14 Wednesday 1st April, 2009 Broad back to refereeing after Lahore attack

Serena advances LONDON (AP) - Chris Broad will officiate cricket matches Wednesday for the first time since being caught in the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan team in Pakistan. at Key Biscayne The Briton will referee KEY BISCAYNE, Florida (AP) looked weary in the warm, sunny three matches on the opening - Top-ranked weather. day of a World Cup qualifying twice lost five games in a row “I was hitting really well in the tournament in South Africa. Monday but finished with a flour- practice,” she said. “I came out Broad and umpires Simon ish and beat ’s Jie 7-5, and things weren’t going the way I Taufel and Steve Davis were 5-7, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals at imagined they would. But that’s not injured in the March 3 the Sony Ericsson Open. .” ambush in Lahore in which the Chris Broad Serena Williams, seeking a After dropping the first set, she driver of their vehicle was Umpire Ahsan Raza was record sixth Key Biscayne title and began to move better and won 11 killed. Six policemen also died shot in the stomach and seven her third in a row, smacked an of the next 13 games. when about a dozen gunmen Sri Lanka players were with her final swing, then raised a The No. 10-seeded Radwanska attacked the Sri Lanka convoy. injured. fist and began to pogo. nearly overcame a 5-1 deficit in One, two, three, four times she the third set. In the final game hopped, showing uncommon exu- Williams fell behind love-40, but berance over reaching the quarter- erased three break points that finals in a tournament she domi- would have made the score 5-all. Ferrari boss attributes nates. But survival is something to “Oh, that’s always fun,” celebrate, and Williams barely Williams said. “Every now and made it out of the fourth round. then, everybody has those kinds of struggles to last season “I was just happy to get through matches. ... I just had a lot of MODENA, Italy (AP) - a wall. Jenson Button and it,” Williams said, “because at one errors. Just errors, errors.” Ferrari’s struggles in the Rubens Barrichello of Brawn point I hit a ball into the bottom of Williams finished with 40 Australian Grand Prix can be GP finished 1-2 and Hamilton the net and I thought, ‘Wow, I unforced errors but also had 43 attributed to the title fight with was third. haven’t done this since I was a jun- winners. She hit 11 aces, the last McLaren that went down to the “I expect to see the real val- ior.’ ... I wasn’t playing great.” on the final point. final race of last season, the ues in Malaysia on a circuit Also reaching the final eight While is a Italian automaker’s president that’s not as strange as the one was No. 5-seeded Venus Williams, three-time Key Biscayne champi- Luca di Montezemolo said in Melbourne,” Montezemolo who staged her own narrow escape on, she hasn’t won the title since Tuesday. said, looking ahead to the “There’s no doubt that we’re Malaysian Grand Prix this to beat Agnieszka Radwanska 4-6, 2001 and hasn’t been to a semifinal paying for how the 2008 season weekend. 6-1, 6-4. The Williams sisters could since 2005. went down to the final turn in As the president of the renew their sibling rivalry in the “I feel good. I feel confident,” the final lap of the final race,” Formula One Teams semifinals Thursday. she said. “I’ve been playing very Montezemolo said on the side- Association, Montezemolo also “I haven’t seen any of Venus’ well in the last few months.” lines of a book presentation, said he was anxious for an FIA matches here, so I should try to Her quarterfinal opponent will according to the ANSA news hearing regarding the rear dif- catch up on a few of those,” Serena be No. 26-seeded Iveta Benesova of agency. fusers of Brawn, Toyota and said. “I know she had a tough Czech Republic, who swept No. 19 “We and McLaren had to Williams. match today, and I followed suit.” of develop the car right up until Stewards in Australia Serena’s reign was in danger Serena Williams celebrates after scoring a point against Zheng Jie, of China, Spain 6-4, 6-1. the end, while the others could cleared the diffusers of the when she fell behind love-2, 15-40 at the Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Key Biscayne, Fla. Monday, The No. 4-seeded Dementieva work on completely new proj- three teams, but Ferrari, Red serving in the third set, but she ral- March 30, 2009. Williams won 7-5, 5-7, 6-3. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz) lost to 18-year-old Caroline ects many months earlier.” Bull and Renault have filed an lied to take the lead, then swept the Wozniacki 7-5, 6-4. Wozniacki, the McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton appeal that will be heard follow- up her racket - and her game when France, who lost to unseeded narrowly beat Ferrari’s Felipe ing the race in Malaysia. final eight points. first Danish woman to crack the it mattered most. Australian 6-4, Massa for last season’s title. “I’m expecting the rules to She won despite being broken top 20, has reached a career-high “Fortunately I’ve had experi- 6-4. Massa retired due to a steer- be clarified,” Montezemolo six times and committing 43 ences like that before,” Venus On the men’s side, where there 12th in the rankings while benefit- ing failure in Melbourne on said. “It’s not good to start a sea- unforced errors. said. “I