The test event, National Federation Cup, was held to demonstrate that the swimming complex was games-ready. Instead, it looked far from ready. Loose tiles, loose grills, protruding iron rods, unfinished staircases and tonnes of rubbish outside told a sad story of unpreparedness, and worse, a slapdash attitude towards an event that’s billed to raise India’s international prestige, but could easily end up as an embarrassment.  

Worried experts lamented the lack of seriousness about the ongoing work with many of them saying that things could still be salvaged if the finishing work is taken up on a war-footing. They were looking for political intervention from the highest level. “We just can’t allow the Games to fail,” said one of them. As if the slippages in the Games stadia weren’t bad enough, the ongoing civil Games-related works have also come under critical scrutiny. The central vigilance commissioner Pratyush Sinha was quoted by an agency as saying that the CVC was examining all construction work following complaints of large-scale corruption.  

“Apart from expeditiously attending to complaints relating to the Games, the CVC, through its chief technical examiner’s wing, is keeping a close watch on all the contracts and works undertaken for the Games,” Sinha was quoted as saying. Coming back to the accident at the swimming complex, a young swimmer from West Bengal narrowly escaped serious injury after tripping over a loose plastic grill at the side of the diving pool on the opening day of a test event for the Commonwealth Games at the swimming complex.  

The swimmer was caught unawares by the loose grill, meant for draining water at the poolside, as she stepped out of the pool after practice and fell near one of the diving boards. Sheepish officials immediately rushed in to refit the grills. Officials of Sports Authority of India, sought to dismiss the incident as “non-serious”. “Such things can happen in any pool in the world. Grills are usually loosely-fitted. She put her foot in such a manner that it slipped. Anyway, we will check these grills again,” said a senior SAI official.  

The official’s casual attitude towards the accident is hardly likely to increase the confidence level among athletes world-wide who have already been fed by the global media on India’s poor organizing abilities in sports. It’s not even a fortnight since the sports ministry threw open the state-of-the-art swimming complex for the Games but the big claims of the pool being ready and up-to-date in time seem hollow. Meanwhile, a Swimming Federation of India (SFI) official agreed that the complex was far from ready. “The pool is ready but the finishing work is still on. All this is likely to take a long time,” the official said speaking on condition of anonymity.  

Due to the lack of facilities a diving event had to be rescheduled to the last day. “The high board diving event might be even called off if the requirements are not met,” the official added. Some swimmers complained that the changing rooms are still under construction as all swimmers were made to use the changing room meant for divers.  

The scoreboard was also not put up as the touch pad and lines were not in place. To this the SFI official replied, “The Omega (scoreboard) people are here and everything is ready from our side.” When asked for an opinion on the pool, another swimmer drew attention to sharp-edged material lying near the warm-up pool. This, he said, could hurt the swimmers. Sarah, a South African national, also the physiotherapist with the Indian swimming team said that the pool was good but a “lot of work needs to be done outside the pool area.” 

Meanwhile, the swanky 60,000-capacity JNS, venue for opening and closing ceremonies, and athletics events, was inaugurated by the sports minister M S Gill in the presence of Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit and CWG organising committee (OC) president Suresh Kalmadi on Tuesday afternoon.

“To win against the world’s best is always an achievement,” Pakistan captain Salman Butt said. “We would have loved to have done it in front of our home crowd, but we need to tell them that we remember them and we hope we will be playing in front of them soon. “It’s a new beginning for Pakistan cricket and especially for a young side.”  

Australia captain Ricky Ponting admitted his side had been struggling ever since it was bowled out for 88 on day one, having won the toss and decided to bat.  

“Looking back, we were surprised how much it swung on that first day,” Ponting said. “We were definitely playing catch-up from the start. They were probably the most difficult conditions any of us has ever batted in. But we had an opportunity yesterday to bring ourselves back into the game and, if we’re being harsh on ourselves, we probably let an opportunity slip in the second innings.” 

Umpire Rudi Koertzen, officiating in his 108th and final test before retiring, was given a guard of honor by the players as he walked on to the field. It was the last peaceful action of the morning as Pakistan, starting day four on 140-3, lost six wickets for 42 runs.  

If Australia was to stand a realistic chance it needed Bollinger to fire early and the initial signs were discouraging, as his third delivery was a full toss that Ali smashed through the covers for four, bringing up his first test 50. However, Bollinger’s next ball tempted Ali into a rash prod outside off stump and he was caught behind by Tim Paine.

Umar Akmal had already edged Hilfenhaus for four through the slips when he was caught behind off the same bowler for 8, leaving Pakistan five wickets down with 30 still needed. 

Having lost 4-13 in 53 balls, Pakistan looked increasingly jittery, particularly when Bollinger made loud but vain appeals from successive deliveries at the end of the 43rd over. 

