The five National selectors, headed by K. Srikkanth, returned to their respective homes after being humiliated in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Their ‘mysterious' absence at the Punjab Cricket Stadium (PCA) in Mohali was not to be missed on Wednesday as India clashed with Pakistan in the World Cup semifinal.The selectors, who had confirmed room bookings at the Taj, were denied accommodation by the hotel authorities. PCA sources confirmed that the selectors were turned back by the hotel despite holding confirmed bookings.The hotel, which has a tie-up with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), was facing unprecedented demand for rooms. The hotel did not offer any alternative arrangement and the selectors —Srikkanth, Yashpal Sharma, Narendra Hirwani, Raja Venkat and Surendra Bhave — were left with little choice.The selectors lost little time in leaving Chandigarh. They drove back overnight to Delhi and were watching the match from their homes instead at Mohali. It is learnt the hotel authorities had transferred the room bookings to the International Cricket Council (ICC) even though the selectors' accommodation was the responsibility of the BCCI. The selectors had reported at 3 p.m. and had left the city four hours later by road.The fiasco, claimed a PCA source, was due to a tussle between the BCCI and the ICC over ticket allocation and hotel bookings. The selectors are often known to fetch for themselves from the airport to the hotel or the stadium but this was a first as far as accommodation was concerned.The last time a National selector was humiliated was Hirwani when he was evicted from a hospitality box during an Indian Premier League match (IPL) but surprisingly chose to suffer the indignity without any protest.Incidentally, the selection committee includes two members — Srikkanth and Yashpal — of the 1983 World Cup winning team. The selectors, undoubtedly, deserved better treatment for having done a decent job of the responsibility entrusted to them. Read Morehttp://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/article1585743.ece
CHANDIGARH: Thunder, lightening and rain hit Mohali on Tuesday night, giving a sleepless night to cricket fans having tickets for Wednesday's ICC World Cup semi-final match between arch rivals India and Pakistan at PCA Stadium. Overnight rain poses a threat to cricket matches if there is water logging or pitch damage.The sky in the morning was clear and nobody could have predicted rain later in the day even though it was windy for most of the time.Cloud cover developed late in the evening and at around 10pm, it started raining in Mohali and Chandigarh.Jatin Kapoor, who came from Delhi to watch the match, got worried on seeing rain in the Tricity. 'I will pray for the weather to stay dry,' he said. Mohali-resident Shailender Anand, who is expecting guests from Pakistan for the thriller, said three of his friends from Lahore were arriving on Wednesday morning. 'It will be shocking if they do not get to watch the match as they have got visas with much difficulty,' he added.Meteorological officials said that rain was expected to last a few hours. They added that there was less chance of rainfall in Mohali on the day of the match. 'Sky would be cloudy. However, a sudden change in weather cannot be ruled out', officials on duty mentioned.The met department predicted that maximum temperature on Wednesday would be around 32 degrees Celsius, while minimum would be near the 17 mark.Read Morehttp://sports.ndtv.com/world-cup-2011/features/specials/item/171315-dhonis-unnerving-equilibrium
NEW DELHI: From February 19 onwards, Sakshi Dhoni has been fasting every day the Indian cricket team has played a match in this World Cup. She would continue her fast on Wednesday, when India plays Pakistan in the second semifinal, in the hope that this routine will culminate on April 2, when the final takes places in Mumbai.While Indian skipper MS Dhoni's wife performs her vows, Yuvraj Singh's mother Shabnam, too, has been interceding with the Gods. She has completed many rounds of visits to religious places in Chandigarh-her hometown and the venue of the India-Pakistan game -- praying for the success of her son and the Indian team.Those prayers have borne fruit so far: Yuvraj has been in sublime batting touch, scoring 341 runs in seven matches so far at an average of over 113. He has also taken 11 wickets and is a serious contender for the Player of the Tournament award.Attacking opener Virender Sehwag can also count on pleas for divine assistance from his mother Krishna. After scoring 175 runs in the tournament opener against Bangladesh, Sehwag has gone off the boil somewhat. He missed the game against the West Indies due to injury and has scored just one half-century in the match against South Africa that India lost.But she is confident that he will come good against Pakistan, a team against which he has enjoyed good success. The last time India and Pakistan played in a world cup match-Centurion in 2003-Sehwag teamed up with Sachin Tendulkar to set up an easy win."Viru is baar koi bada dhamaka karega," she says.Krishna will not travel to Mohali for the match because she is nervous about watching her son play. She has not seen a single World Cup game live; only recorded clippings. There will be no exceptions, not even for one of the biggest cricket matches that will be played in India. "I get very tensed," she says.Instead, she will stay at home and pray for her son and the Indian team. Dhoni's wife is not nervous about watching him play, but she does not hang around either every time India is in action. It's her way of giving him space to concentrate on the biggest tournament of his life. Read Morehttp://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/et-cetera/icc-world-cup-2011-fasting-praying-for-the-success-of-team-india/articleshow/7812645.cms
