Bangladesh Cricket Board is weighing up a proposal to play some warm-up matches against Bermuda before the West Indies tour in July-August, a senior official of the Board said on Wednesday.
   ‘It is an idea that we are giving some thoughts. Bermuda are keen to play against us, but nothing has been finalised yet,’ said Enayet Hossain Siraj, chairman of cricket operations committee of the BCB.
   ‘We will have a short gap between the Twenty20 World Cup in England and the West Indies tour. So there is a possibility of playing some matches. But I cannot say whether those will be one-dayers,’ he said.
   Bangladesh will play in the Twenty20 World Cup in England from June 7 to 21 before heading to West Indies on June 30. With India and Ireland in the group, Bangladesh are expecting to play at least in the second round of the World Cup, which will end on June 16.
   Without sitting idle in the next two weeks, the BCB official believes a tour to Bermuda can be handy for the Tigers to get accustomed to the Caribbean conditions.
   Bangladesh and Bermuda are no strangers to each other as they met twice in 2007 with the former winning both the encounters convincingly.
   On the back of an unbeaten century from opening batsman Shahriar Nafees, Bangladesh had thrashed their ICC associate member opponents by eight wickets in Antigua in the first meeting of the two sides and less than a month later they recorded an equally impressive seven-wicket win in a rain-hit World Cup Group B match in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

Bangladesh Hockey Federation on Wednesday happily appointed German coach Gerhard Rach Peter as the national coach for a short period of two-and-a-half months. Rach will prepare the Bangladesh national team for the upcoming Asia Cup Hockey Championship in May.
   Rach, who is currently coaching a UAE club, will start his work in Bangladesh from the first week of March but he will be taking his salary from the UAE sports authorities. Bangladesh will only bear his local expenses. Rach, the first overseas coach of the Indian national team, has expressed his desire to work with the team first and show his worth. If he proves his capabilities then BHF will surely ask him to continue in the job until the SA Games, to be held in January 2010.
   Raja Abid, a UAE hockey official, and Tayeb Ekram, the International Hockey Federation’s development officer for Asia, helped in securing the services of Rach for Bangladesh. The BHF officials rated Rach highly and believed that his inclusion will be an added boon for Bangladesh hockey.
   Rach was prompt to reveal his plans. ‘I will come back two weeks later and hope to achieve a lot of things in the six or seven weeks I get – improving goalkeeping, utilising penalty corners and improving the defence against the penalty corners can be possible,’ said Rach.
   ‘Raising the players’ physical fitness level is not possible in two months’ time but it is possible to improve it to some extent and my goal is to beat China or Malaysia in the Asian Hockey as Pakistan, India and Korea are too strong for Bangladesh at the moment. Bangladesh have the potential but it requires time to form a winning combination,’ said Rach.
   Khandoker Jamil Uddin, general secretary of the BHF, was optimistic about Rach. ‘I strongly believe that Gerhard Rach will take Bangladesh to a satisfactory level, I welcome him and acknowledge his honorary services for the Bangladesh hockey team,’ said Jamil.
   BHF vice-president Pratap Shankar Hazra and former general secretary Shamsul Bari also praised Rach’s observations. ‘He pointed out that the players hold the ball too long in the midfield and thus slow down the moves, I liked his views,’ said Pratap.

