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Kingston
(Jamaica, West Indies): Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said
his team will only be thinking of moving in one direction, and that is
"up", when taking on the West Indies and Sri Lanka in a 13-day
tri-series tournament that gets underway in the West Indies from Friday.
Participating
in captains interaction with the media here ahead of the tri-series,
Dhoni said: "The expectations will pretty much remain the same when it
comes to Indian cricket..if things are moving, it will only move in one
direction which is up."
Dhoni, who was speaking just days after
India had won the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in the United Kingdom,
further said: "What is very important for us is not to look too far
ahead. We will take it series by series."
"We have just finished a
world tournament in the UK, and now, we are in the West Indies. First,
we will have to see the two teams which are ahead of us. The performance
was really good in the UK, but we need to continue."
It maybe recalled that India beat England in the final of the ICC Champions Trophy by five runs.
Apart
from Dhoni, West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo and Sri Lanka captain
Angelo Mathews said they were upbeat about their chances in the CELKON
Mobile Cup tournament.
All three promised some exciting and entertaining cricket for Caribbean fans.
Bravo, Dhoni and Mathews pledged to bring their "A" game in the June 28 to July 11 tournament.
"It
is going to be a fantastic series. We are all excited to get going.
Going head-to-head with India and Sri Lanka, we know it will be a great
series. We know we can expect the carnival atmosphere and that is one of
the things the gets us fired up when we play at home in the Caribbean,"
Bravo said.
"I am looking forward to leading my team to great
things and to make the people of the Caribbean proud. Playing at home is
always good where we have the support of our hands," Bravo added.
Mathews,
who led Sri Lanka into the semi-finals in the ICC Champions Trophy,
described his side as the underdogs, but added that they would be
looking to play to their strengths.
"We know we are up against
two huge teams - they are the two current champions of the T20 and the
50-over World Cups. To match them we need to play some really good
cricket and play to our strengths," said the allrounder, who is
preparing for his 98th ODI on Friday.
"We feel like the underdogs
but I think I have the team to well in this format and I have
confidence in my players and my team - I am getting a lot of support
from all the senior guys and the junior guys," Mathews said.
The
tournament - which will feature seven matches in 13 days - bowls off on
Friday when West Indies clash with Sri Lanka at Sabina Park at 8 p.m.
Indian Standard Time.
New Delhi: Delhi Police arrests Jitendra Singh alias Jeetu, alleged main bookie in IPL spot fixing scam.
He was arrested from Ahmedabad and will be produced in Saket Court shortly.
Chandresh Patel who was arrested earlier by the Delhi Police was working with Jitendra.
Earlier
on Wednesday, hearing on the bail pleas of suspended Rajasthan Royals'
player Ajit Chandila and two others in the IPL spot-fixing scandal case
was deferred by a Delhi court today till July 1.
Besides
Chandila, Additional Sessions Judge Raj Rani Mitra also adjourned the
hearing on the bail applications of accused bookies Ramesh Vyas and
Deepak Kumar.
Police has opposed the bail applications, saying
the accused should not be granted relief as they were following the
command of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel and were
running the syndicate at their behest in south and north India.
The
Delhi Police on May 16 had arrested three cricketers — S Sreesanth,
Chandila and Ankeet Chavan of Rajasthan Royals' — on charges of
spot-fixing.
The Delhi Police had slapped provisions of
Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on Sreesanth,
Chandila, Chavan and on 25 others in the case, alleging that they were
acting under the command of Dawood and Chhota Shakeel.
In the
same case, the court had on June 10 granted bail to Sreesanth, Chavan
and 19 others on the ground of lack of evidence against them to be
charged under MCOCA. At present, seven accused are in jail.
London:
Kevin Pietersen`s return to England duty saw him fail to take any part
in a washed-out Twenty20 match at The Oval that gave New Zealand a 1-0
series win.
Only two balls had been bowled yesterday, with
England two for one, when rain stopped play after Michael Lumb was
caught at second slip by New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum off
left-arm quick Mitchell McClenaghan.
Rain prevented all further
attempts at a re-start, with officials seeing plans for a
six-overs-per-side match starting at 9.03pm local time (2003GMT)
thwarted by a fresh downpour.
The no-result, in what was the
final match of their tour, gave New Zealand the two-match series 1-0
after their five-run win at The Oval on Tuesday and followed their 2-1
one-day series success.
However, England took the preceding Test series 2-0.
England made two changes from the side that lost the first of this two-match series by five runs at The Oval on Tuesday.
Pietersen
was included in an England side for the first time following a knee
injury that forced his early exit from the tour of New Zealand in March.
The
former England captain was sidelined from all cricket until making a
superb unbeaten 177 for Surrey in a County Championship match last
weekend.
But he took no active part yesterday and will now turn
his attention to England`s Ashes four-day warm-up match against Essex at
Chelmsford starting on Sunday.
England begin the defence of the Ashes against Australia with the first Test at Trent Bridge on July 10.
South
Africa-born Pietersen, 33, replaced stand-in captain Eoin Morgan, who
led England on Tuesday in the absence of the rested Stuart Broad, after
the former Ireland international was ruled out with a right hand injury.
Kent
off-spinner James Tredwell captained England for the first time but had
still to lead the side in the field after losing the toss.
Left-arm
spinner Danny Briggs, a key member of English domestic Twenty20
champions Hampshire`s side, replaced seamer Chris Woakes, whose one over
on Tuesday cost 19 runs.
London:
Shane Watson is fired up by the prospect of opening for Australia in
the upcoming Ashes series in England, the all-rounder said.
Australia`s squad contains several openers but new coach Darren Lehmann has said he wants Watson at the top of the order.
Watson
did his best to play himself into some sort of form with a rapid 90,
off just 94 balls and including 20 fours, on the second day of
Australia`s tour match against Somerset at Taunton on Thursday as the
visitors closed on 266 for four in reply to the west country county`s
320.
After a rain-shortened day, Watson spoke of his delight at
the vote of confidence he`d received from former Australia batsman
Lehmann, brought in after South African Mickey Arthur was sensationally
sacked just 16 days before the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge on July
10.
"It`s nice to get that confirmation and it`s a hugely
exciting challenge for me," said Watson, one of four players
controversially dropped during the 4-0 Test series loss in India in
March for failing to provide written feedback on the team`s performance
requested by Arthur.
