Tendulkar's tips benefit Indian players

Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar is in a different role these days - offering tips to some of the Indian players on their game. Some of the cricketers to have benefited from his advice have been Shiv Sunder Das, Sadagoppan Ramesh, Rahul Dravid, Harbhajan Singh and his Mumbai team-mate Sameer Dighe. Talking to PTI after making a century in the first innings against the CFX Academy, Das said "He (Tendulkar) told me a few things about my foot movement and body position in the nets," said the little opener from Orissa. "I put it into practice in the middle and had immediate results." Time and again Tendulkar has taken Das aside at the nets and given him practice against rising deliveries.

Ramesh who has been reaching for the balls outside the off stump said "In this innings (of 42) against CFX, I was committing this mistake in the first hour. Sachin offered a fairly valuable piece of advice. He told me how I should look to play shots off my pads and also those cuts behind square. I had a far better stay thereafter." Stylish right-hander Rahul Dravid said "I check him out on little things, when I feel he could offer a valuable piece of advice". Dighe said "He is always there when you need him. I remember the Chennai Test, my debut game. When I went into bat in the second innings, Tendulkar asked me to wear a elbow guard. Usually I never go for it. But I was lucky I heeded his advice."

Harbhajan who is one of Tendulkar's fans said the little master helped him bowl with the new ball. "I also seek him out to test myself in the nets, as often as I can. I want to test myself and do my best when bowling to him. It is a great confidence booster if I do well against him," said Harbhajan. On his part, Tendulkar modestly said, "I only try to do what I observe, the little things I notice."

Bangladesh will produce fast bowlers in five years, says Sekhar

Bangladesh will possess some world-class pace bowlers in five years, according to TA Sekhar, head coach of the MRF Pace Foundation. He was talking at a press briefing arranged by the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) on Sunday at the end of a five-day visit to Dhaka.

During his brief stay, the former Indian fast bowler conducted a clinic at a couple of places. Among the 28 bowlers, four have donned the national cap. "It's good to see so many youngsters wanting to be fast bowlers. Ten among the lot are really good. The BCB has selected four of them for a month's training at the MRF Pace foundation later this month," said Sekhar, now 45.

Sekhar, currently a national selector said that he tried to teach the trainees some basic techniques and they quickly grasped the lessons. He cited national left-arm seamer Monjurul Islam. "He had a problem with positioning of the arm before delivery. I gave him some tips and the next morning he was a different bowler," he said.

To assist local coaches, Sekhar distributed a fast bowling manual. "These players have all the qualities to become international standard fast bowlers. However, what they lack is adequate knowledge on recent developments in this department. Fast bowling is rapidly becoming scientific and unless bowlers have a correct action, they are bound to get injured. This is an area which our foundation has been trying to rectify for the last 14 years," Sekhar said.

High level CBI team to leave for London

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) will send a team to London this week to hold discussions with the International Cricket Council (ICC) officials in connection with the probe into the alleged bungling in allotment of television rights of sports events between 1996 and 1999, including the last edition of the World Cup.

Agency sources revealed on Saturday that "a high-powered team will leave for London later this week to probe the multi-crore TV scam. It will concentrate on the allegations of bungling in acquisition of TV rights for the 1999 World Cup played in England." The agency officials are also likely to talk to ICC's Anti-Corruption Unit chief Paul Condon about his investigation into the allegations of corruption in granting of telecast rights to various companies.

The team is also expected to collect information about the operations and activities of WorldTel, headed by sports promoter Mark Mascarenhas, who had been in the eye of storm ever since the CBI conducted raids at his residences and business establishments in India in connection with the probe.

Orissa clubs, associations want new cricket stadium in Bhubaneswar

Leading local cricket clubs and associations have appealed to the Orissa government to provide land to the Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) free of cost to build an exclusive cricket stadium. Talking to reporters in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, Sanjay Satpathy, a former state Ranji pace bowler along with two other state players said they had come together to realise their goal of having the stadium in Bhubaneswar, the only state capital which despite having all facilities lacked a proper sporting facility.

It would be difficult for Orissa to host Test matches in future as Cuttack, where the Barabati Stadium - the state's only sports complex of international repute - was located, did not have a five star hotel, they said. If the stadium was built in the capital, it would go a long way in harnessing the budding cricketing talents in the state and would also create a positive environment for the future of the game, they said.

Replying to a question on why the OCA insisted on availing the land free of the cost from the government, they said the OCA was not a profit making organisation. "If the land was given to the OCA free, other expenses could be met from their own funds. Once we have two facilities for cricket in the state, it would help groom new talents," they said. Former Ranji captain Ashok Jena, Dev Mohapatra and the secretary of the Mukteswar Cricket Club Asit Mallick were present at the press conference.

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