Nokia, the world’s leading cell-phone manufacturer, announced its involvement with Bangladesh national football team at a press conference at the Bangladesh Football Federation office on Monday.
   Nokia will be sponsoring the football kits for the AFC Challenge Cup and involve the national football team members in its different promotional activities. The company will provide a purse of Tk 15 lakh to the Bangladesh Football Federation.
   Bangladesh have only two international engagements in 2008 – the AFC Challenge Cup, to be held from May 5-10 in Kyrgyzstan, and the SAFF Championship in June in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.  Though Nokia confirmed the sponsorship of the AFC Challenge, it would make the decision on SAFF Championship later.
   In international football tournaments carrying the sponsor’s logo or name on the shirts is prohibited, so the Bangladesh national team members will use the Nokia logo or name in their practice jerseys and promote the company’s products in other possible ways.
   Prem Prakash Chand, the managing director of Nokia Emerging Asia, was happy to be associated with Bangladesh football. ‘Football is the most popular game of the world and Nokia is also the same in mobile technology, Nokia is proud to be involved with the Bangladesh national football team and we look forward to continuing the involvement,’ said Prem Prakash.
   Nokia sponsored the African Nations Cup in Tunisia in 2004. Presently, the company is sponsoring the youth football programme of the United States and the popular TV show titled ‘Nokia Football Crazy’ transmitted by ESPN.
   BFF president SA Sultan welcomed the initiative of Nokia. ‘Nokia is great name in world football arena and we are extremely delighted to see its emergence in Bangladesh
   football. In our country
   football needs some extra boost and we hope Nokia will provide that to develop the game and take it to the desired level,’ said Sultan.
   BFF acting general secretary Monjur Hossain Malu, communications manager Ahmed Saeed Al Fatah were also present on the occasion.

The repercussions of a second finals defeat go further than Australia losing a tri-series that has been so important to the country over the past 29 years. Another slip today would lead to two of the team’s long-term players bowing out a couple of days early without a satisfactory send-off.
   At the moment the timing of the Adam Gilchrist and Brad Hogg retirements depends on the result at the Gabba and in the side’s current form an early and empty-handed exit would not be unexpected.
   Gilchrist will have a say in the outcome, but the spot of Hogg is not as secure and Australia will consider Stuart Clark as they try to smother India on a bouncy surface.
   In the other dressing room a much happier scenario applies to Sachin Tendulkar, who capped his last series in Australia with a composed century to seal the six-wicket win in Sydney.
   There has been no public decision on his future, but another trip to Australia is as unlikely as Harbhajan Singh seeking residency here. When Tendulkar spoke about his 117 on Sunday night he was content, which is a worrying sign for Australia.
   ‘It was extremely good to go one-up in the series, the first blow is what matters,’ Tendulkar said.
   ‘We don’t have much time before the second final, but we have to get up and put up a good show. We are up for it and we want to continue this winning performance.’
   The tourists are desperate to go home and the prospect of staying in Australia for another couple of days is not attractive.
   Controversy is raised with almost every gesture, word or gloop of saliva and the tour has worn down everyone. Another performance like the one India gave on Sunday would end the season of theatrics, which has been combined with gripping contests.
   Over the past decade it has been rare to see Australia controlled and their five games against India have resulted in two successes each and one washout.
   The home team is concerned and after the SCG defeat Ponting had to remind his players that they pride themselves on their output in big games.
   When the most important tussle of the limited-overs season arrived they were overrun.
   ‘You would be un-human not to have a little bit of a hit to the confidence when you’re not getting the results that you’re looking for,’ Australia’s coach Tim Nielsen said.
   ‘That’s the challenge of elite sport. Our challenge at the moment is to keep these blokes up and get them in a state of mind that gives them every opportunity.’
   The assignment has become much harder as they prepare for their third match in five days.
   Only three times have Australia lost the opening game of the home finals and come back to take a three-match series - twice against South Africa in the 1990s and once in 2005-06 against Sri Lanka.
   On three occasions when they have lost the opening encounter the contest has been concluded in two affairs, including last year’s 2-0 defeat by England.
   That result embarrassed the hosts and as the tri-series concept prepares to depart the same emotion is being felt.
   While Australia are low, India are on a massive high.
   The young team accepted many handshakes from local and Indian well wishers during their travel from Sydney to Brisbane on Monday and they were relaxed by their success.
   Ishant Sharma (finger) and Tendulkar (groin) have nagging concerns - the batsman’s injury has been troubling him for a while - but both are confident of playing.
   Two spinners will not be used at the Gabba, which is bad news for Piyush Chawla, who bowled well in Sydney, and Irfan Pathan’s treatment from Matthew Hayden may create some discussion.
   With each team leaning towards an extra fast bowler a summer of high energy may end in a battle of speed.
   The swing-friendly conditions mean Sreesanth should come in for Chawla and he is more likely to move the ball through the humid Brisbane air than the seamer Munaf Patel.
   Although a couple of light showers are predicted for Tuesday, there should be no repeat of the heavy rain that forced the abandonment of the opening match of the series.
   On that occasion India’s bowlers had the best of the conditions and the home side was reduced to 3 for 51. Since then things have got only slightly easier for Ponting’s men.
   Australia’s major worry is their batting form and more meetings were held on Monday in an effort to fix the problem.
   The tension continues to increase and with one more slip they will be out of their own competition forever. If that happens Hogg and Gilchrist will never return.

Former Australian captain Allan Border said on Monday that he did not face as much pressure while leading a struggling side as current skipper Ricky Ponting does now.
   Border was at the helm of the national team for 93 Tests between 1984 and 1994, a period when Australian cricket was in the doldrums. Ponting, meanwhile, has been at the forefront of one of the most successful cricketing eras the country has experienced.
   But Border, who was known as ‘Captain Grumpy’, said he would sooner face the menacing West Indies bowling attacks of the 1980s than deal with the strains Ponting has been confronting this season in the acrimonious Test and one-day series against India.
   ‘I’d take on Joel Garner any day of the week,’ said Border, who reluctantly accepted the Australian captaincy when Kim Hughes resigned in tears in December 1984 after a series drubbing from the West Indies.
   ‘It’s what we were trained to do and probably felt more comfortable doing.
   ‘But all the argy-bargy that goes on in cricket now, just the constant flow of that type of pressure, I’d take the West Indies any day over that,’ Border told reporters at a sponsorship function here Monday.
   ‘When you’re copping a bit of flak off-field and have issues to deal with, that can wear you down more than anything your opponents do to you on the field.
   ‘I suppose all international captains have greater responsibilities than I did when I left off the job. There are more and more pressures on the guys, particularly those at the top.
   ‘It’s harder now. The media glare has always been there, but I don’t think the expectation and the accessibility is the same.
   ‘Now there’s almost that expectation that he’s available 24/7. Does that come with the bigger pay packet? I suppose it does.’
   But he praised the way Australia’s skipper has dealt with the issues, saying: ‘Ricky Ponting’s had a tough summer, but he’s a very strong character.
   ‘Just to keep everything on track, plus play good cricket himself, I take my hat off to him.
   ‘He’s done remarkably well. He’s going through a bit of a dip at the moment, but it’s just the way the game is. It’s the nature of the beast.’
   Ponting has described this Australian summer season as by far the most frustrating of his career.
   ‘There seems to be something coming up every second day,’ he wrote in a newspaper column last week.
   ‘Almost regardless of the way we play, there will be an issue. Being captain, even if it doesn’t involve me, I am the one who has to answer questions about it.’
   Border said it was opportune that India were giving Australia such a fight in the Test and one-day series. We’ve got very good opposition now from India, which is good—it’s what the game needs.’