Australia was also affected by nerves, however, with Michael Clarke dropping Shoaib Malik at second slip after he nicked a ball from Bollinger in the 45th over, when Malik was on 4. 

Marcus North then produced a sensational catch to remove Malik for 10 off Hilfenhaus an over later, but a beautiful cover drive from Kamran Akmal off Bollinger in the next over reduced the target to 15. Akmal played and missed at Bollinger’s next delivery, but steered a ball from Hilfenhaus through the vacant third slip area for four in the 48th over. 

Akmal carved the final ball of the over through point for another four, slashing the target to six. Australia captain Ricky Ponting replaced Bollinger with Mitchell Johnson at the Kirkstall Lane End for the 49th over, and his fourth delivery generated controversy when Michael Hussey claimed a catch.  

Akmal refused to walk and with television umpires unable to prove the ball hadn’t bounced, he was given not out.  

“I always go on the player’s reaction and Michael Hussey was 100 percent certain he’d caught it,’ Ponting said. “But that’s the system we have. We know when a catch is referred, 99.9 percent of the time it’s going to be given not out.” In the next over, Aamer edged a four through the slips from Hilfenhaus to level the scores.  

Akmal fell to a sensational catch on 13 from Hussey in the 51st over, but Umar Gul took Pakistan over the line with a single from the next ball, ending a run of 13 consecutive victories for Australia against Pakistan. Butt admitted the January test in Sydney, which Pakistan lost to Australia by 36 runs after squandering a first-innings lead of 206, had been playing on his mind.  

Asked if he thought Pakistan had blown the game, Butt said: “Seeing the history, yes. “I think maybe at the end the guys were a bit nervous, I certainly was, but that’s the way the game goes,” he added. “When you have this added responsibility (as captain) you have to think a bit more.” (AP)

“Yes, there’s no problem, although I grew up watching Sachin and all,” she says, a broad grin on her face, says a media report.

“I seriously started following cricket only after I married Murali in 2005, and I’ve learnt the game through Lankan eyes. In India, they teach you to support your husband, don’t they?”

She grins again, as if she knows the answer will perplex. The modest and forthright Madhimalar is an MBA, the ‘black sheep’, she says, in a family of doctors.

“I guess I was destined to support Lanka. My mother (Dr Nithya Shanmugam) has Sri Lankan roots, and she was delighted when this match was made. I first met Murali in 2004, soon after the tsunami, and immediately took a liking to him. He’s a fiercely determined man.”

The grand farewell at Galle has overwhelmed her, but she seems sad this is Murali’s last Test.

“I have been watching each and every ball of this Test. I’ve been here day from morning to evening. He discussed his plans with me before making them public. I wanted him to carry on, but when we realized he had made up his mind there was nothing we could do about it. We wanted him to at least play the whole series, but he would have none of it. Once he has made up his mind he won’t listen to anyone,” she says, shaking her head.

“Murali never brings cricket or his troubles home, and I don’t prod him. But this time he discussed. He said he wanted to give youngsters an opportunity and not hang on.”

She waves to Murali again, who waves back and seems to keep half an eye on her all the time from the field.

“The love and admiration we have got here is unthinkable and a bit scary,” she says. “I loved Sri Lanka the moment I landed here. It’s beautiful. Murali has been through difficult times often enough but the people here have always stood by him.”

Naren keeps interrupting her, and running away to bowl when she does respond.

“He loves Twenty20,” she says, “All that Chennai Super Kings thing. He wants to bowl fast. Murali would love him to watch Tests too, but I guess he’s too young for that. But yes, Murali would love him to play cricket of some form or the other.”

Another wicket falls, and she turns back to the action on the field. “India are having a hard time, aren’t they,” she chuckles. “Lanka will miss Murali. For him it’s just a number, but I wish he gets to that 800.” With only two more scalps to go, she won’t be missing Thursday’s play for the world.

This may be Muttiah Muralitharan’s last Test match but the veteran off-spinner seems as cool as a cucumber. His mannerisms may suggest otherwise but the iron man is a picture of calm out in the middle.

Up in the stands, in the cool confines of the VIP box, the 37-year-old’s family is simply not at ease. “Every time Murali picks up a wicket, my heart starts beating faster. I get so excited and I can’t just wait for him to get to the 800-wicket mark,” says Madhi Malar Ramamurthy, Murali’s better half.

“I hope he picks up those remaining wickets today (Wednesday) itself. Otherwise, all of us will have to wait anxiously for yet another day. The more we wait, the more tense it gets,” she adds while asking naughty Naren, the couple’s young son, not to run around helter-skelter.

