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"Organizers are taking care of the shortcomings and have told us that all the problems would be rectified soon. We had suggested a few problems during our inspection, which they have agreed to remedy," said a fire official on condition of anonymity.

Chief fire officer Uday Takare said that unless the all conditions are followed, the NOC and the fire compliance report will not be issued. "There are two issues that need to be taken care of. Firstly, there is lack of safety equipment in the basement, there is no proper ventilation in the basement either. Secondly, there are not enough sprinklers in the north and west stands," said Tatkare. "For us, safety of everyone is most important. We need to be fully convinced that safety is not compromised, only then will we be in a position to give them the clearance needed."

Among the mandatory fire apparatus are water hydrants, internal riser system for the stands, no-smoking indicators, fire alarms and extinguishers. The fire NOC is provided when the structure is adequately ventilated and has all the necessary preventive measures and systems in place.

The Wankhede controversy came up earlier this month when the fire department went for a routine check of the newly renovated stadium. The BMC asked the department to give its compliance report before it could give the stadium an amended occupation certificate. Apart from two games, the final match is scheduled to be played at the stadium too.

The Mumbai Cricket Association ( MCA), which owns the stadium, is locked in a legal battle with the BMC over the payment of sewerage and water taxes,which total Rs 9 crore, since 2006.

The revamp, which began three years ago, has been controversial, and a PIL against several alleged violations is pending in court. The BMC had even penalized the association at least 15 times for dumping debris and construction material in the past two years.

Labels: India, Revamped, Times, Wankhede

He is also confident that his demotion in the batting order too will pay rich dividends. If the talks do translate into an equally assured performance over the next half month, then England surely have an ace up their sleeves.

Prior doesn't agree to the fact that his poor form played a part in pushing him down the batting order. Instead, the wicketkeeper said the move as positive for both him and Kevin Pietersen, who has taken up the openers' slot. "It's a positive move for both of us. KP opening the batting is a positive move. I think these wickets will suit him. If he gets up and running, I think he can single-handedly take the game away from the opposition.

"From my point of view also I think it's also a very positive step. I enjoy playing spin and also enjoy playing those middle overs and that's the role and responsibility I have been given. It certainly wasn't the case of me being not good enough to open the batting," Prior said on Sunday, ahead of their opening match against the Netherlands.

Prior is aware that the role of a finisher, played to perfection by Eoin Morgan whose injury has forced him out of the squad, is not an easy one to emulate.

"I have told the guys that role scares me a little bit. There is a lot of responsibility on the finisher. I don't think anyone can replace Eoin Morgan. It's pretty huge boots to fill. But I will certainly give it a go."

Prior played a vital role in England's historic high in the Ashes. But the Australians came back strongly in the One-day series. It saw Prior failing in his role as an opener. But for the English, the Australia series is history. "World Cup is about peaking at the right time. This is a completely new competition and it will be silly to look back at the series Down Under," Prior said.

On the Powerplay: The opening game of the World Cup saw India taking the batting Powerplay when the ball was changed in the 34th over. In the past, most teams made the choice based on the match-form of batsmen at the crease. Prior thinks more such strategies will be thrown up during the tournament.

Labels: excel, finisher, India, Prior, Times

DHAKA | Sat Feb 19, 2011 7:23pm GMT

DHAKA Feb 19 (Reuters) - Favourites India launched the World Cup with fireworks from Virender Sehwag and the expected opening day big victory over their co-hosts and neighbours on Saturday but Bangladesh will surely rue their lack of ambition.

Instead of opting to bat first on a featherbed of a batting pitch after winning the toss, the home side's Shakib Al Hasan inserted India's crack batting line-up and then watched virtually helpless as they amassed an enormous total of 370-4.

Bangladesh made an early stab at the daunting seven and a half runs an over they needed for the unlikeliest of wins before a conservative approach bogged them down and from then on the match as a contest was all but over.

In the end, India moved on to a far more serious test of their title credentials -- at least on paper -- against England on Feb 27 with a comfortable 87-run victory and Bangladesh departed with heads held still high after a respectable 283-9.

