Posts Tagged ‘australia’
Oil price rises
Posted on: January 6, 2009
Oil prices rose back above USD 47 on Monday (Jan 5) as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict raged on and major crude producer Iran said OPEC would hold a special meeting next month. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in February climbed 70 cents to USD 47.61 a barrel in afternoon trade on London’s InterContinental Exchange.
New York’s main contract, light sweet crude for February, gained 70 cents to USD 47.04. Crude futures have been boosted over the past week as the conflict in Gaza stokes tensions in the key oil-producing Middle East.
The Gaza conflict has added to the “geopolitical risk premium embodied in the oil price,” said David Moore, an analyst at Commonwealth Bank of Australia. Israeli warplanes carried out intensive raids on Hamas targets today as ground troops surrounded Gaza’s main city, while Israel faced mounting diplomatic pressure for ceasefire.
Elsewhere, Iran’s OPEC representative Mohammad Ali Khatibi today said that the oil producers’ cartel would hold an extraordinary meeting in Kuwait in February. “The extraordinary meeting of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is due to be held next month in Kuwait,”.
“The exact date has not been fixed yet and no invitation has been sent to the members either,” he added in a statement posted online. OPEC, whose 12 members together produce about 40 per cent of world oil, last month agreed to cut output by 2.2 million barrels per day in a bid to shore up crude prices.
“Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” led the foreign box office for the fourth time in five weekends as the overseas tally for the animal cartoon raced to $340 million — about $2 million more than the final total of its 2005 predecessor.
“Madagascar 2,” which began its slow international rollout in late October, earned an estimated $32.2 million from 60 territories during the weekend. It opened at No. 1 in Poland with $3.8 million. Territory totals include Germany ($4 million), France ($39.5 million), and Italy.
In its second weekend on the international circuit, “Australia” drew an estimated $21.7 million from 51 territories for an international total of $82.7 million. The period epic topped the charts in Germany, Spain, Sweden and Denmark.
Third was “Bedtime Stories,” the family feature with Adam Sandler, which registered $21.2 million from 22 markets for an overseas total of $44 million.
Tied for the fourth spot were the sci-fi remake “The Day the Earth Stood Still” and the Jim Carrey comedy “Yes Man,” with each drawing an estimated $12 million. “Earth,” now in 63 territories, boasts an international total of $128.6 million. “Yes Man” has pulled in $34 million from 21 markets; it opened at No. 1 in Australia with $3 million.
The International Cricket Council is trying to convince Pakistan to host Australia at a neutral venue if the one-day series does not go ahead as planned in the strife-torn country. Though Cricket Australia and the ICC insist that the first preference would be to play in Pakistan, an alternative venue could not be ruled out either.
“The first priority is for any country to play at home, but if that can’t happen what we have to do is encourage teams to play cricket,” ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said. “If that’s at a neutral venue then so be it. Let’s get teams playing cricket,” he was quoted as saying in ‘The Australian’.
Kuala Lumpur, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi are being touted as the neutral venues for the one-day series. CA chief executive James Sutherland supported the idea of neutral venues if it was not possible to play in Pakistan.
“We don’t have any objections to neutral venues, but we’re not anywhere near advanced enough to be making assessments of playing in Pakistan,” Sutherland said. “We haven’t played Pakistan for some time because of the postponement of tours and we want to play them. We see it as good preparation leading into the world Twenty20 championship in London (in June).
“We’ll do checks on any neutral venues if they come into play, but as far as we’re concerned we’ve got a commitment to play Pakistan in Pakistan and we’ll work through that process as we’ve done in the past,” Sutherland said. Australia have not toured Pakistan for 10 years.
South Africa got off to a sedate start after Michael Clarke’s sterling century and some spectacular rearguard action powered Australia to their best score of the series so far on Day 2 of the third and final Test.
Resuming on 267 for six, overnight batsmen Clarke (138) and Mitchell Johnson (64) stitched together an invaluable 142-run stand for the seventh wicket before Nathan Hauritz (41) and Peter Siddle (23) also chipped in as Australia raised 445 runs in their first essay.
In reply, South Africa lost Neil McKenzie (23) to Peter Siddle and Graeme Smith (30 retired hurt) to injury before reaching 125 for one at stumps. They still trail the hosts by 320 runs in the first innings with nine wickets in hand.
In-form Hashim Amla (30) and veteran Jacques Kallis (36) were in the middle, having put on 49-run stand and looking good for more. Smith hurt his little finger after a Johnson delivery bounced sharply to hit him and the South African skipper, already nursing an elbow injury, headed to the hospital for an X-ray.
Earlier, Dale Steyn and Paul Harris claimed three wickets apiece but overall, it was quite a toil for the South African bowlers who just could not get the better of the Australian tail-enders’ determination.
Clarke’s 10th Test century was a product of his more than six-hour vigil, during which he faced 250 balls, hitting 17 boundaries in the process. Johnson’s career best 64 came in nearly three hours, off 124 balls with 11 boundaries in it.
