Sports

Skipper Eoin Morgan’s sublime half century and a disciplined bowling effort powered England to a seven-wicket win against India in the first Twenty20 international in Kanpur, India on Thursday.

Chasing a modest 148 for victory, England rode on the third-wicket 83-run stand between Morgan (51) and Joe Root (46 not out) to romp home with 11 balls to spare.

But it was Moeen Ali’s career best 2-21 that set up the opening win in the three match series as the visitors restricted the Virat Kohli-led side to 147-7.

In reply, Billings, who hit a 10-ball 22, showed his intent in the second over of the innings as he smashed paceman Jasprit Bumrah for 3 fours and a six to set the pace.

Billings shared a 42-run opening stand with Jason Roy (19) before leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal removed the openers in the space of four deliveries to leave England at 43 for two.
But Morgan and Root, who returned to the side after missing the third ODI in Kolkata with a niggle, kept the chase on track with their attacking brand of cricket.

Morgan, who recorded his eight T20 fifty, struck a four and 4 sixes during his 38-ball knock as he carted the Indian bowlers to all parts of the ground.

Debutant Kashmiri off-spinner Parvez Rasool removed Morgan to claim his first T20 wicket but not after the left-handed batsman had taken the game away from the hosts.
Root, whose run-a-ball knock was studded with 4 boundaries, survived a scare after Bumrah got the batsman bowled in the 17th over but it was a no ball.

Earlier put into bat India suffered from lack of partnerships with former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni top-scoring with an unbeaten 36 to give some respectability to the score.
Kohli, who led the T20 side for the first time since taking over from Dhoni as India’s permanent limited overs captain, opened the innings along with Lokesh Rahul (8).
The star batsman attacked from the word go with a few boundaries against the England pacers but ran out steam after falling to off-spinner Ali for 29.

The hosts continued to lose wickets as batsmen Suresh Raina (34) and Yuvraj Singh (12) let go of their respective starts to hand the visitors an early advantage at Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium.

Dhoni piloted the innings with his calculated 27-ball knock with three boundaries, two of which came in the final over but his effort was not enough to give India a competitive total.

The second match is slated for Sunday in Nagpur.

Hashim Amla made a century in his 100th Test match as he and JP Duminy put South Africa in command on the first day of the third and final Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday.

South Africa reached 338 for three at the close of play, with Amla unbeaten on 124 at the Wanderers Stadium. Duminy made 155 before he was caught at second slip off Lahiru Kumara in the penultimate over of the day, ending a third wicket partnership of 192.

Amla became the eighth player and second South African after former captain Graeme Smith to mark 100 Tests with a hundred. After a lean run of form, Amla struggled early in his innings.

The left-handed Duminy was the dominant partner as he shepherded Amla, who was dropped by Dhananjaya de Silva at gully off Suranga Lakmal when he had five. Amla only scored six in the pair's first 50 runs together.

Gradually, though, Amla found his timing and he reached his first half-century in 11 Test matches shortly before tea.

He had faced 109 balls and hit seven fours. He blossomed to hit his second half-century off only 60 balls, reaching his 26th Test hundred when he skipped down the wicket and lofted Rangana Herath over mid-off for his 14th four.

Duminy, by contrast, cruised to his half-century off 62 balls with ten boundaries and went on to his sixth Test century after facing 140 deliveries and adding four more boundaries. Duminy's previous highest score in three previous Tests at the Wanderers was 29.

Sports Ministry on Friday lifted the suspension of Indian Olympic Association with immediate effect after it removed the corruption-tainted duo of Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala as life presidents following an outrage but still took a dig at it for ignoring rules at the first instant.

The ministry said that it was revoking the suspension of deemed recognition of IOA handed down on December 30 last following its admission of “faux pas” while making Kalmadi and Chautala as life presidents.

“Government has decided to revoke the suspension of deemed recognition of IOA with immediate effect in the light of the corrective action taken by them in reversing its earlier decision making Shri Abhay Singh Chautala and Shri Suresh Kalmadi, Life Presidents of IOA,” the ministry said in a statement. “In the light of the above developments and keeping in view the larger interest of promotion and development of sports in the country, the Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has revoked the suspension of deemed recognition of IOA, imposed on 30.12.2016, with immediate effect,” it added.