England (566/9 dec & 31/1) lead West Indies (285) by 312 runs at stumps, day 3
   England were in full control of the third Test after career-best bowling from Graeme Swann carried them to a 281-run first innings lead over West Indies on Tuesday.
   England – who trail the hosts 1-0 – were 31 for one in their second innings when stumps were drawn on the third day at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
   This followed Swann taking 5-57 from 24 overs, as West Indies were dismissed for 285, replying to England’s first innings total of 566 for nine declared.
   Ramnaresh Sarwan hit the top score of 94 for West Indies, and there were supporting knocks of 38 from Devon Smith, 27 from Ryan Hinds, and 22 from Daren Powell.
   England decided not to enforce the follow-on, and suffered an early loss, when their captain Andrew Strauss was caught at second slip for 14 off the fiery Fidel Edwards.
   The visitors chose to send James Anderson in as night-watchman and he was fortunate to have survived. On four, he edged Edwards to third slip, where Hinds muffed a simple chance.
   Earlier, England toiled on the hard, easy-paced ARG pitch and took all their chances after West Indies continued from their overnight total of 55 for one.
   Before lunch, it was Swann’s off-spin bowling, rather than the fast bowlers that provided England with two wickets, as West Indies reached 132 for three at the interval.
   West Indies lost the wickets of Smith and Powell in the second hour before lunch.
   The ARG pitch, as expected, played a few tricks, but England’s bowlers were not accurate enough, and the West Indies’ overnight pair of Smith and night-watchman Powell studiously navigated the first hour.
   But Swann provided the breakthrough, when Smith tried an ugly-looking slog at a flighted delivery and was bowled by the second ball after the drinks break.
   Strauss continued to rotate his bowlers, particularly the fast bowlers from the southern end of the ground in an effort to make use of a ridge in the middle of the pitch which made batting difficult.
   But Swann was allowed to wheel away from the northern end and got his second scalp, when Powell was caught at slip playing defensively forward in the last 15 minutes before the interval.
   The West Indies fast bowler had shown enormous restraint in a little over two hours spent at the crease before Swann outfoxed him.
   After lunch, England claimed two wickets – one of them Shivnarine Chanderpaul – to tighten their grip on the Test at tea.
   Andrew Flintoff removed Hinds and Stuart Broad got Chanderpaul for one in the space of nine balls, as West Indies reached 221 for five at the break.
   Flintoff made the breakthrough for England, after Hinds had added 70 for the fourth wicket with Sarwan, when the left-hander edged a leg-cutter and was caught behind.
   Next over, England got a bonus wicket, when Broad had Chanderpaul also caught behind driving loosely at a delivery outside the off-stump.
   After tea, England met resistance from Sarwan and Brendan Nash. They added 50 for the sixth wicket before Swann returned to snare two wickets from consecutive balls.
   Swann had Sarwan caught at mid-wicket playing an ugly cross-batted slog, and next ball, Denesh Ramdin was caught and bowled when he gently pushed back a full toss to the off-spinner to leave West Indies 251 for seven.
   England continued to mount the pressure and eventually snared the last three West Indies wickets for seven runs in the space of 13 balls.
   Flintoff gave Swann steady support with three for 47 from 14.2 overs.
   England trail 0-1 in the series which now comprises five Tests, following an innings and 23-run defeat in the opening Test at Kingston inside four days.

US regulators on Tuesday accused Texas magnate and top cricket promoter Allen Stanford of fraud in selling 9.2 billion dollars in securities by promising ‘improbable and unsubstantiated’ returns.
   A US district judge froze Stanford’s assets after the Securities and Exchange Commission said he was involved in global ‘fraud of shocking magnitude that has spread its tentacles throughout the world.’
   Stanford’s wealth management and financial services group has offices across North America, Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean.
   The SEC filed the civil charges against Stanford and other officials of his financial group in a federal court in Dallas.
   The immediate whereabouts of Stanford, who reportedly lives in the US Virgin Islands most of the year, are not known.
   Subpoenas were issued to Stanford but he has not appeared for testimony or produced a single document, the SEC said.
   It is the most high profile alleged fraud scheme since the SEC charged Wall Street financier Bernard Madoff with carrying out a 50-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme December.
   The SEC also accused Stanford’s Antiguan-based Stanford International Bank of ‘falsely claiming’ that the bank has no ‘direct or indirect’ exposure to the Madoff scheme.
   A major cricket entrepreneur, the 58-year old Stanford faces fraud charges for ‘promising improbable and unsubstantiated high interest rates,’ the SEC said.
   It charged him and three of his companies with ‘orchestrating a fraudulent, multi-billion dollar investment scheme centering on an eight billion CD (certificate of deposit) program,’ a statement said.
   Aside from SIB, Stanford’s companies include Houston, Texas-based broker-dealer and investment adviser Stanford Group Company, and investment adviser Stanford Capital Management.
   The SEC also linked Stanford to an additional scheme relating to 1.2 billion dollars in sales by SGC advisers of a mutual fund programme, called Stanford Allocation Strategy, by using ‘materially false’ data.
   SIB chief financial officer James Davis as well as Laura Pendergest-Holt, chief investment officer of Stanford Financial Group, were included with Stanford in the SEC enforcement action.
   Following the commission’s action, US District Judge Reed O’Connor had entered a temporary restraining order, froze Stanford’s assets, and appointed a receiver to marshal those assets.
   ‘Stanford and the close circle of family and friends with whom he runs his businesses perpetrated a massive fraud based on false promises and fabricated historical return data to prey on investors,’ said Linda Thomsen, director of the SEC’s enforcement division.
   Rose Romero, an SEC regional director, said, ‘We are alleging a fraud of shocking magnitude that has spread its tentacles throughout the world.’
   The charges against Stanford have raised doubts over his cricket deals.
   The England and Wales Cricket Board said Tuesday they, together with West Indies cricket chiefs, had suspended talks with him concerning a new sponsorship deal.
   The 20-nation West Indies domestic 20/20 cricket tournament and the cricket Super Series staged last year bear the name of Stanford.
   Stanford was the man behind the eponymous Stanford Super Series Twenty20 competition, which culminated with his team of hand-picked Caribbean Superstars defeating England in a Twenty20 match at his own ground on the Caribbean state of Antigua and Barbuda, which netted the winning side a million dollars each.
   In all Stanford put up 20 million dollars in prize money for the match.
   But it is the cash-strapped West Indies Cricket Board that could suffer the biggest blow if Stanford withdraws from cricket.
   According to the WICB website, Stanford had promised to invest 100 million dollars from
   2008 through 2011, 20 per cent of it directly to grassroots schemes, plus an additional monthly backing of 15,000 dollars to each of the 20 Caribbean nations in the Twenty20 set-up.

