Indian news round-up

Australian middle order batsman Ricky Ponting on Monday said that he was hopeful of regaining his place in the national one day squad for the three match one day series against South Africa in Melbourne in August.

Speaking to the press in Mumbai, Ponting said that he was working hard on his fitness after being out of action for more than six months following a serious ankle injury. Ponting is in India to conduct a series of coaching camps for the upcoming Under-15 players. Apart from Mumbai, Ponting would be conducting coaching camps in Bangalore on July 7 and New Delhi on July 9.

On the coaching camps, a hopeful Ponting said ``these clinics will give the kids here an opportunity to pick up the finer points of the game and shall increase their horizons, and hopefully we will be able to unearth a few more Tendulkars and Kumbles.'' He added ``I think fielding is one area where there is a lot of room for improvement. Fielding is one aspect where I will try to help the kids. And of course there is the mental toughness needed to approach a big game. Those are the few areas that I have in mind.''

The Delhi police commissioner Ajai Raj Sharma said on Monday that the External Affairs Ministry has requested its British counterpart to help in getting the London based bookie Sanjeev Chawla back in India.

Speaking to an Indian newspaper, Sharma said ``The MEA has written to its counterpart in England to inform Sanjeev Chawla that he must come back to India and join the investigation as he is wanted here.'' He added ``We are trying to get Chawla back. His passport has already been cancelled. His presence is urgently needed to carry on the investigation.''

Sharma said ``the voice test of all those persons whose voices are recorded in a tape have to be made but it cannot be done unless Chawla comes back. All this and other aspects of the investigation can be done only when he joins the investigation. Before that, we really cannot do anything.'' Sharma said the investigation was quite difficult but added ``we are going on correct line. We are also taking all possible legal help to pursue the investigation of this case.''

Indian left arm spinner Murali Karthik said that it was an injury that sidelined him from the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Karthik, along with Harbhajan Singh and Nikhil Haldipur were asked to leave the NCA last month.

Speaking to an Indian newspaper, Karthik said ``I had ruptured a tendon in my left wrist and that needed some rest. I had sustained that injury just two days before going for the camp while batting at the Karnail Singh Stadium in New Delhi. The bat had slipped out of my hands and come down heavily on the left wrist and after that I left for the academy. At the academy I was experiencing pain while batting, bowling and particularly while fielding, especially throwing. So I was asked to go and recuperate.''

Saying that by now he had taken ample rest and his wrist was fine, Karthik explained why he would not be going back to the academy. ``The camp was for three months and already two months are over. Moreover, even after leaving the academy I was training at Chennai and even here in New Delhi I am training.''