Sports
Indian doctor invited by Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan has invited Indian orthopaedic surgeon and former medical consultant to the Sri Lankan team Mandeep Singh Dhillon to witness his swansong Test.
Dhillon, who assisted Muralitharan in clearing his controversial bowling action, is among the several close friends who have been invited by the spin wizard to attend the special ceremony marking the end of his Test career on the final day of the ongoing Test.
Dhillon had designed the special brace for Muralitharan when his case was presented to the ICC in 2003-04 after chucking allegations.
Doubts about Muralitharan's bowling action were cleared when the off-spinner testified with the brace on his arm.
"After moving to Apollo Hospital in Colombo in January 2003, I was associated with the Sri Lankan Cricket team for two-and-a half years as a Sports Injury consultant and my services were sought to verify Muralitharan's bowling action," Dhillion said.
"Muralitharan gets extra movement at his shoulder arm and also at his wrist, which gives impression that he chucks the bowl. It may be an illusion of a flex," the Daily Mirror newspaper quoted the doctor as saying from Chandigarh.
"I would not say this (extra movements at shoulder and wrist) is a blessing or deformity but it is by his birth and is the reason for his bowling action doubts. But with the brace, which was prepared for him, proved that it not giving him any benefit and hence his action is undoubtedly clean," Dhillon added.
The doctor said he would only attend the last four days of the match due to his prior engagements. "I will attend last four-day play of his farewell Test," he added.
Dhillon has a special interest in arthroscopy, joint replacement and foot and ankle problems, as well as sports related problems and has performed several arthroscopic procedures and joint replacements.
Rain wins the day at Galle
The second day of the first Test between Sri Lanka and India at Galle has been called off due to heavy rain and a wet outfield.
Sri Lanka had reached 256 for the loss of two wickets at the end of a rain-shortened first day, thanks to centuries from captain Kumar Sangakkara and Tharanga Paranavitana.
Paranavitana - who is currently on 110 - is being partnered in the middle by Mahela Jayawardene (eight not out), after Sangakkara was caught out after tea on day one by Sachin Tendulkar off Virender Sehwag's bowling.
The news could prove a severe dent to Muttiah Muralitharan's hopes of reaching 800 Test wickets.
The master spinner has said this match will be his last before retirement and he currently has 792 scalps.
Match-fixing scandal: 270 matches
under suspicions
An investigation into suspected football match-fixing now covers 270 matches in several countries and more than 250 people, German prosecutors said Wednesday.
Prosecutors in Bochum first announced the investigation last November, saying at the time that about 200 games and 200 people were under suspicion — prompting a UEFA official to say it was probably the biggest match-fixing scandal in Europe.
In Wednesday’s update, they said that investigations so far have allowed suspicions of match-fixing to be ‘further substantiated.’
They suspect that some ¤1.5 million ($1.9 million) was paid in bribes to referees, players and others and that profits from manipulated bets amounted to ¤7.5 million, according to a statement. The total value of bets placed on matches that may have been manipulated is believed to be about ¤12 million.
Those numbers are likely to rise because investigations to date indicate that many people were used to place bets with different bookmakers across Europe in order to cover up the suspects’ activities, prosecutors said.
They added that, for example, some 6,000 bets with a total value of ¤32.5 million via a single Asian bookmaker in Britain, which wasn’t identified, could be attributed to the group under suspicion. Not all those bets were on suspect matches.
The investigation now covers 53 matches in Germany; 19 in Belgium; 35 in Switzerland; 15 in Croatia; seven in Slovenia; 74 in Turkey; 14 in Hungary; eight in Bosnia; 12 in Austria; and 33 games in international competitions.
Prosecutors didn’t name specific matches and also didn’t identify any of the people under investigation.
Eight people remain in detention awaiting charges in Germany, prosecutors said. So far, they added, there have been three arrests in Switzerland, 22 in Croatia and about 70 in Turkey.
‘The extremely complex investigations will take a long time yet,’ prosecutors said, although they added that authorities expect to start filing charges ‘shortly.’
‘All relevant information’ is being exchanged with other countries involved, such as Belgium, Slovenia, Hungary, Bosnia, Austria and Britain, they said.
The prosecutors’ office in Bochum is Germany’s leading authority on fighting corruption and fraud.
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