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Ajay Sharma : It was absolutely stunning to watch Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli bat in tandem at the R Premadasa stadium; stunning not because the duo put on 127 runs at a run-rate of 9.89 in 12.5 overs or even because they made light of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag’s loss. But simply because this was the vision of future that India was first presented with in 2008 – when the two played together for the first time in India colours – and it still has a chance of coming to fruition.
Indeed, at times, the press box was divided over who looked better in the middle. Virat or Rohit. As good as Virat is looking in the middle – you can see him making a conscious effort to do the right thing. Even full tosses are hit straight down the ground.
Rohit, on the other hand, goes for the tougher shots. While Virat recognises his limitations, Rohit has just not reached that level – perhaps because he feels nothing is impossible. So when he gets it right, he looks spectacular. But when he doesn’t… it kind of underwhelms the very sense of his being. After playing international cricket for more than 5 years, he needs to get a better idea of what his 100 percent shots are.
Reed in hindiAnd often that is what lets him down.
Rohit’s innings of 56 off 40 balls was just as spectacular as Kohli’s – but who was standing at the end? It was Kohli.
Rohit was dismissed going down the track to Ajmal, looking to hit the ball over mid-wicket. The bowler shortened the length and the batsman missed it completely. One might say that before he got out, he did significant damage; one might even say that given the format he wasn’t wrong to do what he did.
But just because you have the license to do something – go for the shots in T20 for instance – it doesn’t give you the chance to abuse the power. In the end, Kohli ended up with 75 off 47 balls and he has become a man that Dhoni can trust to do the right thing in every situation. With Rohit, on the other hand, one never knows what one might get – it could be gold or it could be a big, fat zero. There are no in-betweens with him. There is no bare minimum.
He’s worked hard in his time away from the team. He’s lost weight, put in a lot of hard work in the nets and even changed his jersey number from 23 to 77 – he’s pulled out all the stops. But does he still know what he’s really trying to achieve in the middle? Is it just score runs or is there a bigger objective?
For Kohli, his trigger moment came in the Test series in Australia but even before that cruised through ODI cricket in the back of his consistency. In 2008, he averaged 31.80. In 2009, he pumped it up to 54.16. In 2010 and 2011, he averaged 47.38 and 47.55 respectively. This year, his average is a phenomenal 73.28. There simply has been no let-up.
Rohit, on the other hand, has had no consistency – at least in good terms. In his first three years in international cricket – the best average he managed to achieve was 25.50 in 2009. Then, 2011 came along and it looked like he had finally made the breakthrough – 611 runs at 55.54 are spectacular. Then came the fall – in 2012, in 13 matches, he has made 164 runs at 13.66.
But he still seems to be searching for that trigger moment that has not arrived yet. One hopes he finds it soon enough because if he fails again, the selectors might decide to give him the old cold shoulder.
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label news. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
The difference between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
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Ajay Sharma : It was absolutely stunning to watch Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli bat in tandem at the R Premadasa stadium; stunning not because the duo put on 127 runs at a run-rate of 9.89 in 12.5 overs or even because they made light of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag’s loss. But simply because this was the vision of future that India was first presented with in 2008 – when the two played together for the first time in India colours – and it still has a chance of coming to fruition.
Indeed, at times, the press box was divided over who looked better in the middle. Virat or Rohit. As good as Virat is looking in the middle – you can see him making a conscious effort to do the right thing. Even full tosses are hit straight down the ground.
Rohit, on the other hand, goes for the tougher shots. While Virat recognises his limitations, Rohit has just not reached that level – perhaps because he feels nothing is impossible. So when he gets it right, he looks spectacular. But when he doesn’t… it kind of underwhelms the very sense of his being. After playing international cricket for more than 5 years, he needs to get a better idea of what his 100 percent shots are.
Reed in hindiAnd often that is what lets him down.
Rohit’s innings of 56 off 40 balls was just as spectacular as Kohli’s – but who was standing at the end? It was Kohli.
Rohit was dismissed going down the track to Ajmal, looking to hit the ball over mid-wicket. The bowler shortened the length and the batsman missed it completely. One might say that before he got out, he did significant damage; one might even say that given the format he wasn’t wrong to do what he did.
But just because you have the license to do something – go for the shots in T20 for instance – it doesn’t give you the chance to abuse the power. In the end, Kohli ended up with 75 off 47 balls and he has become a man that Dhoni can trust to do the right thing in every situation. With Rohit, on the other hand, one never knows what one might get – it could be gold or it could be a big, fat zero. There are no in-betweens with him. There is no bare minimum.
He’s worked hard in his time away from the team. He’s lost weight, put in a lot of hard work in the nets and even changed his jersey number from 23 to 77 – he’s pulled out all the stops. But does he still know what he’s really trying to achieve in the middle? Is it just score runs or is there a bigger objective?
For Kohli, his trigger moment came in the Test series in Australia but even before that cruised through ODI cricket in the back of his consistency. In 2008, he averaged 31.80. In 2009, he pumped it up to 54.16. In 2010 and 2011, he averaged 47.38 and 47.55 respectively. This year, his average is a phenomenal 73.28. There simply has been no let-up.
Rohit, on the other hand, has had no consistency – at least in good terms. In his first three years in international cricket – the best average he managed to achieve was 25.50 in 2009. Then, 2011 came along and it looked like he had finally made the breakthrough – 611 runs at 55.54 are spectacular. Then came the fall – in 2012, in 13 matches, he has made 164 runs at 13.66.
But he still seems to be searching for that trigger moment that has not arrived yet. One hopes he finds it soon enough because if he fails again, the selectors might decide to give him the old cold shoulder.
Monday, June 25, 2012
RBI hikes FII limit in G-Secs to $20 b
Tweet A.K.Sharma
To attract dollars and stabilise the depreciating rupee, the RBI has opened up access to offshore debt to Indian companies in manufacturing and infrastructure sectors.
To attract dollars and stabilise the depreciating rupee, the RBI has opened up access to offshore debt to Indian companies in manufacturing and infrastructure sectors.It has also upped the FII investment limit in Government Securities market.
These measures, announced by the Reserve Bank of India in consultation with the Government, come just a day before the Finance Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, bows out as a Cabinet Minister to contest the Presidential elections.
Markets disappointed
The markets — equity and forex markets — were, however, unimpressed by the measures announced to stabilise the rupee.
The BSE Sensex was down about 100 points and the rupee was trading at 56.80 to the dollar, off the intraday high of 56.30, at around 15.20 hours.
ECB limit
According to the RBI, Indian companies in manufacturing and infrastructure sectors, who have foreign exchange earnings, can avail themselves of external commercial borrowings (ECBs) for repayment of outstanding rupee loans.
These loans should have been taken for capital expenditure and/or fresh rupee capital expenditure under the approval route.
The RBI said that the overall ceiling for such ECBs would be $10 billion.
FII limit in G-Secs
The existing limit for investment by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) registered foreign institutional investors (FIIs) in Government securities (G-Secs) has been enhanced by a further amount of $5 billion.
This would take the overall limit for FII investment in G-Secs from $15 billion to $20 billion.
Broadbase investors in G-Secs market
In order to broadbase the non-resident investor base for G-Secs, long-term investors like sovereign wealth funds, multilateral agencies, endowment funds, insurance funds, pension funds and foreign central banks will also be allowed to invest in G-Secs for the entire limit of $20 billion. These entities will have to register themselves with SEBI.
The sub-limit of $10 billion (against existing $5 billion with a residual maturity of five years and additional limit of $5 billion) would have the residual maturity of three years.
IDFs and QFIs
The terms and conditions for the scheme for FII investment in infrastructure debt and the scheme for non-resident investment in Infrastructure Development Funds (IDFs) have been further rationalised in terms of lock-in period and residual maturity, the RBI said.
However, it did not elaborate on the steps taken on this front.