And Malar, as you would expect, is an extremely proud wife. The whole country is celebrating her husband’s achievements. “I never expected all of this. People have composed songs on Murali, life-size cutouts and posters are everywhere!

“Tears of joy just flow down my cheeks when I realise how special he is to the people of Sri Lanka, how much they love him and how much he means to them. I have never seen anybody in any sphere of life get this kind of a farewell. I am proud to be Murali’s wife,” Malar, who hails from Chennai, says.

That Murali won’t play Test cricket again also means he will spend more time with folks and friends. “He is on tour most of the time and has not been able to stay at home for long. He’ll have more time at hand now,” she says with a smile.

So how supportive was his family when Murali informed them of his retirement decision. “He had planned it earlier. He wanted to retire after the home series against the West Indies. However, as an afterthought, he chose to call it a day after the first Test against India,” Malar goes on to explain.

“He did consult us but it was his own decision and we were all fine with it. He is a matured individual, a great cricketer and knows what he wants to do. He will continue to play ODIs,” she adds.

With a staggering 515 wickets (also a world record) in the 50-over format to add to his Test exploits, Malar says her husband has nothing more to achieve. “He is quite a satisfied man,” she says matter-of-factly.

The good news, she informs, is that he will continue to turn out for county sides as well as IPL champions Chennai Super Kings. And Murali has already ensured his legacy continues. “Dad and son play all the time,” Malar informs. What’s more, Murali has also taught Naren “quite a few tricks of spin bowling” and one reckons he’s done well as a ‘coach’. Ask Naren to roll his arm and he spins a sponge ball just like you know who. “Of course, he loves Naren so much and they also watch cricket together. Naren loves all the Indian players, especially CSK players like (MS) Dhoni, (Suresh) Raina, (Murali) Vijay and other guys,” Malar adds.

She goes on to say that her husband loves “watching Tamil movies”. And as far as life outside cricket is concerned, he has quite a few plans which “we hope will be successful.” No doubt about that! And which team does she support India or Sri Lanka? She is quick to respond: “Sri Lanka”.

She has been frantically sketching away on a notepad to keep son Naren, a frightful bundle of energy at four, occupied for anything more than a minute.

But the sheafs are scattered in all the excitement as her husband celebrates out in the middle, even taking time out to wave to her. She is ecstatic, and Naren spies the opportunity to slip out of his mother’s grasp and run down the aisle to practise his seamers.

Former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin today sought to scotch speculation of his romantic relationship with Jwala Gutta, saying the ace badminton doubles player is just a “good friend.” According to media reports, Azharuddin has been dating 26-year-old Jwala and is on the verge of filing for divorce from his wife of 14 years Sangeeta Bijlani within a week. 

However, Azharuddin, a Congress MP from Moradabad, rubbished all such reports, terming them as baseless, fabricated and in bad

“These reports are completely rubbish, baseless and are in bad taste. I am very hurt by all these. I know Jwala, she is a good friend of mine and to write such reports which are completely false and fabricated is disgusting,” a livid Azharuddin told PTI.  

Azhar said these are motivated by people in the Badminton Association of India, who want to tarnish his image since he tried to contest for the presidential elections last month.  

“These are planted stories and motivated by people, who are against me in the Badminton Association of India. I think they should look into their homes first before casting aspersions on others and make such allegations,” he said.  

“Jwala is a very good player and she is a great prospect for the country. She has been doing well and will win many medals for the country in future. So I just want to request everybody to just leave her alone and not get her into this cheap controversy,” he added. World number seven mixed doubles player Jwala is married to India’s ace shuttler Chetan Anand, who is also the current national champion

According to the media report, which quoted a source from the Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association, Jwala was seen many times with Azharuddin after her practice session at the Gachibowli stadium. The 47-year-old cricketer was also spotted with Jwala during the Asian Badminton Championship in Delhi.  

Azharuddin played 99 Tests and 334 ODIs for India and has two sons — Asaduddin and Abbasuddin — from his eight-year marriage to first wife Naureen. After his divorce with Naureen, he married Bollywood actress Sangeeta Bijlani. PTI

New Delhi, July  (PTI)

Stokes’ candidature came under scanner after the Sports Ministry today made it clear that the “No Objection” given to the July 28 polls was conditional on abiding the recent age limitation guidelines of the government.

“The age restriction with regard to the President, Secretary General and Treasurer shall be applicable in relation to the present elections,” government observer S K Mendiratta said in a letter to Returning Officer Justice R C Chopra.

The publishers of Sachin Tendulkar’s autobiography ‘Tendulkar Opus’ has decided to come out with a special edition of the book which will have the iconic batsman’s blood on the signature page.

