Cup Notes

India, who were docked four overs for slow over rate and went down by three runs to the African side, have said field restrictions should have been in place for the entire 15 overs despite reduction in the number of overs their batsmen got to face, team sources said.

In the letter, the team management has protested reduction in the number of overs in the Indian innings to 46, the number of overs for which field restrictions were applied, the monetary penalty imposed on the team and against reduction in number of overs per bowler Zimbabwe not being properly enforced.

A World Cup spokesperson said the World Cup technical committee would hold a meeting with the Indian management to considerthe issue. The belated protest also is an indictment of the team management8217;s ignorance of rules as it was announced during the break between innings that India would get only 46 overs and that field restrictions would be removed after 13 overs.

Effigies burnt

JAMSHEDPUR: Angry fans garlanded the picture with shoes of Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin and coach Anshuman Gaekwad before burning their effigies here yesterday after India8217;s defeat at the hands of Zimbabwe in their World Cup tie on Wednesday.

The enraged fans assembled at Agrico and Sidhgora and Sakchi areas here and shouted slogans against Azhar and Gaekwad. They took out a mock funeral procession of the duo, demanding immediate ouster of the captain and the coach to save the Indian cricket from further humiliation.

Most hated player8217;

CALCUTTA: Branding him as the 8220;most hated player of the decade8221; and holding him 8220;fully responsible8221; for India8217;s humiliating defeat to Zimbabwe, agitated fans burnt hundreds of effigiesof skipper Azharuddin in various parts of the city since yesterday.

Angry Calcuttans gave vent to their ire by tearing off everything related to Azhar. In most places, garlands of shoes, chappals and brooms replaced flower which were hung around Azharuddin8217;s portrait.

Near the Sealdaha station cricket fans burnt a life-size effigy of Azhar in front of hundreds of witnesses after adorning it with a garland of shoes and painting his face by black colours.

Humiliation for fan

CHENNAI: ThE Indian team8217;s failure brought a 25-year-old Kamachi of Manaparai town in Tiruchirapalli District only ignominy. He had to shave off half of his head, moustache and beard: all because India suffered a bad defeats at the hands of South Africa and then Zimbabwe in the World Cup.