Further, Qualified Foreign Investors (QFIs) can now invest in those mutual fund schemes that hold at least 25 per cent of their assets (either in debt or in equity or both) in infrastructure sector under the current $3 billion sub-limit for investment in mutual funds related to infrastructure.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
76 games in IPL-5, Kochi players up for auction
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Chennai: The players' auction for the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League will be held in late January or early February and the teams will play their games on a home-and-away basis, with each of the nine franchises playing 16 games.
The change means that the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament reverts back to its original format, where all the teams played each other twice. In the upcoming season, each team is now going to play eight home games.
The nine franchises will go into the auction having an additional salary cap of USD two million to spend on players. The players from the Kochi Tuskers Kerala franchise, which was terminated by the BCCI in September this year, will be part of the auction, the IPL Governing Council chairman Rajeev Shukla said in a statement.
The decisions were taken at the IPL governing council's meet that took place in Chennai on Saturday.
The IPL GC has also increased the number of players in each team from 30 to 33. The number of foreign players in each team will be 11 instead of 10, while two more Indian players can be added to each team's roster. However, the number of foreign players that can be part of the final XI will remain at four.
There will also be an additional four play-off matches, to be held in Bangalore and Chennai, that will take the total tally of matches in the tournament to 76.
The IPL-5 season will commence in Chennai on April 4 and the final will be played at the same venue on May 27, 2012.
"The trading window will open on December 15, 2011 and will run through to January 20, 2012. There will be a short second trading window after the players' auction," informed Shukla.
The trading regulations will be as per previous seasons.
There will be no financial cap on trading and franchises can only add to their squad, by way of trading, a maximum of 4 players who were bought in the 2011 auction, and they must stay within the squad composition regulations at all times.
Chennai: The players' auction for the fifth edition of the Indian Premier League will be held in late January or early February and the teams will play their games on a home-and-away basis, with each of the nine franchises playing 16 games.
The change means that the cash-rich Twenty20 tournament reverts back to its original format, where all the teams played each other twice. In the upcoming season, each team is now going to play eight home games.
The decisions were taken at the IPL governing council's meet that took place in Chennai on Saturday.
The IPL GC has also increased the number of players in each team from 30 to 33. The number of foreign players in each team will be 11 instead of 10, while two more Indian players can be added to each team's roster. However, the number of foreign players that can be part of the final XI will remain at four.
There will also be an additional four play-off matches, to be held in Bangalore and Chennai, that will take the total tally of matches in the tournament to 76.
The IPL-5 season will commence in Chennai on April 4 and the final will be played at the same venue on May 27, 2012.
"The trading window will open on December 15, 2011 and will run through to January 20, 2012. There will be a short second trading window after the players' auction," informed Shukla.
The trading regulations will be as per previous seasons.
There will be no financial cap on trading and franchises can only add to their squad, by way of trading, a maximum of 4 players who were bought in the 2011 auction, and they must stay within the squad composition regulations at all times.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Fuel price hike: Allies angry, but PM remains firm
Tweet By a.k.sharma : New Delhi : The Prime Minister Manmohan Singh remained firm on on fuel price hike and favoured more deregulation of prices, even as Trinamool Congress MP's threatened to resign.Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday virtually threatened to pull out from the UPA government.
Speaking at the G20 summit in Cannes, the PM made it clear that that the government should move more and more in the direction of deregulation of fuel prices.
The PM also said that he has no hesitation in saying that markets must find their own levels. The PM though conceded that food inflation is a problem but said it's also a sign of growing prosperity.
"Food inflation is a problem. Prices of food grains are stable. But vegetables, egg prices are going up. That reflects more demand for these commodities than supply and shows a sign of grown prosperity, Singh said.
Fiscal deficit of 4.6 per cent has to be reduced, he added.
Mamata Banerjee on Friday criticised UPA for not consulting her before announcing the fuel price hike.
She said that the Trinamool was never consulted before Thursday's price hike. "If fuel price hike is linked to global crude prices then why doesn't the price come down when crude prices are low," she questioned.
Adding that the UPA never pays heed to the Trinamool's views, Mamata said, "The Congress party is dependent on allies support whereas the Trinamool has absolute majority in Bengal." She, however, said that though she is angry, she is not blackmailing the UPA over petrol price rise.
She said that she will will meet the Prime Minister after he returns from Cannes, most likely on November 8 or November 9.
"We are accountable to people, can't tolerate this fuel price hike. We are not trying to blackmail the government. We have been insulted many times, we don't even have a room for us in Parliament," Banerjee said.
"Our MPs had resolved that if this repeated hike continues we will withdraw support. Somebody must bell the cat," Mamata said.
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member Derek O'Brien said that the ministers have given in their resignation letters over petrol price hike and that is lying with Mamata Banerjee.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "These are certain situations which have to bourne and the bullet has to be bitten. In an ideal world lot of things shouldn't be subsidised but then why should you be subsidising petrol."
Earlier, Trinamool Congress on Friday said that there were no decisions taken for pulling out from the government in the party meeting.
Also no ministers will be pulled out of Cabinet. The meeting was chaired by Mukul Roy, who is also Minister of State, Shipping. For now, the TMC has decided not to upset the UPA apple-cart with any ministerial pull-outs.
"We have decided to present our resolution to Mamata Banerjee. We all have expressed our views. We are concerned about price rise. We have been kept in the dark before any decision on fuel price hike," TMC General Secretary Sudip Bandhopadhya said.
Oil companies raised petrol prices by Rs 1.82 per litre with effect from Thursday midnight. Reed in hindi
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Indian criticism forces Aussie Harper to retire early
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By ajay sharma
Australian umpire Daryl Harper announced on Wednesday he was retiring with immediate effect as an international umpire despite being due to bring down the curtain on his career in the third and final test of the current West Indies v India series.
The 59-year-old - who has stood in 95 tests and 279 international matches in all - took the decision after he came in for heavy criticism from the Indians following the first Test - a match they won - and which many thought was unjustified.
In the wake of some unfair criticism, Daryl has informed us that he does not wish to stand in what would have been his final Test said International Cricket Council general manager David Richardson.
The reality of the situation is that Daryl's statistics show his correct decision percentage in Tests involving India is 96 per cent, which is considerably higher than the international average for top-level umpires.
Harper has been replaced for the third Test - which is due to start in Dominica on July 6 - by Englishman Richard Kettleborough.
Reed in hindi
By ajay sharmaAustralian umpire Daryl Harper announced on Wednesday he was retiring with immediate effect as an international umpire despite being due to bring down the curtain on his career in the third and final test of the current West Indies v India series.
The 59-year-old - who has stood in 95 tests and 279 international matches in all - took the decision after he came in for heavy criticism from the Indians following the first Test - a match they won - and which many thought was unjustified.
In the wake of some unfair criticism, Daryl has informed us that he does not wish to stand in what would have been his final Test said International Cricket Council general manager David Richardson.
The reality of the situation is that Daryl's statistics show his correct decision percentage in Tests involving India is 96 per cent, which is considerably higher than the international average for top-level umpires.
Harper has been replaced for the third Test - which is due to start in Dominica on July 6 - by Englishman Richard Kettleborough.
Reed in hindi
Friday, May 6, 2011
scoring 119 from only 56 balls
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a.k.shrha
Hyderabad:
Delhi Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag single-handedly demolished Deccan Chargers bowlers with a blistering century to guide his team to a four-wicket victory in an IPL match on Thursday.
Chasing a stiff target of 176, Sehwag took the Chargers attack to the cleaners scoring 119 from only 56 balls with the help of 13 fours and five sixes as his teammates had little contribution in the winning cause.
With eight points, Daredevils stay in the hunt for Play-offs as it was curtains for Chargers who looked favourites till Sehwag struck like a tornado.
It was one of the most scintillating innings that one would have ever witnessed as Sehwag took it upon himself to accomplish what looked like Mission Impossible after Daredevils were reduced to 25 for three.
Fortune favours the brave and Sehwag got a couple respite due to sloppy fielding from the home team that saw couple of catches being dropped. There couldn't have been a better birthday gift for his younger son than a blazing century.