The ministry, however, asked the IOA to uphold the highest standards of probity and ethics in future also. “Since IOA has admitted the faux pas committed and regretted the inconvenience and embarrassment caused to all concerned, it is expected of IOA that it will uphold the highest standard of probity and ethics in its functioning in future,” the ministry said. In the official letter sent later to the IOA, informing about the revocation of suspension, the ministry said that the proposal to make Kalmadi and Chautala as life presidents should not have been allowed to be placed before the AGM in Chennai.

“IOA has itself admitted in its reply (to the showcause notice) that the proposal placed before the AGM was not in consonance with IOA Constitution. As such, the proposal should not have been allowed to be placed in the AGM citing the rules. IOA, which is the mother body of all NSFs, should not have been ignorant of its own Constitution and rules and procedures,” the ministry said.

“The IOA has now clarified that Shri Suresh Kalmadi and Shri Abhey Singh Chautala have not been made its life presidents,” it added.

IOA President N Ramachandran welcomed the ministry’s decision of revocation of suspension. “If the ministry revokes the suspension, it is good news for IOA. As far as I am concerned, if the government revokes the suspension, I am thankful to the ministry,” Ramachandran said.

Ramachandran, in his reply to a showcause notice served by the Ministry, had said that the decision to appoint Kalmadi and Chautala does not stand owing to technicalities.

“In the Annual General Meeting held in Chennai on 27.12.2016, at the fag end of the meeting a point was raised by a member stating that IOA should nominate two life presidents. As no notice in writing was received at least 7 clear days as per the Constitution Clause VII no resolution was put to vote and passed,” Ramachandran had claimed.

“Members can make proposals in the meeting but if it does not meet provisions of the Constitution it cannot be assumed that the proposal has been approved and passed in the meeting. Since the proposal was not in accordance with the Constitution, the inconvenience and embarrassment caused to the individuals concerned, members of IOA and to all is regretted,” he added.

Kalmadi and Chautala were elevated to the honorary position at the IOA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Chennai on December 27, but the Olympic body was forced to reverse its decision after it was opposed by a majority of IOA members.

Kalmadi declined the post till his name was cleared following the outrage, while Chautala said he would also step aside should the International Olympic Committee raise any objections.While Kalmadi is an accused in the 2010 Commonwealth Games corruption scam and has also spent nine months in jail, Chautala is facing a trial in disproportionate assets case.

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly today revealed that he has received death threat warning him against attending an inter-college cricket meet at the Vidyasagar University in Midnapore on January 19.

Local sources in Midnapore told PTI that one Z Alam wrote the letter addressing to Ganguly’s mother Nirupa warning the cricket stalwart against attending the programme where he has been invited as chief guest.

''Your son is hereby warned not to attend the programme. If he dares to come here, you will not see him again,'' is what has been written in the letter.

Confirming this, Ganguly said, "Yes I've received the letter on January 7 and I've informed this to the police and the organisers.

Ganguly has been invited as chief guest in the final of the Inter-Collge Cricket Tournament jointly organized Vidyasagar University and the District Sports Association on January 19.

The CAB president however did not rule him out in attending the programme.

''Let us see, nothing has been decided yet. You all will come to know if I go there,'' he said.

West Midnapore district SP Bharati Ghosh however said she is unaware of the development.

''We have not been informed about this,'' she said. The motive behind the letter however is unknown.

Sunil Gavaskar is glad that MS Dhoni has only quit limited overs captaincy and not retired as he feels the poster boy of Jharkhand still has a lot to offer to the Indian team.

"If he had quit as a player, then I would have been the first one outside his house, having a dharna asking him to make a comeback. As a player, he is still a destroyer. He change fortunes of the game in a single over. India needs him as a player very very badly. I am happy that he has decided to stay on as a player," Gavaskar told NDTV.

Dhoni not being captain anymore will help both his batting and wicketkeeping, said Gavaskar.

"Yes (it will). Virat would definitely use him at number four or five because having him further down the order doesn't make any sense. Yes, he is a finisher but he can play a big innings at four or five and still end up as a finisher.

"The wicketkeeping will be a lot easier because he will not be thinking about the bowling changes and field placements, which can sometimes distract you," felt Gavaskar.

The former India captain also sees Dhoni and heir apparent Virat Kohli complementing each other on the field.

"It will certainly help India because MSD's calm and composure will certainly help Virat. Often in Test cricket there is time to rectify your mistakes but in limited overs cricket, things happen fast and there is not much time so sometimes you might taken an impulsive decision which is where MSD will come in very very handy."

