Main Page «
Front Page «
Metro «
Business «
International «
National «
Editorial «
Op-Ed «
Home «
Timeout «
Letters «

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

National football coach Diego Andres Cruciani finalised his 24-member squad for the SAFF Championship on Wednesday. Young midfielder Zahed Parvez was the only casualty from the Myanmar team while experienced defender and former captain Rajani succeeded in convincing the coach to return to the team.
   Cruciani termed Zahed Parvez as too young and fit for his U-23 plans. Rajani was unable to complete the practice procedures due to a knee injury and missed the Myanmar tour and Cruciani was particularly doubtful about his commitments. He talked with the footballer and finally included him in the camp.
   All the players have been requested to report to manager Saeed Hasan Kanan on Friday afternoon at the BFF Building and the team will start full fledged practice from Saturday. Cruciani will have to whittle down the team to 20 before leaving for Pakistan.
   Squad: Aminul Haque (GK), Rajani Kanta Barman, Firoze Mahmud Titu, Arman Miah, Hasan Al Mamun, Rokanuzzaman Kanchan (Muktijoddha); Biplob Bhattacharya (GK), Kazi Nazrul Islam, Arman Aziz, Faysal Mahmud, Alfaz Ahmed, Asadur Rahman, Matiur Rahman (Mohammedans); Atiqul Islam Tarek (GK), Mohammad Sujan, Mostafa Anwar Parvez Babu, Abul Hossain, Zahid Hossain Emily (Brothers); Wali Faysal, Arif Khan Joy, Mehedi Hasan Uzzal, Ariful Kabir Farhad, Sahajuddin Tipu (Abahani) and Faisal Ahmed (Farashganj).

Both Acme Laboratories and Biman Bangladesh kept their semifinal hopes alive by registering thumping victories over the respective opponents in the GrameenPhone Corporate Cricket League on Wednesday.
   Biman trounced Orion Group by 187 runs at the Jagannath Hall ground while Acme prevailed over Jamuna Bank by 6 wickets at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium. MM Ispahani beat Bangla CAT also by 6 wickets in the other match of the day.
   With the outcome Biman bagged seven points, two more than Acme, having played four matches each.
   As Beximco is almost through to the semifinal from this group, Biman and Acme will have to vie for the remaining slot. Their fate will be decided tomorrow when they meet each other in the final group match at the BKSP.
   The final group match could have been useless had Jamuna Bank got a point from Acme on Wednesday, but their chances dimmed well before lunch after being skittled out for 119 in 25.1 overs.
   All-rounder Farhad Reza led the Acme attack with three for 22 runs along with super-sub Alamgir Kabir, who grabbed as many wickets conceding 23 runs.
   Farhad later turned the rescuer of Acme with the bat as well smashing an unbeaten 65 in a precarious situation. Replying to the meagre total, Acme slumped to 3 for 19 at one stage before national skipper Habibul Bashar (21) joined hands with him for a 58-run stand.
   The situation could have easily gone the other way had Habibul not survived on nought despite offering a lollypop catch at mid-off.
   Away at Jagannath Hall ground, Biman did not face any trouble to beat a lowly Orion after compiling a respectable 241 for 6 after being sent in to bat first. Wicketkeeper Sajjad Kadir and left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain Rubel played a pivotal role in Biman’s batting as they gathered 103 runs in an unbroken seventh wicket stand. Sajjad was not out with 79 off 87 balls while Rubel scored an unbeaten 52.
   The score proved too big for Orion as they crumbled for 54 runs in just 19.3 overs. Mohammad Sharif and Rubel both claimed three wickets conceding as many runs. Mushfiqur Rahman also pocketed equal number of wickets but he gave away 12 runs.
   At Fatullah stadium, Bangla CAT scored 166 in 42 overs with Mahbub Alam making highest 42 runs. MM Isphani toppled them in 42.2 overs with one-down Kamrul Islam remaining unbeaten on 77 off 108 balls. Mazhar Uddin also scored 44 for the Chittagong outfit.

Bangladesh Football Federation alleged that the state-run television BTV is not helping to promote the game throughout the country. As the national channel BTV has certain commitments to uplift the game but for unknown reasons it has taken an evasive role, alleged the federation officials.
   BTV in the last couple of years has telecast live the second round games of the Nitol-Tata National Football League played outside Dhaka. The second round games of the current edition involving ten teams – six district teams and four Dhaka giants – are scheduled to start from November 16 but the BTV has said that it would only transmit the games held in Dhaka.
   Earlier, the BTV had telecast all the matches held outside Dhaka with the BFF bearing all the expenses of the crew and transportation of equipment. But the BTV has made a volte-face this time.
   According to the BFF officials, the minister for information, Shamsul Islam, assured them of live-transmission and he sent a letter to the BTV. But the director general of the BTV seems to be unwilling to telecast the matches from outside of Dhaka.
   BFF president SA Sultan, vice-president Sirajul Islam Bachchu, general secretary Anwarul Huq Helal and deputy general secretary Monzur Hossain Malu met with the state minister for youth and sports, Fazlur Rahman, to discuss about the matter. The sports minister tried to contact the information minister over phone but he was not available as he was busy with SAARC summit preparations. The sports minister later talked with the DG.
   The BFF officials said the DG of BTV has raised the question of security and said he will not take any risk of damaging the expensive equipment by sending them outside Dhaka. The DG’s was not available for comment despite repeated attempts.
   ‘We don’t understand why the question arises as the BTV had transmitted the games live from outside Dhaka in the last couple of years. The BTV spends no money in the process but just gives the technological support, we pay for the crew and bear all other expenses, we think that the state-run media has a role to play for the development of the game,’ said Monzur Hossain Malu.
   The BFF, however, said if the BTV is interested to sell some airtime before, during the halftime and at the end of the matches they have no objection. ‘We are ready to extend all the facilities and hopeful that we will reach a fruitful conclusion once the SAARC summit is over,’ said Malu.

