Rajshahi joined Khulna at the top of the points table in the four-day version of the National Cricket League with an outright six-wicket victory over Barisal in the seventh round that ended on Saturday.
   Rajshahi, who collected 13 points from the match to raise their tally to 80, equaled Khulna, who have the same points following a lacklustre draw against Chittagong. Nazimuddin’s unbeaten 121 guided Chittagong to a draw that was enough for them to jump to third place.
   They have collected 12 points from the game that took them above Dhaka, the defending champions, who narrowly escaped a defeat against lowly Sylhet. Opener Imtiaz Hossain plundered 148 in the second innings to help Sylhet end on a high.
   Khulna v Chittagong
   Resuming the day on 134-7, Nazimudin, who was unbeaten on 48 overnight, almost single-handedly guided Chittagong to 229-9 before they declared their second innings, setting visitors Khulna a 307-run target.
   Nazim stroked as many as six sixes and 11 four adding 73 runs to his overnight innings that removed any danger Chittagong had. Khulna finished the day on 188-5 in 59 overs before both captains agreed to call it a draw.
   Former national skipper Habibul Bashar scored highest 50 for Khulna in the second innings. Yasin Arafat took 3-54 for Chittagong.
   Sylhet v Dhaka
   Opener Imtiaz Hossain, who was unbeaten on 69 overnight, stretched his innings to 148 that led Sylhet to amass 306-8 in the second innings, setting an improbable target of 346 for Dhaka.
   After the heroics of Imtiaz, who faced 236 balls and smashed 13 fours and three sixes, Sylhet had around 35 overs in hand to bowl Dhaka out and they almost did it. Dhaka lost their seventh wicket inside 28 overs before an unbeaten half-century from Mahmudullah Riyad saved the holders from defeat.
   With Riyad scoring 60 off 68 balls hitting seven boundaries, Dhaka saw off the day with 188-7.
   Rajshahi v Barisal
   Rajshahi needed only 49 runs to complete victory on the final day with eight wickets in hand and they did it without facing much fuss. Opener Jahirul Islam scored 74 off 111 balls while Farhad Hossain remained unbeaten on 37 to take them 148-4 with more than two sessions to spare.

England coach Peter Moores wants his team to be streetwise and aggressive as the tourists bid for a series-levelling win in the second Test against Sri Lanka starting today.
   England lost the first Test in Kandy by 88 runs despite holding a first innings lead of 93 runs and failed to bat out an extra 30 minutes on the final day that could have drawn the match.
   Moores said the lessons learnt from the Kandy Test will help them match the formidable home team during the second match at the Sinhalese Sports Club, one of Sri Lanka’s favourite hunting grounds.
   ‘We have to be a bit more savvy, a bit more streetwise and find different ways of attacking,’ said Moores.
   ‘We have got to be able to sustain periods of pressure for longer with both bat and ball and, if we do those things, then we can make it hard work for them.
   ‘One of the worst things we could do is chase the game. If we create pressure there is some fragility there we can expose.’
   England will be inspired by their 2001 predecessors under Nasser Hussain who fought back after losing the first Test to win the next two and take the series 2-1.
   England must choose between the experienced Steve Harmison and Test rookie
   Stuart Broad to replace frontline strike bowler Matthew Hoggard, who is an unlikely starter after the back injury sustained in Kandy.
   The injury-prone Harmison missed the opening Test with back spasms, having just recovered from hernia surgery that forced him to prove his fitness playing first-class cricket in South Africa ahead of the Sri Lanka tour.
   Sri Lanka have recalled 22-year-old opener Upul Tharanga to replace veteran Sanath Jayasuriya, who announced his retirement from Test cricket after the Kandy match.
   Left-handed Tharanga, who played his last of his 13 Tests against Bangladesh in July, hit 112 and 86 in two practice matches against the tourists ahead of the first Test.
   Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene said the rest of the team will be unchanged, meaning the hosts will play three seamers to support record-breaking spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
   ‘The bowling combination will depend on the pitch but knowing the Sinhalese Sports Club it will probably be three seamers and Murali,’ said Jayawardene.
   Sri Lanka have won 10 of their last 12 Tests at the SSC since losing to Hussain’s Englishmen in 2001.
   The last time England played here in 2003 under current captain Michael Vaughan, Sri Lanka coasted to victory by an innings and 215 runs with Muralitharan grabbing seven wickets in the match.
   England have much to fear from Jayawardene and the prolific Kumar Sangakkara, whose match-winning 152 in Sri Lanka’s second innings in Kandy took the match away from the tourists.
   It was at the SSC in July last year that the Sri Lankan
   captain and his deputy compiled Test cricket’s highest partnership of 624 runs against hapless South Africa with Jayawardene making 374 and Sangakkara 287.

Michael Clarke will not necessarily succeed Ricky Ponting as Australia’s captain despite his promotion to the top job for next week’s Twenty20 game against New Zealand, according to Adam Gilchrist.
   Ponting is being rested for Tuesday’s match and Clarke was named captain of a squad
   that included Gilchrist and Michael Hussey, both of whom have filled in for Ponting in the past.
   The move was seen as an indication that Clarke would be groomed to eventually take over from Ponting on a full-time basis.
   However, Gilchrist said that was not a done deal, although he supported the decision to give Clarke a taste of leadership in the Twenty20 match.
   ‘It’s not just Pup [Clarke],’ Gilchrist told the Weekend Australian.
   ‘Mike Hussey was captain in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy earlier this year and is obviously a candidate. It’s a matter of the selectors exploring all the options as they plan for the future.’
   ‘They should certainly keep Huss in the loop and any other guys they think will be worthy of higher honours down the track. I’m reluctant to assume that [Clarke] has automatically got the job and I don’t think he assumes that either.’
   Clarke, 26, has age in his favour as Hussey, 32, is only five months younger than Ponting, who is expected to play for several more years.
   A handful of younger batsmen have gained captaincy experience at state level including Adam Voges, Marcus North, Cameron White and George Bailey, but whether any of them will reach Test level remains unknown.
   Gilchrist said it was a good move to give Clarke some extra responsibility.
   ‘It makes sense starting to invest in a few guys for the future,’ he said.
   ‘He has shown a real eagerness to learn all about leadership and enjoyed it in his younger days.
   ‘He has a thirst to learn about the role and is quite an astute tactical thinker.
   ‘This is a good step in his development.
   ‘He will learn over time that captaincy involves great responsibilities off the field as well as on it.
   ‘But he is a smart kid and he looks after himself so he should grow into that.’
   Ponting’s predecessor Steve Waugh also said if Clarke had been earmarked for future leadership then it made sense to hand him the reins for a one-off match.
   ‘It gives him a bit of a taste in Twenty20 where the stakes aren’t so high, you don’t have to make so many crucial decisions,’ Waugh told the Courier-Mail.
   ‘It gives you a feel for the job so I think it’s a pretty good move.
   ‘It doesn’t guarantee you are going to be the next leader but he certainly is the favourite.’