Gavaskar was not surprised by Dhoni's decision to step aside as it was only a matter of time.

"I don't think it really is a surprise but it has come a little bit early. I had thought that he would want to captain till the Champions Trophy where India are the defending champions. May be after that he would hand over the reins to Virat Kohli.

"But considering the tremendous success the Test team has had under Kohli, I am not too surprised that MSD has decided to hand over the reins to Kohli.

"The decision was bound to come sooner or later. It has come sooner that we all anticipated. Virat has shown over the last couple of years, as captain of RCB, that he is ready to take the responsibility. When we hand over captaincy, we always concerned how it will affect that individual's speciality. In Virat's case, we have seen that it doesn't affect him at all," said Gavaskar.

Asked to comment on Dhoni's habit of surprising the world, Gavaskar said: "Even in Australia it came as a surprise. One thought that he would complete the series and quit after that and stay on as a player. But he quit Test altogether. Here at least he is available as a player. So Virat will have the benefits of MSD's vast experience as a successful ODI and T20 captain.

"Again MSD's thinking has purely been for the future of Indian cricket and it is in the hands of Kohli. So he has gracefully made way for that. Therefore we need to complement MSD for that as well."

Will Dhoni continue till the 2019 World Cup?
"Clearly, it depends on his desire and form. As of now, there doesn't seem to be too many options (after Dhoni) available but cricket is a funny game. When you think there isn't anybody after Dhoni, somebody comes out of nowhere to take his place.

"In the meanwhile, lets just enjoy MSD as he plays out his final few years in India colours. Cricketers like MSD come once in a century. He brought a lot of flair and unpredictability in Indian cricket. Team has become positive and attacking under Dhoni. It will be his biggest legacy," added Gavaskar.

The National cricket selection panel is set to shrink in the wake of India's Supreme Court's order to implement the Lodha Committee reforms and both Gagan Khoda and Jatin Paranjpe will have to leave as they don't conform to the set norms.

As per Lodha reforms, senior selection committee was supposed to be a three-member team with Test players.

When BCCI announced the panel in September, the top brass of now sacked President Anurag Thakur and Secretary Ajay Shirke once again defied the diktat as SC had not passed it's final verdict by then.

The new committee never had any formal contracts in place.

Therefore it will be MSK Prasad, Devang Gandhi and Sarandeep Singh - all former Test players who would be selecting the upcoming team for the ODIs and T20s against England. The selection will be done on January 5.

As per Lodha Committee norms, the senior selection committee of the BCCI should comprise only Test cricketers and Khoda with two ODIs and Paranjpe with 4 ODIs, don't conform with the rules set by the SC-appointed Committee and now passed as verdict.

"I will have to check what will be the new rules. Normally, the Secretary is the convener of the senior team. In his absence the joint secretary convenes the meeting," joint Secretary Amitabh Chaudhary told PTI.

Officials in the board feel that keeping in mind Khoda and Paranjpe's good work till now, they could be made talent coordinators - a rank below selectors and also suggested in the reforms by the panel.

The talent coordinators need not be Test cricketers and Khoda and Paranjpe could fit the bill.

The basic domain of the job remains same where they would be needed to track the domestic performances and do a threadbare analysis but perhaps won't be allowed to sit in selection committee meetings.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday appointed senior counsel Anil Divan in place of Fali Nariman for recommending names of the administrators to oversee and supervise the functioning of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

A bench of Chief Justice T.S Thakur, Justice A.Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y.Chandrachud named Divan after Nariman requested himself.

The court on Monday had asked amicus curiae Gopal Subramanium and Nariman to suggest the names to supervise the administration of the Board of Control for Cricket in India through its Chief Executive Officer.

The court had given them two weeks to suggest the names of persons with "integrity and experience in managing a similar enterprise".

Immediately after Union Sports Minister Vijay Goel threatened to sever all ties with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for its decision to appoint scam-tainted Suresh Kalmadi and Abhay Singh Chautala as honorary Life Presidents, an under-fire Kalmadi on Wednesday, December 28, declined to accept the post until his name is cleared.

Chautala, however, hit back at Goel for opposing his appointment with the former IOA President even threatening to drag the minister to court.

Chautala and Kalmadi were elevated to Life Presidents by the IOA at its annual general meeting in Chennai on Tuesday, December 27.