Finally, when he was out in the 17th over, even the Chargers players came upto congratulate him.
Dale Styen in right earnest removing Aaron Finch (0) off the very second delivery while Ishant Sharma quickly removed Naman Ojha (7) and Venugopal Rao (3) to reduce Daredevils to 25 for three. But little did one know that what was in store after that.
Sehwag was unusually quiet during the first seven overs. It was inexperienced Ishan Malhotra who became an easy prey.
The moment he was brought into the attack, Sehwag whipped him over fine leg for a six followed it up with another over mid-wicket. Then he hit consecutive boundaries through deep mid-wicket and straight past the bowler. 23 runs came off the eight over.
The next over from Daniel Christian saw Sehwag hit couple of more boundaries. When Amit Mishra was introduced, he launched into him to hit over long for a six. It brought up his 50 from 27 balls and also surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become the highest run-scorer in the ongoing tourney.
The very next delivery from Mishra saw Sehwag trying to hit over mid-wicket but the ball flew at a catchable height to Ankit Sharma at sweeper cover who bungled big time.
There was no end to Mishra's misery as in the next over Sehwag hit one straight to long-off which Ravi Teja not only spilled but also let it cross the boundary ropes as it brought up Delhi's 100.
From overs 8-12, Daredevils scored 75 runs in five overs as Sehwag butchered the bowlers.
With no option left, Sangakkara brought on his best bowler Steyn who was slashed through point and then guided through the fine-leg region for two boundaries.
He slog swept Mishra for a six to get into the 90's. When Bharat Chipli came in he took a couple to complete his well deserved century in 48 balls. He then hit Chipli for two more sixes and a boundary as Daredevils closed in on a win.
Earlier, Duminy finally came good with a slice of luck as his smashing 55 helped Deccan Chargers post a challenging 175 for five against Delhi Daredevils in what was a must-win game for both.
It was Duminy's power-hitting that saw Chargers score a whopping 108 runs in the last 10 overs after scoring 67 in the first 10.
Off-spinner Yogesh Nagar 'dismissed' both Duminy and Daniel Christian (27, 22 balls, 2x4) in the 15th over. Tragically, on both occasions he overstepped. While Christian got a boundary off the free-hit, Duminy's aerial shot yielded maximum results.
That over from Nagar cost Daredevils 20 runs and gave the Chargers necessary impetus. While Irfan Pathan (0/18 from 3 overs) and Aavishkar Salvi (1/26 from 4 overs) bowled well, it was Nagar (0/20 from 1 over), Venugopal Rao (0/12 from1 over) and James Hopes (1/29 from 3 overs) who gave away as many as 61 runs in the five overs they bowled between them.
Morne Morkel had a disappointing outing going for 37 from his four overs while Agarkar who got two wickets gave away 29 runs in his four-over spell.
The duo added 71 runs in only 5.3 overs courtesy Duminy who hit as many as four sixes during his 31-ball knock. When he was finally run-out in the 18th over trying to go for a second run, Chargers had reached 158.
Shikhar Dhawan started off on a brilliant fashion with a cover drive off the very first delivery of the match bowled by Morne Morkel. Dhawan who had been a slow starter in the previous matches looked in fine nick as he found the gaps with consumate ease. His opening partner Dwarka Ravi Teja (2) was quickly removed by Aavishkar Salvi.
Dhawan (29, 18 balls, 5x4) was joined by skipper Kumar Sangakkara (44, 36 balls, who launched into Morkel hitting him for three successive boundaries in the sixth over of the innings. The first one was a slog that went over slips. It was followed with a fantastic bowler's back drive and then another lofted drive over mid-off.
Dhawan was out trying to loft Agarkar over mid-on only to offer a simple catch to Salvi.
When Venugopal Rao came in, Sangakkara hit a beautiful cover drive followed with a slog sweep. James Hopes finally got the DC skipper caught by his counterpart in the cover region. However DC's hopes making decisive inroads were dashed by Duminy-Christian duo who tore into the DD bowlers.
a.k.shrha
Hyderabad:
Delhi Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag single-handedly demolished Deccan Chargers bowlers with a blistering century to guide his team to a four-wicket victory in an IPL match on Thursday.Chasing a stiff target of 176, Sehwag took the Chargers attack to the cleaners scoring 119 from only 56 balls with the help of 13 fours and five sixes as his teammates had little contribution in the winning cause.
With eight points, Daredevils stay in the hunt for Play-offs as it was curtains for Chargers who looked favourites till Sehwag struck like a tornado.
It was one of the most scintillating innings that one would have ever witnessed as Sehwag took it upon himself to accomplish what looked like Mission Impossible after Daredevils were reduced to 25 for three.
Fortune favours the brave and Sehwag got a couple respite due to sloppy fielding from the home team that saw couple of catches being dropped. There couldn't have been a better birthday gift for his younger son than a blazing century.
Finally, when he was out in the 17th over, even the Chargers players came upto congratulate him.
Dale Styen in right earnest removing Aaron Finch (0) off the very second delivery while Ishant Sharma quickly removed Naman Ojha (7) and Venugopal Rao (3) to reduce Daredevils to 25 for three. But little did one know that what was in store after that.
Sehwag was unusually quiet during the first seven overs. It was inexperienced Ishan Malhotra who became an easy prey.
The moment he was brought into the attack, Sehwag whipped him over fine leg for a six followed it up with another over mid-wicket. Then he hit consecutive boundaries through deep mid-wicket and straight past the bowler. 23 runs came off the eight over.
The next over from Daniel Christian saw Sehwag hit couple of more boundaries. When Amit Mishra was introduced, he launched into him to hit over long for a six. It brought up his 50 from 27 balls and also surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become the highest run-scorer in the ongoing tourney.
The very next delivery from Mishra saw Sehwag trying to hit over mid-wicket but the ball flew at a catchable height to Ankit Sharma at sweeper cover who bungled big time.
There was no end to Mishra's misery as in the next over Sehwag hit one straight to long-off which Ravi Teja not only spilled but also let it cross the boundary ropes as it brought up Delhi's 100.
From overs 8-12, Daredevils scored 75 runs in five overs as Sehwag butchered the bowlers.
With no option left, Sangakkara brought on his best bowler Steyn who was slashed through point and then guided through the fine-leg region for two boundaries.
He slog swept Mishra for a six to get into the 90's. When Bharat Chipli came in he took a couple to complete his well deserved century in 48 balls. He then hit Chipli for two more sixes and a boundary as Daredevils closed in on a win.
Earlier, Duminy finally came good with a slice of luck as his smashing 55 helped Deccan Chargers post a challenging 175 for five against Delhi Daredevils in what was a must-win game for both.
It was Duminy's power-hitting that saw Chargers score a whopping 108 runs in the last 10 overs after scoring 67 in the first 10.
Off-spinner Yogesh Nagar 'dismissed' both Duminy and Daniel Christian (27, 22 balls, 2x4) in the 15th over. Tragically, on both occasions he overstepped. While Christian got a boundary off the free-hit, Duminy's aerial shot yielded maximum results.
That over from Nagar cost Daredevils 20 runs and gave the Chargers necessary impetus. While Irfan Pathan (0/18 from 3 overs) and Aavishkar Salvi (1/26 from 4 overs) bowled well, it was Nagar (0/20 from 1 over), Venugopal Rao (0/12 from1 over) and James Hopes (1/29 from 3 overs) who gave away as many as 61 runs in the five overs they bowled between them.
Morne Morkel had a disappointing outing going for 37 from his four overs while Agarkar who got two wickets gave away 29 runs in his four-over spell.
The duo added 71 runs in only 5.3 overs courtesy Duminy who hit as many as four sixes during his 31-ball knock. When he was finally run-out in the 18th over trying to go for a second run, Chargers had reached 158.
