BOXING / FOCUS ‘The Machine' is all set to roll

Paul Koon, a professional in the World Series Boxing (WSB) and a heavyweight boxer, who, at one time, was ranked the number one amateur in the U.S., is known for his ruthless punching. He is also an avid chess player. By Nandakumar Marar.

Paul Koon..."Boxing is like chess for me. The approach is the same; I like to play defensively. Jab, jab and force the opponent to commit a mistake, then… (he executes a dummy left hook) ‘checkmate!'"

Paul Koon is of the view that there are striking similarities between boxing and chess; between ring craft and moves on the board. “You have to use your brain in both,” he says, pointing a finger to his head for emphasis.

But the American, with his muscular biceps, tattooed arm and fast-moving hands, pushing a rook or a bishop on a chess board looks out of place. Nicknamed ‘The Machine' for his ruthless punching, Koon is a professional in the World Series Boxing (WSB) and a heavyweight boxer, who, at one time, was ranked the number one amateur in the United States of America.

In the WSB last season, Koon won two bouts representing Miami Gallos. Mumbai Fighters have, indeed, signed an amazing character for the WSB 2011-2012 season. Evander Holyfield and Floyd Mayweather are Koon's favourite boxers. And his favourite chess player is Bobby Fischer.

“He (Fischer) is from my country,” says Koon, who has been training and sparring in Pune, which is the base of Mumbai Fighters, and the venue for the franchise's Group A bouts.

With 16 other boxers, both foreign and Indian, in five weight categories focussed on fine-tuning their skills under Technical Director Joe Clough at the Balewadi Sports Complex, the identity of Koon's chess partner is a mystery. “It is easier finding a sparring partner. I play chess on my computer,” reveals the 25-year-old boxer from Philadelphia.

Comparing boxing with chess, Koon says, “Boxing is like chess for me. The approach is the same; I like to play defensively. Jab, jab and force the opponent to commit a mistake, then… (he executes a dummy left hook) ‘checkmate!'”

A powerful frame with a hint of quiet menace sits well on Koon no doubt, but why did this chess enthusiast choose boxing as a profession?

“I played many sports as a kid. Boxing was my choice because I love fighting. I did not go for team sports, where I would have to give my all and depend on the others to decide whether we win or lose.

In boxing, you are responsible for your results, and nobody else can be blamed (for your loss),” Koon explains.

Taking up boxing at the age of 13, Koon became the Pennsylvania Gloves Champion in 2006. Training under Zahir Justice and Blaine White, he retained the title in 2008 and 2009. A bronze medal in the 2008 Future Stars National Boxing was followed by a silver medal in the USA Golden Gloves event the same year.

Koon was also adjudged the U.S. Boxing Athlete of the Month in March 2008 on the strength of his performances in the United States versus Ireland duel in Kildare, Ireland. He was the final U.S. boxer to step into the ring and face John Sweeney.

Both boxers were tied 19-19 at the bell after three rounds, but Koon's total punch count of 47 against Sweeney's 35 in the tie-breaker titled the verdict in the American's favour.

It was Koon's first international competition as an amateur. Before the Ireland bout, he attended a preparatory camp at the Olympic Training Centre, Colorado Springs.

Miami Gallos drafted Koon for a professional career in WSB where he made a mark in a home match at Filimore Miami Beach against Los Angeles Matadors.

He edged out Javier Torres in a close contest, winning 49-46, 48-47, 48-47 to give Miami a winning 3-0 lead.

“The World Series Boxing will not only help boxers make money, it will also help them grow,” says Koon, for whom the move from Pennsylvania to Pune allowed him the chance of visiting a new place and understanding a new culture. Miami Gallos' heavyweight Trent Rawlins of Australia has joined him at Mumbai Fighters.

The WSB fighters have the option of going back to amateur boxing where the thrust is on precision punching with safety measures like head guards in place. Amateur boxing also gives the pugilists the chance to win medals and glory for their countries.

Koon, however, does not want to think about it. “The thought of wearing head guards puts me off,” he says in jest.

Clearly this boxing machine from America is ready to roll in the WSB. Five rounds in the ring with no head guards, but with his fists, courage and hard training to back him in his attempt to carve out a professional career.

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V.V. KRISHNAN 

Akhil Kumar... a bronze medal winner in the AIBA World Cup will be fighting for Mumbai Fighters in World Series Boxing.

Reputations to maintain

Lightweight Akhil Kumar and bantamweight Jitender Kumar, both bronze medal winners in the 2008 AIBA World Cup Boxing, are fighters with reputations to maintain in World Series Boxing 2011-2012. The two boxers, representing the Indian franchise, Mumbai Fighters, will be competing for the first time in professional boxing. Both are from Bhiwani (Haryana) which is now known as the cradle of boxing in India. Their performance in the ring during WSB will be keenly watched by youngsters across the country as the bouts will be telecast live on ESPN.

WSB comprises bouts in five weight categories — five matches home or away and five rounds to each bout. Boxers do not wear head guards or vests.

Twelve teams are divided into two groups of six teams each. Top four qualify for the quarterfinals. The Indian franchise, Mumbai Fighters, is in Group A.

Mumbai Fighters' schedule:

At home — November 11: versus Dolce & Gabbana Milano Thunder; December 9: versus Los Angeles Matadors; December 16: versus Astana Arlans, December 20: versus Dynamo Moscow; February 3, 2012: Bangkok Team.

Away — November 18: versus Dynamo Moscow ; December 2: Bangkok Team; January 13, 2012: versus Milano Thunder; February 10: versus LA Matadors; February 17: versus Astana Arlans.

