Australia (542/5 dec and 210/2 dec) lead Sri Lanka (246 & 247/3) by 260 runs at stumps, day 4
   Australia require seven wickets and Sri Lanka 260 runs for a history-making win on what promises to be a compelling final day of the second cricket Test at Bellerive Oval here on Tuesday.
   The match, so much under Australia’s control, can be snatched away by the Sri Lankans, but they will have to defy history to achieve their come-from-behind win after a heavy defeat in the first Test.
   Australia set Sri Lanka 507 runs to win in five sessions. Only three teams in Test cricket history have scored beyond 400 runs for a fourth innings victory.
   It looked as though Brett Lee had undermined Sri Lanka’s hopes with two crucial wickets late on Monday’s fourth day.
   The pace spearhead lured Marvan Atapattu into a trap for his favoured hook shot and then bowled first-innings centurion Mahela Jayawardene next ball to put the Australians in the box seat.
   But a fluent century from Kumar Sangakkara, his 15th Test hundred, late in the day gave the Sri Lankans some hope of pulling off a stunning victory.
   The Australians are closing in on their 14th consecutive Test victory and are looking for another convincing win to wrap up the series 2-0 after an innings and 40-run win in Brisbane.
   ‘Hopefully, we can start tomorrow very well,’ Australian skipper Ricky Ponting said. ‘We’ve got the new ball only 10 overs away. It would be nice to get a wicket early with the old ball and then expose a new batsman to the new ball.
   ‘If we’re not good enough to win the game with 500 on the board and five sessions up our sleeve, then it wouldn’t matter how long we had.’
   At the close, Sangakkara was unbeaten on 109 in 292 minutes with Sanath Jayasuriya not out 33 in an unbroken 89-run stand. Sri Lanka were 247 for three.
   ‘You’ve got to be realistic, 507 is a massive ask but the direction in which we go to tomorrow is now basically up to us,’ Sangakkara said.
   ‘If we can get through to lunch without losing a wicket and depending on the amount of runs we get then things will get a lot clearer. We always go into the middle with a lot of belief.’
   Lee, Australia’s outstanding bowler of the two-match series with 14 wickets, broke Atapattu’s stubborn 143-run second-wicket partnership with Sangakkara.
   He set up Atapattu on 80 for the hook shot and the batsman hit the ball straight to the safe hands of Phil Jaques, positioned on the square leg boundary.
   Lee galloped down the pitch in elation when he bowled Jayawardene with his next ball with a reverse swinging delivery that collected off-stump and left the Sri Lankan skipper shaking his head in disbelief. Jayasuriya saw off Lee’s hat trick ball.
   Atapattu, 36, probably playing in his last Test for Sri Lanka after seeking a playing stint with a Sydney club, defied the Australian attack for 215 minutes, hitting nine fours off 164 balls.
   His partnership with Sangakkara had stabilised the innings on a benign pitch after opening partner Michael Vandort made a hash of a pull shot and dollied an easy catch for four before lunch.
   Sangakkara, who missed the Brisbane Test loss with a hamstring injury, reached his elegant century with a boundary off a full toss from out-of-sorts leg-spinner Stuart MacGill.
   Lee’s dismissal of Jayawardene was a huge one for Australia after the Sri Lankan skipper topscored with 104 in the first innings.
   Ponting, who remained unbeaten on 53 with Mike Hussey on 34, made the declaration 45 minutes before lunch, giving his bowlers just over five sessions to bowl out the Sri Lankans.
   The Sri Lankans will have to create history to win the Hobart Test.
   The world record fourth innings run chase for victory was 418 for seven by the West Indies against Australia in Antigua in May 2003.
   The highest winning run chase at Bellerive was Australia’s 369 for six against Pakistan in November 1999 — which ranks as the fourth highest in Test history.
   Opener Phil Jaques was the only Australian wicket to fall on Monday, caught on the point boundary by Vandort off Lasith Malinga for 68.

Australia’s second-innings’ declaration here Monday means Muttiah Muralitharan will not have the satisfaction of surpassing Shane Warne’s Test wicket record in the Aussie’s backyard.
   Australian skipper Ricky Ponting set Sri Lanka an improbable 507 runs to win the second Test in Hobart and square the two-match series after declaring his team’s second innings at 210 for two before lunch on Monday’s fourth day.
   Before the series Ponting expressed a desire for the off-spinner with the unusual action to leave Australia without overhauling Warne’s Test wicket-taking record of 708.
   Muralitharan will now chase the five wickets he needs to pass Warne’s record in this month’s home Test series against England.
   It has been a frustrating series for Muralitharan, who was mauled by the Australian batsmen and received only minimal support from his fellow bowlers.
   In his three bowling innings of the series the 35-year-old spinner took 2-170, 1-140 and 1-90, leaving him with 4-400 at a profligate cost of 100 runs a wicket.
   That contrasts with his 115-Test career bowling average of 21.77.
   ‘In Brisbane I thought I bowled well but the batsmen played well. Sometimes it happens,’ Muralitharan said.
   ‘You can’t do much else but put it in the right places. Some days it works. That’s the way a career goes.’
   Muralitharan was not the only Pakistan bowler to endure a disappointing time Down Under.
   Paceman Farveez Maharoof only bowled 23 overs and then sat out the remainder of the second Test with an ankle injury, while the other pacemen—Dilhara Fernando, Chaminda Vaas and Lasith Malinga—made little impression in the two Tests.
   The Australians amassed a total of 1,303 runs for the loss of 11 wickets in the two Tests — 118 runs per wicket.
   In Australia, Muralitharan has claimed 12 wickets overall for 905 runs in his five Tests at 75.42.
   ‘We played him very well,’ Ponting said after the first Test of Muralitharan.
   ‘I knew that if we played him well that we would go a long way to having our noses in front right the way through the series.’
   Second-innings centurion Kumar Sangakkara said Monday it wasn’t the end of the world for Muralitharan not to get the record in Australia.
   ‘We’ve always maintained that, if in the course of the Test series, Murali got to 708 that would be fantastic, that would probably be a perfect tour for us if we could have also won a game,’ Sangakkara said.
   ‘We’re disappointed for him, he’s disappointed himself, but it’s not the end of the world for Murali, he’s got many more years of Test cricket to go.
   ‘He’s got three Tests against England coming up so the record for him is a given.
   ‘Unfortunately, we couldn’t do it on Australian soil. That would have been the ideal way for him to achieve it but that’s the way the game goes.’
   After Muralitharan’s 1-140 in the first innings in Hobart, his captain Mahela Jayawardene spoke up for the star bowler.
   ‘It is a tough place to come here and perform, everyone knows that. Australia have been the number one team for the last 10 years,’ he said.
   ‘When you come here, you challenge yourself.
   ‘Murali has found it difficult to pick wickets up purely because these guys are playing good cricket and they do play him pretty well. But Murali has taken 700 wickets.
   ‘It doesn’t matter where he takes those wickets, that fact remains, so the due recognition for him will be given.’