Neither Clarke nor Johnson, however, can claim their knock to be flawless. Clarke was dropped twice on Friday and Johnson benefited when Kallis grassed one at the slip this morning after the batsman had added just one run to his overnight score of 17.
Clarke, who looked shaky on Friday, was in a positive mood this morning as his confident footwork suggested. He drove and flicked with aplomb and negotiated Paul Harris without any apparent trouble. A sharp single brought up Clarke’s first century at his home ground. It was only when JP Duminy made his Test debut as an off-spinner that the batsman looked in trouble.
Eventually, it was a Duminy full toss which Clarke, trying to drive it down the ground, spooned to the bowler who dived to his left to take a sharp catch. Two runs later, Johnson fell to Steyn when Smith took the catch in the slip, not before completing his second Test half-century.
Hauritz and Siddle also decided to make a mark with the bat and the duo added 59 runs for the ninth wicket before Harris broke the stand. The Proteas spinner first trapped Siddle and in his next over removed Hauritz after the latter had played a 48-ball cameo of 41.
When Smith and McKenzie walked out to spearhead South Africa’s reply, none looked in comfort, especially against debutant Doug Bollinger. Smith twice edged and on both occasions heaved a sigh of relief as the ball didn’t carry to the slips.
The South African skipper eventually had to retire hurt when a rising Johnson delivery hit his left hand while McKenzie squandered the start he got and fell leg before to Siddle after spending nearly two hours in the middle.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith will be out of action for six weeks after he broke his left little finger on the second day of the third cricket Test against Australia in Sydney.
Smith, who was set to miss the one-day series in Australia and fly home after the third Test to inject his own blood on his injured right elbow, was surprised by a Mitchell Johnson delivery and was struck on the knuckle on his little finger.
The left-hander ran a single to complete his 30 runs before leaving the field in obvious pain. The X-rays showed a break in the fifth metacarpal and he is unlikely to bat in the second innings. Smith returned from hospital to the dressing room later in the afternoon with his left hand in a cast.
According to South African team management, a stand-in captain will be decided before the second innings. With vice captain Ashwell Prince also out with a hand injury, wicketkeeper Mark Boucher is the leading candidate to skipper the side which is searching for a historic series whitewash of Australia.
Smith will meet with the team’s medical specialists in Pretoria next week to plan his recovery from both injuries and get ready for the home Test series against Australia, which starts on February 26.
Mohammad Azharuddin son hopes to make it big at dad’s happy hunting ground
Posted on: January 5, 2009
His father Mohammad Azharuddin began his career at Eden Gardens and now an 18-year-old Mohammad Ashaduddin, called for the Kolkata Knight Riders selection trials, hopes the venue will do the magic for him as well in his quest to make it big in cricket.
A product of St John’s Academy — a club where VVS Laxman learned his basics — Ashaduddin is yet to make it big anywhere, but he is hpoing that the KKR call-up will help him establish in the big league.
The left-handed opener said: “I have heard a lot about Eden Gardens from my father… It was one of his favourite grounds, having made his debut (against England in 1984-85). “It’s a great opportunity for me to prove myself if I get a chance. It can well be the turning point if I can cash in on the opportunity. I am very excited abou the call-up.”
One of the most successful India captains, Azhar, boasts of a 107.5 average, 860 runs from seven Tests at the Eden. In ODIs, the former middle-order batsman has 332 runs at an average of 47.42 from nine matches. Unlike his father, Ashaduddin, popularly known as Abbas, loves to play attacking shots which he says come in handy in the Twenty20 format.
“I have learnt cricket watching my father…so he is my first coach. But I have my style of play and I don’t want to play like my father. My father had a God’s gifted talent. I will never get there. I just like to be myself and perform well being a cricketer.”
“I think my style of play will suit the Twenty20 format. I have an attacking approach… I like to pull and Ganguly’s stepped-out shot was my favourite,” Ashauddin, who plays for East Marredpally CC in the Hyderabad’s A division league (two-day format) and has four fifties in six innings this year, added.
Ashauddin, who is also a part-time off-spinner, agreed there are a lot of expecations that a star-son has to face but is confident of shrugging off pressure. “There is pressure when you are born to a legendary father. But on the field I will be just a cricketer and try to play as the situation demands.”
Asked to compare his father and Sourav Ganguly — two of India’s most successful captains — the youngster chose to laugh it away: “It’s tough to answer… Ganguly was also a great leader and it was a dream come true for me meeting the former India captain.”
He added that Australian hard-hitting opener Matthew Hayden is his all time favourite, while he also admires Yuvraj Singh among the Indians. Incidentally the KKR probables also includes another cricketer son Shatrunjay Gaekwad, son of former India coach Aunshuman Gaekwad. Left-handed batsman Shatrunjay has played for Baroda.
