Former national captain Khaled Mashud said on Saturday he will retire from international cricket during the upcoming home series against South Africa provided he is given an opportunity.
   Mashud has become encouraged to make the decision following the recent announcement by his fellow cricketer Mohammad Rafique, who also decided to quit international cricket with the series.
   Rafique, six wickets shy of 100 Test wickets, has reportedly completed a negotiation with the selectors about his retirement, which had paved the way for him to be included in the 17-member preliminary squad for the series.
   Unlike Rafique, Mashud has been named only as a reserve player and his chances of playing in the series entirely depend on any injury to Mushfiqur Rahim, the first-choice wicket-keeper at present.
   ‘I have made a request to a selector to give me a chance to retire from the field. Now I am looking forward to their decision,’ Mashud told reporters on Saturday.
   ‘I have given enough service to the team. Now I want to sign off in an amicable way and hopefully I will be given the opportunity. Nobody is my rival,’ said the wicket-keeper, who played 44 Tests and 126 one-day internationals.
   ‘I still believe that I have not been finished yet. I can prove myself at any level. With my experience, I can still serve the national team,’ said Mashud during a practice session of his club Surja Tarun at Dhanmondi.
   Mashud, who captained Bangladesh for two years from 2001 to 2003, however, did not make it clear whether he wants to retire after playing a Test or a one-day match.
   Sources close to him said Mashud is keen to bow out in front of the Dhaka crowd and thus has made the request to give him a chance in either of the two one-day matches Bangladesh are scheduled to play against the tourists at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium at Mirpur.
   Chief selector Rafiqul Alam said he has yet to get any such request from Mashud, but he will consider it actively if he gets it finally.
   ‘Personally I feel he (Mashud) deserves a chance to retire from the field. We tried our best to accommodate him in the squad, but Mushfique’s recent performance has sidelined him,’ said Rafiqul.
   ‘However, if he makes any request, I will talk to my fellow selectors,’ said the former all-rounder.

Mohammad Rafique, the star left-arm spinner of Bangladesh, has received an offer to join Team Kolkata for the Indian Premier League. The team is owned by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan.
   Rafique, who has decided to quit international cricket after the upcoming home series against South Africa, reportedly got a call recently from Shah Rukh Khan who collected his phone number from Sourav Ganguly, the former Indian captain. King Khan bought Team Kolkata for a whopping 75 million Indian rupees last month.
   Rafique admitted that he had received an offer to play in the IPL. ‘Yes, I must say that I have been offered to play in the IPL for Team Kolkata, but at the moment I just want to say that all my thoughts are on the upcoming home series against South Africa, I will decide what to do only after the conclusion of the series,’ said the veteran spinner.
   The 37-rear-old cricketer has scored 1,035 runs in 31 Tests and taken 94 wickets. His ODI statistics are 1,191 runs and 125 wickets from exactly 125 matches.

Newly announced 17-member Bangladesh cricket team began practice on Saturday at the indoor facility of the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium ahead of their home series against South Africa.
   All the members of the squad joined the first day’s camp. Three more players - reserves Nazimuddin and Talha Jubair, and Roukibul Hasan from the warm-up match squad - also took part in the training session.
   National coach Jamie Siddons supervised the day’s camp. Assistant coach Shaun Williams and trainer Shane Mcdermott also assisted the coach.
   During a break in the practice session, skipper Mohammad Ashraful said, ‘We played practice matches in three teams from the very first of this month so that we could adjust ourselves with the wicket. But, unfortunately we were unable to become successful as there were problems in our batting.’
   The ace batsman thinks that the three-day warm-up match before the Test series will give some opportunity to the batsmen to get rid of their problems.
   Asked what would be his team’s plan while facing teams like South Africa, he said, ‘We know that South Africa are usually used to play on seeming and bouncy wicket, but here they’ll find slow and turning wicket, which may create some problems for them.’
   Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak Raj said, ‘Normally our spinners do well but it’s not always right to think that the spinners will get preference from slow and turning wicket. Sometimes, the opposite thing can also happen.’
   They would try to get advantage from the home series, he said adding, ‘Every match will be a total team game and all of us will have to work hard. If we can put up a good score then that would be easier for our bowlers to dominate the opponents.’

New Zealand (131/4) beat England (130) by six wickets
   In a stunning reversal of form, New Zealand thrashed England in their opening one-day cricket international by six wickets and with 20 overs to spare at Westpac Stadium here Saturday.
   The win came just days after England outplayed New Zealand in all departments in two Twenty20 matches.
   Given an extra 30 overs, New Zealand lost the toss but from then on won everything in a morale-boosting performance.
   England, opting to bat first, were all out for 130 in the 50th over and New Zealand knocked off the target with the loss of four wickets in 30 overs.
   Bolstered by the return of captain Daniel Vettori and Jacob Oram, New Zealand showed no sign of the fragility evident when they spent the two shorter matches firmly on the back foot.
   ‘We understood that we had to respond today and put in a good performance and whether we won or not was beside the point. But we came out and won, and won well, and it’s a very happy dressing room.’ Vettori said.
   England captain Paul Collingwood pinpointed his side’s problem as simply not enough runs on the board.
   ‘Where we fell down tonight, let’s be honest, was with the bat. We were struggling to find the ones and twos even,’ he said.
   ‘If we got up towards 200 runs it would have been a defendable total. New Zealand bowled well and fielded exceptionally well.’
   New Zealand started on Saturday by keeping England openers Alastair Cook and Phil Mustard pinned down—the first boundary from Mustard came only in the seventh over—and the run rate seldom rose above three.
   After Chris Martin made the initial breakthrough bowling Cook for 11 in the 10th over, the wickets fell at regular intervals.
   Martin bowled Ian bell for five, Oram bowled dangerman Kevin Pietersen for six and Scott Styris bowled Mustard for 31 to have England at four for 67 by the 22nd over.
   England didn’t help their cause with three run-outs before off-spinner Jeetan Patel cleaned up the tail to finish with two for 14 while Martin and Styris both took two for 22.
   While the England batsmen played as if the slow pitch held demons, Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum played three overs with caution and then launched into the run chase.
   A six from Ryder and a four from McCullum lifted New Zealand to 18 without loss and they never dropped below four runs an over after that.
   By the 12th over Ryder and McCullum had taken New Zealand passed 50 and hit seven boundaries, as many as England scored in their entire innings.
   ‘Whenever you chase a small total if you can get your 50 pretty quickly you take away all the elements of worrying about chasing it down,’ Vettori said.
   ‘I think they did a really good job and it sets us up for the rest of the series.’
   Ryder survived a chance on 21 when dropped by Graeme Swann at midwicket and added another 10 runs before being caught by substitute Luke Wright off the bowling of Stuart Broad for 31.
   McCullum also got a second chance, dropped by a diving Mustard when on 27 and went on to make 42, at a run a ball, before giving Broad his second wicket when Mustard made amends by taking a fine legside catch.
   New Zealand were then two for 83 in the 19th over and well in control as Jamie How and Ross Taylor stepped up the pace.
   How was eventually dismissed for 28, with New Zealand nine runs short of victory and it was left to Taylor, not out 24, and Peter Fulton on one to take New Zealand across the line.
   The second game in the five-match series is in Hamilton on Tuesday.

For the second time in recent weeks, feisty opener Virender Sehwag accused the Australians of running scared of the resurgent Indians here Saturday.
   As he did during the fourth Test in Adelaide, which ended in a draw as Australia won the series 2-1, Sehwag said the home side was frightened of losing to the Indians.
   The two sides renew their at times hostile rivalry at the Melbourne Cricket Ground today in a tri-series one-day international.
   Their previous tri-series match was washed out just when it was poised for an exciting conclusion, with Australia struggling at 51 for three chasing India’s 194 in Brisbane last Sunday.
   Sehwag said here Saturday that the Australians knew India were the greatest threat to their undisputed status as the best side in the world, again pointing to his team’s shock win in the third Test as proof the gap was narrowing.
   He said the Indians were confident they would have won out in Brisbane if rain had not intervened and were out to make a statement in today’s game.
   ‘They know India is the only team that can beat them, so we are preparing hard for that and hopefully we’ll do well,’ he said.
   ‘We’ve prepared ourselves for tomorrow’s big game and if we beat Australia then maybe we’re through to the finals.
   ‘Nobody else beats them here, so that’s why maybe they are scared and a little worried about the Indian team.
   ‘This team has the potential to beat Australia in Australia, so it’s a big game for us, Australia tomorrow.’
   India have to buck the recent trend to win today’s game. They have won just four of their last 25 one-day internationals against Australia, with 17 losses and four no-results. The ledger is even more lopsided in Australia, with India having won just two matches against the home side since 1986.
   The Australians have won 15 of their last 17 home matches against India, with just one Indian win.
   Despite that poor record, Sehwag said the young Indian squad was full of potential and capable of an upset.

