Biman Bangladesh and City Club played out the first tie-match of the Premier Division Cricket League at the Fatullah Stadium on Saturday. BKSP continued their impressive run defeating Sonargaon Cricketers by 45 runs at the Dhanmondi Cricket Stadium and Mohammedan SC clinched their sixth successive victory to reach the summit after they beat Surjo Tarun by 36 runs at the BKSP.
   Biman v City Club
   City Club opted to bowl first and restricted Biman to 250 for seven in the allotted 50 overs but later they finished on the same score losing the same number of wickets in their quota of 50 overs.
   For Biman, Mosharraf Hossain scored 90 off 97 balls hitting 17 fours and one six while City Club skipper
   Imran Ahmed stroked 85 off 101 balls with nine fours and one six.
   Biman opener Nafees Iqbal contributed 72 and City Club’s middle-order Golam Mabud made 51.
   However, the Biman bowlers deserved all the credit as they halted on 250 after they were in a sound position with 224 for five at one stage. City Club needed six off the last over to win but managed to score five.
   Arafat Salahuddin of City and Mahbubul Alam of Biman both had three-wicket hauls for 49 and 40 runs respectively.
   Mohammedan v Surjo Tarun Mohammedan SC climbed to the top of the points table edging Surjo Tarun by 36 runs. Batting first, Mohammedan put on 228 for 9 and later bundled Surjo Tarun out for 193. Aqeel Arshad’s 52, Faisal Hossain’s 57 and opener Imrul Kayes’ 43 helped Mohammedan post the fighting score.
   Saad Nasim grabbed five wickets for 45 runs but his efforts later proved futile. Extra 24 runs given by Surjo Tarun helped boost the Mohammedan innings.
   In reply, Habibul Bashar fought a lone battle scoring 75 off 110 balls with three fours and Nayeem Islam added 51 but the rest of the Surjo Tarun batsmen failed to provide the necessary support. Sohrawardi Shuvo was the pick of the bowlers taking five for 39.
   BKSP v Sonargaon Cricketers BKSP piled up a fighting 225 against Sonargaon Cricketers and later routed their opponents for 180 with Raihan Anas leading the way with a five-wicket haul for 24 runs.
   BKSP opener Md Mithun continued his impressive form hitting 51 after his 116-run knock in the previous match. Discarded national wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim made 59, his highest score to date, and Mahmudul Hasan added 41. Iliyas Sunny, Kamrul Islam and Sanzamul Islam all bagged two wickets each.
   For Sonargaon Cricketers, Mostafizur Rahman (24), Sharifullah (29), Iqbal Sheikh (24) and Iliyas Sunny (30) made good contributions but yet they failed to negotiate the tight length and line of the BKSP bowlers. Nasir Hossain grabbed three wickets for 31 and Moshiur Rahman picked up two for 27.

The Bangladesh Football Federation picked a 28-
   member preliminary squad for the AFC Challenge Cup and SAFF Championship on Saturday.
   Two new faces, midfielder Mobarak Hossain Bhuiyan
   and striker Abdul Baten Majumder, got their first national call-up.
   A good number of players were omitted and among them midfielder Motiur Munna, defenders Firoz Mahmud Titu and Arafat Ali Rony, goalkeeper MN Shakil and striker Saifur Rahman Moni are notable names.
   Coach Yusuf was satisfied with the squad.
   ‘I will try to emphasise on fitness and team combination. Baten has been in the national age-level teams for the last few years and Mobarak impressed me with his neat through passes in the first division league,’ said Yusuf.
   The preliminary round of the AFC Challenge Cup is scheduled for May 5-18 in Kyrgyzstan while the 11th SAFF Championship will be held from June 3-14 in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
   The selected players have been asked to report to team co-coordinator Amirul Islam
   Babu and head coach Yousuf
   at 7:00pm on March 27 at the BFF House.
   Squad
   Goalkeepers: Aminul Huq, Biplob Bhttacharya, Ziaur Rahman; Defenders: Hasan al Mamun, Wali Faisal, Ariful Islam, Rajani Kanta Barman, Arup Kumar Baidya, Atiqur Rahman, Mahmudul Hasan, Kazi Mofazzal Hossain, Zahirul Islam;. Midfielders: Arman Aziz, Enamul Huq, Maruf Ahmed, Jumratul Hossain, Faisal Mahmood, Zahid Hossain, Zahed Parvez, Kabir Hossain, Mobarak Hossain Bhuiyan, Kallol Kumar Ghosh, Mamunul Islam, Mehedi Hasan, Abul Hossain; Strikers: Md Robin, Zahid Hasan. and Abdul Baten Komol.

Marcus Trescothick retired Saturday from international cricket, the England batsman’s county, Somerset, announced.
   His decision followed a recent withdrawal from the county’s pre-season tour of the United Arab Emirates after suffering a recurrence of the stress-related illness which cut short his England career.
   ‘I have tried on numerous occasions to make it back to the international stage and it has proved a lot more difficult than I expected,’ Trescothick, a veteran of 76 Tests and 123 one-day internationals, said in a statement issued by Somerset, the only county he’s represented since making his first-class debut in 1993.
   He added: ‘I want to extend my playing career for as long as possible and I no longer want to put myself through the questions and demands that go with trying to return to the England team.
   ‘I have thoroughly enjoyed my time playing for England, and I am very proud of having been selected for 76 Test matches and over 120 ODIs.’
   England managing director Hugh Morris, paying tribute to Trescothick, said: ‘I would like to place on record my thanks to Marcus for the enormous contribution he has made to the England team in both Test and one-day international cricket.
   ‘I fully respect and understand his decision to retire from international cricket and wish him every success in his future career with Somerset.’
   Trescothick, 32, had not played for England since 2006 after struggling with the effects of a stress-related illness which forced him to come home early from two tours.
   He made his international debuts in both one-day and Test cricket in 2000, having caught the eye of national coach Duncan Fletcher in 1999 by making 167 for Somerset against Glamorgan when the Zimbabwean was in charge of the Welsh county.
   A natural clean-striker and notably more attacking than many an England opener, the left-hander quickly cemented his place in the side.
   In all he scored 5,825 Test runs at an average of 43.79 with 14 hundreds and a best of 219, against South Africa in 2003. He also he made more than 4,300 one-day international runs at an average of over 37.
   But his England career started to unravel when he came home early from the 2005/06 tour of India under a cloak of secrecy, only for it to be subsequently announced that he was sufferinng from the effects of a stress-related illness.
   After an indifferent home season, which saw him bowled for nought by Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar in a one-dayer at Southampton - in what turned out to be his final England appearance - on September 5, 2006, it was announced Trescothick would miss the Champions Trophy tournament in India.
   He was included in England’s squad for the 2006/07 Ashes tour of Australia but was home before the first Test after his illness struck again.
   Trescothick returned to action with Somerset in 2007 and hopes of an England comeback were raised when he was included in the provisional 30-man squad for last year’s inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa.
   But he never made the cut for the final party.
   Any chance he had of playing for England again all but evaporated following his decision last week to pull out of Somerset’s trip to Dubai before Saturday’s statement set the seal on his international career.
   Trescothick added: ‘I now think that it is in the best interests of all concerned that the issue is put to rest so that the England team can concentrate on moving forward, and I can concentrate all my efforts on playing well for Somerset.
   ‘It is a very big season for the club and I am looking forward very much to playing a full part.’

