Saina declared 'most promising player'

Monday, December 8, 2008 (New Delhi)
Saina Nehwal's good performance in the year 2008 has been recognised by the World Badminton Federation as the world body declared her the 'most promising player of the year' in its council meeting in Seoul.

She was elected out of three players proposed by the world body ahead of one Korean and one from Pan America. Saina, who became the first Indian women to break into the list of world top-10, had a dreamrun this year. After reaching the quarterfinals of Beijing Olympics, she also won Chinese Taipei Open, World Junior championship and Commonwealth Youth Games.

Elated at being bestowed with the honour, Saina said, "I am very excited and happy to get this honour. I never expected such an award but now that I have got it, it has motivated me a lot and given me a big boost."I just want to work even harder now and get more results," she added.

Let's have cricket in Olympics: London Mayor

Tuesday, December 9, 2008 (London)
London Mayor Boris Johnson has strongly backed cricket's inclusion in Olympics and wants the Twenty20 format to make its debut when the city hosts the 2012 edition of the Games."It is high time we install in the Olympic T20 cricket," Johnson said at a high level business reception by Think London, an organisation that connects international businesses to the city.Many top players like retired Australian stumper Adam Gilchrist have also backed cricket's inclusion in Olympic Games.Cricket has never been a feature of multi-disciplinary events with an exception of 1900 Paris Olympic Games and the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games.

Rain forecast may cause delayed start of first Test

Intermittent rains on Tuesday and the prediction of more showers in the coming two days could disrupt the first cricket Test between India and England, beginning on Thursday.

Meteorological Centre Regional Director S R Ramanan told PTI that one or two spells of rains was suppose to lash city in the next 48 hours."For the next 48 hours, there would be one or two spells of rain and cloudy weather conditions would prevail due to activity of the North East Monsoon over Tamil Nadu," he said.

"There is no alert of low pressure or depression in the Bay of Bengal. This is only a normal monsoon activity.

Gradual reduction of rain fall was expected from Thursday, the day that the first Test was to commence," he added.City has been experiencing intermittent rain forcing the Indian team to abandon their practice session, which was delayed from morning to the afternoon, while the England team already in the stadium also faced the same fate.

England team arrived here last night to commence their short tour of India with the first Test but was denied of any practice at the Chepauk grounds so far due to constant drizzle.

Reaching the stadium around 2.00 pm the English were forced to stay indoors at the stadium dressing room, while the Indian could have their sessions for over an hour and were forced to abandon it, also due to rain.In fact, the Indian team which was scheduled to have their practice session from 10.00 am rescheduled their plan to 12.30 pm this afternoon.

The two-Test series was originally scheduled to be played in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, but was shifted to Chennai and Mohali for security reasons after the Mumbai terror attacks.

Frenzied Kolkatans can't have enough of Maradona

Kolkata: Frenzied Kolkatans didn't seem to have enough of Argentine football legend Diego Maradona as he visited the Mother House to pay obeisance to Mother Teresa and later called on Marxist icon Jyoti Basu, crowding both venues for a glimpse of the star and screaming themselves hoarse with their slogans.

On the second day of his visit to the city, Maradona lit a candle at Mother Teresa's tomb, participated in a prayer session with the sisters of the order, and shook hands with the orphan children to fulfil a wish that he has nurtured for years.

And from all accounts, Maradona and Basu got along famously - thanks to their common "friend", Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

"Viva Maradona", "Maradona, Maradona", shouted frenzied fans as he went to pay homage at the tomb of Mother Teresa - the Catholic nun revered worldwide as the Apostle of Peace.
Maradona spent half-an-hour at the Mother House, the global headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa in South Kolkata.

"I wanted to see what Mother Teresa has done in this city. So I want to utilise this trip to visit the Mother House," Maradona said on Saturday, disclosing why he had agreed to come to the city.

Mother Teresa, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, is known for her monumental work among the underprivileged.

Clad in a black T-shirt and jeans, Maradona arrived in a silver-white Mercedes at Mother House to deafening cheers from thousands of people who waited for hours on the streets and had perched themselves precariously on trees and walls of nearby buildings for a glimpse of the soccer genius.

He waved and threw flying kisses, as nuns of the order, draped in blue-white sarees received him on the narrow ally leading to the Mother House.