India’s teenaged paceman Rudra Pratap Singh grabbed four wickets to set up a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the sixth one-dayer on Wednesday.
   The 19-year-old left-arm bowler extracted sharp bounce on a flat pitch to claim four for 35 to help skittle the visitors for 196 in 42.5 overs after stand-in captain Virender Sehwag opted to bowl first.
   India coasted to 197 for three in 34.5 overs to extend their lead in the series to 5-1 with a game left.
   Left-hander Yuvraj Singh smashed nine fours and three sixes to remain 79 not out, sharing a racy 105-run partnership for the unbeaten fourth wicket with Mohammad Kaif (38 not out).
   Sri Lankan middle-order batsman Tillakaratne Dilshan struck 59 but the rest of the batsmen struggled against a largely inexperienced bowling.
   Fast bowler Dilhara Fernando removed both openers early but Sri Lanka did not have enough runs to defend.
   Gautam Gambhir (28), fresh from his maiden one-day hundred in the last game, played on to his stumps and Sachin Tendulkar (19) holed out to mid-on. India were down to 92 for three after Sehwag (22) was out to leg-spinner Upul Chandana.
   However, the 24-year-old Yuvraj, who made just 45 runs in the first five games, regained his touch to hit his 19th one-day fifty, playing superb shots in his 67-ball effort.
   Sri Lanka’s top-order batsmen faltered again on a good batting pitch in the morning.
   Pacemen S. Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan struck early to remove opener Sanath Jayasuriya (19) and number three batsman Kumar Sangakkara (9) respectively.
   Jayasuriya, troubled by a shoulder injury and having made only 66 runs in the series, was caught behind and fellow left-hander Sangakkara then miscued a catch to mid-on.
   RP Singh, named man of the match, surprised opener Upul Tharanga (28) with extra bounce to force him to edge a catch behind the stumps.
   Bowling accurately, the tall bowler then had skipper Marvan Atapattu top-edge a shot to be caught at mid-on for nine.
   Dilshan scored his third consecutive fifty to rescue the innings from 83 for five in the 18th over.
   The 29-year-old batsman, who top-scored 81 not out in the previous game, struck nine fours in another assured display before becoming one of two run out victims, Yuvraj producing a direct hit from point at the non-striker’s end.
   Sri Lanka suffered a blow in the morning after off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was ruled out because of a hamstring injury.

England captain Michael Vaughan will stay with the squad but remains ‘very doubtful’ for the first Test against Pakistan on Saturday.
   Essex youngster Alastair Cook has been called up as cover for Vaughan and will fly to Pakistan later this week.
   Vaughan suffered a knee injury on Monday and has been advised to rest by medical staff.
   ‘Michael will remain with the squad and the medical team will monitor his progress,’ said an England statement.
   ‘Michael’s orthopaedic specialist in the UK has viewed scans of his knee taken in Pakistan and the advice we have received is that he should rest the injury.
   ‘He is rated very doubtful for the first Test in Multan and his availability for the second and third Test matches will be reassessed in due course.’
   England have decided to call up 20-year-old Cook as cover for Vaughan and also Andrew Strauss, who is expected to miss the third Test to be with his wife who is due to give birth to their first child.
   Cook, a left-hander, is the 2005 Young Cricketer of the Year and averaged 48 for Essex last season and can open the batting or bat at number three.
   He scored a double hundred against Australia in the summer and is a former England under-19 captain.
   Chairman of selectors David Graveney said, ‘Alastair had an outstanding season for Essex last summer, is a member of our National Academy squad this winter and we believe he has the potential to succeed at international level.’
   If Vaughan is unfit for the first Test, Marcus Trescothick will deputise as skipper.
   The England and Wales Cricket Board also announced spinner Shaun Udal, who is in the Test squad, will remain with England for the one-day series and Worcestershire pace bowler Kabir Ali has been called up too.

Former cricket great Wasim Akram warn Pakistan not to be lulled into a false sense of security by England’s poor form in the lead-up to the first Test at Multan starting from Saturday.
   England go into the first Test after a six wicket defeat against Pakistan A in Lahore on Tuesday, a further blow to their build-up after their captain Michael Vaughan injured his right knee a day before.
   ‘Don’t get fooled by England’s poor form in the lead-up matches. They are a mentally strong side and will be totally different in their attitude and performance in the Tests,’ Wasim told AFP on Wednesday.
   England’s much vaunted batting line-up, which excelled during their 2-1 Ashes triumph over Australia two months ago, failed in both the side matches since they arrived in Pakistan two weeks ago.
   Even in their 52-run win against Patron’s XI in their tour opener at Rawalpindi, England’s top order comprising of opener Andrew Strauss, Vaughan, Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen flopped in both innings.
   Experienced opener Marcus Trescothick hit an unbeaten 124 and 38 in the first match but failed in the second.
   Wasim said England looked rusty in the two side matches.
   ‘This happens after you have a huge win. The Ashes win may have relaxed England a bit and they were out of cricket for nearly two months which rusts you a bit,’ said Wasim, regarded as the best left-arm paceman the game has seen.
   Wasim, who took 414 Test wickets and a world record of 502 one-day wickets during his illustrious career, said slick planning is needed to beat a team like England.
   ‘You need extraordinary planning to beat a team like England. Unfortunately our lead up to a series has always been haphazard and I don’t know what sort of planning Inzamam-ul Haq and Woolmer have done now,’ said Wasim, who refused to predict the outcome of the series.
   ‘This has been the most asked question but it’s a toughie. Pakistan in Pakistan are strong and England has been progressing well, so the team which proves mentally strongest will win,’ said Wasim, tipping England left-arm spinner Ashley Giles as the dangerman.
   ‘If Pakistan prepares spin tracks then I think they would face a real threat in Giles who, even though not a great turner of the ball, bowls wicket to wicket and may prove dangerous,’ said Wasim.

Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar is all set to join Abahani Limited for the upcoming premier division cricket league after he failed to reach an agreement with his present club Mohammedans.
   Bashar went to Mohammedans tent on Wednesday evening and held a closed-door meeting with the club general secretary, Lokman Hossain Bhuiyan, which broke down with the player remaining adamant on his demand.
   ‘We have given him a fresh offer but could not get any commitment. He will inform us his decision tomorrow (Thursday),’ Lokman told New Age after the meeting.
   When the Mohammedans general secretary was saying this, their bitter rivals Abahani were waiting for the national captain in their tent.
   ‘I am very much hopeful he will join our team, let’s see what happens finally,’ Abahani cricket secretary Jalal Yunus said moments after Bashar had left the Mohammedan club.
   Meanwhile, Bangladesh Biman are set to rope in former national opener Ehsanul Haque after they too failed in the race for Bashar. Biman and were desperately looking for a batsman following the dramatic decision of Mohammad Ashraful, who moved to Sonargaon Cricketers despite finalising a deal with them.

