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Abahani 3 Brothers 0
   Abahani with their new found team spirit crushed the table-toppers Brothers Union 3-0 to avenge their first round loss that also spiced up to the title race. At the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Thursday the sky-blue outfit dominated the scene with teamwork while their all-orange opponents were searching for the clues - what went wrong.
   With the win Abahani pulled Brothers down from their solo leadership position as Mohammedans and Brothers both now have 35 points from the same number of matches. Mohammedans' players and team management were present at the stadium to celebrate their arch-rivals' win which is a rare scene in the football arena. Brothers would have almost secured the title if they won the match. Abahani are in the third place now with 29 points.
   After beating Muktijoddha in the previous match Abahani started from where they finished and gradually took control of the match. Brothers Union's defence was their Achilles heel as star defenders Sujon, Jewel Rana and Masud Rana had a torrid time and the midfield failed to sustain the pressure.
   In the up front Tipu, Ghanaian Audoo Ibrahim and Uzzal knitted themselves into a total unit. Later substitute Zahed Parvez accelerated the pace. Cameroonian defender Ngasa with Obaidur and Shipon on his two flanks removed the apprehension that the defence will be missing Pradeep, who was serving a one-match ban because of three yellow cards.
   Abahani came close to scoring three times in the first half but Farhad, and Tipu wasted the chances. Farhad in the sixth minute was too slow to flick the ball into the open net off a Tipu cross and on the stroke of the break Tipu fed by Cameroonian Endem Kiyek blasted the ball over the crosspiece from the middle of the box. Brothers Union custodian Tarek stopped the ball from entering the net in the 37th minute after Uzzal's corner took a dangerous curve. Brothers failed to make any notable moves.
   Tipu made amends for his early mistakes 17 minutes after the break. Endem danced down the left flank running past two defenders and gave Tipu a nice square pass. Tipu's powerful right-footer gave Tarek no chance.
   Brothers midfielder Abul in the 54th minute took possession of the ball as Abahani defenders fumbled but his shot went wide of the side post. Substitute striker Topu found Abahani custodian Nizam alone in the 72nd minute but shot straight into the goalkeeper's feet.
   With a fast counter-attack Abahani went two goals up. Endem again burst through the left flank and provided Tipu a forward pass but Tipu lost it. Uzzal, who was covering Tipu, pounced on the ball and with a precise footwork he befooled two Brothers defenders and unleashed a fierce grounder that took a deflection off a defender's foot before crashing into the net.
   Speedy winger Zahed showed his pace in the 81st minute as he ran past the Brothers defenders and after a one-two with Ibrahim he dodged past Tarek to put the ball into an empty net.
   Demoralised Brothers were fortunate as Parvez and Ibrahim missed two open nets in the 79th and 86th minute. But Abahani were not remembering the misses as they went to their supporters' corner to celebrate their first win against Brothers Union in four matches this season.

Officials at Trent Bridge and The Oval have announced that all five days have sold out for the final two Tests.
   English counties usually sell only the first four days in advance but Surrey anticipated demand and put all five on sale in November, selling out by March.
   'We saw the problem of a fifth day that might decide the Ashes,' Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon told the BBC.
   'There will be disappointed people but we avoid administrative and policing nightmares of 50,000 being locked out.'
   The recent third Test at Old Trafford witnessed chaotic scenes on the final day, when in excess of 15,000 people hoping to see the conclusion of another dramatic encounter were turned away.
   Tickets for the first four days of the final Test at The Oval went on sale as they normally do in early November, and were sold out by the end of the month.
   But Surrey decided to put the final day on sale at the same time.
   'I don't think any ground in the world in the history of Test cricket has sold out a fifth day in advance before, certainly not in England,' he said. 'This way we say 'sorry, we're sold out, we can't sell any more' and avoid havoc in Kennington!
   'We felt our customers couldn't lose, because we'd give them a full refund if for whatever reason the fifth day didn't happen.'
   Sheldon admitted that the threat of hugely inflated prices for tickets from touts and internet sales was a concern.
   'Sadly there isn't enough we can do,' he said. 'They are going to be at a premium.'

Shaun Pollock produced a captain's performance to lead Africa to a tense two-run victory against Asia in the first match of the inaugural Afro-Asia Cup at Centurion on Wednesday.
   Chasing a modest target of 199 for victory, Asia coasted to 50 without loss from just 10 overs before Pollock claimed three wickets in the 11th over to turn the match on its head.
   Fellow all rounder Jacques Kallis claimed the key wickets of Kumar Sangakkara (35) and big-hitting Shahid Afridi (13) with the help of perfect conditions for swing bowling and at 96-6 there appeared to be no way back for Asia.
   However Abdul Razzaq (38) and Anil Kumble (24) offered late hope with a seventh wicket stand of 56 before Kallis returned to claim a third wicket by trapping Kumble lbw.
   The drama, however, was just beginning. Tailender Zaheer Khan marshalled his fellow bowlers towards the target with an unbeaten 20. Shoaib Akhtar smashed Justin Kemp for a straight six to bring the target down to just five runs needed with two and a half overs remaining.
   Shoaib was given out next ball when he squeezed a yorker to backward point where Justin Ontong held the catch.
   Umpire Steve Davis had no doubt and raised his finger immediately but Shoaib protested that it had been a bump ball and stood his ground for at least a minute. Television replays proved inconclusive.
   With just three runs required from the final two overs, and number 11 Ashish Nehra on strike, South African fast bowler Dale Steyn produced the perfect yorker to uproot middle stump and win the game with 11 balls to spare.
   Earlier Ashwell Prince held the African innings together with an unbeaten 78 after the home side had lost the toss and crashed to 57-5 in the face of quality swing bowling from Indian left armer Zaheer Khan (3-37).
   Prince faced 113 deliveries and struck just five boundaries during a cautious but crucial innings that kept Africa in the match. He added 84 with Mark Boucher (42) for the sixth wicket just as the match appeared to be heading for an early finish.
   Pollock, who finished with 3-32, will again lead the African team in the second match at Kingsmead in Durban on Saturday before Graeme Smith returns from an ICC-imposed slow over rate ban to captain Africa in the decider at the same venue on Sunday.

