Players must remain vigilant to avoid fixing menace: Dravid
Ahmedabad: Former India captain Rajasthan Royals mentor Rahul Dravid on Saturday said that the franchise had put in place systems to prevent a repeat of the 2013 fixing scandal, but the players too need to remain on their guard to avoid any kind of shady approaches. “We do follow the rules of IPL strictly. The rules laid down by the ACSU (Anti-Corruption and Security Unit of IPL). There are some protocols in place. There is a system in place which try and prevent a lot of these things from happening again,” Dravid said during a promotional event at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera. “The IPL took a lesson from the issues of match-fixing and spot-fixing. RR is alert and on vigil and we will try our best to stop such menace. Also there is responsibility of the individuals and they also have to be (on) vigil and alert against such issues,” he said. Three players including the former India pacer S Sreesanth were arrested for alleged role in spot-fixing in IPL in 2013. Sreesanth was also banned for life by the BCCI. (PTI)
United can overtake City and finish second: Mata
Manchester: Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata says his team can overtake arch-rivals Manchester City and claim the English Premier League (EPL) runners-up place. Back-to-back wins against Tottenham and Liverpool in the league have put fourth-placed United two points behind second-placed City. “We are one point and two points from City and Arsenal and I think we can do it,” Mata was quoted as saying by BBC on Friday. “We can even be second if we win the direct games against them,” he said. United host strugglers Aston Villa on Saturday, before welcoming local rivals City on April 12. Arsenal visit Old Trafford stadium in the penultimate game of United’s season on May 17. (IANS)
Sunil Narine again skips KKR practice session
Kolkata: Kolkata Knight Riders’ star spinner Sunil Narine, who underwent a repeat test for his suspect bowling action in Chennai, skipped the Indian Premier League (IPL) team’s practice session for the second consecutive day on Saturday. Narine, who checked in the city on Thursday after his test at the International Cricket Council (ICC) accredited centre, Sri Ramachandra University for his suspect action, was missing on the turf as his teammates led by skipper Gautam Gambhir slogged hard at the Eden Gardens nets. “He has skipped the nets not because he is barred or anything like that. Since it’s an optional practice, and probably he is jet lagged. So he chose to give it a miss,” a KKR official said. Both the KKR official and a Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) office bearer refused to comment about the outcome of the test, whose report is yet to be submitted to the BCCI. The West Indies cricketer was banned during 2014 Champions League Twenty20 for suspect bowling action. He has been cleared by the ICC after he underwent a test at the University of Loughborough last month. But the BCCI insisted that he undergo another test in Chennai. KKR have been on the warpath with the BCCI on the issue, and threatened to pull out of the IPL if Narine was not allowed to play. (IANS)
Indonesia settles Olympics logo row ahead of Asian Games
Jakarta: An Indonesian sports body has agreed to stop using the Olympic rings logo, an official said, after the country faced the threat of losing the right to host the 2018 Asian Games. The International Olympic Committee sent a letter in January warning Indonesia that it could lose its role in IOC-sanctioned events, including the Asian Games, after the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI) used the interlocking Olympic rings as its symbol. After legal wranglings over the use of the symbol, KONI relented this week and said it was looking for a new logo different to the Olympic rings design. “We have formed a working group to re-design our logo,” said Tono Suratman, the head of KONI. The Olympic Council of Asia in September approved Indonesia as the hosts of the Asian Games, after Vietnam decided to withdraw due to rising costs. The Indonesian Olympic Committee (KOI), which as an IOC national committee member is allowed to use the Olympics logo, welcomed the move. “By KONI dropping the IOC logo, all sports stakeholders in Indonesia can work together to host the 2018 Asian Games and use this event for the revival of Indonesia’s sports development,” said Ade Lukman, head of the sports commission of KOI. The 17th Asian Games took place in South Korea last year. (AFP)
