Indian team in Pakistan for boxing contest

Friday, 01 Jan, 2010

KARACHI: Squads from Afghanistan, Cameroon, India, Kenya, Mongolia, Uzbekistan and Vietnam landed here on Thursday for the Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Boxing Championship being held here at the KPT Sports Complex Gymnasium from Jan 1 to 9.

Boxing teams from Yemen and Iraq are already in the city to participate in the event expected to feature around 20 teams from different countries.

Akram Khan, Secretary Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF), said squads from Bangladesh, China, Central Africa, Hungary, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Myanmar, Indonesia, Chinese Taipei and Thailand were expected to reach here Thursday night or would arrive on Friday.

According to the PBF, around 115 pugilists would be participating in the competition.

India sent its first sports team to Pakistan in more than a year on Thursday as a seven-member boxing team flew into Karachi to compete in an international tournament.

The boxers are the first Indian sports team to cross the border since India stalled sporting links with Pakistan after the November 2008 attacks on Mumbai.

Head coach of the Indian boxing squad, Shiv Singh, said the boxers were happy to tour Pakistan.

“We have been cleared by the government to take part in the event and all the members of the squad are very happy to be here [in Pakistan],” Singh told reporters after reaching Quaid-i-Azam International Airport here.

Mohammad Ali Shah, the Sindh Sports Minister, has promised foolproof security arrangements for the international event in the wake of a suicide attack that killed 43 people in the city on Monday.

Three Indian boxers – Sanjay Singh, Naresh Singh and Parnoj Singh – will compete in the international competition, expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Shiv said both India and Pakistan are doing well at an international level and need to compete against each other.

“Pakistan and India must compete against each other, more so that they can improve and win more laurels at the international level,” he said. “We have come here with good preparations and want to win.”

Shiv shrugged off security concerns, saying he has faith in the organisers. “We have no security concerns, the focus is on boxing and the rest is in the hands of our hosts.”—Agencies

Our Sports Reporter adds from Lahore:
Tournament coordinator Iqbal Hussain and Akram Khan accorded warm welcome to squads from India and other countries that arrived in Karachi on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the PBF appointed four international referee judges from Pakistan to supervise the bouts.

Thirteen other neutral referee judges from Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Laos, Mongolia, China, Iraq, Sri Lanka, India, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria will also supervise the fights.

Moreover, technical delegate Nieva Embuldeniya approved four local referee judges who are Olympian referee judges – Ghulam Hussain Patni, international Arshad Qureshi, international Mohammad Aslam and international S.M. Sharif.

Aamir’s great landmark almost went unnoticed

Friday, 01 Jan, 2010

MELBOURNE: A piece of cricket history almost passed by without notice amid all the drama during fourth day of the first Test between Australia and Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.

When 17-year-old Pakistani firebrand Mohammad Aamir had Aussie wicket-keeper Brad Haddin caught behind, he became the youngest fast bowler to claim a five-wicket Test haul.

Aamir’s Boxing Day Test bagful of 5-79 was probably worth much more on a flat and dead pitch that made fast bowling a nightmare.

Just imagine if the kid were bowling his 152km/h thunderbolts at the Gabba or the WACA? There probably would have been blood on the pitch.

Aamir is just what the cricket world needs at a time when it is crying out for fresh faces and an emerging crop of fast bowling superstars.

From a frontier town in the north-west province of Pakistan, Aamir used to catch a donkey cart to a nearby village where a car would take him to training.

His love of cricket took off at an early age. When he was six he used his broken school clipboard as a bat and a taped ball as a bowling weapon.

Aamir is a confident kid and full of flair, as he showed when he cheekily poked his tongue out at Shane Watson during a fierce bumper battle.

Wearing a white headband like Dennis Lillee, Aamir is seriously quick and, like all quality fast bowlers, has some mongrel in him.

He loves a prolonged glare at a batsman, in much the same way his idol Wasim Akram could turn nasty.

Aamir has a long way to go to match Wasim, who took 414 Test wickets in a career that saw him terrorise the world’s best batsman for 17 years.

But Aamir has already beaten Wasim in one area. He was aged 17 years and 157 days when he savoured his five-wicket haul at the MCG on Tuesday.

Wasim was the grand old age of 18 years and 251 days when he went on his first five-wicket Test spree, in 1985 against New Zealand in Dunedin

Fit-again Kaneria set to play

Friday, 01 Jan, 2010

SYDNEY: Pakistan’s wily leg-spinner Danish Kaneria is a certain inclusion for Sunday’s second Test against Australia but the persistent question in the three days until then will be how many of his Pakistan teammates will be joining him.

Captain Mohammad Yousuf declared Kaneria, a late withdrawal on Boxing Day with a finger injury, was fit to return to the side.

The bowlers under scrutiny will be the two who have come into the side since the New Zealand tour earlier this month, Abdur Rauf and Saeed Ajmal.

Paceman Rauf is likely to be dropped after his underwhelming return of 1-119 across the two innings in Melbourne, while off-spinner Ajmal was similarly unproductive with 2-223.

Pakistan’s other pace options are Mohammad Sami, a late call-up to the squad, and Umar Gul.

The latter is ranked No. 24 in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test bowling rankings, although Yousuf said the right-armer, highly rated in Twenty20 cricket in particular, had struggled during the team’s practice match against Tasmania.