know how to get through have been no big surprises, top- ing from recent workouts in Las Sunday and teammate Kimi son with such important ques- Venus’ earlier match followed a it.” ranked Rafael Nadal reached the Vegas with Andre Agassi’s former Raikkonen sent his Ferrari into tion marks.” similar script. She shanked over- The Williams sisters are the fourth round by beating trainer, Gil Reyes. heads. She double-faulted three lone remaining players ranked in Portuguese qualifier Frederico “It feels amazing to me that I’m times in the final game. She gri- the top seven. Among those elimi- Gil 7-5, 6-3. No. 4-seeded Andy the No. 12 in the world,” she said. maced and frowned and dropped nated Monday were Olympic Murray defeated Nicolas Massu of “As a little girl growing up I was her racket as if she wanted noth- champion of Chile 6-4, 6-4. always watching everyone on TV, Roof being lifted into place ing more to do with it. Russia and two-time Grand Slam Venus Williams was playing the top 20 players, and I wanted to But the elder Williams picked winner Amelie Mauresmo of for the third day in a row, and she be that girl as well.” at 2012 Olympic site LONDON (AP) - A sweep- strates strong progress in the ing, wave-shaped roof has Park.” begun to be lifted into place on The 17,500-capacity venue the Olympic aquatics center will have two 50-meter pools that Miandad returns as director-general that will be used for the 2012 will be used for the swimming, London Games. diving, synchronized swimming Although it was scaled back and water polo events. Former captain says it’s time for a collective effort to lift Pakistan cricket out of current crisis in an effort to cut spiraling “The lift of the sweeping costs, organizers still hope wave-shaped roof is one of the by Khalid Hussain When contacted, Butt told this “We should learn from our neigh- Zaha Hadid’s massive struc- toughest construction and engi- correspondent that he is happy that bours, who have achieved so much ture will provide a spectacular neering challenges on the entrance to the Olympic Park Olympic Park and will showcase KARACHI: Two months after Miandad is back in the Board. with a collective effort,” he said in a regenerated area of east the world class expertise pulling himself out of the Pakistan “Miandad is part and parcel of referring to India’s rise as a cricket- London. involved in delivering the ven- Cricket Board, Javed Miandad on the Board and we are happy that he ing superpower. “The design of the roof is ues and infrastructure for Monday made a return in the PCB as is back,” said Butt, a former “We can also take Pakistan crick- iconic and will be one of the London 2012,” Olympic Delivery its director-general following a ‘fruit- Pakistan Test batsman. et to new heights but will have to lasting images of the London Authority chief executive David ful’ meeting with Ijaz Butt in Lahore. Meanwhile, Miandad said that he join hands and make a united effort 2012 Games,” London organiz- Higgins said. Miandad, 51, informed ‘The also accepted an offer to be Butt’s to achieve that target,” he said. ing committee chairman The center’s capacity will be News’ that he was told by Butt — the advisor. “I will work as director-gen- Meanwhile, sources told ‘The Sebastian Coe said Tuesday. reduced to 2,500 after the PCB chairman — that his services eral as well as advisor to the PCB News’ that Butt only agreed to take “The lifting of the roof demon- Olympics. were sought for the betterment of chairman,” he said. back Miandad after receiving clear Pakistan cricket, adding that he has A hero of Pakistan’s 1992 World instructions from higher authori- agreed to rejoin as the Board’s direc- Cup triumph, Miandad said that a ties. tor-general in a bid to do his bit for lot has to be done to put Pakistan Sources said that Butt was told in the sport in the country. cricket back on track. clear words that he will have to put “I had a fruitful meeting with the “My first target will be to help his house in order, besides reinstat- PCB chairman,” said Miandad about restructure our domestic cricket,” ing Miandad if he wanted to carry his interaction with Butt at the Javed Miandad he said. “Our domestic structure is on as the Board chief. Board headquarters in Lahore. “He in a bad shape and unless we Butt, 71, has become a punching told me that the PCB needs me and reports saying that his decision to improve it, we can’t achieve any- bag for critics, who have rejected Pakistan cricket needs me after part ways with PCB had nothing so thing at the international level,” he him as a failure following a series of which I accepted his offer to return with the salary issue. said. controversies in the past few as director-general,” added the for- The legendary batsman reiterat- He said that Pakistan will also months. mer Pakistan captain. ed his stance over the salary contro- have to carry out intense lobbying Sources said that Butt also His return caps a turbulent few versy, saying that it was never an with the rest of the cricket-playing agreed to hire Miandad on a higher months for Miandad in the PCB set- issue. world and especially the salary than previously offered by up after joining it initially on “I didn’t join the PCB for the International Cricket Council (ICC) the Board. PCB had offered November 19 last year as director- salary,” he said. “My aim was to do to ensure that