Pakistani selectors Wednesday included five uncapped players in a new-look 15-man squad for the first Test against Sri Lanka starting here on Saturday.
   Chief selector Abdul Qadir said opener Ahmed Shahzad was picked after making a brilliant 100 in the two-day tour match against Sri Lanka.
   ‘Shahzad was not selected in the initial squad of 22 but I said last week that we can pick a player from outside the first list, so after hitting a 100 against Sri Lanka we could not ignore Shahzad,’ Qadir told reporters.
   Pacemen Mohammad Talha and Sohail Khan, opener Khurram Manzoor and all-rounder Fawad Alam were selected after domestic match performances.
   The 20-year-old Talha, who hails from Faisalabad, has impressed with his quick pace and wicket-taking ability in domestic matches. Left-handed middle-order batsman Asim Kamal was also included in the team after breaking into the initial list.
   The 32-year-old left-hander played the last of his 12 Tests against England in 2005 before losing his place due to poor form.
   All-rounder Shahid Afridi and paceman Sohail Tanveer were omitted.
   With frontline paceman Shoaib Akhtar ruled out of the series because of an injured knee, Umar Gul will lead the fast bowling attack with Sohail, Talha and Yasir Arafat as back-up.
   Arafat played his only Test against India at Bangalore in December 2007, picking up five wickets in the innings. Leg-spinner Danish Kaneria is the only regular spinner in the squad.
   The second Test starts in Lahore on March 1.
   Squad: Younus Khan (captain), Salman Butt, Khurram Manzoor, Ahmed Shahzad, Shoaib Malik, Misbah-ul-Haq, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Fawad Alam, Yasir Arafat, Danish Kaneria, Kamran Akmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Talha, Sohail Khan.

Legendary cricket commentator Richie Benaud announced Wednesday he will retire next year, ending nearly half-a-century of broadcasting which made him an icon in the sport.
   ‘I’ll be doing Australian cricket next year, 2010, but I don’t do any television at all anywhere else now and when I finish next year, then I’ll be doing other things,’ Benaud, 78, told local radio.
   ‘That’ll be no more television commentary.’
   The former Australian captain has worked in the commentary box since retiring from Test cricket in 1964, appearing extensively on Australian and British television.
   Famed for his bowl haircut, beige jackets and engaging commentary, Benaud hung up the microphone for British television following the 2005 Ashes.
   He received a standing ovation by the crowd at Lord’s after completing his final commentary stint there that September.
   Benaud has been a broadcaster so long that many are unaware of his achievements as a cricketer.
   Benaud was appointed captain of Australia in 1958, and claimed 248 wickets in 63 Tests, while hitting three centuries.
   A leg-spinning all-rounder, he was the first man to complete the Test double of 2,000 runs and 200 wickets. He remains one of only 10 Australians to have scored more than 10,000 runs and taken over 500 wickets in first-class cricket.
   But he won greatest acclaim for his bold captaincy, leading Australia to Ashes series wins in 1958-59, 1961 and 1962-63 and never losing a series as skipper.
   Benaud began his broadcasting career on BBC Radio in 1960 and then moved across to BBC Television three years later. He has been working for Australia’s Nine network since 1977.
   Unlike the modern breed of commentators – who step straight from the pitch to the commentary box – Benaud learnt the ropes with the crime correspondent of a Sydney newspaper.
   He became a columnist with the News of the World tabloid, Britain’s biggest-selling Sunday newspaper, and worked more than 40 years on the title.
   He was also a key adviser to Nine network chief Kerry Packer when he formed his breakaway World Series Cricket organisation in the late 1970s.
   ‘Morning everyone’, ‘don’t bother looking for that let alone chasing that’ and ‘it’s gone into the confectionery stall and out again’ are just some of the phrases which made Benaud a household name for cricket boffins the world over.
   Cricket biographer Gideon Haigh said Benaud was ‘full of baits and traps and he fielded with verve’.
   ‘Yet it was his presence, as much as anything, which summoned the best from players – cool but communicative, he impressed as one to whom no event was unexpected, no contingency unplanned for,’ wrote Haigh.
   ‘The same has applied to his journalism – terse, direct and commonsensical, and his broadcasting – mellow and authoritative.
   ‘A guru to Ian Chappell and Shane Warne among others, he is perhaps the most influential cricketer and cricket personality since the Second World War.’

