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Women’s cricket becomes a reality today with the first ever holding of a 10-team competition. The Bangladesh Cricket Board has organised the event to be held at six venues in the capital with the grand final being staged at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.
   Interestingly, with the tournament women in Bangladesh will ensure that all Test-playing nations have now experienced a game long considered a male domain.
   Australia, India, England, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and West Indies are an established force in the women’s game automatically qualifying for the 2009 ICC World Cup in Australia following top six finish in the previous edition.
   The Women’s World Championship will be the first to be played under the auspices of the ICC since its merger with the International Women’s Cricket Council (IWCC) two years ago.
   Pakistan, South Africa and Zimbabwe are vying for the remaining two slots of the Australia World Cup along with Papua New Guinea, Bermuda, Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands.
   ‘It has become our moral responsibility to introduce women’s cricket here after the ICC merged IWCC. We hope in future Bangladeshi women will also be able to compete at the international level,’ said Mahbubul Anam, the general secretary of the BCB, on Friday.
   Mahbub, however, set his sights on the Asia Cup before going to compete on the world stage. Bangladesh had an invitation from Pakistan to play in the First Women Asia Cup, but the BCB had turned down the invitation citing non-existence of women’s cricket in the country.
    ‘At present are unaware how well our women are in cricket. We will train the talented players coming out from this tournament in a special camp before sending them to an overseas tour to weigh up the standard. After that we will be looking to play in the Asia Cup,’ said the BCB official.
   On the eve of the tournament a press conference was held at the NSC auditorium.
   Fahima Hossean, the chairman of the BCB’s women cricket wing, told reporters that they have entrusted the Faruque Ahmed-led national selection committee to choose 30 cricketers from the competition for better nursing.
   ‘Our main vision is to form a national team so that we can invite other countries at home or could go abroad for a bilateral series. We hope having a national team will encourage many other girls to take up the sport. It will also help us to advance the game at school level and introduce a national championship,’ she said.
   The matches of the first ever women competition will be a 30-over-a-side, something which is not ideal for a competitive match, but Fahima said they kept the rules flexible as this was only the beginning.
   ‘Actually we don’t know physically how fit our girls are for cricket. This is just beginning for them. I am sure in future we will follow the actual rules of the game,’ she said.
   A total of 10 teams – Dhaka, Chittagong, Khulna, Ansar & VDP, Narayanganj, Bhola, Rajshahi, Jahangirnagar University, Bogra, Rangamati – are set to play in two groups.
   Aleya Ferdousi, the vice-chairman of the women’s wing, said they have been assured by the BCB about the safety of the venues.
   ‘This is the busiest time for domestic cricket. So, it is not easy to accommodate women in established cricket centres. But the BCB considered it and selected the venues carefully,’ she said.

A resurgent Serena Williams warned Friday her game is yet to peak as she prepares for today’s Australian Open final against top seeded Russian Maria Sharapova.
   Both players are gunning to rewrite the history books. Sharapova is bidding to become the first Russian woman to claim the title and Williams the only unseeded champion since 1978.
   Victory would provide seven-time Grand Slam winner Williams, who is producing a movie about her tennis idol Althea Gibson, with a Hollywood ending to her comeback from injury.
   Unseeded and entering the competition ranked number 81 after an injury-plagued 2006, she was written off as too unfit and unmotivated by many pundits, with ex-Wimbledon champion Pat Cash labelling her ‘delusional’.
   The 2003 and 2005 Australian champion goes into this year’s decider the underdog, a marked contrast to their 2004 Wimbledon final when the American was the heavy favourite against a little known 17-year-old.
   Sharapova, now 19, scored an upset win and the odds favour her to repeat the feat Saturday.
   But Williams, 25, has defied expectations to oust five seeded players on her way to the final, twice coming back from a set down and saying she could ‘see the rust shedding from my game’.
   ‘I’ve had a lot of comebacks in this tournament. I went from rock bottom the ‘hey, there she is again’,’ said Williams, adding that she had nothing to lose and was having fun in her remarkable return to Grand Slam tennis.
   Asked about the reasons for her success, she replied: ‘My stamina, my mental ability, my sheer desire. I played a couple of good matches but I definitely haven’t peaked.
   ‘I always say I’ve got to get into the finals to peak. Hopefully that’s what I’m doing.’
   Williams refused to outline her long-term goals because she did not want to ‘jinx’ herself.
   But her ‘number one’ gestures to the Melbourne Park crowd after her quarter- and semi-final wins are a likely indication of where she believes she should be.
   The world number one spot is a title that Sharapova has only just reclaimed and she will be out to consolidate it with a win over Williams today.
   The glamour girl of the women’s tour said she felt confident ahead of a match that will pit Williams’ serving power against her ability to throw her leggy frame around the court to chase down returns.
   Sharapova, who came within two points of being eliminated in her opening match, said she felt she had turned around her game in her semi-final win over Kim Clijsters and was ready to face Williams in the final.
   ‘I did the right things at the right time and played good tennis, which gives me a lot of confidence going into the final,’ she said.
   The reigning US Open champion played down the much discussed ‘intimidation factor’ Williams brings on court, saying she never felt overwhelmed by the American even when she was at the height of her powers.
   ‘We’ve always had pretty good battles, exciting matches. I definitely enjoy the fight against her,’ she said.
   ‘If you’ve played the opponent before and seen the opponent before you know the strengths and weaknesses. You know what shots work well for you and what shots work well for them.’

The grameenphone ITF International Junior Tennis Championship begins at the Rajshahi Tennis Complex on January 28. Around 160 boys and girls from 22 countries are expected to participate in the eight-day long tournament.
   This was disclosed at a press conference at Rajshahi’s Jafar Imam Tennis Complex on Friday.
   The ITF Junior Tennis tournament was the brainchild of late Jafar Imam, the former general secretary of the Bangladesh Olympic Committee, who hailed from of Rajshahi.
   The tournament has been an annual event since 1991. The tennis complex has been named after him to honour the late sports organiser and is the only such venue in Rajshahi, the speakers said at the press conference.
   They hope that the tournament will become a permanent platform, which will enable boys and girls of Bangladesh to compete against the best under-18 players of Asia.
   Mushtaque Ahmed, the general secretary of Jafar Imam Tennis Complex, Md Khosru, the tournament director, and Emom Kalyan Dutta, head of sales and distribution of grameenphone for Rajshahi region, were present spoke at the press conference.

Mohammedan, Sonargaon and Victoria registered expected victories over Indira Road, Young Pegasus and Partex respectively in the Kai-Altech Premier Cricket League on Friday.
   Mohammedan defeated Indira Road by 96 runs at the BKSP, Sonargaon Cricketers outplayed Young Pegasus by eight wickets at the Fatullah Stadium and Victoria conquered Partex by 15 runs in a high-scoring affair at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium.
   Mohammedan-Indira Road
   Indira Road opted to bowl first after winning the toss but Mohammedan piled up a huge score of 276-9 in the stipulated 50 overs. Zunaed Siddique continued his fine form scoring 32 at the top.
   Skippering the side in the absence of Habibul Bashar, Aftab Ahmed contributed 28 while Sakib Al Hasan added 40 and Sagir Hossain chipped in with 41. Faisal Hossain top scored with a 74-ball 67. Tariqul Islam captured 3-55.
   Bashar was ruled out after complaining of a stomach upset.
   Indira Road were bundled out for 180 in 44.5 overs after a four-wicket burst by Hasibul Hossain which cost 44 runs. Opener Ashiqur Rahman’s 56 and 40 off the bat of Anis Sheikh and 28 extras were the consolation for the losers.
   Sonargaon-Young Pegasus
   Batting first, Young Pegasus relied on Sharifullah’s 39 and Saif Mahmud’s 59 and 25 extras to pile a modest 181 before being all out in the stipulated overs. Mahbubul Alam Robin, and Ashiqur Rahman grabbed two wickets each.
   Sonargaon Cricketers coasted to the target thanks to a 172-run stand between former national openers Al-Shahriar and Mehrab Hossain. Mehrab was first to go scoring 69 and Shahriar soon followed two runs later. He scored 91 off 135 balls hammering 13 fours and a six.
   Victoria-Partex
   Victoria’s Pakistani recruit Jafar Qureshi hit a whirlwind knock of 79 off 68 balls that included nine sixes and one four to power the side 295-9. Mushfiqur Rahim’s 48, pacer Nazmul Hossain’s 47 off 22 balls and Mahmudullah Riyadh’s 23 were the notable run-getters. Rezaul Huq Naeem captured 3-65.
   But another Pakistani almost won the game for Partex when Rashed Hanif smashed 97 off 77 balls with the help of seven fours and three sixes. Team-mates Aslam Ali (34) and Rafiqul Islam’s 60 also played a vital role to keep the chase alive but eventually had to settle with 281. Waskurni Ahmed took three for 46 and Sabbir Khan’s three for 44 respectively for Victoria.

Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh, who has been sidelined due to injury since November, will make a comeback in the third one-dayer against West Indies today.
   The 25-year-old has not played for India since he tore knee ligaments during the ICC Champions Trophy held in India.
   ‘Yuvraj is fully fit medically, now he has to get match fitness,’ captain Rahul Dravid told reporters on Friday. ‘It is important for him to feel confident that he is up to it.
   ‘He is a very important player in our scheme of things (for the World Cup).’
   West Indies, 2-0 down in the four-game series, were hopeful of skipper Brian Lara’s return after missing Wednesday’s second match due to knee trouble.
   ‘I can confirm myself in the 12, but cannot say anything more for now,’ Lara told reporters. ‘As of now I am not 100 per cent sure.’
   India reshuffled their side by recalling leg spinner Anil Kumble and including batsman Suresh Raina and medium-pacer Santhakumaran Sreesanth for the day/night match.
   Saurav Ganguly, wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni, new ball bowler Zaheer Khan and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh have been rested.

Pakistan (157) against South Africa at tea, day 1
   South Africa fast bowlers Makhaya Ntini and Jacques Kallis grabbed four wickets each to dismiss Pakistan for 157 on the first day of the deciding third Test on Friday.
   Pakistan, who lost the toss and were put in to bat, were bowled out with what became the last ball before tea after Ntini took four for 44 and Kallis four for 42.
   Mohammad Yousuf top-scored with 83 in an otherwise dismal batting effort on a pitch that offered bounce and seam movement, adding 60 runs for the seventh wicket with Mohammad Sami (4).
   Pakistan, 70 for four at lunch, were in further trouble when skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq, who scored six, feathered a catch against medium pacer Andrew Hall to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
   Yousuf faced 90 balls and hit 11 fours and a six until he became the last man out when he skied a drive against Ntini to Ashwell Prince in the covers.
   Ntini struck in the eighth over of the morning when he had opener Mohammad Hafeez caught by AB de Villiers at slip for 10. He then forced Yasir Hameed to steer a head-high catch to Kallis at second slip for seven. Kallis, introduced into the attack at first change in the 15th over, took a wicket in his second over when opener Imran Farhat (20) edged a catch to Graeme Smith at first slip.

Australia (111/1) beat England (110) by 9 wickets
   England’s horror tour of Australia hit rock bottom Friday when the home side routed them for just 110 and beat them by nine wickets in their triangular one-day series match at Adelaide Oval.
   Australia cruised to the victory target, finishing on 111 for one from just 24.3 overs and claiming a bonus point in the process.
   It was unbeaten Australia’s fifth win and they are already guaranteed a berth in the tri-series finals, while the mentally shattered English are anchored at the foot of the table with just one win from five games.
   With recalled paceman Mitchell Johnson claiming 4-45, the embattled English weren’t even able to match their paltry score of 120 against New Zealand at the same venue on Tuesday, despite Australia resting first choice bowlers Glenn McGrath and Nathan Bracken.
   The insipid effort equalled England’s fourth-lowest score in one-day internationals and continued their alarming recent history of being unable to bat out their full complement of overs.
   In their past three one-day innings, they have managed just 155, 120 and 110 in a worrying trend.
   The English lasted just 34.3 overs, enabling Australia to face 12 overs before the scheduled break in play, which is meant to separate the two innings.
   Had it not been for the uncertain form of Australian opener Matthew Hayden, who also ran out Adam Gilchrist, the match might well have been over by the time the break came.
   Former Australian captain Bill Lawry summed up England’s plight well.
   At the same venue where they infamously blew the second Ashes Test in December with a last-day batting collapse, interim England captain Andrew Flintoff won the toss and elected to bat.
   His side looked to be doing okay when they were 2-72 and Ian Bell was in his best form of the one-day series.
   However, Bell’s dismissal for 35 triggered another ugly collapse by the English, who were embarrassingly inept at the crease and must simply be wishing their antipodean nightmare would come to a speedy end.
   None more so than Flintoff, who hasn’t had a single victory as captain on the tour and will be glad to hand the reins back to Michael Vaughan, who is expected to return from injury in England’s next match.

Roger Federer rates his frighteningly emphatic victory over American rival Andy Roddick in the semi-finals of the Australian Open as one of the most memorable of his career.
   Federer annihilated sixth seed Roddick in straight sets in such a convincing fashion that he looms as the hottest of favourites to land his 10th Grand Slam title in Sunday’s final against either Tommy Haas or Fernando Gonzalez.
   The world number one destroyed Roddick, making a mockery of suggestions that the one-time top-ranked player was closing the gap on the Swiss ace.
   It was Roddick’s 13th defeat in 14 meetings with Federer, who marches on after equalling the all-time record for consecutive Grand Slam final appearances of seven, held since 1934 by Australian Jack Crawford.
   Federer is trying to keep a lid on expectations of another Grand Slam title here this weekend but basked in the afterglow of a sensational performance that made Roddick look second-rate.
   ‘I’ve played good matches here, but never really almost destroyed somebody,’ Federer said.
   ‘I’ve done it at the US Open, Wimbledon, French Open, but maybe not so much here because I didn’t get so many chances yet.
   ‘At the Australian Open I’ve won good matches, but never outright dominated another top player on the big stage in the semis or the final.
   ‘For me, that’s a highlight of my career to do it right here, so I’m very, very happy about it.’
   Federer’s virtuoso show was watched in the stands by his tennis idol and two-time Grand Slam champion Rod Laver.
   ‘The way he’s compiling the Grand Slam titles, I think he’s got a great chance of being the best ever,’ Laver said.
   Federer currently lies sixth all-time with nine Grand Slam titles, five behind leader Pete Sampras, but such is the withering rate at which he is annexing major titles he could overtake ‘Pistol Pete’ inside two years.
   Federer, one of the more unassuming world number ones, flatly rejects talk that he is already the greatest player of all-time.
   ‘There’s plenty I need to do before I’m the best of all time,’ he said.
   ‘I’m so far away from beating the most weeks at number one (286 held by Sampras/Federer currently stands at 156 weeks), Grand Slams I’m still five away. Jimmy Connors has 108 titles. I have 45.
   ‘How can you put me in front of him in terms of titles? It’s still far-fetched. If I go at the pace I’m going right now, of course I’ll break all records. Nobody’s ever done that.
   ‘That’s why I say, let’s wait and see. I’m definitely on the right track. I’m not injured. I’m playing well. I’m in another finals.
   ‘But I got to do it over and over again for another five years or so. That’s the tough part.’
   As to what he hopes will be his legacy to tennis, Federer says he wants to remembered as an idol to youngsters.
   ‘I just hope I’m remembered as one of the good guys, fair, kind of an idol to kids, because that’s what I needed to get started in tennis,’ he said.
   ‘I’m so happy the way things are going. I’m so proud of all my results and the way I’ve handled things.
   ‘I mean, it’s tough. All these interviews, all this travelling. Life’s not always easy. But it’s a great life, and I wouldn’t exchange it for anything.’

