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The recently concluded Test series might have seen the Bangladesh cricket team whitewashed on one more occasion, but it still remains a great source of inspiration for them before going into a three-match one-day series.
   Skipper Habibul Bashar and coach Dav Whatmore have become so enamoured of the losing battles, especially in the first Test at Fatullah, they like to prefer it to the historic win against Australia at Cardiff last June.
   ‘Surely, the first Test at Fatullah is the biggest inspiration for us, because there we pushed the Australians to the brink. The Cardiff game was a one-dayer and in one-day cricket you can win against any team on a given day,’ Bashar said on Saturday ahead of the first one-day match of the series.
   ‘Although Australia are the number one team in the world and maintain a huge gap with the others teams, any side can beat them on their day. In no way it is an impossible task,’ said the middle-order batsman.
   ‘I think we all agree that overall there have been some really good positives and we earned a fair bit of credit without winning a Test match. We have played many Tests where we haven’t had any credit at all but I think in this series the players at times stood up and were counted for against a very good opposition. So, yes, we’ve taken some confidence from that series,’ coach Dav Whatmore added.
   The reason for Bashar and Whatmore to get a confidence boost from the Test series is also quite obvious. Before the Australians came to Bangladesh, both of them were optimistic about a good show in the series. But whenever they were asked any questions about the Test series, they were very careful with their replies.
   Now Bangladesh overcame the mental barrier regarding the Test series with a stunning performance at Fatullah and it gives them huge satisfaction.
   ‘As you all know our one-day record is always good compared to the Tests. Now we have started playing well in Test also. So it must give us some confidence,’ said Bashar.
   Bashar looked particularly happy with the performances of the top-order batmen, who had earlier been regarded as the Achilles heel of the team.
   ‘In the past we have suffered for not getting too many runs from the top order. But recently, we have seen that the batsmen are scoring more frequently and that is a very good sign because if you don’t have runs in the top of the order then you don’t finish with a good score. Still some of the batsmen have not managed runs in the Test series but I expect them to come good in the ODIs,’ he said.

It could have been just another one-day game for them. But Ricky Ponting and his mates are not in a position to take things lightly when they play the first of the three-match one-day series against Bangladesh at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium today.
   Don’t get confused by thinking that they are very worried about the Bangladesh team after getting a fright in the first Test at Fatullah. It is rather their own performance in one-day cricket that has kept the world champions still in a state of shock.
   Just think about the last one-day match Australia had played before coming to Bangladesh. Perhaps you have guessed the right thing – we are talking about the wacky game at the Wanderers Cricket Ground in Johannesburg.
   It is still hard to believe for everyone that a team had found itself at the losing end despite crossing a 400-run mark for the first time in the history of the game. What else they could do to win the five-match one-day series against South Africa? They had scored 434 runs and yet found it was not good enough to defend on that weird night.
   Certainly the defeat haunts Ricky Ponting most as he was not only the unlucky captain on that night, but was the man to help Australia climb up the mountain with an epic century. How could he have known that Herchelle Gibbs would outshine him in the very next moment?
    ‘Look, that was an amazing day in cricket, as we all know it. We did a lot of things right and we did a lot of things wrong. South Africa probably did the same. But in the end they got the result,’ said Ponting when he was reminded of the game.
   While speaking at the press conference on Thursday after completing an innings and 80-run victory over Bangladesh in the second Test, Ponting said he does not even like to remember the game anymore and start the new series afresh.
   ‘It was important for us to forget the match as quickly as possible and back into our game to make the things right. Being in a different condition and with a lot of different players coming from Australia we are focusing on doing things right here.’ said Ponting before adding with a laugh that he will not mind if Australia can score 400 runs again in the series.
   Although the match had remained a painful experience for the Australian team, it also gives an idea to their opponents about how far they can go with the bat in a one-day match. And it seems that the Bangladesh team also have got the message from the fact.
   ‘We know Australia have the strength to destroy any attack in the world. We are not much worried about it. Rather we want to concentrate on our game and execute our plan. We want to go with simple planning,’ Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar said about Australia’s prospect of scoring 400 runs again.

Two cyclonic centuries from Firoj Ahmed and Nizamuddin Khan powered Shaheed Ramizuddin High School to a massive 410-run win over BAF Shaheen School in the Standard Chartered Young Tiger National School Cricket Competition at Iqbal Road ground on Saturday.
   Opted to bat first, Ramizuddin High School piled up a massive 519 as Firoj hammered 124 and Nizam hit an unbeaten 110. BAF Shaheen School, in reply, were bundled out for 109. Dhaka Residential School registered an eight-wicket victory over Sunrise Pre-cadet while Rahmatullah Model High recorded a six-wicket victory over Nahar Academy. Mirpur Govt High thrashed Incidin Bangladesh by 77 runs while Island Pre-cadet outplayed Ibn Sina Pre-cadet by four wickets.
   Dhanmondi Tutorial registered a trilling 11-run win over Sunny Dale.

Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) expelled three schools from the Banglalink Tiger Trophy National School Football Championship as they did not turn up for their respective matches on the opening day Friday.
   The BFF took action against those schools according to the tournament bylaws’ section-21.
   The schools are – Abdul Hamid High School from Chittagong, Kakarda MK Secondary School from Barisal and Shaheed Ramijuddin Cantonment School and College from Dhaka.
   The BFF decided to recommend Education Ministry to take actions against those schools.
   The opponents of those schools were awarded 2-0 win.

Arsenal 1 Tottenham 1
   Thierry Henry came off the bench to rescue a 1-1 draw for Arsenal against Tottenham Hotspur in a pulsating last north London derby at Highbury on Saturday.
   Tottenham seemed to be on course for a rare Premier League victory over their bitter rivals when Robbie Keane scored a controversial opener after 65 minutes.
   The Ireland striker tapped in an Edgar Davids cross after Spurs declined to knock the ball out of play with an Arsenal player down injured.
   Henry, who was one of several first-choice players left on the bench by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, pounced seven minutes from time with a clinical finish.
   In a frantic finish to the match, Davids was shown a red card for a wild tackle on Cesc Fabregas.