Brothers Union registered their fourth victory in the Metropolis First Division Cricket League defeating Dhaka Wanderers by four wickets at the City Club ground on Monday.
   Sent in to bat first, Dhaka Wanderers were dismissed for 168 in 49 overs with Sayem scoring 55 and Tanvir 50 respectively.
   Shahriar and Nuruzzaman picked up four wickets each. Brothers reached the target scoring 170-6 in 38.3 overs.
   Muktar contributed 58. Sony took two for 21.
   In another match at the Dhaka University ground, Habib’s all-round performance enabled Azad SC to earn their fourth victory in the league match outplaying Lalmatia Club by seven wickets.
   Batting first, Lalmatia scored 198-8 in the stipulated 50 overs with Golam Mostafa contributing 57. Habib and Zakir grabbed two wickets each conceding 41 and 44 runs respectively.
   Azad SC cruised to 201 in 38.4 overs for the loss of three wickets with Habib remaining 96 not out.
   At the Jahangirnagar University ground, Orient SC managed a 13-run win over Agrani Bank to earn their third win.
   Sent into bat, Orient scored 184 all out in 44.2 overs with Nadim making 61.Emon captured three wickets for 38 runs while Uttam took two for 16.
   In reply, Agrani Bank were dismissed for 171 in 44.4 overs.

Jessore, Kushtia and Faridpur moved into the super three of the Exim Bank 18th National Handball Championship at the Jessore Stadium on Monday.
   In Monday’s matches, Jessore beat Khulna 21-12 while Kushtia DSA defeated Barisal 17-4, Bagerhat beat Satkhira 12-10, Kushtia beat Gopalganj 17-3, Faridpur defeated Patuakhali 19-12 and Bagerhat beat Patuakhali 20-14. The super three phase starts today.

Reigning champion IWM Rani Hamid maintained her lead with nine points after the 10th round of the 29th Aromatic Gold National Women’s Chess Championship on Monday.
   WFM Shamima Akter Liza is in second position with 8.5 points while Nazrana Khan Eva is third, half a point behind.
   In the day’s 10th round matches, Rani Hamid beat Arifa Khatun Moni. Rani Hamid, playing with black pieces against Moni’s English opening, won after the 30th move.
   Liza beat WFM Tanima Parveen of Chittagong, Sharmin Sultana Shirin defeated Jahanara Haque Runu and WFM Zakia Sultana beat Rokshana Titli.
   Points table after 10th round: 9-Rani Hamid, 8.5-Liza, 8-Eva, 5.5-Nipa (9 games), Shirin, Tanima and Zakia, 3.5-Shimmi (9 games) and Masuda, 2-Moni and Titli, and 0.5-Runu.

Injured middle-order batsman Aftab Ahmed and out-of-form wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim are unlikely to be included in the squad for the three-match one-day series against South Africa. The squad will be announced today.
   The selectors have finalised the squad on Monday in Chittagong shortly after Bangladesh conceded an innings and 205-run defeat in the second Test against the visitors.
   Sources close to the selection committee said they found very little hope for Aftab to play in the series after going through his medical reports. Aftab was hospitalised a day earlier with cheekbone injury he sustained after being hit by a Jacques Kallis bouncer. He was kept at the hospital until last evening.
   Wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim has lost his place after a poor show in the Test series. Mushfiq scored only 28 runs in four innings of the Tests. He also spilled a number of catches behind the stumps. Mushfiq has scored only four runs in his last five one-day matches, including four zeros in a row. Uncapped Dhiman Ghosh may replace him in the squad and the selectors did not rule out the chance of recalling former skipper Khaled Mashud.
   Among the other players, uncapped left-arm spinner Mosharraf Hossain has a great chance of getting a national call-up for the ODI series.

The second round of the Metropolis Premier Division Cricket League begins today at three venues.
   Holders Abahani play newcomers BKSP at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium, Dhaka Mohammedan meet Partex SC at the BKSP ground 2 in Savar while City Club face Surjo Tarun Club at the Fatullah Stadium.
   Earlier, Abahani beat Surjo Tarun Club by six wickets, Mohammedan outplayed BKSP by 53 runs, City Club defeated Sonargaon Cricketers by two runs, Victoria SC outclassed Kalabagan KC by 89 runs, Bangladesh Biman beat Partex SC by 26 runs while Young Pegasus stunned Old DOHS SC by 8 runs.

Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh was cleared here Monday of making racist gestures and spitting at fans during his team’s one-day win over Australia on Sunday.
   Harbhajan was crucial in Sunday’s victory that gave India a 1-0 lead in the tri-series finals, claiming the key wickets of Andrew Symonds and Matthew Hayden. However, it was then claimed in the local media that he made monkey gestures by scratching his armpits with both hands in a similar fashion to Indian fans taunting Symonds last year, then spat at the crowd.
   Indian officials leapt to his defence and match referee Jeff Crowe, who investigated the claims, found no evidence to support the allegations.
   ‘I have investigated the alleged incident with Cricket Australia’s ground security officials after reading newspaper reports and viewing related photographs that have been published,’ Crowe said.
   ‘After reviewing all available information, I conclude that there is no need to take any action against Harbhajan Singh.’
   Harbhajan was suspended for three Tests after January’s second Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground for allegedly calling Symonds a monkey, a suspension that was overturned at a subsequent International Cricket Council hearing.
   Indian team manager Bimal Soni condemned the reports prior to Crowe’s investigation.
   ‘I think it is wrong,’ Soni said. ‘Nothing has been done like that, they are making a mountain out of a molehill.
   ‘He did nothing. These stories, I do not believe them and I strongly condemn them.’
   Australian batsman Mike Hussey said he knew nothing of the allegations, but added that he was sick of all the controversies of a testing summer.
   ‘I think the Australian and Indian public have had enough of all the controversy,’ he said. ‘We just want to concentrate on the cricket.’

