The Indian Panorama

Tag: Cricket

  • LALIT MODI EXPELLED FROM BCCI

    LALIT MODI EXPELLED FROM BCCI

    CHENNAI (TIP) : The decision to ban Lalit Modi from BCCI for life was taken much ahead of the board’s special general meeting (SGM), which started at 2:05 pm on September 25 and was over by 2:20 pm. Modi the maverick became history as his sworn enemy, president-in-exile N Srinivasan, clinically packed him off, gaining a huge advantage ahead of the annual general meeting (AGM) on Sunday. The 29-0 scoreline in an electorate of 30 (the J&K representative was absent) said it all. There was no voice of support for Modi who was desperately trying to prolong his administrative career. All Srinivasan needed was a two-thirds majority (21 votes), but there was no voice of dissent, proving beyond doubt who is the supreme boss in BCCI at the moment. “Modi is guilty of committing acts of misconduct and indiscipline, and therefore, in exercise of powers as per Regulation 32 of the Memorandum of Rules and Regulations of the BCCI, Modi is hereby expelled from the board,” a terse note written by BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel was sent to the media. Modi’s Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court to stop the SGM was rejected and a letter that he had sent to BCCI urging the members to allow him to present his case or defer the meeting to a date after the Sunday AGM wasn’t paid attention to.

    “Please note that I do intend to appear before the SGM and place my version and the facility that was extended to the BCCI witnesses for the purposes of recording of their evidence, that is by way of video conferencing, may kindly be extended to me as well,” Modi had said in his letter. According to a BCCI member present in the meeting, they were informed about the contents of Modi’s letter but they didn’t feel it important enough to attach importance to it. “He was found guilty by the disciplinary committee and there was no reason to waste too much time on it any longer. And Modi wasn’t available for video conferencing either,” a BCCI member present in the meeting said. “It was a unanimous choice to ban Modi. The proposer was Anirudh Chaudhury from the Haryana Cricket Association and the seconder was Ranjib Biswal from Orissa Cricket Association. There was no voice of opposition,” Rajeev Shukla said. IS Bindra, the president of Punjab Cricket Association and a known Modi sympathizer, didn’t attend the meeting and MP Pandove, who represented the association, went in favour of the motion. The only office-bearer absent from the meeting chaired by Srinivasan was North Zone vice-president Arun Jaitley, who was busy with a BJP rally in Bhopal.

    Officials only interested in themselves: Lalit Modi
    In a video interview to ESPN Cricinfo, Modi said: “Board officials are not interested in doing what is good for cricket. They are only interested in what they are getting out of it.” Modi spoke about how ridiculous it was for Srinivasan to stand for elections in the midst of a burning spot fixing controversy involving his son-inlaw. “There is unanimity in allowing him to continue. You never see a lone ranger standing out because they shut them all up. Only I S Bindra and myself have been lone rangers in the past, “ he said.

  • VIRENDER SEHWAG SHOWS INTENT IN MIDDLE ORDER

    VIRENDER SEHWAG SHOWS INTENT IN MIDDLE ORDER

    INDORE (TIP): Virender Sehwag’s decision to bat down the order for Delhi in the Challenger Trophy match against India Blue may have come as a surprise to his fans. But it wasn’t really unexpected as there has been speculation that he was contemplating such a move to give his flagging career a second wind. Many experts believe it is not a bad idea for the attacking batsman to give up the opener’s slot as age has slowed him down. His eyesight too isn’t the same. Ironically, as Delhi lost two quick wickets, Sehwag was at the crease in the third over itself and must have felt like he was still an opener. He impressed during his half-century stint, even showing glimpses of his old self.

    At the same venue where he made a record-breaking 219 against the West Indies in Dec 2011, Sehwag seemed way on his way to a breezy century till he threw it away. It is difficult to say whether, with one flourishing innings, he has been able to convince the national selectors, led by Sandeep Patil, about his utility in Team India, be it as an opener or a middle-order batsman. Sehwag, who is 25 days away from his 35th birthday, had begun his career as a middle-order batsman and scored his first Test century batting at No. 6. But he gave opening a shot as Team India had a start-studded middle order.

    With his belligerent strokeplay, he changed the entire concept of batting in Test matches. He has been among the most successful openers for India, with two triple hundreds and a couple of double centuries in Test cricket, besides a record breaking 219 in ODIs. Yet, Sehwag has always maintained that he was keen to go back to the middle order, where he doesn’t always have to negotiate the new ball. On the 2011 tour of Australia, when Sehwag was captaining the side at Adelaide, he had given the first indication of moving down the order. He had then said; “No, not immediately as we have a very good middle order. When they retire, I’ll think about it. It depends on the combination, and who’s the captain, and who’s going to retire.”

  • TENDULKAR TO QUIT AFTER PLAYING 200TH TEST AT HOME AGAINST WEST INDIES

    TENDULKAR TO QUIT AFTER PLAYING 200TH TEST AT HOME AGAINST WEST INDIES

    KOLKATA (TIP): Sachin Tendulkar will play his 200th Test match at home against the West Indies later this year. BCCI interim secretary Sanjay Patel confirmed on Sunday that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has agreed to tour India in November during which they are likely to play at least two Tests and five ODIs. The itinerary for the tour will be drawn up in consultation with the WICB, but in all likelihood the second Test will be played at the Wankhede Stadium. Assuming he figures in both Tests, Sachin would not only become the first player in cricket’s history to play 200 Tests, he would also get to achieve the landmark in Mumbai, his own backyard.

    It could also be his farewell series as indications are that the Little Master is likely to announce his retirement from all forms of the game at the end of that series. BCCI’s tour and fixtures committee, which will meet shortly to finalise the dates and venues, is also likely to award the first Test to Kolkata. The proposed tour by the West Indies was sprung on the Working Committee members by BCCI’s president-inexile N Srinivasan and was passed unanimously, ostensibly to appease host broadcasters and sponsors. Under the Future Tours Programme (FTP), India are scheduled to host only a seven-match ODI series against Australia in October. Sachin, who recently started practising after undergoing surgery on his left palm, has confirmed his availability for the Champions League T20 where he will turn out for the Mumbai Indians. The peerless batsman has so far played 198 Tests, scoring 15,837 runs at an average of 53.86. He is also the only batsman in the world to log 100 centuries in international cricket, 51 of them coming in the longest (five-day) format. He had announced his retirement from ODIs late last year after having played 463 games in the course of his 24-year long career, amassing a record 18,426 runs, including 49 centuries at an average of 44.83.

  • KOHLI BEATS DHONI AND SACHIN IN ENDORSEMENTS

    KOHLI BEATS DHONI AND SACHIN IN ENDORSEMENTS

    MUMBAI (TIP): India’s hottest young cricketer Virat Kohli is setting the world of brand endorsements alight. The Indian captain-in-the-making, whose exploits on the field, combined with his youth, good looks and never-say-die attitude, makes him a winner off the field too, has inked a Rs 10- crore per annum deal with German sports goods giant Adidas. The three-year contract, perhaps the most lucrative to be signed by an Indian sports star, will see the swashbuckling right-hand batsman endorsing the brand’s apparel and shoes. The Delhi lad has also struck a Rs 6.5 crore a year deal with a tyre brand that had master batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Steve Waugh as its ambassadors, a person familiar with the development revealed.

    The two deals will see Kohli topping the likes of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Tendulkar in terms of annual earnings per brand endorsement. Kohli, who turns 25 later this year, pocketed around Rs 40 crore from endorsements last year, but that sum may swell up substantially with these two deals in his kit bag. Currently, he lends his face to as many as 13 brands, including Pepsi, Toyota and Cinthol deodorants. An Adidas spokesperson declined to comment on the development.

    Tendulkar, who is Adidas’ current brand ambassador, is perhaps at the fag end of his illustrious career. And Kohli fits the bill perfectly as he is being groomed to take over the top job from Dhoni after the 2015 ICC World Cup, an executive from a sports management firm, who did not want to be named, said. Bunty Sajdeh-led Cornerstone Sport and Entertainment manages the Indian vicecaptain’s endorsement contracts. Sajdeh was unavailable for comment. Kohli’s annual endorsement fee has seen a meteoric rise over the past year, rivalling the likes of Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor, the hottest brand ambassador in the film industry.

    Till last year, the cricket star used to command Rs 3 crore per brand annually, which went up to Rs 6 crore. The Rs 10-crore a year deal with Adidas propels him to a different league altogether. “For the past few years, Dhoni has been ruling the endorsement space, but Kohli is catching up very fast.While Dhoni connected well with the masses, Kohli has a more urban appeal which a lot of brands want to cash in on,” said Indranil Das Blah, COO of celebrity management firm CAA Kwan. The price escalation in Kohli’s endorsement contracts has meant that a lot of brands which had signed him early on must shell out much more to renew their deals or simply end their association with him. “We are willing to pay a premium, depending on what that number is.

    He has been a great fit for our brand which targets youngsters, and he has grown with us,” said J Suresh, MD and CEO, Arvind Lifestyle and Brands which has had the cricketer on board for three years as Flying Machine’s brand ambassador. The jeans-wear brand signed Kohli before the World Cup at a moderate price and its contract is up for renewal.With Rs 10 crore becoming the new benchmark, many brands will find it hard to match up to Brand Kohli’s price tag. Until recently, Kohli and Nike were in a five-year contract inked in 2008. However, things turned sour between the two sides when the US sports goods major went to court claiming Kohli had breached the contract by disagreeing to continue as its brand ambassador till 2014. But the Karnataka high court ruled in favour of the cricketer,

  • SACHIN HAS ALWAYS KEPT IT SIMPLE: JOHN WRIGHT

    SACHIN HAS ALWAYS KEPT IT SIMPLE: JOHN WRIGHT

    JAIPUR (TIP): The focus is understandably on Sachin Tendulkar as he pads up in the T20 format of the game for one last time. The Master Blaster arrived in Jaipur on Wednesday for Mumbai Indians’ opening match against Rajasthan Royals here on September 21. “We know that this is the last time that he would be playing in the T20 format,” Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma said on Thursday. “We will try to make it special.” Sharma doesn’t want to speculate on Tendulkar’s retirement. “He knows what is best for him. Now, he wants to take one game at a time and right now, it is CLT20,” the skipper said. For Royals skipper Rahul Dravid, it is just another game. “I have played so many times with and against him that it doesn’t really matter now,” he said. “That’s what the game is all about.”