England (240/7) against New Zealand at stumps, day 1
   A century by Kevin Pietersen saved face for England as teenage debutant Tim Southee gave New Zealand the upper hand on day one of the deciding third cricket Test here Saturday.
   Pietersen’s timely return to form with a solid 129 was the only firm resistance by England who struggled to 240 for seven at stumps.
   Stuart Broad was not out 42, his highest Test score, with Ryan Sidebottom on three.
   England captain Michael Vaughan had no hesitation in batting first when he won the toss with the wicket showing all the hallmarks of a batting gem.
   But the game was less than four overs old when the 19-year-old Southee ignited the collapse of the England top order.
   He dismissed Vaughan and Andrew Strauss early in the day and then came back before stumps with the second new ball to end Pietersen’s resolute knock.
   England were three down for just four runs and then four for 36 before Pietersen set about saving the side from total capitulation.
   Pietersen and Paul Collingwood batted England out of a hole with an 89-run stand for the fifth wicket, and later put on 61 with Broad for the seventh wicket.
   But despite Pietersen’s heroics and the late resistance from Broad, New Zealand took overall honours on the first day of this third and final Test with both sides keen to break the 1-1 series deadlock rather than play for a draw.
   It was a dream start for Southee, who trapped Vaughan plumb in front for two with the 11th ball of his Test career.
   In his next over, he lured the scoreless Andrew Strauss into attacking a wide ball and Jamie How took a comfortable catch in the gully.
   Chris Martin bowled Alastair Cook for two and New Zealand’s other debutant Grant Elliott claimed his first Test scalp when he induced Ian Bell to poke at a long-hop to take an easy return catch and England.
   Collingwood had a life on 13 when he survived a caught behind appeal from Martin and went on to reach 30, including six boundaries, before he cut recalled spinner Jeetan Patel straight to Elliott at backward point.
   Patel also removed second-Test centurion Tim Ambrose who reached 11 before sending a simple edge to Ross Taylor at second slip and England went to tea at 140 for six.
   Pietersen, meanwhile, continued to forge ahead despite the carnage at the other end, reaching his 100 with a boundary through the slips for his first century since his 101 against India at The Oval last August.
   In all he struck 12 fours and a six off Vettori before edging Southee to the safe hands of How in the gully. Southee finished the day with three for 46 from 21 overs, while Jeetan Patel had two for 37 off 18 with the remaining wickets going to Martin and Elliott.
   England have kept the same side who won the second Test in Wellington by 126 runs, while New Zealand have made three changes, with Southee and Elliott replacing the injured Kyle Mills and Jacob Oram and with Patel in for seamer Mark Gillespie.

South Africa are confident they will put their selection problems behind them during Test series in India, skipper Graeme Smith said on Saturday.
   The tourists arrived for the three-Test series amid a storm or controversy following the omission of paceman Andre Nel to fulfil the team’s quota of non-white players.
   Nel was furious at being dropped, prompting speculation he will quit the international game.
   Fellow paceman Charl Langeveldt, a mixed-race player chosen in Nel’s place, backed out of the tour as a result
   of the tension created by his selection.
   Black fast bowler Monde Zondeki was named as replacement. The first Test begins in Chennai on Wednesday.
   ‘It is a disappointment, (but) we talked to them,’ Smith told a news conference when asked about the selection saga.
   ‘But we are a mature team and we’ll overcome the challenge.’
   Smith said South Africa were looking forward to a close series in India with his team hoping to carry forward the momentum gained from successes in Pakistan last year and Bangladesh recently.
   India put up a solid display on their Australia tour, losing an acrimonious Test series 2-1 before winning the one-day tri-series, where they beat world champions Australia 2-0 in the finals.
   ‘It is going to be a big challenge,’ Smith said. ‘I know India have come back after a great tour of Australia.’
   However, he was confident there would be no verbal clashes like the ones that marred India’s tour.
   ‘It will be a battle of cricket and not a battle of nerves,’ he said.
   Former South Africa opening batsman Gary Kirsten will begin his term as India coach. The tourists are upset that he has lured mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton.
   Coach Mickey Arthur said Upton’s presence in the Indian camp could be a disadvantage because he knew the South African players well.
   Ahmedabad and Kanpur will stage the final two Tests.

Although Stephen Fleming will end his career as New Zealand’s most successful captain and highest run scorer, his career resume will still be littered with ‘what if’ questions.
   What if the 34-year-old former captain had converted more of his 44 Test half centuries into centuries?
   What if New Zealand had won just one of the three World Cup semi-finals in which he was captain? What if he had had a fully fit Chris Cairns or Shane Bond available to him for sustained periods throughout their injury-plagued Test careers?
   ‘I will have a lot of regrets, but most of them are statistical and they don’t really mean anything,’ the left-handed batsman told reporters ahead of his final match, the third Test against England at McLean Park.
   ‘You can bust your gut and get wound up about statistical goals that you deem are important but I don’t think they are.
   ‘I’ve not tried to be the player that achieves statistically great things. It’s probably left me a bit short, but at times it has given me great exhilaration and great reward.’
   Fleming, however, admitted statistics had been driving him heading into the three-Test series against England.
   He wanted to pass 7,000 Test runs, which he did in Wellington.
   He wanted to score a 10th Test century after being dismissed five times in the 90s during his career (including 92 not out against Pakistan in 1996) and he has a maximum two further opportunities to achieve that goal.
   Fleming also said he wanted to end with a career average of 40, the statistical measure of a good Test batsmen.
   To do so, he needs 113 further runs on the batsman-friendly pitch in Napier if he is out twice. He needs 73 if he is dismissed once.
   Fleming said if he managed either, he would have placed his side in a good position to win the Test and series.
   ‘If I can get it up above 40 then it means I have scored enough to put pressure on England,’ he said. ‘I’d love to finish with a substantial score to put us in a position to win the series.’
   Widely regarded as the best captain in world cricket throughout his 10-year tenure, he managed to achieve results with a side with few world class players.
   New Zealand won 28 of his 80 Tests in charge and he led the Kiwis to their second series win in England in 1999, which he described as a particular highlight that allowed the team to build confidence he believes it still exhibits now.
   ‘It was the point where we realised that we could compete, particularly overseas. We had been a spasmodic side (and) to win that series put us on a nice track,’ he said.
   ‘It was certainly the most enjoyable period I had because the belief for the first time was there in the side.
   ‘We’re always looked upon as a side as being dangerous but we’ve had that for too long. We now compete with most teams in the world.’
   Fleming said he was leaving the New Zealand side in good hands with Daniel Vettori as captain, and while there were concerns over the country’s player depth, the development programmes in place were encouraging.
   As for his own legacy?
   ‘I would say a thinker, where I was able to take my game and New Zealand cricket forward,’ he said.
   ‘I’d like to think it has been a positive era. I’d like the time I played to be remembered rather than myself as a player.’

