The Bangladesh Cricket Board is set to appoint the new chief executive officer on Wednesday when the executive committee meets at the Navana Tower in Gulshan.
   The BCB has shortlisted six candidates out of 29 applications they received for the coveted post. The candidates included three former cricketers Manjur Ahmed, Mainul Haque and Tariquzzaman Munir.
   The term of the present CEO Mahmudur Rahman will end in February.
   Sources within the BCB said Manjur, elder brother of the former national cricketer Nasir Ahmed and a former wicketkeeper-cum opening batsman of Mohammedan, is the frontrunner for the post, though the two other former cricketers have strong backing.
   Mainul is being backed by Syed Ashraful Haque, the former general-secretary of the BCB and currently the CEO of Asian Cricket Council while Tariquzzaman has been endorsed by Abahani, the club with strong influence in the BCB.
   The BCB have formed a four-member committee comprising Syed Fahim Munaim, Shafiqur Rahman Munna, Mirza Salman Ispahani and Gazi Ashraf Hossain, who could end up with Majur simply because of his experience.
   The former cricketer is currently working as the chief executive officer of the Brunei Cricket Association.
   The BCB is expected to appoint a new manager for the national cricket team. Two candidates had been interviewed for the post including former national captain Shafiqul Haq Heera.
   It is also likely to discuss the outcome of the recent negotiations with Nimbus Sports International, which won the marketing rights of the BCB up to 2012, but is yet to sign any long-term contract.

Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik on Tuesday denied claims by an Indian family that he married their daughter, saying the chapter closed after disagreement between both families.
   Malik’s reaction came after the woman’s father Mohammad Ahmed Siddiqui, last week claimed Malik married his daughter Ayesha five years ago.
   ‘I liked Ayesha and I told my family about that. Elders of both the families discussed the matter but the chapter got closed after they couldn’t agree on certain things,’ Malik told a press conference.
   Malik, who was appointed Pakistan captain in April last year, was accompanied by his sister’s husband at the crowded press conference.
   Malik said he never cheated on the girl.
   ‘I can never think of cheating a girl and since it was something which disturbed me I am here to clarify the matter,’ said Malik, 26.
   The woman’s father said in a statement last week that the marriage ceremony with Malik took place on June 3, 2002.
   ‘We also have the proof and will move the court if Malik does not get divorce which is needed to help my daughter start a new life,’ Siddiqui said in the statement. Malik’s brother-in-law, Imran, said if the Indian family take the issue to court they will fight the case.
   ‘It was their family who cheated on us. The girl sent someone else’s photographs to Malik which was cheating, so if they move the court we can also go to India and fight the case because we are in the right.
   ‘When we saw the girl in... 2005 we were left aghast and at that time we decided not to carry on.’

The second match in the triangular one-day cricket series was abandoned here on Tuesday when heavy rain meant Sri Lanka were unable to take the field in pursuit of India’s total of 267 for four.
   The rain started as players left the field after India’s innings and did not stop, ensuring Tuesday’s match suffered the same fate as Sunday’s tri series opener between Australia and India here.
   Earlier a magnificent century from Gautam Gambhir and an unbeaten 88 from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni led an Indian recovery.
   India finished on 267 after at one stage slumping to 83-4, losing three wickets for just three runs.
   Gambhir made an unbeaten 102 from 101 balls and Dhoni 88 from 95 deliveries with a mixture of aggressive stroke play and delightful touches to frustrate the Sri Lankans, who at one stage were eyeing an Indian total of less than 220.
   Gambhir brought up his century in the last over of the innings when Dhoni stole a quick single to get him on strike.
   But he said he was never thinking of the triple figures.
   ‘A century was never on my mind—it was more important that the team should win,’ Gambhit said.
   ‘That’s what I told Dhoni—it was more important that he hits the ball well (than getting me on strike).’
   Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat, but with the match starting in high humidity and overcast skies his decision appeared to be a gamble.
   But the ball didn’t swing early on and Indian openers Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar were untroubled as they took the score to 68.
   Tendulkar brought up a remarkable milestone when he snatched a quick single from the bowling of Chaminda Vaas to move to 28 and bring up his 16,000th run in one-day internationals.
   ‘He’s a legend—he’s the greatest batsman India has ever produced,’ Gambhit said.
   ‘To get 16,000 runs in one-day cricket—it’s just incredible. Only a genius can do these things, and he’s a genius.’
   But on 35 Lasith Malinga got the vital breakthrough when Tendulkar chopped the ball onto his stumps.
   Sehwag (33) was out shortly after when he gloved a ball down the leg side to wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara, giving an impressive Ishara Amerasinghe his first wicket in one-day internationals in his second match.
   Sangakkara will be rueing a crucial miss when he dropped Gambhir off Amerasinghe when the Indian had scored only 11, spilling a difficult diving chance in front of first slip.
   Sri Lanka replaced an out-of-sorts Vaas with celebrated off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and enjoyed immediate dividends when he struck twice, dismissing Yuvraj (2) caught at first slip and two balls later Rohit Sharma for a duck caught behind.
   Sharma risked attracting the wrath of the referee when he stood his ground, visibly upset with the decision by umpire Rudi Koertzen.
   After weathering the storm, Dhoni and Gambhir exploded in the last 10 overs and smashed the ball to all parts of the large Gabba ground.

England drew first blood in their cricket tour of New Zealand when they comfortably won the opening Twenty20 match by 32 runs.
   Sent into bat first, England cracked 185 for eight on an ideal batting track and then had New Zealand all out in their final over for 152.
   But for the heroics of Jacob Oram, who clubbed 61, the match could have finished much earlier as the New Zealand batting crumbled in the face of a well-performed England attack.
   Apart from losing the toss and seeing New Zealand fast bowler Chris Martin take two early wickets, England were always in control with all-rounder Dmitri Mascarenhas proving too much for the hosts with bat and ball.
   He arrived at the crease when the England batting momentum was slowing towards eight an over after a brisk start, and belted 31 from 14 balls including four
   successive sixes off spinner Jetan Patel.
   New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum had inexplicably given Patel the ball, replacing debutant Jesse Ryder who had taken the wicket of Owais Shah and conceded only two runs in his sole over.
   Patel had the last word when he caught Mascarenhas off Kyle Mills in the following over but by then the England run-scoring tempo was back around a formidable 10 an over.
   Kevin Pietersen top-scored with 43 off 23 balls before being neatly caught by a diving Ross Taylor at cover.
   New Zealand were tight in the field, conceding just
   two extras, but only Martin seriously threatened with the ball taking two for 34 off his four overs.
   Mills finished with two for 43 but his wickets came in the closing slog.
   Following his batting exploits, Mascarenhas then tied up the New Zealand batsmen with his medium pace deliveries taking two for 19 from four overs, while left-armer Ryan Sidebottom finished with three for 16.
   Mascarenhas also contributed to the run-out of New Zealand’s second highest scorer Ryder as the home side’s top order crumbled to six for 70 in the 10th over.
   Oram’s late fireworks, which saw him smack seven fours and two sixes, merely delayed the inevitable.
   The only other batsmen to reach double figures were Ryder, who compiled 22, and Mills with a late 11.
   The second Twenty20 game is in Christchurch on Thursday with the first of five one-dayers in Wellington on Saturday.
   New Zealand and England play three Tests next month.

