Rebel cricket league starts today

The rebel Twenty 20 cricket tournament of Zee group chief Subhash Chandra, the Indian Cricket League, is set to take birth tomorrow at Chandigarh’s Tau Devi Lal stadium; though pangs remain.

Having grappled with problems like securing a playing arena and last-minute uncertainly over key international players like Brian Lara, ICL will take guard with live performances by Bollywood actors Kareena Kapoor and Lara Datta, model Yana Gupta, singers Sunidhi Chauhan, Kailash Kher and Band of Boys, among others.

That could be expected from a group that is a force to reckon with in media and entertainment. However, the lifeblood of media and advertising has been more than a walk in the park for Chandra.

Currently, ICL, which will be played in the increasingly popular 20-overs-a-side format, has a partnership with apparel brand Provogue for uniforms while Microsoft is the online partner and Thomas Cook the travel partner.

On Monday, in a bid to attract on-air advertisers, the promoters Essel Sports announced that the first 30 minutes of the matches will be telecast live across its 25 channels in India and overseas simultaneously.

This initiative was taken after advertisers’ lukewarm response to the promoters’ decision to telecast the matches only on Zee Sports. Advertisers are now considering buying ten-seconds slots for around Rs 20,000.

ICL executives are scouting for one on-air presenting sponsor who would pay around Rs 75 lakh and six associate sponsors who would pay nearly Rs 48 lakh each.

However, industry estimates suggest that with the tournament starting on November 30, the asking rate may come down.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav will be the chief guests at the inauguration. Following which, two teams representing Delhi and Chandigarh, respectively, will play against each other.

The six teams representing Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Bangalore, Chandigarh and Hyderabad will begin play on November 30, and the series will conclude on December 16.

The champion team will play for a prize money of Rs 3.9 crore, the runner-up will get Rs 1.9 crore. The team ranking third, fourth, fifth and sixth will get Rs 1.5 crore, Rs 1.25 crore, Rs 1 crore and Rs 85 lakh, respectively.

This apart, every winning team, each day, will be awarded Rs 18.75 lakh, while the man of the match, in each match, will be awarded Rs 3.75 lakh.

Each team consists of 19 to 20 players, of which, five are international cricketers. Going by the schedule, each team will play around six to seven matches. The ICL will host 20 matches in the Twenty20 tournament in its first season.

Indian archery’s Elder Sister

When she shot her first arrow at the Baranagar Archery Club close to her house, there were not many women in the sport, forget icons. Seventeen years later, Dola Banerjee is an icon herself - an idol to the recent trickle of young girls in archery and to her teammates who fondly refer to her as Dola didi.

Calm, level-headed, a lazy gait that borders on self-belief and actually induces a sense of assurance among her teammates even when the chips are down, Dola is literally an 'elder sister' in Indian archery.
Immediately after claiming the gold medal in the World Cup final at Dubai’s Medinat Amphitheatre on Saturday, an ecstatic Dola Banerjee had said: “Let’s see what sort of welcome I get back home…”
Well, to cut a long story short, the ace archer received a reception on Sunday at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport that is normally reserved for the Sachin Tendulkars. And it left the Calcutta-based girl starry eyed and slightly stunned.
Before being flooded by hordes of reporters and photographers, all a visibly tired Dola managed to say was, “It was very, very, tough…” It took much cajoling and a lot more chaos before she finally settled down to take a few more questions.

Dola, who defeated world No.1 Natalya Erdyniyeva of Russia in the semi-final en route to her career-best achievement so far, said it was her toughest battle in the competition
"I never thought I would be able to beat Choi (Eun Young) in the final. I shot with a free mind having assured India of a silver medal. Probably the pressure got on to her in the end. I was under pressure in the semi-final against the Russian (Natalya Erdyniyeva). I badly wanted to win and secure a medal first. So to me winning the semi-final was tougher."

