final.

"Who knows, it could be third time lucky for us."

Earlier, four-time champions Pakistan slumped to an embarrassing 3-2 defeat by Canada on Thursday to finish last for the first time in the sport's premier event.

Scott Tupper scored a golden goal two minutes before the end of extra-time in the play-off for the 11-12 positions to hand Canada their first win in the tournament.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) reacted to the defeat by sacking the team management, including manager Asif Bajwa and coach Shahid Ali Khan, and the selection committee.

In a separate statement, the PHF's media manager Shahzad Malik said the entire 18-man squad had offered to "retire from international hockey".

Deccan Chargers will play exciting cricket, says Gilchrist

HYDERABAD: Deccan Chargers' skipper Adam Gilchrist is very excited and keen to do well in IPL-3. The defending champions begin their campaign against Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai on March 12. In an exclusive chat with ToI on Tuesday, Gilchrist affirmed his team's commitment to play an exciting brand of cricket. Excerpts.

You're probably the best advertisement for a wicketkeeper-captain, leading the defending champions...

Thank you. Wicketkeeping brings with it an involvement throughout. You're involved in every ball, perhaps more than anyone else. So it helps you have a better understanding of the game and what's going on. I think that helps the team when it needs attention or direction.

It was tough going in IPL-I. How difficult was it for you to face the situation after getting used to the Australian way?

It just confirmed to me that losing, the feeling of losing, is the same no matter who you play for. It's not that we never lost a game for Australia. We had lost and I had experienced it before. I was very lucky to play in a successful era for Australia. But that (DC) was a great challenge for me and everyone in Deccan Chargers.

Did you veer off track in trying to adapt to local conditions than forging a separate DC identity?

Without doubt. Every team would have been looking to understand and appreciate each other's cultures, especially when most teams had nearly six different nationalities. We were the same. Perhaps we overdid it early but since no success came we probably neglected it towards the end. What we realised was that we needed to create our own environment and culture.

Given the clout T20 wields what do you reckon are the major areas due to change because of the new format?

In terms of cricket, the mindset of the players: that anything is achievable. It's really creating a new style of cricket. Brendon McCullum showed last week and (Tillakaratne) Dilshan is doing it. I read with interest McCullum saying the bowlers are getting better so we need to open up new areas on the ground so that we get more scoring options. It's fascinating to watch that happen.

Germany, England: A thrilling semi-final

NEW DELHI: Germany vs England. The pulse races, no matter what sport and Thursday at the Dhyan Chand National stadium in the Hero Honda FIH World Cup hockey semifinals is likely to be no different.

The teams last clashed in a World Cup semifinal in Willesden, England, 24 years ago, producing one of the competition's best ever matches. England won 3-2 after extra-time for their first-ever win over Germany.

The Englishmen of 2010 square up to the old foe with the tag of European champions achieved with a 5-3 over the Germans in the final at Amstelveen (the Netherlands) but any sense of one-upmanship could well be tempered by the problems plaguing the team in the run-up to the World Cup and during the event too.

Striker Matt Daly was ruled out with an injury before the team left for India, striker Simon Mantell returned home after aggravating one during training before the competition got under way and the run of bad luck continued when key defender Richard Mantell twisted his ankle against Pakistan and had to fly home.

For all that, England have been a revelation in this tournament. They began with a bang, beating hot favourites and former champions Australia 3-2 in the opener, most importantly doing so when not playing too well.

A let-up in the intensity against Spain resulting in a 0-2 loss may not exactly be a pointer to prospects in the semifinals but the English know that Germany will be an ordeal.

World Cup champions twice running, doubling up as the Olympic champions, Germany have moulded themselves into a solid unit - Christopher Zeller in the ranks or not. Indeed, the German philosophy of galvanizing themselves as a team has been paramount.