Is BCCI above the law? asks Azad

New Delhi: Training his guns at the BCCI for handing out clean chits in the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal, cricketer-turned-politician Kirti Azad today asked if the Indian Cricket Board considers itself above the law.

Azad`s comments came after the BCCI`s two-member probe panel cleared Chennai Super Kings Team Principle Gurunath Meiyappan, who is the son-in-law of Board President N Srinivasan, Rajasthan Royals franchise and its co-owner Raj Kundra in the scam that rocked the IPL this year.

"I don`t blame (BCCI acting chief) Jagmohan Dalmiya or Srinivasan for this. The politicians are hell bent on making BCCI the next Indian Olympic Association. We have seen what happened to IOA due to political interference and now the same is happening with BCCI," Azad told `PTI-Bhasha`.

"Mumbai police has said that the investigation is still on. Delhi police is still investigating and the BCCI panel has given them a clean chit. Is BCCI above the law and constitution of the country?" he asked.

Azad felt the BCCI should be immediately brought under the ambit of the Right To Information act.

"There is no other alternative. The government has to intervene and bring BCCI under the RTI. When former sports minister Ajay Maken brought the sports bill, the cabinet ministers, involved with BCCI, opposed that. If BCCI claims that they do auditing of their account, then why do they hesitate to come under RTI?" Azad queried.

"It is time to make BCCI functioning more transparent and it can be done through RTI," he said.

He also said that it is wrong to penalise players and give clean chits to officials.

"Whenever something happens, players get penalised and officials walk free. It`s a pity because despite all the controversies cricket is still the most popular game in the country due to the hard work and excellent performance of players," he said.

PTI

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James Taylor ready to grab England return chance in third Ashes Test

London: James Taylor, the batsman who could replace Kevin Pietersen in the England side to face Australia in the third Ashes Test at Old Trafford has said that he believes he is in a much stronger position to make most of the opportunity than he was when making his debut against South Africa last year.

According to The Guardian, the 23-year-old Nottinghamshire batsman completed an unbeaten 121 as a guest player for Sussex in their match against the tourists.

The report said that his determination to keep going when "batting ugly", as the professionals sometimes describe it, was a lesson in itself to the Australia batsmen following their collapses at Trent Bridge and Lord`s.

Taylor said that it was definitely a pressure situation and had he not scored any runs in the practice game, everybody would have commented on that.

ANI

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John Isner edges John Anderson in Atlanta Open final

New York: American John Isner saved two match points before beating South Africa`s Kevin Anderson 6-7(3), 7-6(2), 7-6(2) in the final of the Atlanta Open on Sunday to claim his seventh ATP career title.

The towering Isner, who stands six-foot-10 (2.08m), fired down 24 aces in a match dominated by big serving from two of the tallest players in tennis.

Neither player was able to break their opponent`s serve in the slugfest, which lasted almost three hours, with each set decided by tiebreakers.

"I`ve been on the wrong end of a final that close before - maybe not three tie-breakers close, but super close, having match point, having a lot of chances - so it feels good to be on the other end of that," said Isner.

"I never wavered. I believed that even at 0-40 that I could still hold on and was able to come up with the goods."

Anderson, a 6-foot-8 (2.03m) right hander from Johannesburg chasing a third career title, won the first tiebreaker and had 11 chances to break Isner`s serve but failed to convert any of them.

He hit 21 aces and only faced one service break on his own serve and had two match points in the third set but was unable to seize either chance.

"I was holding easily and trying to give myself chances, which I did. Just wasn`t able to capitalise on them. That was the difference today," said Anderson.

"He stays in there. He serves well, he plays well when it matters, and he definitely played two better tie-breaks than me."

Reuters

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Kundra`s presence in CLT20 to be decided after Aug 2: Official

New Delhi: A decision on whether Rajasthan Royals co-owner Raj Kundra will be present at the venue during the Champions League Twenty20 will be taken after the IPL Governing Council formally clears the NRI businessman in the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal.

"We are very happy to know that Mr Kundra`s name has been cleared of any wrongdoing during the BCCI working committee meeting. The franchise will come out with an official statement once the IPL governing council ratifies the decision of the working committee," a senior Royals official told PTI.

Asked whether the co-owner of the Jaipur-based franchise will be there in the stands to cheer the team during the upcoming Champions League Twenty20, the official said,"A call in this regard will be taken after the IPL governing council meeting on August 2."

"As of now, the BCCI hasn`t made any formal contact with us or issued a notification about clearing Kundra."

Kundra was questioned by the Delhi Police`s Special Cell for allegedly betting during IPL-VI matches. The BCCI, in one of its earlier working committee meetings, suspended Kundra pending inquiry.

However, the franchise official said it was indeed a very challenging time during the business end of the last edition when three Rajasthan Royals players S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan were arrested by Delhi Police on charges of spot-fixing.

"It was really a challenging time for all of us at the Rajasthan Royals. But we have always had full faith in judiciary. The management cooperated fully with the police authorities and they also carried their job in a very professional manner.

"Now, in a few weeks` time, the preparations for the Champions League T20 will also start in right earnest."

PTI

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Lewis Hamilton on a high after `miracle` win

Budapest: Lewis Hamilton said it would take a miracle for him to win Sunday`s Hungarian Grand Prix but in the end it looked like more a case of alchemy.

The tyres that had tormented him took him to triumph instead.

"I came here saying and praying that when we put on these tyres that they would come towards us more than away from us and it seems like they`ve done that," he told reporters after his first win for Mercedes.

" For a team that really struggles with tyre degradation today was a walk in the park. I`m really baffled," added the 2008 Formula One world champion.

A sweltering sprint might have been a more accurate description, with track temperatures reaching 50 degrees Celsius and air temperatures hovering around 35, but Hamilton was as cool as anyone out there.

Over the last 20 laps, he said, he was drinking a lot of water and able "to really chill".

"We came here with upgrades and constantly doing work to try and understand these tyres. I think today we bolted them on and they just worked for us. I really was not expecting it," said the Briton.

He described winning for Mercedes, after 21 wins for McLaren, as "a really calming, relaxing feeling".

"The experiences I had at McLaren were some of my greatest but I think this is one of the highlights of my career up to now," he added. "Moving to a new team and a team that was struggling massively last year and to finally get a win with them after the first nine or 10 races is a great feeling."

New tyres

Hungary was the first time Pirelli`s new tyres had been raced after the Italian company made changes following a spate of blowouts that caused havoc at last month`s British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Hamilton had started that race on pole position, just as he did in Hungary, but his hopes of a home win evaporated in an explosion of flailing rubber.

Sunday may not have made up for that disappointment but the victory, at a circuit where he has now won four times in the last seven years, made up for some of the pain.

It also compensated for Mercedes being barred from a test at Silverstone last week, which all the other teams attended, as punishment for taking part in a `secret` session with Pirelli in Spain in May.

"I think this is probably one of the most important grand prix wins of my career," said Hamilton, addressing the cheering crowd from the podium, after a race that left him fourth in the championship and 48 points behind Red Bull`s Sebastian Vettel.

"When you have a win like this, you get excited and you think anything is possible and obviously today shows that anything is possible but I think it`s still too early for us to say whether or not we can challenge these guys," he said.

"I hope today is the first step in doing so but we`ve got a lot of tough races coming up. I just hope that that`s not the last time my tyres work for me."

Hamilton had been on pole for the last three races but on Saturday he played down any expectations of a win that some had ruled out entirely when he moved from McLaren to Mercedes at the end of last season.

"We`ve got a steep hill to climb with these tyres and if we did win it would be a miracle. I still feel the win is a while off," he had told reporters, describing his pole lap as nothing special and predicting a tough day ahead.

The `miracle` duly happened but Hamilton was also as determined as he has ever been to secure his first win for a team other than McLaren, his team since boyhood.

"I think you could tell I was hungry for it today. I was just going all-out. I needed to get past those people and usually I get stuck in traffic, generally in my races, and today I wasn`t having it. I was going for every move I had," he said.

Mercedes have now won three of the 10 races so far this season and are still very much in the championship challenge.

"If we can be quick here in a race with these track temperatures then I`m very hopeful that we can be competitive everywhere else, so this could be a really good...could be a good turning point for us," said Hamilton.

Reuters

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Mo Farah challenges Bolt to charity race over publicly chosen distance

London: Double Olympic champion Mo Farah has confirmed he has no intention of quitting the track, and has challenged Usain Bolt to a charity showdown over public`s choice of distance.

Farah, who reeled off a runaway 3,000 metres victory at the Sainsbury`s Anniversary Games on Saturday, will make his marathon debut in London next April and after taking care of business, Farah also challenged the world`s fastest man Usain Bolt to a hybrid charity race over an intermediate distance between 600m and 800m.

However, the report said that following an ambiguous TV clip which suggested he would turn his attention solely to the road following next month`s world championships in Moscow, Farah rushed to put the record straight yesterday.

FlyMo said that he would be back on the track and hopefully in 2014 stepping up to a marathon, adding that he would tell the world when he was done with the track and recently it had been misunderstood.

Farah and Bolt performed a memorable double act at London 2012, mimicking each other`s golden archer and Mobot celebrations, the report added.