Kumar Sangakkara hit a fighting hundred but could not prevent Sri Lanka from losing the two-day tour match by 112 runs against Patron’s XI here on Wednesday.
   The attractive left-handed batsman scored 100 off 176 balls before retiring hurt as the tourists managed 283-5 in their allotted 90 overs, losing the match on the first-innings basis at the Defense Stadium.
   The Patron’s XI scored 395-4 in their stipulated 90 overs with centuries from Ahmed Shahzad and Azhar Ali on Tuesday.
   Sangakkara hit 10 boundaries and built a 112-run third wicket stand with skipper Mahela Jayawardene who made 49.
   Sri Lanka had lost openers Malinda Warnapura (nought) and Tharanga Paranavitana (five) with the total on 26.
   Jayawardene hit four boundaries and two sixes before he fell to leg-spinner Yasir Shah. Thilan Samaraweera chipped in with 46.
   The tourists start the first of two Tests here on Saturday.
   The second Test will be played in Lahore from March 1.
   ‘We were not particularly bothered about the result because our top batsmen got the much needed practice before the Tests,’ said Tillakaratne Dilshan.

Bangla-desh Ansar thrashed Rajshahi 11-0 in the opening match of the Citycell National Women’s Football Championship final round at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Wednesday.
   Rowshanara scored four goals while Sui Nu Pru Chakma and Kobina Chakma both scored three goals each.
   State minister for youth and sports Ahad Ali Sarker inaugurated the final round as the chief guest. BFF president Kazi Salahuddin and Citycell head of Marketing Dr Ananda Rajasingham were also present.

The pudding-bowl haircut, beige jacket and understated style did not mark him out for TV, but Richie Benaud’s razor-sharp judgement and engaging wit have made him one of cricket’s top broadcasters.
   ‘Morning everyone,’ ‘don’t bother looking for that let alone chasing that,’ and ‘it’s gone into the confectionery stall and out again’ were just some of the phrases that kept generations of fans glued to their sets.
   Benaud, who announced his retirement on Wednesday, is set to end nearly half-a-century of globe-trotting commentary next year when he ends his commitment with Australian television.
   The 78-year-old started broadcasting full-time in 1964, after ending a distinguished playing career in which he captained Australia to three Ashes series wins.
   Benaud, who has divided his time between Britain and Australia, was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1961, and in 2007 he was inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.
   ‘A guru to Ian Chappell and Shane Warne among others, he is perhaps the most influential cricketer and cricket personality since the Second World War,’ wrote cricket writer Gideon Haigh.
   ‘As a leg-spinner, he was full of baits and traps, and he batted and fielded with verve.
   ‘Yet it was his presence, as much as anything, which summoned the best from players: cool but communicative, he impressed as one to whom no event was unexpected, no contingency unplanned for.
   ‘The same has applied to his journalism: terse, direct and commonsensical, and his broadcasting: mellow and authoritative.’
   Such has been the longevity of his broadcasting career, some viewers are unaware of Benaud’s achievements as a cricketer. A leg-spinning all-rounder, he was the first man to complete the Test double of 2,000 runs and 200 wickets.
   But he won greatest acclaim for his bold captaincy, leading Australia to Ashes series wins in 1958-59, 1961 and 1962-63 and never losing a series as skipper. Now, no sooner have leading cricketers taken off their whites for the last time than they are in a commentary box. But unlike the modern breed, Benaud learnt the ropes with Noel Bailey, crime correspondent of the Sydney Sun newspaper.
   In England he became a columnist with the News of the World, Britain’s biggest-selling Sunday newspaper and was also a key advisor for Kerry Packer’s breakaway World Series Cricket organisation in the late 1970s.
   Given his 63 Tests as a player and 45 years in the commentary box, no-one has played or watched more top-class cricket than Benaud.
   He says the famous tied Test when the West Indies toured Australia in 1960-1961 was his most exciting match as a player, but rates the 2005 Ashes as the best series he has watched.
   Benaud was given a standing ovation by the crowd at Lord’s after completing his final commentary stint there in September 2005, and can expect a similarly emotional farewell when he retires for good next year.

