Zee News : India National

Ranji Trophy: Laxman pulls out from next match against Bengal

Sports

Dec 132012

Ranji Trophy: Laxman pulls out from next match against Bengal Kolkata: Senior-pro VVS Laxman, who is recuperating from a back injury, has pulled out of Hyderabad`s upcoming Ranji fixture against Bengal beginning at Eden Gardens from Saturday.

“He is still recovering from the back injury. But he`s not yet ruled out of the entire season. We may get his services with two more matches left (after Bengal),” media manager T Seshanarayan told PTI.

The retired India batsman pulled a back muscle during their tie against Madhya Pradesh in which he scored 120 as he played two of the five matches Hyderabad played in the group A league this season.

Hyderabad meanwhile have made three changes to their squad bringing in uncapped Parth Jhala, Mehdi Hasan and reserve wicketkeeper Habib Ahmed in place of Abhinav Kumar, Lalit Mohan and M A Khader.

“We are infusing young blood into the side. Our`s may be the youngest side in the Ranji with average age being around 22-23. We have some talented youngsters. We are hoping for a few good matches to revive our quarterfinal hopes,” he added.

After Bengal, Hyderabad face Railways at home (December 22-25), followed by their away fixture against Rajasthan (December 29-January 1).

Hyderabad (six points) are placed above bottom-placed Rajasthan in the group A table.

The squad

Akshath Reddy (c), B Sandeep, Anwar Khan, Ravi Kiran, Paramveer Singh, Sarvesh Kumar, Ahmed Kadri, Akash Bhandari, K Sumant, Habib Ahmed, Ashish Reddy, Vishal Sharma, Hanuma Vihari, Parth Jhala, Mehdi Hasan.

PTI

Desperate DDCA to request BCCI for Awana`s release

Sports

Dec 132012

Desperate DDCA to request BCCI for Awana`s release New Delhi: In a desperate bid to win their final group league match against Maharashtra at home, the Delhi & Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) will request the Indian cricket Board to release their in-form speedster Parvinder Awana from the Indian Test squad.

DDCA vice-president Chetan Chauhan told PTI,”I will be speaking to the chairman of selectors Sandeep Patil and request him to release Awana for our next round Ranji Trophy match starting Saturday. I will call him in the morning so that Awana can perform his second day`s duties and leave by an evening flight.”

Meanwhile, a beleagured Delhi side having lost three away matches, have requested the authorities at Roshanara ground to prepare a `Green Top` which will atleast produce a result unlike the dead strips provided at the Feroz Shah Kotla by former BCCI chief curator Venkat Sundaram.

“We have asked for a green top,” informed chief coach Vijay Dahiya.

There has been two changes in the side that played Karnataka in the last round. Pacer Vikas Tokas comes as Ashish Nehra`s replacement while an extra batsman has been accomodated in the form of Jagrit Anand.

PTI

First Published: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 21:46

India vs Pakistan: Afridi may be retained for if he does well in T20s

Sports

Dec 132012

India vs Pakistan: Afridi may be retained for if he does well in T20s Karachi: Pakistan`s flamboyant all-rounder Shahid Afridi can be retained for the three ODIs in India if he strikes form in the two T20 International matches to be held in Bangalore and Ahmedabad.

There has been a lot of hue and cry over the decision of the national selection committee to drop Afridi for the ODI series while retaining him in the T20 squad.

But Chief selector Iqbal Qasim indicated on Thursday that if Afridi did well in the T20 matches and if the team management made any request to retain him for the ODIs, the selection committee would definitely consider the request.

“Shahid is a very experienced player and we felt the time now was to give him a chance to focus on the two T20 matches as his form has not been consistent in the ODI matches,” Qasim said.

“We want him to regain his confidence. It is a wrong impression that we have lost confidence or faith in him.”

A well-placed source confirmed that after the captain of the one-day team, Misbah-ul-Haq had wanted Afridi`s inclusion in the ODI squad but the selectors told him that if Afridi did well in the T20 matches, they would allow Afridi to stay back for the ODIs.