"Darren is very up front about things, from my
experience of him, but he also does care when he needs to," added Watson
yesterday. He is black and white in a really good way.
"It`s
nice for me personally to know I have the backing of the coach and the
opportunity to open is something I am very excited about.
"I
didn`t know exactly what my role would be until Darren took over as
coach. I had a few chats with Michael Clarke and Mickey Arthur about it,
but there was no confirmation.
"Darren has been more definite
about where he wants me to bat. It doesn`t mean any more security
because if I am not performing I can`t expect to get picked. But I`m
very happy about it.”
England hold the Ashes after a 3-1 series win in Australia in 2010/11 and also won the preceding Ashes clash in England in 2009.
Much
of their recent success against Australia has been built on penetrative
swing and seam bowling, with Watson saying England`s attack represented
the "ultimate challenge" for an opener, a role he was thrust into in
2009.
"Taking on the quicks with a brand new ball is something I
never knew I would enjoy until the last Ashes series here in 2009," he
said.
"Ricky Ponting gave me the opportunity through the middle of that series and it`s something I did and do love.
"I feel my game and my mentality is now suited to opening the batting.
"The English quicks are as good as there are in the world at the moment and have been for the last few years.
"It
is the ultimate challenge to take on the best bowlers with a brand new
ball in what sometimes will be bowler-friendly conditions.
"If I can`t get up for that, there is no point in playing."
As
for his bowling, the 32-year-old medium-pacer added: "Certainly opening
the batting means I can`t bowl as much. But I know I can contribute
with the ball and I do love bowling."
As for Australia`s chances
of regaining the Ashes, Watson said: "We are obviously the underdogs
coming into the series and we haven`t played well, especially in India a
few months ago.
"We know we are going to have to be at our best
very consistently throughout the series to have the success we want.
England have a very good side, which has been the case for quite a while
now.
"It`s going to be a massive challenge for us and we are all very excited about it."
London:
In order to prosecute players, match officials and franchise owners
found guilty of corrupt practices in domestic T20 leagues such as IPL,
the ICC`s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) is likely to
recommend stronger anti-corruption laws to its members.
Sir
Ronnie Flannagan, the chairman of the ACSU, is expected to address these
concerns during ICC`s annual conference that had begun here yesterday.
According
to `ESPNcricinfo`, Flannagan is expected to highlight the threats and
challenges, and give recommendations to ICC members on how to curb the
dangers of corruption in cricket.
These concerns come in the wake
of various scandals relating to spot-fixing and betting in lucrative
domestic T20 leagues like the Indian Premier League, Bangladesh Premier
League (BPL) and the Sri Lanka Premier League (SLPL).
Taking the
investigations in IPL spot-fixing scandal forward, the Delhi Police`s
Special Cell has examined more cricketers, including a left-arm bowler,
who plays from Uttar Pradesh and is part of an IPL team from South
India, in the last few days.
So far, Delhi Police has arrested
three cricketers -- S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan and
have made another cricketer Sidharth Trivedi a witness in the case.
The
cops have also arrested a large number of bookies including Ashwini
Aggarwal alias Tinku Mandi and Ramesh Vyas and Rajasthan Royals owner
Raj Kundra was also questioned. Delhi Police had claimed that Kundra had
bet during IPL matches.
Chennai Super Kings `Team Principal`
Gurunath Meiyappan, was also arrested for alleged involvement in betting
before being granted bail.
In Bangladesh, Mohammad Ashraful confessed to indulging in corrupt practices during the BPL.
London:
After lifting the Champions Trophy with a remarkable unbeaten run here,
the victorious Indian cricket team on Wednesday departed for Jamaica to
compete in an ODI tri-series against the West Indies and Sri Lanka
starting June 28.
"Off to jamaica nw,,, Nxt mission ahead ,had a
lovely time in England....," tweeted all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja with a
picture of his boarding pass.
"On board to Jamaica,with the new
speed gun that`s joined us," said off-spinner R Ashwin on his twitter
handle with a picture of Mohammed Shami, who replaced an injured Irfan
Pathan in the team.
The first three matches of the
series would be played in Jamaica (from June 28 to July 2) before the
action shifts to Trinidad (from July 5 to July 11).
India will open their campaign against the West Indies on June 30.
Squad:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh
Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Murali Vijay, Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja,
Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar,
Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, R Vinay Kumar.
Zee Media Bureau
Mumbai:
Taking a cue from the national selectors, it seems the new panel of
Mumbai selectors are giving youngsters a chance to prove their mettle.
The list of Mumbai probables for upcoming Ranji Trophy includes young
Arman Jaffer who interestingly might get an opportunity to play with his
uncle Wasim Jaffer in the same team.
This Çhacha-bhatija
duo was selected by the committee chaired by former opener Sudhir Naik.
Fourteen year old Arman might get the golden opportunity to be on the
same side as Sachin Tendulkar. He will also get an opportunity to face
Zaheer Khan and Dhaval Kulkarni at the nets.
Wasim Jaffer,
considered to be one of the finest batsmen in domestic cricket,
expressed his happiness over the inclusion of his nephew in the team.
“This is a very good step by the selectors. They have shown faith in
youngsters”, Jaffer told a leading newspaper.
Arman has made a
name for himself in past few years with his sensational batting
performances. He scored a record 498 runs for Rizvi Springfield in the
Giles Shield final in 2010, and rustled up 473 this February in the
Harris Shield final. This season, Arman catapulted Mumbai U-16 team to
the Vijay Merchant title by scoring 1046 runs with four hundreds and
eight fifties — in six games. This was the first time a batsman had
scored more than 1,000 runs in that tournament.
Promoting the
young brigade, Arman`s 15-year-old schoolmate Sarfaraz Khan, too has
made it to the probables list. "From now, we want to blood youngsters
right away so that they are eligible to play for India soon. We want to
increase Mumbai`s representation in the Indian team," said an MCA
official.
Arman`s father-cum-coach Kalim Jaffer is excited about
the prospect of his seeing his brother and son in the same team. "I
want to see Arman bat in the middle with his uncle Wasim. I want Arman
to gain from Wasim`s experience of building an innings and batting when
the team is under pressure," said Kalim.
New
Delhi: Hearing on the bail pleas of suspended Rajasthan Royal`s player
Ajit Chandila and two others in the IPL spot-fixing scandal case was
today deferred by a Delhi court on Wednesday till July 1.