Ayami of Japan reached the women’s singles semi-finals of the Jabbar Memorial Tennis tournament, eliminating Ma Hai Ching of Bandarban 6-0, 6-0 in the quarter-finals on Monday.
   In the boys’ under-16 age-group, Yu Sue Sue of BKSP advanced to the semi-finals, outplaying Akib Monir of National Tennis Complex 6-0, 6-2.
   In the boys’ under-14 age-group, Jamil of NTC beat Sajib Pashi 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 while Rustam defeated Ranjit Pashi 6-2, 6-2 to reach the semi-finals.
   In the men’s singles, Amol Roy (Engineers Club) beat Mazharul Islam (NTC) 7-6, 6-2, Niranjan Ram (NTC) defeated Nurul Islam (NTC) 6-0, 6-3, Alamgir Hossain (Nordic Club) beat Zakir Hossain (Uttara Club) 6-0,7-5, Delwar Hossain (NTC) defeated Milan (NTC) 6-3, 6-3, Dipu Lal (Nordic Club) Hanif Munna (NTC), Anwar Hossain (British Club) beat Mamun (Dhaka Club) 6-4, 6-4, Ranjan Ram (NTC) beat Asmatullah (NTC) 7-5, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals.

Former world number one tennis star Boris Becker has begun a career as a professional poker player, according to a report in Sunday’s edition of Germany daily newspaper Die Welt.
   ‘I have already been playing intensively since last year,’ said the 40-year-old who won Wimbledon three times and has signed a sponsorship contract with an internet poker company.
   ‘What fascinates me about poker is the psychology – what is my opponent thinking of me and what do I think of him,’ added Becker, who retired from tennis in June 1999.
   Becker says he learned to play the card game while on the ATP circuit, especially at Wimbledon during the rain breaks.
   And the German big-hitter says he is keen to recruit other former tennis stars to the poker table.
   ‘I would like to know how people like Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, John McEnroe, Stefan Edberg, Ivan Lendl or even Jimmy Connors, manage to keep their cool at poker,’ said Becker.
   Becker is hoping to take part in Europe’s grand final this April which will bring together 800 professional players in Monte Carlo.

As fitness tests go, it was unconventional but effective. All week long, Ryan Sidebottom has been struggling to recover from the grade one hamstring tear that ruled him out of England’s final warm-up match in Dunedin, but with six deliveries in the nets at Hamilton’s Seddon Park, he confirmed that, come Wednesday morning, he’ll be ready to resume his new-ball role.
   Granted, the over was a sideshow as the target was the team’s security advisor, Reg Dickerson, who has been so under-employed on this sleepy trip that it was decided his own safety should be put on the line.
   But Sidebottom’s zip and swing were very much in evidence, as was his snarl of frustration when his prey avoided dismissal, as all doubts about his fitness were allayed.
   ‘I’m fighting fit and available for selection,’ said Sidebottom.
   Earlier in the afternoon he had been put through an exhaustive series of shuttle runs by the team physio, Kirk Russell, and later returned to the nets for a proper work-out.
   ‘It’s a bit of relief because it’s a worry when you get injured, but I’m not getting on the plane home so I’m happy with that and I’m raring to go now.’
   The New Zealand series will be the culmination of a remarkable year for Sidebottom, who wasn’t even a blip on the international radar during the dying days of Duncan Fletcher’s England regime.
   But then last May came the new coach, Peter Moores, and within the month, he’d recalled from the wilderness a man whose only previous Test had come six years previously, at Lord’s in 2001.
   And for that, ironically, Sidebottom owes a debt of gratitude to Stephen Fleming, his captain at Nottinghamshire, who is now chief among his targets for the Test series. It was a phone call to Fleming from Moores’ deputy, Andy Flower, that set the chain of events in motion.
   ‘I had to give him an honest appraisal of Ryan’s bowling,’ said Fleming, ‘and that killed me because I knew if I told them how good he was then he’d get taken away from us and he’d do bloody well for England. But I thought Ryan had been overlooked for too long.’
   ‘He’s had some lovely words to say about me,’ said Sidebottom after hearing of Fleming’s praise.
   ‘He’s a lovely bloke, a great character and a really nice man. For him to say those things about me is a great honour, and I’m looking forward to bowling at him. Hopefully I can knock him over.’
   New Zealand will be hoping that Fleming’s influence on Sidebottom is not too detrimental to their series prospects.
   ‘He’s a very positive captain, so I’m a lot more positive as well,’ said Sidebottom.
   ‘He was always very attacking so that helped my bowling. He taught me to keep plugging away and never give up, because he always had the slips in so you had to bowl well and on the money more often than not. ‘
   So far, Fleming has been spot-on in his predictions. Sidebottom has been arguably England’s bowler of the year with 29 Test wickets at 32.27, and undoubtedly the unluckiest - innumerable chances have been missed off his bowling, not least by the former wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who has paid for his errors with his place in the side.
   The missed chances have been hard for Sidebottom to bear, especially on the pancake-flat decks at The Oval and Galle where he toiled lucklessly in consecutive series-deciders against India and Sri Lanka.
   ‘The lads keep going on about me having a bit of white-line fever, but aggression is part of my game,’ said Sidebottom.
   ‘When I’m pumped up I’m bowling well. Sometimes go over the top and react too much so I know I’ve got to curb it a little bit, but sometimes you do get frustrated. You just have to get on with it, and keep bowling.’
   Happily for England, that is exactly what Sidebottom intends to do in the coming week. With England’s other injury concern, Paul Collingwood, also coming through practice unscathed, the team is taking shape nicely with one day of practice to come.

Shane Bond, the New Zealand fast bowler, has expressed regret over the way his international career has come to a halt. New Zealand Cricket banned Bond after he signed up with the Indian Cricket League but Bond told Cricinfo he sought the board’s approval before he took up the offer and has a copy of the written permission.
   ‘I have written permission from them, only then did I join ICL. It’s sad that they turned around later,’ Bond, who is currently in India, said.
   ‘I could have gone to court - and I’m sure I would have won the case - but I feared the Indian board would jump in and force NZC to cough up money if I’d been allowed to play for New Zealand.
   ‘I didn’t want it to get that ugly and chose to let it go.’
   Asked whether he considered following the example of Mohammad Yousuf, who withdrew from his ICL contract and made himself available for the IPL, Bond demurred. ‘Once you sign up, you’ve got to honour the contract. That’s the way I do things.
    The ICL have been very nice to me and I intend to do
   the right thing by playing for them.’
   ‘My agent in New Zealand is looking after the issue. I really don’t know what’s happening there and whether I would be allowed to play.’

