The Mumbai Cricket Association is coming up with a ‘special gift’ for cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, who will celebrate his 50th birthday on April 24 this year. The MCA will erect a life-size statue of Tendulkar inside the iconic Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. “It’s a pleasant surprise. My career had started here and this is like the completion of a big circle. It’s been a journey with unbelievable memories and the best moment of my cricketing career came here when we won the World Cup in 2011,” Tendulkar said.
Amee, Anupama help India ‘A’ to title win
Amee Kamani and Anupama Ramachandran played out of their skins to help India ‘A’ clinch the Women’s Snooker World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand. The duo defeated the formidable Englan d ‘A’side, which comprised of 12-time world champion Reanne Evans and world No. 4 Rebecca Kenna, 4-3 in the title clash.
The Indian cueists came out firing from the get-go to take the opening two frames against Evans and Kenna. Both Amee and Anupama suffered mid-match blues when they lost the doubles frame after which Evans put it across Chennai cueist Anupama to help England ‘A’ draw level. The teams then split the next two frames to set up an exciting decider with Amee up against Kenna. The Indian, a five-time 15-red national champion, did the early running, but Kenna kept Amee on a tight leash with a couple of tight snookers. However, the southpaw, the first Indian to register a century break in a match, first broke free from the shackles to have the Englishwoman in trouble and then took the colours for a 78-39 victory to power India to their maiden World Cup triumph.
Rabada bowls SA to victory over Windies
Kagiso Rabada picked up six for 50 to bowl South Africa to an 87-run victory over West Indies in the first Test at Super Sport Park in Centurion. After bowling out the hosts for 116 in the morning, West Indies needed 247 to win but were dismissed for just 159. The only resistance of note came from Jermaine Blackwood who made a gutsy 79 before being ninth man out. The match hurtled to a conclusion with more than two days to spare as the fast bowlers of both teams held sway on a pitch of variable bounce. West Indies’ Kemar Roach dominated the morning as he took five for 47 as South Africa, resuming on 49 for four, lost their last six wickets for just 67 runs.
Russia joins Asian federation
Russia’s governing body for chess said it had been admitted into the game’s Asian federation and will leave Europe as Russian players face restrictions over Moscow’s assault in Ukraine. The shift, finalised by a vote at the Asian Chess Summit in Abu Dhabi, comes as other Russian sports federations, including football, are considering a similar switch. The head of the Chess Federation of Russia hailed the move as a “historic event”. “For the first time, a chess federation, one of the strongest in the world, has moved from one continent to another,” the chess federation’s president Andrei Filatov was quoted as saying in a statement.
Maroof resigns as Pak skipper
Bismah Maroof stepped down as Pakistan women’s cricket team captain following a disastrous T20 World Cup campaign last month. Maroof led Pakistan for six years. All-rounder Nida Dar, who led the team when Maroof was unfit, is tipped as the favourite to fill the role.