ANI

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Monty Panesar hoping to have crack at Aussies in Old Trafford Test

Sydney: Old Trafford specialist Monty Panesar is hoping that the Manchester grounds men are raking the wicket because he feels Australia`s batsmen are vulnerable against the spinning ball, as he took an impressive 3-70 for Sussex in the three-day Australian tour match.

Panesar has been called into England`s 14-man squad for the third Test starting on Thursday and having watched the carnage his slow-bowling colleague Graeme Swann was able to cause in the second Test at Lord`s, he is eager for another shot at Australia this week, imploring England to play the both of them.

The spinner said that the Australian team was a very competitive team and they were going to come back hard, but with spin there was an opportunity.

Panesar`s record at Old Trafford speaks for itself and he has taken 25 wickets in three Tests at the ground, at an average of 16, including a 10-wicket collection for the match against West Indies in 2007 and 6-37 against New Zealand a year a later, the report said.

ANI

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Moyes confident of Man U win even if `most wanted` don`t materialize

London: Man U boss David Moyes is confident of his title winning squad even if he does not secure his favourable transfer targets.

Moyes who has been pitching in for Barcelona`s Cesc Fabregas will be ready with a third bid worth 35 million pounds but will be comfortable with the talent he has in the club for the new campaign.

Moyes said that the club has a very good squad and he is confident of the team even without additions.

A report said that Moyes` battle will be to retain striker Wayne Rooney for whom Jose Mourinho is ready to spend upto 30 million pounds along with his own acquisition of Fabregas being turned down by Barca twice.

ANI

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Niki Lauda hails Hamilton`s Hungarian GP winning drive as `best ever`

London: F1 legend and Mercedes overlord Niki Lauda has hailed Lewis Hamilton`s drive during the Hungarian GP win as the best he had ever seen, adding that the racer had driven sensationally.

Hamilton`s fourth win at the Hungaroring takes him into history alongside Michael Schumacher as the most successful driver to race here.

For the first time this year, Hamilton made up ground on Vettel in the title chase and his hopes for the crown are promising, although he would not admit it, a report said.

However, Hamilton insisted it would not make up for his British Grand Prix heartbreak when a tyre blew while leading, the report added.

ANI

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Pakistan complete Windies T20 sweep

Kingstown: Pakistan held off a desperate late surge by the West Indies to take the second and final Twenty20 international by 11 runs at the Arnos Vale Stadium in St Vincent on Sunday.

In restricting the hosts to 124 for nine in reply to their total of 135 for seven, the tourists took the series 2-0 and moved up to second in the international rankings behind Sri Lanka.

West Indies, the world T20 champions, dropped to fourth in what was yet another setback following hard on the heels of the 3-1 loss to the Pakistanis in the preceding one-day international series.

"It was a tough tour and credit must be given to everyone associated with the squad for the success that we have enjoyed here," said a delighted Pakistan captain Mohammad Hafeez, who also played a key role with the ball in dismissing the dangerous but out-of-form Chris Gayle cheaply for the second time in two days.

"When we saw the pitch, we knew, with our four spinners, that any total of 135-140 would have given us a chance, and so it worked out."

An unbeaten 46 by man of the match Umar Akmal and 44 from opening batsman Ahmed Shehzad paced Pakistan to a total that was always going to be challenging on a slow, turning surface ideally suited to the sub-continental team.

Spinners Sunil Narine and Samuel Badree shared five wickets for the West Indies in what would prove to be an ominous precursor of the task the home side had to face in the quest to get a share of the honours.

After looking dead and buried at 17 for four though, the Caribbean side fought back through the middle of their innings thanks to a battling top score of 35 from Dwayne Bravo and an aggressive 28 from Sunil Narine.

However it was Kieron Pollard who brought the match back to life in a pivotal 17th over bowled by Zulfiqar Babar that featured spectacular hitting before the left-arm spinner effectively decided the fate of the match with two wickets in two balls.

Pollard launched two mighty sixes and drilled two fours off the first four deliveries, further enlivening an already boisterous crowd as they sensed the possibility of a miraculous victory.

But Zulfiqar held his nerve and the big-hitter`s attack could not be sustained.

He sliced a catch to deep cover and off the next delivery, Bravo also swung hopefully to be snared at wide long-off.

After his sensational debut in the first match on Saturday when he took three wickets and then hit a six to win the match off the final ball, Zulfiqar was the deserving man of the series as he also contributed useful scores of 14 and 11, both unbeaten, in the two matches.

Any flickering hope that the West Indies had of getting to the target was effectively extinguished in the next over, although there was still more drama.

Captain Darren Sammy heaved at Saeed Ajmal and skied a straightforward catch that was floored in a collision between the bowler and the advancing wicketkeeper Akmal.

His luck ran out three balls later when attempting again to clear the boundary and Shahid Afridi took the catch at long-off.

"When Asian teams come to the Caribbean, maybe we shouldn`t be giving them these types of wickets," said a disappointed Sammy in reflecting on the pitches not only for the T20s but also for the preceding ODIs in Guyana and St Lucia.

"It suited them more than it helped us. At the end of the day though, they played the better cricket."

Tino Best blasted a couple of sixes that still kept the West Indian faithful hoping against hope.

But left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir, whose early burst accounted for Johnson Charles and Marlon Samuels to catches at the wicket, ensured that Pakistan did not completely fall apart in the final over of the match.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said they were "extremely concerned" over British media reports that their ODI series with the West Indies was being investigated for alleged suspicious betting patterns.

The Mail on Sunday raised the allegations over claims of wrongdoing in the series which Pakistan won 3-1 with one game tied.

"The PCB is obviously extremely concerned at the recent allegations of fixing reported in the media with regard to recently concluded ODI series between Pakistan and West Indies," an official told cricinfo.com

"The PCB maintains zero tolerance towards corruption in the game but investigations in this matter falls within the purview of the ICC`s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit.

"The PCB is in contact with the ICC on this issue and understands that the ICC will be issuing a media release soon."

AFP

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Pope`s Brazil visit raises red flags for World Cup, Olympics

Rio de Janeiro: A string of organizational flaws during the visit of Pope Francis to Brazil that put him at risk and stranded thousands of visiting faithful has deepened concern about the country`s ability to host the upcoming World Cup and Olympic Games.

Even Rio de Janeiro`s mayor gave himself a failing grade in organizing World Youth Day, a biennial gathering of young Catholics that on Sunday drew some 3 million people to a seaside mass delivered by the pope on Copacabana beach.

The city, said Eduardo Paes in a radio interview on Friday, "scored closer to zero than ten."

The big events in Brazil, including next year`s World Cup soccer tournament and the 2016 Olympic Games, are supposed to showcase a decade of economic growth in Latin America`s largest country and justify the first-world airs put on by many of its leaders.
But slowing growth in the last two years and disgust with corruption, rising prices and the sad state of public services are leading many Brazilians to see little more than pretence behind the extravaganzas.

Last month, protesters staged massive demonstrations across Brazil during the Confederations Cup, a soccer competition seen as a trial run for the World Cup. Anger focused on the fact that billions of dollars was being spent on sporting events rather than on schools, hospitals and public transport.

Even as Brazilians gave Francis a rapturous reception, they were taken aback by the problems that emerged during his visit and the youth summit, an event which had been planned for two years. Catholic faithful who came from across the world faced long lines, crowded buses, faulty trains and disorganization.

Added strain

"Only the pope can save this," ran the headline at the top of O Globo, Rio`s biggest newspaper, on Saturday.

Francis had gracefully brushed off the problems. They included a security scare early in his stay, transport delays that stopped thousands from getting to some appearances and the last-minute decision to move the youth conference`s climax to Copacabana from a flood-prone field that had been turned into a bog by heavy rain.

Security and transportation experts said the problems stemmed from the strain added to bureaucracies, infrastructure, and public services that are buckling even at the best of times.

Heavy traffic and bad weather routinely cause gridlock in Rio, a city that depends on tunnels and bridges to connect sprawling communities scattered between mountains, marshes and beaches.

The chaos surrounding the Catholic youth gathering prompted serious questions about whether authorities will be able to handle alcohol-fuelled soccer fans at the World Cup or the logistical challenge of moving the throngs of athletes and fans for Olympic competitions.

"There is never a way to control absolutely everything when you get that many people together," said Christopher Gaffney, a professor of urbanism at Rio`s Fluminense Federal University, who has studied the organization of major events elsewhere. "The focus has to be on minimizing the chances that things go wrong."

During the pope`s visit to Rio, authorities sought to ease the strain by declaring public holidays and cordoning off huge sections of the city, lessening traffic for anything other than pope-related activities.

The holidays, also planned during the big upcoming sports events, have been criticized by some who accuse the city of shutting down much of the local economy for the benefit of the handful of interests involved in the events.

Plenty of problems

Even with holidays, plenty went wrong during the last week.

On Monday, as Francis travelled into the city center from the airport, his driver turned into an unprotected lane along a major avenue, where adoring crowds surrounded his vehicle and reached in through the window to touch him.

Though the pope himself appeared to enjoy it, staff and security were horrified, perhaps recalling the shooting of Pope John Paul as he rode in his open vehicle in St Peter`s Square in the Vatican in 1981.

On Tuesday, a malfunction in the Rio metro left some subway stations out of service for more than two hours. The shutdown caused many visitors to miss an inaugural mass.

In midweek, as rains pounded Guaratiba, the distant suburb where a giant altar had been erected in a muddy pasture, Mayor Paes said there were no plans to change the venue. On Thursday organizers changed course, recognizing that the mud and rain could cause health problems and even accidents for the legions that would have to travel there.

