India's favourite T20 World Cup: Kumble

Anil Kumble on Thursday tipped defending champions India to retain the title at the World T20 Championships, starting in England on June 5, saying they have the most balanced side and the potential to emerge winners again."In my opinion India have the best balanced side. If they play to their potential they will lift the Cup again. It's a fantastic side and all the players in the team showed good form in the IPL. Playing at home England are strong while New Zealand and Australia also look good. It will be a most competitive tournament", the former India skipper said. Kumble, who launched the new Castrol Index as part of its cricket website, dismissed fears that the Indian players would be jaded after the tour of New Zealand followed immediately by the 35-day IPL in South Africa in the run-up to the World T20. "It was known beforehand that there was just a week's gap between the two events. As an international player it's up to you to maintain your fitness," the retired leg-spin ace said when queried whether the fatigue factor, touched upon by team coach Gary Kirsten during the IPL, could be a concern. Kumble rated the Indian bowling attack as well rounded, strong in the pace department and well supported by spinners Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha.

Source : cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India-are-favourites-for-T20-World-Cup-Kumble/articleshow/4588680.cms

Radio Mirchi Bangalore for the run

It's time to run. It's a ritual now – typically in this season, you get to see a lot in tracks and sneakers, running or taking a stroll in th park. But rare are the times when one gets to see the whole of city running. And what makes this all the more interesting, is people running with a cause. Some thing similar will happen on May 31. Yes, you guess it right, it's time for the much awaited ‘Sunfeast world 10 K' run, which promises to get the city up and running. Radio Mirchi, 98.3 FM, is charging up the mood of the city by organizing the ‘The Sunfeast Get Active World 10 K Expo 2009' – an exhibition cum sale which will feature gears & merchandise by top brands in the health and lifestyle domain. The expo which was inaugurated by Sandalwood star Prem, Hon'ble Minister of Transport, R Ashok and Hon'ble Minister Textiles & Sports, G. D. Shekhar. A prelude to the second edition of the Sunfeast World 10K run, the expo which kick started today (Wednesday, May 27) will go till May 30 (Sunday) at the Kanteerva Indoor stadium from 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. Brands such as Nike, F-Chisel, Manipal Cure & Care, British Nutritions will give visitors a variety of products and services to choose from health, wellness & running. Apart from this, the expo also promises to be a fun filled event with a host of activities such as DJ Nights, Fashion Nite, performances by Rock Bands, paint ball and more.

source : living.oneindia.in/insync/pulse/2009/radio-mirchi-bangalore-run-280509.html

Tata motors extends maturity on JLR bridge loan

Passenger and heavy vehicle manufacturer Tata Motors has extended the maturity deadline on a bridge finance of $1 bn raised for financing the Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) deal struck in March last year by 18 months till Dec 31 2010, the company said in a statement Thursday. "This transaction was concluded amidst challenging market conditions in the global credit market and in the automotive sector. Tata Motors thanks the lending institutions for trust reposed by them in the performance and outlook of the company," Tata Motors chief financial officer C. Ramakrishnan. The extension and earlier payments of $1.16 bn and $840 mn respectively have completed the refinance of the $3-bn bridge loan for 12 months taken in June last year for the JLR deal. This comes a fortnight after Tata Motors chairman Ratan Tata admitted in an interview to British newspaper Sunday Times that the timing of the deal was questionable."Both the acquisitions were made (JLR and steelmaker Corus), I would say at an inopportune time in the sense that they were near the top of the market in terms of price," Tata was quoted as saying.

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News-By-Industry/Auto/Automobiles/Tata-extends-deadline-on-JLR-bridge-loan-/articleshow/4588254.cms

Monsoon rains weak after early onset

India's annual monsoon rains, which hit Kerala more than a week ahead of schedule, remain weak and have not advanced northwards, officials of the Meteorological Department said on Thursday."The monsoon has not progressed further," an official, who did not wish to be named as he is not authorised to speak to reporters, told Reuters.The annual rain cycle hit the Kerala coast on Saturday and progressed for some time, but has lost pace since Monday, another official said. The second official also said a cyclonic storm which had lashed eastern India and Bangladesh this week, had weakened into a depression over sub-Himalayan regions in the eastern state of West Bengal.The weather office has forecast mainly dry conditions over many parts of southern India and some thundershowers in eastern India in the next three days. The June-September monsoon rains are a major influence on the farm-dependent economy, as two-thirds of Indians live in villages.

Source : in.reuters.com/article/economicNews/idINIndia-39936420090528

India : Inc lost in power downturn

India Inc's downtime losses have doubled since 2003 and today the loss stands close to one per cent of India's GDP. Downtime losses, across all verticals has averaged to Rs 54,434 per hour, with highest in telecom and real estate or infrastructure companies, lowest in the SMEs. Major impact of downtime is employee productivity and customer management. This is what Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAIT) the apex body representing the IT hardware industry in India and Emerson Network Power (India), find out in their joint study with consulting firm Feedback Business Consulting Services Pvt. Ltd on 'Network Power Downtime'.This analysis of the impact of downtime in corporate India due to high occurrence of power outages, scheduled as well as non-scheduled, revealed that India Inc lost Rs. 43, 205 crores in 2008-09. The amount of such direct losses have almost doubled since 2003 when these amounted to Rs. 22,000 crore. According to this study, Infrastructure stress on power utilities came up as a key reason for downtime. Companies, without alternative sources of power, were highly depended on the grid. Mumbai continues to be most depended on grid for power. As per the findings, 78 per cent respondents feel that power scenario will improve only after a year; confidence being lowest in Delhi and Pune, high in Chennai. Contingency planning figures already a part of the Indian business psyche with over 95 per cent firms having a power source other than grid supply.