Besides
Chandila, Additional Sessions Judge Raj Rani Mitra also adjourned the
hearing on the bail applications of accused bookies Ramesh Vyas and
Deepak Kumar.
"The present bail applications are adjourned for July 1," the court said.
The court deferred hearing on
the applications, after the counsel for the accused sought adjournment,
requesting it to list the applications for July 1 with the other
co-accused.
Next week, the court will also hear the bail
applications of bookies Ashwani Aggarwal, Sunil Bhatia, Firoz Farid
Ansari and an ex-Ranji player Baburao Yadav.
Police has opposed
the bail applications, saying the accused should not be granted relief
as they were following the command of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and
Chhota Shakeel and were running the syndicate at their behest in south
and north India.
The police had opposed Chandila`s bail plea,
saying he was a "key conspirator" in the entire IPL spot-fixing case and
was acting at the behest of a syndicate run by Dawood.
The Delhi Police on May 16 had
arrested three cricketers -- S Sreesanth, Chandila and Ankeet Chavan of
Rajasthan Royal`s -- on charges of spot-fixing.
The Delhi Police
had slapped provisions of Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act
(MCOCA) on Sreesanth, Chandila, Chavan and on 25 others in the case,
alleging that they were acting under the command of Dawood and Chhota
Shakeel.
In the same case, the court had on June 10 granted bail
to Sreesanth, Chavan and 19 others on the ground of lack of evidence
against them to be charged under MCOCA. At present, seven accused are in
jail.
New
Delhi: The national selectors on Monday decided to retain the Indian
squad that is currently taking part in the Champions Trophy for the
upcoming tri-series in West Indies starting June 28.
The third team of the tri-series is Sri Lanka and the matches will be played in Antigua, Jamaica and Trinidad.
With
the Indian team performing brilliantly in the ongoing Champions Trophy
where they have qualified for the semi-finals with an all-win record in
the group league stages, any changes in the current team was simply out
of question.
Squad: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain), Shikhar
Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Murali Vijay, Rohit
Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav,
Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Amit Mishra, R Vinay Kumar.
Zee Media Bureau
New
Delhi: Cricketer Ajit Chandila was sent to 3-day police custody by
Delhi court on Monday for interrogation under provisions of MCOCA in IPL
spot-fixing case.
On Friday, the Special Cell of Delhi Police
had opposed Chandila’s bail plea saying he was a "key conspirator" in
the entire case and was acting at the behest of a syndicate run by
gangster Dawood Ibrahim.
Delhi Police May 16 arrested three
Rajasthan Royals players - S. Sreesanth, Chandila and Ankeet Chavan on
spot fixing charges. 25 others were subsequently arrested.
More to follow...
Sydney:
Captain Michael Clarke says it will be difficult for errant batsman
David Warner to hold his place in the Australian side for next month`s
first Ashes Test after his bar room punch-up with England`s Joe Root.
Writing
in Sydney`s Daily Telegraph on Monday, he said Warner`s actions were an
unwelcome distraction at the beginning of a four-and-a-half month tour
of England and he must work hard to win back the trust of his teammates
and Australian fans.
The explosive opener was fined Aus$11,500
($11,000) and suspended until the start of the Ashes series by Cricket
Australia last Thursday for the incident during the ongoing Champions
Trophy.
Warner will miss the rest of title-holders Australia`s
involvement in the tournament and their two warm-up matches before he is
again available for the first Test against England at Nottingham, which
starts on July 10.
But Clarke said it would be difficult for opener Warner to keep his place, given what has happened.
"David has been punished and must now suffer the consequences," he wrote in his newspaper column.
"He
will miss most of the Champions Trophy and our two lead-up games before
the first Test at Trent Bridge, making it difficult for him to retain
his place in the Test side.
"David has accepted the punishment
and knows he must work hard for the remainder of the tour to win back
the trust of his teammates and Australia`s cricket-loving public," he
added.
Clarke, who has been away from Australia`s one-day team
for treatment on a troublesome back, said they could not afford a repeat
of such incidents if they were to regain the Ashes.
"I have made it clear to David that his behaviour is not acceptable for an Australian cricketer," he said.
"The other five guys who were out drinking with David also know they made a poor decision.
"If
you haven`t got a reason to celebrate you shouldn`t be out at 2:30am
and you shouldn`t be drinking with the opposition who have just beaten
you."
Clarke said that sent out the wrong message, adding "as proud Australians it should hurt when you lose".
"There
is an enormous difference between being on the winning side of an Ashes
series and losing. I know which side of that ledger I want to be on
come the end of August.
"He (Warner) has let the team down and all of those at home who love and support Australian cricket."
Cardiff:
New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum blamed his team`s batsmen for the
10-run defeat against England in a rain-hit Champions Trophy group match
which severely jeopardised their chances of making the semifinals.
"It was a huge moment for us but we let the opportunity pass," he said in a post-match chat.
New
Zealand lost half their batting side for 62 runs in the 24th over and
managed to put up a fight only after Kane Williamson struck a 54-ball 67
and stitched 73 runs for the sixth wicket with debutant Corey Anderson
at the Sophia Gardens on Sunday.
"Our batting needs work. There
was pressure after we lost early wickets and the England pacers really
bowled well," McCullum said.
The Kiwi skipper didn`t make an issue of the controversial Stuart Broad no-ball that claimed the wicket of Williamson.
TV replays showed Broad`s heel clearly overstepped the line, but Williamson was given out.
"It was close, real close. Sometimes the rub of the green doesn`t go your way. But that`s the way it goes," McCullum said.
Williamson was unhappy that New Zealand got close but could not finish the job.
"It`s a shame that we lost our wickets at key times. We lost our momentum every time a wicket went down."
The 22-year-old Williamson, who has played for Gloucestershire, said he was too wary of James Anderson`s incoming deliveries.
"The challenge of the scoreboard was too much and there was no time to think of him," he said.
New
Zealand (three points from three matches) now await the outcome of
today`s last group A ICC Champions Trophy match between Sri Lanka and
Australia.
Only an Australian win will bring the Kiwis back in the reckoning for a spot in the semis.
"Really
like Australia to play some excellent cricket against Lanka," McCullum
said jokingly, but on a serious note added: "Can`t expect Australia to
do us a favour. We didn`t take our opportunities at the end of the day."