Amateur footballers Sporting Bengal United will become one of the first Asian sides to play in the FA Cup this weekend, the world’s oldest football knockout tournament.
   The London-based side face Ware in the extra preliminary round of the tournament which is celebrating its 125th year.
   ‘Our participation in this year’s competition is truly a historic moment for the Asian community in this country,’ said Sporting Bengal chairman Suroth Miah.
   ‘We want to take the whole community forward by being successful and push Asian players into mainstream football.
   ‘To win this game would be fantastic - we have been drawn home in the next round, and it would be great for the local community to host an FA Cup game at Mile End stadium.’
   Sporting Bengal United was established in 1996 to push forward Asian football in England, and was awarded senior status in 2003.
   ‘Everybody is aware that some ethnic groups, such as those from an Asian background, are still under-represented in the game, but the progress being made by this club is of tremendous importance,’ said the Football Association’s (FA) ethics manager Lucy Faulkner.
   ‘Its another step towards football becoming fully representative of our society, not to mention a fantastic new ground for the oldest cup competition in the world.’
   The FA aren’t the only ones impressed by the club.
   In 2003, the team, which draws its players from the east London borough of Tower Hamlets, were crowned UK Asian football champions for the second time.
   That tournament was played at Celtic’s famed Parkhead stadium in Glasgow and former Scotland skipper Paul McStay liked what he saw from the skillful Bengal side.
   ‘The tournament (which featured eight teams) highlighted just how committed and passionate everybody in the Asian community is about football,’ said McStay.
   ‘The technique and ability on show was a joy to watch. All it takes is just one Asian player to make the breakthrough and then this problem - or this myth - of how Asians cannot play football will be challenged.’

The Election Commission of the NSC has declared valid all the nominations papers submitted by the candidates for the Bangladesh Cricket Board election. A total of 47 nomination papers had been submitted by the candidate till Wednesday, the last day of submission of the same. It is learnt that the pro-establishment group is likely to request Shah Nurul Kabir Shaheen today to withdraw his candidacy for general secretary in favour of Mahbubul Anam.
   Meanwhile, a source said a show-cause notice has been served on the BCB by the Judges’ Court after two councillors, Iqbal Yusuf Chowdhury and Hafizur Rahman, filed a petition for violating clauses 9.7, 9.13 and 9.14 of the constitution of 2003 while selecting the councillors.
   The two councillors were unhappy as the BCB president himself had chosen the 10 former cricketers as councillors instead of a fair election among the formers cricketers. They were also opposed to the idea of selecting the councillors from the services which do not have any cricket teams.

Bowling supremo Kevin Curran was confirmed Wednesday as coach of the Zimbabwe national cricket team.
   He replaces West Indian Phil Simmons with immediate effect after a disastrous year for the team.
   Simmons had been coach since last September when he replaced Australian Geoff Marsh.
   But he came under intense local criticism in Harare after the first Test defeat by New Zealand last week, a margin of an innings and 294 runs. That criticism intensified when his team suffered another innings defeat here on Wednesday losing the series 2-0 to the Kiwi tourists.

Bangladesh A team returns home today, two days before their scheduled arrival date. The team won only two one-dayers, lost three three-day matches and drew one during their month-long tour of England.
   In the last three-day match against Kent at Canterbury, Bangladesh A suffered a three-wicket defeat inside two days despite a 10-wicket haul by Syed Russel in the match.
   Chasing 188 runs for victory on Wednesday, the home side reached the target with three wickets and a day to spare.
   The soon-to-be-national-player Russel picked up three wickets for 41 runs after his seven for 50 in the first innings. But apart from Shahadat Hossain, none could join him in the wicket taking business during the second innings. Shahadat claimed three wickets for 51 while the other batsman was run out.
   Kent lost their seventh wicket on 165 but an unbeaten innings from Dixey (16) and Stiff (12) steered them home safely.

Bangladesh under-17 cricket team left for Malaysia on Thursday with the hope to win the Golden Hope Challenge Tournament. The tournament which also includes hosts Malaysia and Sri Lanka will be held from August 21 to 28.
   'We have a balanced side and also we prepared well. So I think it would not be very difficult for us to win the tournament though it is quite natural that Sri Lanka will throw a strong challenge to us,' said skipper Saquib Al Hasan at a press conference prior to the team's departure.
   Saquib, a left-handed middle-order batsman and also a promising spinner, has at least five more players at his disposal who are members of the Bangladesh under-19 team but are eligible for this competition. The players are Suhrawardy Shuvo, Amit Majumder, Mahmudul Hasan, Farhad Hossain and Tamim Iqbal.
   The team officials said they have already conducted a medical test of these under-19 team players to be sure that they are all aged below17 years. The rest of the players have been selected from a 58-member preliminary camp.
   Bangladesh Edible Oil Company, producers of Rupchanda soyabean oil, will sponsor the tour party. Bangladesh will play their first match against Malaysia on August 21.

Abdullah Al Noman, the minister for fisheries and livestock, said on Thursday a new stadium will be built in Chittagong within a short period.
   The minister said this while speaking as chief guest at the prize giving of the Bangladesh Sports Journalist Association (BSJA) Chittagong chapter at the Press Club auditorium.
   Chaired by Saifullah Chowdhury the function was addressed, among others, by Ruhul Amin, president of Chittagong Mohammedans , Kalim Sarwar, general secretary of Chittagong Press Club, BSJA executive member Mosharraf Hossain, joint secretary of CJKS Manzur Alam and BSJA Chittagong chapter secretary Kamal Parvez. He later distributed prizes among the sports journalists who were awarded by the BSJA this year.