Shikhar Dhawan started off on a brilliant fashion with a cover drive off the very first delivery of the match bowled by Morne Morkel. Dhawan who had been a slow starter in the previous matches looked in fine nick as he found the gaps with consumate ease. His opening partner Dwarka Ravi Teja (2) was quickly removed by Aavishkar Salvi.
Dhawan (29, 18 balls, 5x4) was joined by skipper Kumar Sangakkara (44, 36 balls, who launched into Morkel hitting him for three successive boundaries in the sixth over of the innings. The first one was a slog that went over slips. It was followed with a fantastic bowler's back drive and then another lofted drive over mid-off.
Dhawan was out trying to loft Agarkar over mid-on only to offer a simple catch to Salvi.
When Venugopal Rao came in, Sangakkara hit a beautiful cover drive followed with a slog sweep. James Hopes finally got the DC skipper caught by his counterpart in the cover region. However DC's hopes making decisive inroads were dashed by Duminy-Christian duo who tore into the DD bowlers.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Arunachal CM Dorjee Khandu killed in chopper crash
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By a.k.shrma
NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs confirmed on Wednesday that Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu has been killed in a chopper crash, according to Times Now.
The chopper crashed between Kyela and Lobothang near Tawang district.
SM Krishna said he is deeply pained by the demise of Dorjee Khandu.
Three bodies were on Wednesday sighted along with wreckage of an aircraft at a place on the path the helicopter carrying Dorjee Khandu and four others had taken.
Earlier in the day, breaking information that is "not encouraging and not good news", Home minister P Chidambaram said at a place between Kyela and Lobothang a party sent by circle officer sighted what appears to be an aircraft.
"They have sighted three bodies. This sighting has been made from a height. They have not been able to go down to the place where the aircraft is (lying) crashed. The message has been given to the nearest Army post which is sending a team," he had told reporters.
On Wednesday morning, search operation for missing helicopter carrying Khandu focussed on in three areas along Indo-Bhutan border.
"Based on inputs received from the ISRO satellite and the Sukhoi-30 aircraft, as well as information provided by some local people, the search operations are now going inNagar GG, District Tawang; immediate south of Sela Pass known as Eagle's Nest Reserve Forest and district Phangrong in Bhutan", said home ministry joint secretary Sambhu Singh.
Singh had said, "The search operations are being carried out by teams from the Army, ITBP, SSB, Arunachal Pradesh Police, NDRF and grazers from Arunachal Pradesh. The Government of Bhutan has also deployed search teams on its side of the border".
The Pawan Hans AS350 B-3 helicopter carrying the chief minister took off from Tawang at 9.50 am on Saturday. The last radio contact with the ground was about 20 minutes after take off as it flew over the Sela Pass along the Chinese border perched at an altitude of 13,700 feet.
There were about 3,500 personnel deployed in the search operations.
Hopes for Arunanchal Pradesh's Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others are fading fast. It's been more than 72 hours since their chopper went missing and so far search operations have yielded no clues.By a.k.shrma
NEW DELHI: The ministry of external affairs confirmed on Wednesday that Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu has been killed in a chopper crash, according to Times Now.
The chopper crashed between Kyela and Lobothang near Tawang district.
SM Krishna said he is deeply pained by the demise of Dorjee Khandu.
Three bodies were on Wednesday sighted along with wreckage of an aircraft at a place on the path the helicopter carrying Dorjee Khandu and four others had taken.
Earlier in the day, breaking information that is "not encouraging and not good news", Home minister P Chidambaram said at a place between Kyela and Lobothang a party sent by circle officer sighted what appears to be an aircraft.
"They have sighted three bodies. This sighting has been made from a height. They have not been able to go down to the place where the aircraft is (lying) crashed. The message has been given to the nearest Army post which is sending a team," he had told reporters.
On Wednesday morning, search operation for missing helicopter carrying Khandu focussed on in three areas along Indo-Bhutan border.
"Based on inputs received from the ISRO satellite and the Sukhoi-30 aircraft, as well as information provided by some local people, the search operations are now going inNagar GG, District Tawang; immediate south of Sela Pass known as Eagle's Nest Reserve Forest and district Phangrong in Bhutan", said home ministry joint secretary Sambhu Singh.
Singh had said, "The search operations are being carried out by teams from the Army, ITBP, SSB, Arunachal Pradesh Police, NDRF and grazers from Arunachal Pradesh. The Government of Bhutan has also deployed search teams on its side of the border".
The Pawan Hans AS350 B-3 helicopter carrying the chief minister took off from Tawang at 9.50 am on Saturday. The last radio contact with the ground was about 20 minutes after take off as it flew over the Sela Pass along the Chinese border perched at an altitude of 13,700 feet.
There were about 3,500 personnel deployed in the search operations.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Lankan players fixing matches since 1992, claims Tillakaratne
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a,k.shrma-Dropping a bombshell, former Sri Lanka skipper Hashan Tillakaratne has claimed that match-fixing is common in his country since 1992 and promised to reveal names of those involved, soon. Tillakaratne, who played 83 Tests and 200 ODIs for Sri Lanka, made the sensational claim while appearing in a TV
show.
"I can tell this in agreement with my conscience. Match fixing is not something that started happening yesterday or today. According to my knowledge, it happened since 1992. I say this with great responsibility," Tillakaratne said.
Tillakaratne, who was Sri Lanka's captain between April 2003 and March 2004, said people involved in the menace have been successful in burying the issue with money power but promised to expose them soon.
"There were threats of this issue being exposed during various times. But it was pushed down by giving money to various people. If the people who were responsible for that are listening to this, I state this today with great responsibility, I will shortly reveal the names of those responsible," he said.
Tillakaratne, who led the side in 10 Tests during his tenure as captain, stopped short of calling the World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka a fixed match but had some reservations about selection.
"I am not saying that this match (The world cup final) was fixed. But anyway match fixing is something which has been in this country over a period of time. This has spread like a cancer today," he said.:
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Dum Maaro Dum Mints Rs.6.2 Crore On Opening Day
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By a.k.shrma:Rohan Sippy's Dum Maaro Dum may have been in the news for the wrong reasons, but the Abhishek Bachchan-starrer amassed Rs.6.2 crore in India on its opening day itself. The director is overjoyed with the response especially since the movie faced competition from the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).
"It's a very good start! We have got an exceptional response from the south, especially from Hyderabad. And of course metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore have given a positive feedback and good footfalls too. I am glad amid Sachin and Dhoni ... we have been able to hit one of our own sixes!" Sippy told IANS over phone from Mumbai.
Made at a budget of approximately Rs.20 crore, the film released Friday in 20 countries at 350 international locations and at 1,000 theatres and multiplexes throughout India.
Sippy is confident the movie will bring good returns over the first weekend as it has grossed Rs.11.4 crore across India, US, Britain, UAE and Australia on its opening day itself.
"It is a little early to start predicting figures, but we are sure the movie will get good word of mouth publicity and will continue getting a good audience through Saturday and Sunday. Till then, we are waiting and watching!" he said.
The multi-starrer, which also features Bipasha Basu, Prateik Babbar, Aditya Pancholi and Telugu actor Rana Daggubati, is a thriller which revolves around drugs, sex and violence. The movie garnered a lot of publicity prior to its release, due to objections that it portrays Goa and its people in bad light.
However, neither that, nor the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore Friday deterred the audience from sampling Dum Maaro Dum
"It was a big match! We heard people still filled in the evening shows and that's a great feeling in this cricket-crazy nation. The opening day figures are a very encouraging sign that the movie may run not just this weekend... but for two to three weeks more," said Sippy, son of veteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy.
Junior Sippy credits Bollywood debutant Rana Daggubati, a known name in Hyderabad, for drawing in audiences in the south.
"Rana has a great fan following in Hyderabad, so a lot of local crowd must have come in to watch his performance and support him. But in places like Bangalore and Chennai, people came in for the style of the film and its presentation," he said.
a.k.shrma1@gmail.com.