Mumbai Fighters line-up — Bantamweight: Jitender Kumar, Balbir Singh, Gaurav Bidhuri, Vipin Kumar; Lightweight: Akhil Kumar, Diwakar Prasad, Siddharth Varma; Middleweight: Patrick Gallagher (Ireland), Mandeep Jangra, Vijay Hooda; Light Heavyweight: Marko Calic (Croatia), Jasveer Singh, Rahul Kumar; Heavyweight: Paul Koon (U.S.), Trent Rawlins (Australia), Krishan Kumar, Sumit Rangi.

Technical Director: Joe Clough. Coach: Shiv Kumar Pal. Team Principal: Udit Sheth.

FORMULA ONE / FOCUS What a backroom!

There's definitely some truth when they say, ‘In Formula One, most often a race is either won or lost in the garage.' G. Raghunath visits the Ferrari and the McLaren garages.

AP 

The McLarens in full cry in the Turkish Grand Prix.

What is quite remarkable about the Formula One team garages is their cleanliness and orderliness. Entering the garages of two of the most successful teams in the sport, Ferrari and McLaren Racing, is like stepping into the clean rooms of a scientific research facility. The whiff of gasoline and lacquer spray is overpowering, but you just can't ignore the painstakingly buffed and glossed garage walls, the floor that has been swept and mopped clean as a slate and the well-lit cubicles where everything, from the computers and drivers' balaclavas and helmets to the appliances and tools used by the mechanics, is exactly where it should be.

Stuart Humm, the sponsorship manager of Shell, the technical partner of Ferrari since 1930s, who guides a team of select journalists through the Scuderia Ferrari garage, pulls open a drawer and says, “Look, this is how well organised things are here.”

The drawer contains spanners and screw drivers, all spotlessly clean and showing no indication that they have been used, and arranged neatly as per their sizes. “We work in a sterile environment here,” adds Humm.

But before this, Humm leads us to what he calls the first step in the team's working process — Shell's on track laboratory that tests the fuel and lubricants used by Ferrari. “Behind every millilitre of the fuel and the oil that powers Ferrari is a team of over 50 scientists working in Shell laboratories and facilities around the world,” he says as he ushers us into a cubby hole wherein three people go about their work studiously.

In Formula One the use of fuel is governed by stringent controls. The FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) regulations pertaining to the race fuel proscribe the use of specific power-boosting additives. This is aimed at helping in the development of road car fuels. The fuel formulation is, thus, strictly monitored by the world body.

“We perform more than 40 tests per weekend on fuel and engine lubricants to ensure that we stay within the parameters set by the FIA, while continually working alongside Ferrari to deliver the best Formula One fuel for the team,” says Cara Tredget, the Shell Technology Manager for Ferrari.

Quite interestingly, over 200,000 litres of fuel are blended each season for use by the Ferrari race and test teams which is enough to last a road car for 50 years!

“One other thing we take good care is to eliminate contamination. Deposits that form on inlet valves and injection systems could retard engine speeds, so developing a good cleanser is a big challenge,” says Cara.

The lubricants, Cara says, are crucial to an engine's performance. They not only help cool engines but also prevent loss of power through friction. Lubricants also help minimise engine wear and double up as a cleaning agent, she adds.

We then move on to the main area of the garage where the two Ferraris (Alonso's and Massa's), shorn off their tyres and their engine covers, rest. Like stock brokers monitoring the indices at a stock exchange, a couple of crew members are peering at the computer screens, intermittently taking down data released by the various sensors from the cars. A couple more are peripatetic, moving up and down the room with a pen and sheets of paper clipped to a pad in hand.

The mechanics rev up Massa's car that whines plaintively each time gas is pumped into the engine. Simultaneously a few other mechanics check the hydraulic pressure and the temperatures.

“You need at least eight people to start the car,” says Humm. “There are guys monitoring the various aspects of the engine, like the temperature which is very crucial. You just can't start an engine and rev it up like that,” he says, snapping his fingers. “The Formula One engines are very sensitive and can suffer what we call a ‘thermal shock', which would lead to engine seizures. It's a situation no team would want to have.”

Starting a Formula One car is a lot different from switching on the ignition of a road car. “They use an external starter to awaken the Formula One car. The starter has a long shaft which is plugged into the back of the gearbox and turned on,” explains Steve Cooper, the public relations officer of McLaren, who shows us around his team's garage.

Cooper then picks up a McLaren steering wheel and asks us to have a feel of it. “No photographs, please,” he says. And as an afterthought, he adds: “Even if you shoot photographs, you are not allowed to publish them.”

The steering wheel, made of carbon fibre, is pretty light. “It weighs about just 1.3 kilograms,” says Cooper. The switches and knobs on the wheel are dainty. You get a crispy feeling when you depress the switches and turn the knobs. The drivers use these switches and knobs to deploy the pit-lane speed limiter, KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and DRS (Drag Reduction System) and change the differential. Attached behind the wheel are the gear and clutch levers.

“The steering wheel costs about $40000,” says Cooper with a smirk.

Adjoining the main area of the garage is a small room, like an antechamber, where tyres wrapped in electric blankets are stacked up. “These electric blankets keep the rubber warm which ensures maximum grip right from the time the car leaves the garage,” explains Cooper.

According to Humm, the blankets also help keep a team's tyre strategy under wraps. “That's why we remove them only just before the start of a race, so our adversaries won't know what tyres we are running on until the final few seconds,” he says.

As per the FIA rules, for a race weekend, each driver is allotted 11 sets of dry weather tyres (six prime or hard compound and five option or soft compound), four sets of intermediate and three sets of wet slicks. For Friday's two free practice sessions, a driver cannot use more than three sets of dry weather tyres (two primes and one option). He has to return one set of primes to the tyre supplier before second free practice and one set each of prime and option before third free practice. He will then be given another eight sets of dry tyres (four primes and four options) for the qualifiers and the race.