Australia believe the key to keeping the Ashes is to solve the mystery of England’s reverse swing.
   The ability of pacemen Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones to swing the ball has caused all sorts of headaches for the tourists with the problem coming to a head in the nail-biting third Test at Old Trafford on Monday.
   Opening batsman Justin Langer has admitted that coach John Buchanan and skipper Ricky Ponting, who made a match-saving, seven-hour 156 in Manchester, have formed a brains trust to find an answer.
   ‘We are talking a lot about it and there is some really healthy discussion going on amongst the batsmen,’ said Langer on Wednesday.
   ‘For the senior players it is a great challenge, people say that too often and it is a well-used cliche, but this really is. It is like trying to solve a puzzle.
   ‘When a ball reverse swings, rather than be instinctive and go for your shots, you have to tighten up a little bit more and wait until the ball is further down the wicket before making your decision because you are not sure which way it is going to swing.’
   The rare art of gaining vicious aerial movement with a roughed-up ball was perfected by Pakistan pair Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis in the early 1990s and while others have dabbled to good effect, it is unusual for a bowler to arc deliveries both into and away from batsmen.
   Langer, who was ‘enthralled’ watching opening partner Matthew Hayden attempt to combat Flintoff in Manchester, added: ‘We have not cracked it yet but that is the exciting thing about cricket, if we said we had it would be a pretty boring game.
   ‘We have been facing reverse swing for more than 10 years, mainly on the subcontinent, but the difference here is they are getting the ball to move the other way.’
   Flintoff has quickly become England’s dangerman with the ball despite a return of just one five-wicket haul in 50 Test appearances while Jones’ productivity has also increased sharply; they have 16 and 13 wickets in the series respectively.
   ‘Without the ball reverse swinging you do not feel Jones is supremely quick, he doesn’t swing the ball abnormally but when he starts reverse swinging it he is in the ball game,’ said Langer.
   ‘You have got to knuckle down and your scoring options are really limited.’

Captain Inzamam-ul-Haq blamed his batsmen for Asia’s two-run defeat by Africa in the opening game of the Afro-Asia Cup on Wednesday.
   Chasing a modest target of 199 for victory, pre-tournament favourites Asia coasted to 50 without loss before Shaun Pollock claimed three wickets in the 11th over to turn the match on its head.
   Inzamam told reporters his batsmen still ‘needed hard work in the nets over the next two days’ to win the three-match series.
   ‘Our bowlers are experienced and I thought they did very well, 199 was not too big a total to chase. The pitch was a bit damp but it was a good wicket,’ Inzamam said.
   ‘We had a good start when we reached 50 in the first 10 overs but then we lost six wickets in scoring the next 50 runs. That was the turning point of the match.’
   Africa coach Mickey Arthur, the newly appointed South African mentor, was delighted with the win.
   ‘I hope all the matches aren’t so close but it was a fantastic win. It was a great environment to work in.’
   In a low-scoring match, Asia were bowled out for 196 while, chasing Africa’s total of 198.
   Africa’s Ashwell Prince was the top scorer from either side as he finished unbeaten on 78.
   Arthur was particularly pleased with 22-year-old rookie Dale Steyn, who began the 49th over with Asia needing just three runs for victory but he bowled Ashish Nehra to win the match.
   ‘Dale Steyn has been in the cauldron now and the experience will stand him in good stead for the rest of his career,’ said Arthur.
   ‘Having only five bowlers actually turned out to be a good thing because they all took responsibility, knowing they each had to bowl their full complement.
   ‘I thought both Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock were outstanding, they got a lot of shape on the ball.’
   The remaining two matches will be played in Durban on Saturday and Sunday.

Returning to Test cricket after a 28-month layoff, Shane Bond was delighted with his performances in the two-Test series in Zimbabwe.
   He took 13 wickets at 9.23, including returns of 10 for 99 in the second Test at Bulawayo - his first ten-wicket haul - and in the process became the quickest among all New Zealand bowlers to get to 50 Test wickets. Bond achieved the mark in only his 12th match, beating Chris Martin’s earlier record of 13.
   ‘That’s what’s driven me on, a few of those milestones I wanted to achieve,’ Bond told Radio Sport after the match.
   ‘I’ve just got to keep working hard and hopefully I can tick them off as I go along. I feel like I’m in better condition now. I’m fitter, stronger, and a smarter cricketer.’
   Bond expressed his surprise, though, at the number of wickets that came his way at Bulawayo.
   ‘I set myself high standards but you never think you’re going to get a bag of wickets. I never gave up hope (during the injury layoff).
   ‘There were some really tough times, more mental than physical, but you’ve just got to work through them. All I wanted to do was be consistent and support the guys around me.’
   Stephen Fleming, the New Zealand captain, admitted that Bond’s presence had made a huge difference to their attack.
   ‘We’ve gone through some series and kept our mouth shut, knowing we were missing possibly one of the greatest bowlers to play for New Zealand.
   ‘He’s worked very hard and come back well.’ Fleming himself had a reasonably good series with the bat, scoring two half-centuries.
   His 65 in the second Test took him past the 6000-run mark in Tests, making him the first New Zealander to achieve the feat.
   New Zealand’s next engagement is the one-day tri-series next week, involving Zimbabwe and India. However, Bond will have to wait seven months to play his next Test, when New Zealand host West Indies in March 2006.