In the face of repeated request from numerous clubs and corporate houses, Bangladesh Cricket Board on Wednesday sequestered the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Stadium practice ground and indoor facilities only for the national team and other representative sides of the nation.
   The BCB conveyed the message to all through a media release so that no-one could embarrass them further requesting to use the facilities.
   ‘We had allowed the corporate houses to use the facilities during the rainy days in the last month. But it poses a big problem now as we are getting numerous requests from various corners,’ said Rafiqul Islam, a BCB joint secretary, who is at the helm of grounds committee.
   ‘If we meet all the requests, the maintenance cost of the practice grounds and indoor facilities will rise hugely. Besides, our national team and representative sides like under-13, 15, 17 and 19 teams will face acute schedule crisis. That is why we have decided not to allow any corporate houses and clubs at Mirpur now,’ he added.

The draw of the first-leg matches of final round of the Nitol-Tata National Football League will be held today and the organising committee has planned a grand gala ceremony at a local hotel.
   Initially 54 teams participated in the preliminary phase of the league which ended on September 25 with six teams – Kacharipara Sporting Club of Jamalpur, Rangamati Mohammedans, Naba Nabin Shamabesh of Munshiganj, Khulna Town Club, Feni Soccer Club and Bangladesh Army – qualifying for the final round.
   Defending champions Brothers Union, runners-up Muktijoddha Sangsad, and the two traditional crowd pullers, Mohammedan Sporting Club and Abahani Limited, will join the six as the automatic qualifiers. The ten teams will be divided into two groups. The top three from each group will play in the super-six phase.
   The first-leg matches of the final round will be held in Khulna and the three new venues in Rangpur, Chandpur and Cox’s Bazar before Dhaka hosts the final leg.

With cricket very much the flavour of the day, a prominent hotel in this Gujarat city, which hosts an India-Sri Lanka one-dayer Wednesday, has put on its menu Sehwag sandwiches, Murali burgers and even a Dhoni Daal Tadka.
   Rajkot’s Imperial Palace Hotel, which is hosting the two cricket teams, has also innovated with cakes in the shapes of balls, bats and stumps.
   ‘We have named food items after cricketers so it adds to the appeal. We have also made a ground-shaped pizza and named it after the city’s cricket ground. It is called the Scindia Cricket Ground Pizza,’ said hotel manager Nepaal Singh.
   ‘Dhoni is a hard-hitting batsman and very popular among youngsters. Looking at his bombastic batting, we have an item named after him, Dhoni Daal Tadka,’ he added.
   As cricket has an appeal that goes beyond just a single match, the hotel management is also planning for some lasting memorabilia – it has decided to get cricket symbols painted on its crockery used in the dining room.

The shock of losing the Ashes to England in September may have been good for Australian cricket, skipper Ricky Ponting said Wednesday.
   It had helped renew the focus and desire in a team which had become accustomed to sweeping all before it, Ponting said at the launch of his book, Ashes Diary 2005.
   The first Australian captain to lose the coveted trophy in nearly 20 years pointed out that since the team’s humbled return to Australia ‘we’ve managed to turn things around quite drastically and dramatically’.
   Ponting has in recent weeks led Australia to victory in a three-match one-day series against the World XI and followed up with two crushing Test victories over the World XI and West Indies.
   ‘The way we’ve played over the last few weeks, we’ve changed things around quickly, so that’s been very, very satisfying,’ he said.
   ‘I don’t think (losing the Ashes) was a bad thing for the team or for Australian cricket, to tell the truth.
   ‘It was a learning curve for a lot of us. I certainly think and feel that I learnt a lot through the Ashes tour. I think a lot of the players learnt a lot about themselves as well.’
   In his diary entry for September 12, the day the Ashes were lost, Ponting said the 2-1 margin probably flattered Australia.
   ‘The hardest thing about our defeat is that we know what went wrong – we failed with the bat, lacked penetration and control with the ball (Warne and McGrath excepted), dropped catches, bowled far too many no-balls and lost Glenn McGrath to injury for the vital Edgbaston Test.
   ‘But that was what went wrong; the reasons why we failed remain a mystery.
   ‘England played well, putting us under pressure with bat and ball. Despite their excellence, we should still have been able to compete far more effectively than we did.’
   Ponting said that of the entire touring squad only Shane Warne could look at himself in the mirror and know he had played to his full potential.
   ‘The rest of us have just hinted at the form we are capable of, and that has cost us the series,’ he wrote.
   But Ponting was also sure the team had not gone from world-beaters to deadbeats in one series.
   ‘We underperformed massively ... and I remain convinced that we have the right men to put the record straight,’ he wrote. ‘I expect us to do that over the months that will follow.’
   At the launch of his diary on Wednesday Ponting could claim that his prediction had come true. But, he added wryly, ‘it would have been nice to have won 2-1 and still learn a few lessons along the way as well’.

Geoff Boycott says Michael Vaughan’s probable absence for the first Test in Pakistan would be a blow for England.
   The captain is a major doubt for the game starting on Saturday with a knee injury, and could miss the whole tour.
   ‘They will miss his captaincy, which has been imaginative - they will find it tough without him,’ the ex-England batsman said in his BBC Sport column.
   ‘They will then have to play Ian Bell, who hasn’t made many runs on the tour and hasn’t looked like making many.’
   Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq believes Vaughan’s absence would lift his side - but insists they will not take England lightly.
   ‘There is no doubt that when your opposing captain is out you get the advantage and we would benefit from Vaughan’s absence,’ he explained.
   ‘Vaughan has been instrumental in England’s progress but we wouldn’t get complacent if he is ruled out, because mentally they are a very strong side and may overcome it.’
   Bell was left out of the second tour game against Pakistan A after making scores of two and one in the first match against the PCB Patron’s XI.
   He is now likely to earn a reprieve, but Boycott says the form of the other batsmen is also a concern going into the Multan Test.
   England’s four innings so far have yielded totals of 256 (twice), 126 and 112. Of the batsmen likely to face Pakistan, only three have made scores above 50, with Marcus Trescothick making the only century.
   Boycott believes the itinerary has left England’s top order ‘underdone’ and says the hosts are favourites to go 1-0 up the three-Test series.
   ‘My view is they don’t have enough practice matches. The players don’t want to be away from home too long, but sooner or later they will get caught - and this might be the time,’ he warned.
   ‘If you don’t make runs you lose and England have too many batsmen who are not in form. Pakistan will fancy bowling at them right now.
   ‘I think Pakistan have a slight edge. If we get through it without losing we’ll be all right but we’re going in a bit rusty and under prepared.’