Indian tennis star Sania Mirza’s decision not to play in home tournaments this year because of off-court rows has left fans and officials shell-shocked.
   Mirza opted out of India’s richest tennis event, the 600,000-dollar WTA Bangalore Open from March 3-9, telling reporters she was finding it tough to deal with the controversies.
   The 21-year-old, a Muslim, has been criticised in the past by Islamist groups for wearing short skirts on court, and recently was taken to court after media photographs showed her bare feet resting near the Indian flag.
   Mirza, Asia’s highest-ranked player at number 29, revealed before last month’s Australian Open she had considered quitting the game because of the controversies.
   Former Davis Cup player Vishal Uppal said he was surprised at Mirza’s reason to avoid the Bangalore Open.
   ‘She said she did it to avoid controversies, but I think she has created another controversy by opting out,’ said Uppal.
   A tennis official, who declined to be named, said he suspected business rivalry may have played a role.
   Mirza is managed by doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi’s company Globosport, which runs the rival WTA Sunfest Open in Kolkata in September.
   ‘It could be injury, a business decision or anything,’ the official said. ‘But it’s a big loss for the Indian tennis fan.’
   Vijay Amritraj, India’s best-known tennis player, said he was shocked at Mirza’s decision.
   ‘I am dumbfounded,’ he said. ‘She is such a fine player. She is the best not just at home but in the whole of Asia. In my time, to play in India was such a big thing.’
   Former Davis Cup coach Akhtar Ali said it was a ‘sad day for Indian tennis.’
   ‘That something like this should happen to a dedicated professional like Sania is extremely unfortunate,’ he said.
   ‘She has become the victim of politics. She has done so much for this country, single-handedly catapulting ladies’ tennis on to the world stage. She has finally given in to the pressure.’
   Bhupathi, who partnered Mirza to the mixed-doubles final at the Australian Open, said she may play in India in future.
   ‘It is not a permanent decision,’ Bhupathi said. ‘It is only this year she will not play in India.
   ‘She has really been pained by all that has happened in the last few months. It is really unfortunate. We want that she should have the right frame of mind when playing in tournaments.’
   Mirza had told reporters on Monday that he had been ‘advised by my manager not to play because a lot has been happening in the past few months.’
   ‘Every time I have played in India, there has been some kind of problem. So we just thought it was better not to play this time,’ she said.
   ‘It is not an extreme reaction. The controversies have been going on for a long time. It is not easy to deal with such stuff.
   ‘I have gone through great lows in the last few weeks. It has been difficult to stay focused.’
   With Mirza opting out, the focus at the Bangalore Open will be on Venus and Serena Williams, who are due to make their first appearance on Indian soil.

Team A prevailed over Team C by three wickets in the fifth warm-up match at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Tuesday, with former national skipper Habibul Bashar scoring the only half-century from either side.
   Opting to bat first, Team C led by Sakib al Hasan, were all out for 134 from the fiery bowling of Mosharraf Hossain and Mohammad Ashraful, who returned with 4-24 and 3-26 respectively.
   Former national captain Khaled Mashud was unbeaten on 38 for Team C while, Rajin Saleh made 29.
   Despite having a paltry target, coach Jamie Siddons asked Team A to score at least 200 runs in the stipulated 45 overs, but they failed do so. They made 137-3 in 42.4 overs to return on a winning note.
   Opening the innings, Habibul Bashar made 50 off 80 balls before he was run out. Mehrab Hossain and Mushfiqur Rahim were the other two significant run-getters with 28 not out and 24.
   Enamul Haque captured three wickets for Team C. Syed Rasel bowled five overs to claim 1-8, playing his first match in the six-match series Team C will face Team B in the last warm-up match today.

The fourth and series-decider one-day match between the Bangladesh and West Indies Under-19 teams will be played today at the Fatullah Stadium.
   Earlier, the Junior Tigers, which conceded a 73-run defeat against the visitors in the second match at the BKSP, leveled the series by winning the third match by four wickets.
   The first match between the two teams was abandoned due to a wet outfield at BKSP.

Banani Bidya Niketon emerged champions in the Sunnydale fifth Mini Boys Handball Tournament beating Scholastica 7-4 in the final at the Bangabandhu National Stadium outer handball court on Tuesday.
   Banani Bidya Niketon led the first half 2-1.
   Earlier, on way to the final, Scholastica beat BIS by 8-4 goals in the day’s first semi-final while Banani Bidya Niketon crushed Play-Pen 18-3.
   In the third place decider match, Play-Pen beat BIS 7-6.
   After the final, Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association president Monjurul Haque distributed prizes among the winners as chief guest while Sunny Dale principal Tajin Ahmed was the special guest.
   Bangladesh Handball Federation general secretary Asaduzzaman Kohinoor and tournament committee secretary Mizanur Islam were present on the occasion.

Enayetnagar UP became champions defeating Kutubpur UP by 47 runs in the Narayanganj Sadar Upazilla Twenty20 Cricket Tournament held at the Fatullah Stadium on Tuesday.
   Winning the toss, Enayetnagar batted first and scored 169-9 in 20 overs. Shamol top scored with 58 and Sohag added 32. Mostafa and Bikram shared five wickets for the losing team.
   In reply, Kutubpur UP were dismissed for 122 in 17.3 overs after Shamol bagged 4-13. He was later named man-of-the-match.
   Treasurer of Narayanganj District Sports Association Khorshed Alam Nasir distributed prizes among the winners.

Grand Master Abdullah Al Rakib drew his match with fellow Ukrainian GM Yurriy Kuzubov (Rating-2606) in the third round of the International Chess Festival of Moscow on Monday.
   Rakib, who drew in 18 moves, has earned 2.5 points. But IM Enamul Hossain
   Rajib (Rating-2522) and FM Sk Nasir Ahmed (Rating-2379) had mixed results in the Russian capital.
   Rajib (Rating-2522) lost against GM Efimenko Zahar (Rating-2638) of Ukraine. He has collected 2 points. Nasir won his board Kaljaev Viacheslav of Russia to earn one point.

Two Bangladesh players Mazhar and Ranjan qualified for the second round in the main draw of the GrameenPhone Junior Tennis Championship at the Rajshahi Zafar Imam Tennis Complex on Tuesday.
   Mazhar booked his place beating India’s Pitthi Kwon 6-4, 6-3 while Ranjan defeated Shahbaz Khan 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. But there was no luck for three other local players who bowed out.
   Tanjimul lost 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 against India’s Jugol Marfathi, Romel lost 7-5, 6-2 to Man Singh of India while Robin suffered a straight set defeat against his Russian opponent.

England skipper Paul Collingwood said his team’s 32-run win over New Zealand in the first of two Twenty20 matches had been ‘massively important’.
   ‘We didn’t perform too well in the ICC World Twenty20,’ he said after a result which improved England’s record to four wins and eight losses in the format.
   ‘We could have got a few more runs but did a lot of good things and the bowlers were fantastic,’ he said.
   ‘It’s a really good, positive start to the tour but we have to keep that up.’
   England comfortably defended a total of 184-8 on a good batting wicket, with the Black Caps losing their final wicket in the last over.
   Dimitri Mascarenhas, who warmed up for the tour with a stint playing grade cricket in Perth, was man of the match.
   He smashed four sixes on the trot off Jeetan Patel’s off-breaks, and then sending down four accurate overs in which he took 2-19.
   Mascarenhas said: ‘It’s always good to hit a few sixes, it’s good fun, but more importantly it’s good to get out there and get some runs because I hadn’t had a bat yet on this tour.
   ‘It helped that there was such a short boundary and I said to Colly [Paul Collingwood] that whoever was bowling I was going to go after him. He told me to back myself and I did.
   ‘[Patel] bowled a few in the slot and they went out of the park.
   ‘I always try to get myself in and we’d pretty much blocked out a maiden the over before so we needed to get some runs.’
   Disappointed stand-in captain Brendon McCullum, leading New Zealand in the absence of injured skipper Daniel Vettori, said: ‘It didn’t go quite according to plan, but I think there’s some positives we can take out of it as well.
   ‘The way the young guys played on their debut was good and I’m sure they’ll learn a lot from their outing today.’
   Kevin Pietersen, who hammered 43 off 23 balls, added: ‘The guys are up for it. We’ve trained as hard as England ever have. We just want to get better as a team and as individuals.
   ‘As long as we keep performing as we have done and keep getting better then the sky’s the limit for this young side.’