Pakistan will officially voice its concerns over the increasing workload on international players during the next ICC Executive Board Members meeting in Dubai later this month.
   According to Saleem Altaf, a PCB director, one of the main issues to be discussed in Dubai will be whether to extend the current FTP (Future Tours Programme) cycle from five to six years.
   Altaf told The News that Pakistan would like to see the cycle extended to six years, as the current schedule was too hectic, increasing the chances of injuries to players and reducing the amount of time between series for them to recover.
   ‘We would like to see a more spread out programme which allows the team some reasonable gaps between the series so that the players can recover well,’ Altaf explained.
   Given the crippling spate of injuries Pakistan has had to endure over the last year, particularly to its fast bowlers, Altaf will have more reason than most to argue for a relaxation in the international schedule. Shoaib Akhtar (hamstring), Mohammad Sami (heel), Shabbir Ahmed (knees) and Umar Gul (back) have all missed a number of matches in the season just gone and have yet to play together in an international match.
   His comments are also timely; Pakistan are preparing to begin a hectic season of international cricket from October, one of the busiest in recent memory with 13 Tests and potentially 25 ODIs between November 2005 and September 2006.
   The season begins with England’s visit for a series of three tests and five ODIs. After their departure at the end of December, Pakistan host India for another full series followed in swift succession by the Asia Cup in February, a tour of Sri Lanka in March-April followed by a long return tour to England during the summer.
   Some Pakistani players will also be involved in the Super Series matches between Australia and the Rest of the World XI in October.
   The ICC meeting is being held days after the last of three ODIs of the much-maligned Afro-Asian Cup.
   The series, the brainchild of the Afro-Asian Council and given official status by the ICC, has been criticised by some for its timing, adding one more commitment - of questionable value - for many to an already cramped international schedule.
   Partially, as a result of this, the tournament has been hit by a number of high-profile withdrawals; some like Makhaya Ntini and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan pulled out due to county commitments in England, while others such as Rahul Dravid cited personal reasons.
   The majority of pull-outs, however, are injury-related.

American Andy Roddick kept the crowd on their edge of their seats at the Cincinnati Masters on Wednesday night after he fought back from a set down to overcome Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 to reach the third round.
   Earlier, world number one Roger Federer, third seed Lleyton Hewitt and number four Marat Safin all advanced following three-set struggles, while Guillermo Coria, David Nalbandian and Tim Henman all tumbled out.
   However, the real drama was saved for the night session as fifth-seeded Roddick scrambled to a repeat of his win over Ferrero in the final of the 2003 US Open.
   Earlier, Federer, playing just his second match since winning his third successive Wimbledon title six weeks ago, produced a sluggish and inconsistent performance but still managed to beat German Nicolas Kiefer 4-6, 6-4, 6-4.
   Hewitt showed his stomach for a scrap, battling back to beat Greg Rusedski 1-6, 7-5, 6-4.
   Having been forced to withdraw from his opening match in Montreal last week because of a virus, the third-seeded Australian looked out of sorts as Rusedski romped through the opening set in 20 minutes.
   Although the Briton had four chances to break in the second set, Hewitt snatched it with one break of his own.
   He then repeated the feat in the third to clinch a meeting with Croatian Mario Ancic, who ousted 16th seed Richard Gasquet of France 6-4, 7-6.
   Fourth seed Safin lost his focus in the second set but recovered to defeat British wild card Andy Murray 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, while sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko also advanced.
   Juan Ignacio Chela gave Argentine fans something to cheer about when he dumped 12th seed Henman, who was struggling with a stomach injury, 6-4, 6-4.
   But ninth seed Coria was beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Luis Horna of Peru, and 11th seed Nalbandian went down 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 to Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.

Justin Henin-Hardenne eased into the third round of the Rogers Cup with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Mariana Diaz-Oliva on Wednesday, a few hours after Serena Williams had become the latest injury withdrawal on the WTA Tour.
   Seeded four, Belgium’s Henin-Hardenne played with her right hamstring wrapped in a bandage but it did not seem to hinder her movement as she had little difficulty overcoming the Argentine qualifier.
   Earlier in the day, fifth-seeded Williams became the sixth top-20 player to withdraw from the tournament in the past week.
   One day after defeating Stephanie Cohen-Aloro of France 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 in her second round match, Williams said an injured left knee had forced her out of the event, her first since Wimbledon.
   In the main match of the evening, seventh-seeded Kim Clijsters of Belgium struggled early before dominating France’s Virginie Razzano 6-3, 6-0.
   Also moving on was sixth-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova, who was forced to dig deep to get past Bulgarian teenager Sesil Karatantcheva 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
   In other matches, ninth-seeded Anastasia Myskina of Russia needed three sets to defeat American qualifier Laura Granville 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, but 10th-seeded Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy was upset 6-2, 6-4 by Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic.
   Conchita Martinez surprised 15th seeded Dinara Safina 7-5, 6-2, 12th seed Ana Ivanovic edged Marion Bartoli 4-6, 7-6, 7-6, and Italian 14th seed Flavia Pennetta beat compatriot Antonella Serra Zanetti 6-4, 6-2.