Live score and live updates of India’s second match of the Champions Trophy against West Indies. Follow our live match updates.
LIVE SCORECARD» | LIVE COMMENTARY»
====================================================================================
West Indies 182/8 (Over 45):
Final 10 overs of Windies innings. Ishant to bowl the 41st over.
Indians have kept Windies searching for runs today. They have been
brilliant on the field today. Just three runs from the over. Jadeja is
back. Off the fourth delivery, Sammy survived a scare as a direct hit
from Jadeja had him diving to complete a quick single. The resulting
overthrow saw him add one more to his total. Jadeja produced a sharp
turn off his final delivery that went into the hands of Ashwin at first
slip. Even Sammy seemed amused by the amount of turn. Three runs from
the over. Ishant into his ninth over. OUT! Pollard has been
caught by Bhuvneshwar at long on. It was a full delivery from the pacer
and Pollard launched it over long on but found the fielder. He scored
22 (32b, 6X2). Sunil Narine is the new man in the middle. Two runs and a
wicket in the over. Jadeja continues. OUT! And he picks up yet
another wicket. This time it is southpaw Sunil Narine who was caught at
covers by Dinesh Karthik. He was looking to loft this but got a leading
edge that flew to covers. He scored 2 (8b). Ravi Rampaul is the new
batsman at the crease. Six runs and a wicket in the over. Umesh is back.
Just three runs from his eighth over.
====================================================================================
West Indies 165/6 (Over 40):
Batting powerplay taken. Ashwin has bowled well today. Two of Windies
best limited overs batsmen are at the crease now. Pollard opens his
account in style after playing 10 dot deliveries. He launches a fuller
delivery from Ashwin straight over his head for a six. The next one is
bigger as Pollard hits the sixth delivery over long on boundary for
another maximum. 13 runs from the over. Ishant Sharma is back. Two
singles and a couple from it. Yadav is back. A good chase in the deep by
Raina prevents a boundary as Pollard adds three more runs to his total
off the fourth delivery. OUT! Off the penultimate delivery, Bravo
goes for the big shot but finds Ravindra Jadeja at deep midwicket
boundary. It was a short one from Yadav and Bravo employed the pull.
However, he was caught giving Yadav his first wicket in the match. Bravo
scored 26 (40b, 4X3). Darren Sammy is the new man in the middle. Five
runs and a wicket in the over. Ishant to bowl his seventh over. He has
also bowled well today but hasn't picked up a wicket. Nevertheless, has
kept up the pressure from his end. Just one run from the over. Yadav to
bowl the final over of the powerplay. Just one run in it. The Windies
began powerplay with a bang but ended it with a whimper. They managed 24
runs in them.
====================================================================================
West Indies 141/5 (Over 35):
Virat Kohli is back. Facing him is left-handed Darren Bravo. His first
delivery is short and outside off. The batsman drives but Jadeja is
quick as a cat and prevents some runs. Three runs scored off the next
four. The sixth delivery from Kohli is short and Dwayne pulls it away
for a boundary. Seven runs from that over. Spin from both the ends in
operation now. Another tight over from Ashwin. Just two from it.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar returns. He has picked up a wicket today. No run off
his first three deliveries. Off the fourth, Dwayne opens the face of the
bat and the ball runs down to the third man boundary. Dhawan throws and
by that time, Dwayne has completed a single. A single off the sixth
takes the total from the over to two. OUT! And Darren's struggle
has come to an end as he has been dismissed by R Ashwin off his first
delivery of the 34th over. He charged down the ground but changed his
shot on seeing the trajectory of the delivery. He was outfoxed, got
beaten and Dhoni quickly removed the bails. He scored 35 (83b, 4X2).
Kieron Pollard is the new man in the middle. Ashwin ends the over
without conceding a run. Kumar continues. Just one in the over. Time for
drinks break.
====================================================================================
West Indies 129/4 (Over 30):
The Bravo brothers have a lot riding on the shoulders. They have to not
only stem the flow of wickets but also need to rebuild the innings. The
situation is not that tense but the rate at which the Indians are
picking wickets could soon land them in some serious trouble. Meanwhile,
Jadeja continues. Four singles in the over. Umesh Yadav returns for
another spell. First three are dot balls. While off the fourth, Dwayne
picks up a single. Just two from the over. Ashwin returns and bowls a
maiden. In the next, Yadav concedes a boundary off his first delivery as
Dwayne Bravo plays glances it to fine leg boundary. Off the fourth,
Dwayne plays a sumptuous straight drive as the ball runs past the bowler
for another boundary. Eight runs from it. Off the next from Ashwin,
Windies could only manage a single.
====================================================================================
West Indies 114/4 (Over 25):
Marlon Samuels in the new man in the middle. Ishant Sharma has been
brought back into the attack straight after India picked up their second
wicket. And he being his second spell with a maiden. OUT! Jadeja
continues and picks up another wicket. His sixth delivery struck
Samuels on the pad. The Indians appealed and umpire turned it down. The
Indians went for a review and replays suggested that the ball had struck
the pad first and that it would have gone on to hit the stumps.
Consequently, the decision was overturned and Samuels had to walk back
to the pavilion. He scored 1 (8b). Ramnaresh Sarwan is the new batsman
in the middle. Ishant continues. He has been warned for running running on the danger area. Just one run from the over. OUT!
Jadeja continues and well, well well, he has picked his third wicket in
his third over! His sixth delivery was on the leg and Sarwan went after
it and only managed a nick that was caught by wicketkeeper Dhoni.
Sarwan scored 1 (6b). Dwayne Bravo is the new man in the middle. Ishant
continues. And a lucky boundary for Darren Bravo as the ball flies over
the head of Dhoni after Ishant banged one short and he could only manage
an edge while attempting a pull. Five runs from the over.
====================================================================================
West Indies 104/2 (Over 20):
Ashwin continues. Just three singles from his third over. Off the third
delivery of the next over by Kohli, Charles played an inside out shot
over covers that landed over wide of long off boundary. Off the next
delivery, Charles took a single and that brought up his maiden ODI
fifty. Nine runs came in the over. Drinks followed that over. Ravindra
Jadeja introduced into the attack right after the break. His first was a
maiden. Off the second delivery of the 19th over, Windies collected
four runs courtesy an overthrow from Ishant Sharma from third man
boundary. Ashwin's fifth was a floater and Charles, charged forward
lofting it over long-on boundary for another maximum. 10 runs came off
it. OUT! Jadeja got India the breakthrough they were desperately
looking for in his second over with the wicket of Johnson Charles was
was struck square in front of the wickets. That was an easy decision for
the umpire as he quickly raised his finger. Charles scored 60 (55b,
4X7, 6X2). Just two runs and a wicket in the over.
