Check todays hot topics and new pictures Today is: 21 May, 2013
Cook asks what’s all the fuss about on Ashes pitch choice

Cook asks what’s all the fuss about on Ashes pitch choiceMelbourne, Dec. 21: England vice-captain Alastair Cook has said that he cannot understand the fuss over reports that pitches for the remaining two Ashes Tests have been prepared to suit Australian fast bowlers.

Melbourne curator Cameron Hodgkins'' pitch decision to use the moister of the two drop-in wickets prepared for the Boxing Test Day has led to English press sparking outrage claiming it as pitch doctoring.

Cook said it was nothing new for England to request a Test match surface that is suited to their team, which occurred in the final Test of the 2009 Ashes series at the Oval and he has no qualms with Australia doing the same thing.

"I think that''s the beauty of home conditions isn''t it, you can prepare a pitch to hopefully suit the home side," Fox Sports quoted Cook, as saying.

He added: "That''s what we try and do in England in certain cases and there''s no reason why I would expect Australia not to do it.

"If you went to India, they played three spinners and produced a green seamer you''d be wondering what''s going on, so that is what home advantage is and you''d expect everyone to do it," Cook said.

He added: "The pitch is out of our control and that''s the beauty of cricket that conditions change from week to week and it''s how you adapt to those that determines how successful you are. The challenge is making sure we are ready and adapting to those conditions." (ANI)


Mourinho to leave Real Madrid at end of season

Mourinho to leave Real Madrid at end of seasonMadrid, May 21 : Jose Mourinho's three-year term as coach of Spanish football giants Real Madrid will end June 30.

Club President Florentino Perez confirmed the news Monday at a press  Read more »

'2018 FIFA World Cup stadium may be delayed until 2017'

'2018 FIFA World Cup stadium may be delayed until 2017'St. Petersburg, May 21 : The completion date for Zenit St. Petersburg's $1.1 billion stadium has been put back again and it may not open until 2017, a decade after construction work began, the head  Read more »

Chennai through to fourth consecutive IPL final

Chennai through to fourth consecutive IPL finalNew Delhi, May 22 : Blistering unbeaten knocks by David Hussey and
Suresh Raina took two-time champions Chennai Super Kings to their fifth
Indian Premier League (IPL) final in six seasons with a comprehensive  Read more »

SC slams BCCI on spot fixing; no ban on IPL

SC slams BCCI on spot fixing; no ban on IPLNew Delhi, May 21 : While refusing to ban the remaining IPL matches, the Supreme Court Tuesday slammed the BCCI, saying spot fixing incidents had taken place due to its lackadaisical approach in reining in the erring players.  Read more »

Mahindra riders looking forward to Le Mans

mahindraMumbai, May 15 : India's only motorcycle Grand Prix team resumes battle in France this weekend with high hopes of strong results after a top-10 start for the all-new Mahindra Grand Prix machine.  Read more »

Disappointing outing for Bolisetti

Sailesh-BolisettiDijon-Prenois (France), May 13 : Indian racing driver Sailesh Bolisetti's second weekend of his 2013 Euro Race Car campaign ended on a disappointing note as he finished 18th and 17th in the two races here.  Read more »