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Shoaib Malik hopes cricket can ease Indo-Pak tension
LAHORE: Pakistan captain Shoaib
Malik on Tuesday called for India's tour of his country to go
ahead, saying "cricket diplomacy" would ease tensions between
the rival neighbours.
The captain made his remarks
amid reports that India will cancel its upcoming Pakistani tour
after accusations that the terrorists that killed 188 people in
Mumbai came from Pakistan.
"If we play cricket matches then
the people of both the countries will have a chance to divert
their attention and the situation will definitely improve.
Cricket diplomacy has helped in the past as well in the same
manner," Malik told reporters.
India is due to play a side
game, three Tests, five one-day internationals and a Twenty20
match on in the January-February tour of Pakistan next year.
Before the attacks,
India's Board of Control for Cricket was awaiting security clearance from its
government to go on the tour. As tensions grow between the two
countries after the Mumbai attacks, reports have emerged in the
Indian media that the matches will be cancelled.
Malik said cricket was the
sub-continent's biggest passion and listed past examples of how
the sport has brought India and Pakistan closer.
Pakistan's military ruler
General Ziaul Haq used cricket as a tool of diplomacy by
visiting India in the middle of the Pakistan cricket team's 1987
tour there. Pakistan also toured India in 1999 despite death
threats from Indian Sikh extremists. Malik said he hoped
England's team would return to India to play Test matches, which
were abandoned after the Mumbai attacks.
"If England agrees to tour India
for Tests, it would be a very good decision because cricket must
go on," Malik said.
The England and Wales Cricket
Board has said it will wait for a security report before sending
its team back for the two-match series.
Malik said his team must play some matches soon.
"We badly need cricket because
we have not played a single Test this year and are anxiously
waiting for the India series," said Malik.
Australia's refusal to tour
Pakistan earlier this year due to fears over possible militant
attacks left Pakistan without a Test during the whole of last
year. If India refuses to tour, Pakistan's next Test will be in
Sri Lanka in July 2009. - AFP
WC 2011 to stay on sub-continent: Salim Altaf
Karachi: The Pakistan Cricket
Board Chief operating officer Salim Altaf has refuted
suggestions that the 2011 World Cup could be switched away from
the subcontinent following the Mumbai terror attacks. Reports
suggested that the ICC were also preparing a standby venue for
the 2011 World Cup, but the PCB have now come out to dismiss
those claims.
"The reports are only
speculative and the world cup will remain on the sub-continent,"
Saleem said. "The ICC has given us a deadline to complete
certain tasks. As far as the joint World Cup Organising
Committee is concerned we are on schedule with those tasks.
"We have not received any
intimation from the ICC regarding a change of venue and as far
as we are concerned there is no change in venue," added Salim.
He further said that he would raise the issue in the ICC meeting
next week in Cape Town, South Africa.
The one-day tournament is
scheduled to be co-hosted by Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri
Lanka, but security concerns are thought to have been raised by
Cricket Australia following the unrest
in the region.
Earlier this year the
Australians pulled out of a tour to Pakistan over safety fears,
while the Champions Trophy - due to be held in Pakistan next
September - has been postponed for 13 months with the
International Cricket Council ready to move the tournament
should security remain an issue. - PPI
Ronaldo hailed as United’s best ever
LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo has
been hailed by Sir Bobby Charlton as the best player in
Manchester United’s history after the brilliant Portuguese
winger captured the Ballon d’Or.
Ronaldo is the first United star
to win the coveted award since the late George Best in 1968 and
Charlton, who himself was voted European player of the year in
1966, believes that Ronaldo can justifiably claim to be even
better than his late former team-mate.
“It was paradise watching George
play, just as it is now with Ronaldo,” Charlton told the Daily
Mirror. “The difference is that Ronaldo is stronger and faster.”
Ronaldo was the overwhelming
choice of the panel of journalists which allocates the Ballon
d’Or, largely on the strength of the 42 goals he scored last
season to lead United to a Premier League and Champions League
double.
One of the panel, the Daily
Telegraph’s Henry Winter, said he had had no hesitation in
awarding top marks to a player who “enriched so many games,
scored so many goals and made so many children fall in love with
football,” despite reservations about the player’s propensity
for diving and dissent.
“Ronaldo is special,” Winter
wrote.
Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo’s
boss at Manchester United, believes too much is made of the
supposed flaws in his star player’s character and insufficient
allowance made for the often brutal treatment he receives at the
hands of opponents.
“We’re all delighted that
Cristiano is going to be honoured,” the Scot said. “He deserves
it. For any winger to score 42 goals in a season is remarkable,
but to do it in the Premier League is even more phenomenal.”
Elsewhere, admiration for the
23-year-old’s achievements on the pitch was tempered by
criticism of what is seen as a conceited and petulant nature.
That was reflected in a
commentary by leading English sports writer James Lawton in the
Independent newspaper.