Roger Federer and Pete Sampras are without doubt two of the greatest tennis players the world has ever seen, but they only ever faced each other once.
   All that will change this week when 12-time Grand Slam winner Federer plays his idol, who has 14 Grand Slams to his name, in three exhibition matches across Asia, starting in Seoul today.
   The Swiss ace should win hands-down given he is at the peak of his powers, lifting his fourth Masters Cup title on Sunday, and Sampras retired from the professional game in 2002.
   But the American legend has been working hard on getting back in shape and is unbeaten in three starts on the Jim Courier Outback Champions seniors tour, his first serious tennis since hanging up his racket.
   ‘I am up against a very big challenge,’ Sampras said Monday.
   ‘I’ve been stepping up my practice. Perhaps I am not quite as sharp as I used to be, but I think I can still be competitive. But I’ve got my hands full for sure.’
   How they shape up, and whether they will be taking it seriously, remains to be seen.
   Following Seoul, Federer and Sampras move to Kuala Lumpur on Thursday before ending up in Macau on Saturday.
   Tickets are selling fast, with fans relishing a rare chance to see two giants of the game on either side of the net.
   Lincoln Venancio, managing director of the Hong Kong-based promotor, Entertainment Group Limited, touts the showdowns as ‘a real once-in-a-life time opportunity.’
   ‘Some fans are comparing this classic to the Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier boxing match, to Pele and Maradona playing on the same football pitch or to Van Gogh and Picasso working on the one single painting,’ he said.
   Federer admits he is looking forward to the challenge.
   ‘It’s a great honour, but not easy at the same time,’ he said ‘People will be surprised how well he’s actually playing today.
   ‘It’s going to be difficult because I practiced with him in LA this year. He seemed to play very, very well. He’s still got the lethal forehand, the great slice and the great serve, you know, the fantastic movement and volleys.’
   Sampras won five US Open titles and two more at the Australian Open, but it was Wimbledon where he was unbeatable, lifting the trophy seven times.
   However, it was his failure to reach the top at the French Open that has kept the 36-year-old from being thought of as the best ever. Along with his Grand Slam success, Sampras held the world No. 1 ranking for a record 286 weeks, including a streak of 102 weeks that has now been bettered by Federer.
   In all, Sampras finished with 64 singles titles.
   Federer, 26, is fast catching up, currently sitting on 53 titles and, with time on his side, should surpass the American’s haul. The two met at competitive level only once in their careers, in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2001.
   Sampras has said he expects the Swiss to beat his 14 Grand Slam titles.
   ‘Roger’s well on his way to breaking every tennis record,’ he said. ‘Whether it’s 14, 16, 18 majors, it’s up to him. Who knows how far he can go?’

Kumar Sangakkara says a secure start to the final day could lead to a stunning victory for Sri Lanka over Australia in the second cricket Test at Bellerive Oval here on Tuesday.
    ‘You’ve got to be realistic that 507 is a massive ask but the direction in which we go tomorrow is now basically up to us,’ Sangakkara said.
   ‘If we can get through to lunch tomorrow without losing a wicket and depending on the amount of runs we get then things can get a lot clearer, but I don’t really want to be a soothsayer and say what will happen.
   ‘But we always go into the middle with a lot of belief and we try our best.’
   Sangakkara is on the crest of wave and is currently averaging 297 runs for the 2007 calendar year with 594 runs heading into Tuesday’s final day.
   ‘In this innings I was a bit more fluent than the first innings. In the first innings I was scratching around a bit, had a lot of luck in getting to 57 and then I was pretty cut up that I threw it away,’ Sangakkara said.
   ‘It was a lost opportunity to get more runs. Mahela (Jayawardene) showed everyone how to apply themselves and bat on that track.’
   Jayawardene played virtually a lone hand in the first innings with 104 out of a total of 246.
   ‘We know what we are up against so tomorrow is going to be one of those days where we come and we try to battle through an hour at a time and then start reassessing every time we get through a tough period,’ he said.
   ‘The bounce is just starting to get a bit lower and that’s going to be a bit of a concern for the batters, but other than that it’s pretty much playing a straight line.
   ‘They’ll probably bowl pretty good reverse swing at the end but if we can get through that batters coming in will be confident and back themselves to get runs on this track.’
   Sangakkara has confidence in the veteran Jayasuriya to play a major part in Sri Lanka’s crack at Test cricket history.
   ‘We just want him to keep batting and enjoy himself in the middle because we know that if he bats a session and a half, that takes an enormous amount of pressure off the rest of the team,’ he said.
   ‘He’s a guy who can just take attacks apart and games away single-handedly.’

South African Darryn Lifson will arrive in the capital today to finalise his deal as the new physiotherapist of the national cricket team, the BCB said on Monday.
   The 28-year-old Lifson had previously worked with the Pakistan team, Pakistan National Cricket Academy and the Sports Science Institute of South Africa. He was also the chief physio for Ajax Cape Town football team.
   The Tigers have been without a physio since Australian Paul Close ended his term in August.

AC Milan and Brazil playmaker Kaka has said he would vote for Cristiano Ronaldo if he could vote for the European footballer of the year.
   Kaka is hot favourite to win the award next month, handed out by magazine France Football, but believes Manchester United’s Portuguese winger deserves the accolade this year.
   ‘He is the best, not only for his technical ability but also for what he has done with Portugal,’ Kaka was quoted as saying in Italian media from Brazil on Sunday.
    Kaka, 25, also said he hoped to captain his country when Brazil host the 2014 World Cup.
   ‘In 2014 I will still be playing and it would be a marvellous experience to be captain of our national team,’ he said.
   However, one of Kaka’s main dreams lies away from soccer.
   ‘I would like to meet Michael Jordan. He has been the best basketball player of all time,’ he added.

Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria said he will target all India’s batsmen in the forthcoming Test series but getting the wicket that has eluded him so far—Sachin Tendulkar—would be a dream.
   ‘I have not dismissed Tendulkar and perhaps this will be the last time I will be up against him so I wish to get his wicket,’ Kaneria told AFP before leaving for India on Monday.
   Besides Kaneria, batsman Faisal Iqbal and paceman Mohammad Sami will join the Pakistan squad in India where the first of three Tests start in New Delhi from Thursday.
   Pakistan won the fifth and final one-day game by 31 runs Sunday at Jaipur but India clinched the series 3-2.
   Kaneria, 26, said playing against India was always a tough challenge.
   ‘India pose one of the biggest challenges for us, and playing against them in their own backyard is more challenging because they have world class batsmen like Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and many others,’ he said.
   The bubbly spinner has grabbed 31 wickets against India in eight Tests but has yet to dismiss Tendulkar.
   ‘He (Tendulkar) is a master and I came close to dismissing him in the 2005 series at Mohali. I thought it was a bat-pad but the umpire thought otherwise and his wicket eluded me.
   ‘The world knows how good a batsman Tendulkar is and it would be like an empty cupboard without his wicket so the first thing in all the innings would be to get his wicket and it’s always the key.’
   Kaneria said he would target all Indian batsmen with the ploy he usually unfolds against the archrivals.
   ‘Since you know Indians play leg-spin, well, you have to use a different ploy against them so I have that in my mind and I want to play my part as the main bowler and help Pakistan win the series,’ said Kaneria, only the second Hindu behind Anil Dalpat to play for Pakistan.
   Kaneria said scoring big would be the key to victory.
   ‘Since they have a very deep batting line-up the opposition needs to score big and then only you can pressurise India. If we score big then we can attack them like we did against them at Bangalore in 2005,’ said Kaneria, who has 208 wickets in 48 Tests.
   Pakistan squared the series 1-1 with a come-from-behind win at Bangalore in the third Test two years ago.
   Kaneria felt Pakistan will badly miss former captain Inzamam-ul Haq in the batting department.
   ‘Inzamam was like a big brother to every player and he infused a fighting spirit in the team so not only as captain but also as a key batsman he will be missed. But we now have Younis Khan and Mohammad Yousuf to shoulder our batting.’