However prudent the decision, it disrupted the plans of hundreds of thousands of people. Critics said it could have been avoided if organizers had picked a more suitable location to begin with. Locals who had invested heavily in concessions for the hordes of visiting worshippers were left in the lurch.

Officials in Rio had helped sell the city for big events by pointing to a long history of the annual Carnival and New Year`s celebrations, which both attract more than a million revellers to its streets. Local authorities now acknowledge they face a learning curve in staging the international gatherings.

"We have had two big events in a row and we have learned from both," said Jose Monteiro, head of the state`s office for security at large events. Looking ahead toward the World Cup and Olympics, he promised, "we are doing our homework."

Ian Nanke, an Australian who attended World Youth Day in Sydney in 2008, had struggled to find a place to sleep on Saturday on Copacabana. Back home, he recalled, pilgrims were guided toward specific areas and transport was more efficient.

"It`s hard to get there on time," he said. "Call it organized chaos."

Reuters

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Problem is mental toughness: Brendan Taylor

Harare: Livid after conceding a series-deciding lead to India, Zimbabwe cricket captain Brendan Taylor said his team has exhibited a distinct lack of mental toughness in the ongoing ODIs.

Zimbabwe are winless in the five-match series so far, losing the first three ODIs without giving much of a headache to the visitors.

"I think (the problem is) mental toughness. I don`t think we`re mentally sharp enough. We`re just not making the precise decisions at the right time and not putting a real price on our wickets. Too many soft dismissals," Taylor said.

"The most difficult one for me was the second game when we had an opportunity to win that game, and we dropped Dhawan and we dropped plenty of chances and allowed them to get to 290.

"It would have been a different story if we`d caught our catches and probably chased 230-240, we would have gone about our chase a lot differently. It`s very frustrating to see, knowing our batting ability and not getting the runs that we know we can get," he elaborated.

Taylor said dealing with Indian bowlers might be tough but not impossible and a bit of patience was all that his batsmen needed to have.

"We all know in the mornings it`s a little tricky (to bat) but technically we haven`t been good enough. The Indian bowlers, they just keep it nice and simple," he explained.

"They don`t give you too much to hit, but if we can get through that initial period and keep wickets in hand there`s no reason why we can`t catch up and post a decent total," he said.

Taylor, however, insisted that all was still not lost and the home team can reclaim some pride by winning the remaining two matches in Bulawayo.

"There`s always pride (to play for). We use that word a lot, because it`s a privilege to represent your country. Just to be playing against the best team in the world, that`s an honour in itself," he said.

After their third loss on the trot on Sunday, Taylor said he could understand the fans` disappointment with the team.

"It hurts," Taylor conceded.

"It does hurt because they are passionate and they want us to do well, and today it was a bit disheartening to play the way we have played.

"But fortunately there`s more cricket coming up and we haven`t played our best cricket here but hopefully we can give the people of Bulawayo something to smile about," he said.

Talking about the Bulawayo leg of the series, Taylor said he expects the conditions to be a lot more easy for his batsmen there.

"Bulawayo is a bit more friendly in the morning to the batters, though there was a bit there against Bangladesh not too long ago so each side may have to be up against the ball nipping around a little bit," Taylor said.

"But that generally burns off pretty quickly and then it gets really good to bat on."

PTI

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Ray Price retires from international cricket

Harare: Zimbabwean left-arm spinner Ray Price, part of the team for the ongoing ODIs against India, has decided to call it quits from international cricket in the middle of the five-match series after failing to get a single game so far.

The 37-year-old will not travel with the team for the remaining two ODIs of the series, which Zimbabwe has already conceded 0-3 to India.

"I was going to wait until my contract expired to call it a day but, yes, I`ve decided to retire from international cricket," Price said.

"I won`t be going with the guys to Bulawayo. I`m retired."

Price was not originally included in the side for the series but coach Andy Waller said he remained an integral part of the side. He was expected to be given at least one game before calling time.

Price finishes his ODI career with 100 wickets in 102 matches along with the 80 scalps in 22 Tests. His Twenty20 wicket-count stood at 13 in 16 matches.

"Pricey`s called it a day," Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor said.

"If he was going to play it was going to be here in Harare. We`re going to miss his experience, but in saying that it does give our young spinners who are coming through a great opportunity," he added.

Price, who made his debut at 23, went into exile for three and a half starting 2003 when he aligned with the then skipper Heath Streak in protesting against the alleged racial discrimination in the national team.

Price`s most recent success came in the 2011 World Cup in India where he was leading bowler for Zimbabwe with nine wickets at 18.77.

His last match for Zimbabwe was the Bridgetown Test against West Indies in March this year.

"He`s a hell of a competitor. He`s a guy that plays with his heart on his sleeve. He leaves nothing out on the field, he`ll give you everything and he`s a real team man. Unfortunately age is not on his side anymore, and he`s moving on with his family," Taylor said.

"We`ll miss him, but I`m sure he`ll still be in the picture with our young spinners coming through and I`m sure he`ll always be contributing somewhere along the line."

PTI

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Schweinsteiger elected Player of the Year 2013

Berlin: Bayern Munich`s Bastian Schweinsteiger has been named as the Player of the Year 2013 in Germany, according to a poll by the sports magazine "Kicker".

German international midfielder Schweinsteiger scooped the award Player of the Year 2013 as 92 of 527 German sports reporters voted in favour of the midfielder at the 54th edition of the traditional poll here Sunday, reports Xinhua.

Three Bayern players have been voted into the top three, as Schweinsteiger is followed by his teammates French international Franck Ribery with 87 votes, and German international Thomas Mueller with 85 votes.

The top fifteen were dominated by the treble winners, which occupied nine positions followed by Dortmund with five players and Leverkusen with one.

Former Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes rounded off his retirement when he was elected as the best coach as 383 of 571 journalists voted for the 68 year old, ahead of Freiburgs coach Christian Streich with 77 votes and Dortmunds coach Juergen Klopp with 19 votes.

Wolfsburgs Martina Mueller has been named as Germanys women player of the year. In the past season Mueller completed the treble by winning the Bundesliga title, UEFA Champions League and German Cup in one season.

IANS

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Shahid Afridi becomes first cricketer to hit 400 sixes

Johannesburg: Pakistan`s Shahid Afridi has become the first cricketer to hit 400 sixes in an international career on Saturday.

Afridi reached the landmark in the 16th over of Pakistan`s reply to the West Indies` 152 for seven in the first Twenty20 international.

The Pakistan player has been in and out of the national side for quite a while now and has come back to form recently against West Indies.

Chris Gayle, playing for the West Indies, is next on the list having hit 353 sixes in his Test, ODI and T20 career, the report added.

ANI

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Snedeker gifted Canadian crown after Johnson collapse

Oakville (Ontario): American Brandt Snedeker took advantage of a Dustin Johnson meltdown to claim a three-shot victory at the Canadian Open on Sunday.

Snedeker, who began the final round with a wafer-thin one-shot cushion atop the leaderboard, could not be nudged from his perch all day, carding a two-under 70 to collect his sixth career PGA Tour win and second of the season.

"This is a tournament I said early on in my career I wanted to win just because my caddie (Scott Vail) is actually from Canada and it`s his national open," Snedeker told reporters.

"Third oldest tournament on Tour and it`s got some great history to it and now to put my name on that trophy, it means a lot.”

"I obviously didn`t drive the ball the way I wanted to or hit some particular shots but I hung in there really well and made the key putts I needed to and I was able to survive.”

"That`s what today is all about."

While the margin of victory appeared comfortable, Snedeker`s three-shot win over Johnson (70), world number six Matt Kuchar (71), William McGirt (68) and Jason Bohn (71) was not without considerable suspense.

Level with Johnson with three holes to play, Snedeker was suddenly gifted breathing space when Johnson botched the par four 17th, carding a triple-bogey seven to leave the FedExCup champion two clear of his nearest challenger.

After driving his tee shot out of bounds, Johnson was soon in more trouble finding the bunker, where he drove his next shot into the lip and the ball rolled back to a stop at his feet.

"Not too happy but I felt really good with my golf game," said Johnson. "I`m looking forward to the next several weeks.”

"Other than the one drive I hit today on 17, I`m actually driving it really well. That is one thing I have been struggling with is the driver.”

"It`s nothing, nothing to worry about. I`ll go get them next weekend."

Unaware of Johnson`s collapse, Snedeker birdied the 16th and coolly sealed the victory by parring his final two holes for a winning total of 16-under 272.

After a week of near ideal conditions that produced record equalling scores, the Glen Abbey Golf Club showed its teeth in a testing final round as gusty winds whipped across the Jack Nicklaus designed layout.

"After the first hole I realized it (was more difficult)," said Snedeker. "The wind was blowing very hard.

"Every fairway was tough to hit, every green was getting firm. It placed an importance on managing your golf ball.”

"Miss it in the right spot, place importance on getting it up and down, which is all kind of things I`m really strong in."

Nice present

Hunter Mahan, who turned his back on a potential million dollar pay day by walking away from a two-shot lead on Saturday to rush home when his wife went into labour, made it back to Dallas in time for the birth of his first child.

