PCB chief’s visit to Indian HC may help revival of ties

ISLAMABAD: The appearance of Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt at the Iftar dinner of the Indian High Commission on the insistence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has created positive hopes for the revival of India-Pakistan cricket ties, Dawn has learnt.

“The PCB chairman came all the way from Lahore to attend the Iftar dinner hosted by the Indian High Commission,” said a senior federal official.
PCB chairman’s appearance at the High Commission, he said, was part of the diplomatic efforts which were aimed at resuming sporting ties between the arch-rivals.
Both Pakistan and India have been facing turbulent relations since the terrorist attack in Mumbai.
During all these years, Pakistan cricket board’s financial losses swelled to millions of dollars because of cancellation of several international home cricket events besides refusal of the Indian government to send its team to Pakistan.
“We want resumption of dialogue between the two countries and it is a part of our efforts to resume sporting ties because sports can ensure peace in the region,” observed the official.
He said Pakistan, apart from cricket, would also like to face India in other sports.
“We want India to play in Pakistan as it will give message to other countries that Pakistan is a safe place for such activities,” said the official.
Asked whether the PCB chairman attended the dinner on the insistence of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PCB’s media officer Nadeem Sarwar replied, “I have no idea.”

New Zealand name Wright as bowling coach

WELLINGTON: New Zealand have named Australian Damien Wright as their new bowling coach, the country’s cricket board said on Friday.

The Victorian, who replaces South African Allan Donald, played first-class cricket for 15 years, taking 406 first-class wickets in 123 matches before retiring this year. He will begin his new role on September 5.
Donald left the New Zealand role to take up a position as assistant to South Africa coach Gary Kirsten.
“Damien comes highly regarded by his peers and coaches in Australia. He is a coach on the rise and we are lucky to secure his services,” New Zealand coach John Wright was quoted as saying in a New Zealand Cricket statement.
“As a player he made the most of his ability and got everything out of himself and they are qualities he will bring to his coaching.
“He will offer a lot to the team in terms of energy and enthusiasm and relate particularly well to the young fast bowlers.

Kenya withdraw contracts for five players

NAIROBI: Cricket Kenya on Thursday withdrew its one-year contracts to five first-team players but hoped they would still continue to play for the country.

The five, who include opening batsman Alex Obanda and pacemen Nehemiah Odhiambo and Elijah Otieno were in a list of 13 players set to begin new and improved contracts on July 1.
But Cricket Kenya chief Tom Sears said only seven players had signed the contracts while the five rejected the offers, claiming the increased amounts were insufficient.
“We are very pleased with the group of players who have committed to Cricket Kenya but obviously disappointed that some players chose not to sign their new contracts,” he said.
“Every player received an offer amounting to a basic increase to their monthly retainer of at least 10 per cent and the opportunity to improve that figure significantly through consistent high performance.
“They were also guaranteed match fees for domestic cricket for the first time which could significantly increase their earnings,” Sears said.
“The fact that they have declined these improved offers calls into question some of the advice they have been receiving, but that is a matter for the players themselves.”
While Cricket Kenya believes the five would consider their stand and continue to play for the national side without any contracts, their absence would mean Kenya will be under-strength when they play the United Arab Emirates in the ICC Intercontinental Cup match and one-day series in Nairobi next week.

Women wing welcomes cricket ties with India

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Women’s Wing Chairperson Bushra Aitzaz has said that they would welcome any positive move regarding women’s cricket matches between Pakistan and India.

Giving her reaction to Dawn about the recent talks between the foreign ministers of both countries, where a number of confidence-building measures (CBMs) including women’s cricket tours to boost bilateral ties between the two countries were discussed, she said it would be great if that could happen.

“I would really welcome such a move as we have been getting invitations from clubs in the Indian Punjab and Chennai with our being unable to accept them due to the tension between both countries,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Wing will be holding camp for the upcoming tour of West Indies in Muridke from Aug 12 for which they plan to call all the 19 central contract players along with a few other women cricketers.

Asked if holding camp would be a problem during the month of Ramazan, she thought that there really shouldn’t be.

“The girls are all thorough professionals. It should make no difference to them,” she concluded.

The team leaves for the Caribbean on August 24.

Australia in a spin about svelte Warne

Former Australian cricketer Shane Warne was at the centre of a public frenzy on  Friday over his dramatic weight loss since he started dating British actress Liz Hurley.

Australian blogs and news sites were awash with chatter about Warne’s look after new photographs surfaced showing the noticeably slimmer star, who said he had lost 12 kilograms (26 pounds) in two months on a new diet plan. 

“I really wanted to drop a few kilos and get super fit for my last year of cricket in the IPL with the Rajasthan Royals,” Warne wrote on his official website.

On the advice of a friend’s mother he combined diet shakes and low-calorie chocolate with better eating habits and exercise and said he “couldn’t be happier with the results.”

But the media were less impressed with the new-look Warne, who was snapped glistening with sweat as he left his London home this week, dubbing the once chubby smoker “Wax-Work Warnie” and likening him to a plastic Ken doll.

“Hurley’s Warnie is suddenly less burly,” the Daily Telegraph headline said, declaring the cricket legend “ever-shrinking”.

Other News Corp mastheads described him as “Scrawny Warnie” and the “King of Slim” – a play on his famous “King of Spin” mantle – and questioned whether the weight loss was orchestrated by Hurley.

Social media sites raged with less polite chatter about the newly tanned and taut Warne, 41.

“We’ll know Shane Warne is too thin when the next time he orders a diet shake he falls into the straw,” wrote one wag on Twitter. 

“Is it me or is Shane Warne actually beginning to look like Liz Hurley?” said another. 

The celebrity pair responded with good humour on the microblogging site, with Hurley taunting Warne about eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich while “you slowly spoon up your thin and tasteless gruel.”

“I’ve decided to take full responsibility for SW’s remarkable weight loss and will be publishing my secret, possibly evil, regime shortly,” the actress, 46, wrote.