The quarter-finals of both the boys’ and girls’ singles of the Dhaka Bank 23rd International Junior Tennis will be held at the National Tennis Complex today.
   In the boys’ singles, Wang of China, Saai Naveen of India, Liang of Chinese Taipei, Jayaprakash of India, M Thomson & D Thomson of Great Britain, Patrombon of the Philippines and Nakireddi of India reached the quarter-finals.
   In the girls’ singles, Kumkhm of Thailand, Lee Hua Chen & Tsao of Chinese Taipei, Hong of Korea, Patel Nova of India, Upapong of Thailand, Jayawickrema of Sri Lanka and Schuurs of the Netherlands moved into the last eight phase.

India will be better prepared to tackle conditions in New Zealand than they were on their losing tour seven years ago, former India coach John Wright said on Wednesday.
   On their last tour of New Zealand in 2002, India lost both Tests inside three days on seaming wickets prepared to suit the home team bowlers, before losing the one-day series 5-2.
   India will tour New Zealand from Friday for two Twenty20 internationals, five one-day matches and three Tests.
   New Zealander Wright, who was India’s coach on that disastrous tour, said the Indians had improved vastly and were capable of turning the tables this time.
   ‘The advantage India have this time is that, whatever conditions are rolled out by the hosts, they have the attack to make the most of them,’ the former Kiwi opener told the www.cricketnirvana.com website.
   ‘They have a lot of firepower to call on and I’d imagine New Zealand will want to do just the opposite this time and ensure the pitches are pretty flat.
   ‘India will possibly want to settle a few old scores after what happened in 2002-03,’ the 54-year-old said.

Alex Ferguson has revealed how he dreads picking his team. The Manchester United boss says the whole squad is playing so well at the moment it is proving a nightmare choosing 11 and telling some of his stars they are left out.
   Mind you, he admits the problem is great news for the champions.
   Ferguson told The Sun: ‘Everyone has done so well that I’m beginning to dread picking the team.
   ‘I feel guilty when I am forced to leave someone out who has not only done nothing wrong but who has played exceptionally well.
   ‘It puts the club in a strong position, of course, but it doesn’t make the manager’s job very easy.’
   Fergie has a big seven days ahead of him, in which he has to pick three teams.
   On Tuesday, they take on Fulham, then it is Blackburn at home on Saturday followed by a Champions League crunch in the San Siro against Inter Milan next Tuesday.
   He will want to field his strongest team against the Italian champions but right now he admits to not knowing what that is.
   Fergie said: ‘People sometimes ask me what I consider to be my best side and the short answer is that I don’t have one.
   ‘I can give you my best 14 or 15 but, better than that, all I can say is that it’s a squad game and we have a damn fine squad. In fact the best!’
   They need it as well, as they take on the job of winning an unprecedented five trophies this season.
   The Club World Cup is in the bag and they have a date at Wembley against Tottenham in the Carling Cup final on March 1.
   Victory over Derby on Sunday booked them a trip to Swansea or Fulham in the FA Cup last eight.
   And, Tuesday, they can go five points clear of nearest Premier League rivals Liverpool in their long-awaited game in hand.
   United have been playing catch-up due to their European Super Cup and Club World Cup exploits.
   Ferguson said: ‘Once we have played Fulham, we’ll know exactly what position we are in.’
   United have not conceded in 13 league games, allowing them to win games by just scoring a single goal.
   Nine of their 17 league victories this season have been 1-0, an indication that the division is now tougher.
   He said: ‘There were signs last season that the league was firming up. Games have become more difficult than they have in the past.
   ‘It’s very unforgiving. Make a mistake at this level and it’s odds-on you will be punished.’