The Dhaka Cricket Academy Under-17 team outplayed the national women’s team by 214 runs in a limited-overs practice match at the Jagannath Hall ground on Monday.
   Sent into bat, two half centuries from Al Ruman and Al Amin enabled Dhaka Cricket Academy to post 266-8 in 50 overs.
   Number three Al Ruman contributed 85 runs off 118 balls with five fours and three sixes while Al Amin also hammered 85 runs off 71 balls with eight fours and two sixes.
   Panna Ghosh grabbed two wickets for 48 runs while Shamima Akhter and Tithi Rani took one wicket apiece.
   In reply, the women’s team were dismissed for 52 in 28.5 overs. Only opener Sukhtara reached the double figures scoring 21.

The Bangladesh Under-19 cricket team start their Pakistan campaign with a four-day match in Karachi today.
   Bangladesh will travel to Hyderabad to play the first two of the five-match limited-overs series on November 26 and 28 at the Niaz Stadium.
   The third match will be held on December 2 at the Karachi DHA ground, the fourth at the Quaid-e-Azam Park (Steel Mills Karachi) on December 5 and the fifth and last match at the National Bank of Pakistan ground on December 7.

The organisers of the Friendship Cup football tournament are keen on staging event next February on a grander scale. They also hoped that the chief patron of the tournament the chairman of the National Sports Council General Moeen U Ahmed would take the leading role.
   ‘We are very hopeful that the meet will take place in February next year and are confident that it will be held on a broader scale. Furthermore, we strongly believe that the support of the NSC chairman will continue further,’ said Badal Roy, the secretary of the organising committee.
   On Sunday, the organisers postponed the five-team tournament, which was scheduled to kick off on November 28, on the advice of the NSC chairman in light of the devastating Cyclone ‘Sidr’.

The Bangladesh Football Federation on Monday sent a letter to the National Sports Council requesting it to hand over possession of the Arambagh ‘Balu Math’ to the federation immediately.
   The acting general secretary of the BFF, Monjur Hossain Malu, said, ‘The chairman of the NSC instructed us to send a letter elaborating all the details of the land and we acted accordingly. It is now the responsibility of the NSC to take necessary steps in this regard,’ said Malu.
   Meanwhile, Malaysia may be the new venue of the AFC Challenge Cup to be held from March 1-16 next year. The tournament was supposed to be hosted by Chinese Taipei but an AFC inspection committee found a lack of adequate facilities there to hold a tournament of such a calibre. The AFC will finalise the new venue within a few days.

Despite losing early wickets while chasing Pakistan’s 306 in the final one-dayer in Jaipur, India were in contention until the 36th over of the second innings. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh were once again batting fluently but an injury to Dhoni’s left ankle while turning for a second run halted their momentum. Yuvraj was out off the first ball after play resumed and the Indian challenge fizzled out.
   With the Test series beginning on November 22 in Delhi, Dhoni allayed concerns over his left ankle. ‘My foot is okay,’ he said at the post-match press conference. ‘There is not much swelling, and I hope it should be all right in a couple of days.’
   He said that the loss of wickets at the start - India were 62 for 4 at one stage - had created pressure on the middle order which was forced to play catch-up with a mounting asking rate.
   ‘We lost just too many wickets inside 15 overs. When the opposition scores more than 300, you need to maintain the run-rate for a successful chase. Pakistan’s fast bowlers bowled really well, and on a normal day we would not have played the kind of shots that we played today. With the asking rate soaring, it was almost an impossible task for the lower-order batsmen.’
   India adopted the four-bowler strategy with success in Gwalior, but in Jaipur the part-timers - Yuvraj and Virender Sehwag - went for 73 runs off ten overs during the middle overs and allowed Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Yousuf to build their 168-run stand for the fourth wicket.
   ‘That is one thing we need to decide,’ Dhoni said. ‘We had played with four bowlers and won matches while we’ve played with five bowlers and lost matches. The wicket [in Jaipur] was not helping the spinners as much, and they [Pakistan batsmen] capitalised in the middle overs. They never let the part-timers settle in.’
   As the teams gear up for the first Test in Delhi, Anil Kumble will take over the captaincy from Dhoni, a factor which Malik felt would work to Pakistan’s advantage.
   ‘I think India would be at a disadvantage, having a new captain who has to start afresh while I have been leading the side for quite a while. Though he [Kumble] is a great bowler I think we would start with an advantage.’
   Pakistan went into the final one-dayer in Jaipur with the aim of clinching a morale-boosting win and Malik said that the 31-run victory had done just that.
   ‘The win has lifted team morale and the dressing-room mood is upbeat. Though we lost the ODI series, we would go into the Tests at par with India.’

Fast bowler Steve Harmison will join his England team-mates in Sri Lanka today after proving his fitness by playing domestic cricket in South Africa.
   Harmison, who has not played international cricket since June because of a hernia problem, will be the 16th member of the touring squad for the three-Test series starting on December 1.
   The Durham paceman took 13 wickets in two matches for the Highveld Lions in South Africa and was cleared to play by England bowling coach Ottis Gibson.
   Harmison, 29, is expected to play one of the two three-day practice matches in Colombo before England head to the hill resort of Kandy for the first Test.
   The lanky, loose-limbed Harmison has taken 205 wickets in 54 Tests, but coach Peter Moores said the fast bowler will not be an automatic selection for the first of three back-to-back Tests.
   ‘Steve will be in the mix with everybody else for that first Test,’ said Moores.
   ‘Steve has proved he can bowl without breaking down and that he is bowling fit, so the next question is whether he is playing well enough to play for his country.
   ‘He has got to come here and get involved and it will be good to see where he is at. It will be good to see him bowl as it will be good to see Michael Vaughan have a bat.’
   Harmison will compete with Matthew Hoggard, Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad and James Anderson for the three likely fast bowling places up for grabs in the first Test.
   Anderson suffered a stiff back on Sunday and is being
   closely monitored by the team staff.
   ‘The physios feel it is an early twinge but we will be careful with it,’ said Moores.
   ‘They are expecting him to
   be better on Tuesday and to be able to take a part in this game but we will have to wait and see.’
   The first practice match against the Sri Lanka Cricket President’s XI will be played from Tuesday. The second match against the same opposition will be held from November 25-27.
   The Kandy Test ends on December 5.
   The second Test will be played in Colombo from December 9-13 and the third in Galle from December 18-22.

Former Australian batsman Darren Lehmann announced his retirement from first-class cricket here Monday.
   Lehmann, 37, told a press conference that injuries were the deciding factor in ending a 20-year playing career which yielded more 25,000 first-class runs for Australia, South Australia, Victoria and English county Yorkshire.
   He denied that he had been asked to quit by the South Australian Cricket Association and became emotional when mentioning the support of his wife Andrea and family during his press announcement.
   ‘I think I’m still playing well enough at this level, but the injuries are just getting too much, it’s getting harder to get out of bed in the morning to start with,’ Lehmann said.
   ‘I’m looking forward to it (retirement), looking forward to watching the boys play.’
   Lehmann scored 1,798 runs at 44.95 in 27 Tests for Australia and played in 117 one-day internationals.
   He is the most prolific
   run-getter in the history of Sheffield Shield cricket with 13,468 runs at 54.52 in 146 matches for Victoria and South Australia.