The Bangladesh women’s cricket team will begin their four match ODI series against the visiting Hong Kong counterparts playing the series opener today at the Chittagong Divisional Stadium.
   Chittagong Divisional Stadium will also host the second and third matches on March 25 and 27 in the port city.
   The fourth and final match is billed for March 29 at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka.

The first Dosti Cup Golf Tournament, commemorating the Pakistan Day, organised by the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka and sponsored by Habib Bank Limited and National Bank of Pakistan, was held at the Kurmitola Golf Club on Friday.
   Bangladesh Navy chief Vice Admiral Sarwar Jahan Nizam and Bangladesh Air Force chief Air Marshal SM Ziaur Rahman also participated in the event. The prize distribution ceremony was held at the KGC in the evening followed by a musical programme and raffle draw.
   High Commissioner of Pakistan in Bangladesh Alamgir Babar was present on the occasion. The tournament will be a regular annual event from now on.

Bangladesh Cricket Board on Saturday named a 15-member Under-15 team for campaign in West Bengal from March 25 to April 7 on invitation of the Cricket Association of Bengal.
   Bangladesh team will play two two-day matches and three one-dayers against the CAB Under-15 team during the tour.
   Aktedar Nazeef Ahmed has been named as captain while Liton Kumar Das will be his deputy.
   Selected players are: Iktedar Nazeef Ahmed (captain), Liton Kumar Das (vice-captain/wicket-keeper), Ratnak Saha, Anisur Rahman, Kamran Farhad Sunny, Ahmedul Kabir, Khawja Khairuddin, Rakin Ahmed, Shihabuddin Ahmed, Shahariar Islam, Didar Hossain, Nasim Ahmed, Jashimuddin, Asif Hasan and Mehdi Hasan.
   Stand-by: Anam Arafat, Nazmus Sakib, Yakub-Al-Imran, Sattaki Mohanta and Shah Al Momin Chowdhury.
   Selected players have been asked to report to Sharif Mahmud Palash, Operations Manager of Under-15 Team, at the GP-BCB Academy House at Dhanmondi at 4:00pm today.

Hosts Pakistan and 2006 runner-up the West Indies will open the Champions Trophy on September 11, the International Cricket Council announced on Saturday.
   ‘The opening match will be between Pakistan and the West Indies while defending champions and top seed Australia will open its campaign against India on 13 September in Lahore,’ the ICC said. The sixth edition of the biennial event, regarded as the second biggest competition in cricket after the World Cup, will run from September 11-28.
   An ICC advanced delegation is in Pakistan and has assessed facilities and security arrangements in Lahore and Rawalpindi. They will assess the third venue in Karachi on Sunday.
   The eight teams in the 2008 trophy will play on a round-robin basis with two teams from each group progressing to the semi-finals.
   ‘As discussed at the ICC Board meeting earlier this week in Dubai, a full independent security assessment of the situation in Pakistan will be conducted in June,’ the ICC said.
   A recent spate of suicide bomb blasts has raised security fears in Pakistan which forced the Australian team to postpone their tour to the troubled country earlier this month.
   The following are the two groups (with seedings in brackets):
   Group A: Australia (1), India (4), Pakistan (5), West Indies (8)
   Group B: South Africa (2), New Zealand (3), Sri Lanka (6), England (7)
   Schedule:
   11 September Pakistan v West Indies, Lahore
   12 September New Zealand v Sri Lanka, Karachi
   13 September Australia v India, Lahore, 14 September England v Sri Lanka, Karachi
   15 September South Africa v New Zealand, Rawalpindi
   16 September West Indies v India, Karachi
   17 September Pakistan v Australia, Rawalpindi
   18 September South Africa v Sri Lanka, Lahore
   19 September England v New Zealand, Rawalpindi, 20 September Pakistan v India, Lahore, 21 September Australia v West Indies, Karachi; England v South Africa, Rawalpindi
   24 September First semi-final, Karachi. 25 September Second semi-final, Rawalpindi.
   28 September Final, Lahore.

West Bengal team emerged champion in the four-nation International Women Kabaddi Tournament beating Japan by 31-20 points (1st half 18-13) with two creditable ‘lona’ at the Munshiganj Stadium on Saturday.
   Monir Ahmed, deputy commissioner of Munshiganj, distributed prizes among the winners.
   Earlier in the morning, West Bengal team eliminated Nepal 25-6 in the first semi-final while Japan outclassed hosts Munshiganj 33-23 in the second semi-final.

Sylhet Gas Field Limited emerged champions in the central sports competition of Petrobangla held on Saturday at the Armed Police Battalion ground at Uttara.
   Bakhrabad Gas System Limited finished runners-up in the annual inter-company sports competition of Petrobangla.
   Special Assistant to the Chief Advisor Prof M Tamim inaugurated the daylong meet as chief guest. Pertrobangla chairman Jalal Ahmed and Petrobangla Director cum convenor of sports meet Maqbul E-Elahi were also present.
   Badar Ali and Khoma Rani Kar, both from Sylhet Gas Field, emerged as individual champions in men and women’s group.
   Masud Ahmed and Rehela Begum of Bakhrabad Gas System, emerged as the fastest man and woman of Petrobanga clinching men and women’s 100-metre sprint titles.

Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, has revealed that Sachin Tendulkar had recommended Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the captaincy and suggested that youngsters should be included in the World Cup-winning Twenty20 squad instead of ‘players of his generation’.
   Pawar also told PTI in an interview that Rahul Dravid had dropped hints during the England series last year that he did not wish to remain as India captain, a decision that he finally announced after the series.
   ‘Rahul had told me he could not concentrate on his game and requested me to find someone else. Some of the selectors wanted Sachin to lead and I conveyed it to him,’ Pawar said. ‘But Sachin said, ‘please don’t do this’. I asked then who should lead the side and he said ‘give it to someone like Dhoni’. He said ‘give Dhoni the opportunity. He has excellent relations with the team-mates’. I told him I would not interfere but would definitely convey it to the selectors.’
   Pawar said that it was on Tendulkar’s advice that youngsters were given an opportunity in the Twenty20 squad, which went on to win the World Cup in South Africa last September.
   ‘I was in England when we were playing them. Sachin met me and suggested ‘I know you don’t interfere with the team selection but you please tell the selectors not to include players of my generation in the Twenty20 squad’. He said ‘my generation is not fit for Twenty20, so give opportunity to the youngsters’,’ Pawar said.
   ‘Now who would come and say ‘don’t induct us’, when that means losing a few lakh rupees? I think we are fortunate to have players like Rahul [Dravid], Sourav [Ganguly] and Anil [Kumble]. Their commitment is unquestionable,’ Pawar said.
   Pawar also praised the leadership skills of Kumble, during the racism row involving Harbhajan Singh in Australia, and Dhoni, during the Twenty20 World Cup and the CB Series.

Gaibandha won the Second Sena Moitri Independence Day Gold Cup Football Tournament defeating Kurigram in the final at Rangpur Stadium on Saturday.
   They won the final 8-7 after a thrilling tie-breaker. Both teams finished the stipulated time at three-all. In the shoot-out Gaibandha scored five goals and Kurigram scored four.
   A total of nine district teams and an army team of Rangpur region took part in the tournament that kicked off on March 14 organised jointly by the district administration and district sports association.
   The district teams were: Rangpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon and Joypurhat.
   Major Gen Fatemi Ahamed Rumi, Commander, 66 Infantry Division, and Rangpur Area, handed over the trophy to the winners as the chief guest at the stadium. Khondoker Atiur Rahman, deputy commissioner, Lt Col Kazi Kaisar Hossen, commander district joint force, MA Gafur, secretary, district sport association, were also present.

Dhaka and BKSP reached the final of the fourth JFA Cup Football Championship eliminating their rivals in the semi-finals at the Rajshahi Stadium on Saturday.
   The two teams will play the final on Monday at 4:00pm at the same venue.
   Dhaka came from behind to eliminate Narayanganj by 2-1 goals in the first semi-final.
   Dulal put Narayanganj ahead in the very first minute while Hanif restored the parity for Dhaka in the 42nd minute. Regan scored the match-winning goal for Dhaka in the 52nd minute.
   In the other semi-final of the day, national sports training institute team BKSP beat Dinajpur by 3-1 goals in tie-breaker as the match was locked at 1-1 in the stipulated period.
   Liton scored for Dinajpur in the 63rd minute while Shakawat leveled the margin for BKSP in the 66th minute in the regulation period to roll the match to tie-breaking session.

Bangladesh Army drubbed Mirpur Academy by 5-0 goals in a match of the Dhaka Bank Independence Day Hockey Tournament at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium on Saturday.
   The winners led the first half 3-0. In another match of the day, Old Dhaka played to a 2-2 draw with Sipahi Para SC at the same venue.

Friendship will give way to fierce rivalry when Carlos Tevez meets Javier Mascherano at Old Trafford today. Just as it did when Mascherano took his place in the River Plate midfield and Tevez led the attack for Boca Juniors – and as it did earlier this season when Tevez scored the goal that secured victory for United at Anfield.
   They are team-mates when they represent Argentina and before moving to West Ham in one of the more controversial transfer deals of recent history, they also joined forces at Corinthians.
   ‘I remember the day we signed Tevez,’ said Kia Joorabchian, the agent who recruited them for the Brazilian club before bringing them to the Barclays Premier League.
   ‘He started raving about this guy from River Plate and urged us to go and get him as well.’
   Tevez proved to be quite a talent scout, Corinthians soon discovering that they were in possession of two brilliant young players – as good, it has to be said, as anything to come out of Argentina in the last 20 years.
   Diego Maradona regards Tevez as an ‘Argentine prophet for the 21st century’ and Rafa Benitez struggles to hide his admiration for Mascherano.
   ‘He is a monster of a player,’ declared the normally more reticent Liverpool manager after one particular performance against Arsenal.
   He must have felt much the same in Milan last week. It makes English football’s initial reluctance to embrace Tevez and Mascherano all the more remarkable.
   Before the 2006 World Cup at which Tevez and Mascherano excelled, Jose Mourinho considered signing the striker for Chelsea. Using Roman Abramovich’s jet, he travelled to Brazil with his assistant Steve Clarke and agents Pini Zahavi and Jorge Mendes.
   ‘Carlos played but was struggling with an injury that needed an injection so it wasn’t his best performance,’ recalled Joorabchian.
   ‘I think Mourinho was wondering if he could adapt to the demands of the Premier League.’
   Sir Alex Ferguson was offered both players but considered it too much of a risk, so even after they arrived at Upton Park two of England’s best managers were unwilling to give them a chance.
   Alan Pardew might have had little say in their recruitment but a column he wrote for a national newspaper during the World Cup suggested he would have been delighted to have Tevez. He identified him as the player he would most like to sign if money was no object.
   But even when Pardew did choose to select him, Tevez rarely appeared in his preferred position.
   It was a mistake because in Tevez and Mascherano, West Ham had two ultra-professional players who would have set an example to Alan Curbishley’s ‘Baby Bentley’ brigade.
   When players were leaving West Ham’s Chadwell Heath training ground in their fast, flashy cars, Mascherano could often be seen on some faraway pitch doing shuttle runs on his own.
   And when he did eventually head back to his wife and young child, he did so in the modest 3-series BMW he still drives today.
   Joorabchian recalls a telephone call he received from Tevez after a crushing defeat one Saturday. ‘You are not going to believe what we are doing for the next two days,’ an exasperated Tevez said to his agent.
   ‘We’re off tomorrow and on Monday we have a bonding session on the golf course. We don’t need to bond. We need to win!’
   On Sunday Tevez trained alone for three hours, starting with an hour on the treadmill. Mascherano was never given a chance at West Ham.
   He might now be considered one of the finest defensive midfielders in the world but Hayden Mullins and Nigel Quashie were considered superior to Argentina’s El Jefecito.
   Before Benitez met him in his London apartment, he had considered a move to either Italy or Spain. ‘Javier was very depressed and demoralised,’ said Joorabchian.
   ‘But Benitez told him how long he had been following his career and how much he loved him as a football player.’
   Mascherano ended the season at the Champions League final in Athens, but Tevez remained at West Ham and guided them, almost single- handedly at times, away from relegation danger.
   He scored six goals in West Ham’s last nine games, enabling them to secure seven wins and earning his place in the hearts of the Upton Park faithful.
   By then, Ferguson just had to sign Tevez. ‘You know what I like about him?’ Ferguson said to Joorabchian when they met to discuss the transfer. ‘He never hides.’
   He never hides and he has a knack for scoring important goals. This season he not only struck the winner at Anfield but also scored against Chelsea, and with Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney has now formed a forward line as feared as any in the world.
   ‘I remember talking to one of the best coaches around,’ said Ferguson, ‘and he said to me: “You know what, it’s not Ronaldinho, Eto’o, Henry and Messi. It’s Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez. What United have are three players who are young, incredibly talented and hungry. Most of all hungry”.’
   The desire and determination Tevez and Mascherano so often show is legendary in South America. Tevez is remembered at Corinthians for returning from the second of two back-to-back World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday night to play against Santos in a hugely important league game the following evening.
   ‘He was dead,’ said Joorabchian. ‘But he played for 75 minutes and played brilliantly. The Santos players could not believe it. It just killed their spirit.’
   Mascherano married his wife on Sunday and left the following morning at 7:00am to join up with his international colleagues, and he will display the same dedication tomorrow.
   Whether it be pursuing Ronaldo or dropping deep to pick up his close friend and fellow Argentine.
   The Little Chief (El Jefecito) would have studied United long and hard. ‘He’s an avid watcher of football and a real student of the game,’ said Joorabchian. He certainly knows Tevez.