For further details visit at www.ciol.com/Enterprise/News-Reports/India-Inc-lost-Rs-43,-205-Cr-in-power-downturn/27509120200/0/

Political stability should help boost India's economy

India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was scheduled to be sworn in on Friday for his second term after winning a resounding victory in elections finalised a week ago. Some hard bargaining with smaller parties means the Congress Party-led coalition commands 322 seats in the 543 seat Parliament. The Prime Minister's image as a steady hand on the economic tiller and now the promise of political stability should help India ride out the global financial crisis better than some.

source : www.radioaustralia.net.au/asiapac/stories/200905/s2578786.htm

India Reliance : 270,000T gasoline for June-Aug

India's Reliance Industries has offered up to 270,000 tonnes of gasoline for June-August loading via private negotiations, more than what it had sold for April-June liftings, trade sources said on Friday.Reliance has offered 90 and 95 RON gasoline and oxygenate-free cargoes for sale, and customers have the option to buy either standalone or combine cargoes of the grades offered."Buyers can take either 30,000 tonnes 60,000 tonnes or 90,000 tonnes. They are offering 30,000 tonnes of optional oxy-free cargoes also, one each month," said one of the trade source.He said the oxygenate-free parcels would be supplied from the new 580,000 barrels per day (bpd) refinery, run by Reliance Petroleum Ltd (RPET.BO: Quote, Profile, Research).In March, Total SA bought a total 180,000 tonnes of gasoline from Reliance for April-June lifting at a discount of $1.50-$1.80 a barrel to Singapore quotes, on a free-on-board (FOB) basis. ID:nSP430501]. Reliance recently commissioned a 200,000-bpd fluid catalytic cracker unit at its new refinery in Jamnagar in western India, which was slated to be running at half its capacity. [ID:nDEL470956] (Reporting by Nidhi Verma; Additional reporting by Seng Li Peng in SINGAPORE; Editing by Ramthan Hussain)

source : in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINDEL34485220090522

Home » Zee Exclusive Election 2009 dissected: How parties cut the vote pie

The Congress-led UPA has scripted a remarkable comeback in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections by outsmarting the NDA led by the right-wing BJP by not only emerging as the single largest party but also increasing its vote share at the national level. The saffron party, which won 138 seats in the 2004 General Elections, could emerge victorious in only 116 seats as compared with 206 seats won by the ruling Congress party.Interestingly, BJP's share of the national vote, which has remained more or less static since the 1998 election, also saw decline of 3.5% to 18.8% on an all-India basis.On the other hand, the pro-people policies of the UPA government the mature and competent image of Dr Manmohan Singh and the magnetic charm of star campaigner Rahul Gandhi helped the Congress party increase its all-India vote share by 2% to 28.6%.It is to be noted that in 2004 elections, the Congress party managed to win 145 seats. The grand old party had then improved its performance by adding 31 more since its worst-ever performance in 1999. However, in the last elections Congress party’s vote share had declined by 1.9% points. The difference in vote share between the Congress and BJP was 4.28% points in 2004 with the former securing 26.44% and the BJP grabbing 22.16 % votes. After the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, the gap between the two arch-rivals have widened by almost 10%.

detail: www.zeenews.com/zeeexclusive/2009-05-19/532875news.html

military shows 'body of Tamil Tiger leader Prabhakaran' on TV

Sri Lankan state TV showed grisly pictures today of what it claimed was the dead body of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Tamil Tigers.Prabhakaran was wearing his signature combat fatigues and a dog tag bearing the serial number "001". His head was partially covered by a cloth but a gaping wound was clearly visible. A laminated Tamil Tiger ID card was also on display.Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara, a military spokesman, told The Times that the body was recovered earlier today and the authorities were "100 per cent positive" that it was Prabhakaran.Troops found Prabhakaran's bullet-ridden body on the bank of the Nanthikadal lagoon, the Ministry of Defence said on its website.Brigadier Nanayakkara said that Prabhakaran, who was the prime architect of a 26-year civil war that claimed more than 70,000 lives, had been shot, probably in fierce fighting yesterday morning.The announcement contradicted previous official claims that Prabhakaran's badly burnt body had been discovered yesterday.Military officials had said yesterday that Prabhakaran had been killed after he was ambushed by commandos as he made a desperate attempt to break through government lines in an ambulance.Prabhakaran, who had sworn never to be taken alive, was badly burnt when his vehicle burst into flames, officials had said. No pictures were released of his body and DNA tests were ordered to prove his identity.

Brigadier Nanayakkara dismissed claims made by the Tigers' chief of international relations this morning that Prabhakaran was alive and safe and would "continue to lead the quest for dignity and freedom for the Tamil people".

detail: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6317354.ece

Sri Lankan Army Chief: Leader's Body Found, Identified

Sri Lanka's army chief says troops have found and positively identified the body of Tamil tiger rebel leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.Lieutenant-General Sarath Fonseka said Prabhakaran's body was recovered from the battlefield Tuesday. Following the announcement, Sri Lankan television broadcast video of what is believed to be Prabhakaran's body.Earlier, rebels insisted in a statement carried on the pro-rebel Tamilnet Web site that Prabhakaran was still alive.President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressed the nation from parliament Tuesday, saying his country finally has been "liberated" from terrorism after 26 years of civil war.President Mahinda Rajapaksa shakes hands with Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka who officially informs him of total defeat of Tamil Tigers, 18 May 2009

President Mahinda Rajapaksa shakes hands with Army Chief, Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka who officially informs him of total defeat of Tamil Tigers, 18 May 2009 On Monday, General Fonseka declared an end to the country's conflict with Tamil Tiger rebels, putting the entire nation under government control for the first time since 1983.The military also said it recovered the bodies of other top-ranked Tamil Tiger rebels, including Prabhakaran's son Charles Anthony.A U.S. State Department spokesman Monday welcomed the reported end of hostilities and appealed for political reconciliation and help for tens of thousands of people displaced by the final weeks of combat.