England coach Duncan Fletcher has apologised for his team’s dismal nine-wicket loss to Australia in Adelaide on Friday.
   Australia romped to victory with more than 25 overs to spare after England collapsed for just 110 in their tri-series one-day international. Fletcher has defended his team throughout their disastrous tour of Australia but could deliver only apologies for the defeat.
   ‘We have to offer an apology, we just didn’t play any good cricket,’ Fletcher told the BBC.
   ‘The boys are very disappointed. We have to make sure we keep them going – there’s still a lot of purpose there.’
   England captain Andrew Flintoff was at a loss to explain his team’s continued failure. England have lost all nine matches against Australia on the tour and Friday’s defeat came just three days after New Zealand hammered them by 90 runs.
   ‘The lads were hurting after being beaten by New Zealand, today they’re feeling worse,’ Flintoff said.
   ‘The bowlers are doing fine – it’s just the batsmen letting their part of the bargain down. It’s just not good enough. We are far better players than we are showing.
   ‘We can challenge Australia, we’ve done it in the past but today we were far below par.’
   Australian captain Ricky Ponting resisted the temptation to join in the criticism of England, who have been lampooned in the British media while their most loyal Barmy Army supporters pack up and go home.
   Ponting said credit should be given to the way the Australians had performed consistently and did not underestimate their opponents.
   ‘It doesn’t get much more comprehensive than that. That was a terrific win,’ Ponting said.
   ‘It’s been a really good day but we can’t get carried away with that. I think sides sometimes can be most dangerous when they have a run like that.
   ‘When they have a couple of bad losses in a row they can tend to just try to release the pressure as much as they can, just throw caution to the wind.’

Sir Alex Ferguson has aimed a double blast at Arsene Wenger and Real Madrid by accusing the Arsenal manager of talking ‘nonsense’ and warning Real to forget about tempting Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United.
   Ferguson, whose team face Portsmouth in the FA Cup fourth round at Old Trafford on Saturday, has been stung by reports that Wenger told his players ahead of last Sunday’s 2-1 win against United that Ferguson’s team fade in the final 20 minutes of games.
   And although United have conceded a series of late goals in the Premiership this season, Ferguson has described Wenger’s observations as ‘petty nonsense.’
   The United manager said: ‘It’s a load of nonsense and I know that because we have looked at our stats.
   ‘Maybe it is Arsene Wenger trying to look great again and think ‘I am the great Arsene Wenger. But it is petty and absolute nonsense. If Arsenal had lost 1-0, as they should have done, what would he have said then?
   ‘Yes, we have lost goals in the final 15 minutes of games, but if you are in a winning position, maybe players relax and just take their foot off the pedal. That is something that has happened two or three times and we have done it against Wigan and Reading recently.
   ‘We lost a deflected shot in the last 15 minutes at Newcastle, but that was just casualness and bad luck.
   ‘Against Arsenal last week, it was a lack of concentration yes, but to suggest it was caused by the stamina side of it is absolute nonsense.
   ‘But maybe last Sunday was a final warning for us. It is becoming a tricky time in the league, but if we are winning 1-0 with nine minutes to go in our next few games, what happened last week won’t happen again.’
   With the transfer window set to close next Wednesday, Ferguson admits that United are still pursuing Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves after lodging a 20-million-pound bid for the England international last week.
   But the United boss has warned Spanish giants Real Madrid that they have no chance of buying Ronaldo, despite growing speculation linking them with a summer move for the Portugal midfielder.
   Ferguson said: ‘Real have done the same thing over the years to other clubs. They did it with David Beckham.
   ‘There was nonsense going on for months and months and they got him in the end.
   ‘But we only sell players that we want to sell and there is no way that Ronaldo is leaving this club. He is developing really well here, he is contracted until 2010 and he won’t be going anywhere.
   ‘In terms of players coming in, January is never easy and the top four clubs in the Premiership have done very little business apart from Liverpool signing a couple of players for the future.
   ‘It is not as easy as people think, but we have not given up on anything that we think will make us better.’

Dirk Kuyt has exclusively told skysports.com that Liverpool will not give up on the Premiership title. Grand Slam weekend saw The Reds reduce the gap to leaders Manchester United to 11 points after a 2-0 home win over champions Chelsea.
   A day later, Liverpool’s arch-rivals lost 2-1 at Arsenal to tempt Rafa Benitez’s side back into the battle for the championship.
   Dutch striker Kuyt accepts it is a big ask to overhaul United, but revealed confidence is high at Anfield following eight wins in nine league games.
   ‘Winning the title would be very difficult,’ Kuyt told skysports.com.
   ‘We know we are 11 points away from Man Utd, but in football you never know. I’ve seen stranger things happen in the last few years.
   ‘The only thing we have to do is win our own games and see what the other teams are doing.
   ‘We have a lot of confidence and we have also got Man U at home and Arsenal at home.
   ‘It will be nice to beat them and see what happens.’
   Liverpool are also only five points behind second-placed Chelsea and Kuyt confirmed the immediate objective is to forge past Jose Mourinho’s men.
   He added: ‘It’s also a target for us to get behind Chelsea, that’s normal if you are only five points behind them.
   ‘We have showed now that we can also beat the big teams.’

South Africa’s high crime levels should not affect visitors at the 2010 World Cup because crime is concentrated in areas away from the chosen venues, the head of event security told Reuters.
   ‘Where the soccer is going to take place, where the stadiums are, where the police are, there will be low crime levels,’ said Andre Pruis, deputy national commissioner of the South African Police Service.
   Speaking on Thursday on the sidelines of the International Sports Security Summit, Pruis said police stations in more isolated parts of the country are the ones which deal with robbery and sexual assault on a regular basis,
   ‘Unfortunately those stations are in areas really still suffering from the past of our country, in underprivileged areas.’
   In order to tackle security concerns surrounding the World Cup which officials expect to draw 360,000 visitors, the South African government has pledged 3.5 billion rand ($490.5 million) to help fight crime. ‘During a major event, a country becomes the world,’ Pruis said, noting that South Africa will be a venue for the world’s security problems as well as being under scrutiny itself.

German football legend Franz Beckenbauer was on Friday voted on to the powerful executive committee of world football’s governing body FIFA as a UEFA representative here on Friday.
   Beckenbauer, who was standing for the post in succession to former co-president of the German football federation (DFB) Gerhard Mayer-Vorfelder, was the sole candidate after Spain’s Angel Maria Villar Llona was re-elected into one of the FIFA vice-president posts reserved for European football’s governing body.
   Beckenbauer, president of the 2006 World Cup finals organising comittee, was elected by the 52 presidents of the national football federations present at the UEFA Congress here.

Sir Alex Ferguson has warned new UEFA president Michel Platini to forget about tinkering with the format of the Champions League.
   Platini, who won the election to replace Lennart Johansson as UEFA’s most powerful figure on Friday, plans to reduce the number of competing teams in the Champions League from four to three from the major footballing nations.
   But Manchester United boss Ferguson, who won the Champions League in 1999, insists the tournament should be left untouched by Platini.
   He said: ‘The Champions League has been good. If you go back a few years, there were maybe too many games with two qualifying groups because you had to play about 17 games to win it.
   ‘The tournament really starts in February, but I think it is OK the way it is at the moment.
   ‘If you take away the fourth place teams, the only way to address that is by reducing the competition or by giving other countries two places.
   ‘But the appeal of the Champions League is when the giants of Spain or Italy or England come up against each other.’

The Juventus duo of Alessandro Del Piero and Pavel Nedved have reportedly rejected transfers to America. The Bianconeri were targeted by American representatives before they focused on Real Madrid’s David Beckham, but the pair committed their future to the Turin outfit instead.
   The Tuttosport newspaper claims that MLS officials made contact with the two men, but the players turned down the proposal without even discussing possible terms.
   Beckham signed a £128m agreement with LA Galaxy in January, a financial package which the Juventini wouldn’t have got anywhere near.
   Nedved and Del Piero have publicly pledged their future to the Bianconeri as they attempt to regain their Serie A status.
   The captain, who made his 500th appearance with the outfit against Bari last Saturday, has also revealed that he rejected a summer switch to Manchester United.
   ‘I have been a Bianconero for 13 years and I want to end my career here,’ he said. ‘I am sure Sir Alex Ferguson understood the reasons behind my refusal.’

