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Bangladesh’s struggle on their tour of Sri Lanka continued Wednesday as they were bowled out for a meagre 195 in a practice match here.
   Put in to bat by the Sri Lanka Cricket Development Squad XI, the visiting side batted for just 45.3 overs.
   Seamer Gayan Wijekoon and leg-spinner Gihan Rupasinghe bagged three wickets each for the home side as opener Javed Omar saved Bangladesh from humiliation with a defiant 81.
   Omar struck 11 fours off 109 deliveries while tail-ender Tapash Baisya made 54 off 76 balls with six fours and a six. Aftab Ahmed was the only other batsman to reach double-figures.
   The Sri Lankans were 109-2 in reply when bad light forced an early closure on the opening day. Shantha Kalavithigoda was unbeaten on 54 and captain Thilan Samaraweera was on four.
   Kalavithigoda, who has been named in the Sri Lankan Test squad, was involved in a 67-run opening stand with Harsha Vithana (16).
   For Bangladesh, seamers Syed Rasel and Ahmed bagged the two wickets to fall.
   Khaled Mashud led the visiting side in the absence of captain Habibul Bashar, who was rested for the game.
   This is the only practice game ahead of a two-Test series that begins at the R. Premdasa Stadium here on Monday.
   Bangladesh were whitewashed 3-0 by Sri Lanka in a preceding one-day series.
   Brief scores:
   Bangladesh: 195 (J Omar 81, T Baisya 54, G Rupasinghe 3/31, G Wijekoon 3/35).
   Sri Lanka Development Squad XI: 109/2 (S Kalavithigoda 54 not out).

Australia fast bowler Glenn McGrath has been passed fit to play the fifth and final Ashes Test against England starting at The Oval today.
   McGrath, 35, had been battling a right elbow injury that ruled him out of England’s three-wicket fourth Test win at Trent Bridge and last weekend’s tour game against Essex at Chelmsford.
   England twice won in his absence to go 2-1 up - McGrath missed the hosts’ second Test win at Edgbaston with an ankle injury after treading on a cricket ball during the warm-up.
   McGrath replaced fellow seamer Michael Kasprowicz in the only change to Australia’s Trent Bridge line-up.
   Before McGrath came through a bowling stint in The Oval nets on Wednesday, Australia captain Ricky Ponting stressed how keen he was to have McGrath, one of only four bowlers to have taken 500 Test wickets, availaible for a game where only a win will preserve his side’s 16-year grip on the Ashes.
   ‘He’s always missed any time he misses a game. There’s no doubt we’ve missed him on a couple of occasions this series already so it would be great to have him back in the side.
   ‘He almost plays as two bowlers in our team if you like. He’s probably our main strike bowler with the new ball and at the same time you can call on him, through the course of the day, to bowl some tight overs as well.
   ‘He’s a vital player in our side, someone who’s done exceptionally well for us over the years, especially in big games and that’s what this one is building up to be.’
   But Ponting stressed that Australia would not go into the game with a less than fully fit McGrath. ‘I wouldn’t take him at 60 or 70 per cent, no way. We can’t afford to do that in a game like this.
   ‘With the situation of the series we’ll probably have to be a little bit more cautious going in. We have to make sure he’s not just right to bowl on Thursday morning but he has to be bowl right on every morning of a Test match.’

The latest outburst of spinner Mohammad Rafique in Colombo has come to the local cricket lovers as a bitter reminder of the things that happened to the team, perennially, involving the players and the foreign physios.
   Rafique has accused the team physio Paul Close for not paying enough attention to his injury, an accusation that has been plaguing the Bangladesh team since South African Gavin Benjafild was handed the job shortly after the 1999 World Cup.
   Bangladesh had engaged a foreign physio – Australian Robert Hunt – for the national cricket team for first time at the England World Cup that produced a striking result.
   Hunt made a significant contribution to the successful campaign which prompted the BCB to go for another one soon after he quit on completion of his brief contract.
   Benjafild was hired at the recommendation of the then national coach Eddie Barlow and it seemed Bangladesh had hired a problem too with him.
   Benjafild had masqueraded as a physio for a long time before it was discovered that he was only a qualified trainer.
   It was his first job in the profession and Bangladesh had to a pay lot of money to give him a chance of getting the experience. His wrong treatment at that time put the then promising opener Mehrab Hossain Opee in danger of losing one of his legs.
   When the BCB discovered the fact that Benjafild was only a trainer and not a physio, they appointed Australian John Gloster to the post.
   Gloster had previously worked with English county club Surrey and was said to have a high reputation.
   But his reputation hardly worked for Bangladesh. It was Gloster who failed to prevent Mashrafee bin Murtaza from bowling excessively which eventually cost him one year of international cricket.
   Former national captain Akram Khan, who was long-time part of the team that Gloster took care of, accused the Australian of gross negligence to his duties and having a disliking towards many players.
   ‘I don’t like to say how good a physio he was. But I am sure he had some likings. Some of us were victims of this attitude,’ he said.
   Golster left the team early this year to take up the job of highly regarded Indian team and was replaced by Hunt, the man who earned enormous respect from the players during the 1999 World Cup.
   But he could not hold on to his reputation this time round. Mohammad Rafique, one of the few players of that World Cup squad who are still playing for the national team, was seen to react overtly when he was forced to take an extra load during a fitness Test taken by the Australian.
   It was Rafique who now raised a question about the sincerity of his successor Close, a New Zealander, during the ugly incident in Colombo.
   Former captain Minhajul Abedin was reluctant to make any comment on the incident but he said the BCB should make everyone in the team accountable to the board to avert such kind of bizarre incidents in the future.
   ‘Instead of reacting so awkwardly the players should complain to the BCB in writing if he feels he is being neglected,’ said Abedin.