for details :/www.voanews.com/english/2009-05-19-voa5.cfm

Karnataka, warns state BJP chief

BANGALORE: Buoyed by its good showing in Karnataka - winning 19 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats from the state - the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) haswarned the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government againstdiscriminating against Karnataka on development issues."Though the Congressfared badly in the elections in Karnataka, winning only six of the 28 Lok Sabha seats, we hope its new UPA government will not discriminate against us on developmental issues again. We don't want to do politics on the development of the state," state BJP unit president D.V. Sadananada Gowda said here in an interview.The good showing in the Lok Sabha elections by the BJP comes a year after it came to power in the state on its own for the first time following the May 2008 assembly elections."If you ask me why the people of Karnataka voted in favour of our party in a big way in this election too, as against the national trend, it is because of the continued discrimination against the state by the Congress-led UPA governmentduring its first term."If the discrimination on various political, social and economic issues continues, I am afraid the Congress would be wiped out of the state in the next elections," Gowda said.In the 2004 general elections, the BJP bagged 18 of the 28 constituencies in the state, while the Congress had eight and the regional Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) two. The JD-S got three seats in the 2009 elections.Gowda was elected from the newly drawn Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency defeating K. Jayaprakash Hegde of the Congress by a margin of 27,018 votes. He represented Dakshin Kannada in the 14th Lok Sabha.Expressing disappointment at the BJP-led NDA's poor performance in the 2009 polls, Gowda said the party's parliamentary board was analyzing the outcome to ascertain factors behind the reverses the BJP and its allies faced in other states.Admitting that the people of Karnataka had entrusted the party with greater responsibility after elections to the 15th Lok Sabha, Gowda said the onus of ensuring the UPA government's support to the state was equally with the newly elected members of the Congress and the JD-S."We hope the new MPs of the Congress and the JD-S, which includes three former chief ministers (M. Veerappa Moily, N. Dharam Singh and H.D. Kumaraswamy) and one union minister (K.H. Muniyappa), will also strive to get support of the centre for the development of the state," he said.

Mandate gives Singh freer hand on Pakistan

The Congress parliamentary party also elected Sonia Gandhi as its chairperson. The formalities set rolling the process of government formation, a day after Singh resigned as primeminister on Monday. The Cabinet met for the last time on Monday and recommended that the President dissolve the 14th Lok Sabha. According to a Rashtrapati Bhawan communique, the President accepted the recommendation and signed an order dissolving the Lok Sabha in exercise of the powers conferred upon her by sub-clause (b) of clause (2) Article 85 of the Constitution.Later, Singh met President Pratibha Patil to tender his resignation while, in keeping with the transition drill, he was asked to continue till an alternative arrangement was made. At the same time, Election Commission handed over the list of newly-elected Lok Sabha MPs to the President, clearing the way for constitution of the new House. With this, the drill is almost complete for Singh to stake claim.

for further details :timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Manmohan-Singh-elected-CPP-leader/articleshow/4550724.cms

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Cabinet dissolution of 14th Lok Sabha

The final Cabinet meeting has ended, which passed the dissolution of 14th Lok Sabha to pave way for the formation of the new government. While celebrations are still on in the UPA camp, the focus has now shifted to government formation. At 261, the UPA needs 11 seats to reach the simple majority mark, which the leaders believe they will get there with the help of less troublesome partners. Allies are eyeing key berths.According to reports, Congress and its pre-poll allies are not very keen on RJD's Lalu Yadav. Also reports say the Congress will appoint young MPs to Cabinet posts this time. Sources say Rahul Gandhi is likely to be offered HRD Ministry, but he might just say no to any Cabinet post. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well as other party leaders praised Rahul's efforts and lauded him for the impressive win. The present Cabinet ministers will tender resignations to PM to facilitate the formation of the new government.

For further details visit at www.hindustantimes.com/election09/storypage.aspx?id=d18d867c-6bba-471f-9bb0-4ab38a719360&category=Chunk-HT-UI-Elections-SectionPage-TopStories

Congress wins election

India's Congress party on Saturday won an almost overwhelming victory in the general elections, leading by more than 60 seats in beating the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), TV projections said. The projections, based on counting of electronic machines of the Election Commission, said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has won 230 seats out of 525 seats counted so far. The BJP won 160 and Third Force 73. Eighteen seats are still being counted. The Congress has also won all the seven seats in the capital New Delhi. The outgoing ruling party will thus continue its rule of the country with Prime Minister Manmohan Single to take a second term, said analysts. However, the party could still be some 40 seats short of the 272 majority in Lok Sabha, or lower house of parliament. So it needs to gain support from some parties of the Third Force to set up a government. Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal claimed victory to local TV channel CNN-IBN, saying that it is absolutely clear that the people of Indian have given the Congress the mandate to lead the nation into the future.

For further details visit at: www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=468217&publicationSubCategoryId=200

Indonesia opens first WOC in manado

Indonesia has opened the first World Ocean Conference in Manado, North Sulawesi on Monday (11/5) projected to establish the role of marine ecology in addressing the climate change. In the opening speech by Indonesia Maritime and Fisheries Affairs Minister Freddy Numberi, developing and developed nations were challenge to control the impacts of climate change by reducing carbon emission and support conservation in areas with rich biological potentials. Ministers and officials from 72 countries participated in the five-day conference where President Yudhoyono is scheduled to lead a session of the Coral Triangle Initiative on May 15th. The group comprises of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and East Timor. Australia and US to attend the session as observers. Intergovernmental meetings were scheduled from May 11th to 14th accompanied by oceans science, technology, and industry exhibition.

source :www.tempointeractive.com/hg/nasional/2009/05/11/brk,20090511-175590,uk.html

Deans : Australia not ready to win World Cup,

Despite breakthrough wins on foreign shores last year, Australia coach Robbie Deans does not believe the current Wallabies squad are ready to win a World Cup. With the 2011 World Cup finals on the horizon, the soft-spoken New Zealander said the Wallabies had proven they could beat the best, but still needed to master their emotions to win week in, week out. "We feel that we tend to chase our emotions a little bit and respond to the two imposters if you like -- as Roosevelt would suggest -- success and failure," Deans told Reuters on Monday. "We want to master the skill and ability of concentrating on what's important all the time, and not being distracted by emotion." Deans, who joined the Wallabies almost a year ago, guided the team to stirring wins over England, Ireland and France during their northern hemisphere tour last year, but were denied a clean sweep by Wales. Rousing victories over South Africa and New Zealand during the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup tournaments were invariably followed by thrashings the following week. Deans said the current side would struggle to win a World Cup. "Not right now, I don't think, but that's where we would like to get to -- to know on any given day we're capable of winning any game we're in regardless of who is the opponent.""What is evident, as selectors we're going to have make some hard decisions," Deans told reporters at a news conference.