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said Tuesday the current Manchester United team ‘look untouchable’.
   Reigning English, European and world champions United are currently two points clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, with a game in hand, and are 12 clear of longstanding rivals Arsenal.
   Wenger, whose Gunners side went unbeaten in the league in 2003/04, has not given up on the title just yet but conceded United were some way in front of the rest.
   The Frenchman saw Croatia striker Eduardo make his return to action after a year out with two goals in Arsenal’s 4-0 FA Cup fourth-round replay win over Cardiff on Monday but the Gunners’ manager was not getting carried away.
   ‘We are on a very strong run at the moment and we have promised to give everything until the last day of the season but at the moment Manchester United look untouchable,’ Wenger said.
   ‘They are 12 points ahead of us and they have a game against Fulham (on Wednesday) which they will certainly win. If they win that they are 15 points in front and that means they need to lose five games.
   ‘Let us say they lose one against us and that still leaves four. They still need to lose four other games, which they haven’t done yet this season.
   ‘But our basic target is to get into the Champions League and, therefore, the championship remains a priority.’

Real Madrid winger Arjen Robben said on Tuesday he had some old scores to settle with Liverpool when they meet in the Champions League first knockout round next week.
   ‘I want to beat Liverpool because I’ve lost against them twice in the semi-finals,’ Robben told Radio Marca.
   ‘Also (Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe) Reina saved a penalty of mine and I would like to take another and score this time.’
   Robben was at Chelsea when Liverpool beat them on the way to the European Cup final in 2005 and 2007.
   Two years ago, the match went to penalties after the tie ended 1-1 on aggregate, and Reina saved from Robben and Geremi as Liverpool took the shootout 4-1 at Anfield.
   The Dutch international, who left Chelsea for Real in August 2007, has been in sparkling form for the Primera Liga champions and has been a key figure in their recent eight-match winning streak. He missed the 4-0 hammering of Sporting Gijon on Sunday with muscle strain but is expected to be fit for the first leg on February 25 at the Bernabeu.
   ‘Liverpool are a very strong team, they have a coach who is very good tactically, and they know how they have to play in particular games,’ he added.
   ‘The most important thing will be to score goals at the Bernabeu. We have to win by more than two goals because the return at Anfield will be tough.’
   The second leg is on March 10.

Guus Hiddink has given the first glimpse of his blueprint for Chelsea success.
   At an open training session on Tuesday, the new Stamford Bridge boss dropped a hint of how he intends to get the Blues’ stumbling season back on track.
   He also addressed 5,000 fans like an old pro, telling them: ‘I’m not here to entertain you. But it’s my job to make the players entertain you.’
   ‘Even if you are a big club…you will always create some space for youngsters,’ he told Sky Sports News.
   ‘There are always promising youngsters and that’s why we have to keep an eye on them. If they have the quality to come in, we don’t hesitate to (bring them in).’ Hiddink said
   After some of the dross which has been seen at the Bridge this season, an hour with the Dutchman felt like carnival time.
   Mostly kids on half-term break, the crowd cheered their favourite players’ better touches and the ad-hoc comedy routine provided by Ray Wilkins’ warm-up.
   For the more observant, there was a clue as to just how Hiddink intends to change the team, as well as a defensive scare ahead of the weekend.
   Brazilian stopper Alex missed the session because of an ankle injury, giving the new manager a possible crisis at the back for Saturday’s trip to Aston Villa.
   Left-back Ashley Cole is suspended while Ricardo Carvalho’s hamstring injury means he is still not in full training.
   Hiddink did nothing to hide his contingency plans, playing Paulo Ferreira at left-back in a practice match.
   Michael Mancienne also swapped places with Branislav Ivanovic to partner John Terry during the 30-minute game.
   More significant though was the change in shape and formation of the team Hiddink clearly considers his first choice.
   With fourth-placed Chelsea gunning for third-placed Villa, it seems the manager is pinning his hopes on a 4-4-2.
   Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka played as striking partners.
   A little further back, John Obi Mikel traded places with Deco, who then anchored a midfield diamond, with Michael Ballack and Frank Lampard deployed just ahead and wide of him.
   Watching carefully from the touchline was none other than Roman Abramovich.
   After reports that the Chelsea owner has lost around £6 billion of his personal fortune, he seems to be finding solace in football.
   Hiddink said: ‘I hope to make a very good end of this season. We need your support. I’ll give you everything I have to make the team work.’
   The PA announcer also tried to lighten the mood.
   He quipped: ‘Arsene Wenger is planting potatoes in the Emirates’ goalmouth so he’ll have something to lift come May.’
   The crowd groaned at the gag.
   Hiddink, though, has a much better chance of putting a smile back on Chelsea faces.

