No division in ICC over Howard: Pawar

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who took over as International Cricket Council (ICC) president on Thursday, has insisted that the rejection of former Australian prime minister John Howard's nomination for the vice president's post will not create a divide in the sport's governing body.

Howard's rejection has left Australia (CA) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC), which floated Howard's nomination seething in anger, as the strong Afro-Asian block, including the Indian cricket board, opposed the candidature at the ICC executive board meeting on Wednesday.

"No, I don't think so at all (that there will be a divide). We have discussed the matter individually and collectively with everybody including Australia, England and New Zealand also. We took a collective decision," Pawar, who took over from David Morgan on Thursday, said in an interview to a news channel.

"I'm not worried because it's a democratic organisation. According to the ICC constitution if any four members oppose to a proposal that cannot be passed. That's why we have requested Australia and New Zealand to give a second thought and come out with a new proposal."

Pawar, 69, said as ICC president, his job would be to introduce more countries to cricket, besides preserving all the three formats of the game.

"My efforts will be to expand the base of cricket to other countries. Today there are 105 countries who are the members of the ICC. But in the true sense, unless we expand the game to China, the USA, some parts of Eastern Europe and some parts of Africa, the game would not reach every corner of the world.

"There is also a lot of debate about the format. There are three formats and one person like me believes in Test matchs. There is also a sizable section who prefer One-Dayers and a section of the new fans feel for T20. I think all the formats have definite responses for different reasons. So we have to preserve all the forms."

On spreading T20 cricket across world, Pawar said: “It's not about T20. In the new area our efforts will be to encourage cricket. To set up cricket academies, to impart training and get the local people and fans involved in cricket."

Pawar assured he won't have any problem juggling his jobs as a minister minister and ICC president.

"Fortunately, the ICC HQ is in Dubai and Dubai works on Saturday and Sunday. So generally, I've to spend three to four days in a month on Sundays. So it's a matter of two-hour flight. So I think there won't be any difficulty.

"Secondly, I will discuss with the prime minister about my responsibilities and will take appropriate decisions so that my government work is not affected.

"I may suggest for more hands. I had asked for three ministers (of state) but they have given only one," Pawar said

India beat Sri Lanka to win Asia Cup after 15 years

India's pace battery led by Ashish Nehra demolished Sri Lanka to help their team win the Asia Cup with a comfortable 81-run win on Thursday.
Dinesh Karthik top-scored with 66 as India made 268-6 after electing to bat in the day-night final, before the defending champions and hosts were shot out for 187.

India, who last won the region's premier one-day prize in 1994, denied Sri Lanka a hat-trick of titles following their victories in 2004 and 2008.

Nehra claimed four wickets, including two in one over, as Sri Lanka were reduced to 51-5 by the 16th over before being bundled out in the 45th over.

India never looked back after hard-hitting opener Tillakaratne Dilshan was dismissed off the fifth delivery, holing out to mid-on off seamer Praveen Kumar.

Kumar, who made use of windy conditions to swing the ball, bowled an unchanged opening spell of nine overs in which he conceded just 29 runs.

Fellow seamer Zaheer Khan bowled Upul Tharanga, before Nehra wrecked havoc by having Mahela Jayawardene and Angelo Mathews caught behind in the 14th over.

Nehra also removed Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara for 17, but Thilina Kandamby (31) and Chamara Kapugedera (55 not out) delayed the end.

Nehra's 4-40 was supported by Zaheer's 2-36 and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja's 2-29.

Karthik, who replaced the injured Virender Sehwag, hit nine boundaries to lead India's batting at the Rangiri stadium in Dambulla.

Karthik put on 62 for the second wicket with Virat Kohli (28) and 46 for the third with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (38).

Rohit Sharma propped up with the middle-order with a fluent 41, before Jadeja boosted the score with an unbeaten 25.

Kandamby, who had failed to take a wicket with his leg-spin in 32 previous one-dayers, stunned India's top order with the dismissals of Karthik and Dhoni.

Preity & co to sell 93pc of Kings XI

With the world caught up with football fever, and cricket controversies taking a back seat, the first group of investors has decided to quietly bail out of the Indian Premier League.

Following doubts being raised over the conduct of the fourth season of the IPL, Kings XI Punjab this week sent an application to the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) to sell the franchise.

Well placed sources in the Board told this newspaper that the consortium owned by Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia, the Burman brothers, Gaurav and Mohit, Karan Paul, and Aditya Khanna, has sought permission to sell ninety-three percent of the franchise to London-based private equities firm, ISIS.

At this point it's not known who ISIS is acquiring the franchise for. In the past, names of Malaysian energy giant Petronas and Indian electronics company Videocon have been associated with the sale but nothing has progressed beyond rumours.

The only familiar face from among the owners who'll continue her association with IPL is Preity Zinta; she is retaining 7 per cent of her current twenty-three percent stake.