source:www.guardian.co.uk/sport/feedarticle/8500350

In Hyderabad 160,000 singers set new world record

A whopping 160,000 people sang in chorus seven keerthanas, or hymns in praise of god, of Telugu saint-poet Thallapaka Annamacharya in Hyderabad on Sunday evening, and broke a 70-year-old world record. A representative of the Guinness Book of World Records announced that the previous record is broken at the grand spiritual musical event, organised to mark the 601st birth anniversary of Annamacharya. "I have great pleasure in announcing that more than 70 years later the record has been broken," said Guinness Book representative Raymond Marshal amid thunderous applause at the sprawling Parade Grounds in Secunderabad, Hyderabad's twin city. He also presented the certificate from Guinness Book of World Records to state Minister for Finance K. Rosaiah. It was on Aug 2, 1937, that 60,000 people sang the national anthem in Germany to set the world record. The programme, 'Laksha Gala Sankirthanarchana', was organised jointly by Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the Andhra Pradesh state cultural council and Andhra Silicon. The organisers said 160,000 people sang the keerthanas in one voice. Renowned Carnatic musician M. Balamurali Krishna, singer Kavitha Krishnamurthy and her husband L. Subramanyam and Garimella Balakrishna Prasad led 160,000 singers, both professionals and amateurs. Telugu actor Nagarjuna, who acted in film "Annamayya", was also present.

source :www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=HomePage&id=3088426a-b2d9-449f-b259-b83adab22c69&Headline=160%2c000+singers+in+Hyderabad+set+new+world+record+by+singing+in+chorus

European election nominations closed at today midday

Fianna Fail's Pat 'The Cope' Gallagher is expected to declare his candidacy for the European elections before nominations close at midday today. The Donegal TD is expected to run in the North West constituency, where former senator Paschal Mooney is already standing for the party.

Mr Mooney has expressed unhappiness with the idea of Mr Gallagher joining the race. Ireland's European Parliament representation is being cut from 13 to 12 this year, with Dublin losing one of its four MEPs. All of the outgoing MEPs are seeking re-election with the exception of Fine Gael's Avril Doyle and Fianna Fail's Sean O'Neachtain.

source :www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/politics/european-election-nominations-to-close-at-midday-1734937.html

Mamata : Maoist are dummies planted by the CPI-M

Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Sunday said Maoist guerrillas of West Bengal were dummies planted by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) to split the anti-Left votes in the state. "The so-called Maoists are nothing but dummy organisations of the CPI-M in the state. These people, who are calling them Maoists here, are just distorting the ideology of the real Maoist movement," Banerjee told a press conference, organised by the Kolkata Press Club here. The CPI-M is the major constituent of the ruling Left Front in West Bengal. "They (Maoists) are just helping the CPI-M by calling for vote boycott," Banerjee said. "If they were really anti-CPI-M, they would not call for vote boycotts in the elections." Criticising the role of the CPI-M on the land acquisition issue, the Trinamool chief said the Left Front government had no political vision to develop the state. "They only know the path of violence. They've played with the interests of common people, and especially with the minorities."

for further details visit at:sify.com/news/fullstory.php?a=jfkwuMgjhgd&title=Maoists_are_dummies_of_CPI_M_Mamata&?vsv=TopHP1&?vsv=TopHP1

Lalu : "secular facade" shared dais with his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi.

Attacking Rahul Gandhi for giving Nitish Kumar a "secular certificate", RJD chief Lalu Prasad today said the Bihar Chief Minister's "secular facade" stood exposed after he shared dais with his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi. "I always said Nitish has 'teeth in his stomach' (a complicated person). Now people like Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, who had given him the secular certificate, and others who favourably spoke of him will realise how secular he is," Lalu told reporters at Patna airport before leaving for campaigning in Rampur in Uttar Pradesh. "Nitish had refused to attend an earlier NDA rally in New Delhi, saying he was not prepared to share stage with Modi, but once the elections in Bihar were over, he (Nitish) returned to his original self," Lalu said. This was the RJD chief's first media interaction since the final round of polling in the state on May 7. Lalu, who has been alleging that he was given bad media coverage during the elections, had remained incommunicado despite repeated attempts by the media to speak to him.Yesterday, at the Ludhiana rally which was a show of NDA unity, Nitish and Modi clasped hands and the latter even praised the Bihar Chief Minister for revolutionising agriculture in the state.

source :www.ptinews.com/pti\ptisite.nsf/0/6F2858BD8F909F4E652575B30020C60A?OpenDocument

Stenson won10th time worldwide - He moves to No : 5 world ranking

Stenson charges to TPC win; Woods finishes 8th Henrik Stenson shot a 6-under 66 and was the only player without a bogey Sunday to win The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The 33-year-old Swede trailed by five shots at the start of the round but took advantage of Alex Cejka’s collapse to win by four over Ian Poulter. Stenson won for the 10th time worldwide. He finished at 12-under 276 and earned $1.71 million. He will move to No. 5 in the world ranking.

Tiger Woods was never a factor Sunday. He shot a 73 and finished seven shots back alone in eighth place. Cejka started the day with a five-shot lead but faded quickly, shooting a 42 on the front nine and a 79 for the day.
KERR PULLS AWAY FOR LPGA TITLE
Cristie Kerr emerged from a four-way tie for the lead with a birdie on the 15th hole and won her second Michelob Ultra Open in Williamsburg, Va., with a 16-under 286. In-Kyung Kim finished second, and Lindsey Wright and Song-Hee Kim tied for third. Lorena Ochoa, who led after the first two rounds, shot her second straight 74 and finished nine shots behind.

For further details visit at:www.newsok.com/morning-sports-roundup/article/3368423

Misbah-ul : In T20 WC india will be tough to beat

Pakistan`s vice-captain Misbah-ul Haq says defending champions India would be a tough team to beat in the upcoming Twenty20 World Championships in England."I think many of their players have gained a lot by playing in the Indian Premier League. It has given them the confidence to play T20 cricket the way it should be played -- with a positive frame of mind, sensibly and without any fear of getting out," Misbah told reporters. The middle-order batsman, who was standing-in for captain Younis Khan in yesterday`s one-off T20 match in which Pakistan outclassed Australia in Dubai last night, also expressed confidence about his team, which lost to India in the final in 2007, doing well in the second edition. "I have always said we are good at this form of the game because our players have played lot of domestic T20 cricket and every player knows what his role is supposed to be in this format of cricket," he said. Misbah said the Pakistani players had done well in the inaugural T20 World Cup because of their experience. "Although we have played little T20 international cricket but we have lot of experience at the domestic level." Pakistani players will take part in their national T20 championship in Lahore before going to the World Cup in England.