Ashauddin is part of a pool of 44 cricketers selected from all over the country to go in for a three-day selection trial to be conducted by coach John Buchanan and Ganguly for Kolkata Knight Riders. The camp will begin tomorrow.
Curse of IPL
Posted on: January 5, 2009
Finding it hard to find answers for Australia’s mediocre show in 2008, a leading newspaper in Melbourne said that top players suffered from slump after playing in the inaugural Indian Premier League and associating with the lucrative IPL was like a “pact with the devil”.
‘Sydney Morning Herald’ wrote it could be coincidence but Australian cricketers who played in the IPL in April-May last year were either “injured, worn out or found themselves distracted by intoxications of India”. It then said those who were not lured by IPL money like Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson has been the “saviour” of the team, which is in the danger of losing the world champion tag.
“Whatever the cause, Australian cricketers, at Test and first-class levels, have struggled since their return from last year’s inaugural Twenty20 tournament on the subcontinent. Could it be cricket’s version of the pact with the devil — every incremental increase in the bank account is matched by a corresponding fall in your figures?
“Gone, or at least severely impaired, is the ability to score runs and take wickets. Call it the curse of the Indian Premier League,” the newspaper wrote. “Australia’s elite spent only a short spell in the IPL. It may just be pure coincidence. Cause and effect are notoriously difficult to establish within a cricketer’s career,” it added.
Among the “list of the fallen”, the newspaper named Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee who “have figures showing a remarkable decline in productivity when the year before the IPL and the nine months since are compared”.
Bangladesh’s abysmal record in the longer version of cricket may lead to their losing the Test status as top officials of the game, including International Cricket Council chief David Morgan, feel the ‘Tigers’ do not deserve the status.
Bangladesh’s overall record now stands at one win (against Zimbabwe) from 58 Test matches and the financial logic has also led the leading cricket powers to turn against them.
With a growing number of Twenty20 tournaments competing for space in the calendar, teams like England and Australia are no longer prepared to play loss-making series against a team that has failed to improve since their inaugural Test in November 2000.
“There is no reason why a team should have to play Test matches just because it is a full member of the International Cricket Council,” said ICC president David Morgan.
“If a team is not gaining anything from the experience, then perhaps it might be better to settle for one-day international status,” Morgan said.
An ICC executive board meeting in Perth later this month will discuss ways of making Test cricket more attractive. But, Bangladesh are unlikely to get support from Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland who believes in the quality of international cricket more than quantity.
“With growth in T20 market, it is important to take the clutter out of the game. We need to make sure we are playing for quality’s sake, not for quantity,” said Sutherland.
“Bangladesh team that came in Australia in 2008 performed far worse than previous team in 2003. You want to help them develop, but we lost a lot of money hosting them and I don’t think their presence is doing anything for the game.”
Australia continued their recovery on day two of the thrid Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground today (January 4).
Resuming from their overnight score of 267 for six, Michael Clarke and Mitchell Johnson continued where they left off to post a 100 run partnership for the seventh wicket. Clarke earned his tenth Test century with a mature display before falling to a good catch by Jean-Paul Duminy ,while Johnson scored his second test fifty before he too departed edging a Dale Steyn delivery to Graeme Smith.
It was the South African bowlers who were looking for all the answers early on day two, as Clarke and Johnson played their shots.
Australia, staring at a rare series whitewash, were tottering at 162 for five when Clarke and stumper Brad Haddin (38) joined hands to resurrect the innings with a 73-run partnership for the sixth wicket yesterday.
‘Show the aggro’, that is the simple message from former pacer Glenn McGrath to the current bunch of Australian fast bowlers who are struggling to take 20 South African wickets in the ongoing series.
“To be a fast bowler you have to have that aggression. It’s a naturally aggressive part of the game and if you are running in and bowling and smiling at the batsman when they hit you for fours, you are not going to stay there for long, are you?” he said.
McGrath expects left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson to lead the depleted pace battery from the front. “Mitchell should lead from the front to set the tone. Obviously Mitch isn’t an old bloke himself so it will be a learning experience for him as well,” he said.
With Brett Lee injured and struggling, 17-Test-old Johnson, who started his career under McGrath, now finds himself with the extra burden of leading an inexperienced Australian pace attack. But McGrath feels the 27-year-old left-arm pacer will thrive on the opportunity.
“Some guys thrive on it, they love that responsibility of being the number one bowler. Any bowler should strive to do that, I think Mitchell will obviously enjoy that,” he was quoted as saying by the ‘Herald Sun’.
“The way that Johnson has bowled this year has been sensational. To see him come up, he always had the potential, and now he has the confidence,” he added. McGrath, who ended his career with 563 Test wickets, feels that the present vacuum in Australia’s pace department has opened up window of opportunity for young quicks.
“It’s definitely a challenge for the Australian team at the moment. I just see a lot of opportunities for young guys in Australia at the moment,” he said.
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