Mahan, who made the trip in a private jet, tweeted, "What a whirlwind of a day, but I`m happy to announce the birth of my daughter Zoe Olivia Mahan born at 3:26 am. Thanks for all the support!"

A smiling Snedeker said later that he would be using some of his $1 million winner`s purse to buy Mahan`s new born daughter a nice present for her perfect timing.

"Zoe will be getting a very nice baby gift from me," said Snedeker. "I can`t thank Kandi enough for going into labour early, otherwise I don`t know if I`d be sitting here if she hadn`t.”

"But that is a way more important thing than a golf tournament.”

"I missed a golf tournament when my first was born and it was the best decision I ever made. I`m sure Hunter would say the same thing."

The search for the first Canadian winner of the national championship since 1954 will continue another year after the home grown contingent fell flat.

Eighteen Canadians teed off on Thursday and just four survived the cut with David Hearn recording the best result firing a final round 73 to finish in a tie for 44th. Former Masters champion Mike Weir was one shot further back on three-under 285 a distance 13 behind the winner.

Reuters

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Spurs chairman silent on Bale Real Madrid transfer rumours

London: Even as Welsh striker Gareth Bale may be trying for a Real Madrid move, his club chairman Daniel Levy is refusing to hold any further talks with the player on the issue after ruling out that he will not be sold this summer regard less of whatever Real may offer.

While the football world was stunned by the lengths to which Real are going to get their man, Levy has already dismissed Madrid`s offer of 51 million pounds plus Angel Di Maria and Fabio Coentrao, totalling 95million pounds.

The Spurs chief is desperate to reach the Champions League and believes they have a much better chance with Bale in the side, a report said.

However, the report added that while Tottenham were claiming dirty tricks by Real last week, Bale`s camp are angry that Levy is reneging on a promise made to their man last year.

ANI

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Strauss says `divided` Aussie side could struggle against England in Old Trafford Test

Sydney: England`s last Ashes-winning captain Andrew Strauss has expressed his surprise over the split up of the Australian squad during the past week and said that the side could only be galvanized if everyone was together.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Strauss, comparing Australia`s predicament to that of the England touring party that lost 5-0 in 2006-07, argued it was a time for Michael Clarke`s men to pull together, saying they could use the Lord`s defeat as a `watershed` moment or `unravel completely`.

Australia may be thinking about bringing Jackson Bird in the bowling line-up along with bringing Nathan Lyon back and David Warner could also find a place in the side.

ANI

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Sunil Chhetri keen to leverage on Westwood`s experience

Bangalore: Indian football skipper Sunil Chhetri, who has signed for newly unveiled Bengaluru Football Club (BFC), is betting on the club`s English manager Ashley Westwood`s leadership qualities for making an impact in the I-league season.

"BFC is not a fancied team but we could make an impact if we put to good use the tips given by Ashley (Westwood). Anything is possible. We are ready to put up a fight," Chhetri told reporters here.

"Ashley was a player himself and has a huge sense of football and wants to work really hard," he added.

Chhetri, the Delhi-born striker, also appears to count on the striking similarities between BFC and European clubs, where diet and fitness are given paramount importance.

"Have you heard of heart-rate monitors in India? This is all normal European stuff," he said.

Chhetri said he has never heard of anything of players paying fines for coming late for the training.

"Every player reports an hour-and-a-half early and have breakfast together," he said.

The 28-year-old said pressure has never taken lead over his performance as he revelled in such circumstances.

"I shut myself off because no matter if I am under pressure I am just going to perform the way I would," he said.

PTI

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US beat Panama to win CONCACAF Gold Cup

Los Angeles: The United States capped off a dominant tournament with a 1-0 victory over Panama to capture the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Sunday.

Brek Shea broke through with the only goal of the game in the second half to give the United States their first Gold Cup title since 2007 and make up for back-to-back defeats to Mexico in the last two finals.

While they were thrilled with the result, the Americans hope it is also a springboard to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

"Hopefully this is just the beginning for a lot of us," Landon Donovan told reporters. "We want to be a part of the bigger picture. This is not the end."

The win was the 11th in a row for the United States and came without manager Juergen Klinsmann, who was serving a one-game suspension after being ejected in the semi-finals.

The United States had outscored their opponents 19-4 in their five games leading up to the final but Panama, who eliminated Mexico in the semi-final, proved a serious test for the home side at Soldier Field in Chicago.

The United States had much of the possession but were unable to make it count until the 69th minute when Donovan set up the game-winner for Shea.

Donovan, who was named the tournament`s most outstanding player, has played his way back into Klinsmann`s plans and finished the Gold Cup with five goals, to tie team mate Chris Wondolowski and Panama`s Gabriel Torres.

US midfielder Stuart Holden exited the match with a knee injury during the first half. Holden has a history of knee problems that includes multiple surgeries.

Panama`s Jaime Penedo, who allowed just four goals in five games, was named the tournament`s top goalkeeper for the second time.

"We were all hopeful, we all wanted to win," said Panama coach Julio Dely Valdes. "But we all go away feeling we gave it our all. I said I wanted to walk away from the Gold Cup feeling good, and I do."

Reuters

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Waiting for Test call-up now: Amit Mishra

Harare: It has been three years since he last played a Test match but Indian leg-spinner Amit Mishra is hopeful that his fine show in the ongoing ODI series against Zimbabwe would once again open the doors for him in the five-day format.

Mishra, with nine wickets at 15.11 runs apiece in three matches, has set an Indian record in a bilateral series in Zimbabwe in ODIs. Only once in his career, he has taken 10 or more wickets in a series -- 11 at an average of 18.09 in five matches in West Indies in 2011.

And riding on the current performance, the 30-year-old, who was adjudged man of the match in Sunday’s third ODI which India won to clinch the series, is now hoping to get a Test call-up.

"I`m not in the Test side. I`ll try and do my job in the next two matches, and then it`s up to the selectors. I`ve been waiting a long time for this and I`m doing my best and it`s working for me now," said Mishra, who is on his first ODI assignment in two years.

Since his debut in 2008, Mishra has played 13 Tests, taking 43 wickets at an average of 43.30. Mishra detailed the changes he has brought to his bowling and how the hard work was paying dividends now.

"I`ve done lots of hard work on my googlies and variations and it`s paying off," he said.

"When I came here I was just thinking about the conditions and how to bowl on these kinds of tracks. I`ve spoken a lot with TP (Trevor Penney) and Duncan (Fletcher) who have given me a few tips, which I`ve been working hard on," he added.

Mishra admitted that competition is tough in the Indian team but insisted that it is healthy.

"All the players have done so well in domestic cricket, so they came here with the confidence," he said.

"There`s a lot of healthy competition going on -- everyone wants to do well for India, so it`s working for the Indian team."

PTI

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Williams make their point at last

Budapest: Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado crossed the finish line in 10th place on Sunday to put former Formula One champions Williams out of the misery of a 10-race streak without a point.

Their first scoring finish since the US Grand Prix at Austin, Texas, last November was hardly worthy of celebration for a team that ranks second only to Ferrari in terms of the number of constructors` titles won (nine).

It was, however, a major relief.

Six laps before the end it had looked as if they were destined to fail again, with Maldonado running in 11th place and Finnish team mate Valtteri Bottas suffering his first retirement of the season.

Then the engine on Nico Rosberg`s Mercedes let out a plume of smoke, followed by flames, on lap 65 of 70 and Maldonado inherited the precious point.

"One point, finally. For the team this point is very important, but we need to keep pushing," said the driver, who won for Williams in Spain last year - their first triumph in nearly eight years.

"Today is a small step forward, but it`s not enough. It`s enough to show everyone we have improved, but we need to keep improving, especially in qualifying."

The run of nine races this season without a point marked Williams` worst start to a season in which they have celebrated their 600th grand prix.

Maldonado hoped that a change in the Pirelli tyres, imposed after a sequence of blowouts at last month`s British Grand Prix, had also brought about a change in fortune that would continue for the remaining nine races.

"The potential is there," he said. "Throughout the weekend we were competitive, more than before.

"We`re not the quickest, but we are consistent, which is one of our strongest points. At the last two or three races we`ve been able to fight for the top 10, but for so many reasons we didn`t make it.

"With these new tyres they are much better for us. I`m encouraged to see how we will be at Spa because normally in the high-speed corners are our car is quite good."

Hungary was the last race before Formula One shuts up shop for the August break. The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps is next up on August 25.

Reuters

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Hughes keen to nail down place

Phil Hughes is frustrated at batting in every position from opener to number six on the Ashes tour so far.

But the left-hander hopes his flexibility in Australia's batting order will save him from being dropped for next week's third Test.

Back in his old opening spot on Friday, Hughes recovered from a scratchy start to post 84 in the tour match against Sussex.

"I don't mind where I bat but when you do move from one to six, mentally it can be frustrating," Hughes said. "At times it can be tough to get your head around the different positions but you've just got to get on with it.

"It was different going out opening. It's something that I'm very comfortable with, opening the batting. I've done it for a number of years."

The 24-year-old is under fierce pressure to keep his place for Australia's must-win Test against England at Old Trafford following his poor contribution at Lord's last week.

Batting at number four, Hughes was out for one in both innings as Australia wilted under the pressure of facing England's attack.

"When you lose Test matches there are obviously changes. When you lose it is not a good thing. It is about finding the right balance. You don't know what they (the selectors) are going to do," he said.