AC Milan legend Paolo Maldino trumpeted his team’s return to form following their crucial 1-0 win at Fiorentina on Sunday.
   That victory moved the European champions to within four points of the Viola in the crucial fourth place and final Champions League qualification position.
   Milan got off to a terrible start in the league this season, failing to win in any of their first seven home matches and languishing in mid-table until the turn of the year.
   But inspired by four goals in six matches from new teeange forward Pato, who netted the winner in Florence 13 minutes from time, Milan have won five of their last six and are charging up the table, currently in fifth spot.
   ‘Finally we are starting to do what we should always be doing,’ said Maldini. ‘Unfortunately as far as the table is concerned we’ve been hit hard by the fact we went so long without winning at home, something which is really not like Milan.
   ‘Now we need to get back on our path, it’s just a shame that we lost three points against Atalanta.’
   That was the only match since the turn of the year that Milan failed to win, when they lost a 1-0 lead to go down 2-1. But other than that they have managed to mostly grind out results, winning 1-0 three times.
   Two of those were crucial victories against their direct rivals for fourth place, the other being Udinese, which is Milan’s current aim having long given up any hopes of catching bitter city rivals Inter Milan in the title race.
   But now they will have to do so without Pato, who damaged ankle ligaments against Fiorentina and could face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
   ‘I’m very worried about Pato because he has a very painful twisted ankle, which is a new feeling for him,’ added Maldini. ‘But I don’t think it is as serious as it would have been if it had been on the knee rather than the ankle. Therefore it’s not as bad as it looked on the field.
   ‘Now we need to keep doing well, we have to have big aims. Twenty days ago fourth place seemed like utopia. Soon the Champions League will start up again, which drains you physically and mentally. Our aim is to try to find more consistency in the league.’
   However Milan are facing something of an injury crisis up front with Ronaldo and Filippo Inzaghi already on the sidelines and now Pato and Kaka coming out of the Fiorentina match on the treatment table.
   To make matters worse, Milan’s only other forward Alberto Gilardino will be suspended for this weekend’s match against Siena. It’s a situation that has coach Carlo Ancelotti worried.
   ‘For Pato we have to wait 48 hours,’ said Ancelotti after the game. ‘Obviously the player feels pain but we have to wait and see. We hope it’s nothing serious.’ Ancelotti described his striking situation as an emergency.
   ‘At this time we have played a lot and have played some important matches from a physical and psychological perspective, always with the pressure on us to climb back up the table.
   ‘Now we have a week of trying to make the best of what we have, we’ll try to get some players back fit. Gilardino will be suspended against Siena. Ronaldo? We’ll see. He’s hoping to be fit to play.’

Ghana’s Sulley Muntari has proved an invaluable element in Ghana’s charge to the African Nations Cup semi-finals.
   The long ball specialist’s vision and two goal haul has helped take the hosts to just one step away from a shot at a record-equalling fifth title.
   He produced a trademark 25 yard strike in the last minute to earn the Black Stars’ a 2-1 opening win over Guinea and got the second in the 2-0 success against Morocco.
   And in Sunday’s quarter-final the player who was nominated as man of the match made the decisive pass for Junior Agogo to grab the injury time winner which knocked out bitter regional rivals Nigeria.
   Muntari went into Sunday’s game in good spirits after his Premiership club Portsmouth had earned a 1-1 draw with Chelsea 24 hours earlier, and the 2-1 win over the Super Eagles made it a weekend to remember.
   ‘I was in tears after the game yesterday I was so happy to win. It’s too early to say if we’ll win the Cup, we’ve got a big game first on Thursday, but if we pull it off...I’ll fly!’
   Looking back to Sunday’s well earned win he added: ‘It was very difficult for us, especially when our captain John Mensah was sent off.
   ‘But we all got together, we’re united as a group. We love each other very much, we respect each other and are dedicated to this tournament.
   ‘We want to give our all to our nation.’
   Much has been made of the pressure the hosts’ face each time they take to the pitch with Ghana, from President John Kuffour down to the street sellers outside the Ohene Djan stadium, willing the Black Stars on.
   ‘There’s a lot of expectation for us to do well,’ Muntari acknowledged.
   ‘We had the same thing in the World Cup in Germany two years ago.
   ‘There’s no half measure, we’re doing our best to make our supporters happy. That’s what we’re doing by winning games. The pressure may be on us, but we’re through to the semi-finals.
   ‘It was a great win against Nigeria, but that’s not our objective, our aim is to win the title.’
   One of his greatest fans is streetwise veteran coach Claude Le Roy who has said there’s no player like him in the world.

Rio Ferdinand is confident England’s fans will scrupuously respect a planned minute’s silence in memory of the Manchester United players who died in the Munich air crash, 50 years ago today.
   Fears that a section of England fans would disrupt the silence had led the Football Association to consider a minute’s applause instead, although that was ultimately deemed inappropriate given the nature of the events being commemorated.
   Ferdinand played down fears that hostility to Manchester United among some fans could prevent the minute’s silence from being properly observed before today’s friendly against Switzerland at Wembley.
   ‘I’m sure the fans will respect this,’ the defender said. ‘There were a lot of players who played for England in that tragedy, it is not just about Manchester United.
   ‘It is about English football and it will be a poignant moment. We have got fantastic fans and I’m sure they will pay their respects in the right way.’
   The minute’s silence at Wembley will be preceded by a day of remembrance at United’s Old Trafford ground, the centrepiece of which will be the unveiling of a free, permanent exhibition of the Busby Babes in the South Stand tunnel - to be renamed Munich Tunnel - on Wednesday.
   A memorial service will be conducted by the club chaplain to coincide with the time of crash at 3.04pm, followed by tributes to those who died.
   There will be another minute’s silence before the Manchester derby match on Sunday and United’s chief executive David Gill is confident that will pass off in an appropriately respectful manner.
   ‘In football there is always trepidation and it’s a very tribal game,’ Gill acknowledged. ‘That’s why we’ve worked on the communication and the explanations so we can honour it appropriately and respect it.
   ‘If you look back and see that 23 people lost their lives, of which eight were footballers in their early 20s by and large.
   ‘It’s a true tragedy for football so if you’re a football fan, as the fans coming through the gate will be, you should reflect on that and make sure that you behave appropriately.’
   United players will wear a 1950s-style kit, free from sponsorship and numbered one to 11. City are also planning to wear a special strip.
   One of the those killed was former City keeper Frank Swift who was working as a sports reporter at the time, and Gill pointed out the whole of Manchester was affected.
   He added: ‘We’ve been working closely with City and discussed it with them. Frank Swift was one of their greatest goalkeepers and we’ve talked to them about the plans for the day.
   ‘They’re aware of what we’re doing, for example with the kit, and they’re doing something special with their kit as well. We’ll be giving a memento to every fan, both United and City.
   ‘There are 3,000 City fans going through the gate on the day and we’re involving some of their former players on the day.
   ‘We’re working to ensure they remember that it wasn’t just Manchester United, it was the city of Manchester that was affected and it was the world of football that was affected.
   ‘We hope and believe that the minute’s silence will be observed appropriately.’