Refuting suggestions that
Ronaldo belonged in the same company as greats such as Pele or
Johan Cruyff, Lawton described the Portuguese international as
“a magnificently equipped footballer starved at times of even a
modicum of grace.” - AFP
FIH postpones appointments of committees
Karachi: International Hockey
Federation (FIH) has postponed the appointments of various
committees until the next board meeting in February.
The newly elected President of
FIH Leandro Negre announced that the existing committees
therefore continue to operate as usual until then.
During the FIH Executive Board
meeting in Los Angeles,
USA on Sunday, Executive Board announced venues and dates of various FIH
world level scheduled events.
The Executive Board has awarded
the following tournaments. The BDO Men's Champions Challenge I
2009 is allocated to Quilmes, Argentina from 6-13 December
2009. While, BDO Women's Champions Challenge I 2009 is allocated
to Cape Town, South Africa from 1-8 November
2009. The Men's Champions Challenge II 2009/2010 is allocated to
Dublin, Ireland from 5-11 July 2009. The Women's Champions Challenge II 2009/2010 is
allocated to Kazan,
Russia from 21-27 June 2009.
The Men's World Cup Qualifier (3
tournaments) 2009/2010 are allocated to Auckland, New Zealand from 7-15 November
2009 and to Lille (France) from 24 October- 1 November 2009. The
allocation of the third one is subject to receiving bid details
from Malaysia.
The Women's World Cup Qualifier
(3 tournaments) 2009/2010 are allocated to Santiago, Chile from 20-28 February 2010
and to Seville, Spain from 06-14 February 2010.
The third one will be announced at a later stage.
The ABN AMRO Men's Champions
Trophy 2010 is allocated to Mnchengladbach,
Germany at dates to be confirmed subject to receiving a formal bid from
Germany.
The Indoor World Cup 2011 Men
and Women is allocated to Poznan, Poland from 08-13 February
2011. - PPI
3rd National Women Judo C’ship on 26th
PESHAWAR: The 3rd edition of
the Anti-Narcotic National Women Judo Championship will be
commencing from December 26 at Jinnah Sports Complex.
This was stated by the Secretary
of the Pakistan Judo Federation (PJF) Masood Ahmad in a meeting
of the organising committee.
He said that the President of
the Federation Col. Rana Shujat Ali has already announced cash
incentives for the women players along with the medals who would
show better result in the National event in order to encourage
them.
The final and prize distribution
ceremony of the Championship will be held on December 28 at
3.00 p.m. He said that almost 70
players from top eight teams of the country will be taking part
in the Championship.
The Championship will be fought
in the following categories like 40kg, 44kg, 48kg, 52kg, 57kg,
63kg, 70kg and open weight category.
Female judo players from
Pakistan Railways, Pakistan Wapda, Pakistan Army, Pakistan
Police and teams from all the four provinces.
After the Championship a
national camp would be set up for those who perform well and
later on, the final squad would be named for the international
event.
He said soon after the
Championship an Inter-Department Tournament will be organised in
January in which players will also be short-listed for the said
camp.
Masood Ahmad said that Dr.
Salamat Ali Jaffar has been nominated as the Organising
Secretary for the Championship who would look after the players.
- APP
Lahore Board win
Pakistan Boards Basketball title
PESHAWAR:
Lahore Board grabbed the title
of the All-Pakistan Inter-Board Basketball Championship after
defeating Abbottabad board in the final played at City Sports
Complex on Tuesday.
Secretary Abbottabad Board Zar
Wali Khan was the chief guest on this occasion. Before the start
of the match the players were introduced to him.
The players of Lahore Board were
outstanding against host Abbottabad board in the final and did
not give much chance to them to strike back. Abbottabad Board
through out the Championship gave tremendous performances
against other teams but in the final its players did not click
and thus lost the grand final.
Lahore Board was leading the
first quarter by 22-13 and kept its lead in the second, third
and fourth quarters. The score of the second, third and fourth
quarters were 39-31, 64-46 and 83-67.
For Lahore board Umer Ayub (24),
Saqib (14) Hasan Ahmad (14), Ali Raza (7) were the prominent
contributors in individual capacity while for Bannu board Bilal
(26), javed and Iqbal Khan (10) points each and Hassan scored 8
points.
In the match for the third
position Bannu Board defeated Peshawar board by 65-55 points to
grab the third position. The score was of the first, second,
third and fourth quarters were 14-7, 39-28, 53-43 and 65-55 in
favour of Bannu board. For Bannu Board Ali (22), Imran (18),
Abdul Nasir (9) were the high points contributors while for
Peshawar Shoaib Khan (21), Atta Ullah Jan (16). All 11 board
teams took part in the Championship organised by the Abbottabad
Boards.
At the end, the chief guest Zar
Wali Khan and Controller of Examination Jandad Khan gave away
the trophies and shield to the players and officials. Director
Sports Abbottabad Board Sardar Shakeel and large number of
spectators were also present. – APP |