FROM THE FILES

I survived Tsunami waves: cricketer Roger Binny

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali

New Delhi, February 6, 2009: Talking about Gundappa Viswanath in the above story, I thought that I should tell the readers of this blog how former India all-rounder Roger Binny and his wife narrowly escaped from the dreaded Tsunami waves in Thailand in 2004.

Binny, along with his former India teammate and fellow Bangalorean Gundappa Rangnath Viswanath and others, was spending an evening at the fine club house of the M. Cinnaswamy Stadium, when he narrated the incident to me. The same evening I had broken the news of Viswanath being appointed NCA batting coach. I had done the following story at the time:

I survived Tsunami waves: Binny

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali

Bangalore, Dec 7, 2007: Former India all-rounder Roger Binny has disclosed that he and his wife had a narrow escape from the dreaded Tsunami waves while staying in a hotel in Phuket, Thailand. He was there on an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) assignment in December 2004.

“My wife and I were staying in a hotel near the beach in Phuket where I had gone for an ACC assignment. The waves entered my hotel room and the water was as high as my knees. It was only our destiny that we escaped the fury,” Binny disclosed to me today while sipping bear one evening at the Club House of the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, venue of the India-Pakistan Test match.

“We ran out of the hotel, leaving our belongings there, including our passports. We later returned to the room to find that the passports and other things were safe,” said the Bangalore-based player.

More than 200,000 people were killed by surging sea waves that hit South Asia on Dec 26, 2004, with Indonesia being the worst hit country. Over 130,000 people died and 37,000 went missing there. Phuket island was amongst the affected places.

Binny, a member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning side and now one of ACC Cricket Development Officers, said that although it was a horrific experience to be confronted by the gigantic waves, he found time to record the incident for posterity.

“I have recorded the ‘event’ on my mobile phone. I have still got it on the cell,” said the 52-year-old player with a smile.

Binny, who played 27 Tests and 72 One-Day Internationals with distinction in 1980s, said when the water first rushed inside his room he did not anticipate anything unusual. But when it again rushed in, did he open the window of his ground floor room and immediately realised its seriousness.

“When I opened the door to escape, suddenly more water rushed inside the room. Both of us ran out of the hotel to escape the waves, leaving everything in the room. Later, we returned when water receded,” he recalled.

While Indonesia was the worst sufferer of the Tsunami waves, 8,850 people died in India in addition to 1,900 on its Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 31,000 in Sri Lanka, 5,395 in Thailand, 81 in Maldives, 68 in Malaysia, 61 in Burma and two in Bangladesh, besides the others in Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania and Seychelles.

Pakistan not to host Champions Trophy, 2009 venue later: ICC

Perth, February 1: The Board accepted that, with several members expressing reservations about touring Pakistan, it would be prudent to relocate the event, scheduled for September/October, from that country.

In view of the challenges facing the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) which are out of its control, the Board agreed that, irrespective of the location of the event, Pakistan would retain the revenue due for hosting the tournament. The Board resolved to make a decision on the location for the event before its next scheduled meeting, in April. The Board also resolved to offer to form a task team to visit Pakistan and work with the PCB to find ways to ensure that, wherever possible, international cricket is played in the country in the future.

The ICC Champions Trophy 2009 will be an event featuring the top eight ODI sides in a short, sharp best-of-the-best tournament involving two groups of four teams with round robin matches followed by two semi-finals and a final.

Mr Lorgat said: “It is unfortunate the ICC Champions Trophy will not take place in Pakistan due to circumstances completely beyond the control of the PCB. However, the Board has accepted the need for certainty in planning for and delivering a world-class event and will now assess where the event should be held.”

Oval Test match, England v Pakistan, 2006

After reconsideration of the matter, which included consideration of legal advice and input from the MCC, the custodians of the Laws of Cricket, the Board decided that the original umpires’ decision to award the match to England, should apply.

The Board had originally changed the result to “match abandoned as a draw” in July 2008. ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “I’m gratified the Board reached the conclusion it did as this ensures the integrity of the game and the Laws of Cricket have been upheld. I am especially grateful to the PCB for its understanding in this matter.”

ICC World Twenty20 2010

The Board accepted the West Indies Cricket Board’s recommendation that the ICC World Twenty20 2010 be staged in Barbados, Guyana and St Lucia. It further agreed to the staging of a joint men’s and women’s event, mirroring the 2009 event in England, that the women’s group matches would be played in St Kitts and that the women’s semi-finals and final would take place on the same days and at the same venues as the men’s matches.

Regulations governing domestic cricket events and approved/disapproved cricket

The Board agreed to new regulations relating to the above subjects following recommendations from a working party consisting of former Cricket South Africa President Norman Arendse, Giles Clarke, the Chairman of the England and Wales Cricket Board, President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Shashank Manohar, BCCI Vice President Lalit Modi and ICC’s Head of Legal David Becker.