Wasim Akram has given Brett Lee, the Australian fast bowler, a tip or two on reverse-swing and believes he will unleash it on England in this winter’s Ashes. Lee and two of his Australian bowling mates, Nathan Bracken and Mitchell Johnson, approached Akram, now a television commentator, during the second Test against Bangladesh earlier this week.
   ‘These guys want to improve, so they want to ask the top cricketers [for advice] and that’s good,’ Akram told AAP. ‘I did tell them the little details about reverse-swing. I think soon in the Ashes we will be seeing Brett Lee bowling reverse-swing.’
   Akram, perhaps the finest practioner of the art of reverse swing, tormented many batsman during the 1990s in partnership with Waqar Younis. ‘It was about action, about seam, a lot of talk about reverse-swing,’ Akram said. ‘Brett Lee is a sight to watch in world cricket. Any bowler comes to me from any nationality, I am there to help.’
   Lee has used reverse-swing with devastating effect at times during his career with inswinging yorkers at speeds of more than 150kmh near unplayable. ‘We spoke about a number of things from conventional swing to reverse swing and different lines and lengths,’ Lee said about his chat with Akram. ‘He gave us a few pointers and ways to try and get the ball to swing a bit more as the Australian cricket team haven’t really mastered the art of it yet. England did it very well last year when we played against them in the Ashes. They got the ball swinging a lot. They had a lot of our batsmen caught at the crease, either being bowled or lbw.’
   Troy Cooley, the former England bowling coach now with Australia, is expected to meet the Australian think-tank at the end of the Bangladesh tour. Cooley was credited with teaching England’s bowlers how to use reverse swing, with Simon Jones using the practice as early as the 15th over in one innings during the 2005 Ashes series.

Andrew Flintoff is the prime candidate to lead England into the international summer.
   All-rounder Flintoff, 28, was an inspirational leader in the drawn Test series in India and although he was at pains to stress it was a temporary arrangement, his tenure in charge could lengthen.
   Captain Michael Vaughan is highly unlikely to be ready for the first Test against Sri Lanka at Lord’s on May 11 due to his cautious recovery from knee surgery.
   Marcus Trescothick is another candidate, having been unofficial Vaughan’s deputy for three years, but ending his own tour early will have effected his chances.
   Four men captained England throughout their overseas travels, in fact Vaughan and Trescothick led in Pakistan while Andrew Strauss stepped in for Flintoff towards the back end of the lost one-day series.
   Coach Duncan Fletcher has expressed his concern over Flintoff’s workload in the long-term and Strauss could come into the reckoning if the triple role was deemed too much.
   When Vaughan suffered a setback in India, which culminated his tour, the England management took the opportunity to announce Flintoff would captain the side until he returned.
   That, however, suggested hope remained Vaughan could return to the sub-continent for the one-day series.
   But Vaughan was yet to get back into the nets as the county season began with the MCC’s contest against Nottinghamshire at Lord’s.
   ‘I’m not even going to suggest playing at the minute,’ Vaughan said.
   ‘I have to just take one day at a time and make sure I do my rehabilitation properly.
   ‘It is a bit tedious to spend so many hours in the gym but I realise I have to do it to make sure I give myself the best opportunity to come back strong.’
   When Flintoff was offered the captaincy for the Test series, in Nagpur last month, he grabbed the chance, making a u-turn on his decision to go home to witness the birth of son Corey with wife Rachael’s blessing.
   ‘Of course winning made it all feel worthwhile,’ Flintoff reflected, relating to the crushing 212-run victory in Mumbai which levelled the series.
   ‘You might not get a chance to captain your country again so it is something I enjoyed and I am glad I did it.
   ‘When Vaughanie comes back he is captain, I have had a taste of it, I enjoyed doing it but I enjoy playing under him and he has done a great job for two or three years now.
   ‘We had a great three weeks but it is very much Vaughanie’s side and myself, the rest of the lads and management are looking forward to him coming back as soon as possible.’
   Captaincy might have weighed heavy on the talismanic Flintoff but he arguably performed to even greater levels than he has over the past couple of years given his senior status in a side of fresh faces and new caps.
   He finished as the third-highest run scorer and third-highest wicket-taker on either side in the series, stacking up four consecutive half-centuries in his 264-run tally and claiming 11 victims with the ball.
   Vaughan may be the more astute of the two - he has more experience after all - but Flintoff’s captaincy by example served just fine.
   ‘I think he did a great job as a captain in his first series and he’s truly shown why is the greatest all-rounder in the world at the moment,’ said Rahul Dravid, of his opposite number.
   It was hard to exaggerate the adversity which afflicted England on the tour - they lost a handful of the original squad over the course of the three matches and awarded four debuts - but not once did Flintoff’s expression suggest it.
   Visiting teams often grimace in the heat of India but England smiled their way through.
   Such is Flintoff’s selfless nature, he deflected any praise from himself on to his colleagues.

A 21-member Brothers Union football team leaves this morning for Lebanon to play the away-match of the AFC Cup against Al Ahed.
   The match between Brothers Union, who are almost out of reaching the quarterfinal from group-A, and Al Ahed, who still keep their hope alive to play the quarterfinal, is billed for Tuesday at the Beirut Municipal Stadium.
   Brothers Union manager Amer Khan told Saturday, ‘We will try to collect at least one point against strong Al Ahed, but we don’t know whether it is possible or not.
   ‘We conceded a 1-3 defeat to Al Ahed, who even scored one goal playing attacking football after being reduced to ten men in the second half at Bangabandhu National Stadium and we were busy to defend the opponents instead of taking the advantage against ten-men Al Ahed,’ said former national booter.
   Amer said, ‘I think the players presently are mentally and physically unfit after the national side showed a devastating performance to concede 1-6 defeat against Tajikistan in recently concluded AFC Challenge Cup at home.’
   ‘And, the national players are probably being driven by the nightmare of the AFC Cup
   ‘Mohammedans conceded a huge 0-7 defeat to Al Wihdat at Amman and we also conceded a 1-3 defeat to ten-men Al Ahed at home.’
   On the other hand, Al Wihdat of Jordan are scheduled to arrive here today to play their group-C last and away match against the national league champions Mohammedans.
   Al Wihdat, however, did not contact Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF) till Saturday afternoon, said a BFF official.