Danish Kaneria believes the return of fellow leg spinner Mushtaq Ahmed to the Pakistan Test squad will not add any undue pressure to his own performance in the series against England.
   Kaneria, Pakistan’s most successful bowler in their last three series, said he was confident about his own form ahead of the first Test in Multan which begins on Saturday.
   On current form, Kaneria is almost certain to play but Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has indicated two leg spinners could be picked for the turning track.
   ‘I think we are different type of bowlers,’ Kaneria told Reuters.
   ‘Mushtaq is a very experienced performer and I have learnt from him in the past and we exchange notes. There is no pressure on me because of him.’
   The 35-year-old Mushtaq earned a surprise recall after a two-year absence from the Test arena, having taken 80 wickets for English county Sussex.
   Mushtaq, Kaneria and all rounder Shahid Afridi are the three leg spinners in Pakistan’s squad.
   The last time Mushtaq played a Test, against South Africa in at Faisalabad in October 2003, he took one wicket while Kaneria finished with four in the drawn match.
   Kaneria, who has taken 45 scalps in his last eight Tests against Australia, India and West Indies, said he was focusing on surprising the Ashes holders rather than on the likely Pakistan line-up.
   ‘I am just working hard on my stock deliveries and also on a new ball which I hope will surprise England’s batsmen,’ he said.
   Despite enduring a tough season with Essex, Kaneria believes the experience will prove valuable for the three-Test series.
   ‘Playing for Essex under the guidance of former England captain Graham Gooch has been educational for me,’ he said. ‘I have learnt a lot about how English players like to play and what they don’t feel comfortable against.’
   England have struggled against leg spin during their warm-up matches in Pakistan, with 19-year-old leg spinner Mansoor Amjad claiming five wickets for 97 in a six-wicket victory for Pakistan A in Lahore on Tuesday.
   ‘I know it is going to be a tough test for the bowlers, including myself,’ added Kaneria. ‘But I see this series as a chance to show everyone that I have matured as a bowler in recent series.’

Fast bowling coach Troy Cooley believes England’s reverse swing ability will prove to be a significant factor during the tour against Pakistan.
   England’s pace quartet used the older ball to devastating effect during the Ashes series.
   They now have the opportunity to use the conditions in Pakistan, where reverse swing was first discovered.
   ‘When we have good conditions we can really exploit reverse swing,’ he told BBC Sport.
   He added: ‘We hope it’s going to be the same when we go to Pakistan. England bowlers have always had the ability to reverse swing the ball but we now have bowlers who can do it at great pace.’
   Reverse swing - the ability to make the ball move through the air in the opposite direction to that expected by batsmen - has baffled cricketing enthusiasts for decades.
   It came to prominence during the 1980s when Imran Khan - and later Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis - harnessed the late movement so effectively in the Test and one-day arena.
   Former Pakistan captain Wasim has already highlighted Andrew Flintoff’s ability to reverse the older ball, an attribute which he believes could prove to be decisive.
   However England will be without Simon Jones, widely accepted as England’s most accomplished exponent of reverse swing.
   But Cooley is confident England’s pace attack will still be able to utilise the conditions in their favour without the injured Jones.
   ‘Simon is a big exponent and Freddie (Flintoff) as well, but at Old Trafford (during the Ashes series) when Matthew Hoggard came back for one spell it was reversing for him,’ he said.
   ‘All the bowlers can reverse it, even Steve Harmison, but some bowlers tend to exploit their strengths in other ways. Reverse swing at 70 or 80mph is hard enough to bat against, but when you add another five to 10mph that is when it starts to become more dangerous.’
   Cooley also endorsed his support for Durham’s Liam Plunkett, who was summoned to the senior squad to replace Jones.

Sachin Tendulkar says he will continue to bat aggressively despite a spate of wear and tear injuries in the last few years.
   India’s premier batsman has made another successful comeback after six months out following elbow surgery, top-scoring with 93 and 67 not out in the current one-day series against Sri Lanka.
   ‘If I see it, I hit it,’ Tendulkar told Reuters before the sixth match of the series. ‘I try and keep everything simple.’ Tendulkar said he never had concerns about returning to the national side.
   ‘I’ve been around long enough. I was pretty confident of my batting obviously, that is where my strength lies,’ he said.
   The 32-year-old Mumbai batsman, speaking as he fixed cracks in his bat with glue, said it was initially difficult on his return in the first game in Nagpur, where he suffered cramp.
   ‘It was a little tough on my body because I hadn’t played a match in six-and-a-half months,’ he said. ‘To straightaway get into a match where there was a lot of running around involved.’
   Tendulkar said the injury also demanded a lot of patience.
   ‘In between it was tough, extremely tough mentally and physically. Mentally probably more because I wanted to get back in action and had to somehow stay away from the action and build all the muscles properly.’
   Tendulkar burst on to the international scene as a 16-year-old in 1989 and has set scored more than 13,000 one-day international runs and 38 centuries, both records.
   He also jointly holds the record for most Test centuries (34) with compatriot Sunil Gavaskar and is one of only five batsmen to score more than 10,000 Test runs.
   His feats have taken a heavy toll on his body, however, and he has suffered hand, foot, ankle and finger injuries.
   ‘I’m quite happy that for the first 10 years I didn’t miss a single game because of injuries,’ he said. ‘That, I feel, is a positive thing to have happened to me.
   ‘Sometimes things can be very unfortunate. Not because of your fitness, but due to some freakish reasons and you just get injured.’
   Tendulkar, a former captain of India who has been asked by coach Greg Chappell to be the team’s mentor, said he relished helping other players.
   ‘I don’t change my approach, whether someone is 15 years junior to me or five or 10 years,’ he said. ‘The basic idea is to share one’s experiences and thoughts, and I have always done that.
   ‘I’ve always believed everyone is a student of this game and that nobody can put up his hand and say ‘I know everything about this game.’
   Tendulkar’s comeback has inspired India, who ended a poor run of one-day form by notching four victories in a row to clinch the seven-match series against Sri Lanka. He attributed the turnaround to a positive approach by the players.
   ‘It’s a wheel, once you push it, it rolls on its own and gathers momentum, which was what was missing, he said, adding that Chappell’s presence was making a difference.
   ‘He is among the top players to have played this game. Obviously his thinking is different, it has influenced the way the team approaches the game.
   ‘It is not only about technique, not only about practical things, but the theories, which, sitting back in the room you can visualise so many things and start thinking differently.’
   Tendulkar hopes the team can maintain the momentum until the 2007 World Cup, but said it would be one step at a time for himself.
   ‘I think it is important to focus more on the near future. It’s like a camera lens. The moment you start focussing on things which are far off, you lose focus of things close to you.’
   India have a busy season ahead. They play five home one-dayers against South Africa later this month before Sri Lanka return to play three Tests. They tour Pakistan in January and host England in March-April.