====================================================================================
West Indies 80/1 (Over 15):
West Indies are steadily moving forward with the pair of Charles and
Bravo playing the waiting game. Off the third delivery of the 11th over,
Charles got an edge that ran down to the third man fence for a four.
That over got them eight runs. Spin in Ravichandran Ashwin was
introduced in the 12th over. After two singles from his first three
deliveries, he nearly pulled off a stunning catch off his own bowling as
Charles charged down the ground, got a leading edge to short mid on and
Ashwin made a valiant diving effort but the ball landed well out of his
grasp. Four runs were added to the total from his first six. Dhoni then
threw the rock to Virat Kohli. Three singles came off his first three
deliveries. The fourth was a leg cutter and Charles was struck on the
pad. The Indians appealed loudly but that was missing leg stump. Five
runs from that over. Just three runs came in the next over of Ashwin.
The 15th over was turning out to be another tight one but for Charles
who swept the penultimate delivery for another boundary. Five runs from
that over of Kohli.
====================================================================================
West Indies 55/1 (Over 10):
Johnson Charles (26*) scored three boundaries in the 10th over and two
boundaries in the 9th over bowled by Umesh Yadav to break the shackles
and got the momentum back to the West Indian batting after they lost
Chris Gayle in the 5th over. Johnson Charles suddenly took the attack to
the opposition after they were struggling at 33/1 after 8 overs. Yadav
proved costly so far as his three overs cost 26 runs. After 10 overs,
West Indies were 55/1.
====================================================================================
West Indies 25/1 (Over 5):
West Indies have made a sound start through their openers- Chris Gayle
and Johnson Charles- after having lost the toss and batting first under
an overcast condition at The Oval. Despite Bhuvneshwan Kumar’s probing
3-over spell, Chris Gayle looked to be in ominous form, already hitting
four fours. Umesh Yadav’s first over cost 11 runs and Ishant Sharma soon
replaced him after that in the 4th over. But Bhuvneshwar Kumar had the
final laugh as he removed a dangerous looking Gayle off the last ball of
the 5th over for an 18-ball 21. After 5 overs, the West Indies were
25/1.
====================================================================================
India
have won the toss and, as expected, decided to bowl first under the
overcast conditions against the West Indies at The Oval.
India have retained the same XI that defeated South Africa in the opening match of the tournament.
West
Indies, on the other hand, had to make one change from the final XI
after Denesh Ramdim was suspended for claiming a catch wrongly during
their first encounter against Pakistan.
Former captain Darren
Summy, who was dropped for the last match, made a comeback. Opener
Johnson Charles would keep wicket in place of Ramdin.
====================================================================================
Preview:
India have won all their matches since arriving in Britain but the West
Indies, the reiging World Twenty20 champions, will pose a big challenge
in Tuesday’s crucial Group B clash in the ICC Champions Trophy.
Both
teams have won their opening fixtures, with India beating South Africa
by 26 runs in the curtain-raiser last Thursday and West Indies edging
Pakistan by two wickets in a low-scoring thriller at the Oval Friday.
India
seemed to have sorted their opening woes with makeshift opener Rohit
Sharma scoring a gritty half-century in against South Africa.
Shikhar
Dhawan scored a deserving hundred as India piled another score above
300. The bowling though, lacked sting and it was only thanks to the
spinners that India pulled things back after the pacers were plundered
for runs early on.
India, who are yet to play at the Kensington
Oval will have to adapt to conditions of the pitch quickly after playing
their warm-up and first match in Cardiff.
In the meantime, the
Windies will return to South London venue in search of yet another
victory and Bravo said his side were confident of turning back the
powerful Indians.
“It’s another tough game of a team coming up
against a team where the strength is their batting. We have the right
bowlers, who can control their batting … but like I always say, cricket
is played on its day. India could turn up on Tuesday and be knocked
over,” Bravo said.
Teams:
India: MS
Dhoni (C), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Dinesh Karthik,
Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvaneshwar
Kumar and Umesh Yadav.
West Indies: Dwayne Bravo (C),
Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Darren
Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Darren Sammy, Sunil Narine, Kemar Roach and Ravi
Rampaul.
New
Delhi: Stung by the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandals, the BCCI on
Monday cracked the whip by suspending Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj
Kundra on charges of gambling and unveiled a 12-point `Operation
Clean-up` in a bid to restore the Twenty20 League`s credibility.
READ: BCCI’s 12-point plan to clear IPL mess»
The
BCCI`s all-powerful working committee, which gathered for an emergency
meeting here, discussed the raging scandal and took the decision to
suspend Kundra pending an inquiry.
Kundra thus becomes the second
team owner, after N Srinivasan`s son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings
Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan, to be suspended from cricketing
activities.
The Board also decided that the
two-member panel -- comprising Justice T Jayaram Chouta and Justice R
Balasubramanian -- which is currently investigating Meiyappan and CSK
would also probe Kundra and the Rajasthan Royals.
"The Working
Committee on Monday decided to suspend Raj Kundra on allegations of
gambling on IPL VI matches till the pendency of inquiry," BCCI`s interim
chief Jagmohan Dalmiya told reporters after the meeting.
"Delhi
Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar had grilled Kundra for 11 hours and he
had admitted to gambling in IPL matches and also IPL CEO Sundar Raman
has got a complaint from a closed source. I will not reveal the name of
the source," he said.
"Obviously, Rajasthan Royals` role in the
whole issue is being looked into but without getting hold of the facts,
we don`t want to frighten anybody," he added when asked why Rajasthan
Royals have not been suspended from the IPL.
Dalmiya was forced to call the
meeting after the Delhi Police claimed that Kundra, a minority (11.7 per
cent) shareholder in Rajasthan Royals, had confessed to betting during
the IPL matches.
If the charges are proved, Rajasthan Royals face
the prospect of being terminated from the IPL and to avoid this fate,
the franchise has already distanced itself from Kundra.