For further details visit at : cricket.zeenews.com/fullstory.aspx?nid=20094

'Sugar' : change-up at sports film clichés

With "Sugar," writing-directing partners Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck have pulled off the kind of miraculous trick Darren Aronofsky did last year with "The Wrestler." They've taken an overly familiar, potentially cliched sports story, stripped it down and, in doing so, completely reinvented it.Rather than focusing on an athlete past his prime, Boden and Fleck tell the tale of a baseball player on the rise — a subgenre with all its own formulas and expectations. "Sugar" defies them every time. No score swells to a crescendo when Dominican pitcher Miguel "Sugar" Santos experiences his first triumph on the mound in the United States.There's no slo-mo of the ball leaving his hand on a magical summer night and landing with an amplified thud in the catcher's mitt. Even the obligatory training montage feels different, accompanied by a song from TV on the Radio. Instead, you get pure, intimate and — above all — honest storytelling, the same approach they took with their outstanding 2006 debut, "Half Nelson."It's so fundamental and compelling, it makes you wonder why more filmmakers don't jettison the gimmickry and pursue such a powerful path. ("Sugar" might seem too slow at times; then again, some complain that baseball itself is too slow. They're the ones on whom the intricacies of throwing a knuckle curve, Sugar's toughest pitch, will be lost.)

For further details visit at www.montereyherald.com/movies/ci_12315146?nclick_check=1

Calender for sports

Bobby Sprowl-Shelton State Camps: Shelton State Community College head coach Bobby Sprowl will be hosting summer camps for players ages 6-17 on June 1-4 and July 13-16, with pitcher/catcher camps on July 6 and 20. All camps are 9 a.m.-2 p.m. daily. Registration is $95. Applications can be mailed to Shelton State Baseball Camp, 9500 Greensboro Road, Tuscaloosa, AL, 35405. Call Sprowl at 205-391-2206 or 205-866-6240.

WIldcat Baseball Camp: Tuscaloosa County High School will host the Wildcat Baseball Camp on June 1-5 for 5-12-year-olds. Registration fee is $70 before May 28 and $90 up to June 1. For questions or to register, call Chad Shannon at 333-1348(home) or 256-33.

For further details visit at www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20090507/NEWS/905069887/1010/NEWS03?Title=SPORTS-CALENDAR

It's time to test your sporting knowledge with our weekly quiz.

FOOTBALL

1. Darren Fletcher finds himself suspended for the Champions League final. Who was the last player to suffer such a fate?
2. Arsenal have now not won a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup final when they beat Manchester United on penalties. Who scored the winning penalty in that game?
3. Who will is likely to play his 132nd Champions League match (a tournament record) in the second leg of the semi-final between Chelsea and Barcelona?
CRICKET
4. England's home Test series with the West Indies begins on Wednesday. What was the score the last time the Windies toured these shores?
TENNIS
5. What country is hosting an ATP tournament for the first time this week?

For further detail visit at:uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/06052009/58/sports-quiz-week.html

Walsh : basketball clinic in NIS Patiala

Renowned American basketball coach J D Walsh will conduct a three-day clinic at the Netaji Subhash National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala from Friday. Walsh, who is the founder-director of famous J D Walsh Basketball School in New York, also shared the secret of success in the caging sport with the schoolchildren during a day-long workshop in the national capital. The workshops are being organised in collaboration with the Basketball Federation of India. Besides, Walsh's school is sponsoring a three-year programme aimed at orphaned youth in India, the first phase of which began in June 2007 in Chinar. "There is no better way for people to get to know one another than through the competition and teamwork of sports," said Elizabeth Fitzsimmons, Spokesperson at the US Embassy.

For further details visit at : sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Walsh-to-conduct-basketball-clinic-in-NIS-Patiala-/articleshow/4490891.cms

Sonia citing the chief minister M Karunanidhi due to health

Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s election rallies in Chennai and Puducherry were cancelled today citing the inability of Tamilnadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi to take part in the campaign meet due to ill health. Speaking to the press in Chennai, All- India Congress committee general secretary Gulab Nabi Azad said the meet had been postponed as Karunanidhi was not fit to take part in the campaign. Preparations were made in full swing for the mega election campaign, wherein both Sonia and Karunanidhi were expected to address the public jointly at the Island Grounds. Initially, it was said that Karunanidhi was getting better and that he would very well participate in the meet. ‘ However when I enquired about the health of the Chief Minister with the doctors, they said that he is in desperate need for rest. The doctors stated that his health is not good enough to participate in the meet. Hence the campaign has been postponed,’ he said.When asked if Sonia’s arrival had been cancelled due to security reasons, the Congress man denied it but said the poor health of Karunanidhi to be the only reason. To a query if the cancellation of this meet would be a setback to the ruling DMK campaign, Gulab said that several senior politicians were involved in the campaign process and this wouldn’t cause any setback. Infact the DMK- Congress combine would win all the 40 seats in Tamilnadu and Puducherry, he said. On the statement made by Rahul Gandhi that Left parties could support Congress in the post- poll scenario, he said that it had always been a belief of the Congress party that secular forces should always be united in their stand.