Sri Lanka believe they can succeed where Australia failed last summer by spiking the guns of England’s pace attack in the forthcoming Test series.
   Captain Mahela Jayawardene insists his team-mates will not be pounded into submission by Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard during the tour which takes in three Tests, a Twenty20 international and a triangular one-day series.
   ‘You will start talking about the ball moving and all that,’ said Jayawardene.
   ‘But we shouldn’t worry about that. In England you have some of the best batting wickets which I have batted on - Lord’s, for instance, and Nottingham, where the third Test is scheduled to be played.
   ‘It’s all about how you go there and adjust, and how you apply yourself - it is as simple as that.
   ‘We did that very well in Australia and proved that we can handle pace, bounce and movement.’
   Despite their confidence, Jayawardene insists England will be hard to beat on home soil after winning the Ashes last year.
   ‘It’s going to be tough, there’s no doubt about it,’ he said.
   ‘They’ve got the balance and a strong unit - a couple of all-rounders, a good pace attack and a solid batting line-up.
   ‘They play good cricket. But we should not worry about what they will do to us.
   ‘What we should worry about is how we are going to handle them and control that. We know the players and should work on their strengths and weaknesses.’
   The first Test begins at Lord’s on May 11.

Bangladesh under-14 football team won two matches and drew one in the AFC Under-14 Festival of Football in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad on Saturday.
   They beat Pakistan 1-0 and Pakistan A 2-0 and, drew with Sri Lanka 0-0.
   Sohel, Sohag and Arif scored the goals.
   The weeklong soccer festival got underway on Friday.

South Africa have dropped experienced batsman Herschelle Gibbs for the two remaining Tests in their home series against New Zealand.
   He made only six and two in the first Test at Centurion Park, a game South Africa won by 128 runs.
   ‘We had a meeting and agreed that a break and a fresh start next season will do him a world of good,’ said chief selector Haroon Lorgat.
   Hashim Amla may replace Gibbs for the second Test, which starts on Thursday.
   Squad: Graeme Smith (capt), Jacques Kallis, Boeta Dippenaar, Ashwell Prince, AB de Villiers, Jacques Rudolph, Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher (wkt), Shaun Pollock, Nicky Boje, Andrew Hall, Makhaya Ntini, Dayle Steyn, Andre Nel.

Banned former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin arrived here Saturday to feature in a senior cricket series between India and Pakistan.
   Some 50 policemen escorted Azharuddin as he left the airport with his film-star wife Sangeeta Bijlani. Local officials refused to stop him playing with the Indian team.
   ‘Azhar is invited by Pakistan Senior Cricket Board (PSCB) and it’s up to Indian cricket authorities to stop or allow him play,’ Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shaharyar Khan told AFP, rejecting any link with the series.
   ‘The seniors board is operating on their own and we have just supported them by allowing them to use the facilities at various grounds,’ he said.
   Azharuddin, banned for life on match-fixing charges in 2005, is leading an Indian Seniors side scheduled to play four one-day matches against their Pakistani counterparts.
   Another former Indian player Manoj Prabhakar, who has completed a five-year ban for match-fixing, is part of the 14-man squad.
   However, former Pakistan captain Salim Malik, who was barred after a separate inquiry here, has not been allowed to take part.
   ‘We have not permitted Malik to feature in this series which comes in our domain,’ said Khan.
   Malik lashed out at the Pakistan cricket authorities, accusing them of double standards.
   ‘I have nothing to do with who is playing and who is not, but it’s disappointing that there are dual policies in cricket,’ Malik told AFP.
   ‘It’s unfortunate that my career came to an abrupt end and my appeal against the life ban is still pending. I demand that I be allowed to play at seniors’ level,’ he said.
   PSCB chairman Fawad Ijaz Alam earlier this week said Azharuddin had been cleared for senior cricket by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
   But BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah later denied the claim, and said the board had no involvement in Azharuddin’s visit to Pakistan.
   Indian Seniors’ first match is here today, followed by matches in Sialkot (April 25), Sheikhupura (April 27) and Lahore on April (30).

Malcolm Speed has hit out at critics who have accused the ICC of apparent indifference to player workloads, stating that they are ‘quite simply ill-informed and wrong’.
   Speed, the ICC chief executive, wrote in an article published on Cricinfo that the ICC was all too aware of the strain on players.
   ‘Avoiding that cycle of problems was one reason why the ICC recently introduced its new six-year Future Tours Program (FTP) to replace the existing five year schedule,’ he explained. ‘[It] was put together following extensive consultation and has factored in guidelines, supported at the ICC Cricket Committee, by players at the captains’ meeting and by player representatives, including FICA, concerning the highest volume of matches each side should be playing.’
   He went on to outline the demands on each country, which should mean that no teams should play more than 15 Test matches and 30 ODIs in a 12-month period, although he added that ‘teams rarely come close to this limit’.
   But he warned that some of the scheduling was outside the ICC’s control and was down to the member countries themselves. ‘There is a reliance on members to be responsible in scheduling additional commitments above and beyond those required by the FTP - two Tests and three ODIs home and away against each other during the six-year period. The ICC recognizes the need for Members to look to maximize their revenue in order to grow the game ... but, at the same time, they have to be mindful that the players are their prime assets and overworking them would benefit no one in the long run.’