Sri Lanka were the second best side at last year’s World Cup but captain Mahela Jayawardene has admitted that a continuing inability to beat Australia is becoming a major concern.
   On Friday, in the first one-day clash between the sides since Australia won the World Cup final last April, the home side once again proved too good, winning their tri-series match by 128 runs after bowling the Sri Lankans out for a paltry 125 in just 31.3 overs.
   The Aussies have now won their last five one-day matches against Sri Lanka, and seven of their last eight clashes.
   Star wicketkeeper-batsman Kumar Sangakkara raised his game, averaging 10 more with the bat against the world champions in one-day cricket than his career average, and did so again with a sparkling 42 on Friday.
   But it was a solo effort. Sangakkara’s teammates couldn’t handle relentless Australian pressure, losing their last eight wickets for just 68 runs in a spectacular collapse.
   Jayawardene said his side boasted plenty of talent but admitted some players were intimidated by the Australians.
   ‘On the last few occasions they have got the better of us,’ he said.
   ‘We just need to make sure that we stand up for that and show a bit more character.
   ‘The group of players that we’ve got has the ability to beat Australia definitely, but everyone needs to believe in that.’
   Jayawardene, who threw his wicket away with a rash shot, said the Sri Lankans needed to remain composed under pressure and maintain their self-belief.
   ‘Those were the things that we’ve been talking about and getting everyone’s heads together,’ he said.
   ‘We don’t want the lineup to be too negative because we have a very talented group of players so we just need to make sure they get their heads in the right place.’
   Australian captain Ricky Ponting also noted Australia’s apparent dominance of the Sri Lankans and queried whether they were capable of bouncing back.
   ‘We’ve dominated them a lot, so tonight was another step forward for us,’ Ponting said.
   ‘To have a comprehensive victory like that at the start of a one-day series is always good and hopefully we can stay on top of them for the rest of the series.’
   Sri Lanka is at the bottom of the tri-series table after two matches, with their next game against India in Canberra on Tuesday.
   Another loss would make it hard for Sri Lanka to reach the finals of the tri-series.

The trophy awarding ceremony of the Dhaka Metropolis premier division, 1st division, 2nd division, 3rd division and 3rd division qualifying cricket leagues from 2000 to 2007 was held at the Sheraton Hotel on Saturday.
   The president of Bangladesh Cricket Board, Major General Sina Ibn Jamali, distributed the trophies to the champion and runner-up teams. The cricket organisers, sponsors and club officials were present on the occasion.
   Trophy winners:
   Premier Division Cricket League 2000-01 – Mohammedan SC (champions), Abahani (runners-up); 2001-02 – Victoria (champions), Mohammedan (runners-up); 2005-06 – Old DOHS (champions), Sonargoan Cricketers (runners-up); 2006-07 – Abahani (champions), Mohammedan (runners-up).
   First Division Cricket League 2000-01 – Uttara SC (champs), Young Pegasus (runners-up); 2001-02 – Orient SC (champs), Indira Road KC (runners-up); 2002-03 – Old DOHS (champs), Agrani Bank (runners-up); 2004-05 – Kalabagan KC (champs), Sonargaon Cricketers (runners-up); 2005-06 – Partex SC (champs), Young Pegasus (runners-up); 2006-07 – BKSP (champs), Surjo Tarun (runners-up).
   Second Division Cricket League 2000-01 – Jatrabari KC (champs), Nabin Sangha (runners-up); 2001-02 – Partex (champs), Sonargaon Cricketers, Old DOHS and Prantik KC ( joint runners-up); 2002-03 – Kathalbagan KC (champs), Rupali Bank (runners-up); 2003-04 – Azad SC (champs),Young Pegasus A (runners-up); 2004-05 – Dhaka Mariners (champs), Cricket Coaching School (runners-up); 2005-06 – Sadharan Bima (champs), BKSP (runners-up); 2006-07 – Khelaghar Samaj, Badda Ekota (joint champs).

Bangladesh Cricket Board has prepared revised the schedule for the upcoming home series against Ireland in March dropping the two four-day matches from the original fixtures following a request from the visiting side, a senior official of the Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Saturday.
   Ireland, who defeated Bangladesh in last year’s World Cup, were scheduled to visit Bangladesh from March 16 to April 5 to play three one-day internationals and two four-day matches against the hosts.
   According to the revised itinerary, Ireland will now be coming on March 15 for a one-week tour to play the ODIs only. All three one-day matches will be held at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium at Mirpur on March 18, 20 and 22.
   ‘Ireland have requested us to drop the four-day matches and we gladly accepted. We were too hesitant in hosting the two four-dayers during the peak time of Dhaka Primer Cricket League,’ said Gazi Ashraf Hossain, the chairman of the BCB cricket operations committee.

Top seed Parash recorded his third consecutive victory in the Islami Banak 28th National Badminton at the wooden floor gymnasium on Saturday.
   On the third day of the meet, Enayet, Mahbub, Mokter, Rais, Hannan, Javed, Saif, Raju, Mashrafi, Pesta, Goutam, Tushar, Shoyeb, Enam, Zahed beat their opponents in the men’s singles.
   In the womens singles, Konika, Shima, Shapla and Nabila won their respective matches.

Top-seeded I-Ta Chen and Kelsey Stevenson moved into the boys’ singles final of the Grameenphone International (Under-18) Junior Tennis Championship at the Zafar Imam Tennis Complex on Saturday.
   Chen of Chinese Taipei stormed past sixth seeded New Zealander Ben McLachlan 6-1, 6-2 in the first semi-final. Number 12 Stevenson of Canada ended the amazing run of his unseeded Chinese opponent Yi Chen Li dropping only four games in a straight sets victory.
   Meanwhile, the girls’ singles final will see No 2 Jawairiah Noordin of Malaysia taking on number eight England’s Lisa Whybourn.
   In the boys’ doubles South Korea’s Keng and Ju defeated New Zealand’s Ben and Riki McLachlan 6-0, 4-6, 6-4 while Indonesians Hutarobok and Sony defeated Bangladesh’s Ranjan Ram and Chinese Taipei’s Lee 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 to move to the semi-finals.
   In the girls’ doubles India’s Doyal and Venkatash beat Netherlands Velor and Demi 6-1, 6-0. In the other quarter-final Chinese Taipei’s Jeng and Huanj outplayed Philippines’ Agra and Malaysia’s Noordin 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 to move into the semis.

Bangladesh Cricket Board has selected 31 players for a two-week camp for the national women team at the Ansar & VDP Academy.
   The selected players have been requested to report to Zafrul Ehsan and Parveen Nahar Putul on February 14 at 4pm at the Ansar and VDP Academy.
   Squad: Panna Ghosh, Salma Khatun, Resma Akhter, Irene Sultana, Shuktara, Ayesha Akhter, Shathira Jakir Jessie, Chammely Khatun, Shamima Akhter Pinky, Tithi Rani, Papiya Haque Babu, Champa Chakma, Mina Khatun, Monjila Khatun, Khadija Akhter China, Fatema Tuzzohura, Saria Tanjin Sumona, Rumana Ahmed, Yamim Rupa, Manisha Kundu, Rifat Ara, Jerin Dastagir, Jahanara Alam, Tahin Tahera, Minara Alam, Sohely Akter, Mahmuda Khan, Lily Rani, Hasina Akhter, Lata Mondol and Dolly Dey.

