CMYK 13Greater Kashmir SRINAGAR | February 9 2014, SundaySPORTS

AZ

EE

M A

DV

T |

90

18

57

42

08

Pakistan, Sri Lanka abstain as ICC approves

controversial revampSingapore, Feb 8: Cricket's world body passed a wide-ranging and controversial shake-up of its governance and structure despite strident protests that it gives too much power to the "Big Three" of India, England and Australia. The dominant trio seemed to be the big win-ners after the proposals were approved by the necessary eight out of 10 full members at a hastily convened International Cricket Council (ICC) board meeting in Singapore. Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa had all opposed the revamp when it was debated last month, but South Africa's Chris Nenzani voted in favour at Saturday's meeting. Sri Lanka and Pakistan abstained. In the revamped ICC, India — which contrib-utes 80 percent of global revenues — and fellow powerhouses England and Australia will have permanent seats on a new, five-member execu-tive committee. The committee will make recommendations to the decision-making body, the ICC board, which will be chaired by India's N. Srinivasan from the middle of this year. Revenues will be distributed according to coun-tries' contributions — financial, sporting and his-torical — but the seven non-"Big Three" members will be boosted by a new Test Cricket Fund. The Future Tours Program, designed to guar-antee series for all Test teams, will be changed with a series of binding, bilateral agreements to be struck between members. And the World Test Championship, which was due to debut in 2017, has been scrapped, with the one-day Champions Trophy continuing in 2017 and 2021. The Test championship was deemed unworkable, a statement said. The representatives of South Africa, Pakistan and Sri Lanka did not give details about their positions as they left the meeting, although Sri Lanka's Nishantha Ranatunga said he would hold discussions with his board.

"Pakistan and Sri Lanka believed that they needed more time to discuss the amendments to the resolutions with their respective boards," said ICC president Alan Isaac. "There is a hope that when we come back at the next meeting that they will able to also sup-port the resolutions." India's Srinivasan and Australia's Wally Edwards declined to comment, but their fellow "Big Three" member, England and Wales Crick-

et Board chairman Giles Clarke, called it "a very good meeting". "There was general agreement and (it was) all very satisfactory," he told AFP. The approval came as some surprise given the loud opposition which has erupted in the cricketing community to the original proposals made by the three influential countries. Ahead of the meeting, a leaked document detailed South Africa's reaction to the original

proposal, which it called "extremely disappoint-ing and indeed hurtful when originating from three great cricketing nations". Pakistan great Imran Khan said the plan smacked of colonialism, while Lord Harry Woolf, author of a report which urged greater distribu-tion of power at the ICC, called it "alarming" and "entirely motivated by money". "I don't see how if we had this to consider we could see it as anything but a retrograde step," Woolf told Britain's Daily Telegraph. "It is giving extraordinary powers to a small triumvirate of three people, and everybody else has got no power to say anything or do anything," the former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales said. "It seems to be entirely motivated by money." Anti-corruption group Transparency International expressed "serious concern... the intention to entrench a privileged position for 'The Big Three' appears to be an abuse of entrusted power for private gain". Sri Lanka had also complained that the pro-posals violated the ICC constitution by not dis-tributing revenues equally between members. Despite the concerns, Isaac said it was impor-tant that cricket's most influential countries now had a greater stake in the ICC, rather than be at risk of drifting away. "It's been very important I think for ICC to have more commitment from those three members," he said. "They would say to you I think that in the past they've tended to concentrate on matters in their own country and perhaps not always spent the time helping, leading the ICC. "So their original proposal was really part of a commitment to get more involved in the leadership of the ICC." Several of the proposals still need to be adopted by the ICC's Full Council, and they will be drafted by various committees before being submitted for approval. Agencies

Dhawan, Pujara keep visitors afloat in steep chase

IOA polls on Sunday; India likely to return to Olympic foldNew Delhi, Feb 8: Slammed by the sporting fraternity for bringing shame on the country, a beleaguered IOA will hold its much-awaited elections on Sunday which is expected to clear the decks for India's return to the Olympic fold after 14 months of suspension by its parent body. World Squash Federa-tion president N Ramach-andran, younger brother of BCCI chief N Srini-vasan, is set to be elected unopposed as president of Indian Olympic Associa-tion in the polls which will be held after Abhay Singh Chautala and Lalit Bhanot were barred from contest-ing on the ground that they have been charge-framed by a court of law. Kho Kho Federation of India president Rajeev

Mehta and All India Tennis Association chief Anil Khanna will be elected unop-posed as secretary general and treasurer respectively. Chautala and Bhanot were elected as president and secretary general in the IOA polls on December 5, 2012, a day after the IOC suspended India for govern-ment interference and for allowing tainted persons in the election process. The IOC had declared the elec-tions "null" and "void". There will be elections only for vice-presidents on Sunday as nine candidates were left in the fray for eight posts which will be conducted in the presence of three IOC observers and a sports ministry official. The elections, which will be conducted by a three-member election com-

mission of the IOA, will be preceded by a Special GBM which will make an amend-ment in the constitution under the diktat of IOC so as to make it clear that charge-framed persons would have to cease being members of IOA besides being barred from contesting elections. "It will be a short affair. The General Body will make a small constitution-al amendment and then straightway election will start," a top IOA official said. The IOC had hinted recently that India could be brought back to the Olympic fold after the IOA elections. IOC president Thomas Bach had hinted India's return even before the Winter Olympics which began on Friday in Sochi if the IOA held its elections before the Games.