Gabriel Heinze played for over an hour of Manchester United’s reserve team win at Aston Villa on Saturday.
   The Argentinian is battling to force his way back into Jose Pekerman’s World Cup squad after being out of first team action since rupturing knee ligaments against Villarreal back in September.
   Sir Alex Ferguson is backing the South American’s bid to play in Germany and fielded the defender in the crunch reserve fixure as United’s table-toppers took on second-placed Villa at Tamworth’s Lamb Stadium.
   Heinze gave an outstanding performance at centre back for 68 minutes, although he was grateful to keeper Luke Steele for pulling off a good stop after his one slip-up during a typically all-action display.
   United’s second string triumphed 1-0 with Frazier Campbell scoring the first half winner to all but move them a giant step closer to retaining their reserve league title.

Everton made the most profit of any club in the Premiership last season - thanks to the sale of Wayne Rooney.
   Chelsea were one of only four clubs to be in the red – and Roman Abramovich’s losses were a staggering £140m in 2004-05 according to a Financial Times survey.
   Everton outstripped Manchester United, Arsenal and neighbours Liverpool with profits of £23.5m but the encouraging news for the Premier League is that, excluding Chelsea, the other 17 clubs who have published figures made a combined £75m profit compared to a £27m loss in 2003-04.
   The figures signal most clubs have been trying to take a more sensible attitude to matching wages to income – indeed Everton’s wage bill dropped from three-quarters to half of the club’s turnover.
   Everton chief executive Keith Wyness said however, the sale of Rooney to Manchester United in the summer of 2004 for £30m was the key.
   He said: ‘We would have to sell a Wayne Rooney every year for five years to consistently beat the big clubs in a table such as this.
   ‘I do sense there has been a much more professional attitude to handling the financial housekeeping in the Premiership.’
   Norwich City’s one season in the Premiership adventure saw the Canaries bring in pre-tax profits of £9.2m.

Despite being ignored by the national selectors yet again, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly has no plan to quit big time cricket and would continue to play domestic tournaments to make a comeback into the national side.
   ‘He will definitely continue playing,’ said Ganguly’s close friend and former Bengal Ranji Trophy cricketer Sanjay Das.
   Das, who is also the brand partner of Ganguly’s posh eating joint ‘Sourav’s’, expressed annoyance with the selectors’ decision to leave the left-hander out of next month’s one day engagements in the West Indies.
   ‘Not merely as a friend, but as a cricket lover also, I feel bad about this. Keeping him out of the squad is definitely not the right decision. But then, it is the judgement of the selectors. We can’t do anything about it,’ Das told PTI.
   Asked how Ganguly has taken the latest snub from the selectors, Das said, ‘Oh! he is all right. Absolutely all right.’
   The cricketer, however, could not be contacted, as he was away in Mumbai on a personal visit.
   Ganguly’s father Chandi, a former Cricket Association of Bengal secretary, refused to comment.
   ‘Please don’t ask us questions on Sourav being kept out of the side. We can’t answer,’ he said.
   Ganguly’s elder brother Snehasish also shied away from commenting.

Shahid Afridi will remain in contention for the Test team as the selectors are yet to receive any official word on his temporary retirement from the longer version of the game, while Shoaib Akhtar might also find himself among the 25 probables for Pakistan’s tour of England to be announced next month.
   Pakistan Cricket Board chief selector Wasim Bari said Afridi’s Test retirement was a major cause of concern for the board and said the dashing all-rounder would be asked to reconsider his ‘emotional decision’.
   ‘Afridi can easily play in both forms of the game,’ he said.
   ‘We will be considering him both for Test matches and one-day internationals because we have received no official instructions from top PCB officials,’ he added.
   ‘Taking all aspects in consideration we will select a balanced combination.’
   Meanwhile, quoting a top PCB official The News reported that the board was confident of Shoaib Akhtar’s availability for the tour as his medical reports have suggested good progress.
   ‘The physiotherapist and trainer have given us a good report on his rehabilitation process and we are hopeful he would be available for the England tour,’ the daily quoted the PCB official as saying.

Band from Holland have released a World Cup song. It’s no ordinary song because it’s not in Dutch but German. The song is throw back to 1998 when Marco van Basten beat Jurgen Klinsmann. The Dutch fans believe they’re going to do it again.
   Band member Dmitry Beugelink said ‘we recorded it in German so the wankers can also listen to it’. The song is in German but it’s quite a catchy tune.

Former England captain Alan Shearer has played his last professional game for Newcastle United after announcing he will miss the rest of the season.
   ‘I’m finished now and I have great memories. The fact I won’t be able to play the last three games is disappointing but I’m not complaining. How could I?,’ he was quoted as saying in Saturday’s Sun newspaper.
   The 35-year-old centre-forward was due to retire at the end of the season but a scan on Friday revealed that he tore his medial knee ligament in Monday’s 4-1 Premier League win over Sunderland.
   ‘There’s a tear in the medial ligament which, although it does not require an operation, means I will be in a knee brace for a few weeks. It’s disappointing but I’ve had a great career.
   ‘Some people think it was a fantastic way to go out anyway by scoring in our 4-1 win at Sunderland last week. I think they might be right.
   ‘I had focused on going all the way to the last game of the season against Chelsea and then my testimonial,’ he said. ‘But we don’t live in an ideal world.
   ‘Hopefully, I’ll be able to kick off the testimonial but there’s lots of people worse off than me.’
   Shearer is hoping his testimonial against Celtic at St James’s Park on May 11 will raise more than one million pounds ($1.74 million), all of which will be donated to charity.
   His career began at Southampton where he became the youngest player to grab a top flight hat-trick and in February 1992 he scored on his England debut in a 2-0 win over France.
   The top clubs came calling but he joined Blackburn Rovers, being bankrolled by Jack Walker, for a then-British record fee of 3.6 million pounds ($6.42 million). Shearer was voted English Footballer of the Year after notching 34 goals in 1993-94 and the following season won his only major trophy, the Premier League title.
   After netting 130 goals in 171 games for the Ewood Park club he joined his hometown team for a then-world record fee of 15 million pounds ($26.73 million) after being top scorer at Euro 96 with five goals and got a hero’s welcome from the Toon Army.
   He helped Newcastle reach the FA Cup finals of 1998 and 1999 but they lost both matches 2-0 after being outclassed by a skilful Arsenal side heading for the double and a brilliant Manchester United team on their way to a historic treble.
   Shearer says he has no regrets about turning down Manchester United to join a Newcastle team still waiting for their first major trophy since winning the FA Cup in 1955.
   ‘It doesn’t matter that I didn’t win a trophy because I did it my way and I lived the dream,’ Shearer told the Sun.
   ‘Unless you come from the area you wouldn’t understand that mentality. Playing for the club is everything.’
   Shearer announced his international retirement after Euro 2000, finishing his England career with 63 caps and 30 goals. He was due to hang up his boots at the end of last season but was persuaded by Graeme Souness to play on for another year.
   In doing so he eclipsed Jackie Milburn’s Newcastle record by scoring his 201st goal against Portsmouth in February.
   ‘I’m pleased I made the decision to carry on for another season,’ he said. ‘I ended up playing a lot more games than I thought I would and it’s been tough on the body at times but it doesn’t matter—I’ve got plenty of time to have a rest now.’
   On announcing his testimonial last February Shearer said: ‘I have lived my boyhood dream, I have played in front of the most loyal fans in the world, captained my country, played for the home team I supported as a boy.
   ‘I’ve also broken the goal-scoring record of an absolute Tyneside legend and now I have the opportunity to say farewell to the fans who have supported me so well throughout my career.’
   On Saturday he added: ‘I’ve never had any regrets.’