The rationale for the new regulations was the need for clarity over how and who decides if an event is approved or disapproved and the sanctions available if there are any breaches of those regulations.

It was agreed that a host member could determine if a match or tournament within its territory was approved or disapproved. The ICC would also be given power to make such a determination in a non-member territory.

It was agreed that no foreign player could take part in domestic cricket unless he obtained a no-objection certificate (NOC) from his home Board. It was also agreed that no members, members’ players, coaches or match officials could participate in disapproved cricket.
The new regulations will be implemented from June 1, 2009, and added to the ICC website in due course.

Hurray! Yuvraj escapes Chris Broad's axe

Colombo, February 1: Yuvraj Singh has been found not guilty of breaching the International Cricket Council (ICC) Code of Conduct following a hearing here Sunday. It was unusual that Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees did not penalise, considering he has punished many Indians in the past and, at times, unjustfiably, feel many.

Yuvraj had been charged under Level 1.3 of the code, which refers to “showing dissent at an umpire’s decision”. But at the resultant hearing, Broad cleared him of the charge.

The charge related to an incident that took place after the first ball of the 33rd over of the second ODI of the current series between Sri Lanka and India when Yuvraj was given out lbw. The incidents was reported by on-field umpires Brian Jerling and Gamini Silva as well as third umpire Kumar Dharmasena, all of whom are members of the Emirates International Panel of ICC Umpires.

“After reviewing video evidence of the incident, I am of the opinion that there was no conclusive evidence that Yuvraj showed dissent at the decision,” said Mr Broad. “He did stay at the crease but the delay in departing was not excessive and I felt he showed a level of disappointment rather than dissent.”

Present at the hearing was the match referee, the player, the three umpires who brought the charge, India coach Gary Kirsten and India team manager Prakash Dixit.

Wonder cricket statistician Bill Frindall of BBC fame is dead

By Qaiser Mohammad Ali

New Delhi: Well-known cricket statistician-scorer Bill Frindall, who kept scores in India’s successful campaign at the 1983 World Cup, passed away in England on Friday, January 30. He was 69 -- 43 of which he spent with the BBC Test Match Special commentary team. Also known as 'Bearders' and the 'Bearded Wonder', Frindall was suffering from Legionnaire's disease, according to BBC Sport.

I happened to exchange a few e-mail messages with Frindall when I needed some authoritative source to put a final seal of approval on a statistic or incident. He always replied promptly. We, however, never met. I missed him when he visited New Delhi in early 1990s.

The last time I wrote to him was on June 14, 2008, when I was doing a piece on the 25th anniversary of India’s historic and unforgettable World Cup triumph. And the same day he replied to my queries on the 1983 World Cup.

“I scored only two of India's 1983 WC matches -- the semi-final and final,” was part of Frindall’s reply. “In the semi-final, (Graeme) Fowler and (Allan) Lamb scored threes (runs). No Indian scored a three in the final,” was the more pertinent part.

He finished the mail with:

“As ever,
Bill Frindall”

Frindall joined the BBC in 1966 and wrote several statistical books, edited the Playfair annual since 1986, and was appointed an MBE in 2004 for his services to the game.

The England and Wales Cricket Board mourned his death. Said Hugh Morris, ECB Managing Director (England Cricket): “Bill Frindall was renowned for the sheer breadth of his knowledge and the deep and lasting affection he had for the game of cricket itself. He will be much missed not only by millions of radio listeners worldwide but also by the fraternity of cricketing scorers in England and Wales whose work he did so much to champion. On behalf of the many past and present England players who considered him a good friend, I would like to send our condolences to his family.”

Indian squad for women’s World Cup announced

Chennai, February 1: Lanky Bengal fast bowler Jhulan Goswami will lead India at the International Cricket Council Women's World Cup 2009, to be played in Australia in March. The national selection panel for women's cricket met here on Sunday to pick the squad for the tournament.

THE SQUAD:
1. Jhulan Goswami (captain)
2. Amita Sharma (vice-captain)
3. Mithali Raj
4. Rumeli Dhar
5. Priyanka Roy
6. M D Thirushkamini
7. Poonam Raut
8. Harman Preeth Kaur
9. Anjum Chopra
10. Sulakshana Naik (wicketkeeper)
11. Anaga Deshpande (wicketkeeper)
12. Reema Malhotra
13. Snehal Pradhan
14. Gohar Sultana
15. Shranvanthi Naidu

Stand Byes:
Diana David
Latika Kumari
Swaroopa Kadam
Pallavi Bharadwaj

Coach: Sudha Shah