Pace bowler Brett Lee on Saturday added his voice to the growing chorus of Australian players keen to play in the inaugural Twenty20 Indian Premier League in April.
   Lee is extremely popular in India and joined Adam Gilchrist and Australian captain Ricky Ponting in recent days in expressing his desire to be part of the IPL.
   However, Cricket Australia and the Board of Control for Cricket in India are yet to reach agreement on the tournament, which could clash with Australia’s scheduled tour of Pakistan in March-April.
   CA, which has all its leading players on annual contracts, has expressed reservations about possible sponsorship clashes, but Lee said here Saturday that he hoped the issue would be resolved.
   ‘If the opportunity comes up, then great, the IPL poses a brilliant opportunity for Australian and other world cricketers to go out there and play in the Twenty20 form,’ Lee said.
   ‘It offers great opportunity, different venues to play at under different sides.
   The issue might be causing some angst, but it hasn’t affected the form of the Australians, who disposed of Sri Lanka in emphatic fashion in their tri-series clash at the SCG on Friday, winning by 128 runs.
   The Australians renew their rivalry with India in a day-night clash at the MCG on Sunday and Lee said they were looking to maintain their momentum.
   ‘It’s a matter of bowling better lines and lengths and scoring a few more runs, but that’s in a perfect world,’ he said.
   ‘We’re very happy with the way we played last night and if we keep concentrating and keep focused, then there is some more room for improvement.’

Heavyweights America, Russia, France and Argentina moved closer to the Davis Cup quarter-finals on Friday as their outclassed rivals were cursed by illness and absent stars.
   The United States, the defending champions and with a record 31 titles under their belts, opened up a 2-0 lead over Austria in Vienna while Russia, deposed by the Americans in 2007, also won both their rubbers against a weakened Serbia.
   France, nine-time champions, were 2-0 in front against Romania while Argentina were word-perfect against a Great Britain side who were hopelessly out of their depth in Buenos Aires.
   Andy Roddick survived four hours on ‘the worst’ of all clay courts to put the USA into the lead over Austria.
   ‘Is it the worst I’ve played on in the Davis Cup? Absolutely,’ raged the American after snatching victory over Jurgen Melzer 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3.
   James Blake then saw off Stefan Koubek 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 to put the USA closer to a quarter-final clash with either Romania or France.
   In Moscow, double champions Russia took advantage of a Serbian team forced to keep Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic under wraps because of flu.
   Serbia were also without Janko Tipsarevic who was suffering from an ankle injury.
   World number four Nikolay Davydenko still needed five sets, however, to see off Viktor Troicki, the world 114, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.
   Earlier, world number eight Mikhail Youzhny battled from a set down to clinch a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Nenad Zimonjic, the world 689 and who was drafted in to replace fever-hit Djokovic, despite himself running a high fever.
   ‘It went up and down all the way,’ Davydenko said.
   ‘I started confidently but lost concentration in the second set. In the third I was in control again but the fourth was almost a carbon copy of the second.’
   In Sibiu, Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga gave France a 2-0 lead over Romania.
   Gasquet eased past Victor Hanescu 7-6 (7/5), 6-4, 7-5 before Australian Open runner-up Tsonga defeated veteran Andrei Pavel 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in just over three hours to mark a successful Davis Cup debut.
   Britain, playing without number one Andy Murray who controversially opted to skip a testing Buenos Aires clay court examination, were predictably crushed.
   World number nine David Nalbandian saw off world number 235 Jamie Baker 6-1, 6-3, 6-3 before Agustin Calleri, ranked 41, defeated Alex Bogdanovic, the world 188, 6-3, 6-1, 6-1.
   ‘It was no problem at all,’ said Nalbandian.
   Britain’s skipper John Lloyd admitted that Argentina were in a different class.
   ‘They were too good,’ said Lloyd. ‘David Nalbandian was absolutely brilliant and Calleri was a level above Bogdanovic.’
   In Braunschweig, Lee Hyung-Taik defeated Florian Mayer 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 6-7 (7/9), 6-3 in a marathon rubber to take South Korea level at 1-1 with Germany.
   Philipp Kohlschreiber, the world number 28, eased past An Jae-Sung, ranked 301 places below him, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
   The Koreans are playing in the World Group for the first time since 1987.
   ‘I’m happy that I won for my country. Now I am exhausted,’ said Lee who has only won one match on clay in the last two years.
   The Czech Republic were comfortably in control against Belgium in Ostrava where Tomas Berdych beat Kristof Vliegen 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 and Radek Stepanek saw off Steve Darcis 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/5).
   At Ramat Hasharon, Israel and Sweden were level after Dudi Sela beat Jonas Bjorkman 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 6-1 before Thomas Johansson saw off Harel Levy 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.
   In Lima, Spain, who are without world number two Rafael Nadal, opened up a 2-0 lead over Peru when Nicolas Almagro swept past Matias Silva 6-3, 7-5, 6-0 and Tommy Robredo downed Ivan Miranda 6-2, 6-3, 6-3.
   Silva, the world 652, was a late replacement for Peruvian number one Luis Horna, who pulled out with an injury.

Adam Gilchrist has become the most wanted player for the inaugural Indian Premier League with none other than Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan lining up for the signature of the retiring Australian great for his Kolkata team, according to a newspaper report.
   Khan, who bought the Kolkata franchisee for $85 million last month, has told former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, who will be the skipper of the team, to sign Gilchrist for the Twenty20 competition, which begins on April 18, Herald Sun reported.
   Gilchrist is one of the 11 Australians who have signed an expression of interest for playing in the IPL.
   With the sponsorship conflict between CA and IPL organisers lingering on and Australia having commitments in Pakistan in March-April, Gilchrist could be the only Aussie player available for the cash-rich tournament.
   Technically, there is also a two-year moratorium on retired players joining a franchisee team but it is understood that Gilchrist’s playing in the IPL has become a mere formality after IPL organisers have hinted that they would waive the ‘cooling off’ period in his case.
   The report also claimed that Gilchrist can expect a base payment of $300,000, which could double or triple when the franchises bid for players, and he would be earning more in 44 days in the IPL than a full year of international action.
   Meanwhile, the Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed on Friday that Gilchrist will take part in the inaugural Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament in April.
   ‘Gilchrist will play. He has already got a no objection certificate from the Australian board,’ IPL chairman Lalit Modi told reporters after the first day of the two-day meeting with representatives of the eight franchises.
   The tournament organisers had agreed with most international boards, including Australia, not to choose players until they had been retired for at least two years and Gilchrist, 36, is retiring from international cricket next month.
   But Modi said the Indian board has given the IPL governing body the powers to do away with the rules on the two-year ‘cooling off’ period for recently retired players.
   Australian players are in danger of losing their contracts because of a sponsorship row between Cricket Australia and IPL, however.
   The CA want protection for its sponsors during the IPL, a request the organisers rejected.
   ‘They will not get global sponsorship protection,’ Modi said. ‘No sponsor of any country, national team, will have any rights over the IPL under any circumstances,’ he added.

Cricket South Africa’s general council reaffirmed it’s backing of the transformation policy, which has been the point of contention in the public spat between the board president Norman Arendse and the national team coach Mickey Arthur.
   A resolution at the meeting held on Saturday also emphasised that the team to tour Bangladesh must be chosen by the selectors on the basis of the transformation policy and presented to the president as soon as possible. The squad, which was to be announced last week, was apparently delayed since the touring team chosen had only four coloured players, and not the longstanding policy of seven in a squad comprising of 15 or more players.
   Meanwhile, Gerald Majola, the CSA chief executive, has been asked to immediately look into the complaint against Arthur filed by Arendse before the South African team leaves for Bangladesh. The row erupted over the team selection, and Arendse laid formal charges against Arthur, telling the Cape Argus that he was being ‘disrespectful’ and ‘abusive’ while adding he was ‘cocking a snook at his employers’ policy of transformation.’
   Arthur followed suit and filed a counter-charge. ‘Yes, there is animosity between us,’ he told Supersport. ‘I told him he was power-crazy and egotistical but I never swore at him. ‘I’ve taken him on about this team. The transformation policy that Arendse wants to be applied does not exist. He is out of bounds. I told him he was not a selector and should keep his nose out of team selections. I can say now that he regularly sends back teams,’ Arthur said, while not elaborating when such incidents took place.’
   The resolution also says that Majola ‘is required to investigate utterances by any CSA employee in the print and electronic media since Tuesday, February 5, 2008,and consider whether there is any basis to charge such employee with bringing
   Cricket South Africa into disrepute in accordance with [the official] disciplinary code and procedure.’