A Seven-year-old Bahraini will walk out onto the international football stage this summer when he joins the Saudi squad at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, in Germany. Ali Sami Taha, from Sanad, will escort the Saudi national team onto the pitch for their crunch tie with Spain on June 23 before watching the game from VIP seats.
   He is going on the once-in-a-lifetime trip after entering his name in a draw at fast food chain McDonald’s.
   The football-mad Abdulrahman Kanoo International School pupil now says he can’t wait to arrive in Germany for his first taste of live World Cup action.
   ‘I like the Saudi team,’ he told the GDN. When they told me that I won the tickets I didn’t believe it and I was very happy. I am looking forward to going to Germany and watching the World Cup.’
   Ali is expected to travel to the World Cup along with one of his parents or his uncle on the all-expenses paid trip.
   They will stay in Germany for four days and Ali’s father, Sami Abdulla Taha, said he is very excited.
   ‘He is very happy, every boy would be excited,’ said Mr Taha.
   ‘But it is difficult to get leave (from work). I don’t think that I will be able to go to Germany.’
   However, Ali’s parents are hoping that his soccer-mad uncle will be able take him.
   McDonald’s 2006 World Cup Player Escort Programme has been launched worldwide and to enter children had to complete and submit a registration form at any McDonald’s restaurant in Bahrain.
   The last date for submission of forms was April 14 and the draw was open to children aged six to 10.
   Ali’s name was pulled out in a draw at the Tubli branch of McDonald’s.
   ‘As a World Cup partner, we are proud to bring to Bahrain a unique and exciting programme which will offer our loved ones the chance to live a dream,’ said McDonald’s Bahrain marketing manager Ali El Hajj.

England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson is confident four of his key players will brush aside their injury woes and
   play a part in their World Cup campaign.
   Michael Owen, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole and Ledley King are all sidelined but Eriksson’s main concern out of the quartet is King, who broke his foot playing against Everton only last week.
   Cole has been out the longest, the Arsenal left-back having played just once in six months before a reserve team outing this week but Eriksson is happy to see him on the mend.
   The Swede told the Football Association’s website, www.thefa.com: ‘Ashley Cole played during this week in a reserve game which Tord Grip and I went to see and he will be okay, I am sure of that.
   ‘I wanted to see him play because I don’t know when he is going to play again next. He looks fit and I think he took it easy in the first game.
   ‘He’s a quick healer and getting in form very quickly so I’m very confident for him.’
   Owen, who broke his foot in December, is also close to returning and was even named in the Newcastle squad for Saturday’s Barclays Premiership fixture against West Brom, although he is unlikely to play.
   Campbell is now back in Arsenal first-team contention after ankle and toe injuries, although a broken nose has temporarily set him back.
   Eriksson is pleased that both are likely to play again before the end of the season.
   ‘The league finishes in a couple of weeks so if I had not seen any of them play in the last four or five months it would be very difficult for me to pick them,’ added the Swede.
   ‘Of course we want to try as hard as we can to take Michael Owen with us to the World Cup. He’s our best goalscorer without any doubt.
   ‘I spoke to Sol during this week as well and he seems fit.’
   King, who is now out for the rest of the season, is the most doubtful of the quartet for the tournament in Germany but Eriksson remains optimistic.
   ‘I don’t think anyone is quite sure yet if he will available or not. It’s a stress fracture but it’s a good one the doctors tell me.
   ‘I had a meeting with our doctor so we have to wait and see what’s happening.’

World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane is almost certain to announce his retirement after the World Cup during a press conference on Wednesday, radio station Cadena Ser claimed on Friday.
   Zidane, who still has one year left on his contract at Real, has already announced his international retirement at the end of the finals in July, but he previously left a question mark over whether or not he would continue in club football for the last year of his current deal.
   Now, according to Cadena, he has called a press conference to finally put an end to the uncertainty over his career.
   ‘Real Madrid’s French midfielder Zinedine Zidane has summoned the media to give a press conference next Wednesday during which he will almost certainly announce his retirement from the football world,’ reported Cadena.
   ‘The Frenchman will hang up his boots and will pass on the last year of his contract,’ added the station which is renowned for its accurate reporting of transfer and contract speculation.
   Real Madrid confirmed a press conference will take place at the club’s training ground at 1100GMT on Wednesday.
   Zidane, for so long the talisman of French football, will be 34 on June 23, during the World Cup finals, and has been contemplating his future for some time.
   He has already retired from the France national team once before, after the 2004 European Championships, but returned to the fold last year to guide the 1998 champions to the World Cup finals.
   Zidane joined Real in 2001 from Juventus for a world record 75.1 million euros (92.7 million dollars) having also played for Cannes and Bordeaux in France.
   He recently confided in German sports magazine Kicker that the World Cup would be his last challenge at such a high level.
   ‘I have one more year on my contract with Real Madrid until 2007. I will take a decision in peace and quite,’ he said.