Among
other decisions, the working committee ratified the name of Sanjay Patel
as the Secretary and also elected Mumbai Cricket Association President
Ravi Sawant as the Treasurer, a post left vacant by Ajay Shirke in the
wake of the spot-fixing scandal.
BCCI`s Anti Corruption and
Security Unit chief Ravi Sawani also tabled his report on the three
tainted cricketers -- Test pacer S Sreesanth, Ashok Chandila and Ankeet
Chavan -- who have been arrested for alleged spot-fixing. The working
committee decided to forward the report to the Board`s disciplinary
committee.
The Committee has decided to issue chargesheets to the
concerned players. The panel will be without N Srinivasan, who stepped
aside as Board President after Meiyappan`s arrest. Arun Jaitley and
Niranjan Shah are the other two members of the panel.
"The sealed
report of Sawani was not opened at the meeting as the committee found
it prudent to hand it over to the disciplinary committee," a BCCI
official said.
"As is the process of natural justice, the
players, once they are out of judicial custody, will be summoned for
presenting their side of the story before the final verdict is
pronounced," he added.
The Board members discussed at length on
how to restore the credibility of the game and drew up an action plan
called `Operation Clean-up` which envisages a series of measures to curb
corruption in the IPL.
The Board has decided to bar cheerleaders
and after-match parties for players and support staff besides ensuring a
strict code of conduct to be followed by players and support staff,
owners.
It has also decided to restrict the movement in player`s dug-out and dressing room.
"The
owners from now on will be restricted from entering dug-out and
dressing room during matches. All players and staff of franchises need
to furnish telephone numbers with the BCCI before the tournament,"
Dalmiya said.
London:
The day-to-day happenings in the BCCI since the IPL spot-fixing scandal
broke out has not bothered the Indian team, according to captain
Mahendra Singh Dhoni who said that his his players were only focussed on
the ongoing Champions Trophy.
"As players, we can only control
the things we are able to," Dhoni told mediapersons ahead of his team`s
second group league encounter against the West Indies at the Oval
tomorrow.
"We don`t get to read newspapers and there are no
channels. So we are not disturbed here. We can focus on cricket and do
our own team exercises," he said.
For the first time in four
days, the Indians trained outdoors. It was an overcast and nippy morning
here today and the team practised on three side wickets, very close to
the main square.
Dhoni said that the overcast conditions are
tempting enough to play four seamers, but "we will not go that way
because the result can go against us and then I will be blamed."
The
skipper reckoned that the Oval wicket will assist spin and off-spinner
Ravichandran Ashwin will have a role to play for sure. Between Ashwin,
Ravindra Jadeja and Suresh Raina, the spinners bowled 21 overs among
themselves in the first match against South Africa in Cardiff.
India won by 26 runs with pacer Umesh Yadav taking 4 for 75.
"This
Oval wicket is a used one. There is a bit of grass and there will be a
bit of bounce too. The fast bowlers will get some assist but since this
is an old wicket, there will be spin as well," Dhoni said.
Dhoni singled out Chris Gayle as the dangerman in the West Indian camp.
"We
have to take him out before he takes us out. The Gayle factor will
always be there. He is a dangerous individual and we will have to get
him early," he said.
Stating the match against the West Indies
will be "interesting", the Indian skipper said the team that adapts best
to the conditions will prevail.
"You need some basic planning but you need to adapt along the way," Dhoni added.
Dhoni indicated that Yadav will play a key role in tomorrow`s game.
"But
he has to think better and learn a lot. With exposure he will get
better and that?s what international cricket is all about," the skipper
said.
New
Delhi: In a major setback to Delhi Police, a court here on Monday
indicted them for slapping the stringent provisions of MCOCA on
cricketers S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and 16 others and granted the
accused bail in the IPL spot-fixing case.
"There is no reason for
believing that the accused are guilty under the Maharashtra Control of
Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) at this stage," Additional Sessions Judge
Vinay Kumar Khanna said.
The court said there is prima facie "no
sufficient material" against the accused to establish their "nexus" with
organised crime syndicate.
Besides the two cricketers, the court
also granted the relief to 17 other accused, including 14 bookies, on a
personal bond of Rs 50,000 with one surety of the like amount.
"There are allegations of betting by bookies and fixing by players for benefiting the syndicate.
"After
probing into the matter deeply and going into the materials placed
before the court, this court finds that there is no sufficient material
on record to establish that there is a nexus of accused with the
organised crime syndicate," the judge said.
Delhi Police have so
far arrested 26 persons, including Sreesanth and two of his Rajasthan
Royals teammates - Chavan and Ajit Chandila - in connection with the
case.
Besides the 19 who were granted bail by the court, six
others are now in judicial custody till June 18 while one of the alleged
bookies, Ramesh Vyas, is in police custody till June 18. Chandila and
six others have not yet applied for bail.
The police failed to
satisfy the court and place on record evidence to justify its decision
to slap charges under MCOCA for being involved in organised crime
syndicate operated by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel.
"I
have to examine the evidence and then only, I will be able to decide
the matter and whether these people have nexus with underworld people
sitting outside," the judge said.
The remarks by the judge came
when the police said it would not be in a position to place before it
the documents and evidence before June 18 as the probe was in an initial
stage.
"It will be misuse of provisions of MCOCA, so you will
have to give relevant documents. If you have booked them under MCOCA, it
means you must be having proper sanction and sufficient evidence
against each of them," the court said.
During the late evening
hearing, Additional Public Prosecutor Rajeev Mohan said Dawood, Shakeel,
Javed Churani and Salman were in constant touch with the bookies
including Ramesh Vyas.
When the court wanted evidence for
slapping MCOCA, the prosecutor said investigators have the transcripts
of the intercepted conversations between Dawood and Vyas, which were
read out in the court.
The transcripts referred to a conversation
about a deal in which Rs 10 million and 9 million were mentioned which
was finally settled at Rs 7 million, the police said but added the
purpose of the deal was not clear.
To this, the court asked the
police to clarify. "Do you have direct evidence that Sreesanth and any
of the players were in direct touch with Dawood"?
The prosecutor
replied in the negative but said they have got the transcripts of
conversations in which Sreesanth's friend Jiju Janardan, a bookie, was
in touch with Vyas.
"We have conversations of Dawood Ibrahim with
bookies and bookies used to fix the players, in which Sreesanth was
found talking to one bookie Jiju Janardhan about the amount he will
accept for favouring them," the prosecutor said.