Sahara India is set to extend its existing sponsorship of the Indian cricket team and the new deal could be worth anything between Rs 200 and Rs 300 crore for three to five years.
   The present contract between the Indian Cricket Board and Sahara expires on November 30 or at the end of the coming one-day series against South Africa but ‘we are keen to extend the existing association,’ Abhijit Sarkar, communication director of the conglomorate, said from Chennai.
   The previous deal was worth Rs 100 crore for three years and the new one could involve a substantial hike. But Sahara is not backing away from the prospect.
   Acquiring a new sponsorship deal seems to be a cakewalk for Sahara as the Board has acknowledged that the former reserves the first right of refusal.

Allan Border, the former selector, wants to know if Australia can cope with using only five batsmen, which would allow the luxury of picking another bowler.
   Border believes the second Test against the struggling West Indies at Hobart next week offers the ideal opportunity to retain Adam Gilchrist at No. 6 and include the legspinner Stuart MacGill.
   ‘It’s a bit of an experiment - maybe it’s time to see whether we can cope,’ Border said in The Courier-Mail.
   ‘We are getting more runs out of Brett Lee and Shane Warne, and (Nathan) Bracken is batting quite well. So maybe it’s time to give that line-up a bit of a run and see how it performs.’
   Australia have been reluctant to change from the traditional six batsmen and four specialist bowlers, but the flexibility provided by Shane Watson, the allrounder who suffered a shoulder injury in the first Test, has prompted calls for the extra risk.
   ‘I think it will do well against West Indies, whether it’s a team we would field if we were playing England next week in Hobart ... it’s an interesting situation,’ he said on Inside Cricket.
   ‘You know it’s a pretty good batsman-friendly wicket at Bellerive so back the batsmen to score enough runs for you and then that gives you a lot more options.’
   However, the changes would create greater pressure on an order with fresh faces already struggling to impose themselves.
   Mike Hussey is expected to play his second Test after Justin Langer was ruled out and Michael Clarke and Simon Katich are battling for runs.
   Watson had arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder in Melbourne last night and was suffering ligament and joint damage after the dislocation while fielding in Brisbane.
   Dr Trefor James, the Cricket Australia medical officer, said Watson’s arm would be in a sling for four weeks before he could begin a rehabilitation program.
   ‘The speed of recovery in this more intensive phase can vary, so we have not set a time-frame for Shane’s return, but it is fair to say he is unlikely to be back before the end of the summer,’ he said.

Liverpool have held talks with the US-based Kraft family over the funding of their proposed new ground, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.
   The Kraft family were understood to be the main backers behind the L4 consortium which had looked into buying a stake in the European champions earlier this year. That deal did not materialise but Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry visited the United States last weekend on an invitation from the Krafts.
   He watched the two clubs they own—the MLS team New England Revolution and NFL’s New England Patriots—playing at the Gillette Stadium.
   ‘It certainly wasn’t a secret visit, having attended two games with a combined attendance of over 100,000 people,’ Parry told.
   ‘I’ve actually known the Kraft family since meeting them in Boston back in 2001 and have had a longstanding invitation to visit the Gillette stadium, which is one of the very few privately funded stadia in the USA. They were keen for me to see at close hand how the match-day operation ran...(and) it also gave us the opportunity to discuss the way in which they had funded the construction of the ground.’

Mary Pierce put a dent in Kim Clijsters’s pursuit of the number one ranking with a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 victory over the Belgian in the opening group match of the season-ending WTA Championships on Tuesday.
   Top ranked Lindsay Davenport experienced no such problems and beat Russia’s Nadia Petrova 6-2, 7-6 in her first round-robin match in the eight-woman draw, while champion Maria Sharapova prevailed 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 over Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder.
   Clijsters, who is not defending any points after skipping last year’s event with a wrist injury, lies just 155 points behind Davenport in standing and was hoping a good run in California would help her to dislodge the American from the top.
   However, in an extraordinary effort, Frenchwoman Pierce came from a break down on three occasions in the deciding set to beat the world number two for the first time in four encounters.
   Looking rusty and far from the player who had thrashed Pierce in the US Open final two months ago, Clijsters got off a poor start, failing to gain control of her forehand and frequently double-faulting.
   Pierce deployed an extremely aggressive brand of tennis and powered an array of winners into the corners to cruise through the opening set. Clijsters refused to be bowed, however, and regained her composure in the second set, stretching her 30-year-old opponent out in long rallies and not allowing Pierce to dictate points with her serve or return.
   Buoyed after levelling the match, Clijsters appeared to be on her way to victory in the third set when she broke Pierce in the opening game, but the Frenchwoman kept charging while the Belgian struggled to find consistency with her serve or forehand.
   Clijsters broke for a third time in the decider to take a 6-5 lead when the Frenchwoman missed a forehand long, but was unable to serve out the match and Pierce broke back when she belted an overhead into the Belgian’s body.
   Pierce carried that momentum into the tiebreaker, cracking five winners to set up four match points and sealing victory when a Clijsters backhand sailed long.
   Playing her first match in three weeks after struggling with a right pectoral muscle injury and a right thumb problem, Sharapova looked rusty at times but turned up the power when she needed to.

Brazil striker Ronaldo and France midfielder Zinedine Zidane have invited some of the world’s best players to take part in the third ‘Game against Poverty’, next month.
   The Real Madrid players, who are goodwill ambassadors for the United Nations Development Programme, will each captain a team, the club’s website reported.
   Italian referee Pierluigi Collina will come out of retirement to officiate the match in the German city of Duesseldorf on Dec 22.
   Proceeds from the game, which was held in Madrid last year, will go to fund anti-poverty projects around the world.