Rafael Benitez on Friday taunted Jose Mourinho, claiming: Your success is down to Roman Abramovich.
   The Liverpool boss claimed Chelsea’s title triumphs are to be expected because of all the millions they have spent on players. Benitez is clearly unimpressed by the Special One’s talents.
   He is begrudging in his praise of the champion select and the Spaniard claims money-bags Abramovich is the most important figure at Stamford Bridge.
   ‘It’s very simple, they have spent more money than anyone else on players,’ said Benitez. ‘Abramovich has done a fantastic job with his team. After 50 years they are winning two leagues and that’s really good. Jose Mourinho has done a good job, but for me the owner is the key. All of them are important, but you can’t do anything without Abramovich and he started the revolution.’
   And Benitez claims Mourinho should be winning the Premiership every year because he has the biggest transfer kitty in world football.
   ‘They have a lot of good players so they must be at the top of the table and they must be in cup finals,’ he added. ‘When you spend big money it’s normal to be at the top of the table and in finals.’
   Benitez claims Liverpool have closed the gap on Chelsea this season, despite the Blues’ spending power.
   ‘We are closer to Chelsea and we need to continue progressing,’ he said. ‘But next year I don’t know because they will sign some new players.
   ‘But I have confidence that we will be closer next season because you can only play 11 players.’

Tele Santana, one of Brazil’s greatest coaches, died on Friday aged 74 in a Belo Horizonte hospital where he had been in intensive care for an intestinal infection since March 25, the hospital said.
   Santana, who led Brazil at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups and won the Libertadores Cup twice in a row with Sao Paulo, was widely respected for his sense of fair play and his refusal to use rough-arm tactics.
   ‘Football is art, it’s enjoyment and it’s not about hoofing the ball upfield,’ he said. ‘I’d rather lose the game than tell my team to foul, kick the opponents or win with an illegitimate goal.’
   Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva led the tributes.
   ‘Tele always maintained that football should be played elegantly, skilfully and with respect for the opposition,’ he said in a statement, adding that artistic football practised by the ‘master’ would inspire future generations.
   Brazil captain Cafu, who played under Santana in the early days of his career at Sao Paulo, also paid tribute to him.
   ‘He was a great man, a great friend and a father-like figure, who kept giving us great advice,’ said Cafu, who become the first player to appear in three successive World Cup finals.
   Former Brazil midfielder Rai played in the same Sao Paulo team in the early 1990s and said Santana changed his career.
   ‘He represented a watershed in my career and made me see that I could give a lot more, that I needed ambition to bring out the best in me,’ said Rai, the younger brother of 1982 World Cup midfielder Socrates.
   Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira added, ‘Tele left a marvellous legacy. He was an example to be followed, not just as a coach but as a person.
   ‘He was tough when he needed to be but he also knew how to listen to what the players had to say. He will go down in history as one of the best coaches that Brazil has had.’
   Former Brazil winger Renato Portaluppi, axed by Santana for indiscipline shortly before the squad departed for the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, said, ‘It’s a great loss for football and for Brazil. He was one of the great coaches.’
   Santana’s 1982 World Cup team, featuring players like Zico, Socrates, Falcao, Junior and Eder took the game to new heights.
   But they were surprisingly knocked out in the second round group stage following a 3-2 defeat by Italy in one of the most memorable games in the sport’s history.
   After a brief spell in Saudi Arabia, Santana returned to lead Brazil again four years later in Mexico where they were beaten by France in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinals.
   He went on to coach a memorable Sao Paulo team in the early 1990s, winning the South American Libertadores Cup in successive years and the World Club Cup on each occasion.
   He steered Atletico Mineiro to success in the inaugural Brazilian championship in 1971 – the only time Belo Horizonte’s most popular team have been Brazilian champions – and coached top clubs Fluminense, Flamengo, Palmeiras and Gremio.
   He was forced to retire in 1996 following a stroke. Three years ago, Santana had his left leg amputated below the knee after developing ischemia – a decrease in blood supply caused by blockage of the blood vessels.