These regulations, according to Cooper, are enforced in order to make sure that the teams don't misuse tyres.

As it is difficult to recognise the drivers in their helmets, a team allots colours — red or yellow — to each of its drivers to enable the pit crew to identify them correctly, for in the rush of the competition and while performing complex tasks like changing tyres in the midst of a frenetic race, it could all go wrong. (At McLaren Lewis Hamilton is red and Jenson Button yellow; at Ferrari Fernando Alonso is red and Felipe Massa is yellow. The colours are displayed on the onboard camera, above the driver's head.) Similarly, the tyres allotted to each driver are marked as per his colour.

“Tyres can't be swapped. Even by mistake you are not allowed to fit, say for instance, Hamilton's tyres to Button's car. This is a very serious offence and the offending team can be penalised heavily,” informs Cooper.

This is where the pit-stop drills help. More than how quickly a team performs a task in the pits, it's how well it accomplishes the job in such a short time — about 3.5 seconds — that matters. (It takes about 16 active crew members to perform a tyre change. And it is one of the most exciting actions one can witness off the track. But the pit-stop drills are done in camera.)

So, there's definitely some truth when they say, ‘In Formula One, most often a race is either won or lost in the garage.'

FOOTBALL / STARWATCH No one-season wonder

The Holland international joined Spurs in August last year for GBP8 million and soon endeared himself to Spurs fans with some outstanding displays in the Barclays English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

Rafael van der Vaart proved to be one of the signings of 2010 and the Tottenham midfielder has already proved he is no one-season wonder.

The Holland international joined Spurs in August last year for GBP8 million and soon endeared himself to Spurs fans with some outstanding displays in the Barclays English Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

Van der Vaart caused all sorts of problems playing just off an out-and-out striker and at the start of this season he has proved to be equally, if not more, effective.

The former Real Madrid man equalled a club record when he found the back of the net against QPR recently, having scored in his last five EPL matches.

With six goals in his last five EPL games and seven in total this season, the mercurial Dutchman has earned himself a reputation as one of the most clinical finishers in England.

Since arriving at White Hart Lane, Van der Vaart has scored an impressive 19 goals in 36 games to ensure Jermain Defoe and Roman Pavlyuchenko have been mainly limited to substitute roles.

And Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp has paid tribute to the clinical finishing displayed by the dynamic Dutchman.

Redknapp said: “If you look at Rafa's goalscoring record it's incredible. He is just a great finisher. He is cool in front of goal and when the chances come he makes it look so easy. His two goals at Blackburn were world class.”

Spurs have not lost in the EPL since being hammered by leaders Manchester City in August and the London club have won six out of their last seven games in all competitions.

Van der Vaart is backing them to continue their impressive form and finish above arch-rivals Arsenal. “We are better than Arsenal,” the 28-year-old said. “In our last seven games we have won six and drawn once. It's a long season, but I think we have a bigger and better squad.”

He added: “Are we the best team in London? Maybe, but it's still early. We're in a good way. We are much better than we were last season. Man City is the best team in the league and below them you have a lot of good teams and we are one of them.”

Managers can often be heard venting their frustrations when chairmen and owners meddle in transfer affairs, but Spurs supremo Daniel Levy played a huge role in signing Van der Vaart and Redknapp is certainly not complaining about that.

FOOTBALL / LET'S BE FRANK So far, so good

The chances are Alan Pardew's side will not win anything of note anytime soon, but Newcastle United is the team of the EPL season so far.

In 1955 Newcastle United lifted the FA Cup and coincidentally, in a bid to stop Russia spying on missile tests, Britain claimed a small uninhabited islet 300 miles off Scotland called Rockall.

Some might say Newcastle, in terms of major trophies, have claimed much the same since. Yes, they paraded the Inter Cities Fairs Cup in 1969 and the Intertoto Cup in 2006, but major trophies? None.

The chances are Alan Pardew's side will not win anything of note anytime soon, but they are the team of the season so far. The unexpected package proving that football's tried and trusted values of hard work, inspired man-management and, above all, team ethic still count for something in a Barclays English Premier League dominated by individuals rich beyond reason.

There were pundits tipping Newcastle to struggle this season. Some thought the Championship beckoned when they sold Andy Carroll, Jose Enrique, Kevin Nolan and Joey Barton in the space of eight months.

Yet, after 11 matches, they stand third in the EPL, one point behind Manchester United and six behind leaders Manchester City but perhaps more tellingly three ahead of Chelsea and six ahead of Arsenal.

The job Pardew has done in restoring pride and faith and a winning mentality to a club with an almost insatiable appetite for turmoil is remarkable considering he was viewed with antipathy at best by large swathes of the Toon Army when he took over from Chris Hughton, a man who had been dispensed with harshly by owner Mike Ashley considering he had kept the listing Newcastle ship afloat following the second acrimonious departure of Kevin Keegan, the heart scare suffered by Joe Kinnear and Alan Shearer's failed attempt to keep the club in the EPL.

Pardew has done it with stealth, not wealth, bringing in key players such as Demba Ba and Gabriel Obertan, concentrating on team morale and instilling that crucial footballing ethic which says strikers are the first line of defence. A simple notion, but one often forgotten by big-money front men who understand their contract requires goals but not always the need to trouble the sweatometer.

It means Newcastle are no longer the great entertainers they were in the first coming of Keegan when David Ginola, Les Ferdinand and Shearer smashed in the goals.

The goals Newcastle have conceded in those 11 matches, however, is the key. It is the best defensive record in the EPL. It is why Newcastle are one of only three teams in the Football League who remain unbeaten, the others being Huddersfield and Manchester City.