The England batsman, Kevin Pietersen, has revealed he turned down the lucrative opportunity to participate in the Indian Cricket League.
   The tournament has yet to be sanctioned by any of the world’s cricket boards, prompting India to form another tournament: the Indian Premier League which features the best domestic Twenty20 sides from around the world. Pietersen, though, has rejected them both for the time being.
   ‘I was approached with an offer to play in India and it was a very lucrative one - but I kicked it straight into touch,’ Pietersen told the News of the World. ‘It would be ridiculous for me to put my England career in jeopardy after all the work I have put in.
   ‘There may come a time when tournaments like this sit in with our schedule and if the authorities were happy for us to play we would have another look at it. But at the moment it’s a no-go area.’
   Pietersen revealed that he has been keeping a close eye on events in Australia, and has even ‘turned into an Australian fan’.
   ‘The Aussies are playing Sri Lanka in a Test series at present and could do us a real favour by knocking the Sri Lankans’ confidence before we play them,’ he said. ‘It would be great if their batsmen came into our three-Test series struggling for form.
   ‘After Australia, Sri Lanka is the hardest place in the world to win a Test series and anything Ricky Ponting and co could do to help us out will be appreciated - until we play them again!’

Spain’s captain Iker Casillas Monday leapt to the defence of manager Luis Aragones, who came in for some fierce criticism during the qualifying campaign for Euro 2008.
   ‘Luis is doing good things, you must let him work,’ goalkeeper Casillas told the sports newspaper AS.
   ‘At the moment, there is a very good feeling in the team and I hope that will continue at’ Euro 2008, said the Real Madrid player, who has 73 caps.
   ‘We are at a stage where we play better each time.’
   Spain qualified for Euro 2008, to be held in Switzerland and Austria in June, by beating Sweden 3-0 in Madrid on Saturday.
   ‘We are all very happy over the qualification for Euro 2008, but we cannot ease up, we must continue to work hard,’ said Casillas.
   The result gave Aragones something to smile about after a campaign that got off to a shaky start when, in their first three outings, they lost back-to-back matches in Northern Ireland and Sweden.
   ‘I didn’t enjoy the insults I received back then but I did expect them.
   ‘It comes with the job,’ he said after the match.

The chances of Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar meeting Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt in the latter’s prison cell in Pune appear remote as jail authorities are reportedly not keen on facilitating the visit.
   Reacting to reports that the Pakistani bowler, who is said to be an ardent fan of the actor, wanted to visit him, a top official said the Yerawada jail administration was not inclined to organising such a meeting. The official said jail administration saw no justification of such a visit.

The fourth day of the Goldsmith Inter Club Snooker saw three matches held at the Uttara Club on Monday.
   Riaz Hossain of Dhaka Club defeated Neazul Huq of Comilla Club by 3-0 frames, Ashfarul Islam of Dhaka Club outplayed M Nazrul Alam of Uttara Club by 3-2 frames and Abdul Nasir of Uttara Club trounced Mehedi Hasan Shakil of Comilla Club. Mostakur Rahman of Gulshan Club got a walkover against Umber Ali of Officers Club.

The third Monwar Smriti Kho Kho tournament, organised by the Bangladesh Kho Kho Federation, starts at the Paltan maidan kho kho court on November 30.
   Interested teams have been requested to register their names at the federation office by November 25. The tournament is named after former national kho kho player late Monwar Hossain.

The Dhaka School Football League resumes on November 30 with fourth round matches at four grounds across the capital.
   The third round of the league was completed in the last week of September before it was suspended due to Ramadan and the school final examinations.
   Jatrabari High School, Shahid Nabi High School, Haider Ali High School, Nidhu Smriti High School, Motijheel Govt Boys’ High School, Khilgaon Model High School, Motijheel Govt Primary School, Khilgaon High School, Ideal High School and College, Segunbagicha High School, Ali Ahmed High School and Sena Polli High School are the participating teams of the first school football league.

Rafa Benitez has ruled out leaving Liverpool for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. Speculation over the weekend suggested the Spaniard was top of the German side’s wanted list.
   But Benitez has laughed off rumours he was keen on the post, and told the Reds’ official website: ‘It’s always flattering to be linked with other big clubs because it must mean you are doing something right. ‘But even if I was approached I would tell whichever club it was that I’m really happy with my club, my squad, my supporters and my city. There are still many things which I want to do here so I am planning on being here for a long time.’

Qualifying for the European Championships was easy for Germany’s players – now things promise to get really serious.
   Germany coach Joachim Low warned Sunday he expects the battle to make the team that plays in Austria and Switzerland to be tough, considering just how many candidates he has at his disposal.
   Germany became the first to qualify for next year’s tournament a month ago with a 0-0 draw against Ireland, sailing through despite makeshift teams cobbled together because of injuries.
   A lot of young players have shined as Germany won with just a handful of regulars on the field. The team often lacked its entire World Cup midfield – Michael Ballack, Bernd Schneider, Torsten Frings and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
   ‘We expect all these players to be back next year – and then it will be a hot competition,’ Low said. ‘We just have a lot of players to choose from.’
   Germany has rotated players so often out of necessity that many credit an attack-oriented system first seen during a run to the World Cup semifinals. One strength has been plugging in new players without missing a beat.
   The young team has romped with a competition high 35 goals in European qualifying after leading the 2006 World Cup in that category. On Saturday, the team beat Cyprus 4-0 with nine World Cup players missing.
   ‘You could see how big our potential is because of our system,’ defender Per Mertesacker said. ‘We played with a different team for the umpteenth time and still were convincing. We know we can improve, but we have huge potential.’
   Germany will have to call up that potential to match the growing expectations. The home euphoria was on display when a record 45,000 people showed up for the team’s public training session ahead of the Cyprus match.
   Rudi Voeller believes the team has the potential to be as good as the 1990 World Cup champions, a team where he and Jurgen Klinsmann were the star forwards.
   Germany had only one stumble, a 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic in its last match, one so flat jeers erupted from the home crowd. The players blamed a letdown after a second-string team wrapped up European qualifying with the 0-0 draw against Ireland after a 2-1 win over England.
   The Cyprus win was seen as making amends for the Czech debacle, where the German’s exuberance on attack was a no-show.
   ‘I’m very happy the team showed the fans what they can do,’ German soccer president Theo Zwanziger said. ‘Naturally the European Championship will be a bigger challenge, but they’ll pull that off, too.’
   If Germany did win a fourth European title, the question is who will be in the midfield to celebrate.
   When Ballack and the others return, some of the players who carried the midfield load while they were injured will be bumped from the European squad. A short list includes VfB Stuttgart’s Thomas Hitzlsperger, Werder Bremen’s Clemens Fritz and Hamburg’s Piotr Trochowski.
   Fritz and Hitzlsperger scored goals against Cyprus, but they know they may need a lot more good games to be at the European Championship.
   ‘That’s the coach’s choice,’ Fritz said. ‘I’m just trying to have performances that recommend me.’