Eduardo has just returned to action 12 months after he suffered a badly broken leg and ankle following a tackle from Birmingham’s Taylor.
   The Brazilian marked his return to action with two goals against Cardiff on Monday - but he has revealed he is yet to hear directly from the Blues stopper.
   ‘Some friends told me he was saying he’d spoken to me - but he never did. I’ve never met him,’ Eduardo told The Sun.
   ‘And someone at Arsenal received an email from him when I played for the reserves at Barnet a short while back and it said he was pleased I was playing again.
   ‘I have received lots of mail from other people. I’ve had around 25,000 emails - from Croatia, Brazil and England - wishing me a speedy recovery and I’ve had letters by the sackful.
   ‘But he’s never sent anything directly to me.
   ‘But I don’t want to talk about the incident. It’s probably best left alone now.’
   Taylor has also been speaking about the incident and insists he is keeping a close eye on Eduardo’s progress.
   ‘I know in my heart of hearts that it was an accident. A horrible accident. So I wanted to see him playing again. You can never be sure. I was hopeful because of the updates I received from Arsenal. I kept my fingers crossed when he was playing in the reserves,’ he told the Daily Mail.
   ‘But there is nothing like that first proper game because you are never quite sure whether you have recovered or not. I had a feeling he would be okay because he’d played for Croatia last week. I think it lifted Arsenal on Monday night and I can understand why.
   ‘To recover both mentally and physically - to get through that training and to get back to that standard - he has done really, really well. You have to be exceptional to reach that level in the first place. It is one thing to come back and play at all. It is another to play for Arsenal.’
   Taylor also confirmed that he made an effort to see Eduardo straight after the incident. ‘After it happened, I just sat in the dressing room,’ he said.
   ‘It was all a blur. So many things are racing through your mind. I tried to see him in the visitors’ dressing-room. But they told me he had gone to hospital, so I couldn’t do that.
   ‘I went to the hospital on Saturday night. I saw Arsenal’s liaison officer there. I’m glad I saw someone from the club but Eduardo was in no fit state to see me then.
   ‘I went back again on Sunday morning when he was recovering from the operation. I saw him face-to-face but he was obviously under the influence of a lot of drugs.
   ‘I don’t know whether he was aware I was there or not. But the same
   employee from the club was still there. With the language barrier, it was difficult to communicate.
   ‘I’ve been in touch via Arsenal’s representatives. I was able to liaise with him. I had updates. I’d ask what was going on and they’d say things like: ‘He’s back in Brazil, receiving treatment.’
   ‘It was always positive news, which helped. I tried to put it to the back of my own mind. I couldn’t take it out onto the pitch with me. I don’t think it can cross your mind when you are a footballer. If it does, then I think it will hold you back.’

Germany coach Joachim Low said Wednesday he expects Lukas Podolski to prove he is the consummate professional by fighting for his place at Bayern Munich, despite his agreed summer transfer to Cologne.
   Podolski has spent both this season and last warming the bench at Bayern behind first-choice strikers Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose, despite keeping his place in the national Germany squad.
   Despite being voted best young player at the 2006 World Cup, Podolski has failed to impress in Munich since his July 2006 transfer from Cologne.
   Bayern coach Jurgen Klinsmann has even used United States forward Landon Donovan, on loan from LA Galaxy, off the bench instead of him recently. Podolski will re-join his former club in the summer, but with less than 18 months before the next World Cup, Low has said he expects Podolski to work hard at Bayern despite the situation.
   ‘We hope he will fight to win his chance at Bayern and work harder than any other player at the club,’ said Low, who left Podolski out for this month’s 1-0 friendly defeat to Norway.
   Stuttgart striker Mario Gomez has taken Podolski’s place up front in the Germany team and Low warned the Bayern striker against ‘just to think only about the end of the season’.
   With Bayern playing Cologne in the Bundesliga on Saturday at Munich’s Allianz Arena, Low has said Podolski should refrain from being over-friendly to the fans of the club he has described as his favourite team.