    Even Dravid will be playing competitive cricket for the last time and the focus for him is to lead the Royals to another successful outing. John Wright has been following Tendulkar’s career since he was 16 and feels the reason for the Master Blaster’s longevity is keeping things simple. “I first saw him as a rival player when he was 16,” Wright, the Mumbai Indians’ coach, said. Tendulkar had toured New Zealand with the Indian team in 1990 when Wright was still playing for the Kiwis. “I interacted with him a lot when I was the India coach,” the New Zealander said. “And now, as the Mumbai Indians coach, it is once again a pleasure working with him. The best part is that Sachin hasn’t changed since he was 16, in his approach towards the game. He continues to be sincere, hard-working and very dedicated.” Wright went on to add that the Master Blaster knows the game in and out. “He has kept it simple. He is the same old Sachin, a great person and a tremendous cricketer.” Mumbai Indians underwent a fourday preparatory camp at Ahmedabad before coming to Jaipur and, Wright said, Tendulkar was as sharp as ever. “It is a pleasure to inform you that he has been batting well and looks very keen and fresh.”

  • IPL spot-fixing: Sree, Ankeet Chavan banned for life

    IPL spot-fixing: Sree, Ankeet Chavan banned for life

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Rajasthan Royals’ players S Sreesanth and Ankeet Chavan were on September 13 “banned for life” for their involvement in the IPL spotfixing scandal by the Disciplinary Committee of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). “They have been banned for life from playing any representative cricket, or in any way being associated with the activities of the BCCI or its affiliates,” a statement issued by board secretary Sanjay Patel said. The BCCI disciplinary committee, comprising N Srinivasan, Arun Jaitley and Niranjan Shah, met here today to consider the report submitted by Ravi Sawant, appointed by the board to inquire into the scandal. Sawant has held Sreesanth, Chandila and Chavan guilty of conceding a “predetermined number of runs per over in exchange for bribes”.

    The committee took the decision “after considering the evidence on record, and hearing each of the players in person”. Cricketer-turned-bookie Amit Singh was banned for five years while his Royals teammate Siddharth Trivedi got one-year ban for not reporting that he was approached by bookies. The case against Harmeet Singh, 20, who was part of India’s under-19 World Cup winning team in 2012, has been “closed in the absence of evidence against him”. No decision was taken on Ajit Chandila, as his deposition was not complete. He got bail three days ago and would be asked to appear before Sawant for evidence. His case would come up before the disciplinary committee after that.

    Sreesanth was the last to be called in by the committee. The former India player said, “I have never cheated. I gave them my side of the story. I did not argue with anybody. Everybody was very cooperative. Since childhood, I only dreamt of playing for India. I will never cheat the game. I have faith in the judiciary and the BCCI. I hope to play again.” However, the BCCI did not trust his side of the story, and preferred to go by what Ravi Sawant had observed. A minor drama was played out in the Disciplinary Committee room as N Srinivasan reached the venue and chaired the meeting, though it was widely expected that Jaitley would steer the proceedings in the wake of Srinivasan “stepping aside” as the board president following alleged involvement of his son-in-law Raghunath Meiyappan in the fixing scandal. However, a reliable source said it had been decided at the working committee meeting that Srinivasan would discharge his constitutional duties, and, therefore, it was “mandatory” for him to chair today’s meeting.

  • Cricket gets a fillip in Hicksville: First IALI Cricket Cup 2013 organized

    Cricket gets a fillip in Hicksville: First IALI Cricket Cup 2013 organized

    HICKSVILLE, NY (TIP): The first ever IALI (India Association of Long Island) Cricket tournament finals were held on 08/03/2013 at Cantiague Park, Hicksville. The initial rounds were held on 07/27/2013 at Cantiague Park and seven teams participated whole day in the grand opening ceremony and exciting matches. About 150 fans attended the opening ceremony at which Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano was the Chief Guest. Ed Mangano cut the ribbon and opened the newly prepared Cricket pitch in Cantiague Park (Field -T). IALI President Kishore Kuncham opened the games and in his welcome remarks said, “We are making history here today as we host the first cricket tournament and IALI cricket cup in the 37 years history of India Association of Long Island.”


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    Prof. Indrajit S Saluja gives Ed Mangano a lesson in cricket playing. President of IALI Dr. Kishore Kuncham is seen behind the wickets

    The Hicksville Cricket Club and Long Island Connections emerged as final teams. All the initial matches were 12 over rounds. Semi finals and Finals were 15 over matches. On 08/03/2013, the finals were held between Long Island Connections and Hicksville Cricket Club. At the end of the 15 overs HCC scored 58 runs with the loss of 9 wickets. LI Connections started chasing the moderate score but lost their first wicket in the very first over. But then the batsmen took control of the game and ended with a score of 59 runs in 13.2 overs with a loss of 7 wickets. Thus the Long Island Connections won the first ever IALI Cricket 2013 Tournament. Dr. Kishore Kuncham President, IALI congratulated both the teams and thanked the county officials for their support in providing and preparing the cricket pitch and also thanked community leaders for their efforts. He also commended and appreciated the dedication of Mr. Enjapuri Jayaprakash, IALI Sport Chair and the Executive Committee of IALI for their support and hard work in organizing the tournament successfully.

  • 200th Test venue to depend on Sachin

    200th Test venue to depend on Sachin

    NEW DELHI (TIP): With speculation rife over whether Sachin Tendulkar will retire from Test cricket after playing his 200th Test and even the cricket board (BCCI) not sure about the batsman’s plans, the issue of which venue is going to host the landmark Test is getting interesting. According to BCCI insiders, the board may talk to Tendulkar before deciding on the venue for the important Test. Sources said if Tendulkar is thinking of retiring after playing his 200th Test, Mumbai will probably get to host the game against the West Indies. “It began there and it should end there if he is retiring,” a top BCCI official told TOI. But if Tendulkar plans to keep on playing beyond the series against West Indies, then Kolkata could land the tie. Interestingly, Tendulkar himself is open to playing this Test anywhere in the country.

    “He has no qualms about playing at any centre,” a source said. Bangalore, it was learnt, is another venue which is in the BCCI short-list. Tendulkar is looking forward to the momentous occasion, he would like to have some first class games under his best before he plays the two-Test series against the Caribbeans. A source said Tendulkar is likely to play some Ranji matches for Mumbai to get some match practice before the Tests. “The West Indies team will be in India between October 31 and November 27, during which it will play two Tests and three ODIs. The itinerary and venues for the matches will be announced shortly,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.

  • YUVRAJ SINGH READY TO FIRE AGAIN

    YUVRAJ SINGH READY TO FIRE AGAIN

    NEW DELHI (TIP): A fitter and slimmer Yuvraj Singh is back from his six-week long fitness camp, along with Zaheer Khan, in Brive la Gaillarde in France and is raring for a crack at Team India again. He is deriving his confidence from skipper MS Dhoni’s recent remark that his team was reserved not only for youngsters.

    “Dhoni must have thought about the 2015 World Cup. I am happy that youngsters are doing well but a right balance, with seniors too, is needed. The most important thing is to have the best team for the country,” said Yuvraj, on his first public appearance since returning from France. The mainstay of the Indian middle order in the limited-overs format till very recently doesn’t mind talking about his past record. “While one’s past records should not be the criterion for selection, you can’t forget the contribution made by them either,” Yuvraj said at a promotional event.

    There has been extra emphasis on agility and fitness in Dhoni’s scheme of things. And the veteran of 282 ODIs is well aware of that. “I have never doubted my ability and won’t doubt it ever. The focus is to look sharp and agile in the field. My priority has always been to play for my country,” he stated. Both, he and Zaheer, decided to undertake a different regimen over the one available at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore mainly to avoid people speculating about them. “I had trained hard at the NCA after I recovered from cancer but I just wanted to get away because of frequent distractions. Here, something is invariably cropping up every day about what I am doing.

    I also wanted to train in higher altitudes and play different sports, eat a different kind of food and have time to discuss my game with my father (former Test cricketer Yograj Singh). In France, I could stay focused on what I was doing.” Coming out of that regime, he definitely looked more refreshed and fitter. But what about Zaheer? “Zaheer has been extremely disciplined and he worked as hard as I did. He has lost nearly six kilograms and looks in great shape. We started playing for India together and we gel really well.

    Working in tandem has helped each other. He has really pushed himself and am sure he will make a comeback soon,” Yuvraj said. Yuvraj is itching to get back to the pitch but hasn’t got to play any of the pre-season domestic tournaments like the Buchi Babu. “I could only play Buchi Babu or Moin-ud Dowla if my state team is playing in the tournament,” he clarified. Asked about a recent photograph which showed him along with Sachin Tendulkar’s son Arjun, Yuvraj recalled, “Some time back (Sachin) Tendulkar told me that his son bats like me. When I watched Arjun, he did remind me of my younger days in Chandigarh.”

  • INDIA’S HIGHS AND THE LOWS

    INDIA’S HIGHS AND THE LOWS

    The transition of India from a British colony to a sovereign, secular, and democratic nation was indeed historical. It was a long journey of around two decades that started with the conceptualisation of the dream in 1930 to its actual realization in 1950. A look into the journey that led to the birth of Indian Republic will make our celebrations more meaningful.

    Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress The seeds of a republican nation were sowed at the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress at the midnight of 31st December 1929. The session was held under the presidency of Pt. Jawarhar Lal Nehru. Those present in the meeting took a pledge to mark January 26 as “Independence Day” in order to march towards realizing the dream of complete independence from the British. The Lahore Session paved way to the Civil Disobedience movement.

    It was decided that January 26, 1930 would be observed as the Purna Swaraj (complete Independence) Day. Many Indian political parties and Indian revolutionaries from all over the country united to observe the day with honour and pride.

    Indian Constituent Assembly Meetings
    The Indian Constituent Assembly, which was constituted as a result of the negotiations between the Indian leaders and members of the British Cabinet Mission, had its first meeting on December 9, 1946.The Objective of the Assembly was to give India a constitution, which would serve a lasting purpose and hence appointed a number of committees to thoroughly research the various aspects of the proposed constitution. The recommendations were discussed, debated and revised many times before the Indian Constitution was finalized and officially adopted three years later on November 26, 1949.

    Constitution came into force
    Though India became a free nation on August 15, 1947, it enjoyed the true spirit of Independence on January 26, 1950 when the Constitution of India finally came into force. The Constitution gave the citizens of India the power to govern themselves by choosing their own government. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, took oath as the first President of India at the Durbar Hall in the Government House and this was followed by the Presidential drive along a five-mile route to the Irwin Stadium, where he unfurled the National Flag.

    Ever since the historic day, January 26 is celebrated with festivities and patriotic fervor all around the country. The day owes its importance to the constitution of India that was adopted on this day. On this Republic Day, read what the great Constitution of India, that propounds liberal democracy, has in its store. Let’s also feel proud in pronouncing what the Preamble to our Constitution (External website that opens in a new window) says.

    1971 Indo Pak War As in the 1965 Indo-Pak War, the main battles in 1971 between armoured formations was relegated to Chamb and Shakargarh sectors – located in the Western Theatre. Sporadic tank battles took place in the East Theatre, but these were one-sided battles weighed heavily in India’s favour. No action had taken place in the Punjab sector, but the South-Western sector in Rajasthan did see much activity. An offensive by the Pakistanis was blunted here solely on the use of air power.

    The Indian Army had two armoured regiments and three independent armoured squadrons supporting Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora’s Eastern Command’s thrust into East Pakistan. India had one T-55 tank regiment in the northern sector supporting the XXXIII Corps’ offensive in the Hilli-Bogra area, with one PT-76 regiment in the western area supporting the II Corps’ thrust.

    Finally three independent armoured squadrons (one PT-76, one AMX- 13 and one Ferret armoured car) were supporting the IV Corps’ offensive from the east. Opposing them were a Pakistani armoured force of a regiment of M-24 Chafees in the Bogra area, countering India’s T-55 regiment and two squadrons of Chafeee tanks supporting the west and Dacca sectors.

    When full scale hostilities began, half the tanks were either knocked out or captured by the time the Indian troops were on the outskirts of Dacca. After which the rest of the tanks were finally accounted for, as part of the surrender deal. In it’s offensive, Indian losses were heavy. At least thirty PT-76 tanks were destroyed or damaged, another four T-55s had their tracks blown up over mines.

    The high loss rate among the PT-76 tanks was due to the fact that this type of tank had very thin armour plating to help assist its amphibious capabilities and was an easy target for mines. However all, but eleven, of the PT-76s were repaired after the war. The AMX-13s did not see much action and the Ferrets had no battle casualties. One very interesting situation, had the tank squadron of the 7th Light Cavalry recovering one of their own tanks lost to the Pakistan Army during the 1965 War, which was displayed at the East Bengal Regimental Center as a war trophy.

    The tank was then handed to the Army Ordnance Corps, which in turn handed it back to the East Bengal Regimental Center! The Battle of Basantar took place during the 1 Corps’ offensive in the Shakargarh Sector. India employed two armoured brigades to support its offensive by three infantry divisions and the Pakistani reaction was swift. On December 16th and 17th, when Indian infantry captured certain villages at the River Basantar, Pakistan sent in an armoured brigade.

    The 17 Poona Horse equipped with the Centurion tank, blunted the Pakistani armoured offensive. One particular action at Barapind saw one lone tank troop (three tanks) of the 17 Poona Horse – Indian Army take on an entire squadron of Pattons of the 13th Cavalry – Pakistan Army. When one of the tanks was hit & disabled and another tank’s gun was jammed, the troop commander, Captain V Malhotra gave the order for the last remaining tank to withdraw.

    But this tank led by Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal, stuck to its position and kept firing at the Pattons till the last moment when Second Lieutenant Khetarpal was hit and killed. These three tanks accounted for more than the ten tanks out of the squadron. So impressed were the Pakistanis with this action, that the Squadron Commander of Pakistan’s 13 Cavalry – Major Nissar came over to the Indian lines after the ceasefire to talk to the tank commanders who had blunted his offensive.

    At the end of which, 66 Pakistani tanks were claimed as destroyed. Indian casualties were about 23 tanks, however the efforts of the EME (Electrical & Mechanical Engineers) saw to that all, but 10 of the tanks, were back on the road again.

    Period of Liberalization
    The arrival of the East India Company in India caused a huge strain to the Indian economy and there was a twoway depletion of resources.The British would buy raw materials from India at cheaper rates and the finished goods were sold at higher than normal price in Indian markets. During this phase India’s share of world income declined from 22.3% in 1700 AD to 3.8% in 1952. Post Colonial Indian Economy: After India got independence from colonial rule in 1947, the process of rebuilding the economy started. For this various policies and schemes were formulated. First five year plan for the development of Indian economy came into implementation in 1952.

    These Five Year Plans, started by Indian government, focused on the needs of the Indian economy. If on one hand agriculture received the immediate attention on the other hand the industrial sector was developed at a fast pace to provide employment opportunities to the growing population and to keep pace with the developments in the world. Since then the Indian economy has come a long way.

    The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at factor cost, which was 2.3 % in 1951-52 reached 6.5 in the financial year 2011-2012 Trade liberalization, financial liberalization, tax reforms and opening up to foreign investments were some of the important steps, which helped Indian economy to gain momentum. The Economic Liberalization introduced by Man Mohan Singh in 1991, then Finance Minister in the government of P V Narsimha Rao, proved to be the stepping-stone for Indian economic reform movements.

    To maintain its current status and to achieve the target GDP of 10% for financial year 2006-07, the Indian economy has to overcome many challenges. Challenges before Indian economy: Population explosion:The rising population is eating into the success of India. According to 2011 census of India, the population of India has crossed one billion and isgrowing at a rate of 2.11% approx. Such a vast population puts lots of stress on economic infrastructure of the nation.

    Thus India has to control its burgeoning population. Poverty:As per records of National Planning Commission, 36 crore people are living below the poverty line in India in 2012. Unemployment:The increasing population is pressing hard on economic resources as well as job opportunities. Indian government has started various schemes such as Jawahar Rozgar Yojna, and Self Employment Scheme for Educated Unemployed Youth (SEEUY). But these are proving to be a drop in an ocean. Rural Urban Divide:It is said that India lies in villages, even today when there is lots of talk going about migration to cities, 70% of the Indian population still lives in villages.

    There is a very stark difference in pace of rural and urban growth. Unless there isn’t a balanced development Indian economy cannot grow. These challenges can be overcome by the sustained and planned economic reforms. These include: Maintaining fiscal discipline Orientation of public expenditure towards sectors in which India is faring badly such as health and education. Introduction of reforms in labour laws to generate more employment opportunities for the growing population of India. Reorganization of agricultural sector, introduction of new technology, reducing agriculture’s dependence on monsoon by developing means of irrigation. Introduction of financial reforms including privatization of some public sector banks.

    Scams That Rocked India
    Ever since India has achieved her freedom, she has also been known as a corrupted land. The extend of corruption has increased to such an extend that, any person joining political parties does have an intention of making easy and fast money within the shortest period of time. If all the amounts that have been disclosed, for every scam till date is pooled up, I guess , India is most richest country and the power and strength She holds could not be compared with any other.

    However, since people are getting more and more selforiented, when it comes to progress and wiping away poverty, nobody is least bothered. A few of the top scams that have taken place since the year 1947 is discussed here, just to bring to the notice of the public where we stand and how things are working. Let us get from the latest to the oldest.
    1. The Indian Coal Allocation Scam: This is one among the latest scams that has occurred concerning the Indian government’s allocation of the nation’s coal deposits to public sector entries and private companies. According to the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General of India), the Indian Government was accused of allocating coal blocks, in an in-efficient manner during the period 2004-2009.

    The reason for this allegation was because, the Government had the authority to check on the allocation of coal blocks by a process of competitive bidding, but they failed to do so, resulting in lower payment by the public sector enterprises and the private firms. According to the CAG report, an amount of near to Rs. 185,591 crore (USD $ 35.08 billion) was lost to the government because of this improper screening in procedures, which might have happened due to bribery is what studies says. Whatever it may be, loosing such a huge amount by the Government is a fall from the Governments side.
    2. The 2G Spectrum Scam: This scam was one which involved the politicians and government officials equally. The scam involved in issuing frequency allocation licenses by the telephone companies in re-creating 2G subscriptions for cell phones. When valued by the Comptroller and Auditor General ( CAG ) of India about the money composed from the 2G licenses , the defeat for the exchequer was Rs. 176,369 crore ( USD $ 39.16 billion ). The issuing of licenses began in 2008; however it came to public attention when the Indian Income tax Department conducted an investigation on the political campaigner Niira Radia.

    The Supreme Court on February 2012 declared cancellation of all licenses issued in 2008 during the tenure of A. Raja, who was the minister of telecom then. There were about 122 licenses that were cancelled. The actual plan for awarding the licenses was on a first come first served policy. However, A. Raja manipulated the rules and instead pf the first who applied for the licenses, it was first who tipped Raja got the license. 3.