Once inside the courtyard of the building, Maradona and his girlfriend Veronica were welcomed with a blue-white garland by the sisters, who also seemed to enjoy every bit of their interaction with the soccer superstar.

Evidently in high spirits, Maradona went round the building, and met the young orphans - some of them mentally challenged.

He patted the infants on the head and kissed and embraced them before proceeding to the room where the Mother's grave lies.

Hands clasped, Maradona stood silently before the tomb and then lit a candle as the sisters chanted prayers.

Pindrop silence descended on the room once the prayers ended, as Maradona seemed to soak in the serenity of the place. He then knelt down and kissed the white marble of the tomb.
Before leaving, Maradona went back to the children. "Bye, bye", he said.

Outside, soccer fans sporting Argentine jerseys tried to break the barricade put up by the security personnel deployed in strength.

"I want to touch his feet - his left foot, and see what it is made of," said a youth.

"If he doesn't mind, I want to embrace him. Can you help me?" was another young Maradona fan's plea to a scribe.

Maradona called on Basu later in the day.
"Maradona told Basu, 'I (Maradona) am a friend of Fidel Castro, and you (Basu) are a friend of Castro too'," West Bengal Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty told mediapersons waiting outside Basu's home in North 24-Parganas district.

"He further said 'Whoever is Castro's friend across the world is also my friend'," Chakraborty added.

The football hero met the nonagenarian politician for 10 minutes, but disappointed his fans who waited in hundreds outside Basu's residence.

Lending a communist hue to Maradona's visit to Kolkata, the organisers had arranged for a tete-a-tete between him and Basu. Maradona, a great admirer of Castro, readily agreed to call on Basu at his residence after seeing a photograph of the former chief minister with Castro.

The photo, showing Castro and Basu standing side by side, was taken in 1973 when the former Cuban president visited the city. It was sent to Maradona about 10 days ago by the organisers of his visit.

Kolkata, the soccer crazy hub of India, had accorded a tumultuous welcome to the hero of Argentina's 1986 World Cup triumph since he landed in the city in the wee hours on Saturday.

More than 50,000 exuberant fans spent a sleepless night as they assembled at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport and lined the route of his convoy upto the hotel.

Around 80,000 people turned up on Saturday afternoon at the giant Salt Lake stadium, where Maradona was felicitated. He also laid the foundation stone of the Indian Football School at Maheshtala, 13 km south of the city.

Jeev Milkha Singh reaches 36th in world rankings

New Delhi: Golfer Jeev Milkha Singh has touched a career-high ranking of 36 in world rankings after his win in Golf Nippon Series JT Cup in Japan on Sunday.

Jeev, who got 24 points for his win in Japan, now has two wins in his last three tournaments.
He had won Barclay's Singapore Open, before his win in Japan. He has already won the Asian Tour Order of Merit title this year, with record earnings of $1.44 million.

He also finished tied 11th at UBS Hong Kong Open.

The last time he finished the year within the top 50 was in 2006, when he was ranked 37th. The next best Indian in world rankings after Jeev is Jyoti Randhawa, who is ranked 147.

Arjun Atwal (201), SSP Chowrasia (324), Shiv Kapur (433) and Gaurav Ghei (472) follow Randhawa.

Bhutia disappointed with handling of Maradona's visit

The chaos which nearly threatened to upset Diego Maradona's felicitation programme at the Yuva Bharati Krirangan left India captain Baichung Bhutia disappointed.

Bhutia, who led the External Affairs XI side against the Chief Ministers XI in an exhibition match, was thrilled to have come close to the legend, was however, unhappy with the way things were handled by the organisers, the state governement and celebrity management company.

"Things could have been better handled. There were too many people around with the cops and media getting into the way of things. That Maradona will be visiting Kolkata was known before hand, but the organisation left a lot to be desired," said the India and Mohun Bagan skipper.However, the Sikkimese snipper was thrilled with the experience.

"It was great to come close to the legend. There was a lot of excitement and it was nice that such a legend visited the city.

"Bhutia's team won the match 1-0, courtesy an own goal. Maradona is scheduled to visit Mohun Bagan club on Sunday for a clinic with under-12 boys of the club but Bhutia said he won't be there."I know a lot of players would be going but I am not going there," he said.