Reigning champions Dhaka crushed Pabna 9-0 on the opening day of the 2nd Inter-District Women’s Football Championship at the Dhanmondi Women’s Sports Complex on Saturday.
   Jahanara Akhter of Dhaka DSA was adjudged as the best player of the match.
   In the day’s other match at the same venue, Rajshahi DSA earned a solitary goal victory over Satkhira DSA wirh Nishu scoring the all-important goal for the winners.
   Jannatul Ferdous of Satkhira was named the best player of the match.
   Earlier, the women and children affairs adviser, Geeteara Safiya Chowdhury, inaugurated the meet as chief guest.
   Bangladesh Olympic Association secretary general Kutubuddin Ahmed and Bangladesh Football Federation president SA Sultan were also present.

The Victory Day Basketball Tournament involving nine teams starts today at the Mirpur Shahid Sohwarwardi Indoor Stadium today.
   Bangladesh Army, Josephites Club, Bangladesh Air Force, Bangladesh Police and
   Eagles Club are in Group A while Dhumketu Club, Bangladesh Navy, Bangladesh Rifles and BKSP are placed in Group B.
   The budget of the tournament is Tk 1.2 lakh and the sponsors Total Lubricants and Total Gas will provide the entire amount.
   The best player of the tournament will receive prize bonds worth Tk 2,000.
   Youth and sports adviser Tapan Chowdhury will inaugurate the meet as the chief guest.

The FIFA expressed its dissatisfaction over the short-term lease of the government land given to the Bangladesh Football Federation for the construction of a youth football academy cum cyclone shelter in Barisal.
   According to the BFF, the National Sports Council allotted the land to BFF for ten years and ruling body of world football in its latest correspondence was not pleased with the period of the lease. The FIFA asked the Bangladesh government through the BFF if the tenure of the lease could be extended up to twenty-five years at the least.
   Meanwhile, the NSC has not yet done anything regarding the handover of the lease deed of Arambagh Balu Math to the BFF for installation of artificial turf. The BFF sent a letter to the NSC about ten days ago requesting it to allot the land immediately but till date the federation has not received any reply.
   BFF acting general secretary Monzur Hossain Malu had no clue about what to do. ‘We will write another letter to the NSC informing the latest development. Moreover, we will also seek directions if any from the NSC…prompt action is required otherwise the project may become uncertain,’ said Malu.

The Bangladesh Volleyball Federation accorded a reception to the former star players and organisers at the volleyball stadium adjacent to the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Saturday.
   AKM Zakaria, the former secretary of education and sports ministry and former president of the federation, was the chief guest. Current BVF president Golam Quddus Chowdhury, secretary general of the Bangladesh Olympic Association Kutubuddin Ahmed, former army chief and president of the volleyball federation Lt Gen (retd) Mahbubur Rahman and managing director of the programme sponsors Transcom Beverages Limited Latifur Rahman Kahn spoke on the occasion.
   Those who were honoured are: AKM Zakaria, Salahuddin Ahmed, Ayez Khan (organisers); K Abul Hasan, Fariduddin Chowdhury, Mohammedullah (outstanding players of yesteryear); National Bank, City Bank, Transcom Beverages, NCC Bank, UCB, NYK Lines, First Security Bank, Finlay Tea, Asif Apparels, Shah Sports (sponsors); Mamun, Moshiur, Shahjahan, Nazrul, Mofizur, Yunus, Kamal, Imran, Rafique, Prakash, Haider, Atiq (plyers and officials); Md Anisur Rahman (head of delegation); Golam Rasul Mehedi (chief coach); Sanwar Hossain (assistant coach).

West Indies won the fourth one-day international against Zimbabwe by five wickets here on Friday to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series.
   Five swift wickets from man-of-the-match Jerome Taylor restricted Zimbabwe to 232-9, a target reached by the injury-depleted visitors with five wickets and three overs to spare at the Queens Sports club.
   The West Indian cause was helped by a third-wicket batting partnership of 105 runs by Runako Morton (79) and Marlon Samuels (62).
   Samuels was playing in his 100th opne-day international.
   ‘I am happy with my performance and I’m looking to keep on improving with every match,’ said Taylor who now has 11 wickets in the series. ‘I was delighted that I came out here today and performed so well for my team, not just to win this match, but also to clinch the series in style.
   ‘We are focused on improving as players and also as a team. We are happy with the way things are going at present and will keep striving to get better and better.’
   Zimbabwe should have made a better showing with the bat but for a leisurely approach by their opening batsmen, whose combined efforts brought no fewer than 167 runs, but from a combined total of 235 balls.
   Vusimusi Sibanda and Hamilton Masakadza’s total beat by six runs the previous highest first wicket partnership for Zimbabwe set by brothers Grant and Andy Flower in 1997.
   Sibanda was finally run out 96, just short of his second ODI century and Masakadza hit 80.
   But they took 36 overs to achieve their tally, at only 4.8 runs per over, forcing the batsmen who followed to try and rack up the pace in a bid to reach a challenging total.
   However, the bat-throwing Tatenda Taibu was out first ball, Elton Chigumbura in four and Justice Chibhabha in three.
   Zimbabwe lost nine wickets in the remaining 14 overs, five of them to Taylor, whose policy of bowling mainly yorkers paid handsome dividends.
   Morton’s 79 brought his total runs in the series to 250, giving him an average of 62.5. Samuels, and Bravo with 41 in 41 balls, gave him effective backup.
   It had looked more than promising for Zimbabwe when Devon Smith fell first ball, but even without Chris Gayle and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, absent with injuries, there was never a sense of crisis for West Indies.
   Zimbabwe’s most successful bowler was captain Prosper Utseya with 3-40. The Zimbabwe bowling was generally tight but they dropped four simple catches.