Sources close to the development revealed that Preity, who put aside her Bollywood career to focus on the business, is keen to be associated as brand ambassador for Kings XI.

Sources pegged the sale in the vicinity of $250 million, which, if true, would mean a 230 per cent profit for Zinta and company. They had acquired Kings XI in 2008 for $76 million (approximately Rs 357 crore).

While the new commissioner of the IPL, Chirayu Amin, had made it clear last month that no fresh deals would be allowed to go through until the tournament and the franchises got a clean chit from the Income-Tax department following the series of raids in their offices in April, a top Board source said they were no longer opposed to the idea of teams selling if suitable buyers were available. "The matter (of Kings XI sale) will now go to the IPL governing council for final approval. They will have to whet the deal, and see there is no problem," said a top BCCI official, who asked not to be named.

When contacted, BCCI President Shashank Manohar said from Nagpur: "Professor Ratnakar Shetty is looking into the matter." Shetty, however, was not available for comments. If the deal is approved, it could bring some calm into the nervous world of the IPL, where questions are being raised about the viability of the tournament's fourth season.

A couple of franchises have, in fact, suspended all IPL-related expenditure in the off-season because of the uncertainty, preferring to wait and watch.

When asked about the deal, Mohit Burman said from London: "We're talking to a lot of companies. Things are close to being finalised." Asked specifically about ISIS, he declined to confirm or deny.

While ISIS's Leanne Metcalfe had denied in the past that her company was involved in the deal, she could not be reached on Thursday despite several attempts. Likewise Preity Zinta whose phone remained out of reach all of Thursday.

KingsXI Punjab had been bought by KPH Dream Private Limited in the IPL's first auction in early 2008 for $76 million payable over ten years.

The company is owned jointly by Preity Zinta (23 per cent), Ness Wadia (23 per cent), Colway (an off-shore company based in Mauritius that has links with Gaurav Burman and his wife Karima Sagrani, who is former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi's step daughter, 23 per cent), Windy (formerly a Dabur company, acquired by Gaurav Burman at the time of his separation from the family's core business, 11.5 per cent); MB Finmart (a company owned by Dabur's Mohit Burman, 11.5 per cent), Karan Paul of Apeejay Surendra (4 per cent) and Aditya Khanna (through Roots Investment, 4 per cent).

Working hard to gat back in: Yuvraj Singh

Out of form and ODI team dropout Yuvraj Singh was hopeful of making a comeback soon and told reporters that his stint with the National Cricket Academy had indeed helped in regaining fitness.

“I am working hard to get back into the team”, he told reporters adding that he was buoyed by the support from the dressing room after the dropping of the southpaw’s name from Asia Cup 2010.
It’s nice to know that the boys are there to support me. I’ve worked on my fitness and the NCA has helped me.”

Indian skipper MS Dhoni had been facing the flak of late due to the poor form and fitness of Yuvraj Singh as the fiery batsman had fizzled in almost all the major tournaments in the past year and finally, the BCCI had decided to drop him from national duty in the prestigious ODI tournament.

Lalit Modi to file reply today to the third show cause notice

Suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi will file his reply to the third show cause notice today, repeating his demand that BCCI president Shashank Manohar and secretary N Srinivasan recuse themselves from participating in any disciplinary proceedings, if any, against him.

he embattled cricket administrator will e-mail his reply today and his legal counsel Mehmood Abdi will handover the hard copy of the same tomorrow.

"In reply to the third show cause notice Mr Modi is going to reiterate his demand for recusal of both hononory BCCI secretary N Srivasan and BCCI president Shashank Manohar," Abdi told PTI here.

The notice had accused Modi of irregularities in the awarding of theatrical rights during the third IPL season.

"The trail of show cause notices issued to Mr Modi shows that the honorary secretary is misusing his position in the BCCI to settle personal scores with him.

"There is a continuous issuance of notices wherein the allegations are wholly misconceived and irresponsible. The notices are being issued despite full knowledge that no material warranting their issuance existed," he said.

"Modi's application seeking Srinivasan's exclusion from proceedings against him is still undecided. Despite this, the honorary secretary continues to issue further notices to him.

Therefore in the interest of justice and fair play it is incumbent upon Srinivasan to totally exclude himself.

"The BCCI president (Manohar) may consider recusing himself from all proceedings involving Mr Modi in present and future," he added. With regard to the third show cause notice issued to Modi, Abdi said that the BCCI had not done its homework properly.

"It seems that in BCCI somebody has not done his homework properly, otherwise the matter would not have necessitated any show cause. It's a matter of routine internal procedure and record. Still we are submitting our explanation covering all angles and concerning all the issues," he said.

"Though I don't want to trivialise the issue, still with a view to slap another show cause notice, a mountain has been made out of a molehill," Abdi said.

Abdi said Modi's reply to the third show cause notice would consist of approximately 50 pages, while the attachments would consist of nearly two dozen pages.