The “blood edition” of Tendulkar’s autobiography, which will have pictures of his family not published earlier and thoughts about his career, will be released in February next year to coincide with the Cricket World Cup in the sub-continent.

The book, which will have 852 pages edged in gold leaf, will be sold at a whopping USD 75,000. Only 10 copies of the book, which will weigh 37kg and measure half a metre square, will come out.

All the 10 copies have, however, been pre-ordered. “The signature page will be mixed with Sachin’s blood –mixed into the paper pulp so it’s a red resin. It is what it is — you will have Sachin’s blood on the page,” publisher Kraken Media’s chief executive Karl Fowler was quoted as saying in ‘The Guardian’.

“It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, it’s not to everyone’s taste and some may think it’s a bit weird. But the key thing here is that Sachin Tendulkar to millions of people is a religious icon. And we thought how, in a publishing form, can you get as close to your god as possible?” said Fowler.

“We’re publishing next February, in time for the cricket World Cup, which is being held in India. It’s perfect timing.

He’s never done an autobiography before and has a great story to tell.”

Apart from his blood, Tendulkar has also been asked for a sample of his saliva which would be used to create his DNA profile and would be printed on a two-metre gatefold in the book.

“What you’ll be looking at is his genetic makeup,” Fowler said.All proceeds from the sale of the 10 copies will go to Tendulkar’s charitable foundation to help build a school in Mumbai.

Kraken will also publish around 1,000 copies of a cheaper edition of the autobiography at USD 2,000-3,000.

Signed by Tendulkar, this edition will also be a half-metre square in size and will contain around 75 per cent previously unpublished material about the cricketing star, as well as his DNA profile -? but not his blood. Kraken Media is also releasing a USD 200-300 smaller edition of the book.PTI

Pakistan chasing a target of 440 that would have surpassed the highest Test fourth innings victory total of 418 for seven made by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2002/03, were bowled out for 289 before tea on the fourth day.

Victory gave Australia a record 13th straight successive Test victory over the same opponent, although Sri Lanka’s run of 12 wins in a row over Bangladesh is also still ongoing. It also put them 1-0 up in this two-match series ahead of the second Test at Headingley starting Wednesday.

Pakistan were still in the game, albeit facing a tough task, at 186 for two with vice-captain and left-handed opener Salman Butt on 92 when North struck first ball after being brought on shortly before lunch. North began with a seemingly wayward ball that drifted down the leg side. However, Butt overbalanced out of his crease and was smartly stumped by debutant wicket-keeper Tim Paine.

Butt, whose 63 was the one contribution of note in Pakistan’s meagre first innings 148, had attacked when given the chance, with 15 boundaries, as well as defending correctly when required in nearly four hours at the crease. Few other Pakistan batsmen had so far suggested they were capable of achieving a similar balance.

Umar Akmal hoisted North for six but, trying to cut, edged to Michael Clarke at slip and was out for an insubstantial 22. Pakistan were 216 for four at lunch, with Umar Amin – one of four debutants in the match – 31 not out.

But the left-hander had added just two to his score when, after the interval, he was caught at short-leg by Simon Katich to give North, primarily a middle-order batsman, his third wicket.

And, four balls later, 227 for five became 229 for six when Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, on two, tried to slog North over midwicket but was instead caught on the boundary by Michael Hussey.

Even allowing for the fact this was Afridi’s first Test in four years and his preference for big-hitting, the shot appeared highly irresponsible, especially given his role as captain of a largely inexperienced side. Pakistan were now all but out of the game, needing 211 more runs with wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal the only recognised batsman yet to be dismissed.  Both Kamran and Mohammad Aamer struck boundaries off North and debutant leg-spinner Steven Smith during a stand of 54.

But the sense was they were merely delaying the inevitable for a Pakistan side without senior batsmen Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan, suspended following the 3-0 series loss in Australia earlier this year. And so it proved when Kamran (46), hitting across the line, was bowled by Smith and shortly afterwards Aamer holed out to give North his first five-wicket Test haul.

North ended the game when he had Danish Kaneria caught by Australia captain Ricky Ponting Pakistan resumed on their overnight score of 114 for one. Butt was 58 not out and debutant Azhar Ali 28 not out. Left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson gave Butt width outside off-stump and the batsman responded with four fours.

Johnson was replaced by medium-pacer Shane Watson, who took a Test-best five for 40 during Pakistan’s first innings. But it was Ben Hilfenhaus who had Ali, pushing outside off-stump, caught behind for 42 to end a watchful two-hour innings. Australia, in a match where batsmen found runs tough to come by, were indebted to opener Katich for scores of 80 and 83. Katich was named Australia’s man-of-the-match, with Butt winning the equivalent Pakistan award.

This series is being played in England because of security concerns in Pakistan. (AFP)