Australian Cricketers Association president Darren Lehmann said Monday he would not send a delegate on a pre-tour security inspection of Pakistan due to safety concerns.
   Cricket Australia and the ACA will meet with foreign ministry officials in Canberra on Wednesday for the latest information on the security situation in Pakistan amid a recent spate of suicide bombings there.
   But former Test cricketer Lehmann said he would not be allowing any of his employees to go to Pakistan because he did not think it was safe to do so, and because the players’ board have voiced their disapproval.
   ACA chief executive Paul Marsh had been scheduled to join Cricket Australia representatives on a mid-March advance trip to Pakistan ahead of Australia’s tour, which is scheduled to begin on March 29.
   ‘We’re not sending Paul Marsh on the pre-tour visit and that’s basically because we as a board don’t feel comfortable sending one of our employees there at the moment,’ Lehmann told reporters on Monday.
   ‘At the moment our advice is not to, and I don’t feel comfortable sending anybody to be perfectly honest, and the (players’) board doesn’t.
   ‘There’s been a lot of things going on in Pakistan—hopefully it settles down, but only time will tell.’
   Lehmann is convinced CA will push ahead with plans for the tour unless it is made patently clear the trip cannot proceed.
   He said he and the players would require plenty of assurances to sway them from their stance.
   ‘On Wednesday we’ll meet with the government departments and see what is really out there,’ he said.
   ‘We’ll get our advice from them, security issues, any other problems we have with Pakistan.
   ‘I think they’d need a lot of assurances along the way.’
   A weekend suicide attack at a gathering of tribal elders in insurgency-hit northwest Pakistan killed 43 people, officials said Monday.
   The blast took place on Sunday in Zarghon village near the tribal town of Darra Adam Khel, where Pakistani troops were involved in violent clashes with Islamic militants earlier this year.
   The attack was the third in as many days in Pakistan, posing an immediate challenge to the country’s incoming government.
   Hundreds of people have died across the northwest of the country in recent months in clashes between pro-Taliban militants and security forces and in a wave of suicide attacks blamed on the extremist rebels.

India’s cricket chiefs on Monday announced a cash award of 1.5 million rupees (37,500 dollars) for each member of the under-19 World Cup-winning squad.
   Virat Kohli’s junior cricketers regained the Cup on Sunday with a 12-run victory over South Africa in the rain-hit final in Malaysia.
   ‘The team has done a great job. It has demonstrated there is a lot of potential in the squad and that the future of Indian cricket is bright,’ Indian cricket chief Sharad Pawar said while announcing the award.
   Coach Dav Whatmore and members of the team’s support staff will each receive one million rupees (25,000 dollars), the Board of Control for Cricket in India said.
   Dilip Vengsarkar, former India captain and chief selector of the senior team, lauded Whatmore for his role in the triumph.
   ‘It’s a great day for Indian cricket. Whatmore has played a crucial role this time. I would credit the BCCI for appointing him as coach,’ he said.
   Former Australian cricketer Whatmore was also the coach of Sri Lanka’s 1996 World Cup-winning senior squad and also guided Bangladesh to the second round of the 2007 senior Cup in the Caribbean.
   The Indian juniors’ triumph came after Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s senior team completed a six-wicket victory over world champions Australia in Sydney to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three finals.
   The results caused Indian media on Monday to go to town praising cricketers for serving up a double delight.
   ‘Our men and boys show who’s the boss,’ screamed a Hindustan Times front-page headline, accompanied by pictures Kohli with the trophy and senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar.
   Tendulkar played a key role in his team’s victory with his 42nd one-day century—his first in Australia.
   ‘Sach is life ...’ said a headline on the sports page, but the seniors had to compete with the juniors for space in various newspapers.
   ‘India Thunder-19,’ said another headline with a picture of Kohli raising a stump to celebrate the victory.
   The Times of India said: ‘On a historic day for Indian cricket, youth and experience served up a double delight, coming up trumps in two tense final encounters spread across continents.’
   Meanwhile, the victorious Indian Under-19 team will arrive in Bangalore today and, in a repeat of the celebrations seen after the senior team won the Twenty20 world cup, will ride in an open-top double-decker bus from the Bangalore airport to the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Brijesh Patel, the general secretary of the Karnataka State Cricket Association, said.
   They will be felicitated by Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, in a function at the ground at 6 pm and the board will also host a dinner at the Grand Ashok hotel. The function is being organised by the KSCA along with Vijay Mallya’s IPL franchise, Bangalore Royal Challengers.
   In the coming days, the U-19 stars will sign up for the various IPL teams. The board was considering stipulating a condition that each of the franchises in the Indian Premier League will get the first option for picking Under-19 players from their own catchment areas.
   But some of the franchises, who don’t have too many U-19 players in their catchement areas, are not too comfortable with that and decision will be taken in a week’s time.
   As things stand, Virat Kohli, Tanmay Srivastava and Pradeep Sangwan are expected to join the Delhi franchise, Abhinav Mukund and Napoleon Einstien are tipped to play for Chennai, Ravindra Jadeja is likely to turn up for Jaipur, Manish Pandey and Sourabh Tiwary for Bangalore, Iqbal Abdulla for Mumbai, Taruwar Kohli and Siddarth Kaul are expected to join Mohali and Shreevats Goswami will most likely turn out for Kolkata.

Australian Norman O’Neill, a powerful attacking batsman who suffered unfairly from being dubbed ‘the new Bradman’, has died at the age of 71, Cricket Australia said on Monday.
   O’Neill’s best Test innings was his 181 in the tied Test against West Indies in the
   1960-61 season after he made an auspicious debut in the 1958-9 series against England when Australia regained the Ashes.
   He hit the ball savagely off
   the back foot, moved swiftly down the pitch to the spinners and was also a brilliant cover field.
   However, he was a notoriously nervous starter who lost form and confidence towards the end of his career which ended in 1965 with 2,779 runs at 45.55 from 42 Tests including six centuries.

Dhaka Mohammedan lost 3-1 to Mohun Bagan in their final group match of the 13th IFA Shield at the Barasat Stadium on Monday.
   The result ended the hopes of the B league runners-up of reaching the semi-finals. They earlier drew goal-less with Kolkata Mohammedan and Churchill Brothers of Goa.