How refreshing it was after Newcastle beat Stoke 3-1 at the Britannia Stadium recently to hear defender Steven Taylor explain the simplicity of the Pardew success.

“We are just playing as a team, that is all we are doing,” said Taylor, who epitomised the spirit by playing with a mask to protect a broken nose. We can't afford to carry one person because we are a small squad and it has shown because everyone has pulled their weight.”

So far, so good. The difficult bit comes now as expectations build. Is the Pardew rejuvenation the real deal or another false dawn in the tumultuous history of a complex club.

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Since moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid for £80m Cristiano Ronaldo's star has been partially eclipsed on the world stage by Lionel Messi and the sheer brilliance of Barcelona over the past couple of years.

Yet the statistics tell another story. Ronaldo, who scored twice for Real in their 2-0 win against Lyon in the Champions League in midweek, has scored 100 goals in 105 matches for Real. That is genius. That is why he was worth it.

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Wigan chairman Dave Whelan says he will never sack manager Roberto Martinez even if they are relegated.

At many clubs that statement could be taken with a large shovel of salt. But Martinez turned down Aston Villa to stay with rock-bottom Wigan in the summer out of loyalty to his chairman.

Now Whelan is repaying that loyalty, despite Wigan having lost their last seven matches.

Wigan are not leaders in many things where football is concerned, but in terms of dignity and respect they are top of the heap.

FOOTBALL Key player

Joleon Lescott's tough tackling and confidence attracted the eyes of many across the continent, and in August 2009 Manchester City manager Mark Hughes took action and brought him to the ambitious club, writes Joe Short.

Joleon Lescott was one of the first players to join the Manchester City revolution and continues to play a key role as they push for the Barclays English Premier League title.

As a resolute defender at Everton, Lescott proved to be a competent and reliable member of a team pushing to secure a regular top-seven finish.

His tough tackling and confidence attracted the eyes of many across the continent, and in August 2009 Manchester City manager Mark Hughes took action and brought him to the ambitious club, with European aspirations of their own.

The GBP22 million move to City came at a time of huge transition for the Eastlands club. With the takeover by the Abu Dhabi United Group, the money began to flow as City spent GBP122 million in the first year.

Lescott's place, which had been secure at Everton, was assumed safe upon his City arrival. He debuted at the end of August in City's 2-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Carling Cup, and scored his first goal for the club a month later.

However, injuries and poor form began to hamper his time at City, and at a club where player turnaround is chillingly decisive, once he lost his place in the back four he had trouble regaining it.

Born in Birmingham, Lescott had no problems with selection early in his career. Since his debut for Wolverhampton Wanderers 11 years ago, he has been first choice wherever he has played.

A serious ruptured knee injury prevented him from taking any part in Wolves' 2003/04 Premier League season, but on his return to match fitness Lescott went straight back into the relegated side, and earned a Player of the Year accolade before transferring to Everton.

He was an immediate success at the Toffees, avoiding injuries and scoring goals. Indeed, 10 goals from a central defender in 54 appearances in 2007/08, which included Everton's UEFA Cup run, offered him the chance to pull on the England shirt for the first time.

His international debut came at Wembley in October 2007, where he entered the field for Rio Ferdinand at half-time, as England won 3-0. Another successful season at Everton gave the intelligent defender his move to City, but it has not all been plain sailing since then. Injuries and competition for places meant Lescott playing only 19 league games in his first season with City.

Three months into his time at City he underwent a knee operation, keeping him out of action for eight weeks, before a hamstring problem kept him out until the final game of the 2009/10 season. His struggle to regain full fitness meant he missed out on Fabio Capello's 30-man provisional squad for the World Cup.

Made to sit and watch the tournament from home, Lescott trained hard in anticipation of the 2010/11 season and his luck changed for the better when Kolo Toure failed a drugs test in March 2011.

That resulted in a six-month ban from the game and Lescott filled the gap to form a solid partnership with Vincent Kompany, helping City to UEFA Champions League qualification. Along with third spot in the EPL came Lescott's first taste of silverware, as he helped City beat Stoke 1-0 in the FA Cup final.

Recent events suggest things are about to get even better for City, with the 6-1 thrashing of Manchester United suggesting the blue half of Manchester are now genuine title contenders.

If Lescott can keep his place in the side, a place at Euro 2012 could go some way to making up for his World Cup disappointment and the defender will be over the blue moon.

At the age of five, Lescott was struck by a car outside his school and suffered life-threatening head injuries and the scar can still be seen today.

Lescott is believed to have a girlfriend but manages to keep her away from the public spotlight. Before moving to City, Lescott owned a £60,000 Mercedes S-Class, with a three-litre diesel engine and top speed of 148mph.

FACTFILE

Name: Joleon Lescott
Position: Defender
Club: Manchester City
D.O.B: 16/08/1982
England caps: 13
England goals: 0
England debut: v Estonia, 2007

Moment to remember

Lescott's solid display at the heart of the defence helped Manchester City win the FA Cup earlier this year.

Moment to forget

A nine-game injury absence at the end of the 2009/10 season effectively erased any chance of playing at the 2010 World Cup.

FIFA still in turmoil

The financial dealings of FIFA get murkier with each passing day. More officials are dragged in the net and swords are drawn out as everyone tries to save themselves. By Brian Glanville.