The burning desire of Kim Clijsters illuminated New York’s midnight hour on Tuesday, and her reward was a place in the US Open semi-finals.
   Fourth seed Clijsters overturned a set and 4-2 deficit against Wimbledon champion Venus Williams to claim a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 quarter-final victory that she described as the best of her career.
   In the last four the in-form Belgian will face Russian top seed Maria Sharapova, who clawed her way to an equally compelling 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win over compatriot Nadia Petrova.
   Clijsters lost four grand slam finals before a chronic wrist injury threatened her career in 2004, and was jubilant in her moment of triumph after wearing out Williams in a match that finished 36 minutes into Wednesday morning.
   A moody Sharapova repeated her Wimbledon quarter-final victory over Petrova in a ferocious duel to reach the Flushing Meadows semi-finals for the first time.

Uttara Club National Tennis Tournament will begin on the Club premises today.
   About 127 players including all the seeded stars of the country will take part in this nine-day long tennis meet.
   The Uttara Club is sponsoring the tournament jointly with the Cox’s Bazar-based hotel Crown Plaza. This is the third time the club is organising a tennis tournament.
   The players from Rajshahi, Naogaon, Narsingdi, Satkhira, Rangamati, Patuakhali and Meherpur will play along with the BKSP trainees.
   However, six foreign players have been allowed to play in the tournament as they are now residing in the country.
   As many as 62 players along with top-seed Amol Roy will vie in the men’s singles while 24 pairs will play in the doubles event.
   Meanwhile, only 12 women including top-seed Sifat Nusrat Baishakhi are competing in the tournament’s singles and doubles events.
   Total Tk 83 thousands will be distributed among the winners including trophies.
   Men single champion will receive highest Tk 12 thousands when women single champion will get Tk six thousands.
   Nazrul Islam, the president of the Uttara Club were present in the press conference along with tournament director Ahsan Habib and In Charge Sports KM Azmal.
   Saidul Haque the MD of Crown Plaza were also present behalf of the sponsor.

Mohammedan Sporting Club virtually declared a war against Brothers Union before they face off in the title decider of the premier league urging their supporters to flock the stadium to inspire the team. Mohammedans along with their two allies, Abahani and Sheikh Russell, also condemned the role of the BFF regarding the match-fixing issue.
   In a press release signed by Mohammedans general secretary, Lokman Hosain Bhuiyan, the traditional black-and-
   white outfit called on their
   supporters to come at the big bowl and cheer the team to realise the dream of winning the title.
   In a joint statement, Mohammedans, Abahani and Sheikh Russell refused to accept the probe report of the BFF regarding the allegation against Brothers Union of playing fixed matches.
   They said the president of the federation has lost his neutrality and the probe report was not
   fair.
   The probe committee has cheated the football fraternity and demanded detective branch’s involvement in the issue.
   The three clubs also threatened to take further action to uphold their stance.

Spinner Mohammad Rafique has been fined 75 per cent of his match fee for his indecorous behavior with coach Dav Whatmore and physio Paul Close in Colombo on Tuesday.
   The tour management committee imposed the penalty on him also taking into the consideration his previous record of such nature, said a BCB press release.
   The press release claimed that Rafique was regretted the incident and apologised for his behaviour. The committee and the concerned parties have put the matter to rest.

Promotees Farashganj Sporting Club ended their successful season in the Premier Division Football League securing sixth position after eking out a goalless draw with Arambagh Krira Sangha at the Bangbandhu National Stadium on Wednesday.
   Farashganj finished their campaign with 23 points while Arambagh, who have 19 points, managed to avoid relegation as the last team. Three teams – Wanderers, Fakirerpool Youngmen’s and Dipali Jubo Sangha – all faced the guillotine.
   Farashganj got the first chance in the 35th minute when striker Walid creaked through the Arambagh defence after a Felix through pass but he shot straight to custodian Shakil.

The ABS Group National Hockey Championship, organsed by Bangladesh Hockey Federation, begins on September 21 at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium.
   The total number of participant teams is 20 but only 13 district sports associations will test their skills in the tournament. Four services teams, two universities and the BKSP are the other participants.
   Bangladesh Army, Navy, Air Force, Faridpur, Dhaka BKSP, Rajshahi, Comilla, Jessore, Dinajpur, Railway, Mymensingh, Gazipur, Bangladesh Police, Patuakhali, Narayanganj, Satkhira, Khulna, Chittagong University and Gaibandha will play in the tournament.