The Pakistan Cricket Board deferred a decision Saturday on disciplinary action against paceman Shoaib Akhtar, who faces a possible life ban for violating the body’s code of conduct.
   ‘We have empowered the disciplinary committee to take a decision on Akhtar and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria after giving them a proper hearing,’ PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf told reporters. The hearing will be held within a week.
   Akhtar is on two-year probation and if found guilty of violating the PCB code, could face a life ban.
   The paceman last month accused the PCB of double standards over the awarding of central contracts to players and criticised facilities during a first-class match.
   The case against Kaneria centres on a website column in which he expressed his anger after being demoted from a ‘B’ category contract to a ‘C’ category deal.
   In October last year, Akhtar was fined 3.4 million rupees (52,000 dollars) and banned for 13 matches for hitting fellow paceman Mohammad Asif with a bat, just days before the start of the Twenty20 World Championships.
   He was put on probation for two years following the incident.
   The 32-year-old was dropped from Pakistan’s list of 15 contracted players in January after the paceman had another disappointing year, plagued by injures and discipline problems.
   Instead, Akhtar was offered a special retainer deal, which he refused to sign.
   ‘The PCB has double standards for me. At once they declare me unfit and drop me from central contract and then suddenly announce that I am fit and make me captain of a first-class team,’ Akhtar had said.
   Despite occasional successes over the past two years, Akhtar has often attracted negative publicity.

UEFA have handed French champions Lyon a fine of 5000 Swiss francs after it that ruled fans of the club had aimed lasers at Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo.
   Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson complained after the sides’ Champions League match last month, won by United, that his top player had been deliberately targeted. UEFA said on Wednesday there was ‘proof that a laser was pointed towards the eyes of Manchester United players during the match’ on February 20.
   European football’s ruling body said Lyon cannot appeal the fine, which amounts to 3209 euros.

IT is probably pushing it a bit too far to say he has formed the Barcelona branch of the Arsenal Supporters Club. But it is not far off. After eight years in North London, Thierry Henry is adjusting to life in Spain. Though finding himself playing on the left side of midfield, he is not complaining about it. And when it comes to dealing with his team-mates – and the massed ranks of the Catalan media – that is not a problem either.
   After just eight months, he speaks fluent Spanish. Yet Henry admits part of his heart remains with Arsenal, where he became the club’s top scorer with 226 goals before leaving for Barca last summer.
   While many footballers undergo a memory bypass as soon as they leave a club, Henry openly admits to studying Arsenal’s form, watches their games on TV whenever possible and talks regularly to his old team-mates.
   He may be, ahem, just a little biased but Henry is adamant that the Gunners, inspired by Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor, will win the Premier League title.
   The Frenchman has a crucial match against Valladolid tomorrow. But it is fair to say he will know all the details of Arsenal’s trip to Chelsea not long after his clash at the Nou Camp.
   He told The Sun, ‘I have this feeling Arsenal will win the Premier League. They are playing well against the big four and I do think they play the most attractive football, though Manchester United have also played some good stuff.
   ‘So far, Arsenal have lost only one game and, if they remain unbeaten from now on, it would be very unusual not to win the title.
   ‘Obviously, I love Arsenal. But that’s not the reason why I think they will win the title. I just feel they have the quality.
   ‘I still follow their results, every game. Last Saturday, every five minutes against Middlesbrough, I was texting somebody to find out what was happening.
   ‘I watch them every game possible and I wish them good luck. I still have something in my heart for Arsenal. I speak to Ade, William Gallas, Gael Clichy and Cesc. I have also spoken to Gilberto a couple of times.
   ‘They have played beautiful football this season and deserve to win something. It would be brilliant. No one thought they would drop points against Birmingham, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough and Wigan.
   ‘They have been doing brilliantly against the big teams, so, maybe, it is a good time to play Chelsea.
   ‘Playing Chelsea was always special for me. No disrespect to any other team but when you play Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United and you are in the final 10 minutes, you somehow find extra power.
   ‘At this stage of the season, I actually think it is better to play the bigger teams.
   ‘It is a big month for Arsenal but I think that they can do it.’ Henry is delighted at the progress of both Adebayor and Fabregas.
   Adebayor, who revealed Henry has inspired him via regular telephone chats, has already scored 23 goals. Fabregas has been outstanding in Arsene Wenger’s midfield.
   Henry added, ‘When Ade arrived at Arsenal, I thought he would be a good signing.
   ‘Unfortunately, at the beginning, people were giving him stick. Now he is scoring and proving everyone wrong.
   ‘When I left, I said :You are capable of more than 30 goals every season if you want”. Ade is one of the best strikers in Europe.
   ‘As for Cesc, he is playing amazingly well. When he is in tune, like in Milan, Arsenal are in tune. He is the heart of the team.
   ‘Cesc is already up there among the best players in the world.’
   Henry’s path and Arsenal’s could cross in the Champions League final. But he admits it would be odd facing the Gunners anywhere.
   He said, ‘It would be strange one day to step out at the Emirates in another shirt.’

