Cricket (3)
After being out-classed by a ruthless Chennai Super Kings side, Kolkata Knight Riders coach Dav Whatmore conceded that his team have come up short in the IPL. Here’s more from the post-match media interaction:
Excerpts:
On the disappointing performance and what went wrong
Well it was disappointing. I guess we misread the pitch a little bit before the game and we didn’t score enough runs.
Misread the pitch in what way?
We picked four medium pacers and they picked two. I felt they probably knew a little bit more than us, that happens sometimes.
Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan said he will never leave the outfit despite its lacklustre performance in all three editions of the Indian Premier League.
The KKR could not make it to the semifinals in the first two editions and the trend is almost certain to continue this year as well with the Sourav Ganguly-led side languishing at the seventh place with just a theoretical chance of making it to the last four.
Shah Rukh, however, insisted he was not washing his hands of the beleaguered outfit.
"Everyone jumps to silly conclusions as soon as we lose. Idiots who don't know perseverance and passion make me who I am," wrote the Bollywood actor on his Twitter page.
"KKR is my team and I will never ever leave it, said million of times before," he said.
Interestingly, Shah Rukh got a word of consolation from Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne, whose team like KKR, also needs a miracle to reach the semifinals.
"Hey buddy, you're a champion and your charisma is something I'm sure inspires a lot of people. Hang in there, sport is cruel sometimes," wrote the spin great who led the Royals to a fairytale triumph in the inaugural IPL.
MANCHESTER, England(AP) Wayne Rooney is an overwhelming favorite to win the English player of the year award from his fellow pros and keep the title at Manchester United.
After scoring 34 league and cup goals this season, the England striker was named on a short list of four in the Professional Footballers' Association awards on Thursday alongside Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea's Didier Drogba and Carlos Tevez of Manchester City.
Bookmakers William Hill rate Rooney a 1-50 shot to capture the award for the first time and become the first English player since Liverpool's Steven Gerrard in 2006 to win it.
United veteran Ryan Giggs, who is Welsh, won the 2009 award and Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, now with Real Madrid, received it the previous two seasons.
The 24-year-old Rooney and 22-year-old Fabregas are also among the nominees for young player of the year alongside Aston Villa's James Milner and Birmingham goalkeeper Joe Hart.
Rooney, who is 1-14 to win both awards, won that in 2005 and '06 and Fabregas collected it in 2008