Last year’s finalists, Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt, both won at the US Open on Tuesday to move within one game of a rematch in the semi-finals.
   In fourth round action, top seed and reigning champion Federer was below par but still had too much game for Nicolas Kiefer of Germany, winning 6-4, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-4.
   It gets tougher for the Swiss star as he moves on to a last eight clash against old nemesis David Nalbandian who took out Italian veteran Davide Sanguinetti 4-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-2.
   Hewitt got off to an early lead against Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia and was never headed as he won 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
   The Australian third seed will meet Jarkko Nieminen in the quarter-finals after Nieminen became the first Finn to advance that far in a Grand Slam event.
   He defeated Spain’s Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3 in the day’s opening tie.
   Federer looked sluggish and out of sorts against the unorthodox German as he had done when the two met in the third round at Wimbledon in June.
   In what was a near carbon copy of that encounter, Kiefer won the second set on a tie-break and harried Federer before the top seed prevailed.
   But despite Kiefer’s efforts, the real Federer will have to show up if he is to negotiate the challenges that lie ahead which starts with Nalbandian in the last eight, Hewitt his likely opponent in the semis and Agassi a possibility in the final.
   ‘It was a difficult four sets. This was the first time I have lost a set here and it is always a strange feeling,’ he said. ‘But my reaction was good.’
   Key to the game came at 3-3 in the third set with the match level at one set all.
   Kiefer had two break points, but Federer saw off the danger with a big serve and a tremendous backhand crosscourt winner which dipped past Kiefer who was poised to strike at the net.
   ‘That game was huge, absolutely,’ Federer said.
   ‘I was not so happy with the way I was playing, especially in the second set. The third was better, especially after that pass.
   ‘I thought that shifted the momentum. I took advantage especially in the fourth set when I started to feel in control again.’
   With the spark returning to the title-holder’s game, the unpredictable Kiefer started to unravel and an early break in the fourth was all Federer needed to finish him off.
   It was Federer’s 32nd consecutive hardcourt win, two short of the Open era record set by Pete Sampras, and brings his year statistics to 68 wins for three losses.
   None of the players left in the championships have beaten him this year.
   Nalbandian dropped the opening set against surprise-packet Sanguinetti but the muscular 22-year-old from Cordoba gradually wrestled back control of the match and the 33-year-old Italian looked punch-drunk by the end.
   Federer is wary of the Argentinian who enjoys a rare 5-2 winning record over him, although the world No.1 has won their last two encounters.
   Nalbandian was the last man to defeat Federer at the US Open in the fourth round two years ago.
   ‘I like the challenge with Nalbandian. I don’t have a good record against him so it would be nice to play him.’
   Hewitt made suprisingly light work of Hrbaty, the 15th seed who has been one of the top hardcourt players this year.
   He jumped out into a 4-0 lead and broke the Slovak at will to reach the last eight at the US Open for the sixth straight year.
   ‘I’m just happy to be back in the locker room after a comfortable win as well and not waste a lot of energy,’ said Hewitt who survived a five-set thriller against Taylor Dent in the last round.
   ‘Physically I felt great. He didn’t put me under that much pressure.’
   ‘I’m putting myself into a positon to have another crack at it,’ he said of his title aspirations. ‘I am really starting to enjoy it.’
   Hewitt said he expected a tough match against Nieminen, a player he has beaten on both occasions they have played.
   ‘He works the ball around the court well. Doesn’t give you a lot of cheap points. He’s extremely capable of putting you under pressure,’ he said.
   Nieminen was a model of patience and consistency against Verdasco, who hit some sublime forehands but who made far too many unforced errors to be competitive.
   ‘I haven’t been this far in a Grand Slam before. It’s my best achievement,’ he said.
   ‘I had a run of bad luck last year when I broke my wrist, then I pulled a stomach muscle in Australia. But I am almost back at my best now.’
   The two other quarter-final match-ups were decided on Monday with Andre Agassi to meet James Blake in an all-American tie and Robby Ginepri, the third home hope still standing playing Argentina’s Guillermo Coria.
   The matches were scheduled for Wednesday afternoon and evening.

England captain Michael Vaughan said Wednesday that fast bowler James Anderson and all-rounder Paul Collingwood were still battling it out for the final place in the side ahead of the crunch final Ashes Test against Australia here at The Oval.
   England, 2-1 up in the five-match encounter and looking to win their first Ashes series since 1986-87, had been hoping to field an unchanged side for the match which starts at the south London venue today.
   But an ankle injury sustained by fast bowler Simon Jones in England’s three-wicket fourth Test win at Trent Bridge, frustrated the team’s hopes of fielding the same side in a five-match Ashes series for the first time since 1884-85.
   Both all-rounder Collingwood, who has scored 1,053 runs at 58.83 in the county championship so far this season and fast bowler Anderson, who played the last of his 12 Tests in South Africa in January, were called up into the squad at the weekend.
   Australia need to take 20 wickets to win the match and retain the Ashes, which is an argument for bringing Collingwood, who has played two Tests, into the side. But, on the other hand, England have enjoyed success against Australia this season by playing five specialist bowlers.
   Glamorgan quick Jones, 26, has taken 18 wickets at 21 runs apiece in the series to date and Vaughan told reporters at The Oval here Wednesday he was not in a position to name the starting 11.
   ‘Obviously, it’s been whittled down to 12 with Simon missing out,’ he said.
   ‘That’s a big loss, he’s bowled extremely well. It’s very hard to find a like-for-like replacement for Simon because of the way he’s bowled. He’s probably up there with the best in the world at this minute,’ added Vaughan, who said the team would be announced before play on Thursday.
   ‘He’ll be missed but it created an opportunity for Colly or Jimmy to make a name for themselves this week. It will be a tough decision to make but whichever player comes in we wish them well. There’s no bigger game to play in.
   ‘We’ve still got to see how they come through practice and see how they perform in practice. We’ll have a meeting later this (Wednesday) afternoon to decide our final 11.’
   Collingwood was hit on the nose by a net bowler during practice at The Oval but Vaughan said the Durham star would be fit to play.
   ‘He’ll be alright, he might have a couple of panda eyes if he plays tomorrow but he’ll be alright.’
   England batsman Ian Bell sustained cramp while batting for Warwickshire in Saturday’s C and G one-day final defeat against Hampshire at Lord’s but Vaughan said: ‘He seems to have come through OK and practised well over the last two days so he’s fit to play.
   ‘We’ll just treat this match as we have done the last few games. We’ve been outstanding since Lord’s (where Australia won the first Test by 239 runs) and I don’t see any reason why we should change our thinking and our approach to the game,’ the Yorkshire batsman added, dismissing notions England would be happy to play for a draw.
   ‘It’s a great position we’re in, we’re 2-1 up but there’s also a lot of hard work between now and Monday to decide whether we get hold of the Ashes.’
   The match will be former Australia captain Richie Benaud’s last in England as a broadcaster after 42 years and Vaughan added: ‘Last night (England coach) Duncan Fletcher got asked for Richie Benaud’s autograph, which Fletch didn’t take too kindly.
   ‘But he (Benaud) is the king of the microphone and a great player.’