Australian coach John Dyson says he needs to sit down with the West Indian players and quickly discover why they are underachieving in world cricket, reports said Saturday.
   The former Test opening batsman coach leaves here for the Caribbean on Monday to take up his appointment as the successor to compatriot Bennett King for one of the most challenging jobs in international cricket.
   The West Indies have won just three of their past 40 Tests with their victories coming against Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and a Pakistan side missing five leading players.
   Dyson, the former Sri Lanka coach, says he is not sugar-coating the task of coaching a team currently ranked eighth in both Test and one-day cricket.
   ‘Over the last 10 years, by anyone’s standards, the West Indies have been playing some pretty average cricket,’ Dyson told Saturday’s Sydney Morning Herald newspaper.
   ‘When I was coach of Sri Lanka I followed their performances closely, and I felt it was a squad underachieving.
   ‘Certainly they should be higher up the ICC (rankings) table than they are now. At the moment, you would have to say that there is only one player in that squad who is playing up to their potential, and that is Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
   ‘With the other guys, you look at them and think, ‘He’s a better player than what he’s showing on the park.’
   ‘I need to get there, sit down with the players and find out what is wrong.’
   Dyson says he doesn’t expect a return to the glory days of the 1970s and ‘80s, but will insist on is personal accountability among the players.
   ‘I’m not a big believer in putting the broom through a place upon arrival,’ he said. ‘And I don’t expect people to compare this West Indies squad with those of the ‘70s and ‘80s.
   ‘What they did for international cricket was to introduce a form of professionalism and dedication never seen before.
   ‘These guys have to develop their own personality and see what brand of cricket they can play.
   ‘I haven’t spoken to Bennett King, but I have spoken to (stand-in coach) David Moore, and he felt the squad had more potential than what it has shown.
   ‘I agree, and now it’s about finding a way of bringing that potential out.
   ‘I don’t see it as the toughest challenge I’ve had, just a
   different one,’ he said. ‘Every coaching job in world cricket is difficult, with the exception of Australia.’

Misbah-ul-Haq, who has ignited his Pakistan career in recent months, said he almost turned his back on the game at the age of 23 in favour of a business career.
   He studied for his MBA in business management and only started playing top-level cricket at 24.
   ‘Before my first-class debut I was in two minds about which way to go but I chose cricket because of my love and passion for the game,’ the 33-year-old Misbah told Reuters.
   ‘Even after two years of choosing cricket though I thought I might have chosen wrong. But in 1999 my fortunes changed, I made my first-class debut and two years later was playing against New Zealand on my Test debut.
   ‘Ever since I have not had any thoughts in my mind apart from playing cricket. I’m now really happy.’
   Misbah was a fringe player for Pakistan three months ago but a successful Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa and a maiden Test century against India in Calcutta this week have boosted his credentials.
   He scored 161 not out at Eden Gardens as Pakistan replied to India’s intimidating total of 616 for six declared.
   Misbah’s partnership of 207 with Kamran Akmal earned a draw which means Pakistan can level the series if they win the third and final Test which started here on Saturday.
   His rise has been so meteoric he has doubled his Test average in the first two matches of the series, after scoring 82 and 45 in Delhi, from 17 to 33.
   ‘It’s been nice after such a long time, with all the failures since my debut in 2001, as it was always my dream to score runs in Test cricket,’ he said. ‘I wasn’t playing consistently and it’s been a boost to play regularly of late.
   ‘It’s a totally different story now. Before this series I was not sure of my future but now I am confident and feeling part of this team.’
   Former captain Ramiz Raja this week even tipped him to eventually take over as skipper from Shoaib Malik.
   The pressure was on Misbah after he came in for Inzamam-ul-Haq, who retired in October, especially as the former skipper had been part of a seemingly untouchable middle order along with Younis Khan and Mohammed Yousuf.
   He attributes his new-found success to the confidence given him by Malik, coach Geoff Lawson and a new panel of selectors since the failed World Cup campaign in the Caribbean in March.
   Misbah has banished any negative thoughts after his 523-minute innings at Calcutta dragged Pakistan back into the series.
   ‘As soon as we managed to draw the second Test everybody was really positive about going to Bangalore to level the series,’ he said.
   ‘If everybody goes in with a big heart and is mentally strong we can win.’

Lleyton Hewitt says the new Plexicushion hardcourts to be used at next month’s Australian Open will help reduce wear and tear injuries for the players.
   Plexicushion will replace Rebound Ace as the official court surface for this summer’s Australian circuit, culminating with the year’s opening grand slam tournament in Melbourne, starting on January 14.
   The Australian former world number one was a strident critic of the Rebound Ace hardcourt surface and said heat was a major factor in playing on the surface.
   Hewitt unveiled the new Plexicushion surface at Sydney Olympic Park Tennis Centre Thursday ahead of next month’s Sydney International, the major lead-in tournament to the Australian Open.
   ‘I think the biggest thing about the Plexicushion is hopefully it can take out the different variations in speed that we’ve had with Rebound Ace over the years,’ Hewitt told reporters after cutting a ceremonial ribbon on centre court along with his new coach Tony Roche.
   The world number 21, who missed the last month of this year’s season with an ankle problem, said he hopes the new blue courts will reduce injuries.
   ‘I think the heat was a major factor in Rebound Ace, not only the way it played but also how grinding it was on your body, your hips and lower back, areas like that,’ he said.
   ‘We saw a lot of twisted ankles over the years and that’s due to the amount of heat that was held in the court and how sticky it got.
   ‘If you just put your hand on the Rebound Ace surface on a 35-(Celsius) degree day you’re nearly blistering straight away.’
   Hewitt, 26, linked with the experienced Roche this year in a bid to boost his sagging world ranking and will make another attempt at winning his home grand slam after playing the Sydney International from January 6-12.
   ‘It’s long hours, trying to get the miles in my legs but also working on specific areas and just adjust a little bit more before going into matches,’ he said of his new mentor’s influence.
   ‘The hard work’s probably been done up until now and the next week or so and then try and taper off a bit more.’
   He said the injury lay-off meant he will be fresher than world No.1 Roger Federer and the other leading players come January.
   ‘I’m going to be a lot fresher than Federer,’ he said.
   ‘Even when you look at (Novak) Djokovic, (Rafael) Nadal, ... (Nikolay) Davydenko were getting tired at the Masters Cup, so I’m going to be a lot fresher than those guys but I’ve just got to try and get some matches under my belt.’
   Hewitt confirmed he was planning to represent Australia in next year’s Beijing Olympic Games.
   ‘At the moment I’d look forward to playing hopefully singles and doubles with Paul Hanley,’ he said.
   ‘I feel like we’ve got a great opportunity of winning a medal.
   ‘Grand Slams for a tennis player are the priority and we have the US Open about a week after the Olympics.
   ‘It’s fortunate it’s on the
   same surface but it is a lot of flying, a lot of travel and you’ve got to still have enough in the tank.’