The court, while
granting bail to the 19 accused, said it is prima facie not satisfied
with the allegation that offences punishable under sections
120-B(criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 409 (criminal breach of
trust) of the IPC are made out against the accused at this stage.
It also said it is also not satisfied that "culpability and mens rea (motive)" is made out against the accused.
The
judge also said the accused persons are not "habitual offenders" and
have clean antecedents and they are not likely to flee from justice.
The
court directed the accused to submit their passports before it and
asked them not go out of India without its prior permission.
On
June 7, Delhi police had sought issuance of open non-bailable warrants
for Dawood and Shakeel in connection with the case saying the racket was
being run on their command.
In its application, the Special Cell of Delhi Police had said the main bookies and fixers were in touch with Dawood and Shakeel.
Apart
from the two cricketers, the court granted bail to bookies Ashwani
Aggarwal, Amit Gupta, Ajay Goyal, Sunil Saxena, Bhupender Nagar,
Chandresh Patel, Dipit Garg, Kiran Dole, Manan Bhat, Mohd Yahiya, Nitin
Jain, Jiju Janardhan, Ramakant Aggarwal and Syed Durry Ahmed.
The others who have been granted bail are Vikas Choudhary, a bouncer, businessman Vinod Sharma, and one Manish.
Counsel
for the accused sought bail claiming their clients were falsely
implicated in the case and the charge of MCOCA has been wrongly invoked
against them.
Live score and live updates of the opening match of Group B between Pakistan and West Indies.
====================================================================================
Scorecard» I Commentary»
====================================================================================
PAKISTAN INNINGS:
Over 48 || Score 170/10
Misbah
was expected to play a captain’s knock and he did but was devoid of a
century as he fell short of partners. Mohammad Irfan was the last man to
be dismissed by Rampaul and Misbah remained not out on 96. He has
scored more than 50 percent of the runs and Pakistan bowlers will have
to bowl their heart out to defend this paltry score.
====================================================================================
Over 40 || Score 137/8
Misbah is falling short of partners and he needs to take most of the strike from here onwards.
====================================================================================
Over 15 || Score 40/3
Kemar
Roach who picked the first two wickets completed his three-wicket haul
as Asad Shafiq was out for a duck in the seventh over of the innings.
Nasir Jamshed and skipper Misbah-ul-Haq have so far added unbeaten 25
runs for the fourth wicket and they need to stitch a big partnership to
rescue their team out of this trouble.
====================================================================================
Over 5 || Score 40/3
West
Indian bowlers bowled really well in the first 5 overs to take 2
crucial wickets without too many runs on the board. Fast bowling duo of
Kemar Roach and Ravi Rampaul hit the good length areas continuously and
troubled the Pakistani batsmen in the process. Roach sent opener Imran
Farhat in the last ball of the very first over for just 2 runs. Roach
then trapped Mohammad Hafeez in front of the wickets for just 4 runs in
the 5th over. After 5 overs, Pakistan were struggling at 14/2.
====================================================================================
Toss: West Indian captain Dwayne Bravo has won the toss and decided to bowl first against Pakistan.
====================================================================================
Preview:
Former champions West Indies will lock horns with the incredibly
unpredictable Pakistan in what promises to be a high-voltage group B
Champions Trophy clash at the Oval today.
The Caribbean team,
which won the title in 2004 besides finishing runners-up in 1998 and
2006, is high on star power with the intimidating presence of an in-form
Chris Gayle being a massive confidence-booster.
Pakistan, on the
other hand, is a team full of greenhorns despite being led by the
oldest player in the event -- a 39-year-old Misbah-ul-Haq.
A look
at the line-ups would make the West Indies slight favourites for the
match. Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Kieron Pollard and Kemar Roach have the
ability to just knock out the opposition attack with their
power-hitting.
In fact, the troika of Gayle, Pollard and Samuels
displayed good form at the recent IPL and would be looking to carry the
confidence into the Champions Trophy even though the format would be
different. Skipper and all-rounder Dwayne Bravo is another player who
can be a match-winner on his day.
Gayle`s aggregate of 695 in Champions Trophy matches is the highest among all batsmen.
On
the bowling front, the outfit has quite a few tricksters in the
line-up, including the surprise package of pacer Jason Holder.
The youngest in the team is 6`8" tall and could prove to be a decisive factor in the seaming conditions with his medium pace.
Among
the slower bowlers, Sunil Narine has been a proven performer and would
be expected to work his magic here after a stupendous IPL performance.
The
Caribbeans were, however, handed a sound thrashing by the Australians
in their most recent ODI assignment at the beginning of the year and it
remains to be seen whether they can regroup.
Teams:
West Indies (Playing XI):
Chris Gayle, Johnson Charles, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Ramnaresh
Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo(c), Kieron Pollard, Denesh Ramdin(w), Ravi Rampaul,
Sunil Narine, Kemar Roach
Pakistan (Playing XI): Imran
Farhat, Nasir Jamshed, Mohammad Hafeez, Asad Shafiq, Misbah-ul-Haq(c),
Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal(w), Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Irfan,
Junaid Khan
Zee Media Bureau
New
Delhi: Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar on Thursday said that
Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra has confessed to betting in the
IPL.
Talking to reporters, Kumar said that Kundra used to bet
through his close aide and business partner, Umesh Goenka. Kumar also
said that Kundra used to bet on his own team.
"He (Kundra) has
admitted to betting. He used to bet on his own team. We have also come
to know that he has lost a lot of money in betting. He used to bet
through (Umesh) Goenka, who is also a bookie," Delhi Police Commissioner
Neeraj Kumar said. He also claimed that investigators have come to know
that Kundra has lost a lot of money in betting.
According to
Delhi police Shilpa's husband Raj Kundra lost Rs. One crore in betting
in IPL matches in last 3 years. But they have said that they are
verifying this claim.
Reports are also coming that Kundra's wife
Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty is also involved in betting and chances
are that she will be questioned soon.
Goenka reportedly told the Delhi Police during interrogation that the Rajasthan Royals co-owner was involved in betting.
Delhi Police also claimed that bookie Umesh Goenka has made a reference to Shilpa Shetty placing bets once in IPL.
Reacting to the development, Kundra’s wife and actress Shilpa Shetty said, “Umesh Goenka has misused Raj Kundra’s name.”