Australia captain Ricky Ponting launched a spirited defence of his leadership style ahead of the fifth and final Test against England where anything less than a win for the tourists will see them lose their 16-year grip on the Ashes.
   Ponting was heavily criticised for his decision to field first in the second Test at Edgbaston, a match England went on to win by two runs and so level the series at 1-1.
   Now, with England 2-1 up in the best of five encounter after their three-wicket fourth Test win in Nottingham, Ponting faces the biggest challenge of his captaincy career when the series finale gets underway at The Oval here today.
   But with several players such as opening batsman Matthew Hayden, middle-order strokeplayer Damien Martyn and dropped fast bowler Jason Gillespie all having under-performed this series, Ponting said it was ‘unfair’ to lay all the blame for Australia’s position on his shoulders.
   ‘I think I said as early as the second Test match I probably wasn’t as sharp as changing momentum at different times in the game and being as defensive when I needed to be,’ Ponting said.
   ‘You go in on what you think is right at the time. I’m not a great one at looking back and analysing previous Test matches or previous innings and picking out what I’ve done well or what I haven’t done well because I actually feel I’m doing the right things at the right times in the game.
   ‘As long as I think that and the other 10 guys in the team think that we feel we’re giving ourselves the best chance.
   ‘There are a lot of things spoken about, lots of plans you talk about to bowlers most overs and you hope they can execute them for you.
   ‘If they can’t well it might look as if I’m doing something wrong. But I’ve made it clear in this game that I want to
   communicate as much as I can to the bowlers wo we’re exactly clear on what we do.
   ‘If that means we take a bit of time between overs than that’s the way it will be.
   ‘I’ve never been one who has sat back and taken all the accolades for anything this team has ever done. I’ve always shared all that around and never taken any of the great results we’ve had,’ the 30-year-old Ponting added.
   ‘I think it would be unfair if it was my fault if we lost this Ashes series.
   ‘If it came back on me I’ll accept it I’m the captain and leader of the side but I’m not batting out there for everybody and I’m not bowling for everybody either.
   ‘I’m doing the best I can, I’m sure the other guys are trying their best but we just haven’t put it all together yet.’

The Oval has played host to some memorable Anglo-Australian Tests dating back to 1880 - the first Test in England.
   Ahead of the climax to the 2005 series starting here today, where Australia must win to level the series at 2-2 and retain the Ashes, AFP Sport looks back at five of the most memorable Ashes matches at The Oval.
   1882: Australia 63 (R Barlow 5-19)/122 (H Massie 55) v England 101 (F Spofforth 7-46)/77 (F Spofforth 7-44)
   Australia won by 7 runs
   The match that gave birth to the Ashes after the Sporting Times newspaper, shocked at the hosts’ defeat, published a mock obituary of English cricket which concluded: ‘The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.’
   Fred Spofforth, nicknamed ‘The Demon’, took 14 for 90 for the visitors.
   1938: England 903-7 dec (L Hutton 364, M Leyland 187, J Hardstaff 169 no, W Hammond 59 no) v Australia 201 (W Brown 69)/123
   England won by an innings and 579 runs
   Still the largest victory in Test history, England’s mammoth total was built around Len Hutton’s then world record individual Test score of 364 which surpassed Don Bradman’s mark of 334.
   1948: England 52 (R Lindwall 6-20)/188 (L Hutton 64) v Australia 389 (A Morris 196, S Barnes 61; E Hollies 5-131)
   Australia won by an innings and 149 runs
   Despite the tourists’ crushing win, which secured a 4-0 clean sweep for the ‘Invincibles’ the match is best remembered for the most famous nought in history. Needing just four runs for an average of 100, Australia skipper Don Bradman, in his final Test, was bowled second ball for nought by leg-spinner Eric Hollies and so finished with a mark of 99.94 - the best by any Test batsman with more than 5,000 runs.
   1968: England 494 (J Edrich 164, B D’Oliveira 158, T Graveney 63)/181 v Australia 324 (W Lawry 135, I Redpath 67)/125 (J Inverarity 56; D Underwood 7-50)
   England won by 226 runs
   Australia were 65 for five before lunch on the final day when a huge deluge appeared to cause a wash-out. But spectators helped clear gallons of water and then left-arm spinner Derek Underwood took seven for 50. Earlier John Edrich’s 164 and Basil D’Oliveira’s 158 in the first innings had laid the basis for England’s victory. Ultimately South Africa-born ‘Cape Coloured’ D’Oliveira was the catalyst for South Africa’s enforced sporting exile when the middle-order batsman was omitted from the subsequent tour there, reinstated and then refused entry to his homeland.
   1972: England 284 (A Knott 92, P Parfitt 51; D Lillee 5-58)/356 (B Wood 90, A Knott 63; D Lillee 5-123) v Australia 399 (I Chappell 118, G Chappell 113, R Edwards 79)/242-5 (K Stackpole 79)
   Australia won by 5 wkts
   Australia’s Ian and Greg Chappell became the first pair of brothers to score centuries in a Test match as Australia, just as England had done four years earlier won to square the series - the last Ashes campaign to end 2-2 although it was England who retained the Ashes. Legendary fast bowler Dennis Lillee took 10 for 181 in the first Australia Test side without a New South Wales player.

