Fletcher joins India for T20 World Cup
DHAKA: Under-fire coach Duncan Fletcher joined the Indian team on Saturday for the Twenty20 World Cup after having had discussions about his future with BCCI president N Srinivasan and secretary Sanjay Patel. “Duncan Fletcher arrived this morning. Bowling coach Joe Dawes and fielding coach Trevor Penny had arrived last night. The squad strength, including players and support staff, is 26,” Indian team’s media manager RN Baba told PTI here. Fletcher had been summoned by Srinivasan for a meeting in Chennai on Friday to discuss the team’s sagging performances of late but no warning was issued to him that his job was on line despite calls for his ouster from batting icon like Sunil Gavaskar. “Let me set the record straight. Duncan Fletcher has the wholehearted backing and support of BCCI. There has been no discussion on his removal. We told him that we have a lot of faith in his coaching abilities and he should not be worried about anything else,” Patel had told PTI. “There is no truth in reports that Fletcher was given a warning by the president (Srinivasan),” Patel added. The Indian team will be training at the Fatullah Stadium in the outskirts of the city on Sunday. They will open their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan on March 21. (PTI)
Lanka players to leave for World Cup with no end to pay row
Colombo: Sri Lankan cricketers will leave for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh on Sunday after having refused to sign new contracts with the SLC in continuation of their ongoing pay row. SLC sources said the players’ tough stand, even momentarily, threatened the island’s chances in the World T20 as authorities contemplated sending a second string side for the tournament. Sri Lanka Cricket CEO, Ashley de Silva said players have refused to enter contracts based on a new formula announced this week. The players have been demanding a 20 per cent share from the monies derived from ICC to the SLC. The SLC formula stipulated a new participating fee for players from a kitty ranging between USD 500,000 to 750,000 and performance related bonuses. Players have rejected this formula claiming that cumulative bonuses under this would be a mere six per cent. They want a reasonable percentage from the ICC monies to form an integral part of their annual contracts. They are willing to come down on the 20 per cent demand. Player sources say they had decided to play for the country in the T20 without formal contracts in view of the importance of the event pending negotiations. (PTI)
Bhullar, Kapur make the cut in Morocco
Agadir (Morocco): Gaganjeet Bhullar faced some finishing problems as he ran into back-to-back bogeys on his second stretch and ended with a round of one-over 73 and a total of four-under to drop to tied 20th at the midway stage of the Trophee Hassan II golf. Bhullar’s first round of 67 had placed him inside top-10 after the first day. Also making the halfway cut was Shiv Kapur, whose rounds of 70 and 71 brought him to three-under 141 and tied 23rd place. Bhullar, beginning on the back nine, had two birdies and two bogeys to turn in even par and then a birdie on first saw him in red figures, but bogeys on fourth and fifth set him back to 73. Kapur, playing earlier on, had five birdies in first eight holes, starting out from the 10th. He then ran out of birdies and instead bogeyed four times to finish at 71. Meanwhile, eight years after claiming his debut European Tour title, halfway leader Alejandro Canizares is hoping to return to winning ways at the Trophee Hassan II this weekend. Canizares added a card of 68 to his first round 62 and at 14-under he was one ahead of Seve Benson (63-68) and four shots behind the latter was third-placed Rafa Cabrera-Bello (68-67) at nine-under. Meanwhile, in Manila, SSP Chowrasia was unable to do anything right in blustery conditions and was blown off the course with a six-over 77 to slip from third to 23rd after the third round of the Solaire Open here on Saturday. Chowrasia, who was six-under after two rounds is now even-par 213 after three days. Rahil Gangjee, the only other Indian to make the cut, shot even-par 71 and moved to tied 35th at two-over 215. Filipino star Angelo Que fired a third round two-under 69 to hold a one shot lead over a persistent Miguel Tabuena. (PTI)