“Umar Gul in Hobart was injured and is not in good form as well. He is a key bowler for Pakistan and … the selection committee here decided to rest him. I think it’s a hamstring injury. I am not Danish Kaneria. . .will he turn the tide for Pakistan?

sure, but he’s got a leg problem of some kind. Sami, on the other hand is fresh and firing.’’ he said.

Ajmal’s best hope of retaining his position in the team would be if Pakistan decided to play two spinners at the SCG, a scenario that will depend on pitch conditions. ‘’We haven’t seen the wicket. If it’s the same wicket we saw [for the] last matches, hopefully maybe two [spinners],’’ Yousuf said.

The team’s inability to pass 260 in either innings at the MCG underscores why Yousuf and the team’s management have requested the recall of Younis Khan.

The 32-year-old has been absent since quitting the captaincy on the New Zealand tour, citing a lack of support from teammates, but Yousuf said the batsman was keen to rejoin the squad.’’ I know he (Younis) is keen to join the squad here but I think they selectors have not decided yet,’’ Yousuf said.

‘’I don’t know when he is coming … we’ve already told them to please send him soon.’’Meanwhile, Sydney’s pitch curator Tom Parker sees the quicks having a major impact in the second Test next week.

Parker says with rain on Thursday and more to come on Friday and Saturday before Sunday’s opening day’s play, it’s hard to see the pitch cracking up too much over the five-day contest. More rain is predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.
SYDNEY: Pakistan’s wily leg-spinner Danish Kaneria is a certain inclusion for Sunday’s second Test against Australia but the persistent question in the three days until then will be how many of his Pakistan teammates will be joining him.

Captain Mohammad Yousuf declared Kaneria, a late withdrawal on Boxing Day with a finger injury, was fit to return to the side.

The bowlers under scrutiny will be the two who have come into the side since the New Zealand tour earlier this month, Abdur Rauf and Saeed Ajmal.

Paceman Rauf is likely to be dropped after his underwhelming return of 1-119 across the two innings in Melbourne, while off-spinner Ajmal was similarly unproductive with 2-223.

Pakistan’s other pace options are Mohammad Sami, a late call-up to the squad, and Umar Gul.

The latter is ranked No. 24 in the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Test bowling rankings, although Yousuf said the right-armer, highly rated in Twenty20 cricket in particular, had struggled during the team’s practice match against Tasmania.

“Umar Gul in Hobart was injured and is not in good form as well. He is a key bowler for Pakistan and … the selection committee here decided to rest him. I think it’s a hamstring injury. I am not Danish Kaneria. . .will he turn the tide for Pakistan?

sure, but he’s got a leg problem of some kind. Sami, on the other hand is fresh and firing.’’ he said.

Ajmal’s best hope of retaining his position in the team would be if Pakistan decided to play two spinners at the SCG, a scenario that will depend on pitch conditions. ‘’We haven’t seen the wicket. If it’s the same wicket we saw [for the] last matches, hopefully maybe two [spinners],’’ Yousuf said.

The team’s inability to pass 260 in either innings at the MCG underscores why Yousuf and the team’s management have requested the recall of Younis Khan.

The 32-year-old has been absent since quitting the captaincy on the New Zealand tour, citing a lack of support from teammates, but Yousuf said the batsman was keen to rejoin the squad.’’ I know he (Younis) is keen to join the squad here but I think they selectors have not decided yet,’’ Yousuf said.

‘’I don’t know when he is coming … we’ve already told them to please send him soon.’’Meanwhile, Sydney’s pitch curator Tom Parker sees the quicks having a major impact in the second Test next week.

Parker says with rain on Thursday and more to come on Friday and Saturday before Sunday’s opening day’s play, it’s hard to see the pitch cracking up too much over the five-day contest. More rain is predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

While Australia have named an unchanged 12-man squad with Hauritz the only specialist spinner, Pakistan are likely to pair off-spinner Saeed Ajmal with leggie Danish Kaneria for the second Test.

“The rain has been a little frustrating,” Parker told AAP on Thursday. “We could have more showers on Tuesday and Wednesday (during the match). I don’t see the wicket is going to crack up like it has in past years. It would turn to some degree, it always does here, but the quicks will play a big role.”
While Australia have named an unchanged 12-man squad with Hauritz the only specialist spinner, Pakistan are likely to pair off-spinner Saeed Ajmal with leggie Danish Kaneria for the second Test.

“The rain has been a little frustrating,” Parker told AAP on Thursday. “We could have more showers on Tuesday and Wednesday (during the match). I don’t see the wicket is going to crack up like it has in past years. It would turn to some degree, it always does here, but the quicks will play a big role.”

Petroleum prices cut by 1.34 per cent

Friday, 01 Jan, 2010

ISLAMABAD: The Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) reduced on Thursday petroleum prices by 1.34 per cent to 3.5 per cent with immediate effect in line with a decline in international market.

According to a notification, the price of petrol has been reduced by 89 paisa to Rs65.11 per litre, down by 1.34 per cent and that of High Octane Blending Component (HOBC) has come down to Rs79.43 per litre, down by Rs1.09 or 1.35 per cent.

Likewise, the ex-depot sale price of kerosene has been reduced by Rs1.88 per litre to Rs60.75, down by about 3 per cent and that of light diesel oil by Rs2.12 per litre to Rs58.10, down by 3.5 per cent.

The prices of jet fuels have also been reduced by 1.3 per cent to 3 per cent, and those of JP-1, JP-4 and JP-8 by 3 per cent, 1.3 per cent and 2.9 per cent, respectively.