Ever since the 27-year-old started representing the country when she was 16, Dola has seen a host of new faces. Some have even left archery, but she fights on - single-handedly braving every odd, financial constraint, a dearth of good infrastructure and even lack of proper incentives and recognition from the federation or the government.

A host of firsts have already been associated with her. An individual gold medal in the European GP in Antalya, Turkey, in 2005, gold in the fourth leg of the World Cup in Dover in July this year, a stunning victory over former world and Olympic champion Yu Min Jin of Korea at the first leg of the World Cup earlier this year in Ulsan, Korea, a second successive quota place for the India women's team at the Olympics, the first woman archer to win the Arjuna Award and as many as five national records - Dola is also the first archer to be employed by Indian Railways which opened recruitments for archers last year.

"It's a huge responsibility," Dola says: "There is a lot of pressure on me and seniors like Chekrovolu Swuro and Reena Kumari. If we do well, it becomes a shade easier for the girls who follow us and take up archery. So it's a constant battle, within and for the next generation," she says.

And talking of the next generation, for Dola it begins at home. Brother Rahul, who followed her to the club and then to the Tata Archery Academy in Jamshedpur, is already the best male archer going by current form even though he lost the Olympic qualification meet semi-final to Mangal Singh Champia in Xian, China, in September.
Right now though, the 27-year-old’s eyes are fixed on the Holy Grail — an Olympic medal. But she isn’t in too much of a hurry.

“Olympics is the obvious target… But I am not thinking of it right now… I will start practising in Jamshedpur three-four days from now. It’s not until January that the selection trials will start. That will be the time to get down to serious business,” said Dola, who’s all but sure of gaining an Olympic berth.

Her parents Ashok (a businessman), and Kalpana (a homemaker), are on top of the world. "What started as an endeavour to make her step out of the house as a child has brought the world inside our home," says Ashok. "I always wanted Dola to be a singer. But I have no complains now," says Kalpana, who is the sister of Manas Mukherjee, singer Shaan and Sagarika's father.
Dola's career

Gold:World Cup final in Dubai’s Medinat Amphitheatre, November 2007

Gold: European Grand Prix in Antalya, Turkey, in 2005
Gold: fourth leg of the Dover World Cup in July, 2007
13th: Athens Olympics, 2004
Qualified for Beijing Olympics
13th: World Championships in Beijing, 2001
15th: World Championships in Madrid, 2005 (team finished 4th)
7th: Asian Games in Busan, 2002
4th: Asian Games in Doha, 2006
Gold (individual and team): SAF Games, Colombo 2006
National records 5
National champion 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007

Junior national champion 1994, 95, 96, 97

Brian Lara calls for rebel league recognition

West Indies legend Brian Lara on urged Indian cricket boards to officially recognise Indian Cricket League's (ICL) Twenty20 tournament which begins December first week.
Lara said he was disappointed by the decision of the cricket boards to ban players who sign up with the ICL. "The reaction from the established cricket bodies was on expected lines but still I was disappointed," Lara said here.
"The intentions are quite honourable and I hope down the line people will understand what this league is all about and accept it," he said.
Lara is so far the most high-profile cricketer to sign up with the multi-million dollar tournament bank-rolled by Zee Telefilms, the country's largest listed media house.
The International Cricket Council has refused recognition of the ICL while the Indian cricket board plans to hold its own Twenty20 league in April to counter it.
Lara, however, said he was looking forward to the tournament to be played in Panchkula, an industrial town on the outskirts of the northern Indian city of Chandigarh, from November 30.
"I am looking forward to playing in the league. I would love to play alongside the young players from India who may not have had the opportunity to play with me and other international players," he said.
Pakistan's Inzamam-ul Haq, Sri Lanka's Maravan Atapattu and New Zealand's Chris Cairns are some of the other star players who will be in action in the ICL comprising six teams.
The teams have been named Chennai Superstars, Hyderabad Heroes, Kolkata Tigers, Delhi Jets, Chandigarh Lions and Mumbai Champs.
Besides 30 international players, it will have local players drawn from across the country.
Lara said the Twenty20 format of the game was fun and had expectedly caught on with fans round the world.
"I don't generally watch cricket on television but was glued to the TV when India took on Pakistan in the World Twenty20 final.
"It's a very exciting game and is fun. It has given the authorities a chance to take the game to places not familiar with cricket."