Sehwag did most to enhance an already formidable reputation as a match-winner with easily his highest one-day score which even threatened to eclipse South African Gary Kirsten's World Cup record 188 not out before he dragged Shakib on to his stumps.

The fact that he played much of his innings with a runner after tweaking his knee attempting a quick single spoke volumes for his striking power which enthralled the India fans and did much to silence most of the 25,000 capacity crowd.

EARLY DEMISE

Sehwag, who earlier had a mix-up with Sachin Tendulkar which led to the latter's early demise for 28 in a run out in his record-breaking 445th ODI appearance, hit five sixes and 14 fours often without moving his feet because of the injury.

It was an extraordinary exhibition of power hitting and an enviable eye for a ball.

He was given super backing by the 22-year-old prospect Virat Kohli, who reached an unbeaten 100 in the final over showing excellent technique, but the combination of a flat track and an innocuous attack hardly tested either batsmen.

Nevertheless, Sehwag, who said he had not thought about surpassing the magical 200 mark or particularly concentrated on Kirsten's record, believes India have unearthed a real gem in his partner on Saturday.

"Kohli played very well. I think he is showing that he is a very mature batsman now. He is not throwing his wicket away, he is quick learner," he said.

It was, however, not all positive news for Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

His volatile seamer Shanthakumaran Sreesanth had the kind of a day he will want to forget in a hurry, bowling with fire but precious little accuracy or guile and conceding a rapid 53 without reward from five wayward overs.

Labels: ANALYSISCricketSehwag, India, learn, little, opener, Reuters, shines

In a city that can't get enough of cricket or cricketers, Virender Sehwag set the World Cup alight on its opening day with an innings of such clarity and cricketing acumen that even a spirited showing from Bangladesh could not deny India.

At just after 2.30pm local time, the 25,000-strong crowd at the immaculate Sher E Bangla cricket stadium exhaled as one, when Sehwag took early aim at medium pacer Shafiul Islam and drilled a boundary through extra cover.

But, having begun in now customary fashion, Sehwag soon realised why Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan had put India in to bat when he had the choice. The dark brown clay that is native to the suburb of Mirpur had robbed the pitch of any real bounce, and with Bangladesh's bowlers taking the pace off the ball, strokemaking was anything but easy.

That India overcame the conditions in such an emphatic manner to reach 370-4, a score that would prove 87 runs too many for Bangladesh, despite a counter-punching 70 from Tamim Iqbal, was testament to Sehwag's nous and the purity of Virat Kohli's strokeplay.

After beginning with a boundary, Sehwag was forced to rein himself in, unable to trust the bounce and pace of the ball coming off the pitch.

In Sachin Tendulkar's company, Sehwag decided to take a long, hard look at the pitch, and played himself in rather than attacking continuously.

A master of summing up situations, Tendulkar was poised ominously when an unusually careless piece of running resulted in him being stranded at the non-striker's end along with Sehwag, who had barely left his crease after the ball was played to mid-on.

Sehwag switched gears in Gautam Gambhir's company, chipping over the infield and carving the ball into gaps, focusing hard on picking up ones and twos.

Gambhir shimmied down the pitch repeatedly to the spinners without looking for the big shot, instead placing the ball into vacant spaces and pushing his partner to run hard. That Sehwag reached his century only in the 32nd over, and would eventually end with 79 runs from ones and twos, tells you how much he strayed from his favoured style of play.

When Gambhir played around an innocuous delivery from off-spinner Mahmdullah that kept a touch low, the all-Delhi batting partnership was kept intact as Kohli joined Sehwag.

India's most improved cricketer in recent times, Kohli, who has a mature head on 22-year-old shoulders, brought to the fore the self belief that separates the best cricketers from the rest.

On a day when Sehwag threatened the 200-mark before falling to a tired stroke on 175, it was understandable that Kohli's century was overshadowed. But the first Indian to score a hundred on World Cup debut won't mind that, as his future in Indian cricket appears secure.

What Sehwag and Kohli did in the course of their 203-run third-wicket association, was show the other teams in their group, especially the likes of England and South Africa, whose traditional strengths aren't ideally suited to subcontinental conditions, just what kind of approach was most likely to work in this tournament.