The super-six and relegation league matches of the Dhaka Metropolis Senior Division Football League will begin on March 7 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium and Kamalapur Stadium.
   After the 13-team first phase, Youngmen’s Club finished top of the league table securing 27 points while Dipali Jubo Sangha remained at the bottom with four points, playing 12 matches.
   Six top teams of the first phase league — Youngmen’s Club (27), Victoria SC (25), Sunrise SC (23), Jatrabari KC (20), Badda Jagarani Sangsad (19) and Dhaka Wanderers Club (15) - will play in the super six league. The remaining seven teams — Agrani Bank (14), Arambagh KS (14), Wari Club (12), Purbachal Parishad (11), City Club (9), Mohakhali Eleven (9) and Dipali Jubo Sangha (4) — will play in the relegation league.
   Points earned in the first phase will be added in the super-six and relegation league.

Bangladesh Army earned an easy 84-20 victory over Jurain Janata Club in the Pran Juice 11th Premier Division Kabaddi League at the Outer Stadium kabbadi court on Monday.
   The army men dominated the first half 49-7.
   In the day’s other matches at the same venue, Bangladesh Rifles defeated Azad SC 54-25 after leading the first half 35-13, while Sonali Bank SRC outplayed Fire Services 33-8 (first half 12-2).

The Serie A title race is on again after Napoli dealt Inter Milan their first league defeat of the season and only their second loss in the Scudetto in their last 65 matches.
   The gap between leaders Inter and second placed Roma is now just six points having been 11 three matches ago.
   More importantly, possibly, is the manner in which Inter lost their proud record in the 1-0 defeat Sunday.
   Napoli were far superior from start to finish and should really have won more handsomely.
   Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar gifted Marcelo Zalayeta the winner in the third minute but he was also the reason the score was kept down throughout.
   He made a stunning one-handed save to prevent a sliced clearance from Inter centre-back Marco Materazzi finding his own net, saved a Zalayeta penalty after he had brought down Walter Gargano and mostly proved a solid barrier to the waves of Napoli attacks.
   But Inter have not won in three league matches and have important injury concerns.
   First choice centre-backs Walter Samuel and Ivan Cordoba have been lost to long term injuries while first choice strike pair Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Julio Cruz are being frustrated by minor niggles.
   All of which made coach Roberto Mancini’s decision to keep the likes of captain Javier Zanetti, striker Hernan Crespo and midfielders Luis Jimenez and Dejan Stankovic on the bench somewhat surprising when young pair Vitor Pele and Mario Balotelli started.
   Despite the defeat, Mancini remains defiant and claims his side are still in the driving seat.
   ‘We still have a nice gap.
   Even if it’s been cut we’re
   still six points ahead of Roma,’ he said.
   ‘We shouldn’t be demoralised, we’ve got a week to recover. Napoli started strongly but we conceded a goal and that shaped the match, also we didn’t offer much up front.
   ‘I was optimistic after the Roma match (a 1-1 draw in midweek) and I still am. They can also lose and not play well.’
   It was not the only significant result of the weekend as Fiorentina won 3-2 at Juventus courtesy of a stoppage time winner and moved to within one point of their third-placed opponents.
   ‘Third place? I don’t talk about positions,’ said coach Cesare Prandelli.
   ‘We’re doing well and and we can keep doing so, you can count on that.’
   Juve are in worse form than Inter having picked up only one point over their last three matches.
   Their coach Claudio Ranieri blamed the result on a lack of maturity.
   ‘We’ve paid dearly for two moments of naivety,’ he said. ‘It’s the first time that we’ve
   only picked up (only) one point from three matches, we need to react.’
   Elsewhere, Roma kept up their title push on Saturday as they blitzed Parma 4-0 with captain Francesco Totti celebrating his record 388th league appearance in a Roma shirt with a great goal.
   It sets up Roma nicely to defend their 2-1 first leg advantage as they travel to Real Madrid in midweek for their Champions League second leg clash.
   ‘We showed that we’re in good shape. The pressure will increase ahead of the match with Real,’ said coach Luciano Spalletti.
   ‘The second leg in the Champions League at the Santiago Bernabeu is an opportunity for us to show what we’re made of.
   ‘If we play like we did (against Parma), we’ll achieve a good result.’
   AC Milan, however, are struggling after they were held to a 1-1 home draw by Lazio. They now trail fourth-placed Fiorentina in the last Champions League qualification position by four points.

Novak Djokovic, the newest star of the tennis circuit, talked about the pain he feels at the separation of Kosovo from Serbia, and how he can never accept it.
   The 20-year-old Djokovic has been the biggest sports star in Serbia ever since he won the Australian Open in Melbourne in January, beating the legendary Roger Federer along the way.
   But his heart has been aching with the break-up of his country, especially as his family has cross-border loyalties, his father Srdjan being Serbian, and his mother Dijana Montenegran.
   ‘Unfortunately it is something that we predicted,’ he said of Kosovo’s declaration of independence last month. But I will feel like a Kosovan all the time.
   ‘Kosovo is part of Serbia. It’s part of our country. Can you imagine that in any country that some majority says it wants to be independent. How would that country feel?
   ‘How can you take something which has so much history and culture and so much religion? It’s very touchy to talk about it.
   ‘But as a professional player I will try to continue playing and win on tennis courts - that’s what I do.
   ‘I wasn’t interested in politics but this is not only politics this is something really serious. My position is simple I will always support Kosovo.’
   When Djokovic was asked if he could understand the decision of the Kosovo people, he said that he didn’t want to think along those lines.
   ‘I know the story but I don’t want to talk about that. It was Serbian. And for me it is Serbian, and always will be. My father came from there. My uncle and most of family lived there for a long time. I have been there many times.
   ‘You can’t imagine how many historical objects (are there) and you can’t imagine Kosovo being another country.’
   Djokovic also revealed his attachment to Kosovo in September last year when he invited 50 under-privileged Kosovo-Serbian children to Belgrade to watch the Davis Cup tie between Serbia and Australia.
   Djokovic previously had his life disrupted while the Yugoslav wars were still going on, leaving Belgrade for the Nikki Pilic tennis academy in Munich at the age of 12. He was there for three years before returning home.