    Commonwealth Games Scam:
    This was a scam that was harshly criticized by several well-known social activists and politicians as billions of dollars were being spent on sporting event, although the fact that we have the leading concentration of poor people. Some of the other major problems that was being highlighted was grave corruption by the games organizing committee, delay in the erection of the main Games venues, and infrastructural compromise. Indian businessman Azim Premji called the Commonwealth games a “drain on the public funds” and also said that hosting such an expensive game event was not the priority for India, and India had other priorities to look into like education, public health and infrastructure.

    4. Satyam Scam:
    In the history of the corporate, Satyam Computer Services Scandal is biggest ever and the chairman, Ramalinga Raju confessed that the company’s accounts were falsified. For near to a decade, Raju kept the accounts details in the dark by pumping up revenues and earning up figures of Satyam. He confessed that , as per the balance sheet of 30th September 2008, the company had exaggerated figures for cash and bank balances of Rs. 5040 crore ( USD $ 1.12 billion ) as next to Rs. 5361 Crore ( USD $ 1.19 billion ) in the book thus acquiring an interest of Rs. 376 Crore , which was not existing.This scam was in tune of near to Rs. 14000 Crore.

    5. Bofors Scam:
    This scandal is also known as the hallmark of Indian Corruption. This was a most important corruption during the 1980`s where the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and quite a few others which also includes a powerful NRI family named the Hindujas were accused of receiving bribe from Bofors AB for engaging a proposal to supply India’s 155 mm field howitzer. The scale of the corruption was so worse that it led to the crush of Gandhi’s ruling in the Indian national Congress party.

    It was hypnotized that the level of the scandal was tuned to be about Rs. 400 million. The middle man who was associated with this scandal was an Italian businessman named Ottavio Quattrocchi and who also represented the petrochemicals firm, Snamprogetti. Quattrocchi was very intimate to the family and emerged as a influential broker in the 1980`s between big business and the Government of India. Despite the controversy, the Bofor gun was used extensively during the Kargil War with Pakistan and gave India ‘an edge’ over Pakistan according to battlefield comrades.

    6. The Fodder Scam:
    This scam involved the misappropriation of about Rs. 950 crore (USD $ 179.55 million) from the government treasury, of Bihar. The scheme involved the manufacture of ‘vast herds of invented stock’ for which food, medicines and animal husbandry equipment was apparently acquired. In this scam even the Chief Minister of Bihar, Laloo Prasad Yadav was included then which finally led to his resignation. The scam had its origins in small scale by some government employees by submitting false expense reports, which grew in magnitude and drew additional elements over a period of time which ultimately led to the forming of a mafia. This scam still continues to be exposed by the media due to the widespread links between tenured bureaucrats, elected politicians and businesspeople involved.

    7. The Hawala Scandal:
    This was an Indian political scandal, which involved payments allegedly acknowledged by politicians through four hawala brokers, mostly the Jain brothers. It was about $ 18 million bribery humiliation. In an arrest linked to the militants in Kashmir is what gave way to the raid of the hawala brokers and the scandal through them, which revealed large scale payments to national politicians.

    8. The IPL Scam:
    Cricket is a game where lot of commotions occur and there hare many hurdles to cross over and the IPL (Indian Premier League) is no better at it. The BCCI (Board of Control for Crocket in India) has found itself in the middle of many conflicts with the coming of IPL. The IPL had set forth many terms at many occasions, which were not accepted and had to be terminated. There were conflicts with the Cricket Club of India, with the England and Wales Cricket board, with Cricket Australia and many more. The IPL chairman Lalit Modi was suspended in 2010 for alleged act of individual transgression by the BCCI. There was also spot fixing among the players during the IPL in 2012.

    9. Harshad Mehta Scam:
    Mehta was a famous stockbroker of his time. He was well known for his high record breaking profits from the stock market and trading and later was involved in the scandal worth Rs. 5000 crore ( USD $ 945 million) in Bombay Stock Exchange. He had a great way in convincing the public that through the banking system he could finance his buying. Two small and little known banks helped him in this and he made a great fraudulent price hikes in the stock markets. By the time the scandal came to limelight, many banks were left blank and in fact Managers from two reputed banks committed suicide.

    10. Kinetic Finance Limited Scam:
    In this scam, various banks lost about Rs. 200 crore (USD $ 37.8 million). The promoters of kinetic finance limited borrowed about Rs. 145 crore from an association of banks led by SBI, and Bank of Baroda. After borrowing the money, they used it for other purposes of the Kinetic group and eventually the promoters resigned and the firm was renamed in another name. A special Investigation Audit was conducted and based on the report it was found that about five banks filed criminal cases against the promoters.

    11. Adarsh Housing Scam
    In this scam, land was allotted to the war widows of Kargil war and also for the retired personal of The continued on page 48 Defense Services. Over a period of 10 years, the top politicians and bureaucrats bend several rules and commit various acts of commission and omission to have the building in order and finally they got themselves allotted with flats at the premium locality at a much cheaper cost. This scam is noticeable as it took keen planning and almost 10 years to execute this kind of brutality to the poor and left alone in the defense.

    12. Citibank Fraud:
    This was a fraudulent done by the bank employee by promoting false promises to the customers. Shivraj Puri, the Relationship manager of Gurgaon branch had convinced his customers to invest in a fake scheme that gave high interests. He made forged circulars from SEBI. He opened joint accounts in several names and made customers deposit into those accounts and he invested in places of his interests. This was bought to lime light when customers started complaining about being asked to invest in a scheme that was not available to the bank.

    13. Madhu Koda Scandal:
    Madhu Koda is the ex-chief Minister of Jharkhad. He was bought to limelight by the IT department by charging for laundering money for about Rs. 4000 crore and other disproportionate income. Almost five currency counting machines were seized from his residence. The amount was used to purchase hotels, mines, and companies, in foreign countries like Thailand, Liberia, Dubai and many other places. With this kind of laundering and investments, he builds an empire, but bigger to the most successful businessmen within a short period of time.

    14. Barak Missile Scandal:
    This is a case of alleged defense corruption which was related to the purchase of Barak 1 Missile Systems by India from Israel. The contracts have been signed by the Indian government to procure seven Barak systems at a total cost of Rs. 199.50 million. This was done despite objections raised by several groups, including members of the team that had actually visited Israel to observe the performance of the missile.

    15. Kargil Coffin Scam:
    This is one of a kind of scam, where even the coffins for the soldiers who died in the Indo-Pak war, were bought for low quality and at higher price. The government had paid about $2500 per coffin, which was earlier purchased for $172 per coffin. And moreover the quality was very poor. This led to range among the public and led to the resignation of the defense minister.

    16. Mining Scam in India:
    This scam is related to the ore-rich states of India and has generated controversies in India which spans encroachment of forest areas, underpayment of government royalties, and conflict with tribal regarding land-rights.

    17. Sukh Ram Telecom Scam:
    Sukh Ram is a former union communication minister in Indian National Congress Government. He was the telecom Minister during the P.V. Narasimha Rao`s cabinet. He was caught with allegations regarding irregularities in awarding a telecom contract. The CBI seized around Rs. 3.6 crores from his residence. He has been imprisoned for the fraud that he has done.

    18. SNC Lavalian Scam:
    This is a financial scam related to the government with a Canadian company. A loss of about Rs. 374.50 crores, for the renovation and modernization of the hydroelectric power stations at Pallivasal, Sengulam, and Panniar (The PSP Project as it is called) at the Idduki district in Kerala.

    19. Belekeri Port Scam:
    This scam relates to about 3.5 million of sequester iron ore that was exported illegally from Belekeri Port in Karnataka. This scam is said to be worth about Rs. 60,000 crore (USD $ 12 billion). The iron ore was illegally mined after giving a minimal pay to the government.

    20. Telgi Scandal: The Telgi scandal is after the great Abdul Karim Telgi who issued counterfeit stamp papers. Had appointed about 300 people as agents to sell these counterfeit stamp papers to bulk purchasers like banks, insurance companies, and share broking firms. The size of the scam is about 20,000 crores (USD $3.78 billion). In this scam, many high ranked governmental officials were also recorded.

  • In Search Of Form, Gautam Gambhir Heads To England

    In Search Of Form, Gautam Gambhir Heads To England

    MUMBAI (TIP): The Indian cricket board’s loss of camaraderie with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) notwithstanding, left-handed opener Gautam Gambhir has been allowed to fly to Essex, north-east of London, to play with the first division county for the remaining season. The BCCI, in the recent past, had been reluctant to allow Indian cricketers to play in English counties following the ECB’s snub more than a year ago in refusing to let Indian Premier League (IPL) teams play in Ireland and Scotland.

    However, that stand may now restrict only to Twenty20 and not the longer formats of the game as Gambhir – looking to make a comeback to the national team – has been granted a NOC from the BCCI to replace Kiwi opener Hamish Rutherford at Essex. The batsman will look to find some runs for himself while he helps the county gun for the championship.

    Gambhir’s arrival should come as a huge shot in the arm for Essex. But more importantly, from India and Gambhir’s point of view, it will allow him to keep himself busy at a time when there’s no domestic cricket being played in the country and give national selectors a good reason to keep an eye on his performance. To allow Gambhir to fly to England is a decision that seems to have been taken keeping several factors including the views of the national selection committee – in mind.

    Besides Rohit Sharma, who has continuously failed to show a larger appetite for runs, there’s no other experienced batsman available to partner the in-form Shikhar Dhawan at the top of the order. With South Africa coming up as the next big test this winter and the rising expectation of a five-Test duel in England in 2014, the selectors may have started looking at the options available.

  • Sachin Tendulkar Likely To Retire After 200th Test: Ghavri

    Sachin Tendulkar Likely To Retire After 200th Test: Ghavri

    KOLKATA (TIP): With Sachin Tendulkar set to play his 200th Test Match during the upcoming Indian tour of South Africa, the batting maestro may bid goodbye to the game after the landmark match, former Test pacer Karsan Ghavri said. “He already has all the records and we all surely would love to see him getting to another landmark — his 200th Test Match. I think he has been waiting for the right time and as soon as he plays the 200th game he will retire,” Gahvri said.