Three Indians could not took part in the open-ing ceremony of the Winter Olympics under the tri-colour due to India's sus-pension by the IOC and the IOA had to draw flak from all quarters for bringing shame on the country. IOA agreed to bar charge-framed persons from contesting the polls. PTI

BRIEF SCORES: India 202 (Rohit 72, Wagner 4-64, Southee 3-38, Boult 3-38) and 87 for 1 (Dhawan 49*) trail New Zealand 503 and 105 (Taylor 41, Ishant 3-28, Shami 3-37) by 319 runs

Pietersen England's scapegoat: FlintoffLondon, Feb 8: Former England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff believes that Kevin Pietersen has been made a scape-goat for England's Ash-eswhitewash after having his international career brought to an end. The England and Wales Cricket Broad (ECB) announced the end of Pietersen's association with England earlier this week, citing a need for a new "team ethic and phi-losophy" after the 5-0 Test series defeat in Australia. However, Flintoff feels that it is wrong to single out individuals and has questioned the team spirit within the England squad. "The group doesn't seem to be a group any more," he told British newspaper the Daily Mail. "They've got one player who can take the blame and the rest of them want to go about their business and let him take the fall. "It's not that we couldn't bowl them out, not that we couldn't score runs, not that we got out-played -- it's Kevin Piet-ersen's fault. "I'd have more respect for some of the senior players if they held their hands up, rather than let-ting it all get heaped on one bloke." With the ECB yet to fully explain its decision to axe Pietersen, Flintoff says that the South Africa-born batsman's case had been used as a smoke-screen to shield others from criticism. "If his attitude was that bad, why did he play five Tests?" Flintoff said. "Who made the deci-sion to drop him? Do they genuinely believe we are better off without him, or are they just fearful for their own jobs and too afraid to say no? "I can't imagine what Kevin could have done, or what the ECB could announce, that would allow this to make sense."

Auckland, Feb 8: New Zea-land seized control of the first Test against India and then proceeded to let go in a frenetic third day Saturday which saw 17 wickets fall. India, who started the day at 130-4 in their first innings, were 87-1 at stumps in their second innings as they chased a formidable 407 to win on a flat Eden Park track. They require a further 320 runs for victory with nine wickets in hand and two days remaining. Only two teams have scored more in the fourth innings to win a Test -- the West Indies' 418-7 against Australia in 2003 and South Africa's 414-4 against Australia in 2008. Murali Vijay (13) was the wicket to fall in India's second innings when he feathered a Tim Southee delivery heading down the leg side and wicketkeeper BJ Watling was quickly across to take the catch. Shikhar Dhawan, who was dropped on seven, will resume Sunday on 49 with Cheteshwar Pujara on 22. New Zealand felt they had a firm grip on the

match after bundling out India for 202 in reply to their first innings 503. But any elation at hold-ing a 301-run lead against the second-ranked side in the world turned to despair after McCullum decided not to enforce the follow on and New Zealand self-destructed in their second innings. They were rolled for 105 and only a last wicket stand of 25 by Neil Wagner and Trent Boult avoided the ignominy of being the first side to score more than 500 in the first innings and less than 100 in the second. A rejuvenated Indian attack seduced the New Zealanders into a series of rash shots, and sharp catches were held by an invigorated fielding effort. Out-of-form openers Peter Fulton (five) and Hamish Ruth-erford (duck) were gone within three overs, and first innings centurions Kane Williamson (three) and McCullum (one) quickly followed. Williamson went to an exceptional one-handed catch by Ravindra Jadeja at midwicket while McCullum was run out

taking an unnecessary single in the last over before lunch. From 15-4 at lunch, New Zealand's troubles wors-ened to 25-5 after the break with the removal of Corey Anderson for two. Ross Taylor negotiated his way to 41, but when he slashed at a short, wide deliv-ery from Zaheer Khan and was well caught one-handed by Ajinkya Rahane in the gully New Zealand's last rec-ognised batsman was gone. Pacemen Mohammed Shami with three for 37 and Ishant Sharma with three for 28 were the leading wicket takers for India. Earlier in the day, India lost the last six wickets of their first innings for 72. Southee and Boult struck early, with Ajinkya Rahane (26) nicking a Southee outswinger to Taylor at first slip and Boult bowled India's batting main-stay Rohit Sharma for 72. Wagner sealed the end when he claimed captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (10) and carved into the tail. Wagner finished with four 64 while Southee and Boult both returned three for 38.

India V/S New Zealand

CMYK