South Africa’s health ministry Thursday said the construction of a hospital had been delayed by a year as the treasury had diverted funds to projects linked to the 2010 football World Cup.
   ‘There has been a 12-month delay in the building due to a cut-back in budget availability from (the) national treasury as a result of the diversion of funds towards the preparations for 2010,’ spokeswoman Shelley Fielding said in a statement.
   Work on the 200-bed hospital, which will cost 200 million rand (27.8 million dollars), will now only commence in 2008. It is due for completion in 2011.

Herschelle Gibbs said Thursday he was disappointed that his appeal against a Test match ban failed but he was glad that he had been cleared of racism.
   The South African batsman will miss the third Test against Pakistan starting at Newlands Friday as well as a Twenty20 international and the first of five one-day internationals against the same opponents next month.
   He was originally banned for two Tests but in terms of the ICC code, the punishment was amended to take account of the next matches the player was due to appear in.
   Despite the ban, Gibbs was delighted that ICC appeals commissioner Richie Benaud had concluded that he was not a racist.
   Gibbs said in a statement, ‘I am really disappointed to be missing the Test match in front of my home ground and the next two matches the Proteas will be playing.
   ‘However, I am glad that I have now had a proper opportunity to explain myself. I feel it is important that Mr Benaud has confirmed that I am not racist. I have apologised if my remarks inadvertently caused offence, and that apology still stands.’
   Cricket South Africa has dropped its own disciplinary action against Gibbs following remarks made by the player about a section of the crowd which were picked up and broadcast by a stump microphone during the first Test against Pakistan in Centurion earlier this month. Gerald Majola, CSA chief executive, said the national body accepted Benaud’s findings.
   ‘We particularly welcome the fact that Mr Benaud has emphatically cleared Herschelle of any allegations of racism,’ said Majola.

As many French football fans would testify, Michel Platini cut an unlikely figure during his brief stint as coach of the national team.
   However, few would deny that the former France and Juventus legend – one of only a few players to be voted European footballer of the year three times – was always destined to play a leading role in the game.
   Platini on Friday achieved his dream of being given the chance to lead European football into a new era when he defeated incumbent chief Lennart Johansson of Sweden in a vote for the UEFA presidency.
   The scene is now set for the 51-year-old Frenchman to build on his promise of giving the smaller nations a bigger voice in the 52-member association during his four-year tenure.
   ‘It’s the start of an adventure,’ said an emotional Platini after winning the vote.
   ‘I want to thank everyone who have stayed loyal to me. I’m delighted to be able to represent European football.’
   Born the son of a stonemason from Piedmont in Italy, Platini made his name as a swashbuckling number 10, the number attributed to the playmakers who usually combine goal-creating qualities with goal-scoring skills.
   In both, Platini was one of the best. In the 1980s, during spells with Nancy, Saint Etienne and Juventus, he won the coveted Ballon d’Or (European footballer of the Year) three years consecutively – in 1983, 1984 and 1985.
   In 1984, he inspired France to the European Championship title on home soil, but after retiring, a four-year stint as coach of the France team failed to bear fruit. In 1992 Platini resigned after France exited the European Championships at the first round.
   Instead, it was in football’s corridors of power that the curly-haired Frenchman would find his true path, moving slowly up the administrative ladder from a first administrative post at the French Football Federation.
   Prior to France’s hosting of the 1998 World Cup, Platini was taken under the wing of FFF president Fernand Sastre.
   Together, they oversaw a successful campaign which led to France triumphing on home soil and bringing home a first international trophy since 1984.
   A year later Platini declared his support for Sepp Blatter, becoming the FIFA chief’s specialist adviser.
   Platini was repaid in kind on Thursday, when the FIFA chief voiced his support for the Frenchman prior to Friday’s vote.
   Named vice-president of the FFF in 2001, Platini made a crucial career move in 2002 when he became an executive member of both UEFA and FIFA.
   Johansson’s bid for a fifth term hinged on the success of the game in Europe, and its flagship Champions League competition.
   Platini felt it was time to focus more on the social, and less the financial issues in European football, and declared his intention to challenge Johansson in 2005.
   UEFA presidents since 1954
   1954-62: Ebbe Schwartz (Denmark)
   1962-72: Gustav Wiederkehr (Switzerland)
   1972-84: Artemio Franchi (Italy)
   1984-90: Jacques Georges (France)
   1990 2007: Lennart Johansson (Sweden)
   Since 2007: Michel Platini (France)

Former Manchester United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy admits Cristiano Ronaldo would be welcome at Real Madrid.
   Reports have claimed that Real are planning a block-busting bid to prise the winger away from Old Trafford.
   United have swiftly dismissed the rumours and are aiming to reward the Portugal international’s flying form this season with a new contract.
   It is unlikely to stop the speculation and ex-Red Devils hot-shot Van Nistelrooy feels the situation is also in Ronaldo’s hands.
   ‘Great players are always welcome at Real Madrid and Ronaldo is a fantastic player,’ said Van Nistelrooy.
   ‘United won’t give up Ronaldo very easily, definitely not. But it’s also in the player’s hands. If the player is aware of the situation and doesn’t want to stay any more and doesn’t commit himself, then anything can happen.
   ‘That will make a massive impact on the situation and it’s one for Madrid and Manchester United to sort out.
   ‘This season is the best he has had since he has been at Manchester, scoring many goals and playing very well.
   ‘He is young and he has much experience from the World Cup and European Championships. He is very young, a favourite of Ferguson.’
   During the final stages of his own United career, Van Nistelrooy had run-ins with Ronaldo on the training ground, but insists this would not be a problem if the 21-year-old moved to the Bernabeu.
   He added, ‘There wasn’t much that happened between us in Manchester. It was all blown up a bit.
   ‘But if he is interested in a move, then things could happen and we’ll see.’

Gary Neville has admitted his deep rooted hatred for Liverpool is the driving force pushing him towards further glory in the final years of his Manchester United career.
   Neville, famed for his longstanding loathing of Liverpool, is determined to help United beat their arch-rivals’ haul of 18 league titles before the end of his glittering playing career at Old Trafford.
   And with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side six points clear of Chelsea at the top of the Premiership and on course to claim their 16th championship this season, Neville is confident United can soon overtake their bitter Merseyside enemies.
   ‘When we started winning championships in 1992-93, I always thought it would be a dream to leave this club having won more titles than Liverpool,’ Neville told a Q&A session for United supporters at Old Trafford.
   ‘Obviously we haven’t won the championship for a few years now, but we are only three behind Liverpool and it would be fantastic to think that in the next few years we could win three or four titles and overhaul them.
   ‘When I was growing up, people of my age group will know that Liverpool were winning everything. That was hard to take. But they haven’t won the championship for so long now and we have to make sure we keep that going.’
   Chelsea and Arsenal have emerged as United’s main title rivals, but Neville’s remarks confirmed the long-standing hostility towards Liverpool still fires Fergie’s men most. Neville has never hidden his animosity towards the Anfield club, his provocative badgekissing celebration in front of their fans after United’s dramatic late winner at Old Trafford a year ago compelling proof of his true feelings.
   And the £5,000 fine he received from the FA following that incident, along with a warning about his future conduct, still rankles with Neville, who took a sarcastic swipe at Manchester Police for claiming his actions incited crowd trouble.
   ‘It was the chief of Manchester Police who wrote to the FA, saying that I was the one responsible for causing all the crowd trouble after the game,’ said Neville. ‘There was fighting afterwards and cars smashed up, which was apparently all my fault – nothing to do with the fact we’d scored a goal in the last minute to beat Liverpool.’
   If United are to take a step closer to surpassing Liverpool’s haul of domestic titles, then they must dramatically improve their defending over the last 14 games of the Premiership campaign. Last Sunday’s agonising 2-1 defeat to Arsenal, when they conceded two goals in the last seven minutes, was the sixth game in a row in which United have failed to keep a clean sheet.
   And Neville admitted that trend cannot be allowed to continue if United are to end their four-year wait for the Premiership and stop Chelsea emulating them by making it a hat-trick of successive titles. ‘It’s something we’ve got to look at,’ said the 31-year-old full-back. ‘We have not kept a clean sheet since we beat Aston Villa 3-0 away on December 21.
   ‘That’s something we have to address, because we are going to have to start winning games 1-0. We can’t expect to score loads of goals every game. We saw it at Arsenal, and it could be the same at Chelsea, Tottenham and Liverpool, that we don’t score two or three. Sometimes you have to go and win 1-0. We know there has to be a reaction after losing to Arsenal. There has to be a reaction every time Manchester United suffer a defeat.
   ‘We’ve only lost twice in the last five years after going ahead in a game, so that shows that there’s not really too much of a problem. But we know the fans expect a reaction – and we expect it of ourselves.’ Having missed out on the title for the past three seasons, Neville admitted to sensing a real feeling of anxiety among United fans that this is the year when they must finally win it back.
   ‘They have got title fever this season,’ said Neville. ‘And as players we share that need to win it. That’s why there was so much talk about us possibly opening up a nine-point lead over Chelsea. Everyone of us wanted it so badly, so we could almost have a bit of a cruise in for the rest of the season.