Frank Lampard last night promised England will rise to the occasion at Wembley and insisted it will send them to Euro 2008 believing they can go all of the way.
   Lampard promised England will hold their nerve in their final qualifier with Crostia on Wednesday night after revealing the ‘fantastic feeling’ within the squad after their amazing reprieve.
   But he admits: ‘There’s still a chance that the mood of the England crowd will change if we don’t get the result we want - that we need - against Croatia.
   ‘So we must be ready to take it and deal with it.’
   And Lampard says the rollercoaster ride through the qualifiers will have made Steve McClaren and his England players stronger after so nearly missing out.
   ‘There’s a fantastic feeling in the squad,’ said the Chelsea midfielder. ‘We know that the atmosphere on Wednesday night will be frightening. That will work in our favour, that will lift the lads.
   ‘Since I’ve been in the England squad, there’s always been a big game that qualification hinges on. We have always managed to do it and, hopefully, we will do it again.
   ‘We have always performed when it really matters. It is frustrating when you don’t perform in the games that don’t seem that big, but when the big games have come up we have tended to perform - especially in the ones that we have needed to qualify for major championships.
   ‘The atmosphere behind us will help and we have plenty of players who have experience, who we can rely on to perform. It would be a tremendous lift after everything, after all the criticism that has been thrown at the players and at the manager.
   ‘If we can come through it, we have to go to the championships with real confidence.
   ‘There have been times when England have qualified well for championships and got knocked out in the early stages. Maybe this time we might just sneak through and go even farther.’
   Lampard also backed Liverpool striker Crouch to deliver with the hopes of the nation resting firmly on his shoulders because of injuries to Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Emile Heskey. Crouch scored in England’s friendly in Austria on Friday night to take his tally to 13 goals in 23 caps for his country and he is the top scorer under McClaren.
   But Crouch may be asked to take even more responsibility on Wednesday because he could play a lone role with so many others missing.
   However, Lampard insists that Crouch will not be fazed by that as the Liverpool striker, like himself, has come through tough times.
   ‘I don’t think it’s a problem for Crouchy,’ Lampard told the Daily Mirror. ‘He thrives on that. His goals-to games ratio is fantastic.
   ‘He is a threat to anyone, particularly international teams who don’t know how to handle his abilities.
   ‘He is in a confident mood right now. He is scoring for fun now for England and for Liverpool and, hopefully, he can be the man who can produce the goals for us.’
   Crouch has been in and out of the team despite his goals record and it has been a similar story for Lampard after losing his place to Gareth Barry. Lampard has also had to endure being booed by the England fans after the fiasco of his injury in Andorra.
   There was a faint chorus of booing in Vienna on Friday from the travelling 4,000 England fans, but Lampard almost gained redemption when he was given the captain’s armband after Steven Gerrard was substituted.
   But Lampard says he will be stronger for the experience. He said: ‘It was difficult for me being on the outside for England because everyone wants to play.
   ‘As a footballer you know that in your career you will have slight ups and downs, but the strong man comes through it and continues doing what he does.
   ‘Since the last England game my form for Chelsea has been as good as it has ever been. I am hopeful of playing on Wednesday.
   ‘We all want to be on top of our game and we all want everything to be going well, but it is not the way life is.
   ‘I have spoken to many players who have been as successful as me, and more successful than me, who have had awkward times in their careers. The strong ones come through.’
   Lampard also revealed just how tricky it has been for the England team in the past week with everything riding on Israel beating Russia.
   Lampard added: ‘It has been a difficult week for us, but throughout we have been positive and the manager has been positive.
   ‘There is no point in being negative because results have gone in our favour and if we had been negative, we would not be in the right frame of mind to deal with it.’

Slaven Bilic’s son will be cheering for England when Croatia come to Wembley.
   Croatia boss Bilic dotes on 10-year-old Leo, who is always teasing his dad by supporting his rivals.
   But the youngster’s affection will be genuine on Wednesday night as the Three Lions look to secure the point that would take them to Euro 2008.
   Former West Ham and Everton star Bilic revealed Leo — a Chelsea fan — will be glued to the telly back home to watch the drama unfold.
   He told The Sun: ‘Deep in my mind my son is like me, a little Che Guevara, a rebel.
   ‘He adores me and I adore him but he’s always supporting my opponents to tease me. When I played for Everton he supported Liverpool.
   ‘He’s against me — although I know he was very proud when we beat England back in Zagreb.
   ‘He’s happy and really proud we are doing well with Croatia.’
   Bilic, 39, has warned England not to take qualification for granted as Croatia have been inspired by Israel’s triumph against Russia on Saturday.
   He added: ‘Make no mistake, we’re playing for no one — not for Russia or anyone.
   ‘I am praising Israel, who gave me hope not only for football or sport, but for life in general.
   ‘They showed everyone ‘You can’t buy me’.
   ‘I read in all the papers that Israel would allow the Russians to win. But they showed how the whole world should behave.That’s the way football should be played.’
   Having dominated Group E, the Croats lost their unbeaten record in Skopje on Saturday when they lost 2-0 to Macedonia.
   But they made it through to next summer’s finals thanks to the result in Tel Aviv.
   Bilic, however, is adamant his men will make amends at Wembley. He said: ‘We have to recover because the game in Skopje was physical.
   ‘But the pitch at Wembley is made for us.
   ‘Just playing there will make my lads motivated.
   ‘And, of course, we will be free to play our football knowing we have already qualified.’

Barcelona’s Portugal international Deco said Monday that every defeat for the club now becomes a new crisis.
   ‘When we have two or three good matches, the critics are good, sometimes too good, and when we lose one, it’s a crisis - we criticise the manager, some players too..,’ he told Barca TV, the club’s television channel.
   ‘But the criticism is normal, especially when the manager has been here a long time,’ said the Brazilian-born midfielder, who has been out injured for the past month.
   Manager Frank Rijkaard, in place since 2003, has been the target of fierce criticism since a 2-0 away defeat by Getafe in the league this month. But away from home, they have taken just six points.
   ‘We must be aware that in order to win the league, we must pick up points away from home,’ said Deco.
   He added his recovery from a thigh injury he picked up during a 3-1 defeat at Villarreal on October 20, is going well.
   ‘It’s true that I’ve had a good start to the season,’ the former FC Porto star said.
   ‘I was playing well, I felt good physically. Now I must get
   back and try to find the right level.’
   He also believes Manchester United are strong contenders to lift this year’s Champions League trophy.
   The Portugal international thinks Sir Alex Ferguson’s summer signings have done much to strengthen United’s campaign to succeed in Europe.
   Deco also reckons reigning champions AC Milan are always likely to be a threat, while he is intrigued to see how Arsenal’s youngsters cope with a testing European campaign.
   ‘United are strong,’ he told Champions magazine. ‘They have improved since last season with their new signings.
   ‘AC Milan are always the same. They seem dead in the water, seem to be playing badly
   but in the final stages they become too strong. And Real Madrid signed pretty wisely in the summer.
   ‘I am curious about Arsenal, to see if they can keep going until the end of the season. And we have to see what is to be of Chelsea.’