Indian batsman Rohit Sharma was fined for dissent after India’s one-day international cricket wash-out against Sri Lanka at the Gabba here Tuesday.
   Sharma was fined 10 percent of his match fee for standing his ground after being given out by South African umpire Rudi Koertzen, caught behind off the bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan.
   Replays indicated he appeared to miss a Muralitharan doosra by some margin.
   Sharma finally walked off shaking his head and looking with disgust at the replay on the big screen.

The position of Berti Vogts has been further weakened following Nigeria’s worst showing in the African Nations Cup for more than 25 years, according to a BBC internet site report on Tuesday.
   Nigeria’s 2-1 defeat to 10-man Ghana in the quarter-finals looks to have ended any backing coach Vogts had from Nigerian officials and his position will be discussed later this week.
   Former Nigeria captain Sunday Oliseh said the time was ripe for someone who fully understands the history of Nigerian football to take the reins.
   Oliseh told BBC Sport: ‘I think it’s time that those of us who have played at the highest level, it’s time we took charge because it is heartbreaking.’
   Oliseh was part of the Nigerian squad which won the tournament in 1994. ‘I have been asked if I would like the job and I think it is time that those of us who have the experience and have played a part in what Nigerian football is today, I think it’s time - the solution in our hands.’
   After Nigeria lost to Ghana, Nigerian Football Association chairman Sanni Lulu told BBC Sport: ‘The players tried their best and we (the NFA) did all we could, so there must only be one thing wrong.’

The fourth Late Abdul Quddus Smriti Badminton 2008 is going on at the Alochaya Cinema Hall premises in Panchagarh.
   The first and second quarter-finals were held on Monday. The other two quarter-finals will be held on February 12.
   Both the semi-finals will take place on February 13 and the final will be held the next day.
   A total of 48 teams are taking part in the tournament.
   On the concluding day, Panchagarh DC Mohammad Hafiz Uddin will be present as chief guest while Panchagarh police super Mohammad Harun-Ar-Rashid will be present as special guest.

Reigning champion FM Minhazuddin Ahmed Sagar took a solo lead in the table with maximum seven points in the 29th National Junior Chess Championship on Tuesday.
   Five players — Abdullah Al Saif, Shamima Akter Liza, Rezaul Islam Babu of Rajbari, Saimon Siddiqur Rahman and Shamsuddoha Shakin are sharing second position with 6 points each.
   In the seventh round, Sagar beat Saif, Liza beat Rakib Hasan, Babu beat Masum
   Hossain, Saimon beat Asahb Mollah, Shakin beat Arifur Rahman Shamrat.

The Islami Bank 28th National Badminton Championships, organised by the Bangladesh Badminton Federation, begins at the Wooden Floor Gymnasium today.

Amidst the memorial services to mark today’s 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster, for survivor Sir Bobby Charlton the memories of that fateful day are never far from his thoughts.
   At 1504 local time (1404GMT) today, exactly 50 years since BEA Elizabethan airliner G-ALZU crashed in heavy snow trying to take off from Munich airport, the 23 people in the diasaster who lost their lives will be remembered.
   Amongst the eight first-team players, plus 15 backroom staff and journalists who perished in Munich was England international Duncan Edwards, hailed as one of the greatest players of his generation.
   While the media focus will be on Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground where a day of memorial is planned, the survivors’ thoughts will be at the scene of the crash in southern Bavaria.
   Today, at 1430 (1330GMT) there will be a memorial service at the crash site in Trudering, Munich, where an English-speaking Catholic priest will conduct a religious ceremony.
   The names of the dead will be read out, along with the moving lyrics to The Flowers of Manchester, a song penned after the disaster as a tribute to the dead.
   For Sir Bobby, who was just 20 years old and was returning with the team after beating Red Star Belgrade to reach the European Cup’s semi-finals, his thoughts are sure to be in Munich where his life changed forever.
   ‘When we landed in Munich the weather was as bad as I had ever seen it,’ Charlton wrote in his autobiography My Manchester United Years.
   ‘By the third attempt at take-off, I was suddenly conscious of the silence inside the plane.
   ‘Outside, the snowy field flew by, but not quickly enough it seemed.
   ‘There was an awful noise, the grind of metal on metal. Then there was the void.
   ‘When I came to, I was on the ground, outside the wrecked plane, but still strapped into my seat.
   ‘I saw the bodies in the snow, though one small and passing mercy was that I didn’t recognise among the dead one of my closest friends, Eddie Colman.
   ‘I woke the next morning in a hospital ward and in a nearby bed was a young German, looking at a newspaper.
   ‘He was reading about the crash and read out the names and then, after a short pause, said, ‘Dead’.
   ‘It was as though my life was being taken away, piece by piece.
   Charlton would recover to win the World Cup with England at Wembley in 1966 and the European Cup with United in 1968, having been named European footballer of the year in 1966.
   But having suffered a punctured lung in the Munich disaster, Edwards died of his injuries 15 days later and was described by Charlton, who eventually won 106 caps for England and scored 49 goals, as ‘the only player that made me feel inferior’.
   Charlton visited Edwards, who was 22 when he died and had been capped by England as a teenager, in the hospital and the experience has never left him.
   ‘Duncan was in obvious pain when I visited him, but his spirit was still as strong as ever,’ said Charlton.
   ‘I felt my eyes smart while wondering all over again how it could be that this young giant of the game was so stricken while I could prepare to walk down the stairs before packing for home.
   ‘There was never an instinct to try to put Munich out of mind.
   ‘Munich was just too big, too overpowering, to permit that kind of reaction.
   ‘It was something that you knew, right from the start, you had to learn to live with.’
   Charlton will join the last survivors of the squad - Albert Scanlon, Harry Gregg, Bill Foulkes and Kenny Morgans - at a memorial ceremony at Old Trafford which coincides with the service in Munich.

Irishman Liam Whelan will be honoured as one of the ‘Busby Babes’ by having his image on a stamp to be released here today on the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that claimed his and seven of his Manchester United team-mates’ lives.
   Whelan was just 22 when he died in Munich but had already scored 52 goals in 98 games for the United first team and been capped four times by the Republic of Ireland.
   The United manager Matt Busby said that Whelan had everything it took to become a great player, opining: ‘Had he been spared, he would have been one of the greatest players of all time.’
   On Saturday Whelan - whose funeral a week after the disaster was attended by 20,000 people in Dublin - was remembered on Saturday when there was a wreath laying ceremony on a bridge in the Irish capital which has been renamed in his honour.
   Among those attending apart from five siblings was Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern, a noted United supporter and who recalled that the Munich crash was one of his earliest memories.
   ‘We’re all very proud round here that he played for Home Farm longer than he played for Manchester United. He’s very much a local hero,’ recalled Ahern, who was six when Whelan died alongside Duncan Edwards and the other United stars as well as 15 other passengers and crew.
   ‘I think the Busby Babes became the life and soul of Manchester United. If you listen to all their stars of that time, Sir Bobby Charlton and Harry Gregg and others, that’s what made the club.
   ‘It made the club an international club and it probably made it the attraction it is.’
   One of Whelan’s surviving siblings, Maura Collins said that despite the passage of time the loss the family felt was still very much there.
   ‘The sixth of February never goes,’ said Mrs Collins.
   ‘The sixth is always there. We’re so proud of him, but you still ache for him.
   ‘He was only a young man.’