"Overall I feel confident and hopefully I'll be in that third Test side when it's selected."

With David Warner hitting 193 for Australia A against South Africa A this week, Hughes could be the one to make way should selectors opt for more top-order changes.

"It's about opportunity," he said. If you do get one position you do want to nail it down. I haven't nailed it down.

"I think there's always competition and that's a good thing. It's great to see Davey score a big 190 for Australia A and I thought we all batted quite well here.

"The last Test match obviously didn't go to plan personally but it's only one game. I felt like the first Test match, the 81 not out I scored (at Trent Bridge) was probably one of the better innings I've scored in the international arena."

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I'm enjoying the competition: Mishra

India registered a comfortable 7-wicket victory in the third ODI at Harare to clinch the five-match series against Zimbabwe. Put in to bat, Zimbabwe were skittled out for 183 with Amit Mishra (4/47) and Mohammed Shami (2/25) doing the bulk of the damage. In reply, Virat Kohli led from the front with an unbeaten 68 as India sailed through with 14.3 overs to spare.

Speaking after the game, the Indian skipper was all praise for his team while terming the win as an important one. Kohli, who registered his 24th ODI fifty, also mentioned that the series win was not on his mind when he was batting and said that his concentration was only on executing the skills.

"It was important to win this game. The boys responded brilliantly. We got early breakthroughs and were consistent with the ball thereafter. The chase was not really tough. I didn't think we had to win the series today. I (only) wanted to concentrate on executing the skills. If we do that consistently, we will win."

While mentioning that Zimbabwe had a lot of inexperienced batsmen who have lot's to learn, Kohli said the home team's quick bowlers have done a good job in the series, which is something the visitors cam learn from.

"I'm not anyone to give advice but Zimbabwe have a lot of inexperienced batsmen. The more they play, the more they'll learn. Their fast bowlers bowled in good areas and that is something our pacers can learn from. I've been timing the ball sweetly for the last couple of months. I'm happy about my form but more happy about the win."

Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor termed the series loss as frustrating, mentioning their the effort they put in before before the start of the series, has not reflected in the way they have played so far.

"It's getting quite frustrating now. We put in a lot of effort leading up to the series but the results are not showing. It is getting a little irritating. Mindset could be an issue. I can't put my finger on it. The guys have to have a look at the mirror and toughen up mentally. We'll take at least 1 win in the series. If we get it right, we believe we can win," Taylor said.

Mishra, who picked up his second four-wicket haul in ODIs, was named the Man of the Match and the leg-spinner said he was enjoying the healthy competition for spots in the team.

"I always talked to my bowling coach and he always asked me to go for the wickets. I always think that picking wickets will put pressure. It's working for me. There are lot of upcoming players in the side. There's a healthy competition going on. We're enjoying it," Mishra said.

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India take unassailable 3-0 lead

Amit Mishra was the star with the ball while Virat Kohli led from the front with the bat as India defeated Zimbabwe by 7 wickets to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. Mishra had the hosts in a spin, picking up 4/47 and received support from Mohammed Shami (2/25) as they bowled out Zimbabwe for a paltry 183. India got to the target in 35.3 overs with Kohli scoring an unbeaten 68 off 88 while the visitors also received good contributions from Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina.

The Indian openers started the chase on a positive note, with Dhawan and Rohit Sharma striking a few boundaries to get their side moving. While there were a couple of play-and-misses as well as edges, India were not too alarmed as the opening pair were settling down into a partnership. However, Rohit's attempt at chasing a wide delivery proved to be his downfall as he edged to Taylor to give debutant Michael Chinouya his maiden ODI wicket. Dhawan, meanwhile, was unaffected by the departure of Rohit (14) as he continued dealing in fours regularly to take India past 50. But in his attempt to score another boundary, the left-hander drove hard at a Chatara delivery, only to find Vusi Sibanda at cover point - an abrupt end to an outing that lasted for 32 balls and yielded 35 runs.

Zimbabwe would have hoped to make further inroads to jolt India but that was not to be as Kohli and Rayudu were involved in a steady partnership to keep India on course. Kohli and Rayudu went about their jobs in a calm manner, not taking too many risks as they helped India past the 100-mark in the 23rd over. Boundaries were as regular as the singles and twos for the 3rd-wicket pair, as they brought up the fifty-run partnership, their second in this series after their mammoth 159-run stand in the 1st ODI.

But even as India got closer to the target, another batsman fell against the run of play. This time it was Rayudu, who pushed at a Brian Vitori delivery without any footwork and ended up easing it to the hands of the bowler to depart on 33. Raina, who came in at number 5, started off positively to get to double figures for the first time in this series. Kohli then brought up his 24th ODI fifty in style by creaming Chinouya between mid-off and cover for four before scoring a massive six off the same bowler to bring the required runs below 20. The winning runs came off Raina's bat, who ended the game with a boundary off Chatara to remain undefeated on 28 off 18.

Earlier, India got off to a good start with the ball with Vinay Kumar and Shami dismissing the openers early. An under-pressure Vinay Kumar, who was eager to make an impact, got rid of the in-form Vusi Sibanda in the opening over - the batsman shimmied down the track and tried to go over the top but ended up giving a catch to Dhawan at cover. More success was in store for India as Sikandar Raza was tentative in trying to leave a Shami delivery and ended up outside-edging it to Dinesh Karthik to depart on 1.

The ball was moving in the air and off the pitch but Vinay got slightly greedy as he tried to bowl a lot fuller to find more swing and ended up over-pitching on several occasions and was made to pay for it. This was what the hosts would have hoped for, as a string of boundaries settled the nerves for Hamilton Masakadza and Brendan Taylor, who went about building a partnership to steady Zimbabwe. They maintained a good scoring rate, finding the boundaries from time to time along with the singles, two's and three's, as the pair raised a 50-run stand in the 12th over. India had a chance to end the partnership in the 13th over when Masakadza drove a Ravindra Jadeja delivery on the up, but a diving Kohli at cover put down a sharp chance despite getting both hands to the ball.

The partnership though could not prosper for long as the Zimbabwe skipper failed to keep a drive down and ended up giving Jaydev Unadkat his first wicket. Taylor (23) did not leave immediately, wanting to see if Shami had taken the catch cleanly at mid-off, but had to head back eventually. Things got from bad to worse for the hosts as Mishra, introduced in the 20th over, delivered back-to-back strikes to leave Zimbabwe reeling at 80/5. Masakadza was Mishra's first scalp as the right-hander outside-edged a flighted delivery to Karthik to depart on 38 before the leg-spinner trapped Malcom Waller (0) in front with a flattish delivery. The Taylor-led side were soon six down when Jadeja accounted for Chigumbura, dismissing him leg-before for 3.

Williams had to shoulder the responsibility of rescuing Zimbabwe, and he handled Mishra and Jadeja well while doing the bulk of the scoring in a 7th wicket stand worth 36 runs with Prosper Utseya to give Zimbabwe a fair chance of posting a competitive total. However, the African side were in tatters again as Karthik snapped up his third catch when Utseya (10) outside-edged Shami before the wicket-keeper combined with Jadeja to effect the run-out of Williams. The Indians were frustrated for a while by Tendai Chatara and Vitori, who added 33 for the 9th wicket before Mishra ended the stand by accounting for Vitori with Karthik taking his fourth catch. The leggie brought the Zimbabwe innings to a close by castling Chatara for 23 to restrict the hosts to a below-par total.

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Sammy promises a winning show as World Champions face Pakistan

Kingstown: World Champions West Indies will be going all out to beat Pakistan in the two-match Twenty20 International Series this weekend at the picturesque Arnos Vale Cricket Ground.

The two teams will meet on Saturday and Sunday in what will be the first T20 Internationals to be played at the stadium.

Captain Darren Sammy said it was important West Indies continue their winning form in the weekend contests.

"We are the world champions and we plan to come out and play like world champions," a confident Sammy said after Friday`s morning training session.

"We have some of the best players in the world in our dressing room and we all believe we can come out here and beat Pakistan. This will be an historic weekend as the people here in St Vincent will get to see their first T20 International and I know the fans will come out and support us as they always do."

West Indies have played unbeaten in this format since they won the ICC World T20 Tournament in Sri Lanka last October and Sammy said his team will look to maintain their unbeaten run as they start to build towards the ICC World T20 tournament in Bangladesh early next year.

Since the World T20 triumph West Indies beat Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla in Dhaka last December, defeated Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane in February and had back-to-back wins over Zimbabwe at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua in March.

"We are presently listed at Number 2 in the ICC T20 rankings and if we win this weekend we will move closer to the Number 1 position. We want to be Number 1 in the world so in order to do that we need to win and prove our strength," Sammy added.

"We are looking towards defending our World T20 title. As everyone is aware, the tournament is due to be played in Bangladesh next year and we want to make sure we will be ready when the time comes. This weekend offers a great opportunity for players to put their hands up and be counted in a major way."

ANI

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Sethi admits uncertainty in Pakistan cricket

Karachi: Acting PCB Chairman Najam Sethi on Friday admitted that there was an ongoing crisis in Pakistan cricket because of restrictions placed on him in exercising full powers by Islamabad High Court.

"Because of this uncertain situation that has developed after the judgement of the court, we decided to file an appeal," Sethi said.

Sethi was appointed acting chairman of the Board by the government late last month after the IHC stopped Zaka Ashraf from working as PCB head.