If Australians are worried about the prospect of losing the Ashes to England then they are doing a great job of hiding it.
   Australians have never suffered from a lack of self-belief on the sporting field and despite finding themselves 2-1 down their confidence has not been shaken ahead of this week’s final Test at The Oval.
   Prime Minister John Howard spoke for the nation when he predicted they would retain the Ashes.
   ‘I wouldn’t write the Australian cricket team off in this series, it would sound defeatist,’ he said. I still think this team is very capable of winning the fifth Test. (Glenn) McGrath will be back. They are great fighters when their backs are to the wall.’
   While no-one doubts the result, opinion remains divided on just how they will go about it.
   Most people have begrudgingly accepted that the English have played better in the past three Tests and that the powers of the once-invincible Australians are on the wane.
   There have been no shortage of former Test players offering their advice on how to turn things around though few actually agree on the details or the timing.
   The general consensus is that the Australian selectors will need to start making changes to build for the future but that there is no need to panic just yet.
   Former Test captain Steve Waugh has urged the selectors not to wield the axe until after this series, insisting that Ponting’s men had shown enough in their fightback in the fourth Test at Trent Bridge to suggest they had rediscovered their hunger.
   ‘I’m backing a convincing Australian victory,’ Waugh said.
   ‘The Aussies rediscovered what has made them a great side on the last day of the Trent Bridge Test. The fire within was burning and the stomach for a battle to the death was back.’
   Ian Chappell also wants the selectors to keep the faith but believes Australia should include leg-spinner Stuart MacGill for the final Test to give them five bowlers and further expose England’s weakness against quality slow bowling.
   Chappell said Australia should drop middle-order batsman Simon Katich to make room for MacGill and move Adam Gilchrist to six in the batting line-up.
   ‘Australia need to gamble to retain the Ashes and, considering the run-scoring feats of Shane Warne and Brett Lee in the series so far, the time is right to dump a batsman,’ Chappell said.
   No single reason has been suggested as to why the Australians have played so far below their best with the batsmen and bowlers sharing the blame equally.
   The English have been given a lot of credit but most Australians believe bad luck has played as big a part. England won the second Test by just two runs; had Australia got the three runs they needed, the Ashes would already be over.
   The injuries to McGrath have seriously weakened the Australian bowling attack and the world champions have had a rough time with the umpires with a series of crucial decisions going against them.
   No-one, though, is looking for excuses and more significant has been Australia’s failure to seize their opportunities. The Australian fielding has been woeful and three Englishmen have been given let-offs after being dismissed on no-balls. There has also been much criticism over Ponting’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss at Edgbaston.
   Former skipper and national selector Allan Border said the Australians were allowing themselves to get distracted by little things that would normally not worry them.
   ‘The Australians seem to be jumping at shadows — worrying about 12th men fielding, questioning decisions — showing clear signs of a team that is under pressure,’ he said.
   Despite all the excitement in England over the closest Ashes series in decades, there is considerably less hype and interest in Australia.
   The matches are played in the middle of the night, preventing most people from watching the action live, and are being shown on a multicultural broadcaster. The main commercial stations were not interested in showing the series because it clashed with the finals of the national rugby league and Australian Rules competitions.
   The Ashes has also lost much of its appeal in Australia after years of one-sided contests. The Australians have made no secret of the fact that they regard winning in India as a greater challenge than the Ashes although that will instantly change should the English win.
   ‘It would be disappointing but not earth-shattering,’ said Greg Chappell. In some ways it might refresh them and energise them to come back.’

England have been playing much more positive cricket and thoroughly deserve to win the Ashes series, according to former Australia wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh.
   ‘They should have been 3-1 up going into the final Test but the pressure of winning the Ashes after a long time is causing them grief,’ Marsh told Reuters after being appointed director of coaching at the first International Cricket Council Global Academy on Wednesday.
   ‘England won the second Test by only two runs but I thought they should have won a lot easier than they did,’ Marsh said.
   ‘They had the Australians on the ropes the whole Test match at Old Trafford but dropped some catches which did not help matters.’
   ‘I think it’s all due to the pressure of winning the Ashes,’ Marsh said. ‘They know they have been struggling over the line, but now they more positive in their approach and have been playing some positive cricket and learning the mind games well as well.’

Captain Saurav Ganguly said India lost the match in the first 10 overs of New Zealand’s innings after his team went down by six wickets in the final of the triangular one-day series on Tuesday.
   ‘We knew we had a fighting total on a slow pitch but just didn’t finish it off,’ Ganguly told reporters.
   ‘We definitely lack something otherwise we wouldn’t keep losing finals. We just need to put it out of our heads,’ he added, referring to the fact India have lost 16 of 21 finals dating back to March 1999.
   ‘We lost the match in the first 10 overs but our spinners did very well to pull it back a bit.’
   New Zealand, chasing 277, scored 82 runs in the opening 10 overs before Nathan Astle’s unbeaten 115 carried them to victory in the penultimate over.
   India also got off to a flying start after winning the toss, with the top three of Virender Sehwag (75), Ganguly (31) and Mohammad Kaif (93 not out) lifting them to 155 for one in the 25th over.
   But none of the other batsmen managed to score more than 20.
   ‘If any of the other top six batsmen had got a 50, we would have won,’ Ganguly said.
   Skipper Stephen Fleming was delighted with New Zealand’s display.
   ‘We don’t have too many trophies in the cabinet but today went perfectly to script,’ said Fleming.
   ‘We knew we wanted to bowl first because it’s given everyone a small advantage in this series and we played almost the way they played against us the other day.’
   Fleming struck 61 in 66 balls as he and the experienced Astle shared an opening stand of 121 in 110 balls to lay the platform for Tuesday’s victory.
   ‘We knew if we set the tone and got the scoreboard going early, it would take the pressure off the other batsmen,’ said Fleming.
   ‘For the first hour, things did not go our way and it began to look as if it was going to be India’s day and they are very hard to stop. But this team is now experienced enough to know that you’ve just got to hang in there and restrict every run and that can lead to wickets.’
   Left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori dismissed Sehwag and Rahul Dravid, for a duck, in the space of three deliveries and finished with two for 35 as his 10 overs turned the tide.
   ‘Daniel’s often done that for us and it was a great spell from him today,’ Fleming said. ‘We always have options up our sleeves and that’s what I like about captaining this team.
   ‘It’s a good feeling to finish a tough tour well.’