    In the city to participate in an Independence Day celebration, Ghavri described Tendulkar as the country’s greatest sporting ambassador. Tendulkar is just two short of achieving the landmark of having played in 200 Tests. “It’s not that after retiring he will be out of the game. He is such a great name, he will always be associated with cricket. All his records are almost impossible to be broken and the landmark of 200 Test matches is just unbelievable,” added Gahvri. India’s tour to South Africa, beginning November this year, is slated to comprise two T20 Internationals, seven One Day Internationals and three Tests.

  • Bresnan Out For Season With Back Injury

    Bresnan Out For Season With Back Injury

    LONDON (TIP): Tim Bresnan has been ruled out of the remainder of the international season with a stress fracture in his lower back. His absence creates a space in England’s bowling attack for the fifth Investec Ashes Test, which begins on August 21. Bresnan was preferred to Steven Finn for the second Test at Lord’s and has performed well in the series with 10 wickets and two crucial contributions in the closelyfought fourth Test at Chester-le- Street.

    Bresnan made 45 in England’s second-innings to boost his side’s lead before making a breakthrough with the wicket of David Warner when Australia were on course to chase 299 for victory. England went on to win comfortably and clinch the series. But now Bresnan will be unable to help England attempt to win their fourth Test of the series at The Oval. Bresnan will begin a recovery and rehabilitation programme and a date for his return to cricket will be determined in due course.

    The injury is the latest setback for Bresnan who needed elbow surgery for the second time in February which ruled him out of England’s tour of New Zealand. His absence is a blow to England’s one-day plans. He has been a feature in limited-overs cricket and helped England reach the final of the Champions Trophy in June. England take on Australia in two T20s on August 29 and 31 before a five-match ODI series starting on September 6.

    Before then, England will need to draft another bowler into their attack for The Oval Test match. Finn was selected for the first Test at Trent Bridge but, having been left out for the Lord’s Test, has not featured in England’s squad for the third or fourth Tests. Chris Tremlett was included in the 13 for Old Trafford and Durham without being included in the XI but could get an opportunity on his home ground.

  • LARA IS A CUT ABOVE TENDULKAR, PONTING: AFRIDI

    LARA IS A CUT ABOVE TENDULKAR, PONTING: AFRIDI

    KARACHI (TIP): Joining the debate on who among Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar is a greater batsman, Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi said he considers the West Indian a cut above the best of his era. “Lara was the best batsman I have seen in my entire career spanning 16 years better. Personally I found him to be a class above the two other greats of this era, Tendulkar and (Ricky) Pointing,” Afridi said.

    “He was the most difficult batsmen I have bowled too in every format of the game. He could play and hit boundaries at will. Especially against the spinners he produced boundaries out of the hat a superb player and I enjoyed watching him bat,” Afridi said while talking about the greatest players of his era. Afridi said there were times when he felt that Lara could play blindfolded. “At times I felt he was so good at playing spin he could even bat well against them blindfolded. Tendulkar and Pointing are also greats but I thought Lara was a cut above them,” he said.

    Talking about the greatest bowlers of his time, Afridi praised Australian, Glenn McGrath and compatriot Mohammad Asif who could swing the new ball both ways at will. “They were the only bowlers who I felt knew when they were going to bowl inswing or outswing and that is a big quality in any bowler,” he explained. Afridi also talked about his comeback and a resurgence in his career. “Now whenever I get out, I talk to myself and I curse myself for not finishing off a match if I am batting. It has helped me a lot this self assessment therapy,” he said.

    Afridi admitted he didn’t think much about his batting after getting out or didn’t do enough post-examination. “But now when I am batting I am eager to finish off matches myself. I keep on talking to myself and even if I get out, I keep on analysing myself.” The flamboyant all-rounder said he was keen to keep on playing for Pakistan but with self-respect.

    “I have seen the fate of some of our former greats and how they went out. I don’t want to go through that phase. I can say this safely I will know when the time is right for me to go. Right now the time is good for me and I can carry on performing in Twenty20 and ODI cricket,” he said. Afridi conceded that in the past he had made mistakes in his career but insisted he never compromised on self-respect. “I am that sort of a person if I feel I am not wanted or I don’t get along with someone I will not play. I couldn’t get along with Waqar Younis when he was captain so I decided not to play and stepped aside.” He also described Misbah-ul-Haq as a good captain who was a good planner. “He is an excellent planner but unfortunately not everything you plan is executed all the time. And one can’t expect him to treat other players like schoolchildren,” he said.

  • Bat Used By Donald Bradman Up For Auction

    Bat Used By Donald Bradman Up For Auction

    SYDNEY (TIP): A cricket bat used by Australian great Donald Bradman and signed by his 1948 ‘Invincible’ team is expected to fetch up to Aus$20,000 ($17,900) at auction this month, an auctioneer said. Charles Leski, whose company is selling the item, said Bradman used the Sykes bat to score 115 in his final first-class innings at home before the team travelled to England in 1948. The Invincibles went on to become – and remain – the only Australian side to go through an entire Ashes tour unbeaten.

    The item, which spent 20 years on display at the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) from 1984, will be auctioned on August 15 in Melbourne. “Few items of cricketing memorabilia overshadow those belonging to Sir Donald Bradman,” Leski said. “Of these, his bats are among the most prized possessions because they were his ultimate stock in trade.” “Together with his baggy green caps, they represent his unique talent that has yet to be matched.”

    The legendary Australia batsman, who died aged 92 in 2001, played his last match in England in 1948 and retired with a yetto- be-topped Test batting average of 99.94 despite scoring a duck in his final innings.

  • ALL-TOO-EASY VICTORY FOR INDIA

    ALL-TOO-EASY VICTORY FOR INDIA

    BULAWAYO (TIP): India have had little to complain about on this tour. The series was sealed at the earliest possible opportunity, and their other target of trying out some fringe players is also working well. Ambati Rayudu made a big contribution on his debut, another new face Jaydev Unadkat was the bowling star in the second ODI and the third India player to debut this series, Mohit Sharma, turned in an impressive performance as Zimbabwe were rolled over for 144 in the fourth ODI.

    One of their minor gripes could be that Cheteshwar Pujara’s much-awaited bow in limited-overs cricket didn’t go to plan, with Pujara inside-edging Tendai Chatara for 13. They would have also liked this secondstring squad to have been tested more by Zimbabwe, who have been disappointingly limp, rarely putting India under pressure. In Harare, Zimbabwe’s batsmen could at least fall back on the excuse that the new balls curved around extravagantly in the first hour but even against the easier conditions in Bulawayo they came up short.

    Zimbabwe’s troubles were highlighted by the first ball itself, as Mohit served up a beauty that beat Vusi Sibanda and zipped perilously close to the top of the stumps. Mohit has played only six domestic onedayers so far, but he showed no nerves in his opening over as he delivered an inswinger, outswinger and a bouncer, all with superb control. He beat the inside-edge and the outside-edge regularly in his opening spell, and even showed off the back-of-the-hand slower ball which served him so well in his spotlight-grabbing IPL season this year.

    As ever, Zimbabwe’s openers were cagey at the start, with Sibanda taking 16 deliveries to get off the mark. Mohit, with the experience of only six domestic onedayers, showed no nerves as he maintained a tight line and length with the new ball, before his persistent probing was rewarded with the wicket of Sikandar Raza, nicking through to the keeper. Zimbabwe then began to be more adventurous despite the disciplined bowling, with Hamilton Masakadza effortlessly whipping Mohammed Shami over square leg for six.

    Just as the partnership was developing, Ravindra Jadeja’s accurate arm struck again, with a bullet throw to the stumps that left Masakadza repenting attempting a quick single. The introduction of spin hampered Zimbabwe further, as Jadeja extended Brendan Taylor’s horror run. Taylor hasn’t been in form this year, and was mortified to be adjudged lbw for a duck to a delivery that was clearly sliding down. In the next over, Jaydev Unadkat knocked over Sean Williams’ off stump after the batsman missed a straight one.

    When Jadeja removed the opener Sibanda in the 16th over, Zimbabwe were in serious trouble and India’s most dangerous bowler of the series, Amit Mishra, hadn’t come on to bowl yet. Elton Chigumbura has been Zimbabwe’s most successful batsman this series, and once again he was called on to right things after the specialist batsmen floundered. With the help of Malcolm Waller, he defied India for over 20 overs, generally playing it safe though there were some eye-catching strokes like the powerful loft over Mishra’s head for four.

    Waller also took his time before latching on to the loose deliveries on offer, like a flighted full toss from Mishra that was swatted for four. With the batting Powerplay taken, Waller swung a shortish ball from Shami for six and Zimbabwe looked for a late flourish. There was no late flourish, however, as Mohit returned to break the 80-run stand, getting Waller to edge behind. The innings didn’t last too long after that as Zimbabwe’s tail was clueless against Mishra, but it lasted long enough for Chigumbura to complete a well-made half-century.

    Zimbabwe’s 144 was never going to be much of a challenge for India, who took their time in completing the win. Pujara departed early, and the team management wisely decided against sending in the inform Virat Kohli, giving Suresh Raina the chance to spend some time in the middle. Rohit Sharma has also had a lean run in this series, and he cashed in at a venue which must rank among his favourites – his only two previous innings for India at the Queens Sports Club were centuries.

    He added an unbeaten 64 to that, and Raina too helped himself to a half-century as the pair put on 122 to complete another all-too-easy victory for India.

  • Ex-Gujarat Ranji Player Is Skipper Of Us National Team

    Ex-Gujarat Ranji Player Is Skipper Of Us National Team

    AHMEDABAD (TIP): Former Gujarat Ranji player Timil Patel has been appointed captain of US’s national cricket team for a series against Canada for the Auty Cup. The 29-year-old Amdavadi leg-spinner emigrated to the US with his family in 2010 after playing 38 first class games for Gujarat. He made his international debut for the US on November 14, 2012, against Canada in the previous edition of the Auty Cup played in Florida.

