Monday 28th November, 2011 Chandimal, Hafeez fined for showing dissent DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The International Council has fined Dinesh Chandimal of Sri Lanka 10 per cent of his match fee and reprimanded Pakistan’s Mohammad Hafeez for showing dissent at an umpire’s decision during their teams’ raeme Swann (32), who has slipped from the top of the “But that’s a purely personal choice. I don’t think many Twenty20 international. bowler’s rankings in that format to third - admits it is people agree with me. In two separate incidents during the match Gnot an enjoyable experience playing the 50-over game “I think I will finish (playing) before any changes take Friday in Abu Dhabi, the players disputed lbw and wants it scrapped. place so I will carry on playing whatever they put in front of decisions. And he adds that the recent postponement of the world me.” The players admitted the offenses and Test series - England are presently ranked No 1 in the world - The ICC’s decision to cave into pressure from a television accepted the proposed sanctions. As a result, by the ICC is a mistake. broadcaster - ESPN Star Sports - and postpone the inaugural formal hearings will not be held. “I think one-day cricket will have to give at some point, World Test Championship - due to be staged in England in hopefully for everyone,” said Swann, who has taken 90 wick- 2013 - in favour of the more lucrative 50-over Champions ets in 64 one-day internationals at an average of 25.43. Trophy has been criticised by Swann. “I don’t think that game should carry on for much longer. “This is frustrating because being English we rate Test “For me it’s not as enjoyable to play in. I think Test crick- cricket above and beyond anything else, and certainly the Tiger feels the love et and Twenty20 are the way forward for cricket. Champions Trophy,” said Swann. Swann, who had a miserable one-day series against world “(Abandoning the Test Championship) is a bit disturbing again as recovery champions India in October, and was dropped for the final and short-sighted in my view but I’m not the powers that be.” match, feels something has to give in the increasingly crowd- Swann is not the first to criticise the decline in impor- ed international schedule. tance by the authorities of , with many slamming gathers pace “We do play too much cricket and if something had to the decision to make the recent South Africa v Australia give my choice would be 50-over cricket, or make it 40-over series a two-match head-to-head which ended up a thrilling BY KARL MACGINTY cricket or something,” Swann was quoted as having told the spectacle and a 1-1 draw. BBC. (C) The Telegraph Group, London, 2011 As the US celebrated Thanks giving last Thursday, when it comes to giving thanks, Swann Tiger Woods need look no further than Freddie Couples for an act of faith which should revi- talise his career. Couples courted controversy and risked England fast bowler James Twenty20 squad at the back end of ridicule last August when he promised Woods Anderson admits he would like the the summer because of an injury to Ronaldo denies a Presidents Cup wild card more than a month opportunity to play in the Indian , but I would like to get getting call to head before the official selection deadline. For heav- US ends Premier League, as he looks to fight back into the side on a regular en’s sake, Woods had just capped a fruitless, his way back into the national T20 basis. I see the IPL as a way of WCup committee injury-wracked summer with, arguably, the side, cricket365.com reported on showing I can play Twenty20 cricket most inept performance of his life at the drought with its website. and that’s why I want to go out SAO PAULO (AP) — Retired Majors as he missed the halfway cut at the Anderson has fall- there. Brazil striker Ronaldo says he has- PGA Championship by six strokes. en out of favour in the “The availability is n’t received an invitation to replace Denied sufficient time to work on the swing World Cup win shortest form of the obviously an issue Ricardo Teixeira as the head of the changes recommended by his coach of 12 game, last turning out Anderson and it is quite frus- country’s 2014 World Cup organizing months Sean Foley, Tiger’s game was in total HAINAN, China (AP) — Matt Kuchar and for England in a T20 trating for us,” he committee. disarray. Gary Woodland ended the United States’ 11- in November 2009. added. Teixeira, president of the Yet the trust invested in Woods by the US year drought in golf ’s World Cup by shooting a The Lancashire keen on “We want to keep Brazilian football federation, has Presidents Cup yielded a rich bounty 5-under 67 on Sunday to win by two strokes. man is determined to our position as world been making changes to the sport for both men at Royal . The American pair fired six birdies in the return to the side in IPL stint champions in recently and a local Brazilian news- alternate-shot final round at Mission Hills time to help England Twenty20 cricket. The paper said he would leave the presi- Blackstone course to finish on 24-under 264 defend their World more Twenty20 crick- dency of the organizing committee overall, notching the 24th U.S. win in the histo- T20 crown next year. et we play the better. This summer to give way to Ronaldo. ry of the tournament. However, the back end of the we only played three matches, how Ronaldo said Sunday at the F1 English pair Ian Poulter and Justin Rose 2012 IPL clashes with the start of are we supposed to keep improving Brazilian Grand Prix that he was had the final day’s best round with a 63 to