In the hair-trigger soccer politics of the Gulf, the target is always clear.
   If Helio dos Anjos fails to take Saudi Arabia to the 2010 World Cup finals, he will be officially unemployed on the morning of June 23, becoming the 18th managerial casualty in the hottest of hot seats since 1994.
   Money is no object in the oil- and gas-rich Gulf states, but just one mediocre performance is enough to test the patience of the demanding sheikhs who run the game in the region where a long list of reputations have been badly bruised.
   Brazilian World Cup winner Carlos Alberto Parreira and Germany’s Otto Pfister, who was in charge twice, are amongst those who have tried to repeat Jorge Solari’s breakthrough achievement of leading the Saudis to the second round of the 1994 World Cup finals on their tournament debut.
   Now it’s the little-known dos Anjos who’s in the firing line as the Asian qualifiers for the 2010 finals get serious on Wednesday.
   The Saudis are in a group with Uzbekistan, Lebanon and Singapore and having reached the finals of the last four tournaments, they are expected still to be in contention once this phase ends on June 22.
   ‘The name of the game is to win but it’s a thin line,’ said former England manager Sir Bobby Robson when he surveyed the managerial wreckage of the 1998 finals in France.
   ‘Look at Carlos Alberto Parreira. In 1994, he won the trophy with Brazil. Two World Cup final matches later, this time in charge of Saudi Arabia, he loses his job after a game in which he has a player sent off against the host nation in front of 80,000 fans.
   ‘Saudi Arabia had done quite well for 70 minutes against France until the dismissal. Then they buckled and Carlos Alberto is the fall guy. That’s unrealistic.’
   The omens are not good for dos Anjos despite having guided the Saudis to the Asian Cup final last year.
   Argentinian Gabriel Calderon, who took over in 2004, lasted just 13 months before he was ousted in favour of Brazilian Marcos Paqueta who was hired six months before the 2006 World Cup finals.
   As expected, a first round exit in Germany meant it was curtains for Paqueta but an opening for dos Anjos who has a rolling contract until 2010.
   The coaching merry-go-round in the Gulf can be dizzying, but those who tumble off are regularly pulled back on board by another willing suitor.
   Calderon was taken on by Oman where the luckless Argentinian this time lasted 21 months before he was shown the door following a poor showing at the Asian Cup in 2007.
   He has been replaced by Uruguayan Julio Cesar Ribas whose job is to steer a way past Japan, Thailand and Bahrain.
   Ironically, Bahrain are coached by wily Middle East veteran Milan Macala, the 65-year-old Czech who was twice in charge of Oman as well as the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and, naturally, Saudi Arabia.
   Macala takes his new charges, who only missed out on the 2006 finals when they lost a play-off to Trindad and Tobago, to his old home at Muscat today.
   ‘I wish we were not going to meet Oman,’ he admitted.
   ‘But I also bear in mind that I’m a coach and it is part of my job to do my best with my new team.’
   Qatar, who have never made the finals, have one of the smallest playing bases and have gone one better than their neighbours.
   As well as hiring the obligatory foreign coach in the shape of former Uruguayan national boss Jorge Fossati, the tiny country has also controversially drafted in three overseas players.
   Brazilian duo Fabio Cesar and Marconi Costa have joined Uruguayan-born striker Sebastian Soria, who are all naturalised, in the squad for Wednesday’s tricky clash with Australia in Melbourne.
   Midfielder Fabio has played for Udinese and Napoli in Italy.

Rio Ferdinand admitted on Monday that England’s football stars had been like a bunch of nervous school kids getting to know a strict new headmaster as they began work under the new regime of Fabio Capello.
   Speaking after Capello’s first training session with his new charges, Ferdinand revealed that the Italian had, as he promised when he was appointed in December, been able to direct proceedings in English and begun laying down how
   he wanted the players to conduct themselves on and off the pitch.
   ‘The only way I can explain it is that it was like going to a new school, or to a secondary school from a primary,’ said the Manchester United centreback.
   ‘You’re intrigued, excited. You want to see what ideas and methods he has, the things he has done to have such success at club level.’
   As an extraordinarily successful coach of AC Milan, Juventus, Roma and Real Madrid, Capello forged a reputation as a demanding taskmaster and he has already made it clear to the players that they will have to get used to working more intensively on England duty.
   After Monday’s morning session at Arsenal’s training ground to the north of London, the players were due to have a second workout at Wembley later in the day in preparation for today’s friendly against Switzerland.
   The Italian has also made it clear that he expects a certain standard of behaviour throughout their time with the squad, with players expected to arrive for meals on time and all leave the table together. Predictably, every member of the squad was down for breakfast bright and early on Monday morning.
   Ferdinand said none of the players would have any objection to the change from the more laid-back style associated with the last two England bosses, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Steve McClaren.
   ‘Obviously with new people and new characters, they bring new ideas and new rules. We are open to that and expecting that.’
   Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard echoed Ferdinand’s comments.
   Different managers have different ideas and rules. It takes time to adapt and I’m sure we will do in time but the first
   24 hours have been good,’ he said.
   ‘I don’t think as a footballer you are scared of any manager but you have to respect them and you have to adapt to what the main man wants.
   ‘You want to impress the manager. No-one is guaranteed a starting place so we have to use these friendlies to impress.
   ‘It is also a chance to get back to winning matches.’
   Both players played down concerns over Capello’s grasp of English, revealing that he had largely conducted the training session in the players’ language with only slight help from a translator.
   ‘If you went by what you read in the papers you would have thought he didn’t know anything but I was very pleasantly surprised,’ said Ferdinand. ‘He spoke to us on and off the training field in English and he was very, very good.’
   Capello’s first big decision - to leave David Beckham out of his first squad rather than grant the midfielder a 100th cap in Wednesday’s friendly against Switzerland - has been generall well received and interpreted as a sign of his independent-mindedness.
   But, as Ferdinand acknowledged, the Italian will be judged on the extent to which he resurrects England’s fortunes in the wake of their failure to reach the finals of Euro 2008, which cost McClaren his job.
   ‘We owe the fans and we owe ourselves because we did not qualify,’ Ferdinand said.
   ‘We have flattered to deceive for a couple of years. We have not produced what maybe on paper people expected us to. We have to put that right and this is the start of that.
   ‘This is the start of a journey to the (2010) World Cup and we have got to be sure we are well-equipped and well prepared to do that.’