She
also tweeted, "Get the real story rather than ure PAID (unreliable)
sources. Just to reiterate, we will do all it takes to reach to the
bottom of this "spot fixing case" and be of complete help till that
happens."
Earlier, Delhi police seized Kundra's passport and asked him not to leave the country till the spot-fixing probe is over.
It
was also reported that the Delhi Police have not ruled out the
possibility of Kundra's arrest due to inconsistency in his statements
during spot-fixing probe.
It was learnt that Kundra and Goenka
might be questioned again on Thursday in connection with the IPL
spot-fixing scandal. Both were quizzed by a special cell of the Delhi
police yesterday for almost 12 hours.
The questioning of both Kundra and Goenka began around 10 am and continued till late in the evening.
Sources
said the name of Goenka, with whom Kundra owns a company deals in steel
business, came during the recording of statement of Rajasthan Royals
player Sidharth Trivedi, a prosecution witness in the case.
In
his statement recorded before a magistrate, sources said, Trivedi
claimed that Goenka approached him and sought details about the cricket
pitch in Ahmedabad and team formations.
According to police
sources, Kundra was called over phone to appear before investigators who
wanted to ask about the ownership details of Rajasthan Royals.
"Kundra
told police that he owned 11.7 percent while Suresh Chelaram, the
brother-in-law of Lalit Modi, owned 43 percent and Manoj Badale has 34
percent. Rupert Murdoch`s son Lalchan Murdoch also has stake in the
team," a senior police official said.
Kundra, a British national,
has 42 percent stake in the steel business with Goenka who has 16
percent shares in the firm, they said.
Zee Media Bureau
Kolkata:
Reacting on the controversy surrounding the issue of betting by
Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra, BCCI interim president Jagmohan
Dalmiya said on Thursday that the matter would be discussed in the
working committee meeting to be held on June 10.
On the matter of
action against Kundra if found guilty Dalmiya said, “If it demands any
strict action, we will look into it.” He added that action against
Kundra will depend on the evidence.
“We cannot come to any decision unless we look into the matter,” he emphasized.
When
asked about the conflict of interest surrounding the Indian cricket
captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Dalmiya said, "As far as Dhoni issue is
concerned, you all have seen it in the papers and so have I. Let it come
out. At this juncture, when we are in the midst of the Champions
Trophy, we are not going to earn anything by disturbing the atmosphere.
But at the same time, we are not going to cover it up. Please wait and
see," he assured.
Jagmohan Dalmiya revealed that Sanjay Patel of
the Baroda Cricket Association had been named as the honorary secretary
of the board in place of Sanjay Jagdale. Jagdale had resigned as the
board member in the wake of allegations of N Srinivasan's son-in-law,
Gurunath Meiyappan, being involved in betting. He said that the post of
the treasurer will be announced later.
He also said that no BCCI
member will be part of the inquiry commission and the two retired High
Court judges T Jayaram Chouta and R Balasubramaniam will form the
two-member commission to probe allegations against Meiyappan and CSK.
Both
justices Chouta and Balasubramaniam were members of the original panel,
which also had BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale as the third member.
The
committee had to be re-constituted following Jagdale's resignation.
Dalmiya was given the responsibility to choose the third member.
"I
have decided that let there be a two-man commission. We pose full faith
in the two retired judges and leave the matter to them. These two
judges will carry on the probe," Dalmiya said.
“There is no timeframe for completing the probe on spot-fixing,” he added.
Dalmiya
said the BCCI has received an interim report from its Anti-Corruption
and Security Unit chief Ravi Sawani but nothing concrete can be said on
the issue.
"Interim report has been submitted to BCCI.
Information has been sought from the Delhi and the Mumbai police. They
have not provided anything yet. Once we receive it, we will share it
with you," he said.
On whether the BCCI would think of
discontinuing IPL in the wake of the scandals, Dalmiya said," There
should not be any kind of thoughts that it would be shelved."
Zee Media Bureau
New
Delhi: After it was alleged by the Delhi Police on Thursday that
Rajasthan Royals owner Raj Kundra placed bets on his team through a
bookie-friend and that they were probing whether his wife Shilpa Shetty
was also into betting, the actress said that she had never bet on any
cricket match.
Shilpa Shetty tweeted, “For those who care, my
apparent involvement in betting is complete nonsense and I have never
bet on any cricket match ever.” “Truth will prevail,” she added.
She
also tweeted, “We love cricket, it’s the passion for the sport that
made us a part of IPL. It’s extremely disheartening to keep clarifying
that.”
Shilpa stated that she would not be talking on the matter
anymore. “Won’t be speaking any more as the case is sub-judice,” she
said.
In a sensational development today investigators claimed
that Raj Kundra (36) told them that he lost around Rs one crore in the
past three years in betting in IPL matches. However, police said they
have no evidence yet to implicate Kundra in fixing matches.
Kundra, a British national, was questioned for 11 hours yesterday after
cricketer Sidharth Trivedi (30) told police that his business
partner-friend Umesh Goenka (36) used to ask for information regarding
team formation and pitches.
Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj
Kumar said, "He (Kundra) has admitted to betting. He used to bet on his
own team. We have also come to know that he has lost a lot of money in
betting. He
SN Srivastava, Special Commissioner (Special Cell),
said Goenka in his statement before a magistrate informed that he used
to place bets for Kundra besides making a reference to Shetty that she
also placed bets ‘once’.
"It is in the statement (of Goenka that
Shetty placed bets). We have not gone ahead and verified it as of now.
But then we are in the process of verification," he said.
Srivastava said he cannot give a timeline to whether Kundra will be called again.
If
police claims are to be believed, Kundra started betting in IPL matches
after getting 11.7 percent stake in Rajasthan Royals in the third
edition of the T20 tournament.
Kundra is the second IPL team
owner after Chennai Super Kings` Gurunath Meiyappan who is in the dock
for alleged betting. If the charges against the owners are proved, BCCI
can give Rajathan Royals the boot from IPL.
Police have
confiscated the passports of Kundra and Goenka to ensure that they do
not leave the country during investigations. Kundra has since flown back
to Mumbai and will be quizzed again soon.
Meanwhile, on in
Kolkata today, Jagmohan Dalmiya, chief of the interim BCCI arrangement,
said that the Kundra issue will be discussed at the BCCI emergency
meeting on June 10 in New Delhi.