Cesc Fabregas has told Arsene Wenger to forget about resting him as Arsenal’s season hots up.
   No Arsenal player has featured more often than Fabregas, who has 34 appearances already this season, so he could have been forgiven if he wanted to join Thierry Henry, Emmanuel Adebayor and Tomas Rosicky in taking a break for Wednesday’s 2-2 League Cup semi-final first leg draw against Tottenham
   But the Spanish midfielder, 19, was one of just three first team regulars chosen at White Hart Lane and he was delighted to play because he relishes the chance to compete in big matches.
   ‘The boss has not said anything to me about taking a break,’ Fabregas said. ‘You never know in League Cup. A lot of players have been resting like Henry and Adebayor.
   ‘He just told me he was planning to play me and asked if I was happy about it. I said, “of course”. I always want to play – even more against Tottenham. It is a great feeling.
   ‘For me, I like playing this kind of game. That’s why I play football – to enjoy.
   ‘If I hadn’t played in this game I would have been at home. I would have been happy for the players but sad not to be involved and to enjoy it with the rest of the team.’
   Fabregas believes the way an inexperienced Arsenal side fought back from 2-0 down proves Wenger was right to keep faith with his youngsters throughout the competition.
   They have already won at Everton and Liverpool and are now one game away from the final.
   ‘The commitment has been amazing,’ Fabregas said. ‘Until the last seconds we always looked dangerous and Theo (Walcott) had the last chance that could have won it.
   ‘We are showing everyone that even with the young players you can go far in this competition.
   ‘Once you win at Liverpool you have to believe in this side because they deserve it. What can you say? You have to congratulate them for what they are doing because it is amazing.’
   The games are coming thick and fast for Arsenal now and Fabregas doesn’t want to rest. Bolton visit the Emirates Stadium in the FA Cup on Sunday and then Arsenal will try and finish the job against Tottenham in the League Cup semi-final second leg next Wednesday.
   Fabregas said, ‘We want to win things and you have to go step-by-step. 2-2 against Tottenham is a good result and if we draw 0-0 or 1-1 at home we are through.
   ‘First of all we want to think of the Bolton game (FA Cup 4th round on Sunday) and it is not important to talk about Tottenham until Monday. Sunday is a big game.
   ‘The FA Cup is famous. I was lucky enough to win it two years ago and we want to win it again. I feel we are capable of doing it if we keep showing this spirit and commitment in the team.
   ‘It is different playing Bolton at home compared to away. You have to go in with the same commitment and quality. If we can do what we have done in the last weeks we can win but they are a good team and will be dangerous.’

Arsene Wenger has ruled out dipping into the transfer market to strengthen an Arsenal
   squad that has been hit by injuries to forward Robin van Persie and midfielder Alexander Hleb.
   And the Gunners boss has also insisted that he will not get involved in the battle for Southampton’s highly rated young left-back Gareth Bale, currently being fought over by Tottenham and Manchester United.
   Wenger is confident Gael Clichy and Armand Traore give him sufficient strength in Bale’s position.
   ‘I like the player but as you know we have two left-backs here,’ Wenger said Friday.
   Van Persie is out for at least six weeks with a broken metatarsal bone in his right foot while Hleb faces a four-week lay-off with hamstring problems.
   But Wenger believes there is enough cover in his squad for him to resist the temptation to bring in any new players.
   ‘We have players like Jeremie Aliadiere and Julio Baptista
   who get more chances to play and we have Freddie Ljungberg who will come back now and I hope it will be enough,’ Wenger said.
   Wenger has been impressed by Baptista’s goalscoring exploits in the League Cup and likened him to Robert Pires, who left Arsenal last summer to join Villarreal.
   ‘He has that smell to be where he needs to be at the decisive moment. When there is chocolate to take in the box he is there.’
   Wenger has stuck with his younger players for the League Cup campaign but expects to name a full strength side when Arsenal take on Bolton in the fourth round of the FA Cup at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
   ‘On Sunday it will be close to a Premier League side
   because we played a very hard game in the League Cup on Wednesday (2-2 draw with Tottenham).
   ‘To be at home in the cup is a minor advantage but still we want to win at the end.’

South Africa’s new football coach Carlos Alberto Parreira arrived in Johannesburg Friday to launch what is hoped will be a successful bid to become world beaters when they host the World Cup in 2010.
   The Brazilian, who has signed a four-year contract with the South African Football Association, was welcomed by SAFA chief executive Raymond Hack when he touched down at OR Tambo International Airport.
   Parreira did not say a word on his arrival before being whisked away. ‘We want him to have time to rest and settle in. He will have a press conference on February 1,’ Hack told the media.
   Parreira, who will earn a record 1.8 million rand (252,000 dollars) a month, faces the daunting task of turning the Bafana Bafana team into a force to be reckoned with by 2010 when South Africa host the FIFA World Cup.
   The embattled team has been performing dismally recently and failed to qualify for last year’s World Cup finals in Germany.
   He will be Bafana’s 14th coach in 14 years, but Hack warned that people should not expect magic from the Brazilian.
   ‘People should not expect that he will perform magic. He is here so he can get a job done. He can go and beat Chad 6-0 or be blown out in the first round of the Africa Nations Cup. His main aim is the 2010 World Cup.’
   His first test will be an away game against Chad in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on March 24. He is expected to assemble his new squad during a camp in Johannesburg from February 4-7.
   Hack said Parreira would initially be assisted by two locally-based coaches on a part-time basis until deciding whether he wants to keep them permanently or not.
   Parreira arrived in the country six months ago amid controversy around his high pay –making him the most high-profile coach ever to take the job – but was quick to point out that he was ‘not here for money’ and ‘can leave right away’.

Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville have hailed Alan Shearer as the one player they wish they could have played alongside at Manchester United.
   Shearer twice turned down Alex Ferguson’s offer of a move to Old Trafford in the mid-1990s, choosing first Blackburn and then Newcastle.
   And Giggs and Neville still cannot believe the former England skipper, who
   only won one Premiership title with Blackburn in his career, rejected the chance to join United.
   ‘Both Ryan and myself can never understand why any player would ever turn down Manchester United for Blackburn or Newcastle,’ Neville told the Daily
   Mirror.
   ‘Other players we missed out on recently are
   Ronaldinho and Arjen
   Robben, but I’d have to say Shearer was the one we wish we’d got.
   ‘I played with him in England games and he
   definitely had the mentality of a United player.
   ‘Why he never came to United, I do not know.
   ‘I can’t understand that decision and I can’t begin to
   understand what must have been going through someone’s mind when they choose Blackburn and Newcastle over United.’
   Giggs, who has won
   eight titles, four FA Cups,
   the European Cup and League Cup during his career at United, would have relished the chance to play with Shearer.
   Giggs added, ‘He was just
   an unbelievable goal scorer and as a winger, to be
   supplying the ball to someone like that would have been a dream.
   ‘He was certainly a world-class player.’