As one executive betrays another, can it be that FIFA, that infamously dysfunctional organisation, is falling apart at last? We have already had the CONCACAF fall out with Chuck Blazer, general secretary and number two, suddenly blowing the whistle on Jack Warner, his President and till then cherished ally, contriving to force him out of office on the back of Bin Hammam's thwarted attempt to bribe Caribbean leaders in his quest for the FIFA presidency. Followed not long after by the surprising resignation of Chuck Blazer himself. Quite what the tangled motivation for this may have been, we can but surmise. But we do know that a while ago, both Blazer and the present FIFA chief executive, Jerome Valcker, were scathingly accused as liars by a woman judge in a New York court, when endeavouring to squeeze Mastercard out of its long term World Cup finals deal with FIFA in favour of Visa. It didn't harm either of them. Blazer was untouched, Valcker was soon after promoted to his present role.

Far more significant and potentially devastating is the decision by the embattled FIFA president Sepp Blatter at long last to release the publication of Swiss court documents, revealing the huge bribes paid by the now defunct ISL organisation to FIFA officials in return for marketing rights. It was in June 2010 that the Swiss courts ruled that FIFA officials had been bribed though obscurely, the names of the culprits were withheld on payment of a GBP3.9 million fine.

The cat in fact had come out of the bag in 1998, when by a bizarre mischance a standard form from the USB bank arrived at the desk of FIFA's finance director, detailing the transfer of a million Swiss francs into a FIFA account; including the payee's name. He being a senior FIFA executive and the payment being a plain bribe. Struggling to keep afloat ISL effectively doomed themselves in 1999 with a crazy $1.2 billion contract for 10 years with world tennis.

Now, sensationally, it seems that Blatter was about to expose the malfeasances of none other than his own mentor Joao Havelange who as the autocratic and deeply suspect president of FIFA from 1974 to 1998, had colossally enriched himself and arguably poisoned the wells of the game. Havelange and the ineffable Ricardo Teixeira, once his son-in-law, now both have the finger pointed at them by Blatter. Just as Teixeira, who has stayed in power at the Brazilian Confederation for a decade and a half, presides in his office over the World Cup 2014 meeting in Rio.

You might call the notoriously anti English Teixeira a survivor. His whole lucrative career risen from the ashes of bankruptcy and commercial failure, was owed to Havelange. Summed up neatly by a former top executive Guido Tognoni: “Ricardo Teixeira's most remarkable talent is that he is the son-in-law of Havelange.” Teixeira has said that Havelange taught him all he knows about football. His involvement in its television rights having made him hugely wealthy after his earlier failures. Significantly, when Havelange stepped down as head of the Brazilian Football Federation, a deficit of millions of dollars was found while Teixeira himself has been charged with tax evasion of thousands of dollars.

Now however the Brazilian authorities, frustrated in the past, have zeroed in on him and his dealings which is very bad news for FIFA, too. Till now, Teixeira, who took a couple of plane loads of leading Brazilian judges, lawyers and attorneys to the 1994 World Cup finals, even survived the scandal of the team's victorious return to Rio airport with nine tonnes of undeclared goods. In 1998, a frustrated Dr. Maria Emilia Arauto, told David Yallop, author of the alarming ‘How they Stole the Game', that part of the cargo probably consisted of narcotics. Teixeira, she said, “Is very well connected by the Accounts Tribunal of the state.” But it may not be enough to protect him now.

Yet there could be more embarrassment for Blatter and company to come from Jack Warner, his former bosom buddy, to whom in the past he addressed so many affectionate messages, and to whom and his Trinidad Federation he granted exceptional privileges, among them huge so called loans which seem never to have been repaid, is now swearing revenge for his exclusion from FIFA. Warner was suspended for doling out money in Bin Hammam's attempt to buy CONCACAF presidential votes.

He, who must know where a plethora of bodies are buried, now swears vengeance while muttering somewhat incoherently that “Zionism is the most important reason why this attack was mounted.” Zionism? He threatens to speak, of “gifts” made by Blatter in his most recent, finally unopposed, presidential campaign. Having collided with Bin Hammam in $40 thousand bungs offered to Caribbean delegates, to promote Bin Hammam's abortive presidential campaign.

But the most dramatic aspect of the whole sordid business is surely that the finger should at last be pointed at Havelange, under whose devious regime FIFA became a source of scandal and corruption. In 1998, Havelange abandoned the presidency as a very wealthy man. He didn't need an official salary.

CRICKET / FOCUS Wise Wisden coming to India

The wait until next year for an affordable Indian edition of Wisden could be tantalising to many in the country. Let us hope this move and the several others contemplated for enlarging the Wisden's general appeal do not dilute the charm of the more than hundred years old chronicle. But we can confidently expect that Lawrence Booth, who, at 35, is the youngest ever to edit Wisden, will steer clear of such pitfalls, writes R. K. Raghavan.

The chance to marry Wisden's age-old strengths with the 21st century home of the game was too good to ignore — Lawrence Booth, Editor, Wisden, on the proposed Indian edition.

English institutions never die. They will not change either, if they can help it. Look at the continued reverence of the English to Royalty, despite some of the latter's famous indiscretions! Wisden — the cricket almanack that is being published every year since 1864 — is one such institution that will never become extinct or less adored. After great deliberation it has now chosen to change, although its traditional yellow jacket may still be retained.

I have been reading this hoary publication for more than three decades, and have always found it a pleasurable experience. My only grouse is that the publishers still price it so high — a whopping 35 Pounds — making it almost inaccessible to the average lover of the game. There is some good news, however, for the Indian cricket aficionados. From next year onwards, the legendary annual will have an Indian edition that could become more affordable. This is sensible and good economics in the sub-continent, where the game is much more than a religion. I suppose the get-up will also improve, with wider pages and a larger print to help those like me with a failing sight. Apart from a Kindle version called Shorter Wisden (carrying the best of articles of each year's edition) that will sell at less than 10 pounds, an online Wisden Extra magazine will also appear once a quarter. It would concentrate on a specific current issue that dominates the game at any time.