By a.k.shrma:Rohan Sippy's Dum Maaro Dum may have been in the news for the wrong reasons, but the Abhishek Bachchan-starrer amassed Rs.6.2 crore in India on its opening day itself. The director is overjoyed with the response especially since the movie faced competition from the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL)."It's a very good start! We have got an exceptional response from the south, especially from Hyderabad. And of course metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore have given a positive feedback and good footfalls too. I am glad amid Sachin and Dhoni ... we have been able to hit one of our own sixes!" Sippy told IANS over phone from Mumbai.
Made at a budget of approximately Rs.20 crore, the film released Friday in 20 countries at 350 international locations and at 1,000 theatres and multiplexes throughout India.
Sippy is confident the movie will bring good returns over the first weekend as it has grossed Rs.11.4 crore across India, US, Britain, UAE and Australia on its opening day itself.
"It is a little early to start predicting figures, but we are sure the movie will get good word of mouth publicity and will continue getting a good audience through Saturday and Sunday. Till then, we are waiting and watching!" he said.
The multi-starrer, which also features Bipasha Basu, Prateik Babbar, Aditya Pancholi and Telugu actor Rana Daggubati, is a thriller which revolves around drugs, sex and violence. The movie garnered a lot of publicity prior to its release, due to objections that it portrays Goa and its people in bad light.
However, neither that, nor the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore Friday deterred the audience from sampling Dum Maaro Dum
"It was a big match! We heard people still filled in the evening shows and that's a great feeling in this cricket-crazy nation. The opening day figures are a very encouraging sign that the movie may run not just this weekend... but for two to three weeks more," said Sippy, son of veteran filmmaker Ramesh Sippy.
Junior Sippy credits Bollywood debutant Rana Daggubati, a known name in Hyderabad, for drawing in audiences in the south.
"Rana has a great fan following in Hyderabad, so a lot of local crowd must have come in to watch his performance and support him. But in places like Bangalore and Chennai, people came in for the style of the film and its presentation," he said.
a.k.shrma1@gmail.com.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
KKR vs KTK: Kochi Tuskers Kerala beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 6 runs
Chasing a victory target of 133 runs, Kolkata managed to score 126/9 in their 20 overs as Kochi captain Mahela Jayawardene marshalled his resources superbly to defend a low score.
Ramesh Powar had Yusuf Pathan caught by Muttiah Muralitharan at short third man as Kolkata Knight Riders lost their sixth wicket in the 16th over.
In the next over, Manoj Tiwary charged down the pitch to Jadeja, but missed the delivery and was stumped by Parthiv Patel to leave Kolkata at 101/7.
Tiwary hit 2 sixes and 2 fours in his 51-ball 46.
Muralitharan then had Brett Lee caught by Kedar Jadhav at long-on to place Kolkata at 105/8.
RP Singh took his second wicket when he clean bowled Shakib Al Hasan to reduce Kolkata Knight Riders to 86/5 in 15 overs.
Knight Riders lost their fourth wicket when Kochi Tuskers captain Mahela Jayawardene ran out Eoin Morgan with a direct hit.
Vinay Kumar, RP Singh and Ravindra Jadeja took a wicket each as Kolkata Knight Riders got off to a bad start in pursuit of 133 runs.
Vinay gave Kochi the first breakthrough in the fourth over when he had Jacques Kallis caught by Kedar Jadhav at deep square leg.
In the next over, RP Singh clean bowled Kolkata captain Gautam Gambhir to place the hosts at 27/2.
Jadeja then struck in the sixth over when he clean bowled Manvinder Bisla to reduce KKR to 37/3.
Earlier, Yusuf Pathan and Shakib Al Hasan took three wickets each as Kolkata Knight Riders restricted Kochi Tuskers Kerala to 132/7.
Top marks to the KKR outfit for pulling things back after the initial cameos by Brendon McCullum and Mahela Jayawardene.
Gambhir showed his smartness by introducing spin and that put the breaks on the Kochi innings.
Jadeja threatened to bring back the momentum, but he fell in attempting to score a big hit one too many.
Jadeja played the big shot to an outside off stump Brett Lee delivery, the ball hit the lower part of the bat, the ball though went high up in the air dropped in the safe hands of Yusuf Pathan at long-on.
Shakib Al Hasan dismissed Kedar Jadhav as he was backing away looking to whip it down the wicket, he missed, was done in by the pace at which the ball travelled after pitching, leg stump knocked back.
Mahela Jayawardene was given LBW to a Yusuf Pathan delivery. Alam Dar's finger was up in a flash. However, the reviews showed it was a poor decision from the Umpire of the year as Jayawardene's attempted sweep finds the glove before hitting the pad.
The end overs produced nothing but singles for Kochi and they ended up on 132, which is not a mammoth score to chase for the star studded KKR line-up.
Kolkata didn't make any change to their playing XI, while Kochi made one change, bringing in Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan in place of Thisara Perera. a.k.shrma1@gmail.com
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
IPL-4: Comfortable win for Deccan Chargers as Delhi batsmen falter again
By a,k.shema:A quickfire half-century by Sunny Sohal and an equally useful knock of 49 from captain Kumar Sangakkara helped Deccan Chargers register a 16-run victory over Delhi Daredevils in their Indian Premier League match today.Opting to bat, Sohal (62, 41b, 8X4, 1X6) and Sangakkara (49, 35b, 8X4, 1X6) put on a 92-run stand for the second wicket to set a solid platform and post a competitive total of 168 for four, even though some disciplined bowling by the Daredevils at the end managed to put brakes on the Deccan scoring rate.
But ultimately the total proved to be too big for the hosts, who seemed hardly in the race, losing wickets at regular intervals here at the Ferozshah Kotla ground.
Even as David Warner (51, 48b 5x4 1x6) scored a valuable half-century and Yogesh Nagar (23, 11b 1x4 2x6) played a little cameo at the end but that was never going to be enough as the home team finished at 152 for seven in their allotted 20 overs.
For the Hyderabad outfit, Harmeet Singh (two for 27) and Daniel Christian (two for 38) provided important breakthroughs while Ojha, Amit Mishra and Shikhar Dhwan chipped in with a wicket apiece.
Chasing a target of 169, Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag came out firing all cylinders in his bid to give his team a positive start as he struck four boundaries off Christian's over, while Warner also gave him good company at the other end but the former's stay at the wicket was cut short by Harmeet Singh for a seven-ball 12.
And the next two overs saw the hosts being pushed on to the back foot when Christian and Harmeet accounted for the wickets of Naman Ojha and Aaron Finch to leave the Daredevils reeling at 38 for three.
While Christian trapped Ojha (2) leg before, Harmeet dismissed Finch for a nought as he edged one to Sangakkara.
It was then up to Warner and Venugopal Rao (21) to consolidate the innings and the duo managed to take the team to 78 for three after 10 overs.
But after putting on 52 runs for the fourth wicket with Warner, Rao, while trying to hit a six hit one straight down Christian's throat off Amit Mishra's bowling.
At the other end, although Warner managed to hold his ground but just after completing his half-century, he gave a simple catch to Ravi Teja off part-time spinner Shikhar Dhawan's bowling, after being dropped in the previous over.
Irfan Pathan's horrible IPL continued as he was quickly back in the dressing room, leaving the Daredevils with an uphill task.
Yogesh Nagar and James Hopes (17 off 14 balls) gave some hope to the home crowd, hitting a few big ones but could not take the team home.
Earlier, Sohal opened the innings with a four through the covers, while Shikhar Dhawan added two more boundaries of consecutive balls of Ashok Dinda's over -- the very first over of the match -- to set the rhythm.
But Pathan had other plans and he managed to get the first breakthrough for the home team when Dhawan (8) dragged one back on to his stumps trying to slash an away going delivery.
Captain Sangakkara wasted no time and almost immediately got into the action and along with Sohal, kept stealing a boundary or two every over to maintain a good run-rate, even though Pathan and Morne Morkel, who replaced Dinda after his expensive first over, managed to keep it reasonably tight.