Third-placed Villarreal threw away the chance to close the gap on second-placed Barcelona in La Liga when they were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling Osasuna on Sunday.
   Villarreal’s Diego Lopez and his Osasuna namesake Ricardo Lopez, the two teams’ goalkeepers, were the stars of the show and successfully stopped anything that came their way.
   Splitting the points with the Pamplona-based side means that Villarreal now have 46 points from 26 matches, with 12 games still to play, but they are eight points adrift of Barcelona.
   The first two in La Liga get automatic places into the lucrative Champions League group stage next season.
   Racing Santander are another team with European ambitions and are bidding to make their continental debut next year.
   They left it late to get a 1-0 victory at Valladolid but Aldo Duscher’s goal three minutes before the whistle, from just inside the area after a pass from Oscar Serrano, moved them up to sixth.
   Brazilian striker Edu took his tally to seven headed goals in his last seven games as he helped Real Betis to a 4-0 win over Murcia.
   The victory helped Real Betis, who two seasons ago were in the Champions League, to put further daylight between themselves and the relegation zone where they spent much of the first half of the season.
   Murcia defender Cesar Arzo put the ball in his own net after 14 minutes and Edu proved again that he might be the best man in the air in a major European league when he scored in typical fashion three minutes before half time.
   Mariano Pavone’s close-range goal after 57 minutes effectively extended Betis’s lead before Arzo’s day went from bad to worse after he brought down Pavone and Rafael Sobis scored from the resulting penalty 16 minutes from time. Unlike Betis, Levante are still in relegation trouble but the bottom club gave their beleaguered fans something to cheer about when they beat Real Zaragoza 2-1.
   Alexandre Geijo opened the scoring after 21 minutes and Mustapha Riga took advantage of a howling error by former Real Madrid defender Paco Pavon to put the Valencia-based side two ahead on the hour.
   Oscar Gonzalez got one back for Zaragoza five minutes later but it was not enough as they slumped to their fourth successive defeat and they are now only one place above the relegation zone.
   Real Madrid carved out a scrappy 3-2 win at Recreativo Huelva on Saturday to open up a five-point lead at the top as Barcelona crashed to a 4-2 defeat at Atletico Madrid.
   ‘The team had to win. It doesn’t really matter how it was done, whether it was by playing well or poorly. We knew this match would be like this,’ said Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas on Sunday.
   In a wildly fluctuating game, Real were stunned when Recreativo defender Martin Caceres gave the hosts a dream start after 16 minutes.
   Real equalised after 27 minutes from a header by Raul Gonzalez, the Real captain’s 12th goal in his revitalised season.
   Three men were then sent off in the space of 14 minutes in the second half, to reduce Recreativo to nine men and Real to ten, before second half substitute Robinho put the reigning Spanish champions ahead after 72 minutes.
   The Brazilian added another a minute before the whistle before Carlos Martins got Recreativo’s second goal two minutes into injury time.
   Barcelona’s Ronaldinho opened the scoring at Atletico with a spectacular overhead kick but the goal only served to galvanise Atletico.
   Two goals from Kun Aguero, another by Maxi Rodriguez and a Diego Forlan penalty saw Atletico go 4-1 up before Samuel Eto’o pulled one back for Barca after 73 minutes.
   ‘We are disappointed but we know that there is still a long way to go. There are still many points up for grabs and we are going to fight this battle until the end,’ said Barca captain Carles Puyol, after the Catalan’s first loss of the year.
   Atletico’s win keeps them in fourth place in La Liga.

Chelsea are to take part in a televised talent search aimed at uncovering a Chinese Frank Lampard. The London club, which is aiming to replace Man United as the best-supported English club in the world’s most populous nation, announced on Monday that it was joining forces with regional broadcaster Guangdong TV Sports Channel to launch the search for a star.
   The associated tv series will be called Soccer Super Star and will be broadcast across southern China in 13 episodes from next month.
   Soccer schools and coaches across Guangdong province will send their most promising 14-16 year old players to take part in the talent show. The four most promising youngsters will win a visit to Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge home in west London and will have coaching at the club’s academy.
   Chelsea is already the official football development partner of the Asian Football Confederation’s Vision China project that aims to set up 10 city leagues in China.
   The club’s chief executive, Peter Kenyon, said: ‘We are delighted to be involved in such an innovative project that helps us deliver on our continuing commitment to promote grass roots football amongst youngsters in China.
   ‘The show complements our involvement in Vision China with the AFC as well as showcasing Chelsea to a large audience and we look forward to hosting the finalists of Super Soccer Star in England.’

France midfielder Franck Ribery’s stock has shot up since joining Bayern Munich to become one of the Bundesliga’s brightest jewels with German tabloid Bild on Monday putting his worth at 40 million euros (60.7 million dollars).
   Ribery put Bayern in the German Cup’s semi-finals last week with the winning penalty under intense pressure, while the 24-year-old created the crucial Miroslav Klose goal to seal his club’s first win in Schalke 04 for ten years.
   Having cost Bayern 25 million euros (38 million dollars) last summer after joining from Marseille, Ribery has quickly become the driving force
   in the Munich midfield, over-shadowing Bastian Schweinsteiger, a star in the 2006 World Cup.
   In the first of two match-winning performances, he showed a cool head to convert a 122th-minute penalty in the pressure-cooker environment of Bayern’s derby against Allianz Arena neighbours 1860 Munich last Wednesday.
   And on Saturday, Ribery conjured a goal for Klose when he hammered in a cross which deflected off the striker’s body at close range and past Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
   But at a club used to having some of the biggest names in German football in their ranks, Ribery is held in the highest regard.
   Bild surveyed the Bundesliga’s 18 clubs and on average Ribery’s market value was put at 40 million euros - a huge increase on what Bayern paid for him.
   ‘If Franck didn’t have the value, we wouldn’t have paid as much as we did for him,’ Munich manager Uli Hoeness told Bild.
   ‘When I played, Bayern always lost something when Franz Beckenbauer or Gerd Muller were not playing.
   ‘We are already convinced about Franck and increasingly so.’
   Having already helped his side to reach the World Cup final in 2006, Ribery has become France’s vice- captain and faces a tough Euro 2008 challenge in Group C against World Cup holders Italy, Romania and the Netherlands.

Everton midfielder Tim Cahill dedicated his decisive goal against Portsmouth to his jailed brother after the Australian helped clinch a crucial 3-1 victory in the Premier League.
   Cahill put Everton ahead at Goodison Park on Sunday after Jermain Defoe had cancelled out Ayegbeni Yakubu’s first minute opener.
   The second half goal was Cahill’s first since his older brother Sean was sentenced to eight years in prison in January for assaulting a man who was left partially blind after an attack outside a south London nightclub.
   Socceroos star Cahill celebrated his goal in trademark fashion by punching a corner flag before making a crossed-wrists gesture, apparently to mimic a pair of handcuffs.
   He said: ‘It’s for my older brother. Everyone knows my situation. I’m just proud that he’s happy and I’m happy. I’m thinking of him always.
   ‘My family means a lot to me. It’s been a bit emotional but it’s good and it’s just about time I scored this season.’
   An Everton spokesman Monday admitted some might see Cahill’s celebrations as inappropriate but said they were a matter for the player.
   ‘Goal celebrations are a personal matter and up to the player to decide - no-one dictates what the player can do as long as he stays within the laws of the game, as long as it doesn’t result in a caution.
   ‘Tim is a very articulate young man and will have weighed up the pros and cons and decided to do it because it was a personal and emotional matter.
   ‘I am sure Tim was fully aware that some people would not be in favour of what he did before he did it.’
   Even Cahill’s performance was outshone by Yakubu, who produced two predatory finishes to take his Everton goal total for the season to 18.
   Cahill admitted Yakubu’s signing from Middlesbrough in August has given his side an extra physical presence and cutting edge.
   ‘It works well. We work hard for Yak and he works hard for us. He’s on fire.
   ‘If you can find the Yak he will score but he also provides them,’ Cahill said.