Maradona willing to help Indian football

Soccer legend Diego Maradona on Saturday said he is open to helping India develop the game once his tenure as Argentina's coach ends.

"I am now on contract as coach of Argentina. Once the contract ends I would like to come to India and help improve the soccer infrastructure in this country," Maradona said during a 45-minute freewheeling media conference.

The 'God of soccer', who received a tumultuous welcome from thousands of fans since his arrival early Saturday, said he was touched by the affection of Kolkatans and would love to return to India.

"The affection I have received here has added to my will to return," he said.

The 48-year-old Maradona who in the morning laid the foundation stone of the Indian Football School at Maheshtala, said: "We are discussing some projects, and if these discussions are fruitful I will come back."

Asked how India should proceed to get its own Maradona, the hero of Argentina's 1986 World Cup victory said: "I think a lot of attention and affection must be given to young players who are doing well. There is lot of competition in the world and India has a lot to achieve."

Expressing his "whole-hearted" support to Indian football, he said: "I think stress should be given on infrastructural development."

Maradona said he was moved by the love and affection showered on him here. "I really feel very emotional. I thought I have gone through enough experiences in this life. But after coming here I think there are more to come."

When a scribe asked Maradona, whether he felt scared on seeing thousands of passionate soccer buffs here, he promptly replied: "No, I have never been scared in my life. On the contrary, I was very much surprised and pleased to see all those waiting for me."

Maradona said one his reason to come to India was to visit the Mother House here. "I wanted to see what Mother Teresa has done in this city. So I want to utilise this trip to visit Mother House."

Jeev tied third after round 3 in Tokyo

Jeev Milkha Singh carded a modest two-under 68 to slip down to the tied third spot but being just one stroke off the pace, the Indian remained in contention for the title after the penultimate round of the Golf Nippon Series JT Cup on Saturday.

The seasoned Indian pro has a total of eight-under 202, just a stroke behind the leading duo of Prayad Marksaeng (63) and Toshinori Muto (66).

Starting off on a steady not, Jeev parred the first five holes before hitting a stunning eagle on the sixth, which was followed by a birdie the very next hole.

But a bogey on the ninth meant that he made the turn two-under.

The Chandigarh-golfer played out a subdued back-nine and picked up a birdie against a bogey to finish two-under for the day.

Jeev shares the third spot with locals Taichi Teshima (65) and Ryo Ishikowa (66).

Hola! Kolkata greets football legend Maradona

Kolkata: Yes, Diego Maradona arrived at Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose airport, Kolkata on Friday.
The Argentinean legend was greeted by a number of fans who stood on both sides of the road as he drove from the airport to the hotel.
When Goal.com learnt about Maradona coming to India, it dismissed it as some speculation or what the English call ‘papertalk’. Thereafter, it came to light that a celebrity management group and a Member of Parliament (MP) were behind this trip.
Ever since the news of Maradona’s arrival in India broke, there has been a frenzy and everyone has been waiting for the Argentina coach to arrive.
For last few days, most papers in the City of Joy were solely focused on Maradona. Sadly, though not much attention was given to the Federation Cup.
Everyday, people were treated to news such as Mohun Bagan to felicitate Maradona, the Rs100 tickets have been sold, XYZ would meet Maradona and what not. I must say that the PR agencies have done a good job.
Then you had MP Shamik Lahiri making new revelations each day as to what he talked about with Maradona! He even conveyed the media when Maradona uttered the hardest word ‘sorry’ to Jorge Valdano for not releasing the ball to score the ‘Greatest Goal of the Century!’
Everyday, there was some meeting and organisation to put up the 48 year old. The hotels were changed and the security was upped. Two helicopters have been fetched for his travel to Maheshtala where he will inaugurate the Indian Football School (IFS).
Then there were doubts as to whether he would come especially after the Mumbai terror when almost all the embassies asked their citizens not to visit India for some time. There were enquiries from Maradona’s entourage as to whether it was safe to travel.
An official from the celebrity management group, who were involved in the organisation was quoted saying, “I said there was nothing to worry about. This (terrorism) is an internal problem, which is happening on an off in the country for the past 20 years. There’s nothing to worry about.
"After all, the state government is in-charge of his (Maradona's) security, what is there to worry about. Kolkata is very much safe city, with no history of terror attacks.”
Wow! While the whole of Indian intelligence agencies are mulling over a foreign hand in the terror plots, this gentleman very amicable puts it as an ‘internal problem!’ Maradona’s arrival has allayed all such fears.
Media from all across the nation has headed to Kolkata to catch a glimpse and in the hope of getting an one-on-one exclusive interview.
In such cosmetic press conferences, seldom does one get an honest remark especially on controversial topics.
When Bayern Munich came to Kolkata earlier this year, in one of the media interaction sessions, Mark Van Bommel was asked about his unsporting gesture with hand in the crook of the elbow incident in the Champions League match with Real Madrid in 2007.
The Dutchman was unhappy about this and stated that he would like to talk about something else.
An exhibition match between the Chief Minister’s XI and the Foreign Minister’s XI has been organised at the Salt Lake Stadium by the state government while the Federation Cup is being played at the Barasat Stadium!
The two sides will be captained by Bhaichung Bhutia and Dulal Biswas. Bhaichung’s side would be coached by Mohun Bagan’s Karim Bencherifa and East Bengal’s Stanley Rosario while Dulal’s team shall be guided by Mohammedan Sporting’s Shabbir Ali and Chirag United’s Subrata Bhattacharya.
One question which we expect Maradona to be asked, especially after the exhibition match, would be about Indian football and his opinion on that!
Opinions are formed only after having credible knowledge and analysis of the same. In football, first impression isn’t the last one as the game is very unpredictable!
For now, let’s greet the Legend! We are not sure whether Maradona will utter some words in Hindi or Bengali but for those who want a personal interaction with the star, please have some Spanish lessons. I would help you start.
Bienvenido Maradona! (Welcome Maradona!)