For further details visit at newstodaynet.com/newsindex.php?id=16793 & section=6

DMK Free TV service centres block the distress calls

At a time when DMK candidates for the Lok Sabha elections have been highlighting the goodies given to the public, some beneficiaries of the free TV distribution scheme have begun complaining about its ‘inefficient’ service centre. ‘Till last month, I had no problem watching programmes on the free TV given by the Tamilnadu government’, Hari from Villivakkam said. ‘When I switched on the TV set recently, it was not functioning,’ he said, adding that he didn’t know whom to contact to get his set repaired. ‘A neighbour came to my rescue reminding me of the enclosure in the TV set which shows three service centre addresses along with phone numbers’, he added. ‘When I contacted one of the phone numbers given, the receiver asked me about the make of the TV for the service centre looks after Videocon TV sets only,’ said, adding that the other phone numbers were either not in use or reachable modes. Finally I got my set repaired in a private service centre paying more money. This is not the one case but several beneficiaries across the State experienced the same. Another beneficiary from Sirungundram near Singaperumal Koil in Kancheepuram district, on condition of anonymity, echoed the same view and bitter experience that he went through. When asked, the Electronic Corporation of Tamilnadu Limited (ELCOT) which is the nodal agency for the supply and commissioning of CTVs, its general manager (Projects) R Ilango said that it might have happened due to a communication gap. He assured that he would look into it to set right the problem.

Source :newstodaynet.com/newsindex.php?id=16794 & section=12

3 seats in Bihar go for polls tomorrow

Heavy security arrangements, including aerial patrolling in naxal-affected areas, will mark the final round of polling tomorrow in three of the 40 Lok Sabha seats of Bihar which will see RJD chief Lalu Prasad and Bollywood actor Shatrughan Sinha test their electoral mettle. A little over 48.92 lakh voters will be eligible to cast their votes for 57 candidates, including four women, who are in fray from Pataliputra, Patna Saheb and Nalanda. Regular forces, including the Central Para Military Force (CPMF), Bihar Military Police (BMP) and District Armed Police (DAP) will man the polling stations, Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Neelmani said here. Prominent among whose fate will be decided in the final round include that of Lalu Prasad (Pataliputra), BJP's Shatrughan Sinha and 'Polkhol' fame TV star Shekhar Suman of the Congress (Patna Saheb). Election office sources said, the voting time for Islampur and Hilsa assembly segments in Nalanda constituency and Masaurhi and Paliganj of Pataliputra had been reduced by two hours due to threat from CPI (Maoist) rebels, who have given a poll boycott call. Balloting in these assembly segments will begin at 7 am and will conclude at 3 pm, while elsewhere it will end at 5 pm.

For further details visit at :www.business-standard.com/india/news/3-seats-in-bihar-go-for-polls-tomorrow-amid-heavy-security/60670/on

Rahul gandhi's : confessional statement made by the ruling party

The BJP on Tuesday termed Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s comments on the misuse of the CBI by political parties in power as a confessional statement made by the ruling party. “This is a confessional statement by the ruling party. This statement reminds me of the statement made by Indira Gandhi when asked about corruption in her government that it was a worldwide phenomenon. Today’s statement is also on the same line,” BJP leader Arun Jaitley said here. Rahul had earlier in the day said that every party would pressurise the institutions under it while in power according to its wish when his comments on misuse of the CBI were sought. “This is a systemic issue. This is not the issue of an agency. Every party, when in power, could pressurise its institutions. It is a fact. In general, when the BJP comes to power in Rajasthan, it tries to push its people into such institutions. When the Congress comes to power, it pushes its people. It is a reality of Indian politics,” he said. Jaitley reiterated that if the NDA was voted to power, it would set up a commission to look into the allegations against the CBI.On Rahul’s comments that the Left would support the Congress after the elections, Jaitley said that the Left parties were competent themselves to say that if required.

For further details visit at:www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Rahul’s+comments+a+confessional+statement:+BJP&artid=m5bSPDOPBiQ=&SectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&MainSectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&SectionName=pWehHe7IsSU=&SEO=Lalu Prasad, Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar

Hyundai India inks deal with SBT for car loans

Just announcing to roll out the diesel variant of its premium hatchback “i20” by the end of the current year, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL) has inked strategic tie up deal with State Bank of Travancore, for car loans. The arm of South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Company – Hyundai Motor India on Tuesday signed the deal with State Bank of Travancore, for providing easy auto loans to Hyundai customers. The MoU was signed in the presence of the SVP, Marketing & Sales, Hyundai Motor India Ltd (HMIL), Arvind Saxena, and the Managing Director, State Bank of Travancore, A. K. Jagannathan. The State Bank of Travancore is the Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala based nationalised bank, with network of 726 branches and 460 ATM’s in 16 states of India. The deal with Hyundai Motor India will help the bank to expand its operations to wider markets. The HMIL has great presence in both the urban and semi-urban markets. With its deal with HMIL, the bank looks to strengthen its operations in deep rural markets. The HMIL aims to increase its market share in the Indian automobile market bay launching at lease two new products annually for next couple of years. The company is looking to jack up its market share to over 25 percent by 2012. The HMIL is already having strategic tie ups with Syndicate Bank, Bank of India, Punjab National bank, Canara Bank, Bank of Baroda, and Corporation Bank.

The HMIL recorded surge in its cumulative sales in April, 2009. The company’s domestic sales surged marginally by 3.5%, while its exports showed the growth of 19.6 %. The cumulative sales of the company surged 10.9%. The company sold 44,371 units in April, 2009, against 40,000 units in April, 2008. In the domestic market, the company sold 22,247 units in April, 2009, 21,501 units in April, 2008. The company exported 22,124 units in April, 2009, against 18,499 units in April, 2008. Segment-wise, in April, the company sold 41,258 units from A2 Segment (Santro, i10, Getz & i20), 3,073 units from A3 Segment (Accent & Verna), 34 units from A5 Segment (Sonata Transform), and 6 units from SUV Segment (Tucson).

For further details visit at www.topnews.in/hyundai-india-inks-deal-state-bank-travancore-car-loans-2162290

Amit Chatterjee - vice president of CA

US-based IT firm CA today announced the appointment of Amit Chatterjee as the Vice-President (Area Sales) and Country Manager for its Indian operations. Chatterjee will report to CA Corporate Senior Vice-President and General Manager (Asia Pacific and Japan) Gavin Selkirk and will serve on the company's regional leadership team to help formulate and execute regional strategy, CA said in a statement. He was previously associated with HP Software and has also worked with Microland and HCL Infosystems."India holds tremendous potential for CA in terms of market expansion and partnership opportunities, and as a source of research and development...This is our third major appointment in India in just over two months, placing CA India in an excellent position to pursue our R&D, sales and business development objectives," Selkirk said. The company has recently appointed Saurabh Srivastava as CA India Chairman and William Bauman as Senior Vice-President and General Manager of its India Technology Center in Hyderabad.Chatterjee succeeds Ninad Karpe, who exited CA earlier this year.

