Desai resigns from selection committeeCHENNAI: Ramakant Desai, chairman of the National Senior Selection Committee of the cricket board has resigned on health grounds and selector Krishan Rungta has been appointed acting chairman of the panel, according to BCCI sources here. The sources said the 58-year-old Desai had been wanting to resign for sometime.BCCI President Raj Singh Dungarpur would nominate a permanent replacement for Desai from the West Zone shortly, they added. Desai was inducted into the committee in 1996-97 and was having difficulties in recent times to leave his home town Mumbai.Brijesh, Imtiaz to part waysBANGALORE: The curtain is to come down on one of the most successful partnerships in Karnataka cricket. Former Test star Brijesh Patel and former Karnataka Ranji Trophy player Syed Imtiaz Ahmed, who successfully ran the Brijesh Patel Cricket Clinic and the Brijesh Patel - Imtiaz Cricket Academy for over 10 years, are to go separate ways.Imtiaz Ahmed willcontinue running the Academy under his name. According to Imtiaz the latter has withdrawn from the association pleading lack of time owing to business commitments.Rathore to leadCHENNAI: Punjab's Vikram Rathore was named captain of the India A team to play the three-day cricket match against the visiting Australians at Jamshedpur from March 13.BCCI secretary J Y Lele released the 14-member team at a press conference at the M A Chidamabram stadium. Kishan Rungta, acting chairman of the selection committee, clarified that no Mumbai player was considered for selection as the Mumbai Association wanted to field a strong team in the ongoing Super League Ranji Trophy matches.Team: Vikram Rathore (captain), Vijay Dahiya (wk), Nikhil Chopra, Rahul Sanghvi (all from Delhi), Daniel Manohar (Hyd), Amay Kurishia (MP), Jacob Martin (Baroda), Hemang Badani (TN), Rajiv Kumar (Bihar), Devang Gandhi (Bengal), K Parida, Zakir Hussain Khan (both Railways), K N Ananthapadmanabhan (Ker) and VenkateshPrasad (Kar).AP, Kerala in finalHYDERABAD: Defending champions Kerala and last year's runner-up and hosts Andhra Pradesh moved into the finals of the 20th Senior National Cyclepolo Championship. In the semi-finals at Lal Bahadur Stadium on Sunday, Kerala scored a thumping 14-6 victory over Vidarbha while Andhra Pradesh squeezed past Delhi 10-9.Indira hockeyJAMMU: Twenty-six teams, including a dozen top teams, of the country will take part in the 22nd All-India Indira Gold Cup Hockey tournament, being organised here from Monday. The final will be played on March 20 at MA Stadium here.