It needed Shane Warne just three Test matches to redeem his lost image. Australians had turned against bad boy Warne after yet another text-message sex scandal and the tacky
   front-page split with his long-suffering wife.
   Sponsors had cancelled their contracts with him and angry cricket fans had called on selectors to leave the serial philanderer and convicted drug cheat out of the team before the annual five-game Ashes series.
   But three games into the series and Warne is the hero of the hour. The world’s leading Test wicket-taker has redeemed himself by some vintage leg-spin bowling and plucky performances with the bat.
   There has even been talk of the 35-year-old bottle blond getting back the vice-captaincy that was taken away from him for his loutish off-field behaviour.
   When Australia’s pace attack faltered, Warne was there to skittle England with his prodigious spin. When it was left to the middle-order batsmen to dig the side out of a hole, the bloke from Black Rock in Victoria put on a commanding performance - even top-scoring when Australia miraculously tied the crucial third Test at Old Trafford.
   ‘Warne’s secret is that he always tries to be at the peak of his form,’ said Australian bowling coach Terry Jenner after the Old Trafford match in which Warne became the first player in the world to take 600 Test wickets.
   The 600th dismissal set off a crackerjack of Warne tributes.
   Former England captain Mike Atherton, commenting on a 13-year Test career, said: ‘It’s the amount of spin and drift that he gets, plus his accuracy - that’s what sets him apart.’
   Cricket buffs the world over banged on about Warne being the most important cricketer of modern times and single-handedly resuscitating the flagging art of leg-spin.
   It was at Old Trafford, in his first Ashes Test, that Warne had dismissed Mike Gatting with a fizzer that proclaimed him the new king of spin. And it was at Old Trafford last week that the redoubtable Warne showed that even a torrid time in the tabloids and in his 10-year marriage couldn’t shake his self-confidence.
   ‘Over the years, every game I play, people say he’s no good any more and write me off,’ Warne said in the lead up to that game.
   ‘Then I have a good game and people say ‘he’s as good as ever’.’
   It was prophetic; at Old Trafford he led the bowling in the first session with 4-99.
   The most telling thumbs-up came this week from sportswriter Peter Lalor. Writing in national daily The Australian, he declared: ‘In three Ashes Tests, he has proved beyond doubt that he is one of the greatest cricketers and sportsmen of his generation. That he is a supremely gifted bowler is beyond question, but he is more than that and he has demonstrated it when his team needed him most’.
   Paul Sheehan, a leader writer with The Sydney Morning Herald, has so far kept mum about Warne’s heroics in England. It was Sheehan who earlier this year declared public patience to be at an end.
   ‘He can rut with whomever he likes, but as a serial liar he should never again be allowed to debase the Australian colours by wearing them,’ Sheehan had fulminated.
   Those sentiments are now out of step with public opinion. Incorrigible he may be, but Warne has proved a valiant fighter for his country’s honour.
   Sports-mad Australians are as likely to see him as a saint than a stain on the game. Those with just a passing interest in the crack of willow and leather will now be tempted to just see a split personality and let the better side shine in the light.
   As Lalor wrote: ‘The man is a genius and a goose. Proud and pathetic. A defiant warrior and a deceitful philanderer. He could be canonised, or fired from one - both acts would be similarly legitimate.’

Twenty20 cricket is set to make a debut in India at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore between August 19 and 21.
   The Unibic Twenty20 Bradman Cup, the result of collaboration between the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) and Unibic, the event sponsor, will feature international stars such as Lance Klusener, Dean Jones, Adam Hollioake, Mohammad Sami, Russel Arnold and Javagal Srinath among others.
   Six teams will take part in the competition and they will be split into two groups of three.
   The top teams from each group will contest the final. While teams such as Bradman World XI, New South Wales, KSCA XI, Bengal and Chemplast are confirmed participants, the sixth team will either be ONGC or Baroda.
   ‘We have a great responsibility to foster the spirit of Bradman through this tournament,’ Michael Quinn, chairman of Unibic India and a former first-class player for Victoria, was quoted as saying in The Hindu.
   ‘This tournament reiterates our company’s belief that it is essential to work with the community to foster success.’
   Brijesh Patel, the KSCA secretary, thanked Unibic for sponsoring the event and said that it was a privilege to host India’s first Twenty20 tournament.
   Bradman World XI: Adam Hollioake, Dean Jones, Russel Arnold, Upul Chandana, Farveez Maharoof, Romesh Kaluwitharana, Mohammad Sami, Shoaib Malik, Salman Butt, Kamran Akmal, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Ajit Agarkar, Javagal Srinath.

Ian Healy thinks Australia’s high-class bowlers have masked fielding inadequacies and the team is not working enough on catching.
   Healy, a meticulous trainer during his 119-Test career, told the Courier-Mail the next generation faced a lot of hard training.
   ‘They won’t have the bowlers to create the chances we are getting now, so they will not be able to cruise on their talent,’ Healy said.
   ‘To an extent Australia has got away with it because the bowlers have created so many chances but far too many catches have gone down.’
   Australia’s poor fielding was highlighted by seven missed chances in the third Test at Old Trafford.
   Healy began taking notes of dropped catches in the 2001 series and had Australia spilling as many as England - ‘I think it was 23 each. It’s been going on for a long time,’ he told the paper of the missing intensity. ‘I just haven’t seen the repetition work going on before games for the last five years.’
   Under Bob Simpson fielding practice was a tight regime and the performance of the side improved markedly.