Sir Alex Ferguson claims he hates subjecting his Manchester United players to his infamous hairdryer treatment - but insists he sometimes has no choice.
   United boss Fergie has developed a reputation as one of the most fearsome managers in football in his 21 years at Old Trafford and appears to thrive on the combative edge to his character.
   He famously hit David Beckham in the face with a stray boot he kicked in a dressing-room rant after one game, which saw the former United star need several stitches above his left eye.
   But far from enjoying his explosive rants, Fergie says he hates having to get tough with his players and insists he would prefer a less stressful approach.
   ‘I don’t enjoy it if the team isn’t playing well,’ Fergie told the Daily Mirror. ‘I’d rather not be in that position. It’s much better to come in at half-time and everything has gone according to plan.
   ‘Here, of course, more often than not it does, simply because of the players we have. But that brings its own challenges.
   ‘That’s when you need to talk about concentration and the necessity of not taking our foot off the pedal or the importance of going for that killer goal.
   ‘So there are two types of team talk - one if you’re doing well and another if you’re not.
   ‘The observations on the first-half are the most important thing. You only have about seven or eight minutes to rectify or resolve the situation if the match isn’t going to plan.
   ‘You should never dodge any issues. I don’t know what team talks are like in other dressing-rooms but I try to get to the nub of the problem and solve it as quickly as I can.
   ‘After that, you have to motivate your players to start the second half. ‘As manager you have to produce the right words and the right volume to make players very aware of their - responsibilities and how they can improve.’ Fergie gave his underperforming players both barrels at half-time last Saturday when they were trailing 1-0 at Tottenham. The rebuke had the desired effect, with United grabbing a last-minute equaliser. One player Fergie has had little need to lay into this season is 27-goal Cristiano Ronaldo.
   Ronaldo has almost singlehandedly kept United within touching distance of Premier League leaders Arsenal.
   Now Fergie has called on the rest of his midfield to follow the example set by Ronaldo and ease the burden on the Portuguese winger by chipping in with more goals themselves. Owen Hargreaves and Anderson have yet to score their first United goal, Michael Carrick has still to get off the mark this season, while Ryan Giggs has three and Paul Scholes only one.

AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti has been trying to turn up the title heat on rivals Inter Milan by claiming the Milanese club can only throw away the Scudetto now.
   Second-placed Roma slipped to eight points behind the leaders on Sunday after they were surprisingly hammered 3-0 at Siena while 10-man Inter held on for a controversial 1-0 home win over lowly Empoli.
   It was the third time in four matches that Inter had been reduced to 10 men in the first half - with France captain Patrick Vieira dismissed after 39 minutes against Empoli for picking up two yellow cards in the space of several seconds - and yet they avoided defeat on all three occasions.
   ‘Right now only the nerazzurri (black and blues) team can lose the title,’ Spalletti said on Monday.
   ‘We’re not giving up and we’re remaining positive. We will try to reduce the gap, even in the face of Inter’s imposing form.
   ‘We should not get down even if another team, despite facing difficulties, is managing to play every three days at the same level.
   ‘Whatever happens we can’t afford to make any more mistakes and we need to win everything.’
   The problem for Roma is that when they play badly, they drop points, whereas Inter almost never drop points - the leaders and reigning champions have won 16 and drawn five of their 21 league matches this season.
   ‘(Francesco) Totti hit the nail on the head when he said it was not the real Roma (against Siena) but Inter win even when they are not at their best,’ added Spalletti.
   ‘(Alessandro) Mancini was also right when he said that in the last two or three matches the team has not been at its best.’ But Spalletti still has faith and will not let a defeat and a widening gap to the leaders strip him of his confidence.
   ‘At Siena ... we played badly and we’ll accept the defeat with the idea of learning from it and growing.
   ‘You ask me if I still believe we can win the Scudetto, well I’ll tell you that I will always believe in everything that can be improved upon.’

The build-up to Euro 2008 must start now, Germany team manager Oliver Bierhoff said Monday, warning that injuries could undermine his team’s chances of success in the June 7 to 29 tournament.
   ‘The current situation leaves me a little worried,’ said Bierhoff. ‘There are so many players who are, or who have been, injured. For some, they have to start from scratch.’
   For Wednesday’s friendly international game against Austria here, coach Joachim Low has been unable to call up Torsten Frings, Christoph Metzelder and Marcell Jansen.
   Captain Michael Ballack will play against Austria, fresh from returning from 10 months on the sidelines with a serious ankle injury. Bierhoff also issued a rallying cry to German footballers and clubs alike.
   ‘It’s all a bit quiet at the moment, we must be careful not to go to sleep, we must pick it up,’ said Bierhoff, who scored the goal that ensured Germany victory in the Euro 1996 final.
   ‘Preparations for the Euro have started, I hope that everyone will fully understand this warning. It would be a terrible mistake to go into the tournament too relaxed.’
   Since becoming the first country to qualify for Euro 2008, Germany has been installed as one of the bookeepers’ favourites to win European football’s showpiece tournament.
   Low’s team has been drawn in Group B alongside Austria, Poland and Croatia. ‘The level of an European Championships is higher than that of a World Cup and from the first round,’ warned Bierhoff.

Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer has launched an attack on three of the German giants’ stars on the eve of Germany’s friendly against Euro 2008 hosts Austria in Vienna on Wednesday.
   Double World Cup winner Beckenbauer has criticised midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, striker Lukas Podolski and defender Philipp Lahm for their lack of progress after shining as the stars of the 2006 World Cup.
   Beckenbauer believes they have faded and has been unimpressed with their recent form.
   ‘Eighteen months ago they were celebrated as World Cup heroes, since then all three have lost some of their power,’ Beckenbauer told German tabloid Bild. ‘Perhaps it is for psychological reasons, but they have never quite showed the same kind of form in their league matches.’
   The attack is all the more astonishing as all three are from Beckenbauer’s club, but ‘the Kaiser’ is hoping Bayern’s young guns rekindle the 2006 form when Euro 2008 kicks off in June.
   ‘I hope our young heroes can translate their World Cup form into Euro 2008 and Vienna could be a good opportunity for a new start for them,’ added Beckenbauer who captained and coached Germany to World Cup success.
   With Germany coach Joachim Low enjoying the luxury of three in-form strikers in Schalke 04’s Kevin Kuranyi, Bayern Munich’s Miroslav Klose and Stuttgart’s Mario Gomez, Beckenbauer says he prefers the tested duo of Kuranyi and Klose.
   ‘I think Kuranyi is the better partner to Klose as he is more flexible and a stronger runner.’

Defending champions Egypt and Cameroon came through their respective quarter-finals on Monday to join holders Ghana and Ivory Coast as the last four teams standing at the African Nations Cup.
   Egypt saw off a spirited Angola 2-1 in Kumasi to set up a rematch of the 2006 final with Ivory Coast and as for Cameroon, they have an equally tough assignment facing hosts Ghana after a 3-2 extra time win over Tunisia.
   Both semi-finals are scheduled for Thursday with the third place play off set for Saturday.
   Five-time titleholders Egypt took control at the Baba Yara Stadium via a Hosni Abd Rabou penalty. Angola’s eciting Manchester United signing Manucho equalised with a shot out of nowhere before Amr Zaky exploited some poor defending to wrap up the game.
   Goalscorer Rabou paid credit to Angola, who were making their first appearance in the knockout stages of the continental competition.
   ‘They gave us our toughest game so far,’ the Ismailia midfielder said.
   ‘Now we’ve got the Ivory Coast. They’re a good team, but we beat them two years ago.’
   Midfielder Sayed Moawad added: ‘We came here to defend our title and today we confirmed we’re on the right path.
   ‘The Ivory Coast have shown they’re here to win the title, and they’ll be looking for revenge but we’ll prepare well for it.’
   Angola, the surprise package at the 26th Nations Cup, head home having proved themselves as the rising force of African football.
   But coach Luis Oliveira Goncalves believed the wrong team were knocked out.
   ‘Normally in football the best side wins, but today it was the opposite,’ he lamented.
   ‘Egypt were lucky, we created more chances, but weren’t able to convert them.
   ‘But my players shouldn’t have any shame. Egypt are a good, experienced team, and my side are young.’
   Later in Tamale Cameroon, with 70-year-old coach Otto Pfister guiding them, kept on course for a record-equalling fith title.
   Despite his stage in life the German veteran looked as happy as a child afterwards, joining his players in a celebratory sing-song.
   The doyen of African football recalled Stephane Mbia and that move proved the key.
   Dropped following a 4-2 loss to Egypt in their first group match, Mbia made the most of his second chance to open the scoring in the first half.
   Cameroon struck again nine minutes later as a trademark Geremi Njitap free kick floated over the wall and landed in the left corner of the net.
   With 34 minutes gone Tunisia were back in contention from an equally brilliant set piece as Chaouki Ben Saada sent a free kick flying over Carlos Kameni into the near corner.
   After Samuel Eto’o had caused more panic with a break that was hastily cleared, Tunisia deservedly levelled nine minutes from full-time when Ben Frej cut the ball back for Yassine Chikhaoui to strike the ball sweetly past Kameni.
   Mbia though hadn’t had his final say and he snatched the winner two minutes into extra time.
   Galatasaray defender Rigobert Song, reflecting on how the Indomitable Lions had lived up to their name, said: ‘That was very tough, Tunisia are a very good team.
   ‘We scored quickly but their goal gave them confidence. But we won this match because of our heads, our mental strength.’
   Cameroon struggled initially in the group stage with Song acknowledging: ‘No one was waiting for Cameroon to get this far. We’ve gone slowly, slowly, and now we’ll do everything to make it to the final.’
   Ghana are waiting to make sure that doesn’t happen.