Chelsea coach Avram Grant has praised Ashley Cole for the ‘mature’ way in which he apologised for his dreadful tackle on Tottenham defender Alan Hutton.
   Cole apologised after Wednesday’s 4-4 Premier League draw against their London rivals to Scotland defender Hutton and referee Mike Riley, whom he turned his back on when the official was trying to book him for the dangerous studs-up challenge on Wednesday at White Hart Lane.
   Chelsea, who’ve been much criticised along with other leading teams for surrounding referees to complain about decisions given against them, were in the spotlight again Wednesday for the way in which Cole and England team-mate Frank Lampard harassed Riley.
   But Grant said the Football Association could cut down on the problem if they borrowed a longstanding rule from both rugby codes and made it clear that only the captain was allowed to talk to the referee.
   ‘First you need to give credit to Ashley because he behaved like a mature guy,’ said Grant.
   ‘He saw what he did the day afterwards and he apologised himself. Nobody pushed him to apologise and you need to give credit to him about that,’ the Israeli added.
   ‘He made a tackle and he realised he needed to apologise about that and his behaviour. It is the first time he’s done that kind of thing and he apologised.
   ‘In football, unfortunately things happen, there are worse tackles than this.
   ‘It’s more important not to do it, I agree, but because it’s football and it happens, it’s more important to take responsibility.
   ‘You need to give credit to a player who after only 24 hours saw it on TV and took responsibility for it.’
   Chelsea, five points behind leaders Manchester United and only two adrift of Arsenal, face their London title rivals today in what is sure to be a fiery encounter at Stamford Bridge.
   But Grant said discipline was not an issue he would be lingering in his pre-match team talk.
   ‘I don’t think we need to speak especially about this before this game,’ said Grant.
   ‘It’s one of the things we always pay attention to. If you say we’ve never spoken about it before and now because it’s Arsenal we should do, then no.
   ‘I believe very much in discipline and I believe very much that you need to remind players but I don’t think there is a problem in our team.’
   However, Grant said that Chelsea, fined three times this season for failing to control their players on the pitch, were unfairly singled out for special treatment.
   ‘Sometimes it is like Chelsea players are always going to the referee and the other teams never do. But we are not the only team and that’s why the rule needs to be more clear.
   ‘But the rules need to be more clear about some things such as who can go to the referee and who cannot go to him.
   ‘A rule where the captain can only go to the referee would be good and more clear for everybody because then everyone will respect it.’
   Although Chelsea squandered a 3-1 lead against Tottenham, Grant said they were still well in the title hunt. Victory over Arsenal would put
   them into second place, with United still to come to Stamford Bridge.
   ‘There are eight games to go. We wanted to get to the position where it would be in our hands.
   ‘We’ve worked hard for this from when I came here and now we need to use this situation,’ Grant said.

Cristiano Ronaldo ‘has the world in front of him’ according to Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and the veteran boss wants the Portugal winger to maintain his ‘fantastic’ form against arch-rivals Liverpool today.
   Ronaldo took his tally for the season to 33 goals and in the process broke United legend George Best’s club record for most goals in a single campaign by a winger by netting twice in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Bolton.
   That victory left champions United three points clear at the top of the table from Arsenal and 11 in front of fourth-placed Liverpool ahead of today’s showdown at Old Trafford with their fellow Champions League quarter-finalists.
   ‘His form is absolutely fantastic, there is no end to where we think he can go,’ an admiring Ferguson said of Ronaldo. ‘He has got the world in front of him,’ the Scot added.
   ‘His tenacity to keep getting the ball and courage to keep it up all the time is terrific.
   ‘I want the boy to continue doing what he is doing and hopefully it’ll be a successful season for the team.’
   ‘His speed with the ball is the real asset he has. He’s probably just as quick running with the ball as without it.
   ‘There have been a few players like that in the past. Maradona, for example. Ronaldo is similar.’
   United, forced to play second fiddle to Liverpool during the 1970s and 80s, have dropped just one point in seven Premier League meetings with the Merseysiders since Rafael Benitez took charge at Anfield.
   Indeed the only time Liverpool have scored against United in the league since the Spaniard replaced Gerard Houllier three years ago was John O’Shea’s own-goal in the 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford in 2004.
   But Ferguson played down any talk of a psychological advantage over Liverpool. ‘We’ve developed as a team and these situations, when you’ve got a good team, you’re confident against most teams.
   ‘You don’t win every game obviously, that’s a matter of fact, and we’ve lost four league games this season already and an FA Cup tie (against Portsmouth), all by the odd goal.
   ‘The Liverpool game also brings out certain anticipation in players and we’ve got plenty of players with experience of playing against Liverpool, like (Paul) Scholes, (Ryan) Giggs, and (Rio) Ferdinand.
   ‘It’s always a fantastic, engrossing game against Liverpool. You can’t avoid the intensity of it, the tension of it, the atmosphere.
   ‘It’s a game that players always want to play in so there will be some disappointed players who aren’t playing.’
   Ferguson said Ferdinand, who has missed the last two games with a back problem, is a major doubt for the game.
   But Louis Saha should overcome a knock and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is set to return after a groin injury.
   Daniel Agger, who is out for the rest of the season with a foot injury, is Benitez’s only absentee for a game that has been billed as a showdown between Fernando Torres and Ronaldo.
   Benitez was adamant he would not swap Torres, who has managed 27 goals in his first campaign in English football, for Ronaldo.
   ‘They are both really good players and it is very good for the supporters to see them play because they must enjoy watching them,’ Benitez said. ‘But Torres is our player so I would not want to change him.’
   Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso believes the trip to Old Trafford can be the catalyst to a fine finish to the season for the Reds.
   After the short trip to Manchester, Liverpool face Everton in the league followed by a Premier League game against Arsenal that comes in the middle of the two legs of their Champions League quarter-final against the Gunners.
   ‘Now we are entering the decisive moments of the season. To be champions is difficult but not impossible. We are developing a sensational run and we have not given up on anything.
   ‘Our objective is to go to Manchester and win and it would not surprise me if we did. We are playing our best football of the season.’