international cricket Miandad a package of Rs. 500,000 general. But after serving the Board my bit for the promotion of Pakistan returns to the country. and following the former captain’s for ten weeks, Miandad announced cricket and now that I’m back, I’ll try The PCB is facing tough chal- decision to quit, Butt had claimed in on January 28 that he is quitting fol- my best to help lift it out of the pres- lenges as Pakistan has become a no- an interview that Miandad was ent crisis,” he stressed. go zone for international teams fol- demanding a salary package of Rs. In this images released by the London 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority on lowing an argument with the PCB Tuesday March 31, 2009, shows a steel cross beam is lifted into place on the management over lack of authority. “I’ve agreed to return as director- lowing a brazen terror attack on Sri 1.6 million. His spat with the Board top brass general because things are now Lankan cricketers in Lahore earlier Both the parties refrained from Aquatics Centre roof on Tuesday March 24, 2009. A sweeping, wave-shaped became ugly after media reports sug- fully settled after a meeting with the this month. giving any details on the salary roof has begun to be lifted into place on the Olympic aquatics center that will gested that Miandad has resigned chairman,” said Miandad, Miandad stressed that only a issue on Monday, but sources said be used for the 2012 London Games. Although it was scaled back in an effort because he was unhappy with the Pakistan’s highest run-getter in “united effort” from all stake-hold- that this time it is much higher than to cut spiraling costs, organizers still hope Zaha Hadid’s massive structure will salary package offered by the PCB. Tests with 8,832 runs from 124 ers of Pakistan cricket can take the Rs. 500,000. provide a spectacular entrance to the Olympic Park in a regenerated area of appearances. Miandad, however, denied such sport ahead. (The News) east London. (AP Photo/Anthony Charlton, ODA, Ho) It was akin to watching a criminal case! by Mahen de Silva downward trend visible in the standards of My personal view is that the umpire’s this was the situation until 1996, when bility of controlling the game with umpires. My friend observed that if the future (in school cricket, club cricket, Sri Lanka won the World Cup. accepted and respected decisions. They During the first week of March, I wit- fielding team continued in their appeal- the district cricket and finally at an interna- should not allow the players to waste nessed a ‘Big Match’ at the SSC grounds outcome would be that the batsman maybe tional level) depends mostly on the What happened after 1996? time unnecessarily with negative bowl- which reminded me of a criminal case out. reports given by the respective captains. The ‘Gentleman’s Game’ held a signif- ing, drinks every half and hour, unwant- being heard at the ‘Aluthkade,’ Courts. The The fact remains that school cricket Therefore, they merely go for a win-win icant market value (especially for play- ed calls for appeals and questioning deci- two sides kept appealing with every other umpiring had seen better days than this. situation by playing it safe with them. ers, the countries and officials). They sions given by them. hit (they were practically pleading with It’s sad to note that the present day umpires The umpiring and umpires in school refer to the third umpire (for decisions As the President of the Cricket the umpires) for a decision. After some of never seem to interfere in what are actually cricket in the early 1980s and ‘90s were against close catches, LBWs) to give the Interim Committee D. S. De Silva – who the decisions given by the umpire’s, wit- ploys adopted by players to buy time for highly commendable and admired. The correct verdict because those decisions is trying his level best with his team to nessed the bowler and the fielders charg- them and waste the time of the others; decisions given by them showed that could have an adverse effect on the out- upgrade school cricket, should take steps ing towards him to “plead their case.” namely the fielders and spectators. The they were in control of the game. When come of the game, the current rankings, to pair well experienced umpires with A friend informed me that at the end of unacceptable spate of appealing that goes the two black and white figures were personal profiles and the country’s newcomers so that they would learn to the day’s game the Match Referee had sum- on during the match, the call for water, the seen entering the field, one was assured name. be responsible. Steps should also be moned the two captains and the fielders. It changing of glows at regular intervals that they would see that the rules of the Coming back to school cricket, these taken to teach school children the ethics got me into a discussion regarding umpir- seem to go unnoticed by the two umpires on game were adhered to. They stuck to developments have not been updated at of the game and to maintain high stan- ing and school cricket. There is a marked the filed. The penalty for such behaviour their responsibility of ensuring correct- school level. School cricket umpires walk dards to achieve their goals in the game should be an additional ten overs. ness and the principles of the game – out to the playing field with the responsi- which is loved by our nation.