    “It is an honour to lead the US team,” Timil said on the phone from Canada. “We have young and talented players who have been performing consistently at the club level. Hopefully, we can bring positive results in the upcoming series.” Both the US and Canadian teams are dominated by migrants from the Indian subcontinent. Timil made his debut for Gujarat in 2002 and was part of the team for the next seven years.

    His last game was a Ranji Trophy match against Himachal Pradesh in Surat in 2009. Since settling down in Los Angeles, he has played for the Southern California Cricket Association. He has also played two T20 internationals against Canada and was made the stand-in captain in the first Twenty20 after skipper Steven Taylor suffered an injury.

  • DHONI WINS TRI-SERIES FOR INDIA

    DHONI WINS TRI-SERIES FOR INDIA

    PORT-OF-SPAIN (TIP): Leave it to me, he says. I want to take this to the last over. Me against one man. One on one. I know I am better than the last man the other team can put up against me. Once again, MS Dhoni reduced a lost match into a one-on-one contest with an opposition bowler, and knocked off the 15 required in just three hits.

    You could see the bowler – Shaminda Eranga, 9-2-34-2 until then, wickets of Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli to his name – was intimidated the moment he saw the first one fly into the top of the top tier. Bear in mind that this was a treacherous pitch with seam, spin and uneven bounce. Dhoni was injured, and had come back only for this match. He wasn’t running as hard as he does, and wickets were falling at the other end.

    When Dhoni came in, the asking-rate was 3.35, but with falling wickets and turned-down singles, it hit the improbable towards the end. Dhoni, though, kept refusing singles, kept admonishing the last man Ishant Sharma for taking off for panic-stricken singles.

    Ishant couldn’t be blamed. The game had unravelled fast for India. They were cruising when Rohit Sharma had braved for yet another fifty despite another painful blow to his body (which makes it atleast four in two innings against Sri Lanka), despite many balls that seamed past his edge, despite the slow start. When India were 139 for 3 in the 32nd over, though, Rangana Herath delivered a grubber, and it squeezed under Rohit’s bat. Things were about to change. The pitch was still difficult to bat on as Suresh Raina soon found out.

    He thought he had a half-volley from Suranga Lakmal when he went for the drive, but even after pitching that full the ball seamed away appreciably and took his edge. The accurate and wily Herath saw an opening now. And burst through it. In the 38th over, his last, Herath trapped Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin – whose combined figures had been 17.5-1-65-6 – in successive deliveries.

    India 152 for 7. The drama had begun. Only a few minutes earlier, Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara had gone on and on – for overs it seemed – about an obstructing-the-field appeal against Dhoni. He had taken two steps down the wicket, and then realised he would have hit the other batsman if he ran straight. So he ran, nay hared on a bad hamstring, at an angle, but didn’t change his direction for the remaining 20 yards. The throw hit him, and the two senior Sri Lankans would not leave the umpire’s side.

    They knew they needed this man out as soon as possible. For the next half hour, though, Sri Lanka would have thought they didn’t need to get Dhoni out. Dhoni tried to intimidate Lakmal once during the Powerplay, but after that he began playing the percentage game. Sri Lanka knew Dhoni couldn’t manipulate the strike with that hamstring, and controlled the game well. Lasith Malinga – seven overs for 54 runs until then – finally got his radar right, and got Bhuvneshwar Kumar toe before wicket with his dipping slower yorker.

    In the tense overs that followed, R Vinay Kumar lost his cool, and slogged and got out. India 182 for 9 after 46.2 overs. With any other batsman than Dhoni, you would expect panic. Dhoni, though, wanted to corner just one man. He wanted to bring it down to that one man. He was also daring Sri Lanka to keep back Malinga, who had one over left, for the last. Sri Lanka didn’t. Malinga bowled the 48th. Dhoni faced the whole over, looking unhurried, for just a scrambled couple.

    The only man hurried was Ishant, who tried a suicidal single off the last ball of Malinga’s over to keep Dhoni on strike. The ball, though, had gone straight to the fielder, and Dhoni was miffed Ishant tried such desperation. It was not becoming of someone batting with the coolest and the best batsman in ODI cricket. Ishant would do that again off the first ball of the next over. Twice Dhoni let Ishant know what he did was not right. Ishant faced another dot. Then another dot. Seventeen off nine. Dhoni was cool at the other end.

    He had marked out his man. He knew it wouldn’t be an experienced bowler in the last over. Two runs came off the last three balls of the 49th over, but Ishant was made to feel under no pressure. He had been told to leave it to the man who knew his way around these lanes. Then began the great show. As soon as Ishant left alone – yes, left alone – the last ball of the 49th over, Dhoni signalled to the dressing room for a new, heavier bat.

    As Angelo Mathews psyched Shaminda Eranga up for the last over, Dhoni practised a few swings with two bats held together. Calculatedly he picked out one. Eranga went to his mark. This match should not have been on, but in Dhoni’s book this was even odds. Eranga bowled a nervous first ball: a wide length ball, which Dhoni swung hard at. That was a nervous ball, and would have been out of the ground had Dhoni connected. Dhoni didn’t. The second ball, though, was closer to Dhoni – swing, and met that hunk on the up.

    And up it went. And far. And kept going. Over the top of the stands. You could see it in Eranga’s eyes now. It was now going to be nigh impossible for Eranga to execute his skill. In one hit, Dhoni had brought it down to just luck for Sri Lanka. The luck was not with them. Eranga bowed length again, Dhoni went hard again, and the ball flew off the outside half of the bat, and over point. It was over already.

    Eranga just ran up for the formalities, delivered another length ball, and was dispatched over extra cover. The iceman had done it again, but he hadn’t had a great first half of the day as a keeper and a captain. Apart from not having been at his best with the gloves, Dhoni had also let Sri Lanka off the hook with his choice of part-time bowlers ahead of the specialist spinners, who would eventually go on to cut Sri Lanka’s effort short.

    Bhuvneshwar had given India his customary breakthroughs in the first spell, the scoring was difficult, but Virat Kohli and Raina provided Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne relief with their odd long hop or big wides. Their partnership took Sri Lanka to 171 for 2, but then Thirimanne made a mistake, and almost every batsman that followed.

    In over-aiming during that Powerplay, Sri Lanka had lost their last eight wickets for 30 runs, letting Dhoni off the hook now. You will be justified to think of Dhoni’s choice of bowlers as odd. As you would have been with his persistence against all logic with Ishant in the Champions Trophy final. Just that the results were drastically different.

  • Msd’s Legacy As Captain Cemented

    Msd’s Legacy As Captain Cemented

    BIRMINGHAM (TIP): “Dhoni, captain cool” – the placard held by an Indian fan appropriately sums up the magic of India’s cricket captain. “I don’t turn up in the ground to achieve anything special as a captain,” Dhoni said after his team had defended a modest 129 to defeat England and win the Champions Trophy. These modest words may seem out of place for India’s most successful cricket captain in all formats of the game – Tests, ODIs and T20s. “For me winning the game is very important and that is of utmost importance for us as a team,” Dhoni said.

    For the 31-year-old Dhoni, winning the Champions Trophy completed a remarkable cycle of triumphs which started with the T20 World Cup in 2007. India also won the 2011 ODI World Cup under his leadership and the victory yesterday reaffirmed his status as India’s best-ever captain. No other captain in international cricket has won three major ICC trophies.

    The British media also doffed their hats at the “pragmatic, ineffably calm captain” and highlighted his leadership qualities which ultimately gave India a thrilling five-run victory in the rain-hit final. “India could hardly believe what was happening, though for MS Dhoni, their pragmatic, ineffably calm captain it was probably a normal day at the office. He had put the squeeze on England at the start and he has been round long enough to know that anything can happen in short-form cricket and often does,” the ‘Independent’ said. The Daily Telegraph described Dhoni’s decision to bowl the last two overs with spinners as a “masterstroke”. “… completely confounding tradition, the last two overs were entrusted by MS Dhoni to spinners.

    Spin has been one of the surprising successes of the shortest form of the game, and Dhoni’s choice was a master stroke,” the paper wrote. The Daily Mirror was also effusive in its praise of the Indian captain who “marshalled his field and his bowlers like an all-knowing general”. “India played much the smarter cricket and were brilliantly led by MS Dhoni who marshalled his field and his bowlers like an all-knowing general who just needed the merest crack to break England down,” the Daily Mirror said. The Guardian wrote: “The India captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, started to turn the screw, hounding the batsmen with close fielders, the ball spitting and the crowd ecstatic.” Dhoni was also praised by former Indian cricketers who said he has moulded the young team into a winning unit. “He (Dhoni) has got this ability of rising from the ashes.

    It is his temperament where he has treated those two imposters – fame and failure – in just the same manner. I think that is the reason why he is able to bounce back after a tough time,” batting great Sunil Gavaskar said. Ex-India skipper Gundappa Viswanath lauded Dhoni’s “cool and composed” approach. “Full marks to M S Dhoni. Now, he has all the world titles to his name. He is undoubtedly one of the best captains we have ever produced. There has been no change in his captaincy and he has been continuing in the same way with his cool and composed approach to the game and is taking up the challenge up front,” Vishwanath said.

    Another former skipper Ajit Wadekar rated Dhoni as India’s best-ever captain. “It was a superb win. Hats off to Dhoni, I think he is the best captain we have got. Despite not having Sachin (Tendulkar) Rahul (Dravid), Dhoni could get all the youngsters together and showed the team spirit within this unit. This looks like a complete team and Dhoni is probably the best captain India has ever had,” he said. Legendary off-spinner Erapalli Prasanna said Dhoni’s captaincy has been “brilliant”. “It’s a victory that definitely indicates India are best side in cricketing world. Dhoni’s captaincy has been brilliant,” he said. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, India played 47 Test matches out of which they won 24, lost 12 and 11 ended in draws. In 140 onedayers as captain, Dhoni led India to 82 victories, while losing 47. Three matches ended in tie and eight produced no results. In T20, his record has been slightly less impressive having won 20 matches and losing 19. One ended in a tie.