AC Milan are counting on the return of some of their most important players for the crunch Champions League second round, second leg clash against Arsenal at the San Siro today.
   Centre-back Alessandro Nesta and key midfielders Andrea Pirlo and Kaka all sat out Saturday’s dismal 1-1 home draw against Lazio but the three are expected to be back on the team-sheet against the Premier League leaders.
   AC Milan’s biggest worry is over veteran Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf, who has a muscle problem in his leg that he picked up against Lazio and is doubtful for the Arsenal game.
   They are also counting on their big match temperament and experience to get through following the 0-0 draw in the first leg in London two weeks ago.
   ‘On Tuesday we face Arsenal and we’ll get some important players back who’ve had a chance to rest and we know that in these matches Milan rarely fail,’ said full-back Massimo Oddo.
   ‘It will surely be a great match in front of our fans who like always will cheer us on from the first minute.’
   Milan have been far from their best in the league this season, languishing down in fifth place and four points off fourth and the final Champions League qualification place for next season.
   But for the six-time European champions and reigning title-holders, Europe’s premier competition always brings out the best in them.
   ‘Milan are in good shape, we’ve just had a few injuries but we’re convinced that come Tuesday we will play a great match because we always prepare differently for Champions League matches, especially mentally,’ said Georgia centre-back Kakha Kaladze.
   ‘We’ve been playing twice a week for two months and of course that’s not easy.’
   Arsenal also have injury problems but could welcome back Dutch forward Robin van Persie to the squad, although their coach Arsene Wenger insists he definitely won’t start.
   More important for Wenger is getting Togo forward Emmanuel Adebayor to find his Champions League scoring boots.
   In 14 previous matches in European competition for the Londoners he has failed to find the net and his horror miss from three yards out with an open goal to aim at in stoppage time in the first leg cost Arsenal the chance of defending a victory in Milan.
   ‘It’s unbelievable that Adebayor has not scored in the Champions League,’ Wenger said. ‘I could not believe it when someone said that and didn’t even notice that he had not scored in the competition.
   ‘He might not have scored in his 14 appearances for us in the Champions League but he will in the 15th.’
   Wenger is also wary about the way Milan up their level in the big matches, as they did a year ago against Manchester United in the semi-finals. Having lost the first leg in Manchester 3-2 Milan stunned the Red Devils winning 3-0 at the San Siro.
   ‘What is important for us in Milan is to be tight defensively because they tore Man-
   chester United apart in the first 20 minutes of their second leg last season at the San Siro,’ Wenger said.
   ‘Where they surprised me against United is that they upped the pace to a level that United could not cope with in the first part of the game.
   ‘We need to start the game in a strong way. We need to be strong defensively, but not to hide every time we win the ball. If we lose the ball quickly there you will be punished.’
   However, Wenger could be buoyed by the words of Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti, who seems to be relying on his side’s character to overcome physical failings.
   ‘The match with Arsenal is definitely causing me worries because we’re not coming into it in optimal conditions,’ said Ancelotti.
   ‘It’s a match in which players find energy because it’s a question of character, courage and desire to get to the next round.
   ‘That’s what will make the difference rather than physical condition.’

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson will call on a rested Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney to fire his side into the Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of Olympique Lyon today.
   The duo came on as late second-half substitutes as United brushed Fulham aside 3-0 on Saturday to maintain their pursuit of Premier League leaders Arsenal.
   The tie with French champions Lyon is evenly poised, albeit with United having an away goal in the bank after a late Carlos Tevez strike secured United a 1-1 draw in Lyon last week.
   United have an impressive Champions League home record and conceded just one goal in three group games at Old Trafford this season. They have also not lost at home to a French side in European competition.
   ‘We’ve got to win against Lyon - it’s a massive game for the club. All the players realise that,’ Ferguson told the club’s Web site.
   ‘The pleasing thing for me was I was able to use my squad with Tuesday’s game with Lyon in mind. It was vital for us to rest Ronaldo and Rooney.’
   Winger Ryan Giggs was rested for Saturday’s clash against Fulham after picking up a calf strain while Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic was absent through injury.
   Ferguson has moved to clear the air between United and Lyon after Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas complained that speculation linking the French club’s striker Karim Benzema, who scored in the first leg, with a move to Old Trafford was ‘destabilising’.
   ‘I think (Aulas) is being a little bit mischievous. We have never said that we are interested in Benzema. I haven’t said it yet, and I don’t say we are interested now,’ Ferguson said.
   Ligue 1 leaders Lyon go into the game in good heart after a 1-0 win at Lille on Saturday.
   ‘Just before the first leg, we lost at Le Mans and it was a bad omen. This time we won, we recovered our spirit and it’s a good omen particularly as the first leg showed that we could compete with United,’ said Lyon defender Anthony Reveillere.
   Coach Alain Perrin has to decide whether to hand central defender Cris another start after he played his first league game since August on Saturday after recovering from a knee ligament injury.
   The Brazilian international is vying with Jean-Alain Boumsong for a starting place.

Celtic can take hope from Barcelona’s shaky display against Atletico Madrid when they look to turn the tables in their Champions League second leg at the Nou Camp today.
   Despite taking the lead with a stunning overhead kick from Ronaldinho, Barca were put to the sword on Saturday by more determined opponents who ran out 4-2 winners at the Calderon.
   Barca, who lacked steel in midfield and bite up front, should be wary of a similar fightback from Celtic who went down 3-2 at Parkhead in the first leg two weeks ago.
   ‘We have to learn to kill off games like this, especially when we are in control,’ midfielder Xavi told reporters after the Atletico defeat. ‘It’s the same old story - you pay a heavy price if you make mistakes and we made too many out there.
   ‘They believed in themselves and were more aggressive than us and with just half a chance they scored two quick goals against us that did us a lot of damage.’
   Barca coach Frank Rijkaard decided to leave the live-wire Lionel Messi and midfield powerhouse Yaya Toure on the bench. But the Dutchman is likely to recall the pair as he looks to avoid a repetition of the Calderon debacle.
    ‘This defeat won’t have an influence on the next game,’ he said. ‘We know we didn’t play well and that it was a bad result, but we’ve got to keep working hard and prepare properly for the Champions League game.’
   Celtic racked up their ninth league win in a row with a 2-0 victory at Hibs on Saturday, but were held back until Lee Naylor and Georgios Samaras broke the deadlock with second half strikes.
   Manager Gordon Strachan said his team would have to get an early goal against Barcelona if they were to have a chance of overturning the Catalans.
   ‘I’m not saying we will go gung-ho, but you always feel better if you walk off the park knowing you tried to score and didn’t just play with every man behind the ball,’ Strachan told Scottish Sunday papers.
   ‘All we can do in preparation is work with the aim of scoring first.’
   The statistics, however, do not favour the Scots.
   They have a dreadful away record in the Champions League having lost 15 of their last 16 away matches, while Barcelona have lost only one of their last 21 European home games.