For further details visit at www.business-standard.com/india/news/ca-india-appoints-amit-chatterjee-as-country-manager/60664/on

Reserve Bank of India stopped second daily money market

The Reserve Bank of India has discontinued its second daily money market operations from Wednesday after a review of the liquidity conditions. The daily operations are the reverse repo auction, where banks can park excess funds at 3.25 percent, and the repo that banks can use to borrow funds at 4.75 percent when liquidity is tight. The second auction was introduced on Sept. 16, last year. The central bank will conduct only one auction between 9:30 a.m. (0400 GMT) and 10:30 a.m. (0500 GMT). Following are analysts' comments on the decision:

A. PRASANNA, ANALYST AT ICICI SECURITIES, MUMBAI:
"It is a situation of excess liquidity in the market and the single money market operation will help banks better plan their cash balances. "The reason why the central bank may have made this move is it may have run out of bonds to provide as collateral against the cash being parked and don't see it is as any other signal. "The excess liquidity in the system will make shorter end assets more attractive."

For further details visit at in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINBOM3000220090506

India selected squad for T-20 World Cup

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja were the two new faces chosen for the 15-man India squad for next month's Twenty20 World Cup in England, selectors announced here Monday.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni will lead the side to defend the title, while Virender Sehwag will be his deputy.
Besides Ojha and Jadeja, fast bowler Ishant Sharma, batsman Suresh Raina and all-rounder Praveen Kumar were also picked up.Rudra Pratap Singh, who was the highest Indian wicket-taker in the victorious squad of the 2007 World Twenty20 Championship, is back in the national side after seven months.
Dinesh Karthik and Robin Uthappa, who were in the winning team, have been left out despite being in the 30 probables.India are in Group A with Bangladesh and Ireland. The tournament starts June 5 and the final is slated for June 21 at Lord's.
Indian Team: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag (vice-captain), Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Pragyan Ojha and Irfan Pathan.

Source-- http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20090504/928/tsp-ojha-jadeja-selected-for-twenty20-wo.html

Roadster Z4 Sports car by mid 2009 in India

With rising demand for BMW vehicles in India, BMW India would soon be launching its two-seater Roadster Z4 sports car in the country by mid-2009. The premium car major would also be adding 10 dealers in tier-II cities such as Coimbatore, Jaipur, Lucknow and Ludhiana soon. Though Mercedes has always been the leader in India’s luxury car market, yet in the first quarter of 2009, MW has surpassed sales by selling 992 cars in the first quarter this year. The Roadster Z4 with a folding hard-top can run up to 250 kmph. It will be launched in the price band of Rs 50-60 lakh. The petrol and diesel variants of the newly-launched BMW 7-Series, which is priced at Rs 81 lakh and Rs 77 lakh, respectively, will be available in June. BMW India president Peter Kronschnabl informed that BMW India will also double its presence in Delhi, its biggest market, by adding two showrooms in Gurgaon and West Delhi to take the total number of dealers to 24 by the end-year.

The company has also roped in HDFC Bank — the largest private player in the auto loan market — as a preferred financier. It already has a tie-up with ICICI Bank for car finance.

Source : http://news.infibeam.com/blog/news/2009/05/04/bmw_india_to_launch_roadster_z4_sports_car_by_mid_2009.html

Volley ball legs from Neenah roots

Benson dreamt up the idea of soccer-volleyball three years ago while watching his grandchildren kick a soccer ball across a volleyball net at his home in Elcho. His daughter, Kristin Ellsworth, teamed with Raunel Lopez of Neenah to develop the idea into a hybrid sport. The trio copyrighted the SoccerVolleyBall name, wrote rules, set parameters for the court and designed a special ball. Friends and family helped test the sport at Neenah's Southview Park. "Neenah is the hometown for soccer-volleyball," Lopez said. The sport is played on grass on a regulation volleyball court, except the net is only 6 feet high. The game also can be played indoors. Teams of two to five players knock the ball back and forth using soccer skills (feet, knee, chest and head but no hands or arms) and volleyball rules (three touches per side). Scoring is similar to volleyball, but the ball is allowed to bounce on the ground once during a possession.

"It is challenging," Lopez said. "You have to have soccer skills to play it."
Ellsworth, who recently moved from Neenah to Madison, said soccer-volleyball combines elements of Brazilian footvolley and Southeast Asia's sepak takraw (kick volleyball). "It kind of merges cultures and brings a U.S. perspective to a type of sport that has been played in various ways in other countries," Ellsworth said.
Lopez helped organize a soccer-volleyball league last summer and has been working with the Neenah Parks and Recreation Department to build two regulation soccer-volleyball courts at Southview Park. Eileen McCoy, Neenah's director of parks and recreation, said the city will maintain the courts, and Lopez's group will introduce people to the sport and run the league.
McCoy said soccer-volleyball is a fast-paced game that could garner widespread interest. "I think it is cool," she said. "It's exciting. It has so much potential, particularly for kids." Lopez said one of the most difficult challenges was finding a suitable ball. Organizers approached Baden Sports in Federal Way, Wash., to manufacture a ball that had the characteristics of a soccer ball but was not as hard or heavy because soccer-volleyball involves a lot of headers.
They eventually turned to Hans Raj Mahajan & Sons of India and spent six months testing and dissecting trial balls.

Source : http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20090504/APC0101/905040447/1003/APC01/Soccer-volleyball+sport+grows+legs

India names T20 world cup

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Twenty20 World Cup team on Monday. The selection committee, headed by Chairman Krishnamachari Srikkanth, named Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the captain of the 15-man squad. The other players included in the squad are Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Pragyan Ojha and Irfan Pathan. A preliminary meeting was held in Cape Town on April 24. The selection committee said they had considered the players' performance in the ongoing Indian Premier League as well before naming the squad. However, despite his astounding performance in the IPL so far, Mumbai Indians' Abhishek Nayar could not make it to the final list.