Sri Lanka’s legendary cricketer Arjuna Ranatunga on Saturday expressed concern about the lack of new talent emerging to replace the island’s ageing superstars.
   ‘We do not see any top talent coming up to replace great players like Muttiah Muralitharan and Kumar Sangakkara,’ Ranatunga said at a ceremony to commend Muralitharan on becoming the world’s highest Test wicket-taker.
   ‘They cannot go on forever and ever. We need players to replace them.’
   Muralitharan is in the twilight of his career at 35 while both captain Mahela Jayawardene and prolific wicketkeeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara are 30.
   Aggressive opener Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka’s highest scorer in both forms of cricket, retired from Test cricket last week at 38.
   Ranatunga, who led Sri Lanka to its only World Cup win in 1996, also said that veterans had begun to feel the need to nurture local talent and want structural changes in the domestic game.
   The outspoken Ranatunga has often expressed dissatisfaction over the deteriorating standards of the game that he claims is the result of cricket administration falling into hands of businessmen.
   The left-handed batsman who retired after playing in 93 Tests before entering politics is yet to realise his ambition of becoming the country’s sports minister.

Brad Hogg is confident that a nail-trimming accident that left him with an infected finger on his spinning hand will not stop him playing in the Chappell-Hadlee Series. While Hogg should be back bowling in a few days, Phil Jaques is also about to make his domestic return and says he is feeling ‘really strong’ after being laid up with the mumps.
   Hogg’s unusual mishap was the latest in a string of health problems for Australia’s players during their break from international commitments. He was unable to bowl in the second innings of Western Australia’s Pura Cup match against Tasmania this week following the incident.
   ‘I was doing a few cosmetics, got stuck into the nail a bit too far and ripped it open,’ Hogg told the Age. ‘Then it got infected so I couldn’t put the ball on it the other day. I should be right in a couple of days, on the antibiotics, but it’s a little bit embarrassing. I’ll get my wife to do it next time.
   Hogg is not in Australia’s Twenty20 squad to take on New Zealand in Perth on Tuesday, meaning he has extra time for his finger to heal ahead of Friday’s first ODI. He is also hoping to add to his four Test caps spread over seven years when the team for the Boxing Day Test is announced.

Veteran Somerset star Andy Caddick is to undergo back surgery to correct an ongoing problem with a bulging thoracic disc in his spine.
   Caddick, whose 75 wickets last season played a huge part in his county’s promotion to Division One of the County Championship, is due to go under the knife later this month.
   Somerset director of cricket Brian Rose said he was confident that the 39-year-old paceman would recover fully in time to rejoin the bowling attack at the start of next season.
   ‘We do not think this is a major problem and wish him well,’ Rose told the Somerset County Gazette.
   ‘Andy has shown he is pretty fit by his performances for us over the years so we expect him to make a full recovery and are confident he will be back with us ready for the start of the 2008 season.’
   Meanwhile, Caddick’s team-mate, batsman Marcus Trescothick, who has also undergone surgery, said that his recovery from last month’s operation on his foot was on track.
   He said: ‘My rehabilitation is going really well. I am back to 80% of my normal training routine.
   ‘I can’t do the impact stuff again yet, but I can certainly do more than enough to keep myself fit.’

New Zealand seam bowler Iain O’Brien will return home from his side’s short tour of Australia, New Zealand Cricket said in a statement on Saturday.
   O’Brien will be available for his Wellington provincial side for their match against Central Districts on Monday.
   No reason was given for O’Brien’s return to New Zealand and he will now miss the Twenty20 international
   against Australia and the three-match Chappell-Hadlee one-day series.
   O’Brien, who played in the two-Test series loss to South Africa, conceded 52 runs in just four overs against a Cricket Australia Chairman’s XI on Friday.
   New Zealand lost the match by seven runs.

Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal fans could not care less if there are no Englishmen in their table- topping team.
   The French boss says as long as the Gunners play quality football and win trophies that is what matters.
   So, while the FA work on a strategy to restore battered English pride in the wake of the Euro 2008 exit, they can forget about Wenger’s help.
   Wenger has been hammered in a PFA report called Meltdown — revealed in The Sun on Friay— saying too many foreign imports and denying Englishmen the opportunity to perform at Arsenal and gain vital top-level experience.
   But Wenger insists his duty is to the 60,000 supporters who pack out The Emirates at £60-a-time — not the Three Lions.
   Those fans, he argues, have no desire to substitute their foreign heroes who can land the ball on a sixpence for Englishmen who cannot land it inside the M25.
   Wenger said: ‘When a guy sits in the stands at Arsenal and sees a fantastic cross and a volley, he doesn’t think ‘Eboue, where does he come from this guy?’ He either enjoys it or he doesn’t enjoy it.
   ‘The most important thing for me is not to see where the players come from. What is important is the clubs do a lot for the game and that people who come and pay £60 enjoy what they see.
   ‘You cannot want the best league in the world and only play English players.’
   Wenger vigorously defends his foreign-biased transfer policy, arguing that Arsenal were priced out of the market for the very best English players. The likes of Frank Lampard went to Chelsea while Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand joined Manchester United
   And, in the past, when the Gunners gambled on unproven Englishmen such as Francis Jeffers, now at Sheffield Wednesday, and Richard Wright, now the sub keeper at West Ham, the experiment was a failure.
   Wenger said: ‘There was a conscious effort to try and buy English. But I accept that now, for example, you can point your finger at Arsenal because we have no English players who are really regular players.
   ‘There were two reasons. The first one was financial because we were always competing with Manchester United and Chelsea, who had bigger financial potential.
   ‘And, secondly, you do not produce enough, and have not produced in the last 10 years, enough English players of the top, top, top quality.
   ‘You have produced some but they have gone to clubs with the biggest financial potential.
   ‘At Arsenal you have to see how you can compete with Man United and Chelsea and it had to be in a different way.
   ‘We had to try in our own way to be successful and this was to buy young players.
   ‘I don’t look at the nationality when I buy a player. The question is are you a good football player, can you play the way I like to play it?
   ‘If you are from England it is even better and we do have some top English players in Theo Walcott and Justin Hoyte.
   ‘It is easier to keep an English footballer at Arsenal than an Argentinian, but we have had to make choices.’
   Wenger is completely against an imposed quota system of English players which, he believes, would encourage mediocrity.
   He said: ‘I prefer to tell a boy. Listen my friend, you are not good enough. We are in a job that’s down to quality and I do not want to give you a job of just sitting on the bench because somebody in an office has decided that you need to be in the squad. It’s ridiculous and it’s unfair.
   ‘It is better for that player to play in the second division, where he is one of the stronger players, than sitting on the bench at Arsenal and feeling he’s not good enough and with no respect from people around him.’

Chelsea manager Avram Grant insists there will always be room for English players at Stamford Bridge if they are good enough.
   England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008 last month began a cycle of intense soul searching about the state of the game.
   Fears have been expressed about the quality of coaching from primary school level upward and another foreigner - ex-Blues boss Jose Mourinho - appears to be the Football Association’s preferred choice to take over the national team.
   The Professional Footballers’ Association have also conducted their own survey into the way imports have affected the Barclays Premier League, where current leaders Arsenal regularly field teams without a single Englishman.
   But Grant was quick to point out Chelsea provide the backbone of the England squad in Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Wayne Bridge and Shaun Wright-Phillips, and that homegrown core was also replicated throughout the under-age teams, with 17 youngsters currently representing England at various levels up to Under-21.
   Grant said: ‘We have six players in the England squad and 70 per cent of the players in the academy are English. I have followed English football and in 1994 the team didn’t qualify for the World Cup even though most of the players were English in the Premier League.
   ‘It is an excuse. You need a good balance but it is also good competition for the English players, to see other players and then be better than them.
   ‘I have seen in the last year and a half, on almost every Saturday, a game at under-18 level and there are good English players and also good foreigners. All over the world it is the same.
   ‘Of course (bringing through) players from the same country is important and for me there will always be a priority for the English but only as long as they are good players. I don’t want to take them just because they are English.
   ‘It is not easy to get into the Chelsea squad because the demand is a high level but there are good talents.’
   Grant’s own credentials have also been under scrutiny after it emerged the former Israel coach did not have the requisite qualifications to take charge of a team in the English top flight.
   But that was because Israel had not been under UEFA’s
   jurisdiction when he took his badges in his homeland, he insisted.
   He said: ‘Everything I need to do I will do but you must know that what I need, I already have. There is no problem with me. The problem is that the Israel Football Association did not belong to UEFA then.
   ‘I did everything I had to do in Israel and managed in a good way but, because Israel then came to Europe, they asked for 30 or 40 more hours and I will do them, it is no problem.’

Peru have suspended four players including Chelsea striker Claudio Pizarro for indiscipline following last month’s World Cup qualifier against Brazil.
   Pizarro, fellow European-based player Jefferson Farfan of PSV Eindhoven, along with defender Santiago Acasiete and forward Andres Mendoza, have been banned provisionally pending further investigations, the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF) said.
   ‘The analysis of the information available has allowed us to determine that there are indications...of misconduct,’ the FPF said in a statement.
   It said the investigation was prompted by a report aired on a television programme and the decision was based on information supplied by employees of the hotel where the team were staying.
   ‘The hotel has given us valuable information, although unfortunately they have refused to do it officially and in writing,’ said the statement.
   Peru held Brazil 1-1 in their match on Nov. 18 and crashed to a humiliating 5-1 defeat in Ecuador three days later, when Farfan was left out of the starting lineup.
   Chelsea striker Pizarro last year quit the team, saying he would not play while Franco Navarro was coach. He was then banned by the federation but returned this year after Navarro’s contract was not renewed.
   Peru have taken two points from their first four World Cup qualifiers, have scored only two goals and the bans will leave them even shorter of firepower.
   Peruvian football has been plagued by in-fighting among the directors for years and the country has not qualified for a World Cup since 1982.
   The players are often accused of indiscipline but in turn complain of harassment by the country’s tabloid newspapers and television stations.

Sven Goran Eriksson still considers Paul Robinson as one of the best goalkeepers in the country.
   Robinson was controversially axed by Steve McClaren after making a series of errors in England’s Euro 2008 qualifying game with Croatia last month.
   With McClaren now gone, there are doubts over the Tottenham goalkeeper’s international future.
   Former England manager Eriksson gave Robinson his debut in 2003 when he came on as a half time substitute in a friendly game against Australia.
   Eriksson’s Manchester City side face Tottenham today and although he is hoping Robinson comes off worst, he believes the keeper is still top class.
   ‘There is no doubt Paul Robinson is a top-class keeper,’ said Eriksson.
   ‘He is a modern goalkeeper. He can use his feet, he is a very good kicker of the ball. He is steady and very professional.
   ‘In one-on-one situations, he is very big. For sure, he is one of the best goalkeepers in the country. But whether he plays for England is someone else’s problem.’
   Scott Carson is among those pushing for inclusion for the friendly game against Switzerland in February, despite his blunder against Croatia last month.
   David James also has a valid claim to face the Euro 2008 co-hosts, along with Manchester United’s Ben Foster.
   Foster has returned to fitness work following knee surgery and is expected to be back in action before the end of the season.