England skipper David Beckham can't wait to have another crack at Argentina when two of the biggest rivals in world football clash in Geneva on Saturday.
   Beckham suffered one of the lowest points of his career when he was sent off against the Argentinians in the 1998 World Cup, and one of the highest when he scored a heart-stopping winning penalty against them four years later in Japan.
   Naturally, it is the latter event that Beckham prefers to look back on rather than the moment when he over-reacted to Diego Simeone's provocation in Saint Etienne, France seven years ago.
   'People go on about my foul on Simeone and the red card but I'd obviously rather people talk about me scoring the penalty four years later,' Beckham said on Wednesday.
   'Every time we play Argentina there is a hysteria around the game and what has happened, not just with me over the last few years but with other people as well.
   'It seems Argentina are destined to play a big part in my career. It's a special moment. Not only because it's my 50th as captain but because it's against a team rated as one of the best in the world.'
   Beckham will not be taking any penalties on Saturday, having passed on that responsibility to Frank Lampard after three misses.
   'I think it is better for the team to have a regular penalty-taker rather than me who hardly ever takes them for Real,' Beckham said.
   'The defining factor was Frank does it for Chelsea and to have a regular penalty-taker is important for us.'
   England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said Saturday's match would be the perfect test of where England are after a qualifying campaign that started well enough but nearly went off the rails in the closing stages after a defeat by Northern Ireland.
   England were eliminated from the World Cup by Argentina in 1986 and 1998 and by Brazil in 2002 and will inevitably have to overcome South American opposition if they are to do better in Germany next summer.
   'We all know that when Brazil play well, they are difficult to beat and if it goes their way attacking-wise, they have as many options as they want,' Eriksson said.
   'But I don't think it is impossible to beat Brazil. Let's start by trying to defeat Argentina this week.'
   Eriksson added that history and geography would be on his squad's side in Germany.
   'It's more difficult for the South American teams to play a World Cup in Europe than in other places in the world. South American teams have only won once in Europe - Brazil in Sweden in 1958.'
   England held their first training session for Saturday's match at Manchester United's Carrington complex on Wednesday.
   Eriksson will be looking for Wayne Bridge to prove his sharpness in training when the squad meet up today, having played just 60 minutes of first-team football for Chelsea since his return from an eight-month injury absence.
   With Ashley Cole and Jamie Carragher both missing through injury, Eriksson has limited options at left-back. West Ham's Paul Konchesky has just one cap behind him and Phil Neville is playing in central midfield for Everton.
   A key dilemma for the Swede will be to decide between Rio Ferdinand and Sol Campbell as a central defensive partner for John Terry.
   Ferdinand was dropped for last month's qualifier against Austria but got back in the team when Campbell was injured for the final match against Poland. But a solid performance for Manchester United against Chelsea on Sunday may have been enough to convince Eriksson that Ferdinand's blip in form is behind him.
   The 27-year-old himself admitted he had been surprised to lose his place in the England side after five years as an automatic choice.
   'I didn't expect to be dropped by England,' Ferdinand told The Sun.
   'But you have to roll your sleeves up and get on with it and prove you are worthy of winning your place back. It's something that hurt and it is hard when the manager is naming the team and you are not in it.
   'You don't want that feeling and I don't want to feel it again. It's up to me isn't it? I want to start against Argentina, of course I do.'

Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are all preparing to big spenders in the January sales, according to reports.
   Sir Alex Ferguson has already indicated that he will be striving to add new personnel to his depleted squad when the transfer window opens in the new year, but his efforts may be hampered by reports from West London that Chelsea will once again be opening Roman Abramovich's chequebook.
   As Sir Fergie recently complained, Man U are paupers in comparison to their London rivals and can only the buy players which don't interest Chelsea.
   Fergie is believed to have been given approximately £10m to spend in January, and, according to The Daily Mirror, has added 'Dutch midfielder Nigel De Jong to their transfer wish list after he failed to agree a new deal with Ajax.'
   The Guardian also reports that 'United scouts watched the France Under-21 international left-back Lucien Aubey for the fourth time when his club Toulouse lost 1-0 to Lyon on Saturday.
   ‘The 21-year-old has been earmarked as a potential replacement for Gabriel Heinze, who is out for the season
   with a cruciate knee ligament injury.'
   Chelsea, meanwhile, are reputedly ready to march back into the transfer market due to lingering concerns over Arjen Robben and Hernan Crespo.
   The Daily Mirror says that Jose Mourinho is 'so concerned about the problems he has put chief executive Peter Kenyon and super agent Pini Zahavi on red alert to move for new players.'
   Robben has struck an increasingly disenchanted figure at Stamford Bridge and continues to be plagued by injuries. Crespo, meanwhile, is thought to be unsettled after being usurped by Didier Drogba as the club's number one striker. The Argentine
   wasn't even a substitute at Old Trafford last Sunday.
   'Crespo has declared himself fit for Argentina's friendly with England in Geneva on Saturday - even though he has upposedly been struggling with a thigh problem which caused a fall-out with Mourinho,' notes the Mirror.
   Arsenal are also searching for a new striker and The Sun claims that manager Arsene Wenger is 'ready to bust the Arsenal transfer record in a bid to land teenage sensation Fernando Torres.
   'Gunners boss Wenger has a £45million war chest to boost his squad and so can easily match Atletico Madrid's £20m valuation for the hitman dubbed the Spanish Wayne Rooney.'
   The Gunners still fear that Thierry Henry will leave for Spain next summer, but they have been buoyed by the recent progress of Robin Van Persie and are set to offer the youngster a new contact, according to The Guardian.