tie the West Indies’ tour to England as a Twenty20 side when we only “surprised by all this speculation.” for second at 22-under with Germany’s Martin meaning that not for the first time play three games?” Teixeira on Friday named Kaymer and Alex Cejka (69). English players will be forced into Eoin Morgan (Kolkata Knight Corinthians president Andres Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Graeme cutting their stints in India short. Riders), Kevin Pietersen (Royal Sanchez as the No. 2 man in McDowell led by two strokes going into the “I would like to play in the IPL,” Challengers Bangalore) and Ravi Brazilian football, removing from final round but could only manage an even-par Anderson told the Manchester Boapra (Kings XI Punjab) are the himself the responsibility to head 72 to finish joint fourth with Australia, the Evening News. only Englishman to have turned out Brazilian national teams in all age Netherlands and Scotland. “I got back into England’s in the lucrative T20 league thus far. categories. Tiger Woods

However, the confidence he’ll inevitably take from beating Aaron Baddeley 4 and 3 for the crucial Cup-winning point should serve as a watershed in Tiger’s troubled career. Pattinson likely to be Being able once again to trust himself and his game under such pressure is likely to make the world of a difference to Tiger. A new order has been established in the 24 months since Tiger’s world came crashing part of history down around him on Thanksgiving night in 2009. Multiple Major-winners like Vijay Singh, James Pattinson will be part of cricket history if but he has developed his body and only a couple of the Test tour of Sri Lanka when he had only six first- Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and our own Padraig he plays in the opening Test against New Zealand at games ago he bowled Victoria to victory against class matches to his name. Harrington are among those who have tum- the Gabba on Friday, the ‘Herald Sun’ reported in a Tasmania, which has given him great confidence. He made his one-day international debut in bled out of the world’s elite top-50 into medioc- story datelined November 27, 2011. “He has the skills, swings it nicely and bowls con- Bangladesh this year and is firmly in Australia’s rity. It is more than 100 years since two brothers sistently at about 140km/h. He bowls at the top end plans for all formats over the coming seasons - as he Remarkably, the 2010 South African Open title, which Ernie Els defends on the Serengeti played Test cricket for different countries and if the and doesn’t hold anything back and I think the should be, according to Shipperd. this week, is the most recent win by any of 21-year-old puts on the Baggy Green - after his broth- Queensland conditions will suit him. Australian squad: Michael Clarke (c), Brad this once-famous four. er Darren wore the English coat of arms - the pair “Make no mistake, he’s ready and he won’t leave Haddin (vc), Ben Cutting, Phil Hughes, Mike Hussey, The reasons for their decline are many. For will join the Trotts, of Australia and England, and anyone wondering about his pace or skill.” , , James Pattinson, example, Singh, now 48, inevitably succumbed the Hearnes, of England and South Africa, dating The national selectors gave Pattinson a Cricket , , and David to age and infirmity. Els, (42), has been pos- back to the 1800s. Australia contract this year and then picked him for Warner. sessed for the past year by putting demons. While Darren, who is 11 years older than James Harrington has been trapped in a downward and was born in the UK, was famously plucked from spiral of self-doubt since embarking on the county cricket for a Test against South Africa in first of a seemingly unending series of swing 2008, James was born here. changes shortly after winning his third Major He honed his skills against his brother in the title in August 2008. backyard of their Melbourne home. Even Phil Mickelson, US Masters champi- Of more significance to young Pattinson and on in 2010 and winner of the Shell Houston Australian cricket is the fact that he is likely to make Open last April, marked his recent election to his Test debut, proving that proper management can golf ’s Hall of Fame by slipping out of the prepare young fast bowlers for the rigours of the world’s top 10. game. It was interesting to hear Mickelson sur- Pattinson, 21, suffered the fast bowler’s curse - mise recently that Tiger’s slump “may have stress fractures of the spine - a couple of years ago, had a negative effect on me because I’d found but with a massaged itinerary and rehabilitation him to be such a great motivational force.” work, he is on the verge of a career milestone. No such excuses can be made for Victorian coach Greg Shipperd has no doubts Harrington, who is fully responsible for his Pattinson is ready and will acquit himself well. own downfall. Yet should he follow-up his third “He has absolutely earned his spot. He has gone place in Johor with a top-six in Hong Kong on through an education phase after overcoming the Sunday week and clinch a confidence-boosting stress fractures and he’s had a couple of internation- berth in the 60-man field at next month’s al tours,” Shipperd said. Dubai World Championship, the 40-year-old “These days he has had more under his Dubliner may force his way back into the belt, so he is really fit. He is making terrific progress James world’s top-50 by the year’s end. and I think he will be formidable in the Test. Pattinson (Belfast Telegraph) “He had a torrid time like all young fast bowlers

Monday 28th November, 2011