Pakistan government clears national hockey team's India visit

The Foreign Ministry has cleared the national hockey team's visit to India for a four-nation tournament to be played in Chandigarh and Jalandhar from January 31 next year, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) informed on Thursday.

PHF Secretary, Asif Bajwa told reporters that the Pakistan foreign ministry had given signal for the visit which was in doubt after tensions escalated between the two neighbouring countries following last weeks Mumbai terror attacks.

"Pakistan hockey team will be visiting India for a four-nation tourney starting next month," said Bajwa.Apart India and Pakistan .Germany and the Netherlands would also be participating in the double leg tournament.

Pakistan's visit was also in jeopardy after Indian government shunned their junior hockey team's tour last month due security fears.

The PHF later claimed that the cancellation of the five-match Test series between the junior sides has hit them hard financially as it lost close to Rs six million.Bajwa also said both the Indian and Pakistani hockey administrators have decided to conduct regular matches on a home-and-away basis for the next five years in the International Hockey Federation's congress in Los Angeles recently.

He said Pakistan will host a major eight-nation international tournament next year as a tribute to slain former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.However, he informed that the tournament will be held at a neutral venue due to security situation.

Shuttler Saina breaks into top 10, aims higher

New Delhi: Saina Nehwal has capped an incredible season by reaching the top 10 ranking in women's badminton singles.

The good news came on Friday morning and Saina woke up to find herself in an elite domain and world No. 10 is the highest ranking ever achieved by an Indian woman in world badminton.
For someone who targetted a top 25 finish at the beginning of the year, this is an achievement to cherish.

"I can see the happiness in my parent’s eyes and also Gopi Sir is very happy. I think the hard work and my focus and the way I played really helped me reach this level," an ecstatic Saina says.

The year 2008 has been a dream come true for the 18-year-old. It all turned around during Beijing Olympics where she stormed into the quarter-final of the women's singles event.
From then on there was no looking back as Saina eclipsed tennis star Sania Mirza.

A win at the Chinese Taipei Open and then back to back titles at the Commonwealth Youth Games and the World Juniors saw her climb the rankings.

"The way I started playing in May in the China Masters Super Series event, the first tournament where I reached the semi-finals, that day I thought you can do it Saina, You can be in top 10, you can beat top 10 players," she says.

But while it is time for her to celebrate, national coach Pullela Gopichand believes the best is yet to come.

"At this point of time I think target would be to get in right into the top 5 and that will happen if she gets in a few semi-final results and probably a couple of tournament victories," says Gopichand, who won the All-England Badminton Championship in 2001.