Sir Alex Ferguson has pictured the most incredible title race ever with the big four battling it out on the final day.
   The Manchester United boss says it would be great for the nation — if not for the managers involved.
   United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all in red-hot form approaching the halfway point of the season.
   And the manager believes it could even come down to goal difference between them next May.
   Fergie said: ‘It might be the most exciting title race for you, but think of us poor managers.
   ‘Imagine the four of us going into the last game of the season with the chance of winning the League!
   ‘It would be fantastic for the League and for the neutrals up and down the country, but God Almighty. It’s bad enough having to look at one other result, let alone three.’
   Arsenal are leading the way with United four points behind while both Chelsea and Liverpool have had a revival of late.
   Ferguson said: ‘For a couple of weeks we thought Chelsea and Liverpool were going to get caught short, but they’ve recovered terrifically.
   ‘They’re up there challenging and there’s not really a lot between the top four teams. Arsenal and ourselves have been reasonably consistent, particularly Arsenal.
   ‘It may be the games between each other may be more crucial than ever.’
   The big four meet next Sunday, with United at Liverpool and Arsenal hosting Chelsea. United are at home to rock-bottom Derby on Sunday — who have conceded 20 goals in eight away games — and will hope to boost their goal difference. Fergie believes that could be crucial as he goes for a tenth title.
   Arsenal and Liverpool lead on that score with plus 20, United are on plus 18 and Chelsea plus 13.
   United hitmen Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo are on fire at the moment, with Rooney bagging seven goals in his last eight games and Ronaldo netting 11 in nine.
   Fergie said: ‘I always look at goal difference as an extra point. Over the years we’ve had that, and hopefully we’ll have it again this season.
   ‘We’ve got to start taking all the chances that come our way and start being less wasteful in front of goal.’
   Ferguson added: ‘The aim is to beat Derby and use December as a launching period to make sure we’re challenging for the title on January 1. December is a crucial month.’

Switzerland will ask Germany and France to supply up to 1,000 police officers to assist with security measures at Euro 2008.
   The move was announced at a news conference on Friday following a meeting of regional police and justice chiefs, who said they still had to formally present their request ‘for 500 to 1,000 police officers’ via the Swiss government.
   The police chiefs said they had carried out a new
   security assessment following Sunday’s tournament draw and that none of the group
   matches due to take place in Switzerland had been classified ‘high risk’.
   They said that the extra officers from Germany and France were required due to the large number of spectators expected to visit the tournament.
   Two of Switzerland’s larger neighbours, Italy and France, have been drawn into the
   tournament’s most daunting looking section, Group C, alongside the Netherlands and Romania.
   The group’s six matches will be played in Zurich and
   Berne.
   Switzerland have been placed in Group A, along with the Czech Republic, Turkey and Portugal with games due to take place in Basel and Geneva.
   Euro 2008 co-hosts Austria said they too would be calling on support from an additional 800 German police officers when they held their own security media conference on Monday.
   Austrian organisers also avoided reference to ‘high risk’ matches but acknowledged that games in Austria’s own Group B would require ‘higher security precautions’.
   Austria were drawn in the same group as neighbouring Germany and Poland and near-neighbours Croatia with matches taking place in the Austrian capital Vienna as well as Klagenfurt—the smallest of the tournament’s host cities.
   The Austrians said they expected less chance of trouble in Group D, which will involve Spain, Russia, Greece and Sweden playing matches in Innsbruck and Salzburg.
   Euro 2008 will take place from June 7-29.

Argentina’s Boca Juniors said on Saturday they are ready to beat AC Milan’s star system to take their first Club World Cup even without newly acquired international playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme.
   Football governing body FIFA has ruled Riquelme, who recently transferred from Spain’s Villarreal, out of the tournament because he was not on Boca’s preliminary list of players.
   ‘I think it’s not easy to find a player who can fill in Riquelme’s place,’ Boca coach Miguel Russo said. ‘But we have many wonderful players.’
   ‘We have waited so long and we are glad to take part in the event,’ the coach added. ‘We hope to make history in our long history.’
   The 29-year-old Riquelme, who played for Boca 1996-2002 and helped them win six league and international titles, also played on loan from Villarreal for the Argentine side’s victory in South America’s Libertadores Cup.
   Boca executive Luis Buzio said Riquelme would be on hand to watch the Club World Cup.
   Boca and AC Milan, who bowed to Argentina’s most crowned club in the 2003 Intercontinental Cup final, are taking a bye into the semi-finals in the middle of next week with the final scheduled for December 16 in Yokohama. Boca captain and striker Martin Palermo said Riquelme’s absence was ‘very unfortunate and heart-breaking.’
   ‘He is an old mate of ours and seems unlikely to crack under pressure. We must find his substitute and want to go on winning with the members available now.’
   AC Milan, determined to avenge their 2003 defeat by Boca, are fielding a star-studded side including Brazilian playmaker Kaka, winner of the prestigious French Ballon d’Or for player of the year; goal-scoring machine Filippo Inzaghi, and Ronaldo, who is coming back from injury.
   Asked how Boca would cope with Kaka, midfielder Sebastian Battaglia said:
   ‘I know he is a formidable player. But we have great players in our defence and they will never let him be free... If Kaka comes forward, we will stop him as we have always done against any big players.’
   Both Boca and Milan have won the Intercontinental Cup, the predecessor of the three-year-old Club World Cup.
   Brazilian teams have dominated the Club World Cup—Sao Paulo smashed Liverpool 1-0 in 2005 and Internacional whipped Barcelona by the same score last year.
   Palermo, who scored twice in Boca’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the 2000 Intercontinental Cup, said he was getting ready to ruffle the net.
   ‘At this stage, I’d only said it would be great if I can score again,’ he said. ‘The goals I scored against Real Madrid were something special and I never forget the moment I scored them. It will indeed bring me happiness if I can score such special goals this time.’
   Boca will Wednesday play the winners of Sunday’s quarter-final between Mexico’s Pachuca and Etoile Sahel of Tunisia.
   ‘I have studied various reference materials on both teams and they have many important players,’ Russo said. ‘We have to be careful about their front line. We must think about how we defend in that part and stop the ball. We also want to go on attacking ourselves.’