But moment left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem was introduced into the attack, Sangakkara straight away punished the youngster with a lofted six over the deep mid-wicket and two boundaries to place the Chargers in a good position.
Sangakkara and Sohal's attacking approach coupled with Delhi's fielding lapses enabled the Hyderabad outfit to reach 90 for one at the end of 10 overs.
But just when things were looking dangerous, Dinda struck back for the Daredevils, sending back Sangakkara as Aaron Finch, backpedalling from inside the 30-yard circle, latched on to a brilliant catch.
Sohal, however, continued with his explosive batting, punishing the loose balls with uetter disdain to bring up his half-century. Having reached his fifty, the 23-year-old from Punjab hit Morkel for a six and two boundaries off consecutive deliveries.
Nadeem, however, ended Sohal's fine knock as Finch took another good catch, once again running backwards. Cameron White (31 off 25 balls), though hit a six and two fours but some tight bowling by the Delhi bowlers at the end did not let the Chargers put as many on the board as they would have liked to.
a.k.shrma1@gmail.com
Vettori believes left-arm spinners can bowl the doosra too
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a.k.shema
a.k.shema
AP Royal Challengers Bangalore skippper Daniel Vettori
There is a sense of calm about Daniel Vettori that encapsulates his cricket. His words are measured, so are his moves in the arena.
This old-fashioned player with enormous cricketing nous finds himself amidst the hustle and bustle of Twenty20 cricket. It has been a rough ride so far for Royal Challengers Bangalore but captain Vettori remains confident. "Most teams go through losing streaks in a lengthy league phase such as the one at the IPL. I am very excited about the talent in the side. We can come back," the 32-year-old Vettori told The Hindu here on Saturday.
The topic soon shifted to his role with the New Zealand team in the coming days. His numbers as a spin bowling all-rounder - Vettori has 4167 runs at 30.19 and 345 wickets at 33.98 in 105 Tests – underlined his stature. He bowls with guile and exceptional control and has evolved as a batsman with a healthy mix of solidity and flair.
Vettori, though, has abdicated captaincy in all forms of the game for his country. A suave, successful skipper, who comprehended the flow of the game, Vettori's tactical attributes would be missed by New Zealand.
Explained Vettori, "It's time for new ideas, fresh inputs. Basically, it's about the four-year cycle from one World to another. A new captain has to build the team for the next World Cup."
Asked about spinners suffering in the shorter formats of the game, he answered, "The boundaries are too small. If you make the boundaries longer, it will even the contest and the spinners will come into the picture more. I believe bigger boundaries will solve the problem."
Then he dwelt on his area of specialty – left-arm spin. Apart from Vettori, there are not too many bowlers of this tribe thriving in international cricket. Vettori said, "Monty Panesar started very well and could still have some good years for England left in him.”
The Kiwi, then, uttered something significant. “The doosra revolutionised off-spin bowling. The off-spinners began turning the ball both ways and soon came into centrestage. A left-arm spinner sending down a doosra could be around the corner. The right-hander will shape for the delivery turning away but ball will spin in.”
Vettori conceded it might not be possible for a young spinner to adjust to all the formats in his formative years but added the good spinners, those who impart serious revolutions on the ball, would still come through. “There might not be too many young spinners around but do not forget that spinners mature late. They blossom with experience. Give them time. I do not think bowling is under any threat.”
The New Zealander's favourite contemporary spinner is Harbhajan Singh. “I can take time off just to watch him bowl. He spins the ball both ways, has the variations. He likes a duel and has the aggression, which is good to see in a spinner,” said Vettori.
A lover of the traditional form of the game, Vettori wanted more sporting pitches for Tests. “There should be a little in it for the pacemen on the first day, then it should favour batsmen and deteriorate gradually to assist the spinners. The pitch should not play flat on the final day. The bounce should be good and consistent.”
Turning his attention to UDRS, Vettori said, “It is good for the game. I agreed with it from day one. It definitely removes blatant umpiring errors that have swung so many matches, from the game. It's fair to both the batsmen and the bowlers and does not slow down the game.”
Opening out on the New Zealand side, Vettori acknowledged the natural ability of Brendon McCullum, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder and Matrin Guptill. “There is so much talent and that is why it is so frustrating when the side does not perform,” he mulled.
He had happy memories of the recently-concluded World Cup though and said, “The victory against South Africa in the quarterfinal was the highlight. We were very good as a group that day. The league win over Pakistan was also very satisfying. We proved a lot of people wrong.”
Vettori was excited about young paceman Tim Southee. “He swings the ball at 140 kmph. I think he is the future of New Zealand bowling.”
On John Wright taking over as New Zealand coach, Vettori said, “John (Wright) has been very good to the team. He has given the players confidence.”
Queried about India's World Cup triumph, Vettori said, “The Indians handled the enormous pressures of playing at home. When they needed to step up, they did so in a grand manner. This is the mark of a champion side.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Maya dumps aide linked to Hasan Ali scam
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a.k.shema:LUCKNOW: The UP government washed its hands off senior IAS officer VS Pandey after his name appeared on the enforcement directorate (ED) list for scrutiny for his alleged links with Hasan Ali in the $ 8 billion money-laundering case probe.
Pandey, a close confidante of chief minister Mayawati and was holding the key post of principal secretary, information, has been shunted to the revenue board as a member. An IPS officer, Jasvir Singh, who was attached to Pandey as officer on special duty (OSD), was also shunted out. His name also figured in the controversy.
Cabinet secretary Shashank Sehekhar Singh said at a press conference that the action had been taken by the CM after Pandey's name figured in the ED's scrutiny and his alleged connection with Hasan Ali.
Singh hastened to add that the government was in no way responsible for the conduct of either Pandey or Singh and added that they would be directly answerable and accountable for their conduct and any scrutiny by the ED or the Supreme Court.
Clarifying that the government had nothing to do with this incident, the cabinet secretary also said that Pandey was not associated at present with the CM secretariat in any capacity. Therefore, the report carried out about the involvement of the CM's office for the alleged conduct of Pandey was totally mischievous and erroneous, he asserted.
Pandey has been stripped of all his charges, including food and drug control department and secretariat administration, besides information and public relations.
Pandey's links with Hasan Ali and his removal is another big jolt to the government which is already smarting under all round attacks following brutal murder of a chief medical officer in Lucknow. Facing allegations that the CMO was the victim of rampant corruption in health department, the government had to sack its two ministers and the top health official.
This is the second time when Pandey has been removed unceremoniously from his position of power. The development has suddenly increased the political temperature in the state with major opposition parties like the Samajwadi Party and the BJP terming the action as only a damage-control exercise.
Leader of opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, Shiv Pal Singh Yadav, said that Pandey had been made only a scapegoat by the government, which he said was actually responsible for the money-laundering. Terming the incident as a serious matter, he said this only reaffirmed the public perception that the government was auctioning the interest of the state by siphoning public money though money-laundering business.
Notably, the name of Pandey had figured prominently in the case after a key Hasan Ali aide and a Congress functionary from Bihar, Amlendu Pandey, stated under oath that he had been in regular contact with Pandey.
Incidentally, mention of the UP CM's office in connection with Hasan Ali case also came up in the Supreme Court on Friday when the ED counsel pointed out how the CM's office was taking undue interest in allegedly derailing the money-laundering investigation.
a.k.shrma1@gmail.com
a.k.shema:LUCKNOW: The UP government washed its hands off senior IAS officer VS Pandey after his name appeared on the enforcement directorate (ED) list for scrutiny for his alleged links with Hasan Ali in the $ 8 billion money-laundering case probe.Pandey, a close confidante of chief minister Mayawati and was holding the key post of principal secretary, information, has been shunted to the revenue board as a member. An IPS officer, Jasvir Singh, who was attached to Pandey as officer on special duty (OSD), was also shunted out. His name also figured in the controversy.