Breaking into the top 10 is one thing, staying there demands much more. Now there are new targets in sight for 2009 - the world championships in Hyderabad and the holy grail of badminton - the All-England championships.

Diego Maradona arrives in Kolkata

Saturday, December 6, 2008 (Kolkata)
"God of football" Diego Armando Maradona arrived on a two-day visit here early Saturday and was welcomed by thousands of Kolkatans who gave sleep a miss and lined the roads for a glimpse of the Argentinian.

People waved flags of India and Argentina, danced to the tune of foot-tapping Latin American music and raised slogans eulogising the football legend who touched down at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International airport at 1.25 am.

Kolkata, cricket crazy India's soccer crazy hub, saw passions run high as more than 50 thousand sports buffs assembled at the airport, and various street junctions leading to the hotel on the Eastern Metropolitan bypass where Maradona would put up.

It was a carnival atmosphere as the milling crowd held aloft cut-outs of the footballer, and carried posters.welcoming him in multiple languages - English, Hindi, Bengali and even Spanish. From old infirm men to children not yet in their teens, from able-bodied youth to bashful housewives - everyone seemed to have hit the streets.

"I have been waiting for more than an hour. I am a great fan of Maradona," said housewife Ratna Sen, who had travelled 25 km to be a part of the occasion.

The diminutive 1.65 m hero of Argentina's 1986 World Cup triumph was welcomed at the tarmac of the airport by West Bengal sports minister Subhas Chakraborty and the organisers with flowers.

"Maradona is a phenomenon. This is a momentous occasion. It's the raw passion for soccer which has brought so many people on the roads," said former India international footballer and Arjuna awardee Prasun Banerjee, waiting on a city street.

More than 5000 policemen, including the Rapid Action Force and crack commandos were deployed on the entire route of Maradona's convoy to prevent any breach of peace.

A couple of over-enthusiastic teenagers were seen climbing lamp posts near the airports to hoist Argentine flags, forcing the security personnel to step in and bring them down.

On Saturday morning, Maradona would begin his schedule by flying out in a helicopter to the facility of one of the sponsors before laying the foundation stone of the Maradona Indian Football School at Mahestala, 13 km south of the city.

Maradona, accompanied by his girlfriend Veronica, would also be felicitated at Maheshtala before returning to his hotel for a media meet that would be followed by the felicitation at the giant Salt Lake Stadium in the afternoon.

"It will be a programme worth remembering for years. Don't miss the start and the end," said Chakraborty.Maradona would kickstart a match between Foreign Minister's XI and Chief Minister's XI, where players turning out for various teams would take part. Among those seen in action would Bhaichung Bhutia and Jose Barreto

Later, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee would inaugurate the felicitation proper. Maradona would be showered with gifts, among which are golden replica of the stadium, and a left foot with a football.He would also go around the stadium in the bus, before the function concludes with a pyrotechnic display.

On Sunday, Maradona would visit Mother House, the headquarters of the Missionaries of Charity founded by Mother Teresa. He would also call on former state chief minister and communist patriarch Jyoti Basu at his Salt Lake residence.

Maradona would conduct a soccer clinic at the Mohun Bagan ground later in the day, before wrapping up his visit with a charity dinner at the hotel. Five jerseys and footballs autographed by the soccer star would come under the hammer at the dinner, the proceeds of which would go to the IFS.

SC stays cases against Pawar & Co

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed all criminal proceedings initiated by the Calcutta High Court against Union Minister Sharad Pawar and five other BCCI officials in the Jagmohan Dalmiya expulsion case.

A Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan stayed the proceedings on the applications moved by Pawar and five officials who contended that they were not heard by the High Court while passing the order.

Besides Pawar, others who were put on the dock were BCCI President Sashank Manohar, former secretary Niranjan Shah, Ratnakar Shetty (Chief Administrative Officer), N Srinivasan (Secretary) and Chirayu Amin, junior Cricket Committee Chairman.

The Calcutta High Court had on November 12 directed initiation of criminal proceedings against Manohar, former Board president Sharad Pawar and four officials for filing "false" affidavits in the Dalmiya expulsion case.

Dalmiya, a former BCCI chief, was expelled from the Board for alleged financial irregularities.

India-England series should go on: ICC

The International Cricket Council on Sunday said the two-Test series between India and England should be held as scheduled provided there was enough safety and security for the players and officials.

