JOHANNESBURG, 20 March 2003 — England great Geoff Boycott has lent his support to India’s bid to win the World Cup, advising captain Saurav Ganguly in a three-page fax to “be patient and cool.” “You can win the World Cup. Be patient and be cool. Just dream that you are winning it,” Boycott wrote to Ganguly ahead of today’s semifinal against Kenya at Durban. Boycott, the former England opening batsman, is a household name in cricket-crazy India where he became hugely popular for his outspoken comments on television. He was forced to miss a commentary assignment at the World Cup after undergoing surgery for throat cancer, but has followed the tournament closely from his home in Yorkshire. Boycott’s advice focuses primarily on fielding and batting. “Catches and run outs win matches,” Boycott wrote in the fax. “It is an old saying but we often forget it. Place the right fielders in right places. Everyone in your team cannot be as agile as each other. It is your duty whom to place where and whom to hide. It is important. Try to be at your best while on the field. A captain’s body language is important, so try to be positive all the time. Let everybody understand that this is the last opportunity and please do not lose your cool or argue with the umpire. There might be some decisions going against you but that should not force you to argue with the umpires. You will get scope to say those words to the umpire once the match ends.”

Bollywood and Ex-Miss World

Reinforce ‘Bharat Army’

DURBAN — Bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan and former Miss World Aishwarya Rai were among thousands of fans flying in to reinforce the ‘Bharat Army’ before India’s World Cup semifinal against Kenya today. The Bharat Army (Indian army), a copy of England’s ‘Barmy Army’, was formed during the 1999 World Cup by Indian cricket fans in Britain. Actor Aamir Khan, who played the lead role in the Oscar-nominated Hindi blockbuster ‘Lagaan’ (land tax), a film with a cricket theme, was also expected for the Durban tie. Bachchan was voted the millennium’s greatest star of stage and screen in a BBC online poll four years ago ahead of Lawrence Olivier, Humphrey Bogart and Charlie Chaplin. India are favorites to win the game before meeting champions Australia in Sunday’s final. Numerous chartered flights have been organized in recent days from India. There has been a scramble for match tickets, with politicians also near the head of the queue, since India qualified for the semifinals after winning seven matches in a row. Durban, the major port on South Africa’s east coast and main link with the Indian Subcontinent, is home to many of the country’s substantial ethnic Indian population.

Treat Sachin as Friend,

Woolmer Tells Kenyans

DURBAN — Former South African coach Bob Woolmer has told Kenya to treat Sachin Tendulkar and his Indian teammates as friends not enemies if they are to win today’s World Cup semifinal. “The one thing you can’t do is name-drop and get hung up about bowling to Sachin Tendulkar,” said Woolmer, who spent part of his 18 months as International Cricket Council high performance director working with the team. “The best way to deal with it is to pretend you are playing against your mates. India are favorites and they should win, but that is not to say Kenya do not have it in them to beat them. They’ve done it before, after all.” The Kenyans defeated India at Gwalior in 1998 and at Port Elizabeth in 2001 while, in the World Cup, they have seen off Test nations Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. “No one would have expected them to have come as far as they have — myself included,” Woolmer told the BBC. “But given the way they have played, they have richly deserved it.

Ganguly Has No Plans to

Give Up Captaincy

DURBAN — Saurav Ganguly said yesterday he had no plans to quit as India captain despite complaining about the pressures of the job in a recent interview. “I have not even thought about it,” he told a news conference ahead of India’s World Cup semifinal against Kenya today. In the interview, Ganguly said the captaincy had given him gray hairs and added it was tough for anyone to stay in the post for the long term. “There are certain things which I obviously spoke of in an interview,” he said. “But it is wrong to read between the lines. I have got no intention to give up the job.” Ganguly took over as captain in October 2000 after Sachin Tendulkar quit the post following a Test series defeat in Australia. He has since led India to 13 Test victories, one short of Mohammad Azharuddin’s Indian record. Ganguly, in particular, has been credited with backing young talent in the team. Yesterday he expressed sympathy with both Pakistan’s Waqar Younis and Shaun Pollock, who were both sacked after Pakistan and co-hosts South Africa failed to reach the second round. “I feel sorry for Waqar. If the team doesn’t do well the captain bears the brunt.”