Former Manchester United star Eric Cantona believes the Old Trafford giants will be the Premiership champions again this season.
   ‘For sure they will be champions,’ the Frenchman told the BBC.
   ‘It’s a new era, a new generation. They have a great team but they have a lot to prove. They need to do it.
   ‘United have been brave from the start and have a good atmosphere, where they work very well with young players like Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo.’
   Cantona praised manager Sir Alex Ferguson for the rebuilding he has carried out at Old Trafford and for establishing a team to challenge for the title.
   ‘Ferguson is the kind of manager who can help the greatest player with a lot of experience and also help the young players,’ Cantona said.
   ‘Not all managers can do that, but he can do that and find the balance on the pitch to have a strong team.’
   The 40-year-old Cantona has been impressed with the heir to his number seven shirt at United, Cristiano Ronaldo.
   ‘He needed to have experience and to score goals – now he has that and is a world-class player,’ Cantona said.

David Gill believes the future is ‘promising’ for Manchester United after the club announced an increase in profits.
   In the first full year of the Glazer era at Old Trafford, The Red Devils saw turnover rise from £157.2 million to £165.4 million for the year ending June 30, 2006.
   The current Premiership leaders also reported a pre-tax operating profit of £30.8 million, compared to a figure of £10.8 million for the previous 12 months.

AC Milan are on the verge of signing Brazil striker Ronaldo from Real Madrid.
   ‘Tomorrow Ronaldo will undergo a medical at Milanello and on Monday I have got an appointment with Real,’ Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani told the Spanish daily El Mundo’s website (www.elmundo.es) on Thursday.
   ‘If everything goes according to plan, Ronaldo will be a Milan player on Monday.’
   The striker arrived at Milan’s Linate airport on Thursday evening and was met by Galliani, who took the
   30-year-old to the San Siro to watch the first leg of the club’s Italian Cup semi-final against AS Roma.
   Ronaldo was warmly applauded at the stadium by the home fans as he made
   his way to his seat next to Galliani.
   Spanish media reported Milan had made a six million euro ($7.79 million) offer for the three-time FIFA World Player of the Year.
   El Mundo said Ronaldo would sign an 18-month contract with Milan, who would offer him the chance to end his career at the club if he lived up to expectations.
   Ronaldo has been angling to leave Real since coach Fabio Capello made it clear the Brazilian did not feature in his plans.
   A transfer to Milan would represent a return to familiar territory for the striker, who played for city rivals Inter between 1997 and 2002.
   If the transfer goes through, Ronaldo will become the 10th non-Italian to play for both Milan clubs.
   He will follow in the footsteps of Patrick Vieira, Edgar Davids, Hernan Crespo, Thomas Helveg, Dario Simic, Clarence Seedorf, Andres Guglielminpietro, Taribo West and Victor Benitez.

Roma staged a thrilling comeback from two goals down to draw 2-2 at AC Milan in the Italian Cup semi-final first leg clash on Thursday.
   Watched by Ronaldo, who is expected to move from Real Madrid to Milan on Monday, the home side took the lead after just four minutes at a sparsely-attended San Siro tie.
   Ricardo Oliveira was the man on target converting a pass from Massimo Ambrosini.
   Kaka set up the second goal when he released Marek Jankulovski whose cross was tapped home in typical fashion by ‘Pippo’ Inzaghi to make it 2-0.
   Roma pulled one back in the 29th minute when Simone Perrotta scored from close range before David Pizarro made it 2-2 six minutes before halftime when his long range shot evaded Dida in the Milan goal.
   The second leg takes place next Wednesday in Rome with the winner facing either Inter or Sampdoria in the final.

European football’s ruling body has agreed to launch a
   feasibility study on a proposal to increase the number of teams in the European Championship finals from 16
   to 24.
   The proposal was made by the football federations of Scotland and Ireland, who argue that having 24 nations in the four-yearly finals will boost the smaller federations in terms of image and revenues.
   The proposal to launch a study was agreed unanimously after 44 of the 52 member nations voted in favour.
   UEFA’s executive committee would pore over the results of the study before making any decision.

Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez blasted past Tommy Haas Friday with a faultless display of tennis to power into the Australian Open final against defending champion Roger Federer.
   The 10th seeded Gonzalez continued his blistering form from the earlier rounds to win 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in just 1hr 31 min in another lopsided semi-final following Federer’s dazzling win over Andy Roddick Thursday.
   It is 26-year-old Gonzalez’s first Grand Slam final and follows his other emphatic victories here over 2005 finalist Lleyton Hewitt, in-form American James Blake and world number two Rafael Nadal.
   Yet again the red-hot Chilean’s big serve and forehand lifted him to victory against the mistake-prone 12th seeded German.
   So perfect was Gonzalez’s performance that his winning match point fittingly coincided with the start of the nearby Australia Day holiday fireworks display.
   ‘Today was a really good day. In my last four matches I’ve been playing great tennis, I’m enjoying it a lot and I’m playing all over the court,’ Gonzalez said.
   ‘I was very calm at the important moments.’
   Gonzalez only made three unforced errors in the match compared with 21 mistakes by Haas.
   ‘It’s not too tough for me because I’ve been playing many years winning 42 unforced errors and three winners, so now I’m trying to work the points,’ said Gonzalez. I can volley better, I can play five sets if I want, I’m really happy with this.’
   Of his upcoming final with Federer on Sunday, Gonzalez said: ‘Roger is the number one by far but on Sunday we only have to play one match, there’s only one match left in this tournament.
   ‘I’ve lost many times to him but I am playing much better than the last time I played him.’
   Federer holds a nine-zero record over the Chilean.
   Gonzalez is only the third South American to reach the Australian Open final in the Open Era (post-1969) after Marcelo Rios in 1998 and Guillermo Vilas in 1977-79.
   It was further heartbreak for 28-year-old Haas, who was playing in his third losing Australian semi-final after going down to Yevgeny Kaflenikov in 1999 and Marat Safin in 2002.
   So abject was Haas’s performance that he failed to get one break point on Gonzalez’s serve in the three sets.
   Gonzalez, like he did in his third round win over Hewitt, played almost faultless tennis with his first error not coming until the first game of the second set.
   The Chilean, playing the best tennis of his life under American coach Larry Stefanki, broke the German’s serve seven times and was in complete control with his dominant forehand.
   He broke Haas three times to romp through the opening set in 28 minutes and then broke again in the second game of the second set to serve it out for a two sets lead.
   Gonzalez again broke Haas in the first and fifth games of the final set to take a throttle hold on the semi-final.
   Nothing went right for Haas who served four double-faults, with Gonzalez thundering down nine aces.
   It was Gonzalez’s second career win over Haas in as many matches.

Veteran batsman Nathan Astle announced his retirement on Friday, shocking his New Zealand team-mates and further weakening their fragile batting line-up just weeks away from the World Cup.
   The 35-year-old, New Zealand’s second most prolific one-day scorer behind skipper Stephen Fleming, said he was struggling with motivation for the tournament after patchy form in recent seasons.
   ‘I have been fighting this day for about eight months,’ Astle said in a statement.
   ‘I so desperately wanted to go to my fourth World Cup, but deep down inside I knew that I was lacking motivation and the enjoyment levels were just not there,’ he said.
   He said his enthusiasm first faltered last year but he soldiered on becuase of a desire to play in his fourth World Cup. But a month a go ‘it really started to hit home that this was no longer the place for me’.
   Coach John Bracewell said the decision came out of the blue, describing Astle as a ‘great player and a great team player’.
   ‘It was a bit of a shock to all of us and quite disruptive to our plans but I respect his decision,’ he said referring to New Zealand’s build-up for the World Cup starting in March.
   ‘Timing’s never great this close to a big tournament and Nathan was going to be a serious part of that because of his experience and the younger players he was assisting to mentor.’
   The aggressive right-hander has been crucial to New Zealand’s one-day success, scoring 16 centuries in 223 internationals, accumulating 7,090 runs at an average of 34.92.
   In 81 Tests he scored 4,702 test runs, including 11 centuries at an average of 37.02.
   Astle scored the world’s fastest Test double century against England in Christchurch in 2002, thumping 222 off 153 balls.
   Starting his first class career as a medium pace bowler, he ended with 51 Test wickets and 99 one-day scalps.
   ‘Nath was a very uncomplicated, naturally aggressive player who was just great to watch,’ said captain Fleming, paying tribute to his team-mate.
   ‘He was also a great sounding board for me as a captain because of his calmness and consistency. He will be missed.’
   Replacement batsman Lou Vincent was expected to join the New Zealand team in Perth Friday.