Umar Gul is due to travel to Australia for a medical check-up on a longstanding back problem, and one that prevented him from taking any part in the Test series against India last year. It puts in to some doubt his availability for the series against Australia, due to be held in March-April.
   ‘I will be going to Sydney in a couple of days’ time, but it is just for a check-up on the back,’ Gul told Cricinfo. ‘It is the same problem that troubled me in India and though I have been doing my training in the gym, I haven’t bowled since. If they clear me, then I will begin bowling again.’
   Whether or not the problem is linked to the stress fractures of the back that kept him out of the game for over a year soon after his entry into international cricket in 2003-04 is not entirely clear.
   According to a board official, doctors confirmed that there was degeneration of a bone in his back, a condition that was initially spotted three years ago; around the same time of the first injury. ‘It was initially spotted three years ago and the MRI scan before the Delhi Test showed this again,’ Shafqat Naghmi, the Pakistan board’s chief operating officer, told Cricinfo.
   ‘The doctor said he didn’t see further deterioration which is a positive but Gul complained of pain so it needs to be looked at. The board decided then that we should seek another opinion and that is why he is travelling to Sydney.
   ‘If it had been a new injury, it would’ve been problematic but as it is the same one as before, it is a positive.’
   Whether or not Gul will be fit in time for Australia’s scheduled visit in March-April is unclear. Naghmi only said the situation will be clearer once the doctors have seen him in Australia. ‘We can’t say right now but let’s just keep our fingers crossed.’
   Indeed Pakistan will, for Gul has developed over the last two years, into one of their brightest fast-bowling prospects. He has been, unfortunately, an injury-prone one, having also missed an entire series in South Africa last year with an ankle injury. It has limited him to just 16 Test appearances since his debut. Gul wasn’t selected for the recent series of five ODIs against Zimbabwe, on grounds of fitness and selectors asked him to prove his fitness in the upcoming Pentangular Trophy, to begin from February 10. But he will definitely not play now in at least the first round of matches for NWFP.
   Pakistan are also waiting on their other promising young fast bowler, Mohammad Asif, to recover from an elbow injury that has kept him out of cricket since October last year.
   Asif underwent surgery on his right elbow in Australia at the start of the year and has since started bowling.
   But Naghmi said it would be another 2-3 weeks before his fitness could be properly assessed.

Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, may land in trouble after criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board’s policy on
   central contracts and the board’s top officials have referred his case to the disciplinary committee.
   Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, said the board has taken notice of Kaneria’s column on a website in which he questioned the central contracts policy after being demoted to Category C in the new list announced last month.
   ‘We have a clear of Code of Conduct and if Kaneria is found guilty of violating it then he will face strict punishment,’ Ashraf told the News.
   ‘Kaneria, who has played 51 Tests, wrote in his column that he was frustrated at being
   bracketed with players who
   have played fewer matches than him, like newcomer Fawad Alam.
   ‘I have played 51 Tests now and once I pass Abdul Qadir’s 236 Test wickets, hopefully this year, I will then only have the fast bowlers ahead of me - Waqar Younis, Imran Khan and Wasim Akram,’ he wrote. ‘I just feel that achievement deserves a bit more respect. I am respected more when I play at Essex.’
   Ashraf said the board cannot overlook public criticism of its policies by players contracted by it. Kaneria’s case would be discussed by the disciplinary committee later this month.
   ‘We devised a transparent formula to evaluate the players,’ he said. ‘The players were promoted, demoted, dropped or inducted (in the central contracts list) on the basis of that formula.’
   He did speak on the Shoaib Akhtar saga, making it clear that the fast bowler will only be able to win back his place for the home series against Australia if he proves his fitness in this month’s Pentangular Cup.

Rajshahi DSA and Chapainawabganj DSA moved to the final of the EXIM Bank 18th National Men’s Handball Competition (Zone Ka) beating their respective opponents in the semis at Jamalpur Stadium on Saturday.
   The final match between the two sides will be held on Sunday at 10:00am.
   On their way to the final, Rajshahi DSA beat Natore DSA by 28-20 goals in the first semifinal and Chapainawabganj DSA defeated Gaibandha DSA by 20-6 goals in the second semifinal.
   Earlier, in the group stage matches, Chaipainawabganj DSA beat Natore DSA by 25-16 goals while Rajshahi DSA defeated Jamalpur DSA by 13-4 goals.

An Australian professor in intelligence and counter-terrorism believes Australia should not tour Pakistan next month. An Australian security check is scheduled for the country after the elections on February 18 and if it occurs a decision on whether it is safe for the team to make the Test and one-day trip will be made.
   The professor Clive Williams, who is from Macquarie University’s Centre for Policing, Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism, told the Sydney Morning Herald he would not go if he was in Australia’s position. ‘It is a fairly volatile situation in Pakistan at the moment,’ Williams, a specialist in national security and Pakistan affairs, told the paper.
   ‘It is not really clear where things will go. I don’t think it would be advisable to go, it would be very dangerous. We have got troops in Afghanistan, and while Pakistan are cricket lovers, one way to create news and instability would be to target foreign visitors, especially given we have got an involvement in the war.’
   The Pakistan Cricket Board this week released four venues for the tour and is ready to provide head-of-state-style security for the team. However, Cricket Australia is not sure whether a pre-tour safety inspection can be made following the election and before the start of the tour.

Australian speedster Brett Lee reckons that the young Indian cricket team was struggling to find its feet in the absence of experienced batsmen like Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.
   ‘It’s always tougher for younger guys to come through immediately. (Rahul) Dravid and (Sourav) Ganguly played a lot of cricket this summer and were there since the start. The new guys would take some time to find their feet,’ Lee said.
   ‘Though they are quality players, they have their work cut out,’ he said referring to India’s none-too-impressive show in the previous two one-day matches.
   The Australian speedster singled out his side’s bowling as a key factor in tomorrow’s match against India. ‘We are bowling collectively good. I took a fiver in Brisbane, Nathan (Bracken) did it in Sydney. Johnson is proving to be a good back up. (James) Hopes, (Brad) Hogg, (Andrew) Symonds and (Michael) Clarke, we think we have good options in this area,’ Lee said.
   Lee also said that he stood as good a chance of picking wickets in one-dayers as he did in Tests.

Werder Bremen midfielder Diego has ruled out any switch to Italian giants Juventus, despite reports to the contrary, and insists he is enjoying his football as a star of the Bundesliga.
   The 22-year-old is contracted to Bremen until 2011, but has been courted by Juve and according to a report in Friday’s edition of Italian daily sports paper Gazzetta dello Sport, the Brazilian is quoted as saying he was ‘very interested’ in a transfer to Italy.
   With Bremen rivalling’s Sunday’s opponents Bayern Munich for the German league title, Diego is one of Germany’s most coveted players and has scored nine league goals this season, just one less than top scorer Luca Toni from Bayern Munich.

Ghana on Friday said they want their French coach Claude Le Roy to steer them towards double qualification for the World Cup and African Cup of Nations in 2010.
   The ‘Black Stars’, hosts of the 2008 African Nations Cup here, exited the competition Thursday after a 1-0 semi-final defeat to Cameroon. Cameroon will now meet Egypt in the final, after their 4-1 demolition of Ivory Coast.
   Le Roy told AFP the offer was ‘a great honour’. ‘I would be very proud to stay, so my answer would be in the affirmative but I still have to consider,’ said Le Roy.