The source also said that it had been decided that despite criticism from some quarters particularly during the recent World T20 Cup Mohammad Hafeez would continue to open in the T20 and ODI matches.

Hafeez, who leads the T20 national team, had batted lower down the order in the just concluded national T20 championship where he led the Lahore Lions team to the title.

This raised hopes among his critics that Hafeez had finally decided to bat lower down the order in India.

But the source said there was no such plan and Hafeez would open the innings in the T20 games.

“He made it clear to the selectors at the meeting that domestic cricket was different but in international cricket, he faced comfortable facing the new ball and would open the innings.”

PTI

Saleem Malik to file a petition against PCB in High Court

Sports

Dec 132012

Saleem Malik to file a petition against PCB in High Court Karachi: Pakistan`s former captain Saleem Malik, who was banned for his involvement in match fixing, will be filing a petition in the High Court to force the Pakistan Cricket Board to come out with a clear stance on considering him for the position of batting coach of the national team.

Aftab Gul, the legal counsel for Malik told PTI on Thursday that the board had yet to respond to his client`s Application for the batting coach position for which he had applied within the deadline given by the board.

“The PCB is not giving us a clear answer on whether they consider Malik eligible for the position or not and we are going to file a petition in the High Court for this,” Gul himself a former test player said.

Malik, 49, played 103 Tests and 283 ODIs before a judicial inquiry tribunal recommended a life ban on him in 2000 for his involvement in match-fixing.

Since then the board has declared him persona non grata and kept him away from all cricket activities.

But Gul said the life ban on his client had been cleared through a Supreme Court decision.

“A copy of that is already with the board and since there is no ban on him now he is eligible to work in any position in the board or with the team,” Gul said.

“We will be asking the High Court to instruct the board to come out with a clear statement on Malik`s current status whether they consider him a banned player or what,” Gul said.

Malik was also considered for a position at the national academy in the tenure of former Chairman Ijaz Butt but apparently the ICC intervened and had the PCB rule out the former captain for any job.

Gul said the court`s decision had also been sent to the ICC. “There is no ban on Malik now,” he said.

The PCB had asked interested candidates to submit CVs for the batting coach position recently and Malik has also applied for the post.

PTI

Malik`s wish for a meeting with Sonia turned down

News

Dec 132012

New Delhi: Visiting Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik is likely to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday but will not have an interaction with Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi.

Official sources said the Prime Ministers’ office had agreed to a morning meeting with Malik after a request was made for the same by the Pakistani authorities through diplomatic channels.

The sources said meetings with the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and National Security Advisor Shiv Sahnker Menon are also being fixed at the request of Malik for Saturday before he returns on the same afternoon.

However, the Ministry of External Affairs turned down the desire of the Pakistani side for a meeting with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, the sources said.

The Pakistani Interior Minister will be arriving tomorrow at the Palam Technical Airport at 2 PM along with his wife and a delegation which includes officials from Federal Investigating Agency.

The official-level talks will be held at 5PM after which a joint statement is expected to be released in the presence by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Malik announcing operationalisation of new Indo-Pak liberalised visa agreement signed during the visit of the then External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar in September this year.

PTI
For Zee News’s Updates, follow us on Twitter , Facebook, Google+, Pinterest

First Published: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 21:24

Narendra Modi taking undue credit of common man`s toil in Gujarat: Rahul Gandhi

News

Dec 132012

Palanpur: In an apparent attempt to invoke the Gujarati pride in the poll bound state, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi took potshots at Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, saying the BJP stalwart is pursuing his personal agenda at the expense of the common people.

“Here you toil hard and sweat it out… But it is only one man who takes the credit in Gujarat…What is your strength?.. Strength of Gujarati small businessman who run the economy of Belgium… Small artisans of Gujarat…You run Belgium… But your voice is not heard here,” Gandhi said in a veiled attack on Modi.

He was addressing an election rally in diamond polishing hub of Palanpur.

The voting for the final phase in Gujarat will be held on December 17.

Reiterating his earlier charge that the voice of common man is “gagged” in Gujarat, the Amethi MP said, “In Gujarat, the voice of the poor and the weak is not heard. Only one man’s voice can be heard…And there are two or three corporates who are heard”.