Rafael Benitez has finally revealed the chaos and confusion from which he conjured Liverpool's greatest triumph out of impending disaster.
   Giving the first in-depth account of what really happened in the dressing room as his side faced up to the mountain they had to climb from a 3-0 half-time Champions League Final deficit against AC Milan, Benitez admitted he did not know if he could find the words to bring his team back from the dead.
   The Liverpool manager also confessed that at one stage he was sending out a 10-man team for the second half in Istanbul as his plans verged on bedlam.
   While his players were reeling, Benitez strode from the dug-out and down the tunnel at Attaturk Stadium to find a Liverpool dressing room in a state of shock and knowing he had a brief window of opportunity to get across the most important message of his career.
   'I walked into the dressing room rehearsing what I was going to say to them but also how I was going to say it,' he said. 'It's really difficult to come up with all the things you want to say in a foreign language. I was trying to find the right English words. We talked about what we were going to change. It's tough enough motivating a team which is losing 3-0 in Spanish. In English, it is much, much tougher.
   'But the words came more easily than I could ever have hoped. The important aspect was to lift their spirits.
   'I started with a motivational speech to get them fired up. I demanded they start working again and emphasised there were 45 minutes left and we had to come off the pitch proud of ourselves because we'd done everything in our power.
   'So I reminded them it had been a hard battle to reach such a massive game and that we owed something important to all the Liverpool people. I said if we scored we would totally change the course of the game. I emphasised it was the most important challenge.
   'I said: 'Don't let your heads drop. We're Liverpool. You're playing for Liverpool. Don't forget that. You have to hold your heads high for the supporters. You have to do it for them.
   'You can't call yourselves Liverpool players if you have your heads down. If we create a few chances we have the possibility of getting back into this. Believe you can do it and you will. Give yourself the chance to be heroes'.'
   It was a chance that was gloriously, unforgettably taken and Benitez broke open the secrets of his finest moment in A Season on the brink, a new authorised account of his first term at Anfield, by distinguished Spanish journalist Guillem Balague.
   But the Liverpool chief told how even after he had given the exhortation that changed everything, his plans were enmeshed in a few minutes of sheer chaos.
   Benitez wanted to introduce Didi Hamann and told Djimi Traore he was coming off - but then learned Steve Finnan's injury was too bad for him to continue.
   Benitez added: 'I started to write the new formation on the board. I told Traore to get changed and that Hamann was coming on for him. The idea was for Hamann to make Kaka's life much tougher.
   'I took Didi up to the whiteboard so he understood what I wanted and explained the tactical changes to the rest of the side. Then I was told Finnan was injured.
   'Finnan was unhappy. He believed he could keep going. But I reckoned if he told me midway through the second half I'd have to make a change beyond my control.
   'It was a total mess for a while. I was reckoning on Djibril Cisse on the right but someone pointed out I'd have no more substitutions.
   'So I took Cisse out but also deleted Luis Garcia from the board because I wanted to move him. Now I only had 10 players in the team. The system was changed several times on the board and it created havoc.
   'The idea was to play 3-4-2-1 with John Arne Riise tucked in. But with the realisation Finnan wasn't fit to stay on, the logical thing was to tell Traore he wasn't being taken off. By this time he had his boots off and was on his way to the shower.'
   Somehow, despite the flurry of thoughts and the situation, the seeds of glory were being sown.
   Benitez added, 'In the first half we weren't threatening around their box. We wanted to change the pattern by using two players in the hole between midfield and Milan Baros.
   'The task was to produce terrific movement and also put massive pressure on Milan building out of defence through Pirlo. We felt we could slam the brakes on the damaging work which Gatuso, Seedorf and most of all Kaka were doing.
   'Using three centre-halves would make us more secure by staying tight on the runs of their strikers. You can try anything tactically if you've worked hard on such ideas in training. We had.'
   In that instant, a voice cried out, reminding the players of the second half comeback against Greek side Olympiakos that had brought the Reds back from the brink in their final group game.
   Outside, the stunned Liverpool fans were singing the roof off the stadium, not even dreaming of what would follow in front of their disbelieving eyes.
   Benitez said, 'Normally it's Xabi or Carra or Gerrard who shouts "Come on boys" when it's needed. In the first few minutes there wasn't any of that.
   'But in the last couple of minutes before going back out, the animation and noise hit a normal level.
   'We needed to attack and they let us. We scored and started to look confident all over the pitch. When a team loses control of a match, it can take 15 minutes to get it back. While they are recharging their batteries, anything can happen.
   'I didn't hear the fans singing You'll never walk alone from the dressing room. On the way out I did hear it but I was lost in my thoughts.'

England star David Beckham will hope to bend the ball even further at next year’s World Cup finals in his new soccer boots.
   The Real Madrid midfielder took turns with other top players taking free-kicks at an Adidas boot launch this week. They also shot a ball against a wall to measure how fast it was moving. ‘To be honest I couldn’t wait to get into them,’ Beckham said Monday. ‘I’ve been looking forward to getting into them for a while and they feel great and they look great, so I’m happy.’
   Maybe the new boots will help Beckham avoid another embarrassment.
   At last year’s European championship in Portugal, he slipped while taking a penalty and shot wide as England lost to the hosts in the quarter-finals – the third straight penalty missed by the England captain.
   The new Adidas Predator Absolute is expected to be worn by Beckham and others at next year’s World Cup finals in Germany, including AC Milan and Brazil midfielder Kaka, and Real Madrid and France midfielder Zinedine Zidane.
   The boot comes with two insoles, one with a specially positioned 40g weight for the most powerful Predator ever and one without for the lightest Predator ever. The interchangeable insoles allow players to customise to their own needs.

Argentina hardman Gabriel Milito has warned he is ready to wind up Wayne Rooney.
   The Real Zaragoza star insists he will go all out to test Rooney's notorious 'fiery temperament' in Saturday's Geneva clash.
   Milito, 25, is set for his first taste of an England-Argentina battle but plans to renew hostilities between the warring sides.
   And he revealed he will be targeting Rooney after studying the Manchester United striker's moments of rage. 'Rooney is a fantastic player, he's got so much quality and a fantastic character,' he said.
   'If we are both picked to play it will be a battle and we'll see how he copes.
   'I've only seen him play on TV because I have never had the chance to play against him. But from what I have seen I can tell he is strong and powerful even though he's not that big.
   'And, above all, it's obvious that his fiery temperament singles him out on the pitch.'
   That was a warning the big defender is ready to do all he can to provoke Rooney and continue England's bitter recent history with the Argies.
   England skipper David Beckham, infamously sent off at France 98 after kicking Diego Simeone, has since had a series of bust-ups with a number of Argentina players while playing for Real Madrid.
   And Milito, who snubbed a £7 million summer move to Liverpool, admitted he will not be surprised if Beckham gets involved in more run-ins in Switzerland.
   He added, 'It all started with the incident with Simeone and no one will ever forget that.
   'Beckham has had problems with Argentinian players. Maybe he is being targeted, maybe it's coincidence.'
   Milito insists there is no way Argentina will treat the game as a mere friendly - as they get fully fired-up to beat England.
   He added, 'We see this type of game as very significant against one of our truly great rivals.
   'In terms of the World Cup it is a big test. We always take every game for Argentina seriously and even more so because it is against England.'
   But Milito has no regrets about rejecting overtures from Rafa Benitez to move to Anfield.
   He insisted, 'It's true I had the chance to sign for Liverpool but I didn't want to go through the upheaval.'