Avram Grant believes Chelsea can deliver the final blow to Liverpool’s spluttering Premier League title challenge in today’s clash at Stamford Bridge.
   Grant is usually keen to avoid the kind of pre-match fireworks so beloved of his predecessor Jose Mourinho, but the Israeli emerged from his shell for once to write off Liverpool’s hopes of ending their 18-year wait for league success.
   The Reds are 17 points behind leaders Arsenal after a dismal run of one win in six matches and a loss to Grant’s third placed side would kill them off once and for all.
   ‘It is too far for them, it is too many points. I cannot say they are out of the title race because in football anything can happen, but it will be very hard for them,’ Grant said.
   Rafa Benitez’s men will travel to London more in hope than expectation. They have yet to score a goal at Chelsea in seven attempts since the Spanish coach took over in 2004 and crashed out of the League Cup there earlier this season.
   With Fernando Torres sidelined after suffering an injury playing for Spain in midweek, Liverpool will be missing their striking talisman, but despite dismissing their title hopes, Grant is cautious about facing the Reds.
   ‘Liverpool are a top club and it is never easy to play against them so I think it will be a difficult game, very difficult,’ he said.
   ‘When two clubs play together you always think of something from the past, but of course I don’t have a problem with Liverpool. My only concern is that Chelsea succeed.
   ‘Whether we win or we draw on Sunday, football is a strange game, sometimes you are very sure of yourself and you lose and sometimes you don’t, so anything can happen.’
   Chelsea are unbeaten in 75 league games at the Bridge and will make it four years without a defeat at their west
   London home if they avoid a loss today.
   In truth Grant’s side can’t afford anything but a win as they try to keep the pressure on Arsenal, who are currently six points clear of the Blues.
   The Chelsea manager will be boosted by the return to fitness of England midfielder Frank Lampard, back from a thigh injury and available to start for the first time since December 26.
   Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel is back in the squad after African Nations Cup duty, but Michael Essien, Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou - all also in action in Ghana - will not be back in time to feature.
   Torres’s absence leaves Peter Crouch to shoulder the burden of Liverpool’s attacking threat.
   Crouch impressed for England against Switzerland on Wednesday after coming on as a second half substitute and has the added motivation of wanting to make up for his red card at Chelsea in the League Cup.
   The former Aston Villa forward, whose father is a Chelsea fan, was dismissed for an ugly two-footed challenge on Mikel in the quarter-final tie this season, but he is only focused on helping his team rather than gaining personal revenge.
   ‘It’s a big game next for us at Chelsea. We will go into that game with more confidence,’ Crouch said.
   ‘We are good enough to beat Chelsea, we have done it before and I am sure we can do it again although it will be a difficult game.
   ‘This is a big one for both of us. They want to challenge Arsenal and Manchester United and we have got to make sure we keep our momentum going.’
   Liverpool will be without suspended midfielder Xabi Alonso, while Andriy Voronin, Daniel Agger, Alvaro Arbeloa and Fabio Aurelio are all injured.

Milan believe they’ll have Alexandre Pato ready for the Arsenal game, but refuse to release Kaka or Pippo Inzaghi for the Olympics. Pato will miss this weekend’s match with Siena after badly spraining his ankle during the 1-0 win at Fiorentina and there were fears he’d be sidelined for several weeks.
   However, there is comforting news on the 18-year-old’s progress, as he told the media during a publicity event on Friday.
   ‘My ankle is feeling much better, it is not as serious as we thought,’ commented the Brazilian. ‘I really hope to be there against Arsenal.’
   The first leg of the Champions League clash is on February 20 in London and Pato was set to make his European debut.
   ‘He is starting to do physiotherapy on the sand, so the ankle injury is not as bad as it may have at first seemed,’ added Coach Carlo Ancelotti. ‘We are going towards a recovery as quickly as possible.’
   Pato is expected to miss out on a potential Champions League preliminary round in August because he is part of the Brazil youth squad that will take part in the Beijing Olympics.
   There are rumours that tactician Carlos Dunga aims to call Kaka among the three over-age players allowed for the competition, which would mean he’d skip Milan’s crucial qualifiers as well.
   ‘The Olympics are not part of the FIFA calendar, it is just a great tournament reserved for the Under-23 players in which three older figures are allowed,’ pointed out general manager Adriano Galliani.
   ‘I think that everything should be viewed in a reasonable manner, both from the clubs and the Federations.
   ‘Milan will release any Under-23 players, so if Pato is called by Brazil then we will let him go. One can find opportune agreements for the over-age players, though.’
   It has also been reported Italy could offer to bring along some of the Rossoneri’s older figures, including Inzaghi and Andrea Pirlo.
   ‘Let us not forget this is the year of the European Championships, that during the Olympics some Leagues have already started and there are the preliminaries for the Champions League,’ concluded Galliani.

Arsene Wenger believes the Premier League’s bid for world domination is tailor-made to succeed in Asia.
   English football’s elite league is already hugely popular in the Far East, with fans flocking to watch the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool when they visit on pre-season tours, as well as tuning to matches in their droves.
   Now there is the prospect of fans in Beijing or Tokyo being able to see Cristiano Ronaldo, Steven Gerrard, Cesc Fabregas and the rest of the Premier League’s stars in competitive action for the first time.
   The Premier League club chairmen have agreed to discuss a proposal to add one more round of fixtures to their schedule, which would allow them to play those additional games in five cities around the world over a weekend in January, possibly by as soon as 2011.
   Wenger has given only cautious support to the plan because he is far from certain it has been properly thought through. But the Frenchman has experienced the passion for football in Asia after a two-year spell as coach of Japanese club Grampus Eight.
   ‘This idea cannot work in strong football countries. It would never work in Argentina or Brazil. They will have no interest in Argentina to see Arsenal v Derby,’ Wenger said.
   ‘It can happen in Asia or in minor leagues where football is not as strong culturally or implanted.
   ‘Football is already global through television and media anyway. If I say Senderos is injured, in the same minute a guy in China reads that if he is interested.
   ‘That was not the case 20 years ago and what is not global now is the access to see live competition.
   ‘This is the next step. You want to promote the league as the best in the world but you have to have a deeper look at it.’
   Although Wenger is confident the idea would be a success in Asia, he wants more dialogue between the Premier League and the managers to make sure both sides’ interests are protected.
   ‘I can understand why it provokes a lot of resistance. There are already too many games and the solution you have is to add one more!’ he said.
   ‘We need to make sure the managers, the managers’ union and the league have the same vision.’
   His major fear is that teams will be condemned to spend half the season travelling to far-flung destinations if the idea is given the green light.
   ‘It would be easy to say maybe we should play in China because there are two billion people there who want to watch a football game,’ he said.
   ‘Why not travel with the whole league over there and play there. You have to make sure it does not go into a circus.
   ‘At the moment we have coaches, now we will have to buy supersonic private jets, then space shuttles next.’

Ronaldo is back in action after a series of injuries and has one target in his sights – to win the Champions League with Milan.
   ‘I have not yet won the Champions League, so I will do everything I can to bring it back home with Milan.’
   He is closing in on full fitness in the run-up to the second round showdown with Arsenal, which would be his European debut in a Rossoneri jersey.
   He was cup-tied due to his time with Real Madrid in last season’s triumphant competition, while physical problems have prevented him from playing in the Champions League, European Super Cup or Club World Cup this term.
   The striker has barely set foot on the field this season due to recurring knee and muscular injuries, but finally seems ready to make his mark against Siena this weekend.
   ‘This is going to be an important game. We are make up for lost ground after a bad start and to win here would be crucial.’
   The Rossoneri are now in fifth place with a game in hand after defeating top four contenders Udinese and Fiorentina away from home in recent weeks.
   However, they are without injured stars Alexandre Pato and Kaka – as well as the suspended Alberto Gilardino – for the Siena encounter, so he could partner Pippo Inzaghi.
   ‘We had a few training sessions together and had a lot of fun. This season when I was fit then he tended to be injured, and vice versa, but now we’re more or less alright at the same time. If we do play alongside each other, we will try to do very well,’ he told Milan Channel.
   ‘A year ago I was able to give my contribution, this year a little less. I am disappointed at all the injuries I had in my career and think there were many mistakes both from the medical staff and from me.
   ‘Now I hope to get some consistency into my performances because being here at Milan is wonderful and very motivating. I am determined to do well.’

Football Federation Australia says it is open to the concept of hosting English Premier League matches but is more interested in promoting its own domestic A-League.
   FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said he had not been contacted by English officials about plans announced Thursday to consider staging 10 Premier League matches overseas, even though Sydney has been mooted as a possible venue.
   ‘If any approach from the English Premier League was forthcoming, the FFA would certainly discuss it,’ Buckley said in a statement. However, he said Australian football was more interested in promoting its own league both domestically and throughout the Asia region.
   ‘FFA’s overwhelming priority is to promote the A-League and to continue to invest in, and grow, the game in Australia,’ Buckley said.
   The A-League, less than three years old, has attracted strong crowds in Australia, where football is becoming increasingly popular after previously being overshadowed by rugby league, rugby union and Australian rules.
   However, new Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek last month panned the quality of the league.
   Most Australian football fans, regardless of A-League alliances, usually have a favourite English team and follow the Premier League closely. Under the English plan, an international round of 10 matches could be staged starting in 2010 or 2011 in global markets such as Beijing, Singapore, Sydney, Hong Kong or such US markets as New York or Los Angeles.
   Australia’s English-based midfielder Tim Cahill has welcomed the proposal, describing the prospect of playing for his club Everton in from of his hometown crowd in Sydney as ‘awesome’.
   ‘The Australian people love Premier League football and I am sure a club as big as Everton would attract a massive following,’ he said on the club’s website.