England’s under-fire coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has received the backing of David Beckham who is optimistic it will be third time lucky when England strive for glory in the 2006 World Cup finals.
   Eriksson has come in for heavy criticism in recent weeks after the inept performance in the 4-1 friendly defeat to Denmark and an unconvincing victory over Wales in Cardiff in Saturday’s World Cup qualifier with a new-look 4-5-1 system.
   But Beckham is adamant Eriksson is still the right man to carry the hopes of the nation on his shoulders in Germany next summer after falling at the quarter-final hurdle in the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004.
   Beckham, who will lead England out against Northern Ireland in Wednesday’s qualifier, said, ‘This is the manager’s third tournament in charge and, for me, it could be third time lucky. The players are confident in the manager and that’s the most important thing.
   ‘He has got confidence in the team he picks and the squad he has at his disposal and we are all together.
   ‘Yes, we have been disappointed where we have come in the last two big competitions, when we went out in the last eight, but hopefully this will be the one we can go further in. That’s what we are looking for.’
   Beckham defended Eriksson’s decision to alter formations in the Millennium Stadium when Wayne Rooney was employed as the only out-and-out striker in the 1-0 win over Wales.
   He believes it is vital to have the know-how to be able to change tactics in mid-match.
   ‘Different formations are important to have at the disposal of top teams especially in the big competitions,’ he said.
   ‘We came up against Wales on Saturday but maybe we will come up against Brazil, Germany or Argentina where we do have to change our formation when maybe things aren’t working with 4-4-2.
   ‘By trying out things in other games, then the manager will have got some ideas for different formations if they are required and that’s what big teams have to have.’
   Beckham also believes England now have the attacking talent to win the big World Cup matches.
   ‘We have got incredible talent that can win us a game like that with the likes of Rooney, Owen, Gerrard, Wright-Phillips, Joe Cole etc.’ And he deflected critics of his new central midfield role.
   ‘I never will be a Claude Makelele or Roy Keane because they are stoppers. I am not like that. But if I am still in the position, I will work hard to get to a level like that,’ the 30-year-old said.
   ‘Even if I am pressurised, I believe I have got the ability to get out of situations. I have always had the belief in my own ability.’

As hostages to fortune go, they don’t get much bigger. ‘England,’ claimed Sven Goran Eriksson, ‘can be as good as Brazil’.
   It’s about time they showed it, then. Starting at Windsor Park on Wednesday.
   The proud promises of future success from inside the England camp looked about as likely in Cardiff on Saturday as snow falling on the Sahara.
   It was just another example of Eriksson’s side once more appearing far less in total than the sum of their parts would suggest - a shapeless and confused mess.
   And 36 hours after the stuttering display at the Millennium Stadium, which took England to within two wins of the World Cup finals, Brazil clinched their berth in Germany by thumping Chile 5-0, even without Ronaldo and Ronaldinho.
   The difference between the two sides may have seemed a gaping chasm as England wilted against the 10-man South Americans in Shizuoka three years ago.
   Yet as he prepared for England’s first trip to Windsor Park in 18 years, Eriksson and his players have to start proving that the would-be emperors are wearing flowing robes, not striding naked down the road.
   Eriksson said, ‘I believe we can reach Brazil’s level, yes.
   ‘I am not worried about Brazil and how they played against Chile. I haven’t seen the game but I have the tape in the office and I will look at it. In the final of the Confederations’ Cup, they played excellent football. But I cannot be worried about that today.
   ‘We have to qualify for the World Cup and then concentrate on Brazil and all the other teams going to the World Cup.
   ‘I wish we could win with style every time, but football has never been like that. Sometimes you struggle. When you struggle the important thing is to win and that’s what we did on Saturday.
   ‘The most important thing is to win, three more points. Then I hope we can play better. We are going to try. I am quite sure we are going to play better.’
   They have to do exactly that, because it is in goal-laden displays that confidence grows. Of course, despite his Swedish passport, Eriksson has an Italian mindset. If you win every game 1-0, you win everything on offer.

Rio Ferdinand revealed the pain of missing Euro 2004 has made him even more determined to enjoy World Cup success with England.
   The Manchester United defender was forced out of last summer's Championship during his eight month ban for failing to take a drugs test.
   But Ferdinand insists it has helped him appreciate the importance of playing for his country - and he is determined to make up for lost time.
   Ferdinand said, 'I missed a lot of football, a lot of important games. I missed a tournament and playing for Man United.
   'No one can ever question the desire to play for your country. That is what you dream of as a kid.
   ‘You look at videos of players like Diego Maradona and Gazza and a lot of their videos revolve around World Cups and you think about winning the World Cup.’

David Beckham has issued a rebuke to criticism from former England captain Terry Butcher, saying it was sad the Motherwell manager had descended to that level.
   In a Sunday newspaper story headlined ‘Becks is a liability, his legs have gone’, Butcher said Beckham lacked the pace and energy for wide midfield and was ‘completely vulnerable’ in the centre where he played in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Wales.
    Beckham began his retaliation on Tuesday by saying he would never sit in judgement on his successors as England captain.
   ‘I respect all former England players who have worn the shirt and captained their country,’ he told reporters as he prepared for Wednesday’s World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland.
   ‘You’ll never see me come out and criticise any captain in the future or in the past because I respect them.
   ‘At the end of the day everyone has their opinion.
   ‘But I do find it a little bit sad that people drop to that level sometimes to criticise players, and I’m not just talking about myself, but some of the other players in the team.
   ‘I respect Terry Butcher as a footballer and an England captain...he’s got his right to his opinion. There’s no point in me questioning him about it because he’s put it on a double-page spread.
   ‘I’d rather he said it to my face, personally, but that’s the way it is these days.’
   As for the doubts over his physical shape, Beckham retorted, ‘My fitness level is the same as it was five years ago.’
   Though Beckham has an almost guaranteed starting place in Sven-Goran Eriksson’s team, popular support for the Real Madrid midfielder has been ebbing since he fired England to the 2002 World Cup finals.
   Hampered by injury, he was below par at the finals and was solid rather than outstanding two years later at Euro 2004 where England bowed out at the quarter-final stage.
   Former Liverpool and Scotland defender Alan Hansen expressed doubts about Beckham’s standing and scepticism over his new position in an article on Monday headlined ‘English love affair with Beckham nears its end’.
   ‘Never in a million years is David Beckham going to evolve into a holding midfielder,’ Hansen wrote, a comment which drew a laconic response from the England skipper.
   ‘I’m glad he’s not the England manager because I wouldn’t be in the team,’ said Beckham, who remains convinced of his abilities in any position but aware of the sceptics.
   ‘Some people think I’m better on the right, some people think I’m better in the middle and some people think I would be better on the bench,’ he said.
   ‘But that’s people’s opinions...and that doesn’t matter. It’s the manager who picks the team.’