In its detailed judgement released this week, the court declared the elections of Ashraf in May as null and void but also stopped Sethi from exercising full powers and ordered holding of fresh elections in 90 days` time.

Sethi said he was unclear about his position although they were many issues that needed to be resolved immediately.

"The biggest problem is that the budget for 2012/2013 has still not been approved although it is ready. And unless the budget is approved by the Chairman how can we pay salaries to employees," Sethi told `Geo News` channel.

He pointed out that the governing board of the PCB had given him full authority at its last meeting but he was unable to exercise his powers because of the court orders.

"The governing board gave me powers and authority but I can`t use them because of the court orders."

Sethi said the governing board had also approved extending the contracts of some 60 employees which expired in June or July.

"But we have been unable to extend the contracts and I fear we might see these employees holding a strike in front of the board offices but there is nothing I can do," he said.

"We have cricket issues also pending like the announcement of the Pakistan under-23 team that will go to Singapore and the coming tour to Zimbabwe."

Sethi also explained that when he took over as acting chief, chief selector Iqbal Qasim resigned by his own will.

"Since he resigned as chief selector I had no option but to appoint Moin Khan. But now we don`t know what is Moin`s position and who will select the teams," he said.

PTI

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Tendulkar should start scoring runs again, says Bedi

Kolkata: Former India captain Bishen Singh Bedi on Friday took an indirect dig at Sachin Tendulkar`s prolonged lean patch, saying it was high time for him to start scoring runs again.

"It`s high time that he (Tendulkar) should get back to runs to get people`s respect," said the legendary left-arm spinner.

Here in the city for a promotional programme, Bedi said getting 10 wickets in a Test match is like scoring hundreds in each innings.

"Even a player of Tendulkar`s calibre has not done it, so it`s an enormous achievement," Bedi said recalling his only 10-wicket haul in Perth.

The 66-year-old hailed former India captain Sourav Ganguly and said the Bengal cricketer contributed enormously to the rise of the Indian cricket.

"Like in present day, we are reading so much about Mahendra Singh Dhoni but the present day cricket was set up by Sourav Ganguly. He has enormous contribution to the Indian cricket. It has just been taken forward by Dhoni in a calm manner. Calmness is Dhoni`s greatest quality. Indian cricket always had ups and downs but now it seems reasonably stable," he said.

Comparing Ganguly with late Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi, Bedi said, "I honestly feel that Tiger Pataudi was the greatest thing to have happened to the Indian cricket. He brought the sense of Indianness to the dressing room. Winning as a habit was cultivated by Tiger Pataudi."

"We have seen the result in Ajit Wadekar team winning three match series in 1971. With due respect to Wadekar, I am saying that the seeds were sown by Pataudi," he added.

Bedi rated Sir Girfield Sobers as the greatest cricketer along with Sir Donald Bradman.

"I am fortunate to have bowled to Sir Sobers. He was the ultimate cricketer. Two people -- Sobers and Bradman -- would not emerge in world cricket again."

Talking on a panel alongside India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, Bedi was all praise for the side especially after their Champions Trophy triumph.

"It`s a great time for Indian cricket. We have good players and spinners like Ashwin. He has everything in him to become the go-to man for the Indian cricket."

PTI

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Troicki says 18-month ban for skipping drug test tantamount to being `treated like a criminal`

Washington: Serbian Davis Cup star Viktor Troicki has been given an 18-month ban by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for failing to provide a blood sample in a drugs test during April`s Monte Carlo Masters, and has said that he had been `treated like a criminal`.

According to CNN, Troicki has rejected the charge, alleging the doctor conducting the blood test allowed him to miss the procedure and says he will now appeal the decision.

The Serbian said that the doctor in charge of the testing had told him that he looked very pale and ill and could skip the test if he wrote an explanation letter to the ITF about it, adding that the doctor dictated the letter to him, letting him go without giving blood.

The 27-year-old confirmed that he underwent a test the following day by the same doping control officer with the result coming back negative, the report said.

Troicki will appeal against the decision at Court of Arbitration for Sport, the report added.

ANI

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Usain Bolt fears slow start could damage world bid

London: Usain Bolt admitted he will have little chance of winning another world championship title unless he sorts out his lethargic start after storming to victory at the London Diamond League on Friday.

The Jamaican star also insisted "there was still room for improvement" despite returning to somewhere near his explosive best when winning the 100m at the Olympic Stadium.
The fastest man on the planet, and athletics` greatest entertainer, gave his rivals a decent start before he produced a show-stopping performance as he dashed to victory in 9.85sec, a season`s best.
It is not the first time that the Olympic champion and world record holder has been tardy out of the traps and not the first time he has managed to show the speed and power to burst through the field and take the tape in front.

Bolt returned to the scene of his heroics in London 2012 and the 60,000 Olympic Stadium crowd roared him on as he beat off America`s Michael Rodgers (9.98) and compatriot Nesta Carter (9.99).

Afterwards he did a lap of honour in front of a frenzied crowd, knelt down to kiss the track in his tradition style and then threw his spikes to a lucky punter before shooting off into the night.
But Bolt admits he needs to put things right quickly before taking his place in the world championships in Moscow next month.

"If I start like that in the world championships I will probably finish fifth. I need to work with my coach and figure out how to be more explosive out of the blocks and not so slow," said Bolt.

"I`m not back in the Test side yet but I`m pleased to be a step closer to it and I`ve always dealt with situations like this by concentrating on the game in hand and refusing to look too far ahead."

Pietersen, in an indication of the treatment work he has undertaken in a bid to regain full fitness, told his Twitter followers: "Might try getting in the car this am and when turning on the ignition, say the words, "gym for rehab.." Surely it will drive me there.."

Pietersen`s 2013 has been beset by injuries, with a knee problem forcing him home early from the tour of New Zealand in March and then ruling him out of the return series against the Kiwis and the subsequent Champions Trophy tournament.

He made 64 in the second innings of the first Test but suffered two failures at Lord`s.
As well as Taylor, England`s selectors will be keeping a close eye on Sussex left-armer Monty Panesar as they consider whether to play a second spinner alongside Graeme Swann on an Old Trafford pitch which, while it last staged a Test in 2009, remains renowned for taking turn.

AFP

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Wade says `too green` pitches, not BBL, responsible for Oz batting woes

Sydney: Australian cricketer Matthew Wade has blamed the introduction of too many green pitches, instead of Cricket Australia`s emphasis on promoting the Twenty20 Big Bash League, as responsible for the batting woes of the team in the Ashes.

Wade`s suggestions come after CA came under fire for its pre-planned marketing blitz for this summer`s Big Bash League, only hours after Australia`s 347-run slaughter at Lord`s.

Wade, who is the back-up wicketkeeper on the Ashes tour, has two Test centuries to his name and hopes to use the three-day game against Sussex to push for his inclusion in the third Test at Old Trafford as a specialist batsman.

Insisting that the inclusion of the BBL on the domestic calendar during the holiday period is not to blame for Australia`s consistent failings with the bat at Test level, Wade said that the preparation of result-driven, bowler-friendly pitches for the Shield is instead responsible for the performance of the batsmen.

According to the Victorian gloveman, the pitches have not been ideal as they have been greener than before, which, he added, is an issue for batsmen not being able to score hitting big hundreds, instead of a technical issue.

Wade also said that the BBL is good for him and also for improving the game of younger players as it puts a player under the kind of pressure that happens in a Test match rather than a first-class match with the big crowds.

Meanwhile, former Test captain Ricky Ponting said he was `flabbergasted` by the timing of the promotion of the BBL, which will reportedly run from December 20 to February 15, with the Sheffield Shield played either side of that window.

ANI

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Warner says deserved `dumping` punishment despite Ashes recall

Melbourne: Controversial Australian batsman David Warner has admitted that he needed to be dumped from the national team even as reports emerged that he will rejoin the Australian squad in England on Monday.

The hard-hitting left-hander, who was sent to southern Africa with the A side after a month`s suspension for punching England`s Joe Root in a Birmingham bar, has earned a Test recall with a brutal 193 for Australia A.

Admitting that he needed to be sent to cricket`s version of purgatory, Warner said that he was responsible for the punching incident and needed the punishment of sitting on the sidelines and not being selected for the first two Ashes Tests, adding that he needed a `kick up the bum`.

Warner`s potent innings has put pressure on Phillip Hughes and Steve Smith to make runs in the three-day tour match against Sussex at Hove after three successive failures each, the report added.

ANI

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Wayne Rooney rumoured to wear `commercially popular` No.23 shirt at Chelsea

London: Wayne Rooney might get to wear the No. 23 shirt at Chelsea, as the likelihood of a transfer to the Stamford Bridge Club increases, with the number having the most commercial appeal after being sported by Beckham at Real Madrid and US basketball star Michael Jordan.

The No.23 became available at Stamford Bridge in January when striker Daniel Sturridge was sold to Liverpool.

A report said that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is playing a waiting game over Rooney as he remains confident the striker will be his player before the transfer window closes.

Mourinho has not made a follow-up offer to the 20 million pound bid rejected by United 10 days ago, the report added.