‘Thank you God. For football, for Maradona, for these tears, for Argentina two, England nil.’ Argentine commentator Hugo Victor Morales’s euphoric paean to Diego Maradona in the immediate aftermath of his legendary goal against England at Mexico ‘86 encapsulates perfectly his nation’s love affair with the midfield playmaking legend, who was voted FIFA’s Player of the Century in 2000.
   Since a resurgent Maradona was kicked out of the 1994 World Cup finals for ephedrine doping, however, Argentina have struggled to find anyone to provide a level of talismanic inspiration approaching that of the former SS Napoli and Barcelona icon. Until recently, of all the players purporting to be able to fill Maradona’s shoes, only Ariel Ortega, whose international career was effectively ended through a contract dispute with Istanbul club Fenerbahce, showed anything like Maradona’s invention or consistency. Others, such as Marcello Gallardo and Andres D’Alessandro, struggled badly with the burden of comparison. Argentina exited France ‘98 and Korea/Japan ‘02 a comparatively ordinary side.
   However, the 2006 Argentina selection evinces the spirit of Maradona in a way that few would have dreamed possible even four years ago. Argentina now possess no less than five attacking midfielders who while not at the level of Maradona, come closer than anyone has thus far to invigorating the Neapolitans with something of the spirit of ‘El Diez.’
   First up is teen sensation Lionel Messi. Small and light – his Spanish nickname is ‘the flea’ – Messi has marvellous technical ability. He can dribble at length, but even more impressive is his capacity to play imaginative passes into offensive channels. Moving with his family to Spain at eleven years of age – Messi recently acquired Spanish citizenship – in order to seek treatment for his hormonal deficiency, like Maradona, Messi was picked up by Catalan giants FC Barcelona. He made his first team debut in October 2004 against city rivals Espanyol, and his bow for the Argentina national team in August 2004 against Hungary, who were also Maradona’s first opponents as a senior Argentinean international. Messi was central to Argentina’s triumph at the 2005 World Youth Cup in Holland.
   Next, there is Juan Roman Riquelme, a languid, slow-motion attacking midfielder who will probably be Argentina’s key player at this summer’s World Cup finals. Riquelme teamed up with Maradona in the twilight years of the latter’s career at Boca Juniors. ‘Romy,’ as he is affectionately known, links Argentina’s midfield and attack with effortless imagination, caressing the ball as if it were an extension of his being. He was the clear man of the match in Argentina’s November 2005 friendly against England in Geneva, and netted twice in qualification for Germany 2006. After being sidelined at Barcelona following his 2002 transfer from Boca, he eventually found appreciation at Villarreal, where he forms part of a large Latin American contingent including distinctive fellow Argentina international Juan Pablo Sorin.
   Thirdly, Argentina have another La Liga star, the multi-talented Pablo Aimar. Aimar featured in Argentina’s 2002 World Cup squad, and has further matured since then into a player of skill and precision. Aimar turned down a place at medical school to pursue his current vocation with Buenos Aires giants River Plate, where in five wonderful years he scored more than one goal every four games, an excellent average for a midfielder. Since arriving in Europe in 2001, Aimar has been one of Valencia’s best players as they have consistently made an impression on European club competition, winning the UEFA Cup in 2003.
   Completing the quintet are two players still resident in South America. Carlos ‘Carlitos’ Tevez has already won Olympic gold for Argentina and was top scorer in Athens with an astonishing eight goals from six matches. Born in the no-nonsense barrio of Fuerte Apache in Argentina’s capital, he surprisingly opted to move to Brazilian club Corinthians from Boca Juniors in December 2004. But he has been a massive hit with the Sao Paulo outfit, winning the Brazilian Championship in 2005 and bagging the accolade of the competition’s Best Player from the Confederation of Brazilian Football, no mean feat for an Argentine. Tevez excels either playing in the ‘hole’ behind the strikers or as a forward, boasting mesmeric dribbling aptitude and brilliant finishing.
   Meanwhile, Sergio Aguero, who does not turn 18 until a week before the finals, is Argentina coach Jose Pekerman’s potential wildcard. Still playing his soccer in Buenos Aires for Independiente, he has been the revelation of Argentina’s domestic championship during the past season.
   Aguero is the Neapolitans’ best and most natural dribbler available for call-up, and has clearly shown that he has what it takes to pick the ball up from deep, slalom past five challenges and slot home with ice-cool composure.
   Twenty years after Maradona won the World Cup for Argentina, the country is awash with midfield geniuses of the highest calibre, perhaps the greatest sign of his cultural legacy. And if this quintet can emerge intact from the group of death, it will take something extraordinary to stop them emulating him in becoming world champions.

Spectators at today’s London marathon will be able to identify the leading men’s contenders through their different racing strips for the first time at a major athletics event.
   Italy’s Olympic champion Stefano Baldini will wear a yellow vest, defending champion Martin Lel of Kenya will be dressed in red and Ethiopian race favourite Haile Gebrselassie will run in blue.
   If the trial proves a success the experiment will be extended to the other four meetings in the new world marathon major series and also to the women’s events.
   ‘We will see how it works,’ London marathon chief executive Nick Bitel told Reuters on Thursday. ‘But I am sure it will be a success. Imagine a horse race in which all the jockeys were all dressed in the same colour?’
   Bitel said organisers of the Golden League track and field series had already tried unsuccessfully to introduce contrasting racing strips as part of their constant battle to attract attention to their leading athletes.
   The London event has become the world leader among the big city marathons but no amount of organisation and money can prevent the perennial injury woes.
   today’s race has lost its two world-record holders with Paul Tergat joining Paula Radcliffe on the sidelines this week after sustaining a calf injury.
   Tergat and Gebrselassie staged a series of epic races over 10,000 metres throughout the 1990s, culminating at the 2000 Sydney Olympics when the Ethiopian just held off the Kenyan five-times world cross-country champion after a frenzied sprint finish.
   ‘This is the most frustrated I have been in my career,’ Tergat told reporters. ‘I was calling this the race of the century. It’s very rare to find the quality of athletes you find here.
   ‘I had focussed so much on this race, I had done everything possible to make sure I competed in a race like this.’
   The absence of Tergat and Radcliffe, who has a foot injury, is also a blow to the fledgling world marathon major series which started in Boston this month.
   Organisers of the Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York events have joined forces in a series which will culminate at the 2007 New York event with one million dollars prize money divided between the top men and women finishers.
   Tergat’s enforced absence today makes Gebreselassie the clear favourite and the little Ethiopian master seems to have timed his preparation to perfection.
   After a persistent wind frustrated his attempt at a world record in Amsterdam late last year, he has set world marks this year over the half-marathon and 25 kms on the road and believes he has come to terms with his new event.
   ‘I would bet on Haile,’ Tergat said. ‘He is a smart guy, he has learnt a lot about tactics.’
   American record holder and Olympic bronze medallist Deena Kastor is favourite for the women’s race in Radcliffe’s absence.
   ‘I’ve always been an aggressive runner and I’m going to run aggressively,’ she told a news conference on Thursday.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho insisted Saturday that he will not join the bidding for Liverpool skipper Steven Gerrard for the third summer in succession.
   The England midfielder signed a new contract at Anfield last year but Real Madrid have named him as a transfer target when the market opens next month. Mourinho has twice been close to luring Gerrard to Chelsea but both times the deal collapsed at the last minute.
   Asked whether he might be drawn into joining Real in the bidding and making a third move for Gerrard, Mourinho said, ‘No, no.
   ‘We have moved on, and I’m not 100 per cent sure but we are probably going to be champions again.’
   Chelsea need one more point to clinch the Premiership title for the second straight year and have their sights on the double as they meet Liverpool in the FA Cup semifinal on Saturday.
   Mourinho admits Rafael Benitez has made progress at Anfield this season but claims the Merseysiders play defensive football.
   ‘They are playing well. They are getting results. They defend very well, they don’t concede a lot of goals,’ said Mourinho.
   ‘They have their style of play, you can love it or hate it but they have their style and they believe in it. The results are helping them believe in it.
   ‘You have to score when you have chances because against Liverpool you do not have a lot of chances. They think a lot about defending. And you have to adapt defensively to the way they play.’
   Benitez won the Champions League in his first season at Anfield last year but Mourinho claimed the big prize is the Premiership title.
   ‘You are League champions or you are nothing. When you are at a big club you are first or you are nothing. Nothing else matters,’ added Mourinho.
   Liverpool are third in the Premiership 15 points behind Chelsea. The FA Cup is Liverpool’s last chance of a major trophy this season.