England’s belief that they are serious World Cup contenders suffered a shattering reality check on Wednesday when Denmark sent them crashing to their worst defeat for 25 years.
   Fortunately for coach Sven-Goran Eriksson and his bunch of highly-paid but under-performing players, the shambolic 4-1 defeat in Copenhagen was a friendly international two weeks ahead of their next competitive challenge against Wales in a World Cup qualifier.
   On a busy night of international friendlies, France celebrated the return of talismanic Zinedine Zidane from retirement with a 3-0 win against Cote d’Ivoire with the former World Footballer of the Year getting on the score sheet.
   Elsewhere, Italy hammered home their credentials as World Cup favourites with a 2-1 win against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.
   World champions Brazil came back from a goal down to draw 1-1 in Croatia while Argentina beat Hungary 2-1.
   Bitter rivals Holland and Germany fought out a 2-2 draw in Rotterdam where 22 fans were arrested.
   But it was in Copenhagen where the real drama was happening.
   A furious Eriksson apologised for England’s 4-1 humiliation and insisted his team won’t make the World Cup finals if they repeat the performance.
   Eriksson was angry after seeing his team concede three goals in seven second-half minutes in the friendly clash as England conceded four goals for the first time since they lost to Wales in 1980.
   ‘I am very sorry and disappointed and angry about the second half,’ said the Swede.
   ‘It was the worst 45 minutes that I have had as England coach. It was a disaster all over the place, nothing went right and I’m very upset.
   ‘I apologise to the fans. It seemed like it was a holiday in the second half and I have told the players that they can forget about the World Cup if they play like that again.’
   The sides had been locked at 0-0 at half-time but Eriksson made four changes at the break bringing on Michael Owen, goalkeeper David James as well as Jamie Carragher and Glen Johnsen and the Danes took full advantage.
   Charlton striker Dennis Rommedahl, former Newcastle and AC Milan hitman Jon Dahl Tomasson, with his 36th international goal, and substitute Michael Gravgaard set Denmark on their way to victory.
   Wayne Rooney grabbed a late consolation for England before substitute Soren Larsen added a fourth for the Danes in injury time.
   There were no such problems for 1998 World Cup winners France as they enjoyed a 3-0 win over Cote d’Ivoire in Montpellier.
   Zidane, lured out of retirement to help France’s ailing World Cup campaign, added style and substance to Raymond Domenech’s side in the warm up to next month’s crucial qualifier against the Republic of Ireland.
   With the 33-year-old’s every step cheered by a sell-out 30,000 crowd the Real Madrid star, wearing the captain’s armband, crowned his comeback with a second half goal which was sandwiched by efforts from William Gallas and Thierry Henry.
   The Netherlands were left to rue a string of missed chances as arch rivals Germany came from two goals down to secure a flattering 2-2 draw in Rotterdam.
   Chelsea winger Arjen Robben gave the Dutch a 2-0 lead at the break before captain Michael Ballack, with his 29th goal in 59 appearances, and substitute Gerald Asamoah levelled the score.
   In Budapest, Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze scored the winner to give ten-man Argentina a 2-1 friendly win against Hungary.
   Heinze headed in a corner in the 62nd minute as the South Americans, who have already booked their place in the World Cup finals in Germany next summer, made up for their shortfall in numbers.
   Maxi Rodriguez had given them a 19th minute lead before Sandor Thorgelle levelled 10 minutes later. Lionel Messi was then red-carded in the 65th minute.
   In Dublin, Italy’s goalkeeper Flavio Roma and referee Paolo Costa put paid to Ireland’s best efforts to salvage their manager Brian Kerr’s 17-game unbeaten home record in a high-tempo friendly.
   After a thrilling first half which saw Italian guile register a 2-1 lead over Irish graft, the Monaco stopper pulled off a finger-tip save three minutes from time and the Portuguese referee harshly disallowed a Clinton Morrison goal for handball in injury time.
   Andrea Pirlo put the Italians ahead in the 10th minute with Alberto Gilardino adding the second after half an hour. Andy Reid pulled one back for Ireland.
   In Split, Brazil needed an equaliser from Ricardinho three minutes from half-time to grab a 1-1 draw with Croatia.

It is no surprise that France’s stylish 3-0 victory over Ivory Coast on Wednesday coincided with the return of Zinedine Zidane a year after his international retirement.
   Now the old master, who scored in Wednesday’s friendly, is back, along with Juventus defender Lilian Thuram and Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele, France have confidence again and a strong backbone that boosts their chances of qualifying for the 2006 World Cup.
   France resume their qualifying campaign on September 3 against the Faroe Islands in Lens, four days before a tricky trip to Lansdowne Road where they will face Ireland.
   They will then travel to Switzerland on October 8 and host Cyprus at the Stade de France on October 12.
   France are currently fourth in Group Four on 10 points from six games. Ireland lead with 13 from seven, Switzerland have 12 from six while Israel have 11 from seven
   After his side tamed Ivory Coast with goals by Chelsea’s William Gallas, Zidane and Arsenal’s Thierry Henry, coach Raymond Domenech warned against complacency, saying France should not ‘lapse into euphoria’.
   ‘No worries,’ said Zidane. ‘There will be no euphoria because we know which games are the most important ones.’
   However, the re-instated captain says his team found the sparkle they lost last year after their Euro 2004 quarter-final exit at the hands of eventual winners Greece.
   ‘We needed that little thing we were missing, which now seems to be back,’ he said.
   Henry, who celebrated his 28th birthday with a nice solo goal and had not worn the France shirt since a 1-1 draw with Sweden in February, said the return the three retirees had been key.
   ‘We played more collectively. The old guard helped,’ he said.
   Thuram, who celebrated his 104th cap and overtook former captain Didier Deschamps as France’s second most-capped player behind Marcel Desailly (116), looked strong and neutralised Chelsea’s Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba before limping off the pitch with a thigh injury after 22 minutes.
   Makelele, Chelsea’s midfield supporting beam, also put on a bright show before the 31,457 fans at Montpellier’s Mosson stadium.
   With Zidane slightly below par but nevertheless decisive, the three players provided the experience and technical composure France needed to give Domenech his first three-goal winning margin.
   Another pleasing aspect for the coach was Paris St Germain midfielder Vikash Dhorasoo, who played in a defensive role but managed to set up Henry for his goal and combined well with Zidane.