The 2011 Wisden is as usual a treasure-house of information on all first class games played in any part of the world. Would you believe it? There is a short feature on cricket in Afghanistan! Don't underestimate the Afghans. They are rarin' to go after winning the ICC Intercontinental Cup. There is some hope that in a small way, the fillip to its cricket could help to at least partially restore peace to that country. If that actually happens it would be the greatest tribute to the game's leavening influence.

Since 1889 Wisden recognises five players as the Cricketers of the Year. The choice is by its Editor, and this accolade is conferred on those whose performance had had an influence on English cricket. In a stunning departure from the past, this year's edition carries only four; Eoin Morgan of Middlesex (a batsman of great promise, whose trade-mark stroke is the reverse sweep), Chris Read, the Nottinghamshire wicket-keeper captain (on exile from the England team after a remarkable debut at 20), Tamim Iqbal of Bangladesh (who helped his country win their first Test abroad in the West Indies in 2009), and Jonathan Trott of Warwickshire (who has stabilised his place in the England team since a marathon nine and a quarters' innings last year against Pakistan at Lord's). Interestingly, according to one press report, the fifth Cricketer of the Year was to have been Mohammed Amir of Pakistan, one of the trio convicted of ‘spot-fixing' charges in a Southwark Crown Court in London. His name was dropped at the last minute once the Crown Prosecution Service's decision to take the three to court was known. Truly, a true index of the values that have been built around Wisden!

Former Editor Scyld Berry, who stepped down earlier this year and has been succeeded by Lawrence Booth, sets the tone for Wisden 2011 with his nine-page Notes that covers a wide spectrum of issues, including the misconduct of the three Pakistani cricketers. It stands out for its clinical analysis of the Ashes triumph of England at home and in Australia. Berry's tribute to England reads: “It would be hard to think of a sizeable human organisation that has come closer to perfection...” Who can say this unqualified praise was not deserved, especially after the recent demolition (a “whitewash” as is popularly called) of Dhoni's men by an exorcised squad led by Andy Strauss. In his brief ‘Giving in to temptation', Berry gives his choice of a Wisden Test XI, a Wisden innovation since 2009. It has five Indians: Sehwag, Tendulkar, Laxman, Dhoni and Zaheer Khan. The rest of the elite group comprises two each from England and South Africa and one each from Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Berry's team of selectors that included Ian Chappell and Ian Bishop could not have been more objective. While the fact that no Pakistani was picked was understandable, it is surprising that Australia was also ignored, despite Ponting's huge credentials. Those who believe that Wisden is only about statistics, the number of short articles that the 2011 issue carries will come as a surprise. ‘Cricket a' la Modi' on the controversies surrounding the IPL, ‘Beer out, champagne in' on media coverage of the game and ‘A dance to the music of stats' on the ephemeral nature of records once considered immortal and unbeatable all make absorbing reading.

Wisden 2011 offers a feast to those like me who thrive on nostalgia. Tributes to Sir Alec Bedser (1918-2010) by leading scribe John Woodcock and former Prime Minister Sir John Major, and to Trevor Bailey (1923-2011), by that eminent Test Match Special (TMS) commentator with a golden voice, Christopher Martin-Jenkins (CMJ as he is known in the media), moistened my eyes.

Major's comments on the immortal Bedser were made at a memorial service held in the Southwark Cathedral. His speech on the occasion ended thus: “Alec played cricket like a poet: his length and line were perfect. The finest poem cricket has known, written of a much earlier great bowler, ended with the plea that “the turf may lay softly upon him”. And on you, dear Alec. And on you.” I cannot recall reading anything more poignant than this on any cricketer.

CMJ considers Trevor Bailey as one of the greatest all-rounders the game has ever produced. Who can forget Trevor's five-hour fifth-wicket partnership with Willie Watson on the last day of the Ashes Test at Lord's in 1953 which saved the game for England, and enabled it to win the series. Apart from these, there is a whole section devoted to obituaries, in which a dear friend T. E. Srinivasan, a Tamil Nadu batsman of great courage, finds mention. I still cannot comprehend why TE played only one Test.

A section on recent books on cricket adds weight to the treasure that Wisden is. The wait until next year for an affordable Indian edition could be tantalising to many in the country. Let us hope this move and the several others contemplated for enlarging the Wisden's general appeal do not dilute the charm of the more than hundred years old chronicle. But we can confidently expect that Booth, who, at 35, is the youngest ever to edit Wisden, will steer clear of such pitfalls.

Involve former cricketers to curb fixing

The Anti-Corruption and Security Unit of the ICC comprises former policemen with a good track record but the point is whether they all know enough about the intricacies of the game to spot something that is amiss. This will make a huge difference in eradicating the malady and hence, the ICC should look at involving former cricketers in their efforts to curb fixing of all kinds in cricket.

The sentencing of Butt, Asif and Amir by Justice Cooke at Southwark Crown Court will hopefully prove as a deterrent for murky-minded sportsmen but unfortunately the same sentiment prevailed in 2000 when a few Indian and South African players were found guilty of match-fixing. In between these two high profile scams, the bookies have innovated enough ways to circumvent the watchdogs and also to minimise suspicion in carrying out their business.

The ICC has a mechanism of sorts to monitor international cricket but the deviousness and ingenuity of the betting syndicate has proved too good for the members that make up the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU). The Pakistani trio was not found out by the ACSU but by a now redundant tabloid that has exposed many high profile offenders during its time. That the tabloid's closure epitomises the adage of one living by the sword dying by the sword is irrelevant but at least it will rest in peace in its grave that its last batch of victims was found guilty and sentenced. The modus operandi of Majeed and Butt brought forth some interesting yet worrisome facets of betting as also the vulnerability of the reputation of the game. Given the ways the bookies set about targeting players who are greedy enough and devise various methods to fix certain parts of the game if not the entire match, it makes one wonder if the game can ever get rid of this malady.