Arsene Wenger has been hit by an injury crisis that threatens to derail Arsenal’s Premier League title challenge.
   Wenger is facing the unpalatable prospect of taking on Blackburn on Monday without 10 first team stars.
   Tomas Rosicky, Robin van Persie and Johan Djourou are already sidelined but during Wednesday’s internationals Swiss defender Phillipe Senderos aggravated a knee ligament problem and Mathieu Flamini suffered a hamstring injury playing for France.
   To add to Wenger’s woes, Spanish goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, already a doubt with a finger injury, has gone down with an illness that forced Wenger to send him home from training on Friday.
   Abou Diaby is also likely to miss the Emirates Stadium clash with a calf injury sustained against Manchester City last weekend.
   ‘It is a big problem. At the moment we are down to the bare bones. We are really, really short,’ Wenger said.
   ‘Rosicky, Van Persie and Djourou are out and Almunia is a doubt. We lost Diaby against Manchester City with a calf problem. We might lose Flamini as well. He had to come out of the French national team.
   ‘Philippe Senderos was injured as well. He has a medial knee ligament. I don’t rule him out completely. He is positive about it, the medical team a bit less.
   ‘Almunia has sickness. We will see about his thumb on Sunday.’
   With William Gallas the only central defender available to Wenger, the French coach refused to rule out the possibility of Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue flying back from the African Nations Cup in time to feature against Rovers.
   ‘The Ivory Coast play on Saturday afternoon. I haven’t called Toure yet. I will call him to see if he can take a flight direct from Accra to London,’ Wenger said.
   If Toure doesn’t return in time, Wenger will be forced to play Brazil midfielder Gilberto Silva or young right-back Justin Hoye alongside Gallas.

Hong Kong would be delighted to host English Premier League matches if a plan to play games abroad goes ahead, the head of the city’s football association said according to media reports on Saturday.
   ‘This is certainly exciting news for Hong Kong. Hong Kong was the first city mentioned,’ Hong Kong Football Association chairman Brian Leung told the South China Morning Post.
   ‘That’s probably because we did a fine job hosting the Barclays Asia Trophy and the Premier League was very pleased with our organisation and our arrangements,’ he added.
   Liverpool, Fulham and Portsmouth played in front of packed crowds at the 40,000-seater Hong Kong Stadium last July in the Asia Trophy, an exhibition tournament hosted every two years by a different Asian city.
   Leung said he had maintained regular contact with Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore since the tournament and had already confirmed Hong Kong’s interest in hosting any Premiership games.
   Chairmen of the league’s 20 clubs agreed this week to explore a plan for an ‘international round’ of matches under which each team would play an extra match every January at one of five overseas venues.
   The results would count towards the final league table.
   Hong Kong, Dubai, Johannesburg and New York were all mentioned as possible venues for the matches, which could start in the 2010/11 season.

Egypt coach Hassan Shehata has received a timely boost 24 hours before his bid to become only the second manager to
   capture cons-ecutive African Nations Cup titles.
   The vote of confidence ahead of today’s final with Cameroon came from the Egyptian Football Federation who have offered him a new contract up to the 2010 World Cup.
   The move is unusual in the fluid world of African football contracts and comes just after Ghana coach Claude Le Roy was asked to stay on by his federation despite the hosts’ semi-final loss to the Cameroonians on Thursday.
   Victory for Shehata’s side at the Ohene Djan stadium on Sunday will see him join Charles Gyamfi, who guided Ghana to back to back titles in 1963 and 1965.
   Shehata has succeeded in winning the African Nations Cup after failing three times as a player.
   The former national team defender was a surprisingly
   low profile replacement for Italian Marco Tardelli in
   2004 and many observers believed he would not even last until Egypt hosted the competition.
   But he not only survived but thrived, making smart, timely substitutions and dropping Ahmed ‘Mido’ Hossam from the final after the pin-up striker reacted angrily to being taken off late in the semi-final triumph over Senegal.
   With the same technical bench around him he has cemented his reputation
   as a shrewd operator in
   Ghana, with Egypt arriving at the 2008 final unbeaten and confident of retaining the African crown.
   Egypt are gunning for a record sixth title.

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard would be interested in bringing Chelsea striker Didier Drogba to the Nou Camp - but not as part of a deal taking Samuel Eto’o the other way.
   Earlier this season Drogba expressed a desire to leave Chelsea, comments he later admitted he regretted making. With Eto’o and Thierry Henry leading the Barca attack and youngster Bojan Krkic rapidly rising to fame, Barca was looking an unlikely destination.
   But Rijkaard confirmed he could be interested in a move come the end of the season.
   ‘Eto’o is a player in our team and he performs very well for us,’ he said. ‘For that reason I don’t see a swap deal. If Barca have the possibility of signing a player like Drogba we would have to look at it, but we wouldn’t do a swap.’

Brazilian midfielder Gilberto admits it will be ‘inevitable’ that he is forced to leave Arsenal if he continues to be left out by manager Arsene Wenger.
   Gilberto joined the Gunners in 2002 and, prior to this season, had been a regular in Wenger’s first-team. However, the 31-year-old has been frozen out in the current campaign following the fine form of Mathieu Flamini.
   And Gilberto has revealed he has yet to receive an explanation from Wenger for his snub. ‘To this day I’m waiting for an explanation as to this change. The truth is I found out about it through the newspapers,’ Gilberto told The Sun.
   ‘I thought I had a good season last year and I saw no reason for what has happened. If I continue not to play, then leaving Arsenal is inevitable.
   ‘I could not cope with another season like this one when Wenger has made me feel totally useless. A player must be able to smile. A sad Brazilian is no good, especially on a football pitch. Right now I really am struggling to battle on.’

England boss Fabio Capello’s top-of-the-range hairdryer has been stolen from his private dressing room at Wembley. Stadium chiefs are investigating the theft - which occurred after Wednesday’s game against Switzerland. The suave Italian ordered for it to be installed in his dressing room before the game.
   Wembley officials agreed to the request - but were horrified to discover the expensive blower was missing after the game.
   Staff spent Friday searching for the missing hairdryer, but it was nowhere to be seen.
   An investigation has now been launched and a new hairdryer will be bought in time for England’s next home game.
   A source told the Daily Mirror: ‘The England manager has his own dressing room next to the players’ one. After Fabio got the England job he asked for a hairdryer to be put in there for his sole use.
   ‘We thought it was a bit strange but he’s the boss and we got a top-of-the-range dryer. Everything went smoothly on Wednesday and Fabio seemed happy when he left.
   But it wasn’t until the next day we noticed the hairdryer had disappeared.
   ‘Everyone is terrified about what he is going to say when he finds out it’s missing.’
   A Wembley Stadium spokeswoman refused to comment on the hairdryer’s disappearance.

Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba has promised to do everything possible to win the 2010 African Nations Cup after his team were defeated 4-1 by defending champions Egypt in Thursday’s semi-final.
   ‘Straight after the game I was already thinking about 2010 because, until I play my last game, I will do everything in my power to bring the Cup to Ivory Coast,’ Drogba told reporters.
   ‘Maybe I won’t win it, but I will give it my best shot.
   ‘Even if I don’t win, I think we are building something which is strong. I hope the federation and everybody in Ivory Coast will keep up the standard we’ve reached.’
   The 29-year-old Chelsea striker also missed out in 2006 when Ivory Coast lost on penalties to Egypt in the final. On that occasion, he squandered the game’s best chance and missed his penalty during the shootout.
   Drogba said he did not think his team relied too much on him.
   ‘We have scored 14 goals and I have only scored three of them,’ he said. ‘I don’t think the team is over-dependent on me, on the contrary, we have shown that the team is not just Drogba.’