ANI

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Dhawan, Unadkat help India to comfortable win

Shikhar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik starred with the bat while Jaydev Unadkat did well with the ball as India defeated Zimbabwe by 58 runs to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series. Put in to bat, India suffered a top-order collapse before Dhawan (116) and Karthik (69) put on a 167 run stand for the 5th wicket to lift India to a commanding 294/8. In reply, Zimbabwe could only manage 236/9 in the available 50 overs, despite half-centuries from Vusi Sibanda (55) and Prosper Utseya (52*). Jaydev Unadkat was the top wicket-taker for the visiting team, picking up 4/41 while Amit Mishra (2/46) also did well.

The hosts got off to a solid start in pursuit of the daunting target with Sibanda and Sikandar Raza batting positively. They added 45 runs for the opening wicket before Unadkat delivered the first blow in the 11th over by dismissing Raza for 20. The visitors though had to wait for a while before making their second breakthrough as Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza put on a good stand to keep the Indians at bay.

Sibanda reached his fifty with a hit off Mishra over long-on for six and, in the process, also took his side's total past 100-run mark. However, Zimbabwe could not hold onto their strong position for long as Sibanda once again failed to covert his innings into a big score after dominating the Indian bowlers with his powerful hits. Sibanda, who had escaped with a missed stumping chance after jumping down the track to Mishra, fell to Unadkat in the 21st over.

Zimbabwe's innings faded rapidly thereafter as Brendan Taylor (0) ran himself out while Ravindra Jadeja and Amit Mishra accounted for Sean Williams and Malcolm Waller respectively. A defiant late-order resistance by Elton Chigumbara (46) and Utseya delayed the inevitable with the duo adding 88 runs for the seventh wicket to frustrate the tourists. However, the former fell to Mohammed Shami before Unadkat finished things off in style, dismissing Kyle Jarvis and Brian Vitori off back-to-back deliveries in the final over, to lead India to a comfortable victory in the end.

Earlier, India had Dhawan, Karthik and Vinay Kumar to thank for getting them to a huge first innings score of 294. Dhawan and Kathik were involved in a massive 167 run stand to help India overcome their top-order setbacks while Vinay applied the finishing touches with a blitzy 12-ball 27 as India finished with a massive score. Dhawan smashed his 3rd ODI hundred in the process, but luck played its part as Zimbabwe put down as many as 3 chances the left-hander offered. The Delhi-lad, however, continued unperturbed as he led the Indian recovery in fine fashion. Karthik too played a fine hand in India getting back on track with his fine fifty.

The duo were left to do all the hard-work after Zimambwe pacers struck regularly at the start to leave India struggling on a seaming wicket. Brian Vitori had struck off his very first ball in the match to send back Rohit Sharma for just 1. Virat Kohli too followed soon after, albeit in controversial circumstances. The India skipper looked good to survive after it seemed that the ball had not carried clearly to fielder Malcolm Waller but the umpires found no issue with it and he out. India's innings went from bad to worse as Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina too followed in quick succession to leave India reeling at 65/4 in the 17th over.

With India in a precarious position, Dhawan and Karthik eased the pressure with some clever batting. The duo rotated the strike well and ensured India made progress at a steady rate. They soon brought up their hundred run stand and started to put pressure on the Zimbabweans with a few big shots. Both batsman used the reverse sweep to good effect as India started to eye a score in excess of 250.

The left-hander soon opened up and started to carve up the Zimbabwe attack at will. Karthik too joined in the party smacking back-to-back boundaries in the 40th over to take India past 200 runs. Zimbabwe struck against the run of play, however, as Karthik was out run-out for 69. Dhawan too, who had notched up his 3rd ODI hundred, fell soon after to leave India with much work to do to ensure they have a strong finish. Kohli's men looked set to end with around 270, but Vinay Kumar gave India a big boost by helping smash 23 runs off the last over to give India 294.

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Don't know where the power comes from: Miller

David Miller came up with a blistering knock while Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Farhaan Behardien came up with fine efforts with the ball as South Africa defeated Sri Lanka by 56 runs in the third ODI at Pallekele. Opting to bat, the visitors were reeling at 154/7 in the 42nd over before Miller's quick-fire 85 off 72 balls lifted them to a competitive 223/7. In reply, a fighting 65 from Thisara Perera went in vain as Sri Lanka were bowled out 167 with Tsotsobe (4/22) and Behardien (3/19) doing the bulk of the damage.

The victory was South Africa's first against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka since September 2nd, 1993 and skipper AB de Villiers was pleased that the visiting team were finally able to end their losing streak. Speaking after the match, de Villiers said: "It's hard to explain how proud I'm of the guys. It wasn't an easy game. We've made a big step forward after today."

While praising Miller for his fine knock, de Villiers was also happy with the performances of Tsotsobe and Morne Morkel. The South African captain though mentioned that his team played irresponsibly at times and have to improve going forward. "Lopsy (Tsotsobe) is a class performer and bowled exceptionally well today. Morne was quite aggressive today, he is the leader of the attack and set the standards upfront. Very irresponsible cricket at times from us, a run-out and I take responsibility for that. I cost Faf (du Plessis) his wicket."

Home team captain Angelo Mathews, who was back in the side after missing the first two games due to a suspension, said Sri Lanka did a good job with the ball but failed to deliver in the end overs. The Lankan skipper also praised Thisara Perera for his breezy knock while asking for the rest of the batters to step up.

"Our bowlers did a brilliant job, except for the last three overs we did well. The batters have to step up. Thisara was batting on a different strip, in the end it was too much for him. I got out at the wrong time, with Thisara at the other end I should have hung out, but it was unfortunate. Unfortunately, we kept losing wickets at the wrong time."

Man of the Match Miller said it was a tough track to bat on with the ball not coming on to the bat. He also mentioned that they could not accelerate a lot earlier as they did not have wickets in hand.

"It was tough upfront. The wicket was really slow and it took time to adjust. (I) really don't know where the power comes from, (I) work hard in the nets and then play my shots. Our plan was to go hard late on as we didn't have wickets in hand, (we) should have gone a bit earlier."

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England hope Taylor measures up

England's selectors were paying particular interest to Australia's tour match against Sussex ahead of naming their squad on Sunday for next week's third Test at Old Trafford.

Holders England may be on the brink of retaining the Ashes after a crushing 347-run win in the second Test at Lord's left them 2-0 up in the series with three to play but that match saw Kevin Pietersen suffer a calf injury that has left him doubtful for the Manchester clash.

England chiefs made it clear who they have in mind to replace Pietersen if the South Africa-born shotmaker is unfit by requesting Nottinghamshire's James Taylor 'guest' for Sussex this week against the tourists.

Taylor played two Tests against South Africa last year but didn't make the England squad for the tours of India and New Zealand.

However, the diminutive batsman has been in good first-class form this season, scoring 824 runs in 15 County Championship appearances, including an unbeaten double century against Sussex in June.

With Australia batting first Friday in the three-day game at Hove, Taylor will hope he gets a chance to prove himself against international opposition on Saturday.

But the dangers of putting too much emphasis on one match as a selection guide were obvious Friday when Australia reserve wicketkeeper Matthew Wade, trying to force his way into the Test side as a batsman only, was out for a duck.

The 23-year-old Taylor has been keen not to get ahead of himself, telling reporters earlier this week: "I'm hopeful that KP (Pietersen) will be fit to play and, as it stands, I'm preparing to play in the three-day game for Sussex and nothing more

"I'm not back in the Test side yet but I'm pleased to be a step closer to it and I've always dealt with situations like this by concentrating on the game in hand and refusing to look too far ahead."

Pietersen, in an indication of the treatment work he has undertaken in a bid to regain full fitness, told his Twitter followers: "Might try getting in the car this am and when turning on the ignition, say the words, "gym for rehab.." Surely it will drive me there.."

Pietersen's 2013 has been beset by injuries, with a knee problem forcing him home early from the tour of New Zealand in March and then ruling him out of the return series against the Kiwis and the subsequent Champions Trophy tournament.

He made 64 in the second innings of the first Test but suffered two failures at Lord's.

As well as Taylor, England's selectors will be keeping a close eye on Sussex left-armer Monty Panesar as they consider whether to play a second spinner alongside Graeme Swann on an Old Trafford pitch which, while it last staged a Test in 2009, remains renowned for taking turn.

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Fortunate they dropped my catches: Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan is relishing the challenges that face opening batsmen under the testing conditions imposed by the latest ODI laws, having scored his third century in two months to see India to a 58-run victory over Zimbabwe on Friday.

Shikhar Dhawan enjoyed more than his fair share of luck, surviving two dropped catches as well as a catch off a no-ball on his way to 116 - his highest ODI score - as India took a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

However opening batsmen such as Dhawan would argue that they deserve some fortune under the current laws, with the use of two new balls in one-day internationals tilting the balance back towards the bowlers.

"It's more difficult nowadays because you've got new balls from both ends," Dhawan said. "When the ball is swinging you really need to play close to your body. You'll see that in the first 10 overs, openers are not scoring that many nowadays because the ball is new and it swings a lot and you have to be more careful."

The wicket wasn't easy to bat on. "The ball was swinging and cutting, and they bowled really well in the first 25 overs. I was just fortunate enough that they dropped my catches today," Dhawan added.

Despite gifting Dhawan three lives, Zimbabwe still made inroads into the Indian batting line-up as they reduced the tourists to 65 for four, only for Dhawan to put on a 159-run stand with Dinesh Karthik that changed the course of the match.

"It was a very important partnership which brought us back into the game, because we knew that we had to score big runs on this wicket because it gets much better in the second innings," said Dhawan. "Then things went our way."