In an apparent reference to Modi, the Congress leader said “He thinks whatever happens in Gujarat, he does it. Whatever progress takes place here is done by him only”.

This is the second time that Rahul is electioneering in Gujarat.

“The duty of a politician is to understand people’s dreams…. And keep his dreams aside…In Gujarat, only one man’s dream prevails…Your dreams are never even asked about …” he added.

Recalling that former prime minister Rajeev Gandhi ushered in “revolution” by bringing in mobile phone.

“You have a mobile phone. Who brought it? Rajivji… What happened…A revolution came and your voice started getting heard…Who was standing with Rajivji…Sam Pitroda from Gujarat,” he added.

“Tell me how much water do you get? How much water do farmers get here…Do youths get employment?,” Rahul asked to which the public replied in negative.

“Voice of adivasis, farmers and labourers is not allowed to be raised,” he alleged.

Taking on the Gujarat government for not appointing Lokayukta, Rahul said the government was purposefully not responding to RTI applications and thus corruption is going unnoticed.

“When it comes to corruption, we brought RTI. Common man should get to know what happened here. The state government here says people of Gujarat should not get it (RTI). Many RTI applications are pending here…Jan Lokpal Bill was stalled by the BJP in Parliament and here we don’t have a Lokayukta,” Rahul said.

Trying to strike a chord on Vallabh Bhai Patel, Rahul said, “When we moved ahead to fulfil the dream of Sardar Patel that no one should remain hungry in India by introducing Right to Food Security Bill, they (BJP) obstructed (it) in Parliament… They are trying to snatch away the voice of poor”.

Modi often invokes the first Union Home Minister of the country, who hailed from Gujarat, in his speeches.

Alleging that basic issues in Gujarat concerning the common man stand unresolved, Rahul took a dig at Modi over the Nano car project.

“You know for every Nano car you pay Rs 60,000….But you get nitrate in water here,” he said.

Accusing the state government of, “purposefully delaying allotment of land to tribals”, alloted by Congress, till elections get over, Rahul said, “About 1.5 lakh adivasis have not got their land”.

PTI

For Zee News’s Updates, follow us on Twitter , Facebook, Google+, Pinterest

First Published: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 21:04

Montek has outstanding loan of Rs 1.5 crore for house purchase

News

Dec 132012

New Delhi: Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, has an outstanding loan of Rs 1.5 crore for purchase of a house in posh Greater Kailash locality here, according to an RTI reply.

Ahluwalia, whose financial assets net of liabilities as of 31 March 2012 are Rs 3,85,82,450, has a loan of Rs 1.5 crore from Syndicate Bank for house purchase, the RTI reply says.

Ahluwalia purchased the 500-square yards house at Greater Kailash in 2006 for Rs 7.1 crore from sale of earlier property and house loan. His wife has a 60 per cent share in the house, the RTI reply says.

The 69-year old economist has a plot in NOIDA which he obtained through Greenwoods Government Officers’ Welfare Society of which he is a member. The plot, along with construction of one room, costed around Rs 25 lakhs, the reply to RTI activist Subhash Chandra Agrawal says.

All the properties and the bank accounts stated in the RTI reply are jointly held by Ahluwalia and his wife Isher J Ahluwalia who is an independent income earner, the reply said.

He also has an apartment constructed in 2001, which costed around Rs 30 lakhs, on first and second floor in Panchsheel Enclave, New Delhi, on an existing single storey house which, along with the plot, is owned by his mother, it said.

According to the RTI reply, Ahluwalia has five bank accounts, including one in the United States, with a cumulative balance of more than Rs 1.43 crore.

He has also invested Rs 3,33,58,817 in Indian mutual funds and Rs 58,49,360 in Fidelity Investment, Washington, DC.

PTI

For Zee News’s Updates, follow us on Twitter , Facebook, Google+, Pinterest

First Published: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 20:57

Parliament attack: Martyrs` families demand Afzal`s execution

News

Dec 132012

New Delhi: Upset over the delay in the hanging of Afzal Guru, some families of martyrs in the 2001 Parliament attack, on Thursday boycotted the function at Parliament, demanding the convict’s immediate execution.