The first phase of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa has shown no signs of match-fixing, FIFA said on Friday.
   World soccer’s governing body issued a statement saying the early warning system set up to monitor gambling on international matches had found ‘no irregular betting activities during the first phase of the 2010 FIFA World Cup preliminary competition.
   ‘It can therefore be concluded that there have been no attempts from betting circles to influence or manipulate approximately 90 matches that have been played since August 2007.’
   Suspicions of match-fixing were raised last week when European soccer’s governing body UEFA said it had forwarded a dossier containing information on 15 matches to European police.
   UEFA said the matches had been brought to their attention because of irregular betting patterns rather than any hard evidence of wrongdoing by any of the clubs involved.
   The organisation has begun a disciplinary investigation into one match, an Intertoto Cup game between Bulgarian side Cherno More Varna and Macedonia’s Makednija Skopje.
   UEFA said Cherno More had been charged with bribery but have so far given no further details.
   Cherno More officials have denied the allegations.
   Despite the apparent all-clear when it comes to the World Cup qualifiers, FIFA said on Friday that it was concerned by the developments at UEFA.
   ‘This is a serious threat to football,’ FIFA president Sepp Blatter was quoted as saying in the statement. ‘We have no doubt, however, that UEFA will do everything in its power to resolve the problem.
   ‘FIFA is of course offering a helping hand by making the early warning system available to all confederations and associations.’
   FIFA said its early warning system had been operational for six months after being tested on matches at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

Arsene Wenger is in no doubt the next England manager must come from within - and sees no reason why the likes of Middlesbrough coach Gareth Southgate should not be in contention.
   On a day when former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho kept his name in the frame, Wenger backed Southgate as a possible contender to succeed former Middlesbrough manager Steve McClaren as England boss.
   The Arsenal manager, who takes his Barclays Premier League leaders to the Riverside on Sunday, was one of the senior figures within the game consulted by Football Association chief executive Brian Barwick in the quest to find McClaren’s successor.
   Wenger has long maintained the job of coaching the national team would be best served by an Englishman - including the likes of rookie boss Southgate, the former England defender who took over from McClaren at Boro and whose side are currently third from bottom.
   ‘You have plenty,’ the Arsenal manager declared, when asked who could step up to the challenge.
   ‘You have [Harry] Redknapp, [Alan] Curbishley, [Steve] Coppell, Southgate, [Stuart] Pearce, [Sam] Allardyce, [Martin] O’Neill also. They are all good enough.
   ‘But you do not rate them enough. Give them a chance.’
   Wenger continued: ‘I do not understand your logic because when people play with the English national team, you want them to represent the qualities.
   ‘So why do you go for a foreign guy? You are very nationalistic, you want the English national team to do well - and suddenly, ‘oh now we want a Portuguese or an Italian to represent our national qualities’.
   ‘It is like you go to war and you say ‘now we chose a general from Portugal, or a general from Italy to lead our army’. Would that cross your mind? Never.’
   Wenger believes the lack of experience at the top level would not hinder the coaching transition into international management.
   ‘They are different jobs,’ he insisted.
   ‘In the club, you are a guy who needs football experience, who needs to make decisions on who to buy, when to buy, when to sell, to build the team and have a vision of how you want to play. In a country, it is different.
   ‘You do not have all these problems. You just take the players available. There are no big choices, big decisions to make.’
   Wenger would not reveal the details of his discussion with Barwick.
   However, the Arsenal manager maintained: ‘I am here to help if I can.
   ‘I am not convinced I am a big help and Brian Barwick’s problem with or without me will be the same.I will not have a big influence.’

Jose Mourinho has given the first clear indication that he is seriously considering becoming England’s next manager.
   Asked on Friday if he could be the successor to Steve McClaren, the former Chelsea boss responded with a smile and a ‘Why not?’ that will only consolidate his status as favourite to take on the challenge of turning England into world-beaters.
   The English Football Association had earlier denied that any approach had been made to Mourinho or any other potential candidate.
   The governing body has however confirmed that it has completed its process of canvassing opinions among senior football figures on how it should go about finding a new manager, which could clear the way for Mourinho to be interviewed for the position.
   Mourinho’s first direct comment on the subject was made at his home in Portugal in a brief exchange with a reporter from Sky Sports News.
   In it, he confirmed that he had cancelled plans to travel to London this week.
   Mourinho said: ‘I would like to be in London with my family for a couple of days but nobody would believe the reason why I am there—just to see friends and do some Christmas shopping. So to try to stop speculation, we decided to stay here.’
   There has been speculation that Mourinho has encouraged the FA to believe that he could be interested in the England job in order to prompt a leading club into offering him a job—a suggestion he dismissed, according to Sky.
   According to English media reports, the search for the next England manager has been whittled down to five candidates: Mourinho, Fabio Capello, Marcello Lippi, Jurgen Klinsmann and Martin O’Neill.
   Of those, only Capello has unequivocally declared his interest in taking on the post.
   Lippi, who led Italy to World Cup glory in Germany last year, and O’Neill, who was passed over when McClaren got the job last year, have both said they are not interested.