  • India Enter Final With Crushing Win

    India Enter Final With Crushing Win

    CARDIFF (TIP): The only glitches in India’s march into the final were two sets of pitch invaders running on to the field on two separate occasions. On a Cardiff surface with a lot of moisture, the ball seamed, bounced steeply and turned appreciably, and the Indian bowlers were all over Sri Lanka after winning the toss. In the afternoon, the Indian openers continued their run of impressive stands, adding 77 through some luck and some attractive shots, and India cruised home with 15 overs to spare.

    It would have reminded India of their first day of international cricket in South Africa on the 2010-11 tour, when they were inserted on a pitch that had absorbed a lot of rain and were bowled out for 136.Watching the first innings of this match, it seemed Sri Lanka had done well to not be rolled over for 136 themselves. The conditions were so juicy India’s three frontline quicks bowled the first 22 overs – even MS Dhoni had a bowl later – and India either beat the bat or hit edge on 68 occasions.

    The Sri Lankan batsmen couldn’t be blamed much, except for probably Kusal Perera. They had to dig in hard just to survive. They strived to – Kumar Sangakkara had left alone 12 out of his first 32 balls – but eventually the ball with your name arrived. However, what really foiled Sri Lanka’s plans was the assistance the pitch provided to spin, which they hadn’t budgeted for when they were batting out the quicks like it was a Test. The quicks went for 98 for four wickets in their 30 overs; the spinners took four wickets for 81 in their 20.

    The pitch might have been great help, but India exploited the toss advantage with impressive accuracy. The first extra came in the 20th over. Angelo Mathews, among others, fought the conditions, but like others he too fell the moment he became adventurous. It didn’t help that Sri Lanka had lost Dinesh Chandimal to injury before the match began and Tillakaratne Dilshan retired hurt in the fifth over.

    Kusal showed again that his game is not suited for these conditions as he followed a full and wide delivery to edge it for Suresh Raina to take one of his three catches at second slip. It was the seventh time in 12 matches that Buvneshwar Kumar had taken a wicket in his first spell, including five openers dismissed in single figures. Then Dilshan seemed to have pulled his calf while trying to keep out a sharply swinging delivery. He tried to bat on, but with the new no-runner regulations he had to leave the field. Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne began to play it like the first morning of a Test, and justifiably so.

    India kept the pressure up with Bhuvneshwar bowling a nine-over spell, and Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma getting appreciable movement every time they landed the ball on the seam. Ishant got the ball to stick into the pitch and steep tennis-ball bounce too. Sangakkara began to take the odd risk at the end of the 13th over, but when he charged at Bhuvneshwar and square-drove him for the first boundary since the fourth over, the score had reached only 32.

    Around this time, Ishant was beginning to get balls to misbehave a lot. The batsmen had to start playing at balls sooner or later, and when they did it didn’t bring good news. The combination of that bounce and seam movement finally accounted for Thirimanne, who followed a short-of-a-length delivery and fended in front of his chest. Sangakkara provided a replay in case you had missed it. Raina had taken all three, and the score now was 41 for 3 after 18 overs. It was so inviting that when Dhoni finally took off a seamer after 22 overs, he gave up the pads and began to bowl the 24th over.

    During their 78-run stand in 18.1 overs, Mahela Jayawardene and Mathews successfully reviewed an lbw call each, and seemed to have put Sri Lanka back on track. With the ball turning thanks to the moisture, their plans unravelled. Jayawardene was bowled by a Jadeja skidder, and the batting Powerplay’s analysis read 5-2-12-1. Everyone who tried big hits in the remaining overs fell to the tricks of the pitch. Dilshan came back to bat for the last two overs. Sri Lanka, though, could manage just the 54 in the last 10. About an hour later, by when the Indian openers had seen off the Nuwan Kulasekara threat, it almost seemed the pitch had lost all its moisture.

    Shikhar Dhawan continued to drive and cut fearlessly, Rohit Sharma continued to provide the starts, and Virat Kohli added a fifty to four centuries in his last seven matches against Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka didn’t help themselves. They used Lasith Malinga – their best hope despite his poor record against India – only for three overs at the top and then when India had chugged along to 93 for 1. They dropped Dhawan thrice, first when he was on 18. India were not complaining, though.

  • Moneygram Gives U.S. Consumers Chance To Watch ICC Champion’s Trophy Final

    Moneygram Gives U.S. Consumers Chance To Watch ICC Champion’s Trophy Final

    Promotion lets MoneyGram users enter for a chance to win all-expense-paid trip to Birmingham, UK, for the final
    NEW YORK (TIP): It was an easy, nostrings- attached deal: U.S. consumers who sent money to India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal between April 19 and May 19 were entered to win a trip to watch the 2013 ICC Champion’s Trophy Cricket final. The ICC Champions Trophy match runs June 6 through June 23, and is second only in importance to the Cricket World Cup (the winners of this year’s trophy will snag an estimated $2 million, the most since the game’s inception).

    The final game will be held June 23. All agent locations and online sends qualified for entry (consumers could also mail-in entry without purchase). The more transactions consumers made the more chances they had to win. Harmesh Lal from Bellerose, NY is the lucky winner. He sent money to his family in Hoshiarpur, India and was thrilled to learn that he would get a chance to experience the game up close.

    The transaction was sent at one of our top agent locations (Jai Hind) in the New York area, home to many immigrants using our services. The contest gave MoneyGram a chance to remind South Asian immigrants living in the U.S. that we are the official money transfer partner of the ICC. Plus, it promoted the sweepstakes and will send the lucky winner packing for one of the biggest games of the year.

    “Contests like these are a great way for MoneyGram to bring our consumers closer to the game of cricket and the memories they have of watching it in their home countries – it allows us to relate to our customers and give back to them a piece of what they might have left behind. It’s a way of thanking them for being a loyal consumer and increasing our brand awareness while doing so” says Zainab Ali, senior marketing manager.

    About MoneyGram MoneyGram, a leading money transfer company, enables consumers who are not fully served by traditional financial institutions to meet their financial needs. MoneyGram offers bill payment services in the United States and Canada and money transfer services worldwide through a global network of more than 300,000 agent locations – including retailers, international post offices and financial institutions – in 196 countries and territories. To learn more about money transfer or bill payment at an agent location or online, please visit moneygram.com or connect with us on Facebook.

  • IALI Presents Pioneer Awards 2013

    IALI Presents Pioneer Awards 2013

    LONG ISLAND, NY (TIP): The India Association of Long Island (IALI) held its 34th Annual Awards Dinner Gala on June 9th at the Hilton, Melville, NY. Dr. Kishore Kuncham, President of IALI, in his opening remarks said, “Tonight, we pay tribute to our global change-makers in the Indian-American community.

    We recognize them with the India Association of Long Island Pioneer Award to acknowledge their inspired leadership as they continue to enthuse others, deepen the meaningful work that is already in progress, and advance the common good with the vision of ‘one world family’- Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam to make the world an even better place. Let us celebrate life as we proudly honor our friends and families and esteemed honorees.”

    The 2013 Pioneer Awards were presented to nine most influential persons in the Indian American community. They included Purnachandra Aramalla, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Business Leadership; Gobind Bathija, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Community Service; Hussain Baqueri, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Aviation Leadership;. Pavankumar Darisi, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Community Service; Dr. Arti Datta, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Performing Arts; Mrs. Daman Dutt, Pioneer Award 2013 Young Entrepreneur; Dr. Madhu Korrapati, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Community Service; Kanwal Sra Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Business Leadership and Sudhir Vaishnav, Pioneer Award 2013 for Excellence in Media & Entertainment.

    Dr. Kishore Kuncham, introduced each of the nine honorees highlighting their achievements and contributions to the Indian-American community and their global impact. Congressman Steve Israel and Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano graced the evening with their presence and each eloquently addressed the audience. Last, but not the least, there was a special recognition of Arvind Mahankali, the 13 year old Long Island native who recently won the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee Championship.

    Congressman Steve Israel congratulated all the honorees and spoke of his “first hand” experience with the critical relationship between the United States of America and India.. He said it was important to address any challenges and “deepen our ties.” Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano was warmly introduced by Dr. Kuncham who commended him for his support for many of the key intitatives of IALI.

    He thanked Mangano for the cricket pitch at the Cantiague Park and for agreeing to provide a bus to transport seniors to seniors programs. Most importantly, Dr. Kuncham thanked the County Executive for having his entire team meet with him and his committee to discuss the use of a county facility that could serve as “India House,” a permanent home and a cultural center County Executive Mangano in his remarks said, ” It is the greatest honor to partner with this organization.

    It is my hope that we do come together to get the “India House” done. We have made great progress along the way.” He congratulated all the honorees who have distinguished themselves and stated that it was his honor to join this ceremony to recognize them. On behalf of India Association of Long Island, President Kishore Kuncham presented “Lifetime Achievement” Awards to Congressman Israel and Nassau County Executive Mangano for their vision, outstanding leadership and extraordinary services to the people of Long Island and the Indian-American community.

    Dr. Kuncham thanked everyone for their support with special thanks to the Grand Sponsor of the Year, Salil Zaveri, Zaveri Insurance Co. and all other sponsors. He conveyed sincere appreciation to Gupta, Finance Chair, Mrs. Jharna Jaisinghani, Event Coordinator, and the members of the Executive Council of IALI. The event was emceed by Mrs. Mehar Bhasin and Vibhuti Jha. Mint Restaurant provided a spectacular array of exotic foods.