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard refuses to see his team as the title favourites despite history showing that the leaders at the halfway point have gone on to win the Spanish championship in 10 of the last 12 seasons.
   ‘It’s too soon to talk about that. There are four or five other teams who are candidates,’ said the Dutchman, mindful of the fact that a one point advantage at the top of the table doesn’t guarantee success.
   Barcelona are the only one of the top four teams playing at home this weekend and could make significant progress towards winning La Liga for the third consecutive year by beating struggling Celta Vigo on Sunday.
   Celta have not won in their last eight league games and slipped down the table.
   ‘The team is frustrated. We didn’t think we were going to be in this position at the start of the season,’ admitted Celta defender Borja Oubina.
   To add to Celta’s difficulties, the Galicians will be without the suspended Pablo Contreras and Iriney while Pablo Garcia, on loan from Real Madrid, is doubtful with a left thigh strain.
   Second-placed Sevilla have 38 points and are just ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference but have yet to win in 2007.
   However, last season’s UEFA Cup winners will be hoping to end that dismal run at Levante on Sunday. We’ve slipped in the last few weeks but every competition is still open to us,’ said striker Adriano. The often-inspirational Adriano believes he will play at Levante, who are just one place above the relegation zone, despite suffering a dislocated shoulder in last week’s 0-0 draw at Villarreal.
   ‘I’ve still got some inflammation but there are several days to go and I should be fit by Sunday,’ said the Brazilian.
   ‘However, I think we’ve got a hard game ahead of us. Teams in their position (Levante) are now going to be fighting to get themselves out of trouble.’
   Last week, Levante welcomed back Irish international defender Ian Harte for his first game after injury and he should get further match practice thanks to the suspension of Alexis Suarez.
   Real Madrid, despite all the off-the-pitch turmoil concerning their departing ‘galacticos’ David Beckham and Ronaldo, have started to show better form by winning their last two games.
   Coach Fabio Capello will be looking to continue that trend at Villarreal today and received the good news on Thursday that both Sergio Ramos and Gonzalo Higuain should be fit for the trip to last season’s Champions League semi-finalists.
   The pair both received heavy knocks in the 1-0 win at Real Mallorca on Sunday but were finally training normally on Thursday.
   Valencia are the current team in form and have strung together six consecutive wins to move them back into contention in fourth place. The 2002 and 2004 champions are now just three points adrift of leaders Barcelona and will see whether seven is their lucky number at relegation-threatened Real Betis on Sunday.
   The match will see Valencia’s Joaquin Sanchez return for the first time to Betis, where he was an icon after playing more than 200 league matches in six seasons at the club where he started his career, since his move last summer.

Inter Milan face Sampdoria on Sunday aiming for a 14th successive league win and with the bookmakers so convinced of their invincibility that they’ve stopped taking bets on the Serie A title race. Inter have an 11-point lead over second-placed Roma and will be buoyed by their 3-0 Italian Cup semi-final win at Sampdoria in midweek.
   That was a victory achieved by almost a second-string team and put them within touching distance of a third successive Italian Cup final appearance, having won the last two editions.
   ‘Is my team without any defects? I hope the press will still be saying that at the end of the season,’ said Inter boss Roberto Mancini who praised the depth of his squad. ‘There isn’t a first or second choice team, as all the players belong to Inter. On Wednesday night those who perhaps haven’t appeared as much took centre stage.’
   On Sunday, Inter should welcome back their Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar who missed last weekend’s come-from-behind 3-1 win over Fiorentina with a back injury. Cesar was replaced for that match by veteran Francesco Toldo.
   Midfielder Esteban Cambiasso will once again be preferred to Olivier Dacourt while, up front, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Adriano will be the first-choice strikers.
   Roma need all three points against mid-table Siena if they are to stay in touch with Inter and maintain their hopes of a Champions League spot next season.
   Their recent 3-0 derby defeat to Lazio has allowed Inter to open up their huge lead – a fact compounded by morale-sapping draws against Messina and Livorno in their last two outings.
   On the positive side, Roma are injury-free but skipper Francesco Totti is suspended after being red-carded last week. New signing Francesco Tavano is expected to make his first start since joining from Valencia earlier this month.
   AC Milan, who hope to finalise the transfer of Ronaldo from Real Madrid on Monday, face relegation-haunted Parma desperately needing a win to boost their hopes of grabbing a Champions League place.
   Coach Carlo Ancelotti sees the arrival of Ronaldo as providing much-needed competition up front where Alberto Gilardino is likely to be replaced by Filippo Inzaghi on Sunday.
   For their part, Parma have been reinvigorated by the arrival of on-loan Manchester United teenage striker Giuseppe Rossi.
   The 19-year-old has rejoined his old club until the end of the season and made a dramatic entrance last weekend by hitting the winner in a vital 1-0 home victory against Torino.

Nottingham Forest have fallen on hard times of late. The club that won successive European Cups in 1979 and 80 was relegated last season to League One, the third tier of English football.
   Now though a revival appears to be underway. Under a new, young manager, Colin Calderwood, Forest are chasing promotion to the Championship and have advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup, in which they will face Premiership champions Chelsea this weekend.
   Calderwood is realistic enough to acknowledge that the Cup run is likely to end at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
   But he is determined that his players, who accounted for Premiership Charlton in the last round, give a good account of themselves and learn from the experience of going up against Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and co.
   ‘It’s just two teams. The difference is not so vast, but we have to be excellent defensively. We have to believe in ourselves. We have to believe we can score.
   ‘At some point in the first period, we have to show that we cause them problems,’ he explained.
   ‘It might be a tackle, a header, a run down the line and cross. These things will be very important. But you don’t need to score early goals to show you can compete.’
   Chelsea will be hoping for more of the same from Andriy Shevchenko, who ended a ten-match goalless run with a brace in the midweek League Cup semi-final win over Wycombe.
   The goals have put a new spring in the step of the 30-million-pound forward.
   ‘After more than a month, it is very important for a striker to score goals again,’ he admitted. ‘Now it is all much better and I believe in the future.’
   With non-league interest in the competition ended at the third round stage, it falls to League Two minnows Barnet to keep the Cup’s tradition of romantic adventures alive.
   The north London club are set to start 41-year-old Andy Hessenthaler in their clash with Championship side Plymouth, who are managed by the veteran midfielder’s old friend Ian Holloway.
   Suspensions to two of Barnet’s key players, Dean Sinclair and Ian Hendon, mean Hessenthaler will step up from his normal position on the bench and he admits he will be as nervous as any teenager.
   ‘There will be a lot of nervous energy out there, even I’ll probably have some butterflies,’ said the former Gillingham player-manager, who is confident that Barnet can pull off an upset.
   ‘I made it to the quarter finals with Gillingham under Peter Taylor when we played Chelsea in 2000,’ Hessenthaler said.
   ‘For a relatively small club to get that far was incredible and to be able to pit your wits against Didier Deschamps and Marcel Desailly was unbelievable and an experience I’ll never forget.’
   Barnet’s home tie is one of seven fourth round matches being played in and around London this weekend – a record for the capital at this stage of the tournament.
   Manchester United’s meeting with Portsmouth is the pick of today’s ties and one of three all-Premiership clashes in the fourth round.
   Struggling Premiership pair West Ham and Watford meet at Upton Park on Saturday while Arsenal entertain bogey side Bolton at the Emirates on Sunday.
   Championship leaders Birmingham, who knocked Newcastle out in the last round, have another test of their
   promotion credentials when they take on Reading at St Andrews.
   Mike Newell’s Luton look like one of the better bets to create an upset in their home tie
   with Blackburn while Tottenham will be wary of Southend, the visitors to White Hart Lane who pushed Spurs to extra-time when they met in the League Cup earlier in the season.