The ACSU of the ICC comprises former policemen with a good track record no doubt but the moot point is whether they all know enough about the intricacies of the game to spot something that is amiss. This will make a huge difference in eradicating the endemic malady and hence, the ICC should look at involving former cricketers in their efforts to curb fixing of all kinds in cricket. The reason I say this is because the former cricketers will be clued in with the happenings in various dressing rooms apart from their knowledge of the game. Moreover, a youngster like say Amir would have felt comfortable in confiding to a former cricketer about his compulsions rather than blow the whistle to the authorities. In as much as the policemen across the World exchange information within the old boys' network, cricketers tend to do the same as well. It is a known fact that the current players seek out the former cricketers to voice their grouse about the administration and it is logical to assume they will pass on the information when they find something suspicious. On the other hand, we have instances wherein administrators have ignored the warnings of some cricketers on the grounds that it was a case of “has beens” venting their frustration!

While the cricketing fraternity has unanimously applauded the ruling of Justice Cooke, they have also felt sorry for the families of the guilty trio. In the case of Amir and Asif, it does seem that their families are not even aware of the crimes they have committed which only suggests that cricketers who make it to the top from humble backgrounds need to be educated on how to handle the pitfalls that popularity brings in to their lives. Amir has been given a wide latitude due to his naivety and his tender age but Asif has shown tendencies of pushing the self-destruct button ever so frequently. Their guilt and absence will hurt the cricketing world no end and now the job of the ICC becomes twice as difficult because the scandal has erupted at a time when the apex body was probably patting itself on the back for controlling the fixing menace. By no means can the ICC be blamed for the Butt-Majeed episode but it has only exposed the limitations of the ambit and expertise of the ACSU of the ICC. It will be interesting to see the route that ICC takes to deal with this ongoing struggle against corruption in cricket. The recent episode calls for a more exhaustive approach from the ICC to barricade the openings that exist for the betting syndicate to exploit due to the unpredictable nature of the game.

The biggest lesson that the PCB can learn from the Butt-Majeed episode is that it needs to ensure that the cricketers are paid handsomely enough to enable them to resist the lure of big bucks. Secondly they must constantly interact with the senior cricketers and make them realise their responsibilities. The BCCI did that with the fab five when the bubble burst a decade ago and they responded well to revive the confidence of the public. In recent years, the IPL and the BCCI's initiative of sharing the profits with the players has ensured that the players don't have to worry about their financial security. It may not be possible for the PCB to match the BCCI as of now, but it is imperative that it does all that is possible to create a better atmosphere. One thing is for sure, the PCB can't stay in the denial mode any longer.

It's just the tip of the iceberg

Scams such as match-fixing and spot-fixing are still going on among the teams who play Test cricket, among thousands of bookmakers on the sub-continent and increasingly in the British Isles, writes Ted Corbett.

Cricket is the most vulnerable game in the world. It is ideal for betting — just think how many bets you can have on a single delivery. With 13 players on the field at any given moment, alongside two umpires, there are any number of alternatives for the many with loose change in their hands and an itch to gamble.

It has always been so. Go back into the early 19th century and you have no difficulty in finding stories about betting coups, single wicket matches — what were they but extended betting opportunities? — and now, as the technology grows quicker, as various parts of the world have access to one another and as modern men and women grow greedier there are even more ways in which a man can lose his money.

The inevitable end of this morality tale came in a London courtroom when three Pakistan Test cricketers — Salman Butt, the captain last year, Mohmammad Asif, just about the world's cleverest swing bowler and 19-year-old Mohammad Amir — were sent to jail with their organising agent Mazhar Majeed for a scam which involved bowling no balls at specific moments in the match at Lord's so that punters in the know could make a winning bet.

Sadly, for a game that takes pride in its reputation for fair play, for obeying the umpire and for setting an example to the rest of the world, it was just the tip of the iceberg.

In my opinion and that of a number of people who should have the experience to know such scams are still going on among the teams who play Test cricket, among thousands of bookmakers on the sub-continent and increasingly in the British Isles.

Sir Ian Botham, a man who has warmed both hands at the fire of life, is just one who has spent most of his existence either on the pitch or the nets or, as now, watching from the TV gantry and who believes the evil of matching-fixing and spot-betting is still deep inside the game. He wants action from ICC, the world governing body which reigns from a remote city in the Middle East, and in particular from their Anti-Corruption Unit, headed by a famous British policeman, Sir Ronnie Flanagan.

Flanagan was head of the Northern Ireland police during their riotous times known locally as The Troubles and you can imagine that, even in his retirement, he is no fool.

He reckons: “I would not say these incidents were totally isolated. We must be ever vigilant and never be complacent. But corruption is certainly not rampant in the world of cricket. It is engaged in by only a tiny number of people. I don't think these corrupt and evil people who seek to make unlawful amounts of money stick necessarily to one sport. It is important we share our intelligence with other sports.”

Botham, an all-rounder, a vibrant personality and a Test captain, got up to all sorts of stuff while he was at the top for around 20 years, but not a whiff of corruption ever attached itself to him. Rather he won his knighthood — and I spoke to him the day it was announced and saw his pride and the joy with which he received the plaudits of the crowd that afternoon — for charity work and in particular for his long distance walks.

I cannot imagine him stooping to fix a match or an event within a match. He is too big, too much a man's man with or without the attraction of money. Nor has he ever fought shy of calling a spade a shovel as he did after the jail terms had been announced.