Ayegbeni Yakubu sent Everton back into fourth place in the Premier League as the Nigerian’s double strike set up a crucial 3-1 win against Portsmouth on Sunday.
   David Moyes’s side had been knocked out of the last Champions League spot when Liverpool won at Bolton earlier in the day.
   But Yakubu’s predatory finishes and a Tim Cahill header extended Everton’s unbeaten league run to eight matches and re-opened a three-point gap on their Merseyside rivals.
   The score was slightly harsh on Portsmouth, whose manager Harry Redknapp won’t remember his 61st birthday with much fondness as his team lost ground in their bid to qualify for the UEFA Cup.
   Everton started with the same team that won at Manchester City on Monday and Yakubu gave them the perfect start against his former club.
   The goal came after only 47 seconds and was just reward for Yakubu’s determination as he harried Lassana Diarra into conceding a free-kick straight from kick-off.
   South African midfielder Steven Pienaar took the set-piece, Joseph Yobo flicked on and Yakubu headed past David James from close range for his 17th goal of the season.
   That should have been the signal for Everton to take control but they found it hard to press home their advantage. Leon Osman shot wide midway through the half but Portsmouth were level in the 38th minute.
   Glen Johnson’s cross from the right exposed Everton’s ponderous offside trap and Defoe took full advantage with a faint touch to guide the ball into the far corner.
   Nwankwo Kanu went close to giving Portsmouth the lead soon after half-time when he squeezed past Joleon Lescott, but Tim Howard was out quickly to block his shot.
   Everton finally had some momentum and the decisive goal arrived in the 73rd minute.
   Yakubu was involved again as he laid a pass back to Pienaar on the edge of the penalty area. Pienaar’s cross was lofted towards Cahill and the Australia midfielder timed his leap perfectly to bury a header past James.
   Cahill celebrated by joining his hands together as if he was handcuffed, in reference to his brother Sean, who received a six year prison sentence in England in January for assault - as he walked back to the centre circle a clearly emotional Cahill wiped his eyes.
   Yakubu put the result beyond doubt with nine minutes to play. He left Sol Campbell for dead on the touchline before lashing an unstoppable shot past James.

Rafa Benitez insisted Liverpool’s season has not been damaged by his continual rotation of key players despite watching his full-strength side win 3-1 at Bolton on Sunday.
   Benitez has opted to rest the likes of Fernando Torres, Steven Gerrard and Javier Mascherano for several matches this season and Liverpool have often seemed to suffer as a result.
   The Reds have found it hard to maintain any consistency this season, leaving them in a scrap to finish in the top four.
   Benitez was taking no chances at the Reebok Stadium and named his strongest team. They responded with a convincing display but the Spanish coach was adamant he would keep changing the team to suit Liverpool’s schedule.
   ‘When you don’t have too many games you have more time to prepare. I was watching Manchester United the other day and they changed players. Other teams do the same, the difference is we have to win,’ Benitez said.
   ‘This was an important result. Before the game we were taking about getting three points and now we are going forward. It was a good performance as a team. ‘Sometimes we have been playing well and not winning.
   ‘Here we had a few problems with free-kicks but after that we created a lot of chances.
   ‘To play well and to win is the key.’
   Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was keen to claim his side’s first goal after his shot deflected in off Bolton goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen, but he was more concerned with the way his side responded to his midweek criticism of the club’s poor league form.
   Gerrard had admitted he was devastated by Liverpool’s failure to mount a serious challenge for the title and insisted even winning the Champions League would not make up for that.
   ‘I think as captain of the team that is sometimes needed,’ said Gerrard, steadfastly sticking to his guns.
   ‘We are disappointed where we are in the league so it’s important we rally, stick together and keep fighting.
   ‘It wasn’t said as a negative. This football club is used to big performances and big wins.
   ‘We’ve been slightly inconsistent so it was important to get maximum points. Now we go into Wednesday’s game full of confidence.’
   Ryan Babel, who scored Liverpool’s second goal, expects his team to overcome Everton in the race for fourth place.
   ‘Of course you have to keep pressure on Everton. I am sure they will lose points before the end. We will keep winning and try to finish third,’ Babel said.

David Beckham will have to celebrate his oldest son’s birthday by telephone from China.
   The English midfielder, in the middle of an Asian tour with the Los Angeles Galaxy, will call his family Tuesday for the birthday, his press agent said Monday.
   Brooklyn, the oldest son of Beckham and pop star Victoria Beckham, will turn 9 on Tuesday.
   ‘Unfortunately they will not be here (in China), but they send their love,’ David Beckham told a crowd at a promotional event.
   Excited Chinese fans at the Galaxy’s practice venue Monday unfurled a ‘Happy Birthday Brooklyn’ banner as Beckham and his team-mates left the field.
   Coach Ruud Gullit expressed concerns about the quality of the playing field in Shanghai and said Beckham’s playing time in Wednesday’s game against Shanghai-Hong Kong United would depend on whether the field is cleaned up.
   ‘The pitch is in bad shape,’ Gullit said. ‘Also dangerous, because stones, bones, shells, everything is on it. It’s pretty difficult to play.’
   Beckham said he hoped to play the entire game.
   His Major League Soccer team also will play in Hong Kong on March 9 before returning home to await the beginning of the MLS season at the end of the month.

Germany coach Joachim Low has warned his players that anyone who doesn’t work hard on himself will not make it to Euro 2008. Low, in an interview with Monday’s edition of Kicker sports magazine, announced ‘a very tough cut’ when the squad is nominated on May 16 for the June 7-29 tournament in Austria and Switzerland.
   He said that every player has received a ‘strong recommendation’ from the coaching staff in which area he has to work.
   ‘From now on we expect weekly feedback from the players as far as their training and their wellbeing is concerned,’ Low said.
   Low praised the VfB Stuttgart duo of Thomas Hitzlsperger and Mario Gomez for their good form while others like David Odonkor were not in Euro shape yet.