Akram is ready to become Bowling consultant

Wasim Akram, former Paksitan skipper and medium pace bowler, wants to assist Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkota Knight Riders' as a bowling consultant than a full time coach. Although, former Indian Coach John Wright's name is way ahead of other four coaches who are listed for the new post in Shah Rukh Khan's team. Insiders sait that the Pakistani player's preference is to serve as a bowling consultant.

The third edition of the IPL is secheduled to be held in 2010 and all the teams are preparing for it. In order to improve the team performance, KKR sacked former team coach John Buchanan and is now in process to have a new one. According to sources, Wasim Akram is learnt to meet team owner Shah Rukh Khan and other members on the Kolkata Knight Riders interview panel including Sourav Ganguly.

The meeting is expected to take place early next week. Apart from Wright and Akram, other prominent coaches in the run for the assignment are Richard Pybus and Duncan Fletcher.

Dhoni can be good Bollywood actor: Kaushik

RANCHI: Stars of cricket icon Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in the seventh sky as Bollywood actor-director Satish Kaushik is of the view that Dhoni may prove a good Bollywood actor. Kaushik said that Dhoni is good-looking and photogenic face and body. It is noted that his personality also attract advertisement companies.


Kaushik was in the Dhoni's city to promote his new movie Tere Sang. He said that if Dhoni interested, a film could be possible with him. This is not the first time that cricketers foray into Bollywood. Likes of Salim Durani, Sunil Gavaskar, Sandeep Patil, Syed Kirmani and Vinod Kambli has already tried their luck in the Indian cinema but fail.


Bollywood actor-director Satish Kaushik is a well known comedian and he was begged Filmfare Best Comedian Awards for performances in Ram Lakhan and Saajan Chale Sasural. He has also directed a couple of worth-watching movies.

Fate of ICL players to be decided tomorrow

MUMBAI: The fate of Indian Premier League (ICL) players, who were not a part of official Indian cricket, will be decided on August 11. Indian Premier League Chairman Lalit Modi will head the meeting on Tuesday.


Among the major issues, ICL players' participation in third edition of IPL which is scheduled in March-April, 2010. Right now these players are allowed to play in domestic cricket for their respective teams after their return in the main stream cricket. Modi said that in the meeting 28,000 items will be discussed.

Modi said it in the sidelines of a book release function here in which Sachin Tendulkar, Mukesh Ambani, Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor and former Pakistan Cricket Board chairman and diplomat Shaharyar Khan took part. The book, Shadows Across The Playing Field, was unveiled by Sachin.

Sports minister opposed BCCI's take on WADA

NEW DELHI: It must be a shocking news for the BCCI as the Union Sports Minister MS Gill supported the controversial the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) whereabout clause. On Monday, the minister said that Indian cricketers ought to follow the rules of the WADA. He was speaking to the reporters on the sidelines of the state sports ministers' conference here.

Gill emphasised that the ministry had agreed with WADA regulatory testing and they adhere to that. He said that most of the world's sportspersons have already signed it. There is nothing like reveling players personal life or privacy. The "whereabout" clause of the WADA code has ruffled many feathers here with the BCCI convening an emergency working committee meeting in Mumbai, on Sunday, attended by India captain MS Dhoni and senior players Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh.

After the meeting, BCCI President Shashank Manohar said the Board had no issues with out-of-competition testing of the 11 cricketers in the WADA pool but the "whereabout" clause was not only an infringement of their privacy but also posed security risks.The BCCI has asked ICC, a WADA signatory, to explore the possibilities of having a separate anti-doping mechanism of its own. Gill, however, felt that WADA was championing a good cause and every one should support its bid for a dope-free world. "We should support WADA in its cause.

The world is concerned about doping and we should support WADA," Gill said. "We have set up a dope testing laboratory next to Nehru Stadium and now Sweden is also sending samples of their players for testing. We should be proud of it," Gill added.