As Euro 2008 hopefuls get down to the serious business of fine-tuning their squad permutations for the summer England must embark instead on the long road to the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa under new Italian coach Fabio Capello.
   Capello, brought in to pick up the pieces after England failed to make it to Austria and Switzerland in June, will seek to lay down an early marker on the pitch with a win over the Swiss.
   Off the pitch, the dapper Italian has already asserted his authority by resisting a cacophony of calls to give the semi-retired David Beckham his 100th cap.
   Beckham’s last competitive game was in the defeat by Croatia in November and, even if Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger professed to be ‘amazed by how good’ Beckham was in recent training stints with the Gunners, Capello was not convinced by the fitness levels of the man who helped his Real Madrid win La Liga last season.
   ‘I advised him that he is still part of my plans,’ was as far as Capello would go as Beckham waits on a 100th cap.
   One player who is part of Capello’s plans for 2010 is Steven Gerrard, likely to don the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured John Terry, skipper during Steve McClaren’s reign.
   The only fresh face in the England 23 is Aston Villa’s young striker Gabriel Agbonlahor.
   As with Beckham, Capello has again shown he has no room for sentiment by dropping Spurs’ keeper Paul Robinson and keeping faith with Scott Carson despite his Croatian nightmare, Portsmouth veteran David James and Wigan’s Chris Kirkland.
   ‘We owe the fans and we owe ourselves because we did not qualify’ for Euro 2008, Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said on Monday.
   For those taking their place at the top table of European international football in June as England look on forlornly from afar, today is a chance to show their mettle.
   Raymond Domenech’s France want to go one better than the World Cup, where Italy pipped them, and has urged the squad to be single-minded in their pursuit of glory.
   ‘We are going to look to rub out a few imperfections from the World Cup,’ said Domenech, insisting players must shut out all external distractions.
   He would not specify what - France is not quite in England’s ‘class’ when it comes to the wives and girlfriends sideshow, but Domenech stressed: ‘I mean everything, even the weather - though there’s not much I can do about that!’
   Les Bleus’ friendly with Spain in Malaga brings together two of Europe’s more eccentric coaches with Domenech possibly even just bested on that score by Luis Aragones, who once stooped to racist language to gee up Jose Antonio Reyes at then Arsenal colleague Thierry Henry’s expense.
   Aragones appeared this week on French television insisting he and Henry have no lingering ‘problems’.
   But few Spanish fans have forgotten his response to the Henry incident during the 2006 World Cup when he opened his multicultural heart by declaring he had ‘gypsy friends, black friends - and even a Japanese friend who sexes chickens!’
   Domenech has named a joint senior and A squad of 36 for the France game and an A match against the Democratic Republic of Congo on Tuesday.
   But he has snubbed veteran Juventus striker David Trezeguet, while retaining Chelsea new signing Nicolas Anelka, along with rising strike stars Hatem Ben Arfa and Karim Benzema of Lyon.
   Midfielder Franck Ribery is out after picking up a thigh injury in Bayern Munich’s win at Hansa Rostock over the weekend.
   Aragones may give a few minutes to 17-year-old Barcelona star Bojan Krkic Perez, although the youngster is battling a bout of gastro-enteritis.
   The French will meet Italy again, as well as The Netherlands and Romania, in the finals, while Spain take on Russia, Sweden and holders Greece.
   In other friendly tune-ups Germany travel to Austria with the former’s general manager, 1996 goalscoring champion Oliver Bierhoff, bewailing a clutch of injuries to die Mannschaft’s squad.
   ‘There are so many injuries,’ lamented Bierhoff.
   Among those who have had to cry off are Torsten Frings and Christoph Metzelder although skipper Michael Ballack returns from an ankle injury ten months after his last start.
   Three-times winners Germany face the Austrians again, Poland and Croatia in the finals.
   Italy host Portugal, who bring a small squad to take on the world champions though that does include the remarkable Cristiano Ronaldo while European champions Greece, seeking to pull another rabbit out of the hat as they did four years ago, host Finland.

Fabio Capello has made Steven Gerrard his captain for his first match in charge of England and set out his plans to instil a ‘winning mentality’ in his under-achieving squad.
   Gerrard, 27, takes the armband for today’s friendly against Switzerland in the absence of John Terry, the regular captain under Capello’s predecessor Steve McClaren, who was sacked after England failed to reach Euro 2008.
   Capello indicated that he will not be deciding on a long-term captain until just before England begin their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign in September.
   ‘Gerrard is not going to be a permanent captain and I am not going to name one before the first qualifier against Andorra,’ Capello said. ‘But he is an important player for all the team, he can pass on things and inspire other players.’
   Gerrard, who will win his 64th cap today, has captained the side six times previously, with England winning two and losing four of those matches.
   Terry remains the favourite to continue in the role once he resumes playing but Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand is also a candidate.
   By the time of the Andorra match, Capello wants to have created a group of players drilled in the methods that brought him success at AC Milan, Juventus, Roma and Real Madrid.
   ‘Our objective is to form a group that will gel together before our first game against Andorra,’ he said.
   ‘These last two days we worked very hard on the tactical front. We have anaylsed videos, all of this in order to create a group mentality and more importantly a way of moving on the pitch that reflects my ideas about football. ‘I have seen very good cooperation from the players.’
   Capello, speaking in Italian, side-stepped a question about his decision to leave David Beckham out of his first squad, denying him a 100th cap.
   ‘I respect greatly David Beckham for all we did together at Real Madrid,’ said Capello. ‘But the most important thing is to talk about the players who will play tomorrow, not the ones who are not here.’
   Capello also defended his introduction of rules governing how the players conduct themselves while on England duty, which include a ban on using mobile phones outside their bedrooms and the exclusion of agents, wives and girlfriends from the team hotel.
   The Italian believes clear ground rules are vital if he is to change the mindset of a group of players whose billing as a ‘golden generation,’ was left looking absurd after their failure to reach Euro 2008.
   ‘I set some rules because we are only here together for three days,’ Capello said. ‘In three days we need to create a way of working.
   ‘Things like eating together, getting up (from the table) together, being punctual—in a nutshell it’s about respecting each other.’
   ‘I can’t see why anyone would break these rules. People make mistakes obviously but if you want to be part of a group you have to follow the rules of the group.
   ‘If we follow rules we can create a group and a specific winning mentality which is what I want.’
   Capello has lived up to his promise of being able to speak English to the players in training sessions, but he is not yet sufficiently confident to address the media in the language of his adopted country.
   ‘I will speak English with you when I know all the terms and the right phrases because you are very good at twisting things. So I am very careful. But I can communicate with the players in an easier way, so I am more comfortable with them.’
   Capello, who described his experience of English life in his first month in the country as ‘FA, hotel, matches’, also admitted he expected to feel a few butterflies in his stomach when he leads the team out at Wembley on Wednesday.
   ‘I imagine I will feel a bit nervous but once the game starts I will be 100 per cent focused and concentrating on the match.’
   The Italian is not expecting an easy ride from the joint Euro 2008 hosts.
   ‘Switzerland are a good team. I have watched them several times and they have good players and they are very good, very dangerous on the counter attack.