Sir Alex Ferguson has made one final plea to Manchester City supporters to show respect for the Munich victims in today’s potentially volatile Manchester derby meeting at Old Trafford.
   Months of deliberation and discussions have taken place between the rival clubs about how best to mark the 50th anniversary of the disaster, which claimed 23 lives, including those of eight United players from the ‘Busby Babes’ squad.
   United officials have decided to hold a minute’s silence before kick-off in memory of the dead, amid fears that a minority of City’s 3,000 fans in attendance could ruin the gesture.
   ‘I don’t think there will be any problem with our fans,’ said the United manager.
   ‘I am just hoping City fans listen to their own club and make it a game for us all to remember. That’s very, very important.
   ‘There has been a lot of speculation about Man City fans and how they are going to behave. I think the club themselves has done their very best to ensure it is a peaceful day and we can enjoy a good game of football without any disruptions to it.’
   The eagerly-anticipated meeting with City comes at the end of an emotionally charged week for United which saw a high-profile Munich memorial event staged at Old Trafford on Wednesday, exactly 50 years after the crash.
   ‘It has been a big week for the club,’ said Ferguson. ‘Before all the events, there was a bit of apprehension, hoping it would all go smoothly. I was absolutely proud of all the staff and how they handled the whole thing.
   ‘I’ve always been proud to manage this club but on Wednesday I was even prouder. I realised I am manager of one of the greatest clubs of all time.’
   That event behind him, Ferguson can now concentrate upon football, and attempting to maintain United’s record of not losing to City at Old Trafford since 1974 while avenging an early season defeat at their Eastlands base.
   ‘We have an excellent record against them at home,’ said Ferguson. ‘And, hopefully, that continues for the next 20 years! But the one thing you know about derby games is that anything can happen.
   ‘The first game, at City, earlier this season was an amazing result. The players came in after the game and I said well done, because their performance was excellent - and we had lost 1-0!’
   Ferguson is without suspended Wayne Rooney and Patrice Evra against City and will delay naming his line-up until he has assessed the fitness of his players involved in midweek international duty.
   City are without key play-maker Elano and Vedran Corluka due to bans but new signing Benjani could make his debut and their manager Sven-Goran Eriksson, who revealed Micah Richards will sign a contract extension ‘any day’, had a similar message for his team’s fans.
   He said: ‘We want them to use common sense. Football is one thing but when people die young in an extremely bad accident you have to respect that it doesn’t matter if you’re wearing a blue shirt of a red shirt.
   ‘It was sad and it should be respected. Don’t be a fan for that minute. After that, be a fan again.’
   Eriksson added: ‘It has been a long time since 1974 but nothing is impossible in football. It will be very difficult and I’m sure they remember losing at the start of the season and they won’t want to lose twice against us.
   ‘It’s a good opportunity to show that the season isn’t finished for us.’
   A victory will put United back on top of the table for at least the 24 hours before Arsenal, currently two points clear, entertain Blackburn at the Emirates Stadium.

Egypt, who have defied predictions and proved themselves worthy defending African Nations Cup champions, are confident of retaining the title against Cameroon today.
   The 2008 finalists clashed in their opening group game where Egypt meted out a 4-2 win to Otto Pfister’s mentally tough Cameroon, and the men from the Nile see no reason why that result won’t be repeated at Accra’s Ohene Djan stadium.
   ‘We are champions of Africa until Sunday and we hope we will be still after the final,’ said Egypt coach Hassan Shehata whose team could win the title for a record sixth time.
   ‘Cameroon are a big team, but we’ve already beaten them in this tournament and that is a good sign for us to produce a good result on Sunday.
   ‘All my players are motivated, they want to keep the title to prove that we are truly the champions of Africa.’
   Cameroon too are taking positives out of that initial loss to the five-time titleholders, but for obviously differing reasons.
   ‘We started slowly and no one expected us to make it this far. Losing to Egypt helped spur us on to the final,’ said midfielder Stephane Mbia, who scored the extra-time winner in Cameroon’s 3-2 quarter-final success over Tunisia.
   Pfister, who led Ghana to the 1992 finals, added: ‘We’ve progressed match by match. Perhaps we started badly but we always know how to react.’
   A win for Egypt will see Shehata join a rare club of coaches that have won back to back titles.
   This is not the final that most pundits had predicted, with Ghana and Ivory Coast seen as the most likely to scrap it out for the right to be called the kings of Africa.
   But the Ivorians were taken apart by Egypt in Thursday’s semi-final in Kumasi 4-1 while Cameroon put paid to hosts Ghana 1-0 in Accra to set up a rematch from the 1986 final in Cairo won by the Pharoahs on penalties.
   While Shehata has the luxury of a fit squad to choose from Cameroon are sweating it out to see if midfielder Alexandre Song recovers after picking up a knock and being stretchered off at the end of the hard fought win over Ghana.
   ‘The doctors reckon it’s not serious. It’s not a ligament problem,’ said the player’s cousin and Cameroon captain Rigobert Song.
   Cameroon are also missing Andre Bikey, the Reading defender who was sent off in the 90th minute in the semi-final for shoving a medical official tending a stricken teammate.
   Pfister had pledged before that game that his team would ‘paralyse’ Ghana tactically and it worked a treat as Cameroon soaked up Ghana pressure before delivering the sucker punch on a counter attack.
   Egypt though represent an altogether tricker problem as Shehata’s side have looked equally polished in defence and attack, with keeper Essam El Harady in particular in superb form.
   The Egyptians are aiming to add to their record five title haul after capturing the continental trophy in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998 and 2006.
   Cameroon are four time winners, the Indomitable Lions coming up trumps in 1984, 1988, 2000 and 2002.
   At the start of the competition one of Accra’s most popular hotels hung the flags from each of the 16 nations competing outside its main entrance.
   A hotel porter has had the job of removing them as teams have fallen by the wayside, leaving just Egypt and Cameroon flying proudly in the breeze.
   By Sunday night only one will remain with the clever money pointing to the red, white and black of the defending champions rather than the green, red and yellow of Cameroon.

President Sepp Blatter has announced FIFA will examine the Premier League’s controversial plan to hold some matches overseas.
   Under FIFA’s statutes, any competitive fixture played in a foreign territory needs the approval of the body’s executive committee as well as the
   football association of the country in which the game is to be played.
   FIFA will now ask the Premier League for the official documents relating to their proposals to hold 10 league matches in foreign cities from the 2010/2011 season.
   Blatter said: ‘FIFA has been made aware through media reports of these plans.
   ‘We will expect official documents from the Premier League to be sent to us and the matter will be brought to the attention of the executive at our next meeting, who will then look at the matter.’
   Blatter wants the organisation’s Executive Committee to review the scheme to play matches at five different
   venues outside England from 2011 at its next meeting on March.
   Blatter last year helped to block Manchester United’s planned friendly in Malaysia because it clashed with the Asian Cup and similar concerns over ‘football colonialism’ could resurface in connection with the plan for league matches in places like Bangkok, Dubai and Hong Kong.
   Meanwhile, UEFA president Michel Platini has described Premier League proposals to play an additional round of English top-flight matches overseas as ‘comical’.
   Platini, who has in the past criticised the league for what he sees as an over-reliance on imported foreign talent, believes there is no chance of the sport’s world governing body FIFA backing the
   plans when their executive committee meet on March 14 in Zurich.
   ‘It’s a strange and comical idea,’ the former France and Juventus playmaker told the Daily Telegraph.
   ‘I was laughing. I laughed because it will never be received by FIFA, by the fans and by the national associations. It’s a nonsense idea.’
   Platini extended his attack on the league to include the increasing number of foreign owners, the lack of English players in the top flight
   and the fact that the
   English national team are coached by Italian Fabio Capello.
   ‘It’s ironic,’ he added.
   ‘Soon you will have in England no English presidents, you already have no English coach, you have no English players and maybe now you will have no clubs playing in England.
   ‘It’s a joke.’
   Platini revealed he had spoken to his FIFA counterpart Sepp Blatter on the issue and added: ‘We share the same idea that it’s the responsibility of national associations (to allow English teams to play competitively in their countries), and I am sure they will never accept it because it’s not good for football.’
   Elsewhere, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has weighed into the debate over whether or not some
   English Premier League games should be played overseas by telling clubs to ‘listen to the fans.’
   The shock proposals, which would see the season extended to 39 games and clubs opposing each other in such as Dubai, Hong Kong, New York and Los Angeles, have divided the football world.
   The big clubs in the main have been supportive of the idea, the players’ union has expressed concerns, while some supporters’ groups are strongly against it.
   Brown said he believed that the opinions of the fans were what mattered most.
   ‘I think the fans have got to come first, and we have got to listen to what the views of the fans are on this,’ he said in an interview with Radio Five Live on Saturday.
   The Football Supporters’ Federation have already made clear they will battle the new plans all the way in the form of ‘local actions’ at every top-flight ground.
   A statement from the organisation read: ‘The fightback starts here - it’s time for us to reclaim the game from those intent on pimping it out to boost their already burgeoning bank balances.’
   Brown though believes the play-abroad proposal should
   be examined in detail before fans make up their mind about it.
   He said: ‘Now if that is money that is going back into football, and if that is helping keep the price of tickets
   down in England, and if that means that more fans get more opportunities of going to matches as a result of that at a cheaper price, then that would be something that I think people would want to take into account.’