Portsmouth playmaker Niko Kranjcar has warned England that Croatia are looking to spoil their qualification party on Wednesday.
   Despite losing to Macedonia at the weekend, Israel’s defeat of Russia meant Croatia qualified for Euro 2008.
   England now only need a point against Croatia to beat Russia to the final qualifying spot from Group E, whilst victory will give Steve McClaren’s side top spot.
   However, Kranjcar insists Croatia are looking for nothing less than a victory.
   ‘We are going to Wembley to prove how good we are. That is what we want to do there,’ said the Pompey midfielder.
   ‘Wembley will suit us, we are much more comfortable when we have the ball and we will want to have a lot of possession.
   ‘It will suit the way we play and we want to send a message to the rest of Europe.’
   Kranjcar feels Croatia can take inspiration from Israel’s victory at the weekend.
   ‘We can get even more respect going into the finals if we be beat England again, and after the way Israel beat Russia we have to give our maximum too even though we have already qualified,’ he said.
   ‘They played with their hearts even though it meant nothing to them, we have the same obligation.
   ‘The whole qualifying tournament has proved that we have the quality to go to the finals and do well.
   ‘We expected to go through it all unbeaten. Unfortunately on a very muddy pitch [in Macedonia] we couldn’t do that.
   ‘But it’s always a great opportunity to play against a great nation like England and it allows us to prove what we can do in these finals; to show the whole world they can count on us there because we really believe we can do something.’
   A draw will suffice for England - but Kranjcar cannot see it ending all-square.
   ‘I can’t see this being a draw. English players can’t play for a draw,’ he said.
   ‘They showed that in Russia, they had a 1-0 lead and they were still going for a second goal.
   ‘I have been surprised by their results as they have such a good squad. They prove it week-in week-out in the Premier League and Champions League.
   ‘If we do lose 2-0 we will still qualify, but we will try to play our game - play the way we did when we beat England in Zagreb.’

Gianluigi Buffon is willing to bet on world champions Italy’s chances of winning the European Championships next summer.
   ‘Now there are quite a few months to go before the finals. The minimum objective is to get past the first round, but then we’ll see what happens,’ said the goalkeeper.
   ‘I am ready to bet on this squad, as it has everything needed to continue surprising everyone on the main stage.’
   The Azzurri booked their passage to Austria and Switzerland thanks to Saturday’s 2-1 victory in Scotland.
   The Scots have been highly critical of referee Mejuto Gonzalez and his assistants, but Buffon insists if anyone has cause for complaint it’s Italy.
   ‘We deserved this success, obviously. One would be foolish to suggest otherwise. In the second half we were under pressure and that was inevitable, seeing as Scotland had to win at all costs.
   ‘In my view we deserved to seal up the win in the first half, as Antonio Di Natale’s goal should not have been disallowed and the Scottish equaliser was offside. Never mind, we are accustomed to suffering and difficult situations don’t frighten us.’

Gennaro Gattuso believes Scotland will have to avoid Italy in next week’s World Cup qualifying draw to have any chance of ending their exile from the major tournaments.
   Alex McLeish’s men at least have the consolation of featuring in the second pot in next week’s draw in Durban but Gattuso warned: ‘It is important for Scotland to avoid playing Italy again in the World Cup.
   ‘We’ve knocked you out of two competitions which has meant Scotland haven’t played in the World Cup or Euro 2008.
   ‘Maybe if that changes and you don’t get Italy you’ll have a good chance of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup!’
   Scotland may have failed in their quest to qualify for Euro 2008 but can take some consolation from rocketing to 13th in the FIFA rankings throughout the course of the campaign.
   And, according to Gattuso, their amazing transformation is all down to having a Scottish coach - first Walter Smith, then McLeish - in charge of the national team.
   ‘I remember Scotland two years ago when Berti Vogts was the manager,’ the former Rangers star said. ‘Now Scotland are a different team with good young players so they have a good chance of qualifying for the World Cup.
   ‘When Walter came in he worked on the dressing room and changed the mentality.
   ‘For me it’s important that the manager comes from the same country and has the same mentality as his players. It’s the same with Italy. I remember when Walter left Rangers, Dick Advocaat came in and changed everything. It’s impossible. Whether you’re playing in Holland or Germany or Italy every nation has a different mentality.’
   Scotland’s dream of qualification ended in controversial circumstances after a dubious decision to award Italy a free-kick led to their last-minute winner.
   But Gattuso was philosophical about the manner in which the Italians earned their victory.
   He said: ‘Italy scored a second goal earlier in the match and it wasn’t given even though there was nothing wrong with it and Scotland’s equaliser was offside so these things balance out.

Construction workers have agreed to call off a strike at one of the stadia which is to host the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa, their union announced on Monday.
   ‘The strike has been called off with effect from today. The workers will report for work on Tuesday,’ spokesman of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Lesiba Seshoka, told AFP.
   Workers had downed tools at the Moses Mabhida stadium in the eastern coastal city of Durban on November 7 in a dispute over pay and conditions and the NUM had planned to widen the stoppage to the other nine stadia hosting the tournament.

Kaka scored a stunning 30-metre goal as Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw by a feisty Peru in Sunday’s World Cup qualifier.
   Kaka, who scored twice in last month’s 5-0 thrashing of Ecuador, was on target in the 40th minute to give Brazil the lead in the South American group match.
   Underdogs Peru hit back in the 71st minute when Juan Vargas scored with a deflected shot from outside the area, the first his team have scored in the group and the first conceded by Brazil.
   Brazil almost snatched a winner when Juan headed against the crossbar from a free kick in the last move of the game.
   Brazil have five points from three games, four points behind leaders Argentina, and Peru two after three games of the marathon, two-year qualifying campaign.
   ‘Our performances was very good in the first half but we dropped off in the second, when we lost a lot of balls in the midfield and they were able to hit us on the break,’ said Brazil coach Dunga. ‘Football depends on goals. There’s no point in creating chances if you don’t put them away.’
   Peru, who last qualified for the World Cup in 1982, subjected Brazil to some intense early pressure when Vargas went close with a low left-foot shot from outside the area while Jefferson Farfan fired over on the edge of the penalty area.
   Brazil weathered the storm and had a series of chances. Maicon headed wide from a free kick before Robinho had his shot charged down by Diego Penny. Vagner Love, who had won possession on the edge of the penalty area, then shot just wide of the post.
   Kaka, however, broke the deadlock in the 40th minute when he was found by Miniero and the AC Milan player’s dipping 30-metre shot swerved away from Penny’s reach.
   Kaka nearly added another two minutes later with a chip which Penny turned over.
   The second half got off to a slow start as Brazil tried to slow the game down and frustrate the hosts.
   Brazil were close to a second when Penny turned Ronaldinho’s free-kick around the post and saved another in a scramble following the resulting corner.
   Peru equalised in the 71st minute when Juan Vargas met a half clearance with a low left-foot shot from 25 metres which took a deflection off Lucio on its way into the goal.
   Farfan set up a clear chance for a Peru winner when he found Claudio Pizarro free on the edge of the area but the Chelsea striker’s first touch let him down and he lost the ball.
   Brazil finished on the attack and Juan, who had a superb game in defence, was foiled by the crossbar deep into injury time.
   While in the other match of the day, Marcelo Salas scored his first international goals for more than two years in Chile’s 2-2 away draw to Uruguay.
   Salas, Chile’s all-time leading scorer who was recalled to the squad in August, took his international tally to 37 goals after scoring twice in 11 minutes in Montevideo.
   The former Lazio and Juventus striker stopped playing altogether for the first half of the year after failing to negotiate a new contract with Universidad de Chile but rejoined the Santiago club in July to resume his career.
   Uruguay, who had taken the lead through Luis Suarez, snatched a point thanks to a late equaliser from Sebastian Abreu.
   Suarez gave Uruguay a 41st-minute lead after they had dominated the first half in Montevideo before Salas, who scored his last international goal in June 2005, sprang into action.
   He equalised by meeting Carlos Villanueva’s cross with a diving header in the 59th minute and converted a 70th-minute penalty after Matias Fernandez was bundled over by Uruguay captain Diego Lugano.
   Abreu salvaged a point for Uruguay with nine minutes left.
   Chile coach Marcelo Bielsa conceded his team did not deserve to win.
   ‘If we had won the match, it would not have coincided with what happened on the field of play, for which reason the point which we obtained was valuable to us,’ said the former Argentina coach.