They skipped the homage ceremony held at Parliament on the eleventh anniversary of the attack.

“Kasab’s hanging has given us some solace. Though he committed the crime much later but was hanged earlier, why is Afzal’s case still pending,” said Ganga Devi, wife of deceased Delhi Police Sub-Inspector Nanak Chand at a function organised by All India Anti-Terrorist Front (AIATF).

They expressed hope that Guru will be hanged soon after Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde’s promise of looking into the case.

“Life has been tough since my father died. Though my mother has helped me a lot to overcome the loss,” said Gaurav Yadav, son of another victim Jagdish Prasad Yadav.

The victims’ families have already returned gallantry medals to the President in protest against the delay in hanging of Guru.

AIATF chairman M S Bitta said the families will continue to boycott the homage-paying ceremony at Parliament till Guru is hanged.

He said Shinde’s promise of looking into Afzal’s case has given some hope. “We will wait for three months and chalkout our next course of action,” Bitta said.

On December 13, 2001, five heavily-armed gunmen stormed into Parliament complex and opened indiscriminate fire, killing nine persons.

The martyrs included five Delhi Police personnel, a woman Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official, two Parliament watch and ward staff and a gardener.

A journalist, who was injured, died later. All five terrorists were shot dead.

PTI

For Zee News’s Updates, follow us on Twitter , Facebook, Google+, Pinterest

First Published: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 21:19

It`s tough to be a champion: Saina

Sports

Dec 132012

It`s tough to be a champion: Saina New Delhi: London Olympics bronze medallist shuttler Saina Nehwal has said it is tough to be a champion and it gets lonely at the top.

“Looking back, I feel it is tough to be a champion. It gets lonely at the top. But then again, you don`t have the time to think about the loneliness. You just have time to train, eat, sleep and get up again, so there is no time left to feel bad,” said Saina.

“You have your parents who will support you, you have your friends who will be there for you, you have your coach who will guide you. Whatever sacrifices I`ve made have made me who I am today.”

But how does the 22-year-old Hyderabadi celebrate her victories and spend her leisure time?

“I sleep till late on Sundays. I am reserved and I don`t like partying but I like going for movies, shopping for gadgets, jackets and shoes and watching tennis. But you don`t know how time flies on Sundays,” added the shuttler before leaving for the Super Series Finals in China.

IANS

First Published: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 14:44

Devvarman, Bhambri get wildcards for Chennai Open

Sports

Dec 132012

Devvarman, Bhambri get wildcards for Chennai Open Chennai: Indian tennis players Somdev Devvarman and Yuki Bhambri have been granted wildcard entries into the main draw of the Chennai Open.

The tournament will be held at the SDAT Nungambakkam Tennis Stadium from Dec 31 to Jan 6.

Somdev and Yuki join an impressive field which includes four players from the top 20 in the world. Apart from the Czech Republic`s Tomas Berdych (No.6), the grid includes Janko Tipsarevic (No.9), twice-winner Marin Cilic (No.15) and Stanislas Wawrinka (No.17).

Somdev notched his best run on the ATP World Tour here in 2009 when he reached the finals as a wildcard entry. His run ended when he lost to third seed Croatian Cilic 4-6, 6-7(3).

In the 17th edition of the Chennai Open, Yuki shocked Word No.101 Karol Beck and defeated him in 79 minutes.

“Somdev was unlucky with injury this past year and we`re looking forward to his comeback to start at the Aircel Chennai Open. Additionally, currently India`s top ranked singles player, Yuki is poised for another strong year. We respect their immense talent and are confident that the young players will make good use of the opportunity. It gives us immense pleasure to give Somdev and Yuki wildcards for the singles main draw,” said Karti Chidambaram, vice-president, Chennai Open Organizing Committee president.

The $430,000 tournament is India`s only and South Asia`s premier ATP World Tour Open 250 event which was started in 1996. The tournament is conducted under the aegis of the All India Tennis Association (AITA).

IANS

First Published: Thursday, December 13, 2012, 14:57

Older Entries Newer Entries