Other players who were expected to be included were L. Balaji, Dhawal Kulkarni, Ajit Agarkar, Robin Uthappa, Joginder Sharma, S. Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla.

Source : http://sify.com/sports/fullstory.php?a=jfenE1fcahc&title=No_surprises_as_India_names_T20_World_Cup_squad

25% Increated Gold import in india

India imported around 30 metric tons of gold in April, up 25% on year as dealers hoped a Hindu religious festival would spur consumer demand, a top industry official said Monday. Sales during the Akshaya Trithya festival, marked in the last week of the month, didn't match expectations, however, resulting in unsold stocks, industry officials said Monday. According to World Gold Council data, gold sales declined 8% on year to 45 tons during the festival, considered an auspicious period for purchasing gold and starting new ventures. Domestic gold sales did spike briefly in the first and third weeks of April, when the yellow metal's price dipped, but were mostly lackluster.

The world's largest consumer of gold imported negligible volumes of gold in February and March due to high prices, Bombay Bullion Association President Suresh Hundia told Dow Jones Newswires. Last April, it imported 24 tons.
Spot pure gold in India sold at 14,700 rupees ($296)/10 grams during the festival, compared with 11,800 rupees/10 grams last year.
"We expect imports in May to be the same level as that of April. But it will all depend on prices," said Harmesh Arora, vice president of the trade body. Prices would have to fall to the 14,000 rupees/10 grams level for any improvement in demand to happen, he said. "Demand is still slow currently," he added.
Mr. Hundia said India is likely to have imported 40 tons of silver in April. He didn't provide year-earlier import figures for silver.

Source : http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124142781459382803.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

India : Swine flu scare 2 persons under observation

The Swine flu scare has hit India. Two persons have been kept under observation at the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital in Delhi. One is a 25-year-old man from Ghaziabad who came back from Texas on April 19. The other is a 35-year-old UK citizen who walked into the hospital on Saturday morning complaining of H1N1 infection like symptoms. A woman aged 30, her 20-month-old child as well as an American tourist are also under observation at the hospital.Reports say five persons were admitted to Delhi's Ram Manohar Lohia hospital. While a few have already been discharged, the hospital has not confirmed the Swine flu infection for the man from Ghaziabad as well as the tourist from UK, which would take another 24 hours. "The man was subjected to screening for swine flu symptoms at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) and found to have a running nose, cough and throat irritation. He was admitted to the isolation ward of the hospital. We have collected his clinical samples and they have been forwarded to the laboratory for tests," RML's medical superintendent N K Chaturvedi was quoted by news agencies as saying. Meanwhile, the Government is trying to locate 2,000 people who have travelled to India from Mexico in the last few days. The Health Ministry feels that going by their travel itinerary, these are people who are likely to be infected. And although WHO has confirmed that the H1N1 A influenza is a respiratory infection that is not spread by eating pork, several luxury hotels and restaurants are not taking chances. Delicacies like pork chops, spare ribs, bacon and sausages will remain off the menu until the flu fear subsides. WHO has also said that the virus does not pass through food cooked above 70 degrees Celsius, or cold meat that is frozen below 20 degrees Celsius. According to the World Health Organisation, about 365 people across the world have been afflicted with the deadly flu.

Source : ibnlive.in.com/news/swine-flu-scare-in-india-2-under-observation/91610-17.html

PTC India - profit declines 19.26%

PTC India, engaged in power trading business, announced a sharp drop in standalone net profit for the quarter ended March 2009. During the quarter, the profit of the company declined 19.26% to Rs 155.18 million from Rs 192.20 million in the same quarter previous year. Net sales for the quarter rose 2.16 times to Rs 11,796.35 million, while total income for the quarter jumped 2.11 times to Rs 11,969.29 million, when compared with the prior year period. It posted earnings of Rs 0.68 a share during the quarter, registering 19.05% decline over previous year period.

source : www.myiris.com/newsCentre/newsPopup.php?fileR=20090501135600193&dir=2009/05/01&secID=livenews

india orders 2,50,000 laptops - OLPC foundation

The '$10, world's cheapest laptop', developed in India has been given a quiet burial with the government placing an order for 250,000 XO laptops from the Nicholas Negroponte-led One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) Foundation. The $10 'laptop' had turned into a major bone of contention with the global IT industry and experts blasting the device that was earlier projected as a challenger to the $100 laptop of the OLPC project. Meanwhile, Satish Jha, OLPC India president and CEO, was quoted in the media as saying that the OLPC XO laptops "have been ordered for 1,500 schools (throughout the country) and the deliveries will begin in June."

source:business.rediff.com/slide-show/2009/may/01/slide-show-1-india-dumps-cheapest-laptop.htm

Younis Khan : India Vs Pakistan a must for world cricket:

Pakistan captain Younis Khan has said that cricketing ties between India and Pakistan are a must for cricket fans worldwide and both teams should play each other more frequently. Comparing the matches between India and Pakistan with the Ashes, Khan said both the countries should also play in regular bilateral series. It not only provides excitement but also gives a chance to players to prove their mettle. I think India playing Pakistan is a must for world cricket, he said. Attributing his name and fame in the cricket world to the 2005 series against India in which he scored a century in the second Test and a brilliant 267 in the third, Khan said: Whatever fame and name I have earned is primarily after my performance against India in 2005. He said he would appeal to Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sri Lankas Mahela Jayawardene and Bangladeshs Mohammad Ashraful to join hands in the difficult situation that the region is facing currently, because of which foreign teams have been expressing reservations about touring the sub-continent. I will definitely meet (them) on the sidelines of T20 World Cup in England and tell them that we need to join hands, as the situation in all four countries is not good, so we must stand up for each other, The Daily Times quoted Khan,as saying. Expressing disappointment over Pakistan not being able to host any foreign team and the ICCs decision to shift the 2011 World Cup matches from the country, Khan said all the cricket playing nations of the region must join hands to tackle the issue together. The Asian countries will have to plan together, and stand up for each other in difficult times, otherwise cricket matches will not take place in our part of the world, he said. (ANI)

Source : www.littleabout.com/2009/05/01/india-playing-pakistan-a-must-for-world-cricket-younis-khan/