    A very lively entertainment was provided by Medley Entertainment. A $10,000 donation was announced to support the Interfaith Nutrition Network and Peter Bheddah was thanked for continuing to be a grand sponsor again. Other key partners including Patel Brothers, JHS Capital Advisors, Sagarsoft/Amicus Systems and Media were recognized from the podium. The gathering included people from various walks of life, including politicians and town and county officials.

  • Ind Vs SA: Shikhar Dhawan’s Ton Sets Up India’s Win Over South Africa

    Ind Vs SA: Shikhar Dhawan’s Ton Sets Up India’s Win Over South Africa

    CARDIFF (TIP): In the middle of all the madness surrounding cricket, if there’s one man having a blast, he’s Shikhar Dhawan. Confined to the first-class circuit for years, tagged a wasted talent and blamed for his off-the-field eccentricities, he’s emerged from those shadows to shine in the brightness of his abilities. He began the year 2013 with a bang, cementing his place in the squad after that spectacular century in his debut Test against Australia, and is now opening the innings for India in the Onedayers.

    On June 6 at the Sophia Gardens, in the opening match of the Champions Trophy against South Africa here, he continued in that same vein of form, scoring 114 runs off just 94 balls inclusive of 12 fours and a six that pushed the opposition into a corner early in the game. Riding on his entertaining innings, India posted a healthy 331-7 in the stipulated 50 overs, and took control of the proceedings. South Africa began the chase well but two suicidal run-outs and some avoidable strokeplay changed the course of their innings.

    Eventually, India won a match — dragged right till the end of the 50th over — by 26 runs. Dhoni hadn’t hinted much about the prospect of Rohit Sharma opening the innings with Dhawan. But on the morning of the match, when the two walked out, it didn’t come as a surprise to see the Mumbai batsman — who seems to have a very strong backing of his captain — open the batting. Dhawan’s form seemed to have rubbed off on Sharma and the duo brought the first 100 runs in just the 16th over, off 98 balls, to set the tone.

    Early on in the innings, it was Sharma who first went after the bowlers. Dhawan joined the party midway through the partnership as the do put on 127 runs. The only chance Dhawan gave in his innings was a stumping opportunity messed up by South Africa’s captain and wicketkeeper AB de Villiers. The rest of his innings only varied between having to make a choice between a drive and a loft and a six or a four as he made light of a wayward South African attack.

    The last 10 overs of India’s innings saw 82 runs scored for the loss of three wickets. That meant 149 runs coming between the 17th and the 40th over for the loss of just four wickets. It underlined Dhoni’s theory of taking a cautious approach and saving wickets for the end. That India were 213-2 at the end of 35 overs and SA 212-6 sums up the story. A great effort also came from allrounder Ravindra Jadeja who seems to be growing in confidence with each game regardless of the format.

    It’s no surprise that Jadeja has been MS Dhoni’s go-to man of late. On Thursday, the 24-year-old’s 29-ball 47 cameo consisting seven fours and a six helped India surge from 260-5 in the 42 over to the eventual total. On the field too, he was electric, picking a wicket, taking a catch, and most importantly, effecting a thriller of a run-out – of Robin Peterson – to snatch back the initiative for India. India now head to London to play the West Indies.

  • Raj Kundra ‘Has Confessed To Betting’

    Raj Kundra ‘Has Confessed To Betting’

    Rajasthan Royals Run Risk Of Franchise Termination

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Another IPL team owner has been caught betting. After Chennai Super Kings principal and the inoperative BCCI chief S Srinivasan’s son in law, Gurunath Meiyappan, was arrested by Mumbai police for being in touch with bookies and placing bets, Rajasthan Royals owner, Raj Kundra, has confessed to the Delhi Police of doing the same. While betting/gambling is a minor, bailable offence under the CrPC, the BCCI rules are pretty harsh.

    If an owner is caught betting, his team franchise can be terminated. So, Rajasthan Royals runs the risk of being scratched as Kundra is one of its owners. Meiyappan’s status as CSK owner is disputed. If he’s found to be not an owner but an important official in the team, CSK won’t be scratched but will probably attract a hefty fine. The Delhi Police commissioner told the media on Thursday that during his 11-hour interrogation on Wednesday, Kundra has confessed to placing bets on his team winning.

    He said Kundra has lost a lot of money on bets, which other police officers estimate it to be around Rs 1 crore in the last three IPL seasons. He also said that Kundra would place his bets through one Umesh Goenka, Kundra’s business partner, whom the commissioner described as a “bookie”. Kundra and his wife Shilpa Shetty went back to Mumbai on Thursday as Delhi police was undecided on whether to slap the anti-gambling laws against Kundra.

    Police sources said Kundra was betting for the past three years while his friend Umesh Goenka has been betting in matches for past 6-7 years and was also in touch with several bookies. The cops are now trying to ascertain whether the Kundra-Goenka betting link was in any way connected with spot-fixing. Police also revealed on Thursday that Shilpa Shetty had also placed bets in an IPL match. This was claimed by Umesh Goenka in his statement.

    Sources said they have identified a “money trail” and the bookies who routed Kundra and Goenka’s wagered money. TOI had first reported on Thursday that Kundra was betting on IPL matches. Raj Kundra reportedly told the cops that being a British national, “he was unaware of the fact that betting was illegal in India”. He said that betting was legal in the UK. A policer officer, however, said that ignorance of the law was no defence.

    In any case, it was strange that Kundra didn’t find anything odd in the manner in which bets were placed in India. Delhi Police sources say that Umesh Goenka, who was given VIP passes by Kundra for every RR match, used to talk to team players and would ask them about team’s strategy, pitch and other details and then place bets. Kundra gambled through Umesh, often by giving verbal instructions on the amount he would place and on what. In short, Goenka was acting as a bookie for Kundra.

    Umesh, claimed the police, was in touch with many other bookies. “In betting world, if a person bets and when it is taken further (or doubled), words like kha liya (ate it) are used or having won on the initial amount, if he gambles again on the winnings, it would be referred to as badha diya (increased),” said an officer. Officials said they will question Kundra once again and they currently taking a call on whether to charge him under gambling act or not.

    Shilpa Shetty denied the allegations on Twitter saying her involvement in betting was “complete nonsense” and that she had “never bet on any cricket match ever”. The tweets were retweeted by Kundra. Earlier in the day, the couple had tweeted denying all allegations. However, Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar came on record to say, “Raj Kundra has admitted to betting. He used to bet on his own team. We have also come to know that he has lost a lot of money in betting.

    He used to bet through Goenka, who is also a bookie”. Police have confiscated the passports of Kundra and Goenka to ensure that they do not leave the country during investigations. According to sources, Kundra became one of the owners of the team in the third season of IPL. Reacting to police claims, Shilpa Shetty had tweeted earlier, “we love cricket, it’s the passion for the sport that made us a part of IPL. It’s extremely disheartening to keep clarifying that. For those who care, my apparent involvement in betting is complete nonsense and I have never bet on any cricket match ever.

    Truth will prevail. I won’t be saying any more as the case is subjudice.” Police sources said Goenka, who was born in Sikkim, was in the sponge iron business but had suffered losses. As he stayed near the residence of Kundra’s mother in West Punjabi Bagh and knew each other, he became family friends and went to London where he met Kundra after his business collapsed. In 2008, he returned and started Ashwani Steel Private Ltd in Ahmedabad in which he has 16% stake while Kundra has 42% stake.

    Sources said the name of Goenka, with whom Kundra owns a company dealing in steel business, came during the recording of statement of Trivedi, a prosecution witness in the case. In his statement recorded before a magistrate, sources said, Trivedi claimed that Goenka approached him and sought details about the cricket pitch in Ahmedabad and details about team formations.

  • PRESSURE MOUNTS ON BCCI CHIEF TO GO

    PRESSURE MOUNTS ON BCCI CHIEF TO GO

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N Srinivasan came under all round attack with the Sports Ministry and Board heavyweights mounting pressure on him to quit. Srinivasan, however, remained unfazed and refused to step down. The Ministry for Sports and Youth Affairs said the BCCI chief should resign to avoid a conflict of interest, four days after the police arrested his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan in connection with the IPL scandal.

    “There is a conflict of interest in this inquiry. Therefore, the BCCI president should tender his resignation on moral grounds pending the outcome of the inquiry,” the ministry said in a statement. Pressure mounted on Srinivasan from within the Board too as two key members — Rajeev Shukla, vicepresident, and Arun Jaitley, vice president — asked the BCCI chief to stay away from the top post till investigations into the scandal were completed.

    “Srinivasan is an elected president, but we are of the view that it would be good if he stays away from this procedure (of the inquiry into the fixing scandal). We have made this suggestion. The decision is up to him,” Shukla said after meeting Jaitley. Shukla said he and Jaitley were in touch with all Board members. A three-member BCCI inquiry committee is probing Meiyappan’s role and the spot-fixing allegations against three Rajasthan Royals players and its franchise as well as the Chennai Super Kings.

    Srinivasan, on his part, showed no signs of relenting under pressure. “I saw Rajiv Shukla’s interview. What he says is that this commission has been appointed and I should disassociate myself from the procedure,” he said. “I had said in Kolkata that I will have nothing to do with the commission — its appointment, its terms of reference and its decision. Rajiv Shukla has reiterated this only,” said Srinivasan.

    “I have nothing to do with the commission. It is independent. Under the operational powers, they have powers to sanction and impose punishment. So, we will just await the results,” he said. Pressure has been mounting on Srinivasan to quit ever since his son-in-law was arrested in the fixing scandal, though his own name has not been linked to the scandal. He cannot be forced to quit, unless the Board takes a majority decision.

    He, however, can be prevailed upon to step down on moral grounds. The Sports Ministry, meanwhile, said it was in favour of a law to curb malpractices in all sports, and it will send its comments on the Bill drafted by the Law Ministry to all stakeholders. The ministry also clarified that enacting a law regularising betting in sports was a State subject, and therefore it “cannot be part of a Central Law”. “The ministry has made no recommendations to regularise betting to the Law Ministry or to any other organisation”, the ministry stated.