For nine-times champions Real Madrid, the European Cup remains an obsession, a tournament that they have come to see as their own.
   They are also determined to win it this season back in Paris next May - the 50th anniversary of their victory in the first European Cup in Paris in 1956.
   However, Real have experienced some dispiriting defeats in recent seasons.
   Real last won the Champions League in 2002 when they beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 thanks to a sublime volley from Zinedine Zidane. It was the club’s third victory in five seasons, but since then they have gone into a tailspin in European competition.
   The Spanish giants have been eliminated one round earlier in each subsequent edition of the Champions League since their victory at Hampden Park.
   They lost to Juventus in the semi-finals in 2003, to AS Monaco in the quarters in 2004 and then failed to make the last eight for the first time in a decade when they fell victim to the Italians once more last season.
   However, Real have undergone a 59 million-euro ($73.07 million) make-over since their morale-sapping defeat against Juve last March and the side now appears to have the balance and depth that has been missing over the past two or three years.
   The incorporation of battle-hardened Uruguayan midfielder Pablo Garcia and fellow countryman Carlos Diogo has deepened the side’s defensive resources and given coach Wanderlei Luxemburgo more options to rotate players at the back.
   Danish midfielder Thomas Gravesen, who joined Real from Everton midway through last season, has strengthened the centre of midfield, whilst the possible return to action of England centre-back Jonathan Woodgate would be a major boost to the back four.
   Although renowned for their attractive attack-minded football, Real’s forward line lacked spark in last season’s European campaign, but the addition of Brazilian duo Robinho and Julio Baptista should rectify that problem.
   The dazzling ball skills of Robinho and the power and speed of Baptista are likely to be used to compliment the devastating finishing skills of Ronaldo to make a formidable all-Brazilian front line.
   The main problem facing Luxemburgo will be how to make room for the new recruits in the team. The injection of fresh blood also appears to have reinvigorated the more senior members of the squad.
   After an anonymous campaign last season, Zinedine Zidane is determined to shine in what could be his swan song before retirement, David Beckham is desperate to win his first trophy since joining the club two years ago, and skipper Raul is anxious to recapture his form in World Cup year.
   Former World and European Player of the Year Luis Figo and Argentine internationals Santiago Solari and Walter Samuel have all decamped to Inter Milan. The departure of Michael Owen to Newcastle United probably won’t have a huge impact on their campaign which kicks off at Lyon on September 13. Overall Real feel that they have the resources at their disposal to mount a serious challenge for their 10th European crown.

Manchester United were noticeably quiet during the summer transfer market, but the rejuvenation of Ruud van Nistelrooy is comparable to a major signing for Alex Ferguson’s team.
   Injuries seriously curtailed Van Nistelrooy’s 2004-05 season and although he claimed eight of the 19 goals United scored in total in the Champions League, neither he nor anyone else could find the net against AC Milan in the first knockout round and United’s Champions League aspirations were all over by early March.
   With Van Nistelrooy back to full fitness and scoring again alongside the ever-improving and maturing Wayne Rooney, there is new-found confidence in the side. United look all set to have a far better campaign this season than last.
   Much of that stems from the signing of Van Nistelrooy’s Dutch compatriot, goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, from Fulham.
   The only other notable signing at Old Trafford was South Korean winger Ji-Sung Park from PSV Eindhoven. Van der Sar’s arrival has given the defence an assurance it lacked at times last season when either American Tim Howard or Irishman Roy Carroll was in goal.
   United began the new season superbly, winning their two Champions League qualifiers against Hungarian champions Debrecen and their opening three Premier League matches without conceding a goal.
   With Ferguson now appearing to prefer a 4-4-2 system rather than the 4-5-1 he employed last season with Rooney wasted on the wing, United look far more potent.
   Cristiano Ronaldo appears to be more inventive and original by the week while there is plenty of football left in the ageing Roy Keane, the still youthful Ryan Giggs and the experienced Paul Scholes.
   Argentinian Gabriel Heinze and England’s Rio Ferdinand have built a solid platform at the back and it is hard to find any weaknesses throughout the team.
   If there is one worry for Ferguson it is that he does not have the cover of other potential challengers if his first choices get injured. Another worry is the uncertainty surrounding the club’s new owner, American businessman Malcolm Glazer.
   He finally won control of United in the summer after a protracted takeover battle, saddled it with millions of pounds of debt it never previously had, but has promised to make the club even bigger and more profitable.
   Glazer’s real impact at Old Trafford has yet to be seen—but winning the Champions League for the first time since 1999 would keep everyone at Old Trafford happy, and probably see Ferguson still in charge when the 20th anniversary of his appointment as manager rolls around in October 2006.