Cabinet secretary Shashank Sehekhar Singh said at a press conference that the action had been taken by the CM after Pandey's name figured in the ED's scrutiny and his alleged connection with Hasan Ali.
Singh hastened to add that the government was in no way responsible for the conduct of either Pandey or Singh and added that they would be directly answerable and accountable for their conduct and any scrutiny by the ED or the Supreme Court.
Clarifying that the government had nothing to do with this incident, the cabinet secretary also said that Pandey was not associated at present with the CM secretariat in any capacity. Therefore, the report carried out about the involvement of the CM's office for the alleged conduct of Pandey was totally mischievous and erroneous, he asserted.
Pandey has been stripped of all his charges, including food and drug control department and secretariat administration, besides information and public relations.
Pandey's links with Hasan Ali and his removal is another big jolt to the government which is already smarting under all round attacks following brutal murder of a chief medical officer in Lucknow. Facing allegations that the CMO was the victim of rampant corruption in health department, the government had to sack its two ministers and the top health official.
This is the second time when Pandey has been removed unceremoniously from his position of power. The development has suddenly increased the political temperature in the state with major opposition parties like the Samajwadi Party and the BJP terming the action as only a damage-control exercise.
Leader of opposition in the Vidhan Sabha, Shiv Pal Singh Yadav, said that Pandey had been made only a scapegoat by the government, which he said was actually responsible for the money-laundering. Terming the incident as a serious matter, he said this only reaffirmed the public perception that the government was auctioning the interest of the state by siphoning public money though money-laundering business.
Notably, the name of Pandey had figured prominently in the case after a key Hasan Ali aide and a Congress functionary from Bihar, Amlendu Pandey, stated under oath that he had been in regular contact with Pandey.
Incidentally, mention of the UP CM's office in connection with Hasan Ali case also came up in the Supreme Court on Friday when the ED counsel pointed out how the CM's office was taking undue interest in allegedly derailing the money-laundering investigation.
a.k.shrma1@gmail.com
Historic joint exercise to draft Lokpal Bill kicks off
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By a.k.shrma- Five Union ministers and an equal number of social activists made history on Saturday, when they sat across the table to start an unprecedented joint effort by the government and civil society to reach a consensus on the draft of the Lokpal Bill.
They ended up fixing May 2 as the date of the next meeting. It resolved to have the audios of their parleys recorded, in addition to deciding that all available drafts of the Lokpal Bill, including the one prepared by the civil society activists, would be studied before making the final version of the legislation, which would be introduced by the government in Parliament during the monsoon session.
“It is a historic occasion. We held discussions in a cordial atmosphere. The government is committed to introducing a strong Lokpal Bill in Parliament during the monsoon session,” said Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal.
The first meeting of the joint drafting committee was held a week after Gandhian social activist Anna Hazare’s fast-unto-death stir forced the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government to constitute it for preparing a new draft of the proposed legislation to set up an independent and empowered institution to check corruption.
“It went off well,” Hazare said after the meeting, which was held amid war of words between the ruling Congress and the leaders of the civil society movement for the Lokpal Bill.
Hazare himself was present at the meeting of the committee, which is jointly chaired by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan.
Shanti Bhushan explained the salient features of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Though the civil society activists insisted that the proceedings of the panel’s meetings should be video-recorded and telecast to ensure transparency, the government agreed for only audio recording.
Sibal said the proceedings of the meeting on Saturday were also audio recorded. He said the representatives of the government and civil society would brief the media after every meeting and make people aware of the progresses made by the committee in drafting the Lokpal Bill. The meeting on Saturday took place amid a controversy over a CD, which has been anonymously sent to media organisations’ offices in the past few days and which purportedly contains unauthenticated tapes of conversations between Shanti Bhushan and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav over “fixing” of a judge in connection with a case. Bhushans termed the CD fabricated and an attempt to malign them.
They also lodged complaints with the Delhi Police, seeking probe into the source of the CD.
Prashant Bhushan, however, said that the issue of the “fake” CD was not raised in the meeting on Saturday.
The other representatives of the government—Sibal, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily and Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid—were present along with civil society representatives consisting of eminent lawyer Prashant Bhushan, son of Shanti Bhushan, Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde and social activist Arvind Kejriwal.
“It has been accepted by all that a very strong, effective and independent Lokpal is the need of the hour for this country and a bill is very necessary because it is the requirement of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which India has signed and is currently in the process of ratifying it,” said Prashant.
He said the panel resolved to have wider public consultations on the draft Lokpal Bill and modalities for it would be decided in the next meeting on May 2.
“The basic principle of the Lokpal Bill would be discussed in the next meeting. We will meet more frequently after the next meeting, perhaps once or more in a week.”
Shanti Bhushan on Saturday formally presented to the committee a version of the proposed legislation, which has been drafted by the veteran legal expert himself and known and debated in the public domain as “Jan Lokpal Bill.”
Shanti Bhushan, however, made a change in the draft, replacing Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha chairman with prime minister and leader of Opposition as the members of the panel that would select the Lokpal.
a.k.shrma1@gmail.com
By a.k.shrma- Five Union ministers and an equal number of social activists made history on Saturday, when they sat across the table to start an unprecedented joint effort by the government and civil society to reach a consensus on the draft of the Lokpal Bill.
They ended up fixing May 2 as the date of the next meeting. It resolved to have the audios of their parleys recorded, in addition to deciding that all available drafts of the Lokpal Bill, including the one prepared by the civil society activists, would be studied before making the final version of the legislation, which would be introduced by the government in Parliament during the monsoon session.“It is a historic occasion. We held discussions in a cordial atmosphere. The government is committed to introducing a strong Lokpal Bill in Parliament during the monsoon session,” said Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal.
The first meeting of the joint drafting committee was held a week after Gandhian social activist Anna Hazare’s fast-unto-death stir forced the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government to constitute it for preparing a new draft of the proposed legislation to set up an independent and empowered institution to check corruption.
“It went off well,” Hazare said after the meeting, which was held amid war of words between the ruling Congress and the leaders of the civil society movement for the Lokpal Bill.
Hazare himself was present at the meeting of the committee, which is jointly chaired by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and former Law Minister Shanti Bhushan.
Shanti Bhushan explained the salient features of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Though the civil society activists insisted that the proceedings of the panel’s meetings should be video-recorded and telecast to ensure transparency, the government agreed for only audio recording.
Sibal said the proceedings of the meeting on Saturday were also audio recorded. He said the representatives of the government and civil society would brief the media after every meeting and make people aware of the progresses made by the committee in drafting the Lokpal Bill. The meeting on Saturday took place amid a controversy over a CD, which has been anonymously sent to media organisations’ offices in the past few days and which purportedly contains unauthenticated tapes of conversations between Shanti Bhushan and Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav over “fixing” of a judge in connection with a case. Bhushans termed the CD fabricated and an attempt to malign them.
They also lodged complaints with the Delhi Police, seeking probe into the source of the CD.
Prashant Bhushan, however, said that the issue of the “fake” CD was not raised in the meeting on Saturday.
The other representatives of the government—Sibal, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Law Minister M Veerappa Moily and Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid—were present along with civil society representatives consisting of eminent lawyer Prashant Bhushan, son of Shanti Bhushan, Karnataka Lokayukta Santosh Hegde and social activist Arvind Kejriwal.
“It has been accepted by all that a very strong, effective and independent Lokpal is the need of the hour for this country and a bill is very necessary because it is the requirement of the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which India has signed and is currently in the process of ratifying it,” said Prashant.
He said the panel resolved to have wider public consultations on the draft Lokpal Bill and modalities for it would be decided in the next meeting on May 2.
“The basic principle of the Lokpal Bill would be discussed in the next meeting. We will meet more frequently after the next meeting, perhaps once or more in a week.”
Shanti Bhushan on Saturday formally presented to the committee a version of the proposed legislation, which has been drafted by the veteran legal expert himself and known and debated in the public domain as “Jan Lokpal Bill.”
