World Cup format favours top teams: organizer | geo TV Online Watch geo live
NEW DELHI: The format of this month's cricket World Cup was tweaked to give India and other big teams a better chance of advancing in the tournament, a top organiser said on Wednesday.
Tournament director Ratnakar Shetty described the early exit of India and Pakistan from the last World Cup, played in the Caribbean, as a "disaster" for the event and said the format was altered to avoid a repeat.
The quarter-final format, first used in 1996 before being discarded, has been revived this time to ensure each team plays a minimum of six group-stage matches even if they do not make the next round.
In the 2007 World Cup, teams were divided into four groups of four each with the top two advancing to the Super-Eights league round before the semi-finals.
In the upcoming tournament, the 14 teams are in two groups with the top four in each qualifying for the knock-out rounds.
"I will not be honest if I say no," Shetty told a sports website when asked if the format had been designed to favour a top team like India.
"Economically, we all know that India is the financial powerhouse of cricket. The exit of India and Pakistan from the 2007 World Cup was a disaster for the tournament.
"The sponsors, broadcasters, tour operators, West Indies board -- all lost a lot of money. The format was changed in such a way that it gives all the top teams a chance to compete."
Shetty, who is also the chief administrative officer of the Indian cricket board, sought to allay security fears which usually dog high-profile tournaments in the sub-continent.
"The sub-continent has its own share of issues, with the biggest challenge being security," he said. "It is slightly different from how it would be if the tournament was to be staged in England or Australia.
"Things have changed in the last two years," he said. "The police have a mechanism of continuously monitoring the security issues.
"The threat perception varies from team to team, and that is an aspect that is being looked into by the central government."
The World Cup, being co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, starts on February 19.
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ICC publishes edited version of spot-fixing ruling
DUBAI: The ICC has published on its website an edited and encrypted 102-page version of the final determination of the independent tribunal that handed out its verdict on February 5 after the spot-fixing hearings in Doha.
However, in light of the Crown Prosecution Service's recent decision to pursue criminal charges against the three banned players - Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif - the judgement will not be available to readers in England and Wales.
To others, the version available online is in a read-only format and will be available for a period of only seven days.
"It is the ICC's intention to be as transparent an organisation as is feasible and to publish all its reports and findings for the benefit of stakeholders," ICC chief Haroon Lorgat said.
"Publishing the full written determination of the tribunal is clearly in the best interest of cricket." The tribunal, too, had recommended a full disclosure However, their hands have been forced by legal considerations.
The determination came with a clear warning, prohibiting the publication or dissemination of the determination within England and Wales. It also laid out that any attempt to access it from within England and Wales would be deemed unlawful, and could invite legal action.
PCB confirms Afridi as World Cup captain geo tv super sports news geo watch ten
LAHORE: Shahid Afridi will lead Pakistan at the World Cup, cricket chiefs said on Friday, quashing rumours that he might be replaced by Test captain Misbah-ul-Haq.
Pakistan last week announced a 15-man squad for the mega event, to be jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh from February 19, but had delayed the appointment of a captain.
"PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) announces Afridi as captain of Pakistan team for the World Cup. Misbah has been announced as vice captain for the event," the board said in a statement.
PCB chairman Ijaz Butt said the decision had widespread backing. "I had detailed discussions with team management and players in New Zealand regarding captain and vice captain and am pleased to state that everyone fully endorsed these decisions," Butt was quoted as saying in the PCB statement.
The PCB's decision to delay naming the captain had been criticised by former players and fans.
"It doesn't make a difference whether Misbah leads the side or I lead the side because we both are playing for our country, I have never been after captaincy," Afridi said earlier this week.
Misbah had backed all-rounder Afridi as captain. "I think Afridi has done a great job as captain and he has kept the team together and every player is contributing and wants to do well. He has led well," Misbah said after his man-of-the-match performance in New Zealand on Tuesday.
Afridi, 30, who was banned for two matches on charges of ball-tampering in only his second match as skipper in January last year, has led Pakistan in 20 one-day matches, winning nine, losing ten with one ending in no result because of rain.
Pakistan are in Group A of the World Cup and open their campaign with a match against Kenya at Hambantota, Sri Lanka, on February 23.
They go into the tournament on good form after wrapping up the current six-match one-day series against New Zealand with a game to spare.
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Dollar in tight range ahead of US jobs data News, geo news watch TV online business
TOKYO: The dollar stayed in a narrow range Friday as cautious investors waited for the release of key US jobs data, while the euro was lower after the European Central Bank dampened rate hike speculation.
Trading was lacklustre with the Lunar New Year holidays keeping many regional players away from the market, dealers said.
The dollar stood at 81.55 yen, little changed from 81.59 yen in New York.
The euro bought $1.3622 and 111.09 yen, off slightly from $1.3630 and 112.23 yen in New York.
The euro had recorded its sharpest decline in 10 weeks on Thursday from 1.38 to around the 1.36 level as the ECB kept interest rates on hold and bank president Jean-Claude Trichet struck a less hawkish tone than previously.
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Stocks surge by 55.6 points at weekend News, geo news watch TV online business
KARACHI: Led by middle tier shares, Karachi stocks ended up on Friday on hopes of the launch of a margin trading system (MTS), dealers said.
The chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) is expected to visit the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) on Monday, which dealers said raised expectations of a possible early launch of the MTS.
"Bullish activity was witnessed ahead of the SECP chairman's consent to visit the KSE on Monday, to review the approval of the MTS," said Ahsan Mehanti, director at Arif Habib Investments Ltd.
The Karachi Stock Exchange's benchmark 100-share index ended 0.45 percent, or 55.36 points, higher at 12,414.41 on turnover of 131.72 million shares.
In the currency market, the rupee ended weaker at 85.53/58 to the dollar, compared with Thursday's close of 85.50/56 amid higher international oil prices.
In the money market, overnight rates rose to end between 11.15 percent and 11.30 percent, compared with Thursday's close of 11 percent after the State Bank of Pakistan mopped up 25 billion rupees ($292 million) worth of treasury bills in a six day repo.
Banks will be closed on Saturday because of Kashmir day.
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Gunfire in central Cairo square: media world News, geo news watch TV online
CAIRO: Gunshots erupted Friday for a few minutes at Cairo's central Tahrir Square at the epicentre of protests against President Hosni Mubarak's 30-year grip on power, a correspondent reported.
There were no immediate reports of casualties despite more than 10,000 people hunkering down for the night in the square to demand Mubarak's departure, a new parliament and the installation of an interim government.
On the Muslim day of prayers and rest, tens of thousands of people from all walks of life earlier filled the square Friday for a giant "departure day" rally.
The square has seen 11 straight days of protests that have shaken the pillars of Mubarak's three-decade rule.
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Amnesty says staff released in Cairo ,geo news, pakistan news,online news,geo tv
LONDON: Rights group Amnesty International said Saturday that two of its staff detained in Egypt had been released, but appealed for other people detained during anti-regime protests to be freed.
The Amnesty pair were among five human rights workers and journalists freed late Friday, the London-based organisation said in a statement.
Military police arrested them on Thursday along with about 30 Egyptian and international rights activists, lawyers and journalists during a raid on the offices of the Hisham Mubarak Law Centre in Cairo, it said.
"We are greatly relieved by the release of our staff members and those freed with them," said Amnesty International general secretary Salil Shetty.
"But it is simply outrageous that the Egyptian activists arrested with them have not also been freed.
"There can be no justification for continuing to detain them. They must be released immediately, unconditionally, and returned in safety to their families."
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Egypt minister sorry for 'harsh treatment' news online world news geo tv watch
WASHINGTON: Egypt's Finance Minister Samir Radwan apologized Friday for any instance of journalists or Egyptian protestors that have been subject to "harsh treatment" at the hands of government forces, in an interview with CNN.
"I would apologize to any journalist or any foreigner or any egyptian for that matter that has been subjected to this harsh treatment," the newly appointed minister told CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight."
"I inquired and I was told that there is zero tolerance, zero tolerance of this government on attacks against foreigners, let alone journalists whom we need to have them on our side, to watch this situation unfold and convey a much better image to the outside world," he said.news online world news geo tv watch
Radwan acknowledge the protestors that have mounted massive protests across Egypt in recent days had "fair demands."
"They are talking about jobs. They are talking about corruption. They are talking about, you know, the freedom and so on... Now the fact that there are other political agenda that interfered with the situation and unfortunately on Wednesday the situation turned a bit nasty."
Clashes left at least eight people dead and more than 800 hurt on Wednesday and Thursday. According to UN estimates, more than 300 people have been killed since the protests began.
Egypt's defiant strongman Hosni Mubarak meanwhile Friday showed no sign of quitting following a "departure day" on Friday that drew tens of thousands opposed to his 30-year grip on power and international calls for him to quit.
US President Barack Obama meanwhile hinted that Mubarak should step down saying the "patriot" should "listen what is voiced by the people," while EU leaders clearly said it was time for change.
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Two Nato troops killed in Afghan blasts Pk Geo News Pakistan Geo TV News
KABUL: NATO says two of its service members have been killed in separate bomb attacks in southern Afghanistan.
Details of the service members' identities and the exact location of Saturday's blasts were not immediately disclosed.
Five service members with the international coalition have been killed so far in February, and 36 since the start of the year. Last year was the deadliest of the nearly decade-long war for international troops, with more than 700 killed, compared to just more than 500 in 2009, previously the worst of the war.
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M, President rings Fazal; try wooing to rejoin cabinet Pk geo News
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani late Friday telephoned chief JUI-F Maulana Fazlur Rehamn, inviting the latter to rejoin federal cabinet, Geo News reported.
As per sources, while trying to woo JUI-F chief Fazal, the duo said during the telephonic conversation, that the new cabinet was going to be formed under new mandate, insisting that inclusion of JUI-F in federal cabinet would help government run matters of national interests.
However, according to sources, the spokesman to JUI-F, Mufti Abrar told Geo News that Fazalur Rehamn declined the invitation to rejoin cabinet.
Also, he said that Fazal told them that his party had decided not to rejoin PPP-led federal government, adding that formation of new cabinet was PPP’s internal affair.President Zardari calls Nawaz Sharif
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari Friday night telephoned PML-N Quaid Mian Mohammed Nawaz Sharif.
Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that current political situation was discussed during the telephonic conversation between the two leaders.
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