On slow pitches, with the accent on spin, batsmen must be both willing to use their feet and possess the requisite skill of choosing shots wisely if they are to succeed.

With India putting a mammoth score on the board, Bangladesh's batsmen had a task on their hands, and even a couple of years ago would have been dismissed cheaply, playing too many shots. But this team has come a long way, and after a performance like this it's easy to see why there's such passion for the game in the country.

From the time you step out of the airport, you're constantly reminded that the World Cup is in town, and when the opening ceremony got under way, there were at least as many people partying on the streets outside the Bangabandhu Stadium as there were in the stands.

On Saturday, a fan held a banner that read: “Waka, waka, this time for Dhaka,” and the point was well made. If cricket can ever come close to matching the kind of mania that football inspires, it's here in Dhaka. If the 50-over World Cup needed a boost, it couldn't have asked for a better one than it got.

Labels: Bangladesh, Cricket, India, Match, Report, Telegraphcouk, World

This trend, say travel agents, is also seen in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where hotels have put up 'sold out' banners. Bangladesh is the only venue where cricket enthusiasts can still book rooms. It's worth noting though, that in India at least, the majority of bookings have been made by cricket fans from other countries. Cricket lovers from South Africa, Kenya, New Zealand, Singapore, the UK and even the US had planned their holiday around the World Cup months in advance.

The travel and hospitality industry is making the most of cricket mania, and a majority of hotels have already increased their rates to coincide with match dates. "For example, all premier hotels in Colombo are sold out. A few hotels in Kandy or in the outskirts of Colombo, which may have unreserved rooms, are quoting rates that are 25% higher than usual," said Jay Bhatia, director, Tulsidas Khimji Travels. With demand for last-minute bookings rising, industry sources predict that the handful of unreserved rooms remaining in the Indian subcontinent is likely to go for a king's ransom. The packages being offered may not be affordable for average Indian travellers, say agents.

A travel agent in Fort, South Mumbai, said the demand for last-minute bookings is among foreigners and not Indians. "There are not many holidays in the months of February and March, and the examination season has restricted most people's travel plans," he said.

Most tour agencies are offering packages, which include match tickets, hotel reservations and travel arrangements, for anywhere between Rs 15,000 to 40,000 depending on the category of hotel and the placement of the seat in the stadium. Mayank Khandwala of Cutting Edge, which is handling travel packages for ICC, said that most of their packages are sold out. "More than 70-80% of our packages for matches in India have been booked. Colombo, too, is doing very well," he said.

There is a bit of good news for stragglers. Domestic flight tickets to World Cup destinations are very affordable. Rajesh Rateria, managing director, Cirrus Travels, said: "This is a non-travel season, particularly on domestic routes. This has helped fans procure low-priced tickets."

Labels: Cricket, India, Times

The South Korean only resumed training last week after a month away on international duty at the Asian Cup.

"We got a blow on Saturday morning with the news that Park Ji-sung did his hamstring on Friday afternoon in training," Ferguson said.

"It was very unfortunate because it was his last kick of the ball in training as well.

"We were really looking forward to having him back after being away for a month at the Asian Cup. He'll be out for up to a month, which is a blow to us."

The injury comes at a key point in the season for United, who lead the Premier League by four points after 26 games.

Park will miss the Premier League trips to Chelsea, Liverpool and Wigan Athletic and at least the first leg of the Champions League last 16 tie against Olympique Marseille.

United visit Marseille next Wednesday before hosting the French champions in the second leg at Old Trafford on March 15.

Labels: India, Manchester, month, ruled, Times, Unitedaposs

The Guardian

No change in ICC stand; Eden told to shape up or ship out Times of India MUMBAI: Setting all speculation to rest, the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Sunday reiterated via an email that there is no question of restoring the India-versus-England World Cup match to a semi-finished Eden Gardens. ... England-India World Cup match set for move to BangaloreBBC Sport BCCI backs Bengal board's plea for reconsideration on Eden GardensYahoo! Eurosport UK FM steps in at Dalmiya's behestSify Rediff -Deccan Herald -GulfNews all 1,183 news articles »

Labels: change, India, shape, stand, Times