Dipika not in Indian team for the World championship
Chennai: The highest world-ranked squash player in India, Dipika Pallikal is not part of the national team for the World Women’s Team Championship to be held in Canada from December 1 to 6. The ace player has decided to opt out and subsequently informed the National Coach Cyrus Poncha through email. Poncha had sought the availability of all those players who had served the national team with distinction in the Asian Games for the World championship selection trials. But reportedly, as all the other players responded via emails Dipika chose to stay quiet. Efforts were then made to change her decision. The national coach also brought to her notice the recent advice by the Ministry of Youth Affairs that any player on his or her own volition declining to be part of the team for events like the World Championship stood to lose all government funding. Dipika however stuck to her stand that she was keeping away. Considering the high value-addition that Dipika could have brought to the team, her absence has come at an untimely moment when squash in the country has been looking up after a series of excellent performances at the international level. Team: Joshna Chinappa, Anaka Alankamony, Sachika Ingale and Harshit Kaur Jawanda. (PTI)
FICA opposes ICC’s threat of banning players from T20 leagues
Johannesburg: Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations has objected to ICC’s threat of banning players in future from Twenty20 leagues for West Indies-like pull-outs, saying that individual cricketers should not be penalised for a collective action. FICA agreed players should be deterred from collectively deciding to abandon a tour, especially mid-series, like the West Indies cricketers did recently against India, but penalising them by denying them to play in IPL-like T20 leagues outside their countries will not solve the problem. “Without judging the West Indies situation, we think it’s important in all circumstances that international cricket has reasonable protection against arbitrary and unexpected player action. FICA, like the ICC, believes players should be deterred from collectively deciding to abandon a tour, especially mid-series. But this looks to deal with only part of the problem,” FICA Executive Chairman Tony Irish said in a statement. “… any action against players I’m not sure that effectively banning any individual from a T20 league is a reasonable way to punish collective action taken in another context and such ban may well constitute an unlawful restraint of that player’s employment rights. We hope that won’t happen,” he said. “If the ICC really wants to deal with the whole problem then it should look to do more than simply taking action against players,” said the South African. Irish rued the current non-binding nature of the FTP and said that international cricket should not be based simply on bilateral agreements. He said the ICC should work out some FTP-style structural framework which does not allow tours being aborted by member Boards. (PTI)
Indian eves face Maldives in SAF football
Karachi: India will face Maldives in their opening match of the South Asian Women’s Football Championship, which got underway in Islamabad on Tuesday amidst concerns of a backlash from extremists and militants owing to the security situation in the country. Hosts Pakistan put up a fighting show against Sri Lanka in their opening game but lost 1-2 but more importantly for the first time the Pakistani girls were allowed to wear traditional baggy T-shirts and shorts with long socks, covering their legs to the knees. Ever since the first national women’s football event was held in Pakistan, the players have had to follow a strict dress code of wearing loose T-shirts and long baggy pants instead of shorts. “A total of eight teams — India, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Pakistan — are taking part in the completion which is a big boost for women’s football and sports in the country,” the secretary of the Pakistan Football Federation said. (PTI)
Hoping to get some purchase from Eden Gardens strip: Mendis
Kolkata: Hosts India might have outplayed them in the first three ODIs but Sri Lankan team management is keen to include the experienced spinner in the playing XI for the fourth ODI scheduled on Thursday. Mendis, incidentally was a part of Kolkata Knight Riders during IPL-1 and had experience of playing at the Eden Gardens. “I had a good opportunity while playing for KKR at this ground. The pitch offered turn and we would also get a bit of bounce. I always had a bit of help from this track. We will try to do our best,” Mendis said after their practice session on Tuesday. Talking about the match pitch, Mendis said,”It’s not bad. the wicket has a bit of help for the spinners. Hope we can do something.” Once known as ‘Mystery spinner’ before he went off the boil, Mendis is hopeful that he would make some difference to the Lankan bowling attack.(PTI)