Sir Alex Ferguson hopes to offer his eventual successor at Manchester United the benefit of any advice he can offer.
   Ferguson’s role at Old Trafford once he calls time on his illustrious managerial career has been the subject of intense debate over the years.
   Former chairman Martin Edwards was among those who felt a clean break was necessary, remembering how Wilf McGuinness and Frank O’Farrell appeared to be intimidated about taking over from Matt Busby when the Scot still had an office at the stadium.
   Ferguson has no immediate plans to retire but in the week a permanent exhibit to his extraordinary career has been unveiled at the Manchester United museum, the Red Devils chief, who celebrated 21 years at the helm last month, feels he can make a contribution after he stands down, passing on his knowledge of one of toughest jobs in the game.
   ‘I will have a position at the club but not as director of football - possibly a role that (director) Bobby Charlton has now,’ Ferguson told the Manchester Evening News.
   ‘Sir Bobby is not an intrusive person but he is always there for help and advice. And I think that’s the right way.
   ‘From the first day I became manager he was always here to support me. But whoever gets the job will find it hard.
   ‘The most important person at United is the manager. And whoever comes in will realise that.’
   Ferguson also revealed he would have enjoyed the challenge on managing abroad had his career not seen him join United.
   At one stage he seemed destined to replace Terry Venables at Barcelona and then, while at United, Inter Milan president Massimo Moratti attempted to lure him to Serie A.
   ‘I would loved to have gone abroad if I hadn’t come to United,’ said Ferguson.
   ‘I was interviewed for the Barcelona job but Terry (Venables) stayed another year and then Inter tried to get me when I was at Old Trafford.
   ‘But once you are engrained into the place, the harder it gets to leave.’

Former Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli has claimed that English stars are over-priced - and that forces managers to buy cheap foreign players.
   Vialli has backed a report by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) which says English football is in crisis due to a drop in the number of young players coming through the system.
   Vialli, the Italian who was the first Premier League manager to pick an entirely foreign XI, said in the PFA report ‘Meltdown’: ‘The sheer price of English players is the main turn-off.
   ‘Shaun Wright-Philips is worth £20million because he’s English. If he were, say, Portuguese, he’d cost a quarter of that. ‘The scarcity of English talent, coupled with the belief that they are less of a risk in terms of adaptability, is what drives their price through the roof.’
   The PFA have called on the Premier League to bring in a new rule so that every team has at least three home-grown players - but of any nationality - on the pitch at any time in order to reverse the trend.
   The report says in 1992-3, 71 per cent of top-flight players were English while last season that had dropped to 38 per cent.
   It also shows that since the Academy system began, only 120 English players from academies have made debuts in the Premier League. During the same time, 617 overseas players have made debuts in the top flight.
   The report states: ‘The bottom line is a very simple one. Older, ready-made foreign players are blocking young English players’ path into the Premier League.’
   PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor said: ‘It is a crisis - we commissioned this report before England had failed to qualify for Euro 2008 because we could see which way the wind was blowing.
   ‘We have reached a situation where when a few England players are injured, their places are taken by others who are not even first-choice for their clubs.
   ‘We are not objecting to clubs bringing in young foreign players to their academies, because at least there is a level playing field there for young English players.
   ‘We are saying though that we need to encourage youth development so that home-grown players irrespective of nationality have a better chance.
   ‘Premier League clubs demand instant success and do not have the desire or the will to introduce youngsters - and in many cases even the bench is full of foreign players bought in for a quick fix.’
   The Premier League insists the Academy system is already paying off in terms of producing English talent.
   A spokesman said: ‘Premier League clubs are intellectually and financially wedded to producing the best possible talent from their Academies.
   ‘The figures show 85 per cent of 16-18 year olds in the system are British, so this indicates that locally-produced talent is getting the opportunity to progress.’

Mark Schwarzer is set for a shock return just over a week after suffering a broken thumb.
   Middlesbrough’s Australian international goalkeeper is in line to face unbeaten Premier League leaders Arsenal today and cap an amazing comeback by the 35-year-old, who had been expected to be sidelined until Christmas.
   Sydney-born Schwarzer hopes to play with a protective cast on the hairline fracture suffered in training at the end of last month, and Middlesbrough manager Gareth Southgate confirmed: ‘Mark’s keen to play and we’ll check on him on Saturday to see if he can get the go-ahead.’
   Schwarzer, who is set to re-open contract negotiations with the club in January, has missed just one game since sustaining the injury. He has been back in training this week, and Southgate added: ‘I’m not too certain about the kind of protection Mark’s been wearing on the thumb, it’s something our goalkeeping coach has been dealing more with, but he’s certainly hoping to face Arsenal.’
   Middlesbrough, who have dropped into the bottom three after an 11-game winless streak stretching back to the start of September, have seen their casualty-list clear, with Egyptian striker Mido their only long-term absentee.
   Wenger, meanwhile, has dismissed suggestions that Arsenal are stifling the development of English talent.
   The leaders hope to stretch their unbeaten league sequence to an impressive 23 games this weekend, but the Frenchman has drawn criticism for an over-emphasis on foreign talent despite fashioning one of the most exciting sides seen in the English top flight.
   Arsenal are still without Cesc Fabregas, Alex Hleb (both hamstring), Mathieu Flamini (thigh), Robin van Persie (knee) and Abou Diaby (back) as they aim to record only a second victory in their last five visits to the Riverside Stadium.

Chelsea look set to delay a decision on whether Didier Drogba undergoes surgery on his injured knee until after their Premier League clash with Arsenal on December 16.
   The player himself is reportedly keen to have an operation as soon as possible to ensure he is fit to captain the Ivory Coast in the African Nations Cup next month.
   Blues boss Avram Grant however insisted that it was not yet clear that surgery would definitely be required.
   ‘We are keeping an eye on the situation but we don’t know yet,’ Grant said Friday.
   ‘We will know better in the next few days. We are doing everything with Didier. In the last one or two months he has had a problem but he always pushed to play and is pushing to play even now.’
   Grant denied Chelsea were deliberately delaying an operation until after the key Christmas period, which would effectively rule Drogba out of the African Nations, and admitted that he was considering bringing in another striker in the January transfer window.
   ‘We will not find a replacement for Didier because Didier is the best striker in the world now. But we have other strikers in the squad. We have three strikers and if we find someone (to buy) we will do it.’

Serbia’s world number three tennis player Jelena Jankovic was on Thursday appointed a national ambassador of the United Nations Children’s Fund.
   ‘I am happy to have become a UNICEF ambassador for Serbia. This is a great honour for me and I will try to justify the role that has been given to me,’ Jankovic told a Belgrade press conference.
   ‘I am motivated by the idea of promoting a healthy lifestyle for young people,’ she added.