Steven Gerrard has revealed his dream of one day becoming Liverpool manager. Anfield skipper signed a four-year contract in the summer, insisting he wants to play with his hometown club for the rest of his career.
   Now he says he wants to stay with the Reds even longer — after he finally hangs up his boots.
   When Gerrard knocked back Chelsea to commit his future to Anfield, boss Rafa Benitez suggested the England star could one day fill the hotseat.
   And the midfielder admits that would be a dream scenario for him.
   He said, ‘I know what the manager said in the summer. But even before that it’s always been my idea to stay involved with this club as long as I can. I’ve been here since I was eight and it would be wonderful to think I could still be here after hanging up my boots. Whether that would be in a managerial or coaching capacity I’m not sure. I’m always thinking about what I’ll do after football. Of course, I’m still only 25 and the end of my playing career is still a long way off yet. But the future is something that is constantly on my mind.’
   And he reckons he is in the perfect place to pick up managerial tips. ‘I learn things from the manager and coaching staff every day. If I did ever become a boss, then they would influence me greatly — as would all the other fantastic managers and coaches I have worked under.
   ‘For example, as part of our warm-up in training recently we did a bit of shadow boxing. It was just good to do something different. The manager must have got out of bed, felt like Muhammad Ali and decided to get us all doing it. He ended up getting into a toy fight with Darren Potter though and lost, so I don’t think he’ll do it again!
   ‘But, seriously, the sessions are much more enjoyable these days. But once the serious training starts, there is no laughing or joking around. The manager is very keen on tactics and pays great attention to the smallest detail before each game.’

Disgraced soccer legend Diego Maradona could return to haunt England after asking to give Argentina's players a pep-talk before Saturday's showdown.
   Maradona, who cheated England with his 'Hand of God' goal in the 1986 World Cup, has asked to talk to the squad to remind them of the rivalry between the two countries.
   It is certain to add some extra spice to the friendly in Geneva as England will be desperate to have the last laugh over the fallen genius.
   Maradona - whose career ended at the 1994 World Cup after he tested positive for the drug ephedrine - is in line for a return to the fold as part of the coaching set-up.
   The World Cup winner, who has battled cocaine addiction and is now fit after having his stomach stapled, has had many of Argentina's top stars on his own television chat show.
   That has helped him get back into the Argentina FA's good books even though coach Jose Pekerman has so far been reluctant to have him on board.
   But FA president Julio Grondona is holding talks with Maradona this week over his role in their World Cup preparations and would relish the prospect of him addressing the squad.
   Maradona said, 'It's an honour to be involved. I hope I can help the players and pass on some of my experience.'
   England suffered World Cup heartbreak against Argentina when they were beaten by Maradona in 1986 and lost on penalties after David Beckham was sent off at France '98.
   But they gained revenge three years ago when Beckham scored the winning penalty in their group showdown.
   Meanwhile, Italy's tax office has been trying to seize money Diego Maradona earned for taking part in a television celebrity dancing show to pay outstanding taxes from his Serie A playing days.
   The retired soccer great must pay about US$36.02 million in back taxes due from when he played for Italian club Napoli from 1985-91. The tax office took action after an Italian court last February ordered Maradona to pay his debt, rejecting the player's appeal that tax collectors had failed to notify him of a payment injunction in time.
   Tax officials have so far failed to take any of the money Maradona has earned for his performances in the series 'Ballando Con Le Stelle' (Dancing With The Stars) shown on state-controlled television network RAI.
   RAI officials told Milan daily Corriere della Sera that Maradona had already been paid for his three performances in the series, which features professional dancers paired with sports and entertainment personalities.

Wicket-keeping course ends
Dhaka metro wicket-keeping training session held at the Sher-e-Bangla Cricket Stadium, Mirpur concluded on Wednesday. A total of 29 wicket keepers from different age groups attended the session. High Performance coach of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Mohammad Shahidul Alam Ratan conducted the session. Similar course will take place at divisional headquarters by December 15. Short listed wicket keepers would be brought to a four-day residential camp at BKSP at the end of December.
— BD News

Chapal elected secretary SAAA
General Secretary of Bangladesh Archery Federation Kazi Razibuddin Ahmed Chapal has been elected general secretary of the South Asian Archery Association. President of the Archery Association of India Professor Vijaykumar Malhotra, MP, was selected president.
— BD News

Bracewell denies
row with Fleming
New Zealand coach John Bracewell has dismissed rumours of a row with skipper Stephen Fleming over the absence of Chris Cairns in South Africa. Newspapers in Wellington claimed the two men were at odds at the start of the tour after Cairns was told to prove his fitness in domestic cricket. Bracewell denied the report and said Fleming was ‘involved all the way’. Cairns could now face Australia and Bracewell said, ‘Indications are he’s extremely fit so it’s been a success.’ The New Zealanders had a wretched time of things in South Africa, losing the one-day series 4-0. Cairns retired from Test cricket in 2004 after a series of injuries, but intends to play in the shorter form of the game until the World Cup in 2007.
— BBC

NSW down WA in biggest Shield
win for 43 years
New South Wales posted its biggest Sheffield Shield cricket victory over Western Australia here for 43 years Wednesday, winning by eight wickets. NSW dismissed WA for 386 in their second innings today, leaving them chasing just 88 runs for victory and NSW cantered to 91 for two in 24.4 overs to claim maximum points for the second consecutive match. The defending Shield champions now have two outright wins in the four-day competition.
— AFP

UEFA announce Euro 2012 short-list
UEFA announced on Tuesday that bids from Italy, Croatia/Hungary and Poland/Ukraine would be short-listed to host the 2012 European football championships. These three bids will proceed to a second round of voting in December, 2006 with Turkey and Greece being eliminated. Italy topped the first round vote of the UEFA Executive Committee with 11 votes followed by Croatia/Hungary with 9, Poland/Ukraine with 7, Turkey with six and Greece with two.
— AFP