John Carew scored a second-half hat-trick as Aston Villa produced a fantastic turnaround to sink Newcastle at Villa Park.
   The 4-1 win for Martin O’Neill’s men means Kevin Keegan is still seeking a first win in his second spell as Newcastle manager and the Magpies have now gone nine games without a victory.
   Keegan must have thought he was on course for victory as Michael Owen gave the visitors a half-time lead. But Wilfred Bouma scored immediately after half-time, and a treble from forward Carew ensured the game was turned on its head.
   Villa are now back on course for European football next season but Newcastle are edging ever closer to the relegation battle. Ashley Young returned for Villa after suspension while Newcastle dropped Charles N’Zogbia and Emre, bringing in James Milner and Habib Beye. Alan Smith and Owen were partnered in attack for the visiting side, who needed just four minutes to find the net.
   With their first attack, Milner floated a cross from the left flank deep into the Aston Villa penalty area. Owen arrived at the near post to guide a header into the net, via a deflection from the hand of Gareth Barry.
   England midfielder Barry came close to equalising on 14 minutes as his 20-yard left footed strike was blocked in the penalty area by Joey Barton, but claims for a handball by the Newcastle man were dismissed by referee Lee Mason.
   Villa seemed hard done by, particularly as Barton appeared to push Shaun Maloney to the ground in the build-up to the effort.
   Chances were few and far between for the rest of the half, but five minutes before the break, Villa must have thought they had found a breakthrough.
   After a long spell of Newcastle domination, the home side won a free kick. Young swept it into the area and Given reacted superbly to keep out Carew’s glancing header.
   The home side started the second half with more intent, Olof Mellberg and Stiliyan Petrov having replaced by Craig Gardner and Marlon Harewood.
   And Aston Villa pulled the scores even within three minutes of the re-start. Shaun Maloney teased Habib Beye on the left side of the area, before laying the ball off to Bouma. The Dutch full-back cut onto his right foot to hit the ball towards goal, and saw his effort deflect into the net to mark his first goal for the club in 76 appearances.
   By the 51st minute the game had turned around. Newcastle’s marking had been slack all afternoon, so it was no real surprise when Young’s corner from the left was flicked into the net by Norwegian striker Carew.
   Newcastle were forced to replace goalkeeper Shay Given on 54 minutes, Steve Harper taking his place. Harper had little to do for 15 minutes, at which point he made a good low stop to tip away a low shot from Gardner.
   Sixty seconds later he made an even better stop, again from Gardner. However, there was little he could about the crucial third goal on 72 minutes, which came from the resulting corner.
   Newcastle’s defence failed to clear the ball, and Carew eventually headed home from close range.
   In the final minute Stephen Carr handled in his own area, and Carew drilled home from the penalty spot to complete his first hat-trick in English football.

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes fears a ‘minority’ of Manchester City fans may spoil the minute’s silence to mark the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster - but urged Blues fans to remember one of their own was also killed in the crash.
   Today’s derby clash at Old Trafford is United’s first game since the anniversary of the tragedy on Wednesday, and a minute’s silence will be observed before kick-off. Eight United players lost their lives as a result of the crash, with 23 people killed in all.
   Former City goalkeeper Frank Swift, who by the time of the crash was working as a journalist for the News of the World, was among the dead and Scholes hopes any City fans tempted to break the silence will recognise that the tragedy also touched the blue half of Manchester.
   ‘I think the only thing you have to worry about is the minority of City fans who might want to cause trouble,’ the 33-year-old said.
   ‘They lost someone in the accident as well, so I hope their fans are not disrespectful. There is always that few who might cause problems. They have referred to the accident a few times in the past and I just hope they can come to their senses on the day.
   ‘It would reflect badly on their club, but that’s not stopped them in the past, has it?’

Carlos Tevez admits he is out for revenge in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford today.
   Manchester United meet rivals Manchester City on Sunday, in a game which can be seen live on Sky Sports 1, hoping to avenge their 1-0 away defeat to the Blues earlier in the season.
   United striker Tevez has confessed he was ‘hurt’ by the defeat at the City of Manchester Stadium in August.
   And the Argentinean insists the Red Devils cannot afford anymore slip ups, after scoring United’s last-gasp equaliser against Tottenham last weekend, as they bid to retain their Premier League crown.
   ‘I’m really excited about the derby,’ Tevez said in the London Daily Star. ‘The defeat there hurt me and now is the moment for revenge.
   ‘After the draw against Spurs we cannot fail again if we want to win the title. At Old Trafford it is obligatory to win every match.
   ‘Arsenal are the leaders for now but I am convinced we will triumph.’

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has tipped an African team to reach the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup to be hosted by South Africa.
   ‘At this Nations Cup, we have seen two great semi-finals. The level is very good and this has to be so when you know that most of these teams have several players playing at the top level in Europe,’ said Mourinho, who is in Ghana to watch the final of the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations.
   ‘There has been colour, enthusiastic crowds, positive atmosphere. I’m sorry that Ghana and Ivory Coast are not in the final but that’s the beauty of the game.
   ‘Now Africa is ready to take the next stage. By next stage I don’t mean win the World Cup, that would be too drastic. But an African team could get to the quarter-finals or even the semi-finals.’
   Cameroon and Senegal are the two African teams who have thus far reached the last eight of the World Cup. The Indomitable Lions lost out to England in the quarter-finals at the 1990 World Cup in Italy while Senegal were stopped at that stage of the 2002 tournament by Turkey.
   Mourinho again dismissed talks that he would be interested in working with a national team, whether in Europe or Africa.
   ‘I’m not interested at this moment with a national team job because I prefer to
   work every day, be involved in two, three matches a week’, he said.

AC Milan midfielder Kaka believes that his club team-mate Ronaldo is second only to Pele in the list of great Brazilian footballers.
   Speaking to FIFA.com, Kaka did not shy away from expressing his appreciation for his team-mate and friend.
   ‘Ronaldo is number one. In the history of the Brazilian soccer, he is only behind Pele,’ he stated.
   The midfielder was speaking after missing out on Brazil’s narrow 1-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday and reiterated his desire to be part of the U-23 team that will go to the Olympics in Beijing later this year.
   ‘I want to go the Olympics because Brazil has won almost everything, but have still not been able to win Olympic Gold in football. I never got the chance to play in them when I was the right age and therefore I hope to be included as one of the three players over twenty-three in the summer.’
   Kaka was asked about the tough regime that new England coach Fabio Capello seems keen to enforce, but did not feel that such an approach is always effective.
   ‘In the World Cup in 2002, after each game we had one day of rest and before the departures we could tan a little in the sun. We could also use mobile phones and we were successful. We were clearly always very professional.
   ‘In 2006, a different regime was adopted and we were only allowed out at certain times with more restrictions and the results were not positive.’
   Finally, Kaka was asked what being world club champions meant to AC Milan and the players.
   ‘We are the world-wide champion of clubs and until December nobody can take that away from us.
   ‘It would be wonderful to win another Champions League title so we can defend the trophy,’ he concluded.