Five-time world champions Brazil narrowly avoided defeat against Sevilla when an own goal by defender Pablo Alfaro allowed them to scramble a 1-1 draw at the Sanchez Pizjuan stadium on Tuesday.
   The Spaniards looked as though they would give their fans a night to remember in a match to mark the club’s centenary when new signing Frederic Kanoute put them ahead early in the second half.
   But Sevilla skipper Alfaro cut short the celebrations when he turned the ball into his own net six minutes from time. Brazil, who sealed qualification for the 2006 World Cup when they crushed Chile 5-0 at the weekend, looked a little jaded at the start and Sevilla enjoyed the best of the early play.
   However, the visitors got into their stride as the half wore on and Sevilla keeper Antonio Notario had to react quickly to stop snap shots from Kaka and Robinho.
   Brazil striker Adriano beat Notario with a neat chipped finish in the 20th minute but his shot shaved the outside of the far post.
   Brazil keeper Dida then produced a great reflex save to block a sharp close-range effort from Sevilla striker Javier Saviola and both sides had the ball in the net before halftime, only for their efforts to be ruled out for borderline offsides.
   Sevilla should have taken the lead when Luis Fabiano was put clear early in the second half but the Brazilian took too long to shoot and gave the defence time to recover. Seven minutes later the home crowd were given something to cheer when former Tottenham Hotspur striker Kanoute scored. He raced onto a masterful through ball from youngster Jesus Navas and then watched as Dida fumbled his near post drive.
   But just when it looked as though Sevilla were set for a memorable victory, Alfaro turned the ball into his own net after a teasing cross from Adriano rebounded off the post into his path.

Germany's Bundesliga premier soccer league will start broadcasting games live to mobile phones at the end of September in a pilot project with software giant Microsoft, Bundesliga operator DFL said.
   Games will be broadcast in DVB-H (digital video broadcast for handhelds) standard, which will be introduced in Berlin this month, to a limited group of users with smart phones based on Windows media software.
   The test phase will run until the end of the current season in May, DFL said in a statement on Wednesday.
   'DVB-H is an important technology for the future.
   ‘We want to test from the outset how fans can get the best use from it,' DFL chief executive Christian Seifert said in the statement.
   The commercial launch of mobile television in Europe has been held up by disagreement about whether to use DVB-H-which is based on the DVB-T standard currently being rolled out for TV-or the DMB standard, which is already in use in South Korea.
   DVB-H pilots are being carried out in several European countries by the Broadcast Mobile Convergence Forum, an association whose members include Nokia, Philips and Vodafone.

Cristiano Ronaldo stayed with his Portuguese teammates in Moscow for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Russia despite the death of his father.
   Armando Carvalho, vice-president of the Portuguese Soccer Federation, said the Manchester United winger learned of his father's death late Tuesday.
   'He said straight away he wanted to stay with the squad,' Carvalho told Lisbon radio TSF. 'At the moment, he's getting the support of his teammates.'
   Ronaldo was expected to return to Lisbon after the match. His father died in a hospital in Funchal, in Portugal's Madeira Islands, after a long illness.

Real Madrid sports director Emilio Butragueno has played down suggestions that the club are interested in signing Barcelona's rising star Lionel Messi.
   The 18-year-old Argentinian is being left out by Barca as they investigate whether or not he is eligible to play in La Liga after signing his first senior deal in the summer. A question mark hangs over whether Messi, who arrived in Catalonia at the age of 13, is considered a foreigner with Barca's quota already full.
   Already reports in Italy have mentioned interest from Internazionale and Juventus but in Spain, Madrid have distanced themselves from a potential move for Messi.
   'We are respectful, it is not logical that people say we have approached this player or that we have made an offer,' Butragueno said.
   'I do not know who can say that as nothing has happened, but neither are we going to deny all the rumours that are going to appear.'

Airport thrash Kamrangir Char
Airport registered the biggest victory till date in the ongoing Sheikh Russell U-14 Football Tourney beating Kamrangir Char by 6-1 goals at the Abahani Ground on Wednesday. Hasnat, Sabbir, Nahid and Masud scored apiece while Rony netted two for the Airport team. Nipu was the lone scorer for the losers. In the other match of the day, Lalbagh defeated Gulshan by 3-2 goals. Riazuddin, Shakil and Naimur scored for the winners. Apikul and Rahim scored two for the losing team. National striker Shahajuddin Tipu was the adjudicator.
— New Age

DU beaten in inter-varsity football
Hosts Khulna University registered 2-1 win over mighty Dhaka University in the Djuice Inter-University Football tournament at the Khulna university ground on Wednesday. Sohel and Rana scored one goal each for the winners while Touhid reduced the margin for the losers.
— BD News

Mahbub, Soma champs in Mrtro TT
Mahbub clinched the men’s singles title of the Metro Group Open Table Tennis tournament, organised by Bangladesh Table Tennis Players’ Association, at Wooden Floor Gymnasium on Wednesday. In the final, Mahbub of Surf Knitting beat his teammate Mostafa by 4-3 sets. Earlier, Mahbub and Mostafa confirmed the final berths beating Pappu of Biman and Edison of Biman respectively in the semifinals. In the women’s singles, Soma of Abahani Limited became champion with a 4-3 victory over Rumi of Surf Knitting. Earlier, Soma and Rumi moved into final beating Salaha of Abahani and Joyoti of Surf Knitting respectively in the semis. Surf Knitting emerged group champions with a 3-2 victory over Bangladesh Biman. Hasib of Jagarani became champion in the boy’s single outplaying Rocky of Narail by 5-2 sets.
— BD News

BFF bosses
going to Morocco
Three top bosses of Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) leave here today for Morocco to attend the 55th Congress of FIFA. Three officials are BFF president SA Sultan, general secretary Anwarul Haq Helal and treasurer Shah Alam Chowdhury. The three-day FIFA congress begins on September 11 in Morocco. Though the officials are going to attend the congress, their main object is to convince the different football association officials to participate in the Prime Minister Gold Cup Football tournament, scheduled to held in Bangladesh in February next.
— BD News