Manchester United and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo has outlined his ambitions in the game.
   The 21-year-old has high aspirations and wants to add to the FA Cup and Carling Cup winners’ medals in his trophy cabinet.
   With the World Cup finals on the horizon, the United winger wants to win the prestigious competition after going so close when losing out with Portugal in the final of Euro 2004.
   ‘I don’t play football just because I like it,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘I play because I’ve got an ambition to always win and be the best - to win every trophy and competition I’m part of.
   ‘I’ll be happy when I win the Champions League, the World Cup and the European Championship. This is every footballer’s ambition.
   ‘To finish my career and be able to say I did a good job overall, and say I was handsomely rewarded for it. That’s it.’
   The 21-year-old feels he has already achieved a lot in a short space of time and has mixed feelings about dealing with the pressures of fame.
   ‘It was a very special feeling,’ he said of his international bow against Kazakhstan. ‘I was only 18 but had made my debut with the national squad, alongside some players I really admired and it’s a moment you never forget.
   ‘I also think it was very good to gamble on bringing in [Luiz Felipe] Scolari as Portugal coach, and it’s obvious I’m very happy with it.
   ‘Having had my debut at 18 years old, for all the success I’ve had already, I hope to continue playing at the highest level.
   ‘I have mixed feelings about all the attention. There was once a time when it was good to be unknown. When nobody knew who I was, I always used to say to myself and my mates when am I going to be famous?
   ‘When are people going to start asking for my autograph? Now people do know who I am, I ask why I became so famous.
   ‘But it’s very gratifying and important. It means people like my work and admire me as a player and a person so it’s obvious there are good and bad things but I’m a footballer and I’m prepared for it.’

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has stressed the Azzurri’s chances of winning the World Cup are good and says his contract will depend on it.
   The coach has again emphasised his side’s chances at the competition, behind Brazil, and refuted claims that the national team will struggle because of the long Serie A season.
   ‘Brazil are definitely the favourites,’ he told Corriere dello Sport. ‘But then there are five or six other teams who will be going to Germany believing they can win the World Cup too.
   ‘I’m not being presumptuous, but I do think we have a realistic chance. But England, France, Spain, Argentina and Germany all will all go with the same belief.
   ‘I don’t think fitness will be a problem. There’s plenty of time to recover. My only worry is about injuries and I hope there won’t be any more,’ he said.
   Lippi, whose contract with the Italian federation runs out in July, believes his contract will depend solely on the team’s success at the World Cup.
   ‘My future will be decided after this sensational competition,’ he commented. ‘I’ve continually reaffirmed my desire to be coach of the Azzurri and I’ve always said I didn’t need a new contract in my pocket to be happy, now we’ll see with the results.
   ‘If I fail there won’t be any question about it, but should we do as well as I expectd,’ he said.

David Beckham has been blasted as a big-game bottler when it comes to playing for England.
   The attack comes from German legend Franz Beckenbauer, who reckons the Three Lions skipper was a nervous wreck at Euro 2004.
   The Kaiser, who captained and coached German sides to World Cup victories in 1974 and 1990, said: ‘It’s quite possible that Beckham suffers from a mental block at big tourn-aments.
   ‘He was sent off at the 1998 World Cup and he missed two penalties against France and Portugal at Euro 2004.
   ‘Becks appears to have a problem with nerves.’

Manchester United, the richest football club in Britain, is getting 30,000 pounds (43,300 euros, 53,500 dollars) in lottery money to provide yoga and exercise classes to its staff, it emerged Friday.
   The generous handout to the Premiership side is part of a 1.2 million pound campaign by Sport England to boost fitness levels amongst workers and residents in northwest England.
   A Manchester United spokesman said the team—owned by US sports tycoon Malcolm Glazer—has already received 10,000 pounds, and that the balance will be paid out in two portions over the next two years.
   Nigel Evans, an opposition Conservative member of parliament, denounced the payments as ‘obscene’.
   He challenged Prime Minister Tony Blair’s government to intervene in the way the National Lottery—an important source of funding for good causes—doles out its money.
   A Sport England spokesman said: ‘We cannot and should not discriminate against a firm based on whether it is perceived to be a wealthy organisation but should target those who will help make a real difference.’

Amal Roy retained the trophy of the men’s singles in the MA Jabbar Memorial Tennis Championship beating Ranjan Ramu in the final at the Engineers Club ground on Saturday.
   Amal beat Ranjan 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 to maintain his supremacy in the tournament for the second time in a row.
   Hujo Fusako lifted title of the women’s singles beating Ishraat Sultana Ruma 6-2, 6-2 in the final.
   Hira Lal and Niranjan Ram defeated Dipu Lal and Ranjan Ramu to claim the men’s doubles while Hujo Fusako and Ishraat Sultana Ruma became champions of the women’s doubles beating Ma Hi Ching and Masuma Sul- tana.
   Energy adviser Mahmudur Rahman distributed prizes among the winners.