Dhawan said he was impressed with the performance of the young Indian side, mentioning that the fielding has improved a lot. "Our team is gelling really nicely. All the young boys are very fit and really good in the field. Fielding-wise, we have really improved a lot. I feel like everything is working our way."

After India had finished on 294 for eight in their 50 overs, Zimbabwe made a bright start to their reply when Vusi Sibanda's bold 55 took them to 109 for one after 20 overs.

However Jaydev Unadkat effected two dismissals in the next over, and Zimbabwe faded to a final total of 236 for nine.

"After 20 overs I thought we were going to win the game, even though we let them get away with a lot more runs," Zimbabwe coach Andy Waller said. "I thought we had a chance but then we made some silly errors.

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Kohli praises Dhawan and Unadkat

India managed to overcome a top-order collapse and a spirited reply from Zimbabwe, to emerge victorious by 58 runs in the second ODI at Harare to extend their lead in the five-match series. Riding on Shikhar Dhawan's fine 116 and a valuable 69 from Dinesh Karthik, the visitors managed to post a commanding 294/8 before restricting the hosts to 236/9.

Speaking after the match, Virat Kohli said the batsmen found the going challenging, especially after losing early wickets. The Indian skipper praised Dhawan for his knock while mentioning that luck too had a role to play.

"It was going to be a challenge for the batsmen. We lost a few early wickets, there were a few tricky calls as well. There are two sides of having luck. You could get bogged down or keep going. Dhawan kept going despite nicking a few. Dinesh as well, pity he did not get a 100. We ended up getting 294. Those two batted beautifully."

Despite a good start from the Zimbabwe openers, India kept chipping away and managed to restrict the hosts in the end. Jaydev Unadkat was the star with the ball, picking up 4/41, which included the prized scalps of the openers and the bowler was praised by Kohli, who mentioned that the pitch suited the lanky left-armer.

"The wicket suited Unadkat. He bowls a good length and has good change of pace as well. The others supported him well. We are a new side. We are going to be put under pressure. The guys responded beautifully today."

Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor rued the missed chances, mentioning that they proved to be costly in the end. The home-team skipper also said his top-order had to take some responsibility for the loss as they failed to capitalize on a good start.

"We gave them too many chances and they made us pay. That partnership (between Dhawan and Karthik) really killed us. It was a good wicket to bat on. The top order has to take responsibility for this failure. We were really slow on the field. There were penalties in place. In hindsight, we should have just slowed the game down a bit. Our seam attack is pretty strong. We have to tighten up in the middle overs."

Dhawan, who registered his third ODI ton, was named the Man of the Match for his efforts with the bat and the left-handed opener thanked his luck while mentioning that the wicket was not easy to bat on.

"It was one of my lucky days. You have some lucky days. I was playing well in the earlier matches but kept getting out. The wicket was not easy to bat on. But Dinesh and I batted well. That partnership got us through. I'm enjoying the moment. I'm in good form. We just wanted to play on the merit of the ball. We just wanted to stay. We knew we could recover later because both of us had a good range of shots."

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Sammy relishing T20 series

West Indies Twenty20 captain Darren Sammy is relishing a return to his side's preferred format when they take on Pakistan.

The hosts were beaten 3-1 in the five-match one-day international series but, having won last year's T20 WC 2012, they will be hopeful of turning things around in the two T20 internationals on St Vincent this weekend.

Sammy said: "The teams are evenly matched, the difference is somebody like Misbah (ul-Haq) batted throughout the innings in most of the games that they won.

"I'm looking forward to the two T20s, this is the format I think we're best at and we have to go out there in St Vincent and show why we are T20 champions."

Kemar Roach, Devon Smith and Jason Holder drop out of the squad which contested the ODI series, with Shannon Gabriel boosting the pace-bowling attack while batsman Christopher Barnwell's impressive domestic T20 form earns him a call-up.

Conditions will dictate whether Samuel Badree, also added to the squad, features as a second spinner alongside Sunil Narine. The only previous Twenty20 meeting between these sides saw Windies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo take four for 17.

Pakistan bring in all-rounder Hammad Azam, left-arm seamer Sohail Tanvir and uncapped 34-year-old spinner Zulfiqar Babar, with batsmen Misbah and Asad Shafiq, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan and spinner Abdur Rehman flying home.

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Smith strengthens hold on Test spot

Steve Smith looks to have secured his place in Australia's team for next week's third Ashes Test after top-scoring with an unbeaten 98 on the first day of the tour match against Sussex at Hove.

The 24-year-old from Sydney was one of several batsmen under pressure after making just three runs in Australia's heavy defeat at Lord's, but his was the standout performance on an encouraging day for the Australians looking to force their way into contention for Old Trafford on Thursday.

Ed Cowan (66) and Phil Hughes (84) figured in an opening stand of 150 in 35 overs but reserve wicketkeeper Matthew Wade was out for a duck as Australia ended the first day on 354 for five after winning the toss.

Smith and all-rounder James Faulkner revived the tourists with a stand of 131 in 28 overs for the fifth wicket after Australia had failed to build on the platform provided by Cowan and Hughes when they lost four wickets for 68 runs in 27 overs.

They were particularly effective when Sussex took the new ball, with 47 runs plundered in five overs including three successive boundaries by Smith off Chris Liddle.

Faulkner became Monty Panesar's third victim in the penultimate over when he was bowled hitting across the line and although Smith hit the first ball of the last over for his 15th boundary, he still needs two runs to complete what would be only the third hundred on the tour so far by an Australian.

Earlier, Cowan and Hughes batted throughout the morning session, although Hughes was badly dropped on 22 by Sussex skipper Chris Nash at second slip off Chris Jordan.

The left-hander chanced his arm on several occasions against the new ball in a somewhat skittish innings, although he did play some pleasing back-foot shots when offered any width by the Sussex seamers.

Cowan looked more assured until he tried to work a ball from Lewis Hatchett off his hips and was well caught by James Taylor, the Nottinghamshire batsman playing for Sussex as a guest at the request of the ECB. Cowan's 66 came off 112 balls with 10 fours.

Hatchett, in only his second first-class game of the season, looked Sussex's most threatening seamer and he struck again in the 42nd over when Hughes was caught behind, drawn into playing at a ball that held its line outside off stump.

Hughes, whose innings included 14 fours, looks to have cemented his place at Old Trafford despite scoring only two runs in his last three Test innings and the same applies to Usman Khawaja, who looked reasonably secure until he pushed hard at Panesar and edged to Jordan at slip.

Wade, playing his first game for a month, had talked optimistically before the game about forcing his way into the Test team as a specialist batsman but he lasted just six balls before being held at backward point in the first over after tea aiming a forcing shot off the back foot at Panesar.

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South Africa win to stay alive in Sri Lanka series

David Miller and Lonwabo Tsotsobe played key roles as South Africa stunned hosts Sri Lanka by 56 runs in the third one-dayer in Pallekele on Friday to stay afloat in the five-match series.

Miller plundered a robust 85 not out off 72 balls to steer South Africa to 223-7 after unorthodox spinner Ajantha Mendis had reduced the tourists to 154-7 in the 42nd over.

Tsotsobe then ripped through Sri Lanka's top order with three wickets in the space of six runs before finishing with 4-22 as the hosts were bundled out for 167 in the day-night game.

The victory ended South Africa's 11-match losing streak in one-day cricket on Sri Lankan soil and gave AB de Villiers' tourists a badly-needed win in the current series.

With Sri Lanka 2-1 ahead, South Africa must also win the fourth match at the same venue on Sunday to take the series into the decider in Colombo next Wednesday.

Thisara Perera lit up the gloomy evening for the hosts by smashing five sixes and a boundary in the 33rd over sent down by left-arm spinner Robin Peterson.

With the second ball declared a wide, the 35 runs taken in the over fell just one run short of the world record of six sixes hit by South African batsman Herschelle Gibbs off Dutch bowler Daan van Bunge during the 2007 World Cup.

Perera's run sequence in the over was six, a wide, six, six, six, four and a six, but his sensational hitting came too late for the hosts to deliver an unlikely win.

"It's hard to explain how proud I am of the boys," de Villiers said. "It was not easy and we were under pressure through the game.

"It was a really good performance. But we did not have enough partnerships going."

Left-handed Perera made 65 off 49 balls with five sixes and as many boundaries, before he was caught in the deep off Farhaan Behardien, who finished with three for 19.

Sri Lanka paid the penalty for a shoddy batting display in which six batsmen failed to reach double figures and only two others entered their 20s.

Sri Lankan captain Angelo Mathews, returning to the side after serving a two-match suspension due to his team's slow over-rates in the tri-series in the West Indies, paid rich tributes to Perera.

"He is turning out to be a good all-rounder," said Mathews. "The pitch was not easy to bat on, but it looked as if Thisara was batting on a different wicket.

"With Thisara playing so well, I should probably have stayed there with him. We need to get everything together on Sunday."

Earlier, Miller hit five sixes and four boundaries to boost the total from 100-5 after South Africa had won the toss and elected to take first strike.

Skipper de Villiers led the recovery with 47, before left-handed Miller pushed the scoring with his fifth one-day half-century, the first by a South African in the series.

Miller put on 69 for the eighth wicket with Ryan McLaren, who remained unbeaten on 14.

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