Great war: Roger Federer beat Pete Sampras

The world's former number one tennis player was no match for the current champion when they met on court Tuesday for only the second time.In an exhibition match in the South Korean capital, Roger Federer beat Pete Sampras 6-4, 6-3 in a match lasting just 61 minutes.

Serving for the match leading 5-3, Federer was stretched to deuce when he badly mishit a return on 40-30. But he won the next two points for the victory. After taking the first set 6-4, Federer took four of the first five games in the second set. Sampras showed signs of life in the sixth, winning it easily with the help of his booming serve. But the 36-year-old American could only muster one more game against the 26-year-old Swiss, whose effortless performance demonstrated why he has been the world number one for four years running.

The Swiss ace is at the peak of his powers, lifting his fourth Masters Cup title on Sunday, whereas Sampras retired from the professional game in 2002.But the American legend had been working hard on getting back in shape and is unbeaten in three starts on the Jim Courier Outback Champions seniors tour, his first serious tennis since hanging up his racket.

"It was a little tricky situation. I'd been playing well and Pete's been retired for five years," Federer said. "I expected myself to win tonight. "I am very happy with my performance but I think Pete's still playing very, very well." In a fast-paced opening set the two players traded two games apiece before Sampras broke Federer's serve in the fifth game.

The American won the following game with his signature serve and volley attack to establish an early advantage. But Federer came back to win the next four games and the set, breaking his opponent's serve twice in the process with an array of shots. Sampras, known for his powerful serve in his playing days, hit 10 aces in the match compared to Federer's six and put up a good fight. But it was not enough."I feel a little disappointed," Sampras said.

"But I made Roger sweat a little bit tonight. "I can still serve quite well but the hardest thing for me is movement," the former number one said. "I was a little careless up on the net and missed a few easy balls. But I think I will play well in the next match."Federer admitted he was "tensed up a bit" because he was facing one of his heroes. But once he found his rhythm, the Swiss was off and running. "When I found my range, Pete missed a few too many shots," Federer said.

"I was maybe lucky to win the first set. Then I got on a roll and started to relax. I enjoyed the match very much." The two met at competitive level only once in their careers, in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2001.Next up for Sampras and Federer in their three-match exhibition series is Kuala Lumpur on Thursday. Their final Asian stop is Macau on Saturday.

Afghan game short of cash but full of optimism

Short of funds and experience but bursting with confidence, Afghanistan's fledgling cricket team are already itching to take on the best sides in the world."If we had just 50 percent of the facilities that other international teams have, then nobody would be able to beat Afghanistan," declared national cricket federation president Shahzada Masood.

Buoyed up by what they claimed as victory in the Asian Cricket Council's (ACC) Twenty-20 Cup earlier this month, Afghanistan officials hope to attract aid to help the development of the recently imported but already popular sport.Officially, the ACC final against Oman on November 2 was declared a draw because Afghan fans invaded the pitch in Kuwait before the umpire could pronounce the match over after Oman, needing three runs to win, had missed the last ball.Afghans, however, celebrated the result as a victory.

Their enthusiasm impressed former England all-rounder Matthew Fleming, who ended a four-day fact-finding trip to the country for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) on Sunday.MCC wants to help to develop the game in the country. The relationship began with a match in Mumbai in March 2006 when Afghanistan thrashed an MCC XI led by former England captain Mike Gatting by 171 runs.Two members of the Afghan team, Hamid Hassan and Mohammad Nabi, subsequently spent time at Lord's on the MCC's Young Cricketers scheme.In June this year, fast bowler Hassan became the first Afghan cricketer to play at Lord's, appearing for MCC against a Europe XI.