Germany’s winless streak against the game’s other traditional major powers will stretch to at least five years after the 2006 World Cup hosts drew 2-2 with the Netherlands in Rotterdam on Wednesday.
   For the 15th consecutive time, the three-time World Cup winners and 2002 runners-up failed to beat a top rival—a remarkable string of mediocrity dating back to October 2000 when they beat England 1-0.
   ‘Once again Germany weren’t able to get that longed-for victory against one of the world’s top soccer powers,’ wrote Berliner Zeitung newspaper. ‘But at least they were able to steal away with a 2-2 draw against a far superior Dutch side.’
   The Germans trailed 2-0 to two Arjen Robben goals but fought back well for the draw with goals by Michael Ballack and Gerald Asamoah.
   Coach Juergen Klinsmann inherited the streak but has been unable to snap it, with four draws - Brazil, Argentina twice and the Netherlands and a 3-2 defeat by Brazil in the Confederations Cup semi-finals.
   Despite not managing to take a big scalp, Germany’s record under Klinsmann marks a big improvement over his predecessor Rudi Voeller.
   Between October 2000 and his resignation in July 2004 Voeller’s teams lost to France twice, England, Argentina, Brazil, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic—alongside a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands at Euro 2004.
   Germany, who as hosts automatically qualify for the World Cup, are on a diet of friendlies. Their next chance to end the winless streak will come in November when they play against France in Paris.
   ‘What’s important is that we beat the big teams at the World Cup,’ said Klinsmann after Wednesday’s draw. Germany have a total of 10 wins, five draws and two losses since he took over.
   German newspapers were astonished by the way the Netherlands dominated Wednesday’s match, particularly in the first half.
   ‘If our arch rival had knocked us out of the stadium by a score of 5-2 we would have not been able to complain about the result,’ wrote Bild columnist Walter M. Straten. ‘It was Germany’s worst effort to date under Klinsmann.’
   Berlin’s BZ tabloid said Germany were totally outclassed. ‘Klinsi’s lads were awful,’ the daily said. ‘He had to remove his jacket after just nine minutes because he was sweating so much—from the way the Dutch outperformed us.’
   Der Tagesspiegel said the Germany players may have been intimidated by the way the big Dutch crowd nearly drowned out the German national anthem with jeers and boos before the match.
   ‘What followed shortly after the kick-off was even worse—they had hardly touched the ball before Holland scored.’

Germany’s protestant churches plan late-night services during next year’s World Cup in an effort to improve links with soccer fans.
   Leaders of Germany’s protestant church association (EKD) said on Wednesday that
   two clergymen would
   spend the next 10 months preparing the ground for the initiative.
   ‘The sport of soccer fascinates people and the members of our community,’ said pastor Hans-Joachim Fischer.
   ‘I know at least three priests who have season tickets for Eintracht Frankfurt.
   ‘We want to do more than set up a few television screens in our centres.’
   Aside from offering late-night, post-match services the churches also plan special World Cup services and will offer facilities for soccer fans to pray on their own.
   They will contact church organisations in the 32 competing countries and plan to get involved with local organising committees at Germany’s 12 World Cup venues, which include Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne and Frankfurt.
   One million foreign
   visitors are expected in Germany for the World Cup finals that run from June 9 to July 9, 2006.
   ‘The church needs to pay more attention to the sport and integrate it more into its daily work,’ Fischer said.
   ‘The World Cup offers a first-class opportunity to build these bridges.’

England and Real Madrid striker Michael Owen is set for a return to Liverpool, according to reports.
   Owen, 25, has been linked with a move to Manchester United and Newcastle while Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has insisted he is not after a striker.
   But forwards Milan Baros and Djibril Cisse may leave Anfield and pave the way for an Owen comeback.
   Baros could move to Aston Villa and Cisse is understood to be the subject of interest from French club Lyon.
   Lyon will be flush with cash with the £26m transfer from Michael Essien’s expected switch to Chelsea and their manager Gerard Houllier signed Cisse for Liverpool when in charge of the Merseysiders.
   Houllier was rumoured to be eyeing Owen but the player appears to favour a move back to the Premiership.
   Owen’s future at Real is in doubt after the Spanish giants signed Robinho and Julio Baptista to complement an attacking force already boasting Raul and Ronaldo.
   And, with Owen seemingly fifth choice, he has been linked with a leaving the Bernabeu for more regular first-team football in World Cup year.
   Liverpool received £8m and Antonio Nunez for Owen when they sold him last summer and Real are believed to want £10m for the hitman.
   But, with Benitez after a right midfielder and centre-back, a loan deal has been mooted, despite Real not being too keen on the idea.
   It may, however, be their main option if Manchester United do not make a firm bid for Owen.

Ronaldo is confident Brazilian pal Robinho will have a big future at Real Madrid.
   Robinho joined his new Real teammates, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos and Julio Baptista in Split this week for Brazil’s
   friendly against Croatia on Wednesday.
   ‘The truth is I do not need to be selected for Brazil to speak with Robinho, because we’re on the phone every day,’ said Ronaldo.
   ‘We were all very anxious to see him sign for Madrid. But now that it’s happened, we’re now all very calm. A great future waits for him at Madrid.
   ‘All the players at Madrid wish him the best.’
   Ronaldo added, ‘At Real Madrid it is very easy to play because there is so much
   quality in the group.
   ‘As soon as he arrives he is going to win over to the fans with his skill.’

Captain David Beckham and striker Michael Owen said there were no excuses for England’s 4-1 friendly rout by Denmark on Wednesday.
   ‘I don’t know what went wrong,’ Beckham told reporters.
   ‘There are no excuses... We should still be winning these games. The only positive thing we can take out of the game is that it was a friendly.’
   As for the manner of the defeat, he said, ‘It’s always a slight embarrassment when a team scores three quick goals against you in front of five or six thousand fans that have travelled all the way from England to watch the team play.
   ‘We’ve just got put that right and perform in the games that matter.’
   England are two points behind Group Six leaders Poland with a game in hand.
    ‘We have a lot of work to do before four tough games coming up,’ Beckham said. ‘Confidence-wise we just have to forget about this game.’
   Owen, who started the second half in place of Jermain Defoe up front, was on the same wavelength as his Real Madrid club team mate. ‘It was a disappointing night and there’s not really any excuses,’ Owen said. ‘It’s the start of the season, everyone’s fit and there are no injuries.
   ‘Everybody knows that we are a better team than that,’ Owen added. Thank God it wasn’t a qualifying game.’