The move triggered a storm with the ministry threatening to issue a showcause notice to the IOA and also to break ties with the Olympic body if it failed to retract on its decision on the two tainted administrators.

"The ministry will never accept such tainted people in the Indian Olympic Association and that is why we have expressed our reservations right after they were appointed last evening," Goel told reporters here.

"This move is against the constitution of IOA and is not acceptable to the Sports Ministry. I am disappointed by the decision because both are facing cases of corruption," Goel said.

"The ministry will issue a show cause notice to the IOA within a day or two as the government will in no way allow corrupt people in such posts," he added.

"We want transparency in sports. Till the time these two don't resign or are sacked, we will not deal with the IOA."

The minister said, "We want all the federations to be transparent and corruption free. By appointing Kalmadi and Chautala, what message is the IOA giving out?"

Goel reiterated his stance on Twitter: "Transparency and accountability is vital in sports; until Kalmadi and Chautala resign or are removed, we will not deal with IOA in any form."

Kalmadi served as the IOA President from 1996 to 2011 and was jailed for 10 months for his involvement in the corruption scandal that cast a big shadow on the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games, but was later released on bail.

Kalmadi, former Lok Sabha member of Parliament, was also not spared by his ex-party (Congress) colleague Ajay Maken, as the former Sports Minister called the IOA's move "sad and painful".

"As a former sports minister and sports enthusiast, the IOA's decision to appoint Kalmadi and Chautala as Life Presidents of IOA is sad and very painful. This decision is not good for sports and India's image," Maken told reporters earlier in the day.

Faced with criticism from all quarters, Kalmadi wrote a letter to IOA President N. Ramachandran that he has taken the decision to not accept any post until his name being cleared.

"I thank the Indian Olympic Association for conferring the honour of Life President on me. However, I do not feel that it would be appropriate for me to accept this honour at this time," Kalmadi said in the letter.

"I am confident that my name will be cleared, and I will defer acceptance of the honour till such time," he added.

Chautala, on the other hand, said he will take legal action against Goel, who had criticised his appointment.

"I will take legal action against the Sports Minister. I will consult my friends in the IOA and will then take a call on what I need to do next," Chautala was quoted as saying by India Today news channel.

Chautala had hit back at Goel, saying there was no corruption case against him. “I was surprised by the reaction of Sports Minister Vijay Goel. He was claiming that there are criminal and corruption cases against me. The case against me is not a criminal case, it is a political case,” Chautala said.

“Mr Goel has failed in his responsibility as a sports minister. I would advise him to fulfill his responsibility as sports minister because if he does that, our medal count will increase manifold and he will get credit for that. Instead of getting into a controversy without knowing full facts, he should focus on his job,” Chautala added.

In a significant development, former IABF President Abhay Singh Chautala was on Tuesday made honorary life president of the IOA, along with ex-IOA chief and 2010 CWG corruption scandal tainted Suresh Kalmadi. Chautala served as president of the IOA from December 2012 to February 2014 when it was suspended by International Olympic Committee.

Before Kalmadi and Chautala, only Vijay Kumar Malhotra, who served as acting IOA chief between 2011 and 2012, was made the Life President, according to IOA’s official website.

Kalmadi served as IOA president from 1996 to 2011 and was jailed for 10 months for his involvement in the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games corruption scandal but later released on bail.

The Pune-born administrator, also a former Congress Member of Parliament, was a powerful sports officials in his heydays. He was the president of Asian Athletics Association for 13 years from 2000 to 2013. He was last year made Life President of the Asian athletics body last year.

Kalmadi, now 72, was also a member of the powerful ruling council of the International Athletics Federation (IAAF) from 2001 to 2013.

Chautala served as the president of Indian Olympic Association from December 2012 to February 2014 when the IOA was suspended by the parent International Olympic Committee for fielding charge-sheeted candidates at the elections. His election as IOA chief was annulled by the IOC.

Only after the IOA Constitution was amended to ensure that charge-framed candidates are not allowed to contest elections, the IOC revoked the suspension on IOA in February 2014.

Chautala had served as president of erstwhile Indian Amateur Boxing Federation which was terminated from recognition in the world body AIBA in 2013 for possible manipulation in IABF elections.

Recently, he was elected as president of one rival faction of the Haryana Olympic Association, which was reportedly given recognition by the IOA.