Shanti Bhushan, however, made a change in the draft, replacing Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha chairman with prime minister and leader of Opposition as the members of the panel that would select the Lokpal.
a.k.shrma1@gmail.com
Hazare draft to be taken on board
At the same time it was decided that wider consultations with people, political parties and leaders would also be held. Various drafts of the Bill, including the one with the Parliamentary Standing Committee, would also be discussed.
The meeting, described as a “historic step'' by Union Human Resource Development and IT Minister Kapil Sibal, got off to a smooth start. Although the National Advisory Council comprising civil society members is in place, this is the first time that civil society members have formally become part of a governmental process in formulating a legislation.
Valuable: Sibal
Talking to journalists after the 90-minute meeting, Mr. Sibal said the latest draft of the Jan Lokpal Bill was “valuable” and would be given “serious consideration.'' At the same time, civil society members were also asked to look at the government Bill.
“It was an amenable meeting and valuable suggestions were made on how to move forward,'' he said, adding that everyone agreed on bringing a comprehensive Bill in the monsoon session of Parliament. The salient features of all drafts would be discussed in the next meeting scheduled for May 2.
From all accounts the major demands of civil society members were “largely'' accepted by the government nominees headed by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. It was agreed that the meeting would be audio-taped and the minutes of important decisions would be made public.
At the outset Mr. Hazare said the Lokpal Bill would be an important step for society and the nation in tackling corruption. “The Bill will put the brakes on corruption in the country and help reduce the gap between the poor and the rich.''
Emphasising the need for transparency, he requested the government to videograph all meetings, but sources said the Ministers pointed out that all discussions would then “make headlines'' which may not be conducive for smooth functioning.
The latest version of the Bill has two major changes. One, that there would be a Search Committee comprising the former CAG and the former CEC who would suggest three times the number of candidates than the vacancies. In the previous draft Bill there was no provision for a Search Committee.
The other change is that the Selection Committee that would select a Lokpal and other members would comprise the Prime Minister and the Leader of Opposition instead of the Rajya Sabha Chairperson and the Lok Sabha Speaker.
Lawyer Prashant Bhushan said while modalities of consultations would be discussed in the next meeting, civil society members would begin public consultations “right away.'' He wanted weekly or even twice weekly meetings to be held on the draft Bill.
Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Hazare described the meeting as “preliminary.''
Asked about allegations that he was surrounded by people close to the BJP, he said, “I have never been close to any side or party or RSS or Shiv Sena.''
To another question on the various allegations being made against members of the civil society on the panel, he said: “This will happen. This is our trial. Stones will be thrown at a tree that is loaded [with fruits], not the one that is barren.''
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Moulana Showkat assassination case solved, claims J&K police
By a.k.shema-SRINAGAR: The Jammu & Kashmir police claims that a radical religious-political outfit 'Sout-ul-Haq' members with the help of Lashkar-e-Taiba were involved in the assassination of Moulana Showkat Ahmad Shah, the president of Jamiet Ahl-e-Hadith Kashmir.
Moulana Showkat was killed in an IED blast near Masjid Ahl-e-Hadith at Maisuma Srinagar on April 8th.
IGP Kashmir SM Sahai in a press brief on Saturday said that within eight days, the J&K police had succeeded in cracking the assassination case and arrested three people in this connection.
During investigations, the police unearthed a criminal conspiracy behind the killing. "Members of a radical religious-political outfit namely Sout-ul-Haq and some other radical elements have been found behind the conspiracy. Moulana Showkat was perceived as one against sectarianism and helping to defuse sectarian clashes. His work in education field, especially trying to get a university from the government was perceived by them as a compromise with the government when they failed to dislodge him through elections, conspiracy was hatched to eliminate him. Also his proximity with certain separatist leaders was not liked by them," the official release of the press brief said.
Sahai said that Abdul Ghani Dar alias Abdullah Gazalli and Ashiq Hussain Fakhtoo alias Dar Qasim, presently lodged in central Jail Srinagar discussed the broad contours of the plan during a visit by Gazalli to Qasim.
However, the actual execution of the plan was left to Javaid Ahmmad Munshi alias Bill Papa, resident of Chanapora Srinagar, who sought help from Lashkar Commander Abdullah Uni. He received some material from Abdullah Uni and arranged some of it locally.
Various parts of execution were done by various other members. However, the actual triggering of the IED was entrusted to Nissar Ahmmad Khan alias Ishaq of Chanapora. Gazalli, Bill Papa and Ishaq have already been arrested.
Moulana Showkat was killed in an IED blast near Masjid Ahl-e-Hadith at Maisuma Srinagar on April 8th.
IGP Kashmir SM Sahai in a press brief on Saturday said that within eight days, the J&K police had succeeded in cracking the assassination case and arrested three people in this connection.
During investigations, the police unearthed a criminal conspiracy behind the killing. "Members of a radical religious-political outfit namely Sout-ul-Haq and some other radical elements have been found behind the conspiracy. Moulana Showkat was perceived as one against sectarianism and helping to defuse sectarian clashes. His work in education field, especially trying to get a university from the government was perceived by them as a compromise with the government when they failed to dislodge him through elections, conspiracy was hatched to eliminate him. Also his proximity with certain separatist leaders was not liked by them," the official release of the press brief said.
Sahai said that Abdul Ghani Dar alias Abdullah Gazalli and Ashiq Hussain Fakhtoo alias Dar Qasim, presently lodged in central Jail Srinagar discussed the broad contours of the plan during a visit by Gazalli to Qasim.
However, the actual execution of the plan was left to Javaid Ahmmad Munshi alias Bill Papa, resident of Chanapora Srinagar, who sought help from Lashkar Commander Abdullah Uni. He received some material from Abdullah Uni and arranged some of it locally.
Various parts of execution were done by various other members. However, the actual triggering of the IED was entrusted to Nissar Ahmmad Khan alias Ishaq of Chanapora. Gazalli, Bill Papa and Ishaq have already been arrested.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
10 Apr, 2011, 10.57AM IST,TNN Lokpal Bill: Four catalysts of change during Anna campaign
By A.K.Shema- Arvind KejriwalAn IIT graduate, Kejriwal joined the Indian Revenue Service in 1992 only to realize that "much of the corruption in government is owing to lack of transparency in the process". In 2006, he quit his job to work full time as a social activist. Now, Kejriwal is one of the main people behind the campaign for a Jan Lokpal Bill. On Saturday, as the government accepted civil society groups' demand to include them in the drafting of the bill, Kejriwal called it a "victory of the people of India".
Santosh Hegde
After retiring as Supreme Court judge in June 2005, Hegde was appointed Lokayukta of Karnataka in 2006. During his tenure, Hegde exposed major irregularities in Bellary's mining industry and recommended banning iron ore exports. In his campaign against corruption, Justice Hegde caught babus and netas in the act. Now, Hegde has accepted the government's decision to appoint him to the 10-member panel that will draft the Lokpal Bill. "Though the government has met our requests, powers against netas and requirement for sanction for prosecution are needed to strengthen the institutions," he says.
Kiran Bedi
India's first woman IPS officer has always had the shining image of an upright and no-nonsense officer. She took voluntary retirement from the service in 2007 and ever since, has been involved in various campaigns for social justice. Last year, her attempt to become Chief Information Commissioner failed, leading Bedi to plunge into the campaign for the Jan Lokpal Bill. "People who get blessings from Anna Hazare do not need anything else to devote to the country. We are getting the inspiration of sacrifice from Anna Hazare," says Bedi, who was at Jantar Mantar throughout Hazare's fast unto death.
Swami Agnivesh
A law and economics graduate from the University of Calcutta, Swami Agnivesh lectured on business management in 1963. In 1977, Agnivesh became an MLA and served as a minister in the Haryana government. In recent months, he has been acting as an interlocutor between the government and Maoist rebels. On Saturday, as the government issued a notification on the Jan Lokpal Bill, the saffron-clad social activist shouted from the dais that the fight had just started and this was not the end.
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