Croatia sporting great Goran Ivanisevic has said the England football team will struggle to get the point they need to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals against his compatriots on Wednesday and do not deserve a place at next year’s tournament in Austria and Switzerland.
   Israel’s last gasp 2-1 win at home to Russia on Saturday means a draw for England in their final qualifying match against already-qualified Croatia at Wembley will be good enough to see Steve McClaren’s men through to the finals.
   But former tennis world number two Ivanisevic, who in 2001 became the only wildcard player to win the men’s singles title at Wimbledon, said Monday that Croatia would be up for the game.
   ‘England are not going to find it easy at all,’ said Ivanisevic.
   ‘We have a lot of good players. We have Eduardo who is playing for Arsenal, we have Niko Kranjcar, Darijo Srna, we have a good defence, good goalkeeper, Mladen Petric in attack and Luka Modric who is one of the best midfielders in the game.
   ‘England has Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole. They are two of my favourite players,’ said Ivanisevic.
   ‘The others don’t impress me at all,’ added the left-hander, who donned a Croatia football shirt when he returned home to a rapturous reception after beating Australia’s Pat Rafter in a five-set marathon in the Wimbledon final six years ago - his only Grand Slam singles title.
   Ivansevic, set to play in next month’s BlackRock Masters Tennis event at London’s Royal Albert Hall, added that England did not deserve to qualify, having lost to Croatia in Zagreb last year, Russia away, and having only drawn games against Macedonia and Israel.
   ‘I would like England to qualify but they don’t deserve it. They think they are better than they are, and they are not so good. It will be a good wake-up call for England if they do not qualify. It will make them realise that they are not so unbelievable.
   ‘In one way I would like England to qualify, but in another way I would like them not to, so that they have to stay at home a little bit.’
   Ivansievic, 36, famed for his powerful serve, retired from top-flight tennis in 2004. Last year, he lost in the final at the Royal Albert Hall to Dutchman Paul Haarhuis.
   The BlackRock tour continues in Sao Paulo this week from Thursday, and then moves on to London from December 4 to 9.

Steve McClaren has endured a rollercoaster spell in charge of England and he admits there is still one more white-knuckle ride to survive.
   Russia’s shock defeat in Israel on Saturday has given England an unexpected chance to qualify for Euro 2008 if they take a point against Croatia in their final Group E fixture at Wembley on Wednesday.
   It should be simple enough. But McClaren knows from experience that he can’t afford to let his players get complacent and he will send out a team with the aim of winning the game rather than just holding on for a draw.
   ‘It’s not in England’s nature to go and play for a draw,’ he said. ‘We’re in the driving seat. It’s up to us to make sure we finish the job off.
   ‘Whatever the formation is going to be, we have to be positive and go out to win the game.
   ‘That is what we’ve been doing in the second half of the campaign. That has got us results and we must continue that.
   ‘This is the last game. There are no excuses. We have got ourselves in this position and we have to get the job done.’
   McClaren has called up Darren Bent to replace Michael Owen, who is out with the thigh strain he sustained in Friday’s friendly win against Austria. Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves is also back in the squad after recovering from tendonitis.
   In an effort to keep morale high in the squad, McClaren will ask the injured and suspended players including Owen, John Terry, Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville and Rio Ferdinand to come to Wembley as well to lend their support.
   England are odds-on to make it to Austria and Switzerland but memories of their nail-biting World Cup qualifier against Greece in 2001 will ensure McClaren takes nothing for granted.
   Even though Greece were already eliminated, it took a last minute David Beckham free-kick to book England’s place in the finals.
   McClaren said, ‘It’s not a forgone conclusion. Croatia have qualified and they are a good team when they are relaxed.
   ‘I remember the Greece game. I was on the bench. We needed a draw and Greece had nothing to play for.
   ‘That was another one of those nerve-wracking moments you never forget. Beckham’s free-kick with the last kick in injury-time enabled to go through. I hope it doesn’t come to that but that’s how dangerous Croatia can be on Wednesday.
   ‘That is the first thing I am going to stress to the players. Quite a few of them are still here so they know.’
   It was nerve-wracking enough on Saturday night for McClaren. He started to watch the Israel match with his family at England’s hotel just outside London, but the tension proved too much and he ended up locking himself in the bathroom to escape the agony.
   Kevin Keegan, one of McClaren’s England predecessors, had resigned in the Wembley toilets after a defeat against Germany, but McClaren’s fate took a turn for the better after his trip to the bathroom.
   He came back into the room when he heard the jubilant shouts from his two sons as Israel scored their last-minute winner.
   ‘I actually slipped off to the bathroom. I couldn’t watch the last 10 minutes,’ he said.
   ‘My boys had a big cheer when Israel scored their second goal. I thought it was the end of the game, so imagine my delight when I found the game wasn’t over and it was 2-1.
   ‘I can’t believe the whole nation actually sat through 95 minutes. I don’t know how they could. It was too tense but it wasn’t about the game, it was about the result.’
   McClaren is likely to stiffen his midfield by picking Hargreaves on Wednesday and has to decide whether to keep faith with goalkeeper Paul Robinson or give Scott Carson a second successive appearance.

Roberto Donadoni said Sunday that his dream was to emulate the winning mentality of the great AC Milan team of 1989-90 after guiding Italy to the Euro 2008 finals.
   The reigning world champions beat Scotland 2-1 in Glasgow thanks to an injury-time header from Christian Panucci to book their ticket to Austria and Switzerland. And Donadoni, the much-maligned coach who inherited the unenviable task of taking over the national team reins from Marcelo Lippi after the former Juventus boss guided the Azzurri to the World Cup title in Germany last year, now wants to install mental strength in his team.
   Donadoni was a right-winger in the AC Milan team that won two successive European Cups and boasted a formidable Dutch trio in Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco Van Basten, as well as Italy legend Paolo Maldini.
   Now he wants to take what he learnt under the likes of Arrigo Sacchi and transfer it to the national team.
   But he knows he has a tough task ahead.
   ‘I imagine the European Championships will be no easier than the World Cup. We are going there with one sole ambition: to play to win,’ he told a press conference in Milan.
   ‘It was always my mentality to go for the biggest result when stepping onto the field of play.
   ‘It’s my dream to create a squad with a winners’ mentality, capable of achieving great things. Like my Milan.’
   Donadoni’s Italy career had been fraught until Saturday night following a miserable start to the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, in which the world champions took just one point from their opening two games.
   An embarrassing home draw against Lithuania and a comprehensive 3-1 defeat in France had the Italian hacks sharpening their knives even before Donadoni had a chance to find his feet in his new job.
   Although Italy recovered to propel themselves back into contention in a tough group that also included Ukraine, a friendly defeat against Hungary earlier this year once again saw the heat turn up on Donadoni.
   But now that he has ploughed through the minefield unscathed, he can look forward to a calm winter until the pressure mounts again next summer.
   Donadoni also turned his attentions to claims that his side are at their best when their backs are up against the wall.
   It is becoming a common theme in Italian football that sporting success follows an unsavoury incident.
   Italy won the World Cup in 1982 following the fall-out from the Totonero scandal, last year a match-fixing scandal could not stop the Azzurri claiming a fourth world crown and even the fatal shooting of a football fan following hooligan violence last weekend could not prevent Italy qualifying for Euro 2008.
   ‘I’m really tired of hearing people say that Italy play better in desperate situations,’ said Donadoni.
   ‘It honestly annoys me. We should not be having these discussions, we have to think about improving everything, we should not be waiting for a death or a massive inquiry – it’s not right to label it an Italian thing.’
   Just as the press had done earlier in the day, Donadoni also paid tribute to Scotland’s loyal fanbase, pointing out the difference in cultures between the Britons and the Italians in the face of adversity.
   ‘I saw 50,000 people celebrating and singing, and after being eliminated, when I went outside the stadium I saw everyone in the streets. Maybe they were drunk but they weren’t smashing windows or burning cars. Even the 2,000 Italian fans in Glasgow behaved impeccably. That’s the way it should always be.
   ‘Instead, when we return to Italy, we fall back into our (bad) old ways.’