He said: “I thought the sentences would be tougher. I think it is the tip of the iceberg and the ICC now need to get off their hands and start acting. They are the police of the game and from my point of view they have done very little. ICC must follow up on all the names that were thrown around in that courtroom. There are a lot of people out there who should be rather nervous right now. We know it is all over the place, we know it is endemic. Now is the time to attack it.”

Bob Willis, Botham's captain and team-mate, made the same point: “I can assure you that there will be a great many recent and former cricketers thinking ‘There but for the grace of God go I.' This has been rampant and rabid in our game since before the Hansie Cronje affair and at last custodial sentences have been handed down. I am sure this will help eradicate spot fixing and match fixing in the UK.”

I am not sure it will kill match or spot fixing. There have been rumours from prominent cricketers of attempts to get players to fix results even in the T20 leagues.

The Cronje case showed what vast amounts of money were available to those who were willing to take the bookmaker's shilling and surely even those sleeping in the comfort of the ICC sun must wonder why so many of these stories can be traced back to Pakistan and how, when their team is said to have been cleaned up the habit of the fixed match is still prevalent.

A test of commitment and resourcefulness

To think that the rest of the cricket world is isolated from fixing — that it is a Pakistan-centric problem — is to be naive, or disingenuous. The ICC has to tackle the problem at the domestic level with its associates: it is here that the standards are lax and accessibility easier, writes S. Ram Mahesh.

AP 

Partners in crime…Salman Butt (left) with Mohammad Asif. Sentencing them to prison for spot-fixing had a greater effect on the cricketing community than the bans the ICC had enforced.

A sport's most precious asset is the trust its followers invest in it, the faith that what they are seeing unfold is organic, unscripted, uncorrupted.

Hardly had cricket regained some of its credibility — so cruelly shattered by Hansie Cronje's revelations a little over a decade ago — when it was confronted by the allegations of spot-fixing in the fourth Test between England and Pakistan last year.

It was a determining time. The first match-fixing scandal had bred cynicism. But the game — more because of the unconditional love it still evoked in millions of fans than any action by the International Cricket Council (ICC) — survived it.

On this occasion, the governing body, which former South African cricket boss Ali Bacher said had lived in denial, was keener, nimbler, and firmer. Not only did it suspend the three Pakistan cricketers involved, but it also worked with the Crown Prosecution Service, which had separately charged Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif, and Mohammad Amir. This co-operation is particularly significant: one facet of what must be a multi-pronged approach to contain fixing, a criminal problem, involves the ICC liaising with law-making and investigative agencies.

As ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said, sporting bodies need the aid of legislative oversight. “We are not a law-enforcement agency, so if there are ways in which nations' legislative framework can help us maintain cricket's integrity then naturally we would encourage and support that,” he said.

Australia has taken the lead in this regard. Fixing matches or elements within them will soon be illegal in the country, perhaps as early as March next year. The Australian federal and state governments are poised to formulate a specialised legislation that will include penalties of up to 10 years' jail for those found to be involved in match-fixing. There is also a proposal to draft formal integrity agreements between sporting bodies and betting firms.

AP 

Paying the price. Fast bowler Mohammad Amir was sentenced to six months in prison for his involvement in the fixing scandal. Young, impressionable cricketers will doubtless have taken notice of it.

The ICC will do well to ask its other member associations, many of whom contain influential people, to lobby their governments to follow Australia's lead (if they haven't already).

The ICC is aware that Pakistan is especially vulnerable — hence the measures that require the country to not only toughen its approach to corruption within the game but to also work alongside the ICC's task force on Pakistan “to carry out any reforms which may be deemed necessary to restore confidence in the administration of the game”.

But to think that the rest of the cricket world is isolated from fixing — that it is a Pakistan-centric problem — is to be naive, or disingenuous. The ICC has to tackle the problem at the domestic level with its associates: it is here that the standards are lax and accessibility easier.

The debate as to whether jail terms are sufficient deterrents will continue. It's clear, however, that the sentencing of Butt, Asif, and Amir to prison had a greater effect on the cricketing community than the bans the ICC had enforced.

Young, impressionable cricketers will doubtless have taken notice. They have been educated about corruption — it's one of the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit's (ACSU) few successes — but actually witnessing what the 19-year-old Amir is going through will have had a deeper impact.

Some have called for life bans (in addition to prison terms) for any involvement in fixing. Once a cricketer is hooked, he can never attain release, is the argument. A persuasive argument, for that's how illegal betting syndicates are known to operate, through blackmail and death threats. It's something the ICC will have to consider — it makes a cricketer less valuable as a pawn. Player agents have to be monitored as well. A system of accreditation, which the Pakistan Cricket Board has now introduced, is a step in the right direction.

The ACSU needs the most attention. England captain Andrew Strauss, a measured, intelligent man, called it a toothless tiger: “They can't get into the real depth of it all because they haven't got the resources available to them”.

Lord Paul Condon, the unit's former head, admitted that it was extremely hard to detect and to establish causality with fixing unless one gathers the kind of corroborative video evidence the News of the World obtained.

But there's news that the ICC is taking steps to improve the ACSU. The Telegraph (London) reported that the unit will soon employ officers with better knowledge of the game, officers who are better placed to detect suspicious incidents during a game; there's also talk of a new measure pertaining to “unexplained wealth” — once the unit has uncovered such a discrepancy, a cricketer will not be selected unless he can justify it.

Lorgat told The Age that the ICC was considering “setting up our own approaches to players, to see if they report it”. Clearly, the ICC is doing more than it has done in the past to control the menace. Its commitment and resourcefulness will be severely tested in the times to come.