Sachin Commented on Fixing allegations Play for spirit, not money

Money is not necessarily a bad thing but youngsters should not fall for its lure and, instead, should play the game in the cleanest possible way, Sachin Tendulkar said on Friday.

The batting maestro, who was conferred the rank of honorary Group Captain by the Indian Air Force at a function in the capital on Friday, said that playing the game in the right spirit was of utmost importance.

“If there is more money in cricket, there is no harm… But you also have to keep in mind that the priority has to be to play cricket in the cleanest way and in the right spirit,” said Tendulkar.

Asked how youngsters can resist the lure of money, Tendulkar said: “When I started playing cricket, I did not think of making money. I started playing cricket because I loved it and even today, that is the case.

“It’s not about money. If I make more money than the runs I score, I would not be able to sleep at night. When I score runs, I sleep well at night,” he said.

According to Tendulkar, representing the nation remained his biggest passion. “It has been my passion to play cricket for India and do well. I can stick my neck out and tell you that players who play for India are committed, determined and always waiting to go out and give their best,” he said.

“When we play, we always play to win, whether it’s the first match or the final. Our motto has always remained the same,” he added.

Tendulkar strongly backed the youngsters saying that they are a wonderful lot with a bright future. “In Sri Lanka, we made the final with some wonderful youngsters. We played good in patches and, sometimes, we were not up to the mark.

“May be we had committed some mistakes… But such things do happen in cricket and we have to correct them,” said Tendulkar.

“Sometime we react (too much). We will have to make sure that the players get all the confidence. And when we will have identified who will play in the World Cup, they will have to be given a reasonable role so that they feel confident and up for the contest,” he said.

Asked whether he was expecting the Bharat Ratna, Tendulkar smiled and said: “Which Indian does not want Bharat Ratna? It’s a great honour… in fact, it is the country’s greatest honour.”

On his association with the Indian Air Force, Tendulkar said: “Only time in my life I got into a fighter plane was in South Africa, in 1996... It was very scary. This is a special day and I will cherish this moment for the rest of my life... Whenever we are in Mohali (for matches), we would see fighter planes passing by. It is a very fascinating sight.”

In 2008, India’s World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev had received the honorary rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the Territorial Army.

Ban Match Fixers for life: Shane Warne

Shane Warne says Pakistan captain Salman Butt should face a life ban if found guilty of being involved in a cricket betting scam.

Butt and bowlers Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif have been summoned to London to meet Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Ijaz Butt and Wajid Shamsul Hasan, Pakistan's high commissioner to Britain.

It's unclear if they'll be available for forthcoming matches but Ijaz Butt says he'll fight calls for the trio to be barred from appearing while the allegations are still being probed.

''If it is true and they have been found (guilty of) match-fixing and throwing games and spot betting with the no-balls and stuff, if that's the case they should be thrown out,'' Warne told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.

''It's as simple as that. I don't think there should be any other way to do it.''

"If it's fixed by players, they should be banned for life. Anyone who's involved should be thrown out.''

The International Cricket Council has promised ''prompt and decisive action'' if the ''spot-fixing'' allegations linked to betting rings made by Britain's biggest-selling newspaper are proven.

On Sunday The News of the World alleged Mazhar Majeed, a 35-year-old agent for several Pakistan players, took 230,000 US dollars to arrange for deliberate no-balls to be bowled at precise points in last week's Test match against England.

Leg-spinning great Warne said he was a TV commentator for the Sydney Test in January 2010 when Pakistan's bizarre field placings and batting collapse helped Australia score an unlikely come-from-behind victory.

''They are only allegations at the moment so I suppose you have to say innocent until proven guilty,'' Warne said.

''But looking back at the (Sydney) Test match, if it was fixed, you could understand how it was fixed by the way they were captaining the side and their tactics.''It would make sense -- if it was true.'' 

Ricky Ponting admits Australia's tour to India is not good preparation for the Ashes

When it was announced that Australia would play a mini Test and one-day series in India in October, the news was met with anger in England because it meant the counties would not be able to play in the lucrative Champions League.

The bigger picture could, however, be a little more fulfilling for English cricket, with the tour denying Australia an ideal warm-up for the Ashes series.

Australia’s batsmen will be denied a prolonged period in home conditions before the Ashes starts after their board agreed to replace a seven-match one-day series in India with Tests in Mohali and Bangalore as well as three 50-over matches, which adds up to a challenging and potentially draining month in India.

he tour to India is due to begin on Sept 25 and end on Oct 24, leaving less than a month for the Australians to settle back into home conditions before the first Ashes Test in Brisbane on Nov 25.

“If you were trying to set down and map your perfect preparation for an Ashes series or a home series, it probably wouldn’t be playing two Test matches in India,” said Ricky Ponting, the Australia captain. “But you don’t live in an ideal world. That’s the way international cricket is these days.

“We’ll wait and see who we’ve got that’s fit and ready to go for that tour and pick a squad of players we think can win a Test series over there, and then worry about the start of the Ashes after that.”

