Indian news round-up

Australian off-spinner Colin Miller said in Nagpur on Sunday that he saw himself as a totally different kind of an off spinner. Bowling at the Indian A side on the second day of their first warm up game, Miller returned figures of six for 90. Miller said that he was looking forward to bowling on the Indian pitches.

Speaking to the press after the second day's play, Miller said "unlike other off spinners I bowl faster and turn the ball a lot." Miller felt that "Bowling on Indian pitches is a real challenge not only for me but to every bowler in the side. I think we have come well prepared to tackle the Indian batsmen this time round."

Speaking on his career, Miller said "I started off my career 12 years ago as a fast bowler for Victoria but realised that I could never play as a fast bowler for Australia. So, I switched over to off-spin and was picked in the Aussie team against Pakistan in 1998 series and met with moderate success."

Press Trust of India (PTI) reported on Monday that the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has requested The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to help in its matchfixing inquiry led by former West Indian skipper Clive Lloyd.

Quoting an ECB spokesman from a Gulf News report, PTI said that the ECB has asked India and four other national cricket boards' to prepare a list of potential witnesses and also make them available to be questioned by the probe panel.

The spokesman added that he has already received a copy of the affidavit submitted to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) by the former PCB chairman Khalid Mehmood and former PCB secretary Waqar Ahmed in which they have denied having told the former BCCI chief IS Bindra anything on match fixing during the tournaments in Sharjah. ECB chief Abdul Rehman Bukhatir set up a probe panel after Bindra alleged matchfixing at CBFS tournaments and cited Mehmood and Ahmed as witnesses in his testimony to the CBI.

Delhi and Chandigarh entered the final of the 46th National Under-14 Schools cricket tournament in Vijayawada on Monday. While Delhi crushed Maharashtra by 81 runs, Chandigarh got the better of Madhya Pradesh by three wickets.

In the first semifinal, Delhi elected to bat first and mustered 197 for five in 35 overs. Tarun Chowdary (51) was the top scorer while Chatterjee (31) and Prem Partik (23) chipped in with useful contributions. Aditya Bagadade (3 for 28) was the pick of the Maharashtra bowlers. In reply, Maharashtra were restricted to 116 for seven in their 35 overs. H Joshi (25) was the mainstay along with R Karthik (19). Prem Partik (4 for 18) was the pick of the bowlers.

In the other semifinal, Madhya Pradesh were all out for 100 in 31.4 overs. Chandigarh achieved the target in the 31st over while losing seven wickets in the process. Semi-final losers Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh will clash for third place.