The absence of cricket in Afghanistan was a sign that the Afghans, unlike neighbouring imperial India, had never been conquered by the British.While the hard-line Taliban banned most traditional sports, cricket was one of the things they brought with them from the Pakistani refugee camps where many of their recruits originated.A new wave of refugees fled to Pakistan to escape the ongoing violence and, in their turn, brought the sport back with them when the Taliban were toppled in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States.

The Afghan national team have done well in competitions across Asia, including Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Kuwait. Last year, they won six of seven matches on a tour of England against local sides including university teams and county reserves. In the last decade, the number of registered players in the country has grown to more than 12,000, according to the Afghan Cricket Federation.

The MCC is considering providing equipment and support for schools and helping the federation to complete the building of a pavilion and stands at the national cricket ground.Where most games are played in a whirl of dust on patches of waste ground, Afghan cricket authorities have brought in soil and laid grass in an effort to create a showpiece national ground. But they have run out of money and it stands half built, the grass patchy and thin.

Despite the problems, national coach Taj Malik sees a bright future for the game."Cricket is a new sport here but now it is very popular," he said.

Federer's stature grows and grows

With three more Grand Slams and another Masters Cup title, it looks like business as usual for Roger Federer. But the results mask a watershed in what the Swiss calls a "breakthrough" year.
Federer, top-ranked for four seasons now, has gone for a radical new approach, shedding his coach and slimming down his schedule as he sets his sights on dominating tennis for the foreseeable future.

There have been hiccups, including defeat here to Fernando Gonzalez. But after breathtaking performances against Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal and David Ferrer, Federer's stature is not only undiminished, it has grown.

"Roger is the best in history," said Ferrer, vanquished 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in Sunday's final.

"He did it all: serve, volley, slice. I was never comfortable on the court. I don't return badly but when Federer serves on line, I can't do anything."

No one who watched the impeccable Swiss would disagree. And the new approach, similar to Tiger Woods adapting his swing, should now extend the career of tennis's greatest champion.

"It's been in some ways a breakthrough year for me," he said.

"Maybe I didn't win 10 titles, but it's not necessary to stay number one in the world all the time. If I keep this level of play up, I'm in a great position for next year as well."

Federer's fourth Masters Cup title in five consecutive finals was all the more impressive given his late-season wobble, crashing twice against David Nalbandian before losing again here.

But neither success or failure seem to surprise the unflappable Swiss, who said he expected a tough few weeks and, aged only 26, is mature enough to learn from his mistakes.

"I didn't read the press that closely and listen to what the people said that much," he said. "I hear rumours that people are talking to some degree.

"I knew the reasons why I lost. It's very important to analyse it frankly and openly to yourself.

"I think in the long run that's a good thing. I turned it around. I'm happy to have proved myself yet again."

Federer is now in danger of pulling away from his rivals, demolishing his closest competitor Nadal here for his third win against the world number two this year -- and on three different surfaces.

"He killed me," Nadal admitted after their semi-final.

"It was crazy play, inside the court and not making any mistakes. Nothing to say, just congratulate him."

Federer takes the applause, but insists his victories are built on hard work and professionalism.

"I practised hard to get this level. This is really what it comes down to for me," he said. "I'm professional. I believe in my chances. I believe my way of handling my career is the right one.

"And, of course, when it all comes together in a final like today, it's fantastic."

History is now the 12-time Grand Slam champion's biggest competition and the record of 14 held by Pete Sampras, whom he will meet in three exhibition matches this week, appears a formality.

"I wander around sometimes and all of a sudden I find myself in the room staring at the trophies and going through them," Federer said of the trophy room at his Switzerland home. "It's a good feeling."

After title number 53, victory understandably lacks the raw emotion of earlier wins. But Federer says he still takes pride in beating the best -- again, and again, and again.

"I didn't cry or anything on the court today," he said.

"But it was a nice victory, especially proving it to myself and the world that I can do it over and over again."