Lionel Messi has admitted he is flattered by talk that Inter want him – but he’s just concentrating on Barcelona at this moment in time.
   Nerazzurri owner Massimo Moratti is a massive fan of the Argentine starlet which did lead to reports that he was lining up a £70m summer bid. But Messi has told Calcio Italia magazine that he has no plans for an immediate future on the Serie A stage.
   ‘I always feel honoured and happy when such famous people as Moratti and important clubs give me praise,’ he stated.
   ‘However, as I have already said in the past, I’m only thinking of Barca for now. Leaving Barcelona is something that I am not considering presently. I’m very happy at this club and everybody here is taking care of me and my whole family.’
   Messi was signed by the Nou Camp outfit at the age of 13 and is presently contracted to them until June 2014. The former Newell’s Old Boys youngster, who appeared for Argentina at the 2006 World Cup, is known as La Pulga – the Flea.

Didier Drogba has admitted there are ‘tensions’ at Chelsea but insists they won’t divert the players from continuing their push for trophies under manager Jose Mourinho. The English champions have been fighting for their integrity in recent weeks, with Mourihno rumoured to be preparing to the leave the club at the end of the season.
   Reports this week also suggested that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has already been looking for the Portuguese manager’s replacement. And to top it all, the poor form of Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko has compounded the fact that the Stamford Bridge outfit sit second in the Premiership six points behind Manchester United.
   Drogba admits it has not been a trouble-free season, but he is convinced there will be no repercussions on the field.
   He told the Daily Express, ‘There are tensions, we cannot prevent them. That’s football, it is not easy to live with.
   ‘But the players are sticking together. That is the most important thing. Are we in crisis? In the league we are six points behind Manchester United and still on course for the title.
   ‘We’ve qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League and for the final of the league cup and we are still on course for the FA Cup. Clearly it’s a very difficult period.’
   Drogba also offered his full support for Mourinho.
   Speaking to the Daily Mirror, he said, ‘How could I not be behind someone who always supported me, who has helped me win trophies and put Chelsea at the top of English football?
   ‘There were good players at Chelsea before his arrival but he brought a culture of winning.’

Inter Milan coach Roberto Mancini said Friday he would not rule out a move to the English Premiership.
   Mancini, who has led the Italian champions to an 11-point lead in Serie A, is reported to be linked to the manager’s job at Chelsea and his future at the San Siro is currently uncertain.
   Blues manager Jose Mourinho has recently fallen out with Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, and reports Thursday said that despite peace talks having taken place, Mourinho is secretly planning his exit from Stamford Bridge for the end of the season.
   Mancini has yet to sign a new deal with the Italian giants and has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge should Jose Mourinho leave.
   He told The Sun, ‘I’d really love to manage a Premiership side one day. Chelsea? It would be fantastic. Nothing has been decided about the contract but this is not a formality.’
   On Thursday it was reported that the contracts of all of Mourinho’s assistants are being allowed to run down until their expiration in the summer.
   The report said Chelsea have made no attempt to discuss new terms with Mourinho’s inner circle, which includes assistant managers Steve Clarke and Baltemar Brito, goalkeeping coach Silvino Lauro, fitness coach Rui Faria and head scout Villas Boas.
   The latter three followed Mourinho to Chelsea from FC Porto after he led the Portuguese giants to Champions League glory, and Mourinho has stated he would not work at the club without them.

Ronaldinho has refuted rumours that he could leave Barcelona in the summer after being linked to both Chelsea and Milan.
   The Brazilian superstar claims he has no intention of quitting the Catalan club, where he has enjoyed unrivalled success and is adamant that he is only focused on winning more trophies at Camp Nou.
   Despite not wanting to move, Ronaldinho admitted he is flattered that Chelsea are watching and had some kind words for the reigning Premiership champions.
   ‘It is a great club and it is always good to know that your work is being seen and that people appreciate it,’ he said.
   ‘But the only thing I am thinking about is Barca and I want to do everything I can to continue to help the team.’
   Speculation in Italy continues to link the former Paris Saint Germain playmaker with a move to Milan, but he reiterated his claim that he is enjoying life with the Blaugrana.
   ‘Now I am only focusing on Barca because I am very happy here,’ he continued. ‘I have not considered playing for any other club and I want to finish the season like the last couple of seasons, playing well and winning titles.’
   The rumours have been growing as it has been stated in the Italian press that Milan are keen to link Ronaldinho up with Ronaldo, should they capture the striker from Real Madrid.
   But Ronaldinho is insistent that he has no plans to swap La Liga for Serie A. ‘Not at all, I have just said that my mind is only concentrated on Barcelona and the only thing I think about is staying here,’ he concluded.
   In recent weeks, Ronaldinho has become the target of some criticism as his form appears to have fallen away and pundits have blamed his lack of a rest last summer following World Cup exertions.
   Meanwhile, Barcelona finance chief Ferran Soriano has dropped a bombshell, admitting there’s no plans ‘in the short-term’ to renew Ronaldinho’s contract.
   Ronaldinho’s brother and agent, Roberto de Assis, has been keen to open new contract talks with Barca for over six months, seeking a restructure of image rights and financial terms for the Brazilian superstar.
   But Soriano admitted Thursday, ‘Ronaldinho has a contract with Barca until 2010. He is pleased with us and we also are with him. We have not spoken about his contract extension and we do not have any intention to do so in the short-term.’

Iyer, Kyra clinch BKSP tennis crowns
Iyer Venkat and Kyra Shroff of India clinched the boys’ and girls’ singles crowns of the fifth BKSP International Junior Tennis Tournament at the BKSP on Friday. Venkat defeated Jae Beom Kim of Korea 6-3, 6-2 to be the best among the boys while Kyra outplayed Nigora Sirojiddinova of Uzbekistan 6-3, 6-1 to be the queen of the girls. Brig M Nazib Hasan, the director general of the BKSP, handed over prizes among the winners.
— New Age

Robben to tie knot
Chelsea striker Arjen Robben is set to marry his high school sweetheart Bernadien Eillert in the northern Dutch city of Groningen on June 9, his father told the ANP news agency on Friday. The marriage will be a civil ceremony conducted in the city theatre of Groningen. The pair had already announced their plans to marry at the end of the football season in September last year, but had not settled on a date or a location.
— AFP

Wenger worried about Persie
Arsene Wenger has admitted that Arsenal may have to battle through the rest of the season without Dutch forward Robin van Persie. Van Persie has been a shining light for The Gunners this term, but he broke a bone in his foot when scoring Arsenal’s equaliser in the 2-1 win over Manchester United last Sunday. The club’s medical team have forecasted an eight-week recuperation period, but Wenger fears it could be April before Van Persie is ready to challenge for a place in the side. And Wenger admits that such a scenario would make life difficult for the 23-year-old to find peak form before the season draws to a close. ‘Ideally you would say six to eight weeks - but as well it could be 10,’ said Wenger. ‘That means April and you are close to the end of the season and you will need to get back to your best level. ‘I hope it will be six weeks - but that is really optimistic.’
— New Age Desk

Club offers themed funeral at final whistle
Die-hard fans of English soccer club Plymouth Argyle will soon be able to order a personalised funeral, complete with a decorated coffin and catering at the ground. The second division club, which has green and white as its colours, told Reuters on Friday it will be offering the themed farewell to fans with the help of a local funeral service. ‘With the items the Argyle Superstore has on offer for new-born babies, it shows that it is now really possible for people to show their support...from the cradle to the grave,’ said Michael Dunford, Plymouth Argyle chief executive in a statement. While some soccer fans settle for having their ashes scattered on the ground of their favourite club, Plymouth will offer their all-inclusive service from February 10, the date of their match against Sunderland. ‘There’s no better way to mark the passion in your or your loved ones’ life than a personalised funeral,’ the club said.
— Reuters/Bdnews24.com