Raymond Domenech revealed on Sunday that he has already laid out the strategy which he hopes will ensure success for France in Euro 2008.
   France, the 1998 World Cup winners and 2000 European champions, booked their spot in next year’s final in Switzerland and Austria on Saturday thanks to Italy’s injury-time victory over Scotland in Glasgow.
   And Domenech said that he would use the strategy he used to lead France to last year’s World Cup final for their Euro campaign after being knocked out of the 2004 tournament in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Greece.
   ‘This morning we greeted each other with a big smile, it’s a quiet happiness. At midday we all drank champagne together. I think that it was necessary to mark the occasion,’ said Domenech who becomes the first French coach to lead his country to two successive major tournaments.
   ‘I would prefer to be the first coach to have won twice. It’s only normal that French football participates in all the big competitions once every two years.
   ‘My aim is to win the final (Euro 2008), it’s what everyone dreams of.’
   Domenech said that the battle for places would now begin as he continued to rebuild the team from the 1998 World Cup-winning side.
   ‘Those from 1998 will have to stop one day. The renewal is in the process of happening. We’re like in 1996-98. Players arrive, need to play matches and big competitions to replace one day those who are there.
   ‘We’re still a work in progress. Now we have to organise ourselves to be the best possible for the European championships.
   ‘I’m not yet focused on the 23, but that will come soon. It will depend on each match they play with the national side or their club.
   ‘The logic for qualification and the logic for the final is not the same thing.’
   Domenech said that he would be looking to learn from their mistakes in Euro 2004 to ensure success this time.
   ‘We’re never safe from disaster, a bad competition. You have to remember what happened in order not to reproduce the same mistakes.
   ‘I wasn’t there in 2004 but I have the elements.
   ‘And I have the elements on why it worked in 1998 which I have used.’
   One rival Domenech said that France will be hoping to avoid in the group stages will be world champions Italy.
   ‘One group risks being complicated, that against Italy. But we won’t know that until December 2 (the draw) and we’ll take what we’ll get.’

Scotland coach Alex McLeish has vowed to stay in his job despite the crushing 1-2 home defeat to Italy on Saturday that doomed his side’s hopes of qualifying for Euro 2008.
   McLeish has indicated his desire to one day coach in the English Premier League but for the moment he insists he is happy where he is.
   ‘I am happy in the job just now. I enjoy working with the players and the backroom staff,’ he said. ‘But you know how football is - it’s the type of business where you can never say it is going to be a definite.
   ‘At the moment I am very much committed to Scotland. I don’t think this is the time to talk about that stuff.’
   Asked what would happen if he received a club offer on the back of Scotland’s success, McLeish added: ‘I don’t think this is the day to talk about that.
   ‘I’m gutted for my players, and for my staff, and for Scotland.’
    McLeish has revealed that some members of the squad were inconsolable in the dressing room afterwards.
   ‘Their heads were down but they really appreciated the fans’ appreciation of them,’ he said.
   ‘It’s human nature to be totally disappointed after a defeat like this, and some of the players could hardly talk after it, they were so disappointed.
   ‘But I’m afraid we have to be absolutely brilliant against the Italians, rather than just very good.
   ‘We move on right away. We’ve got a B game in midweek against the Republic of Ireland and we took that game on because we are looking to the future.’
   ‘Therein lies the next challenge,’ said McLeish.
   ‘We will now become a scalp for the nations seeded below us in the FIFA rankings.
   ‘But we know that, so long as we keep this team spirit and work ethic, and keep these players at our disposal, then we will have a good chance. I’m not planning on wholesale changes for the new campaign. I’ll wait and see and hear what the older lads think.
   ‘I don’t think we are going to think of writing anybody off at all. There is such great experience in the ranks as well as our youthful exuberance.’

Nemanja Vidic is at the centre of a delicate club versus country tug-of-war following the second postponement of Serbia’s European Championship qualifier with Kazakhstan.
   Continuing heavy snow in Belgrade meant the game, originally supposed to be played on Saturday, was again called off and rearranged for next weekend at a venue and time that is still to be decided by UEFA.
   With Serbia still having a chance, even if it is a very slim one, of reaching next summer’s finals, Vidic’s presence will no doubt be required by his country.
   However, Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson would also like Vidic in his squad for Saturday’s Barclays Premier League trip to Bolton.
   Much may depend on the outcome of Wednesday’s matches as, if Portugal collect a point from their final game against Finland, or Serbia fail to overcome already-qualified Poland, they will be out, which may mean a United request to release Vidic will be looked upon rather more sympathetically.

Tal Ben-Haim revealed how he was bombarded with text messages from Chelsea’s delirious England stars. Blues’ England skipper John Terry plus Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and Wayne Bridge even sent some during Israel’s epic win.
   Defender Ben-Haim switched on his phone after helping his country seal the win which puts England back in the box seat to qualify for Euro 2008. He told The sun: ‘Of course I have had some texts from John Terry, Frank Lampard — all of them.
   ‘I don’t want to say what was in them but the English players are very committed to your country as well. Now it is up to them.’
   Ben-Haim checked the time of the messages and noted his pals were keeping the airwaves busy while he was putting in a stirring performance at the heart of defence.
   Relieved FA officials also sent messages to their Israeli counterparts after the match.
   Israel midfielder Tamir Cohen, whose dad Avi played for Liverpool and is a huge England fan, said: ‘I am sure my father is very, very happy at this result.
   ‘I am sure he wants England to go to the Euro. Now we go home, drink a few beers. We have another game on Wednesday. This is the way we need to continue in the next campaign. I’m so happy. Now it depends on England.’
   Cohen, 23, plays for Israeli team Maccabi Netanya but has been tipped to follow in his dad’s footsteps and play in England. He said: ‘I hope in the future I’ll be there in England. My sister was born in Liverpool and my whole family are Liverpool fans.’

German referee Markus Merk has described the age limit that is about to force him into international retirement as discriminatory.
   Merk, 45, is already at the upper limit for FIFA referees and he will no longer be eligible for international matches after this year.
   That means his 50th international match in charge, between Norway and Turkey in Euro 2008 qualifying on Saturday, was almost certainly his last.
   ‘There shouldn’t be an age limit,’ Merk, twice FIFA’s referee of the year, said in an interview with Kicker magazine on Monday.
   ‘I could pass the current physical test twice in succession I’m so fit. I feel the strict age limit is discrimination.’
   A FIFA spokesman said on Monday there were no plans to change the age limit.