Fiorentina’s Cesare Prandelli has won the Golden Bench award for Italy’s best club coach for the second consecutive year.
   The award, based on the votes of fellow coaches, reflects the Florence side’s sixth-place finish last season despite a 15-point penalty for their role in Italy’s 2006 match-fixing scandal. ‘I’m very satisfied. It’s a reward for the team’s effort to overcome the handicap,’ the 50-year-old told Sky television.
   ‘A coach can do his job well when he works with great players, not outstanding talents but great human beings, real men who never let you down.’
   Fiorentina are fourth in Serie A with 37 points from 21 games.
   Roberto Mancini, who led league leaders Inter Milan to last year’s Serie A title, was overlooked again after not being nominated for the Italian Player Association’s 2007 manager of the year prize, awarded to AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti last week.

Italy coach Roberto Donadoni moved to reassure the players left out of his squad for today’s friendly against Portugal in Zurich, that they can still force their way back in.
   In-form attacking pair veteran World Cup winner Alessandro Del Piero and the troublesome Antonio Cassano were two surprise ommissions from Donadoni’s squad having been in fine form for their clubs - Juventus and Sampdoria respectively - this season.
   Del Piero has hit the back of the net 12 times in 24 matches in all competitions while Cassano has netted three times in his last five league outings.
   And when asked about the pair’s chances of forcing their way back into the side, Donadoni assured all the players left out that the door is still open.
   ‘I know what Del Piero can do and where he can play but it’s not scoring seven (he actually has nine in the league) goals that renders a player indispensable,’ said Donadoni.
   ‘He knows very well what the situation is, he’s intelligent and knows what we always say: no-one should already feel out in the cold for Euro 2008.’
   Donadoni also turned his attentions to Cassano, whom many are clamouring to see brought back into the fold having not been included in an Italy squad since 2006.
   But the national coach was less encouraging, saying the player renowned in Italy more for his tantrums than his talent, still has a lot to work on with regards the mental side of his game.
   ‘I think I can say that maybe he is the one I know the best. He is a player who needs stimuli and attention,’ said Donadoni.
   ‘He needs to work on certain aspects of his character. On Sunday, for example, he was a bit too excitable.’
   It’s not just those two who have been left out of the squad, though, with the likes of AC Milan forward Alberto Gilardino, who has seen his first team starts limited since the arrival of Brazilian teenage star Pato, and Vincenzo Iaquinta, who has lost his place in the Juve attack to Del Piero, also ommitted.
   Portugal have named a small squad for the match with Benfica striker Nuno Gomes a notable injury absentee.
   However, the finalists at the last Euro tournament can call on the goal-scoring machine that is Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who has bagged an incredible 27 goals in 29 games from the wing already this campaign.
   It is not just Ronaldo that Donadoni is worried about for a match against one of the world champions’ likely main rivals for the title in Austria and Switzerland in June.
   ‘It’s a tough test. Portugal are a great team, technical and quick,’ said Donadoni.
   ‘We will try to do our best against an opponent that puts you under pressure.’

Didier Drogba says the African Footballer of the Year award picked up by Frederic Kanoute was originally destined for him.
   Mali’s Sevilla striker Kanoute received the continent’s top player award at a ceremony hosted by the Confederation of African Football in Lome, Togo, on Friday.
   Drogba was unable to travel to Lome due to his commitments with the Ivory Coast at the African Nations Cup in Ghana, and the Chelsea star revealed here Monday that his no-show meant Kanoute picked up his title.
   ‘I received a call in the afternoon (on Friday) from a high ranking CAF official,’ Drogba explained.
   ‘He told me that if I didn’t appear at the ceremony the rules would be changed,
   that I would no longer be first and that the prize would go to the runner-up, Frederic Kanoute.’
   Kanoute duly received the honour, with Drogba’s Chelsea teammate Michael Essien, who was released by Ghana to attend, in second and Drogba third.
   ‘Aside from the vote it was what was said that surprised me,’ added Drogba.
   ‘We’re all working for the African continent, there’s a huge media presence in Ghana for a competition that was heavily criticised ten years ago.
   ‘So there comes a time when we all have to pull together. I don’t think this type of attitude honours Africa so I’ve decided to pull out of future elections for the Ballon d’Or.
   ‘In my eyes this award has lost its value. I’m a simple player, the decision that I take doesn’t hurt a lot of people.
   ‘If I refused to go to Lome it was first for my teammates as you don’t organise such an event just two days before a quarter-final (Monday’s game against Guinea).
   ‘I didn’t go as well because of the son of Ulrich Stilieke (the former Ivory Coast coach) has died.’
   Drogba’s Ivory Coast face Egypt in the Nations Cup semi-finals on Thursday.

David Beckham’s axing from the England team for Wednesday’s friendly against Switzerland at Wembley has borne witness to manager Fabio Capello’s rugged approach but the former England captain said he ‘totally’ respected the decision.
   Though former England captain Beckham has been training with Arsenal, he has not had a competitive game with his club Los Angeles Galaxy since the end of last year.
   It is the second time the midfielder has been dropped by Capello after he was also sidelined during their time together at Real Madrid.
   And Beckham has admitted he ‘half expected’ to suffer the same fate he experienced at the Bernabeu a year ago.
   ‘It’s always disappointing when you’re not included in an England squad,’ he said on Sky Sports News. ‘The thing is I half expected it because I know what Fabio Capello is like as a manager and if he thinks you’re not fit and ready to play then you won’t be in the team.
   ‘I totally respect that and totally understand that. There are a lot of Premiership
   players who have played 15 games in the last two months and I haven’t played a game since December - so to be called into the squad was probably unfair.’
   Beckham has been criticised for interrupting his recent spell of training with Arsenal to jet off on personal trips to Africa and South America.
   But the former Manchester United player denies that those were a mistake.
   ‘I’d done everything I could to make myself available, I worked hard for a month with Arsenal,’ Beckham insisted.
   ‘I did go to Sierra Leone and Brazil, but those trips were only four days long and for the rest of the month I was training very hard.
   ‘It’s simply down to not playing any games, the manager explained that, and I wish him and the rest of the players good luck for the first game.
   ‘I think he’s a great appointment and he’s going to be good for the English game.’