Smith quit to spend time with family
Johannesburg: South Africa captain Graeme Smith, who last week announced his retirement from international cricket, was influenced by his family in taking the decision, media reported on Sunday. Smith, 33, told the Sunday Times newspaper that he knew he had made the right decision while at the hospital bedside of his 18-month-old daughter, who had suffered burns from hot water. He says the toddler reached out to him and touched his Proteas badge. “That’s all she’s known of me really. She sees me on the TV and that was a moment where I realised I’m pretty happy with the decision I’ve made,” he said. The Proteas captian stunned the cricketing world on Monday when he announced he would quit international cricket at the end of the Test series against Australia. “I’ll have more time to see my children grow and I’ll be mentally more there.” Smith is the most capped Test captain in the history of the game with 9,262 Test runs at an average of 48.49 with 27 hundreds and 38 half-centuries. He has captained the Proteas for 12 years since the age of 22. “As a captain, even when you are at home your brain is still elsewhere a lot of the time,” he said. The skipper said his wife has carrying the load of raising their two young children while he played cricket. “I think of her with the two kids travelling to wherever I am in the world, and making it work. She is a strong woman.” (AFP)
Lankan cricketers get rousing reception
Colombo: The Sri Lankan cricket team, who returned home on Sunday from winning the Asia Cup in Bangladesh, were given a rousing welcome home. The team paraded in an open bus to the Sri Lanka Cricket headquarters where large crowds thronged the route from the international airport to greet the champions. This was Sri Lanka’s first major international trophy since they won a triangular home series involving India and New Zealand in 2010. In the Asia Cup, which concluded on Saturday, Sri Lanka defeated Pakistan to win the trophy. Skipper Angelo Mathews said the team was delighted to claim the Asia Cup, which he attributed to hard teamwork. Addressing reporters, Mathews for the first time admitted to the on going contract row with their employer, the SLC. “Yes we have a problem and we have not signed the contracts. Hoping for a settlement of the issue soon.” The players demand 20 per cent of money derived from ICC events. The SLC has so far not responded positively to the demand. SLC sources said they were in the process of working out a different formula that would be mutually beneficial to both the administration and cricketers. (PTI)
Sania-Cara in quarterfinals of WTA Indian Wells tournament
Indian Wells (USA): Fifth seeds Sania Mirza and Cara Black reached the quarterfinals of the WTA BNP Paribas Open following a straight sets victory over Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears, here. The Indo-Zimbabwean pair beat the unseeded American combo 6-3 6-4 in one hour and 12 minutes in the second round of the hard court Premier WTA tournament. Sania and Cara saved five of the eight break chances they faced and converted five of the nine chances they got. They won 59 points to 44 of their rivals. Sania and Cara have not gone beyond the quarterfinals in four tournaments they have played this season. At the Australian Open and in Doha they reached the last-eight stage, while at the season-opener in Sydney and in Dubai they made first round exits. (PTI)