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal’s consistency will prove decisive as their Premier League title challenge enters a defining period.
   The Gunners face Chelsea today knowing a win would effectively eliminate their London rivals from the race and keep Manchester United within touching distance. But Wenger’s side have no margin for error after four successive draws. A defeat at Stamford Bridge, combined with victory for United over Liverpool earlier in the day, would leave them six points behind the leaders.
   It isn’t a prospect that frightens Wenger. His team have lost only once in the league this season and the Frenchman is convinced they will win the title if that efficiency can be maintained over the final eight games.
   ‘I feel that since the beginning of the season we have been the most consistent team,’ Wenger said. ‘We have lost just one game and that was under very special circumstances at Middlesbrough.
   ‘That consistency will come out for good at the end of the season. I cannot imagine that will not play an important part in the final part of the season. If we win our big games and if we continue to be consistent then I am sure we will finish in front of the other sides.
   ‘I cannot imagine we will lose the league if we have lost only one game at the end of the season.’
   Chelsea’s formidable home record could intimidate lesser opponents but Wenger knows exactly what it takes to win at the Bridge. Arsenal were the last team to leave Chelsea celebrating three points in the league back in February 2004, and he admits a repeat of that success would provide a major boost to his side’s morale.
   ‘It would be a psychological boost. We know the outcome of the championship will be down to the direct confrontations between the top teams. That’s why we want to start those games well on Sunday,’ he said.
   ‘We’ve got the strength of character to win the title, believe me. That’s my belief, my firm belief and at the game on Sunday you will see.
   ‘Since the first day of the season I have said that I believe in this team, come back in May and we will speak about it then.
   ‘There’s always a first time and until you win people have doubts about you, they’re questioning you but the strong ones keep going.’
   While the stakes are high for Arsenal, there is absolutely no room for Chelsea to stumble again.
   Avram Grant’s side squandered a chance to keep the pressure on United and Arsenal by letting the lead slip three times in their 4-4 draw at Tottenham in midweek.
   Now only a win today will do for the Blues and Grant must be tempted to rush Nicolas Anelka back from injury. Anelka has missed the last two games but the France striker’s record against Arsenal suggests he must feature if at all possible.
   Anelka, 29, has scored six times in eight league games against his former club, although he would trade another goal for a much-needed victory.
   ‘There is no secret, I am just lucky to score against them,’ he told Chelsea’s website. ‘That is it, I’m not thinking when I play against them I have to score. If we have a chance to win it is good and even better if I score.
   ‘Every time I played against them it was for a smaller club, so it was very difficult to beat Arsenal because it is a big club with big players, who played well as a team.
   ‘But I managed to win once, so Sunday is an opportunity for two. It is an opportunity for Chelsea and because of what happened in the week we have to win the game. Everybody knows we have to win.’

Svetlana Kuznetsova handed Maria Sharapova her first defeat of 2008 on Friday to set up a clash with top-seeded Ana Ivanovic in the final of the Pacific Life Open.
   Kuznetsova, the second seed, defeated fourth-seeded Sharapova 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 to return to the final of the 5.7 million-dollar WTA and ATP Masters Series tournament for the second straight year.
   Serbia’s Ivanovic defeated third-seeded compatriot Jelena Jankovic 7-6 (7/3), 6-3.
   Last year Kuznetsova finished runner-up to Daniela Hantuchova, whose title defense was halted by Sharapova in the quarter-finals.
   That victory took Sharapova’s record in 2008 to 18-0 - a sparkling run that included her Australian Open triumph as well as a victory in the WTA tournament in Doha last month.
   Kuznetsova, 22 and ranked number three in the world, is in search of her first WTA title since New Haven last August, but she booked her third final of the year after reaching the championship match in Sydney in Dubai.
   After dropping the first set, Sharapova gained an early break in the second en route to a 4-1 lead.
   Kuznetsova broke back in the seventh game, but Sharapova broke her again in the final game as Kuznetsova double-faulted on set point.
   Kuznetsova bounced back to break Sharapova’s serve in the first game of the third set, broke again for 4-1 and served out the match with a love game.
   ‘I thought we both didn’t play first set well,’ Kuznetsova said, adding that her chances in the second were thwarted by her own defensive stance.
   ‘I’m not a player who has to defend so much as I did at the end of the second set,’ she said. ‘That’s probably why I lost it.’
   In the third, Kuznetsova said, ‘I really took it away from her. I think it’s my credit I played well in the third set.’
   Kuznetsova said three-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova was below her best, and her vanquished opponent agreed.
   ‘I was playing with a much slower pace than I normally play with. I wasn’t going for my shots as I normally do, and I wasn’t seeing the ball that good,’ Sharapova said.
   Sharapova, 20, said fatigue was a factor.
   ‘I’m playing a lot of tennis, been flying a lot,’ she said. ‘It takes a toll on your body and your mind as well. You feel like you have to go out on the court and spend a lot of emotion and energy out there, and sometimes you just don’t have it for every match.’
   Ivanovic, whose runner-up finish to Sharapova at the Australian Open propelled her to number two in the world, posted her fifth victory over Jankovic in six meetings.
   Jankovic said she felt strong in the rallies, but didn’t serve or return effectively. She couldn’t recover from an 0-6 deficit in the first-set tiebreaker, and surrendered her serve in the third game of the second.
   Ivanovic broke her again in the ninth game to complete the victory.
   On the men’s side, world number one Roger Federer moved into the semi-finals without firing a shot as his scheduled quarter-final opponent - unseeded German Tommy Haas - withdrew with a sinus infection.
   In the semis, Federer will face unseeded American Mardy Fish, who had to fight his way into the final four.
   Fish, ranked 98th in the world, fired 22 aces en route to a 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4) win over seventh-seeded Argentinian David Nalbandian.
   Fish, who has lost all five of his matches against Federer, joked that he hoped the Swiss superstar would be ‘a little too rested.’
   The American sweated through two hours and 45 minutes to get past Nalbandian, who fought off two match points in the 10th game of the final set.
   The Argentinian then broke Fish to lead 6-5, but was broken back as he served for the match, giving Fish another chance in the tiebreaker.
   Fish joined the top three players in the world in the final four.
   World number two and defending champion Rafael Nadal will take on number three Novak Djokovic, the reigning Australian Open champion, in the other semi-final, a rematch of their final here last year.

Valencia stunned Barcelona 3-2 at the Mestalla to reach the King’s Cup final 4-3 on aggregate on Thursday.
   Barca, who had scrambled an injury-time equaliser to draw 1-1 in the first leg, were hit by a Ruben Baraja piledriver and a breakaway goal from Juan Mata before halftime in an intense encounter they dominated throughout.
   Substitute Thierry Henry pulled one back for Barca in the second half only for Mata to bag his second almost immediately and, although a late Samuel Eto’o goal set up a grandstand finish, it was to no avail.
   The victory relieves some of the pressure on coach Ronald Koeman who has seen Valencia drop out of Europe and the league title race since he replaced Quique Sanchez Flores in November.
   ‘It’s ridiculous to say your fortunes change because of one game, but all teams need a little breathing space and hopefully this victory give us that,’ said Koeman.
   ‘It’s a great night for Valencia who have suffered a lot recently.’ Valencia will meet Getafe on April 16, with a place in next season’s UEFA Cup up for grabs, after Michael Laudrup’s side booked a second consecutive appearance in the final with a 4-2 aggregate victory over Racing Santander on Wednesday.
   The game followed the pattern of the first leg at the Nou Camp with Valencia successfully packing the midfield and looking to hit the visitors on the break.
   Gabriel Milito’s header from a corner was pushed against the crossbar early on as Barca pressed forward, but the opener came at the other end when midfielder Baraja scored with a rasping drive from outside the area in the 18th minute.
   The 24-times winners struggled to pass their way through Valencia’s massed ranks and were hit in a swift counter-attack a minute before the break when David Villa fed Mata to finish inside the near post.
   Frank Rijkaard turned to Henry after the restart and the France striker headed in off the post from Silvinho’s cross in the 72nd minute, but almost immediately David Silva escaped on the right and crossed for Mata to volley past Victor Valdes.
   Barca threw bodies forward and Cameroon striker Eto’o broke into the area to curl the ball inside the far post with 10 minutes remaining but it was not enough to stop Barca going out in the semis for the second season running.