Pierluigi Collina, widely considered the world’s best referee, will not be allowed to officiate this season unless he drops his new sponsor, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported Thursday.
   The 45-year-old official is now sponsored by the same company that sponsors Serie A giants AC Milan and the Italian football federation (FIGC) see that as a conflict of interest.
   The Gazzetta said Collina, who has won the world’s best referee award six times, has been given the ultimatum by FIGC president Franco Carraro.
   Collina reached the retirement age for Italian referees this year but the FIGC allowed him to carry on for another season because of his excellent reputation.
   He will be able to handle Italian league and Champions League matches up to June 30 next year but will be ruled out of the 2006 World Cup. The pinnacle of his career was when he officiated the 2002 World Cup final between Brazil and Germany.
   Instantly recognisable for his bald head and bulging eyes, Collina is a celebrity in his own right in Italy, often appearing on television shows and advertisements.

Even if hosts Germany win the 2006 World Cup Jurgen Klinsmann will step down as manager, according to West Germany’s 1980 European championship hero Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
   ‘Jurgen is the type of person who always needs a new goal,’ Rummenigge told magazine SportBild. That is what makes me sure that he will quit after the World Cup - however it turns out.’
   Klinsmann has refused to talk about extending his contract beyond the World Cup, claiming his future hinges on Germany’s success in the competition. Despite having no previous managerial experience Klinsmann, who succeeded Rudi Voller after the disastrous Euro 2004 finals, has set the target of winning the 2006 World Cup on home soil.

Jared Borgetti became Mexico's all-time leading scorer on Wednesday as Mexico beat Costa Rica 2-0 here Wednesday to edge ever closer to a 2006 World Cup berth.
   Borgetti opened the scoring against the ultra-defensive Costa Rica in the 63rd minute, his 36th goal for Mexico.
   Francisco Fonseca scored the insurance goal in the 85th minute. USA who beat Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 earlier Wednesday, have 15.

ABC and ESPN will broadcast their fourth straight World Cup next year and will televise all 64 games in high definition.
   The networks will not decide until after the draw on Dec 9 how to split the games among ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, they said Wednesday.
   All games of the tournament, which will be played in Germany from June 9 to July 9, will be broadcast live. For the 2002 World Cup, which was in Japan and South Korea, 58 games were televised live, with the final on ABC, 16 on ESPN and the rest on ESPN2. Because of the 13-hour time difference to the East Coast of the United States, games were on during the middle of the night.
   All games were broadcast live during the 1998 tournament in France, with ABC televising 14, ESPN 27 and ESPN2 23. Germany, like France, has a six-hour time difference to the US East Coast.
   The networks, owned by The Walt Disney Co, acquired the rights from Soccer United Marketing, an affiliate of Major League Soccer. SUM said it basically gets the air time for free, sells advertising and covers production costs, while the networks’ affiliates sell some advertising time.
   Leah LaPlaca, ESPN’s senior director of programming and acquisitions, declined comment on the financial arrangements.
   At least 20 high-definition cameras will be used for each game by the host broadcaster. ABC and ESPN plan to have their announcers at a majority of the games but will have them call some of the games from studios in the United States.
   LaPlaca said that ESPN/ESPN2 also plans to televise two European Champions League games most weeks when the tournament is going on this season. In recent years, ESPN/ESPN2 have broadcast only one game in many weeks.
   SUM paid about $40 million to buy the US TV and radio rights to the 2002 and 2006 World Cups and the 2003 Women’s World Cup from German media company Kirch Group. Kirch purchased the rights from FIFA, soccer’s governing body, in May 2001.

BDR Police reach final
Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and Bangladesh Police reached the final of the Orient Bread Federation Cup Handball Tournament wining their semi-finals at the handball court on Thursday. BDR, in the first semi-final, outplayed Narinda Progoti Boys Club 26-12 after leading the first half 16-04. Syeduzzaman scored seven goals, followed by Khairuzzaman who netted six goals. Bangladesh Police trounced Rajshahi City Corporation 33-20 after leading the first half 21-12 in the second semi-final. Rab scored 11 goals for the Police while Rajon netted seven goals for Rajshahi CC. The final will take place on Sunday instead of Saturday at 3 pm. The third place play-off will be held Friday.
— BD News

Rooney in line for another award
England international Wayne Rooney is one of five Barclays Premiership footballers short-listed for the FIFPro Young player of the Year awards.Rooney is joined by Manchester United team-mates Cristiano Ronaldo and Dong Fangzhou, Chelsea’s Arjen Robben and Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas on the 12-player short-list.The 12 were nominated by FIFPro, the global representative organisation for professional footballers.The winner will be announced at the FIFPro World Player XI ceremony in London on September 19. The 12 are: Javier Mascherano (Corinthians and Argentina), Wayne Rooney (Man Utd and England), Arjen Robben (Chelsea and Holland), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich and Germany), Robinho (Real Madrid and Brazil), Dong Fangzhou (Royal Antwerp/Man Utd and China), Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd and Portugal), Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal and Spain), Rio Mavuba (Bordeaux and France), Giorgio Chiellini (Fiorentina and Italy), Obafemi Martins (Inter Milan and Nigeria), Freddy Adu (DC United and United States).
—SPORTINGLIFE

Parreira satisfied after dull draw
Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira said he was satisfied after his world champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Croatia here on Wednesday.The Croats took the lead in the 32nd minute through Niko Krankjar, the son of Croatia’s manager, with Ricardinho levelling ten minutes later.‘We just got a result against a decent Croatian side,’ said Parreira.‘This was good preparation for us for our next World Cup qualifier against Chile,’ added Parreira whose 2002 world Cup winners are coasting to Germany 2006 needing just three points from their last three qualifiers.But he expressed concern about two of his star players, Ronaldo and Adriano.‘Ronaldo and Adriano weren’t at their normal level. The game against Chile is only in a fortnight and hope that they’ll be in better physical condition and more motivated after training for their respective clubs.’
— AFP