The world governing body of the game expressed 'shock' over the Mumbai terror strikes and also promised to address the security issue which was affecting the game worldwide.

"If safety and security allow then I would urge the England Test tour of India to go ahead and if it does so then representatives of the ICC will be there to show solidarity with the competing teams," ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.

"And if those Tests are played I would also urge supporters of the game to attend them as that will be the best way to send a message to those who seek to disrupt our way of life, that we will not be prevented from doing what we want or what we enjoy," Lorgat added.

Lorgat commiserated with India in the wake of the Mumbai mayhem which claimed nearly 200 lives but urged cricket playing nations not to let terror affect the game in any part of the world.

On behalf of the ICC, I would like to offer the condolences and sympathy of the entire cricket world to Mumbai and to India in the wake of the terrible events of the last few days."Sadly, terrorism appears increasingly to be a fact of life that we must endure.

What we as a cricket family must do is to try, wherever possible, to rise above it and show that those who wish to perpetrate evil cannot win," he said.

Lorgat said they will ponder over the issue of security at next week's Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) meeting of the ICC to be held in South Africa."At that meeting I intend to raise the question of how we can all come together to address the challenges that the issue of safety and security brings to our game.

"Cricket is a common thread that binds all ICC Members and we must seek to ensure those ties endure. By doing so we will ensure our strong sport will grow even stronger," added Lorgat.

ICC also pledged support to the India and England cricket boards to help game get back on track.I have today written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) pledging whatever support the ICC can offer to help ensure that, if appropriate, cricket goes ahead."I have also written to the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) with a similar offer of support and solidarity," Lorgat said through the statement.

Indian boxers confident of a good show in World Cup

New Delhi: India's boxers are set for a new challenge after making a mark at Beijing Olympic Games.
Indian boxers not only won a medal, but also the admiration of the world's top boxing nations at the Olympic Games.

Now the heroes of Beijing are headed to Moscow for the World Cup.

The boxers have been training in New Delhi and when national coach Gurbux Singh Sandhu is around, there is no respite for the squad.

Sandhu knows that after a good show at the Olympics, everyone will be keenly following the action in the ring.

"That has given a lot of boost and now added to our responsibilities and pressure on us. I think boys will have to do well and they will do it," says Sandhu.

It's been nearly four months since the boxers boys returned from Olympics but they know, that their target, just like the passing months, will keep changing.

The team's focus now is only on the World Cup that begins on the December 5 in Moscow.
"We are concentrating on the world cup and we will try our best and give our best performance," light heavy weight pugilist Dinesh Kumar says.

The four-member Indian team has all familiar faces and Akhil Kumar is the inspiration for most of the squad.

His exploits in Beijing have made him the boxer to watch out for and he will be desperate to succeed after falling desperately short of a medal at Olympic Games.

"I want people to have some expectations from me as I want to fulfil them. God must also help as I am working hard and I am confident," adds Akhil Kumar.

Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Kumar isn't a part of the squad. He is said to have an injury but Vijender is also busy with other commitments.

Their exploits in the ring captured the imagination of a nation at the Olympics, even rivalling cricket at one point. It's now up to Sandhu and his boys to perform in the face of intense scrutiny and show that the Olympics were not a fluke.

Beijing quarter-finalists Akhil and Jitender Kumar along with AL Lakra and Dinesh leave on Tuesday night for the four-day Boxing World Cup in Moscow, Russia.

Davydenko heads Chennai Open field

Tuesday, December 2, 2008 (Chennai)
World No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko of Russia will head a strong field in the $450,000 ATP Chennai Open Tennis tournament to be held here in Chennai from Jan 5-11.

Davydenko who ended the year on a high, reaching the finals of the Masters in Shanghai, is joined by World No. 13 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, who won the 2008 Beijing Olympics Gold medal in doubles partnering Roger Federer.

Also in the draw are: World No. 23 Marin Cilic (Croatia), Ivo Karlovic (Croatia, No.26), Wimbledon semi-finalist Rainer Schuettler (Germany, No.33), former Chennai Open champion Carlos Moya (Spain, No.42), and Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia, No.44) who incidentally stopped Moya from winning a hat-trick of titles in 2006.