France coach Raymond Domenech said Thursday he is keeping his options open on naming a 39-man squad for next week’s friendly with England and an A-match with Mali, while joking that David Beckham’s recall meant Wednesday’s rivals would be a known quantity.
   England coach Fabio Capello has brought the former Manchester United and Real Madrid veteran back into the fold for his 100th cap.
   However, Domenech said his presence simply meant that France’s goalkeeping coaches would have plenty of material to show their charges.
   ‘That will make their work easier as we have more tapes of him in dead-ball situations,’ than of other England players, said Domenech, who added that he believed Capello was well-placed to overhaul the English squad.
   ‘England have a very organised game, solid, Italian-style,’ he said. But when I say Italian-style, it’s positive for me. We learnt a lot when French players went to play for clubs in Italy.’
   On his decision to call up an extended squad Domenech said, ‘I wanted to see a maximum number of players before the cut off point’ for unveiling the final pared-down Euro 2008 squad.
   ‘I want to mull new options and take potential injuries into account while a few players have some little niggles.’
   Barely had he spoken than Manchester United striker Louis Saha pulled out to be replaced by Huelva’s former Liverpool forward Florent Sinama-Pongolle.
   ‘Louis has had a fair period out with injury and we have always been very careful with him as he often has a few little things,’ explained Domenech of the injury-prone Saha.
   Lyon midfielder Mathieu Bodmer, exciting Marseille striker Mathieu Valbuena, and defenders Mathieu Delpierre (Stuttgart) and Adil Rami (Lille) also make the enlarged squad for the March 25 and 26 games at Stade Charlety and the Stade de France respectively.
   ‘I prefer to call them up ahead of time as some play Sunday and then you don’t have to run after someone on the Monday,’ said Domenech, who said that there was no demarcation line between the full squad and the A team.
   ‘No, never. It’s a group of 39 players. It’s a permanent mix (but) there will only be 23 making the cut for the European Championships.
   ‘They all have to show me they are up for it and worthy of a place.’ One man not in the 39 who has more than proved his mettle in the past in winning both the World Cup and the Euro 2000 is David Trezeguet, third in the French goalscoring pantheon behind Thierry Henry and Michel Platini.
   ‘We must try to see some options for the future,’ Domenech explained while stressing he has not shut the door on the Juventus forward, who scored in the Euro 2000 final win over Italy but who has previously refused to play for the A team.
   Saying the 30-year-old remained an ‘interesting option’ Domenech sighed, ‘It’s always the same – I ought to have selected a squad of 40. We have talked and I understand his arguments...I know him well enough not to need to put him in the A side. But if I need him with the As then I might well ask him. The door is not closed.’
   Domenech also said that he remains a fan of Florent Malouda, who is in the squad despite struggling to hold down a place at Chelsea.
   ‘I am not worried about his future,’ Domenech insisted.

David Trezeguet said on Thursday he had come to terms with the fact he was not part of France’s Euro 2008 plans.
   Coach Raymond Domenech has left the Juventus striker out of his 39-man squad for the senior friendly against England on Wednesday and a B team fixture with Mali on Tuesday.
   ‘Domenech has made his choices and I am not part of this project in view of the European Championship but I don’t take it as a drama,’ Trezeguet told his club’s official web-site (www.juventus.com).
   ‘I am not part of this group, that seems clear, but I’m fine as things are. I have won everything there is to win with the national team so I’m relaxed.’
   Trezeguet, who has scored 34 goals in 70 appearances for France, has not featured since the 1-0 defeat by Scotland in a Euro 2008 qualifier in September.
   ‘I respect his (Domenech’s) decisions,’ the 30-year-old said. ‘I think about my team and I hope to continue doing well with Juventus.
   ‘A young group has been created in the national team with a few experienced players and I think that is fine. My personal revenge will be to do well with Juventus.’
   Trezeguet, a member of France’s 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 winning teams, suffers from the rise of talented young strikers such as 20-year-old Karim Benzema.
   The France coach suggested on Thursday there was still a chance Trezeguet could make his Euro 2008 squad.
   ‘If we need him it is possible he might be called back,’ Domenech told a news conference. ‘The door is not closed.’

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has joined the growing campaign to get players to treat match referees with more respect.
   The matter has become a major talking point in England following last weekend’s Premier League match between Chelsea and Tottenham when England defender Ashley Cole turned his back on referee Mike Riley as he tried to book him for a wild tackle on Alan Hutton.
   The Cole incident came just a day after the Football Association launched a grass-roots trial scheme, whereby only captains can speak to referees, aimed at improving the situation.
   Ferguson said he backed these efforts and insisted he would not accept similar behaviour from his own team.
   The Scot feels United have learned from an infamous incident in 2000 when a group of players, led by former captain Roy Keane, chased referee Andy D’Urso after he awarded Middlesbrough a controversial penalty.
   ‘We had a pivotal moment a few years ago when my players surrounded Andy D’Urso,’ Ferguson said.
   ‘I was off my head with them, I thought it was
   ridiculous. It never happened again.
   ‘We tell them to shake the hand of the referee after the game, when it is finished.
   ‘It is sometimes difficult but you have to do it, in the same way as when you lose a game and you invite the opposing manager in for a drink after the game.
   ‘I saw the other night one of my players changed his jersey with one of the Bolton players who had committed 10 fouls against him.
   ‘I said that was good because the match was over, all forgotten, we move on with life. I think that’s what we have to do.
   ‘We are talking about introducing this into the grass-roots level, respect for the referee. It is absolutely correct.
   ‘The haranguing of
   referees is ridiculous, we know that.’
   United next take on fierce rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday having gone three points clear at the top of their league and Ferguson says he expects the atmosphere to be electric.
   ‘You can’t avoid the intensity of it, the tension, the atmosphere.
   ‘The Liverpool game brings out a certain anticipation in players.
   ‘It’s a game players all want to play in, so we’ll have some disappointed players who are not playing.
   ‘Liverpool coming to our ground, a derby game, is always a difficult game.’