Many of the Australian players left Headingley on Saturday for holidays in the UK before returning home later this month, while the Pakistanis moved south for this week’s first Test at Trent Bridge where, despite their win at the weekend, they are still underdogs to beat England.

Ponting said he expects England to win the series and even Salman Butt, the Pakistan captain, admitted he was unsure how his team would react to beating Australia.

“I hope they continue to learn and that this win doesn’t get into their heads,” said Butt. “We have to work harder because we know we will make mistakes. They are pretty young, they are raw.”

Teen bolter in squad to tour India

Phillip Hughes has been recalled to the Australian team after
 missing the series against Pakistan due to injury

Phillip Hughes and Josh Hazlewood picked for tour of India, while Brad Haddin has been ruled out with an elbow injury.

Phillip Hughes has returned from a dislocated shoulder while Peter George from South Australia and 19-year-old Josh Hazlewood from NSW will add a green tinge to the pace attack for the Australian Test tour of India.

Wicketkeeping duties will again be taken by the young Tasmanian Tim Paine as first-choice gloveman Brad Haddin continues his slow recovery from an elbow tendon injury.

The party of 15 reflected the national selectors' satisfaction with the squad's progress over the past 18 months, despite only mixed results against Pakistan on the recent tour of England.

Chairman of selectors Andrew Hilditch said he believed the group was building nicely towards the home Ashes series this summer, but acknowledged the size of the task on the subcontinent.

"India is ranked number one in Test cricket and there is no harder assignment in Test cricket at the moment than playing India on their home soil," he said.

"While it was disappointing to draw the series in England against Pakistan, the squad reflects the good performances of the team over the last 12 months as we continue to prepare for the Ashes."

Australian physio Alex Kountouris said Haddin would likely be available for the three-match limited-overs series that follows the two Tests in Chandigarh and Bangalore.

"Brad Haddin is making good progress with rehabilitation of his elbow tendon injury," said Kountouris.

"He is due to commence restricted batting in the next few weeks but will not be available to play in the Test component.

"He is on track to be available for club cricket and for New South Wales with the possibility of being available for selection in the India or Sri Lanka one-day international series."

Young batsman Callum Ferguson and pace bowler Ryan Harris are two players who will push for selection in the one-day matches as they return from knee injuries.

Squad: Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Doug Bollinger, Peter George, Nathan Hauritz, Josh Hazlewood, Ben Hilfenhaus, Phillip Hughes, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Simon Katich, Marcus North, Tim Paine, Steven Smith, Shane Watson.

Pakistan Defeated Somerset in Practice Match

Small consolation: Pakistan's one-day captain Shahid Afridi, right, leads his players
 off the pitch at the end of the one-day cricket match against Somerset.

lurched from one crisis to another on Thursday although their new problems are far easier to solve than those being explained away on the steps of the High Commission.

What was supposed to be a gentle warm-up match in Taunton turned into a trial of a different sort as Pakistan suffered injuries to key members of a squad already trimmed of its three players accused of spot fixing.

A total of four players left Somerset for Cardiff on Thursday night with wounds of differing levels of severity. Umar Akmal, one of the world’s leading Twenty20 batsmen, had concussion after suffering a blow in the nets before the match while seam bowlers Umar Gul and Wahab Riaz suffered finger injuries and shoulder strains respectively, although both are likely to be fit for Sunday’s first match against England.

But the back strain suffered by all-rounder Abdul Razzaq in the warm-up session between innings looks more serious, and could leave Pakistan without three of their frontline bowlers with Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir otherwise engaged meeting Scotland Yard detectives.

Taunton was the perfect refuge for a Pakistan team under siege for the week. A gloriously hot day and lengthy queues at the ice cream van summed up a day far removed from the media glare that has dogged them since the end of the Lord’s Test.

There was a palpable lifting of tension when Salman Butt, Asif and Amir left Taunton on Wednesday and the Pakistan side were focused on Thursday’s match, which ended in a narrow eight-run victory. Somerset had the usual sprinkling of debutants that counties now field against touring sides although one of them, Lewis Gregory, marked the occasion four wickets including a triple wicket maiden as Pakistan threw the bat around in the final powerplay after a hundred by Butt’s replacement, Shahzaib Hasan.

“That team fully firing might have cleaned us up a bit earlier but when you saw the death period and business end of game you could see they were well drilled in what they had to do,” said Peter Trego, standing in as Somerset captain for Marcus Trescothick, who was rested on Thursday.

“If there is any cloud hanging over those guys it needs to be addressed. The shame is it is three exceptionally good players [they have lost] and might detract away from the quality of the series with England. But on the whole with the issues around it is best they are out of the limelight now.”

The Taunton crowd were generously hospitable to Pakistan raising £5,000 through a bucket collection for the Pakistan flood relief fund. There were no abusive shouts directed at the team and even the sarcasm was kept to a low level thanks to the fact Pakistan did not bowl a front foot no ball at any stage of the match.

The only cat call came as Somerset were left chasing 32 off the last three overs. “Let’s have a couple of no balls boys,” shouted one fan. It didn’t work and Zander de Bruyn’s unbeaten hundred was in vain.