Other well-known players include Janko Tipsarevic ( Serbia, No. 49), Marcel Granollers (Spain, No. 56), Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain, No.62) Fabio Fognini (Italy, No. 88) and Ivo Minar (Croatia, No. 97).

The Chennai Open will also see the return of Davis Cuppers Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes who will be playing with their respective partners Mark Knowles (Bahamas) and Lukas Dlouhy (Czech Republic).Giving them tough competition will be the Bryan bothers - Mike and Bob - who until recently were ranked as the World No. 1 doubles pair.

India's top two ranked players Somdev Devvarman (201) and Prakash Amritraj (203) have been given the wildcards as also Dlouhy (Czech Republic, 195).

Tendulkar felt numb, salutes security men

New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar, a resident of Mumbai, said he was unable to sleep when terrorists struck his city.

Like all Indians a disturbed Tendulkar traced all developments on the television right after India won the fifth One-Dayer in Cuttack.

He said he was saddened to see his countrymen being targeted and felt numb as the horrific images kept playing in his head. Tendulkar also saluted the security personnel who risked their lives to save the people of Mumbai.

Boycott ICL and IPL, Latif tells Pakistan players

Karachi: Strongly reacting to reports linking Mumbai terror attack to Pakistan, former skipper Rashid Latif on Monday said their cricketers should boycott the IPL and ICL even as pace legend Wasim Akram felt the sport could be a platform to dispel the growing tension between the countries.

Rashid said he was appalled by the manner in which Indian media and government functionaries had tried to implicate Pakistan in the Mumbai attacks.

"What happened in Mumbai is wrong but Pakistan itself is a victim of terrorism. And it is so unfair the way they are trying to drag us into this incident," he said, adding clear message has to be sent to India that Pakistan was not prepared to accept blind accusations.

"Our players must pull out of the IPL and ICL and send a clear message to the Indians. As it is I have a feeling very soon the extremist elements in India will try to stop our sportsmen and artists from working in India," he said.

He also advised the Pakistan Cricket Board to stop pleading with the Indians to send their team to Pakistan.

"If they can't come to Pakistan then we shouldn't also go there for any cricketing activity. The security situation is the same in Pakistan and India," he said.

Rashid also said if England went ahead with their Tests in India it would show double standards on part of western countries who refuse to tour Pakistan due to security concerns.
While Rashid was fuming, Akram struck a conciliatory note.

England ready for India tour after venue change

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has put an end to the speculations over England cricket team's returning to India for the two-Test series as it has agreed to send the team to India for the Test series.

The first Test that was to be played in Ahmedabad from 11 to 15 December has been shifted at Chennai, while Mohali will now be hosting the second Test starting from 19 to 23 December.

The three-day tour match has been called off.However, ECB will be sending their security consultant for discussions with the Authorities in India before final clearance is given for the Tour.

India almost steal 2nd place in ODI championship

South Africa retains place by a fraction of a point; England lose ground in sixth position as Sri Lanka strengthens position.

Third-placed India has reduced the gap with South Africa in second position on the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship table to a fraction of a ratings point following its successful ODI series against England.

With the postponement of the final two ODIs in the series, India lost the chance to go second on the table but by winning the series 5-0, the home team gained four ratings points and now sits on 119, the same number as South Africa but behind the Proteas when the points are calculated beyond the decimal point.

One more win for Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men would have put them into second position but it wasn't to be and they will now have to wait until their next series for the opportunity to make further inroads.

England, on the other hand, has suffered the effects of that comprehensive series defeat by losing five ratings points and is now under pressure in sixth place from Sri Lanka, whose 5-0 series victory over Zimbabwe has put it within one point of Kevin Pietersen's team.

Despite being competitive in several of those games, Zimbabwe loses further ground to Ireland in 10th position and is now only two ratings points in front of Kenya in 12th.Australia is still on top of the ICC ODI Championship and with Test cricket set to dominate the international schedule for the next few weeks, that situation is not likely to change any time soon.

Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship (as of 1 December)Rank Team Rating

1 Australia 131

2 South Africa 119

3 India 119

4 Pakistan 114

5 New Zealand 113

6 England 108

7 Sri Lanka 107

8 West Indies 91

9 Bangladesh 47

10 Ireland 19

11 Zimbabwe 13

12 Kenya 11