A representative of Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o says he is in contact with AC Milan over a possible move for the forward when his Nou Camp contract ends next year, the Gazzetta dello Sport reported on Wednesday.
   ‘Eto’o is looking at Milan’, the Gazzetta said in a headline, adding that the unnamed agent had ‘some time ago’ gone to Milan to hold a ‘series of indirect meetings’ with the Serie A giants.
   ‘The rossoneri do not want to accelerate matters and want to avoid direct contact as FIFA regulations forbid the striker from having talks with other clubs until the end of 2009,’ the Gazzetta added.
   ‘But Eto’o does not want to stay at Barcelona’ and ‘is refusing any idea of extending (his contract) beyond 2010,’ the paper wrote.
   According to AC Milan’s vice-chairman Adriano Galliani, there is no need for a quickfire decision on Eto’o, the Gazzetta went on. ‘For the time being, Galliani has other priorities - but he does indeed have the question of Eto’o on his mind.’

Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart on Wednesday ruled out quitting Real Madrid to return to Bundesliga side Hamburg, even if he has failed to hold down a regular place in Spain.
   ‘Even though I had a nice life in Hamburg, I would not want to leave Real at any price,’ the 26-year-old told German tabloid Bild.
   ‘A return to Hamburg is really not a reality for me,’ added the former Hamburg captain who spent three seasons in Germany.
   Fellow Dutchman, Martin Jol, who has coached Hamburg since last summer, had hinted van der Vaart’s return would interest his former club who are third in the Bundesliga.
   Real signed van der Vaart from Hamburg for 13 million euros ($16.35 million) last summer.

AC Milan star Kaka has urged the club to push through a deal to keep David Beckham at the San Siro.
   Beckham is currently on loan at the Serie A giants but is due to return to parent club Los Angeles Galaxy on 9th March.
   Milan have so failed to agree a deal to sign Beckham with the MLS club expecting the midfielder to report back to America next month.
   Beckham remains hopeful a deal can be thrashed out and Kaka believes the former Manchester United and Real Madrid man has established himself as a key member of the Milan side.
   Kaka admits the initial move for Beckham may have been motivated for marketing, but he insists the player has won everyone over at Milan
   ‘Maybe it was a marketing move at first,’ Kaka told SporTV. ‘But today the truth is that he is fundamental. He is a player that in the last games was very decisive, with passes and goals.’
   ‘I wish Milan can reach a deal to acquire him permanently because he is a player who can help us now and in the next seasons.’

David Villa’s agent has dismissed the idea of a move to Manchester City as ‘nonsense’ and says his client is likely to remain in Spain even if Valencia do decide to cash in on their prize asset.
   The likes of Liverpool, Chelsea, Inter Milan and La Liga giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have been tracking him - but it is Manchester City who looked to use their new financial muscle to sign him. But Villa’s agent insists his charge does not want to move to England and he would have no interest in joining City.
   ‘David has rejected the chance to play in England,’ Jose Luis Tamargo told the Daily Mirror. ‘It would be a nonsense to negotiate with Manchester City and Chelsea aren’t interested.
   ‘If Valencia do decide to sell him he wants to stay in Spain.’

Steven Gerrard may return from his hamstring tear injury against Manchester City on Sunday after missing three weeks of Liverpool’s Premiership title campaign.
   The upcoming Champions League clash with Real Madrid had been seen as Gerrard’s likelier return date but coach Rafael Benitez told liverpoolfc.tv that the skipper had reacted well to treatment and was champing at the bit.
   ‘He is improving. In these situations each day is important. He is working with the medical staff and is progressing.
   ‘Normally he is a player who recovers quickly. He needs less time than other players,’ Benitez said.
   ‘Maybe he could be on the bench against City but we don’t know.
   ‘He wants to play every single game. He knows the game against City will be very important, and also the Real Madrid one too.’
   Gerrard picked up the injury in the FA Cup fourth-round replay defeat by city rivals Everton.

Former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar told Spanish radio on Tuesday he might be amenable to a spell as chairman of Real Madrid with the post up for grabs in July.
   ‘If I were offered it I’d think about it,’ Aznar told Radio Cope, while noting that normally he could not stand as a candidate, having not been a club member or ‘socio’ for the requisite ten years.
   Aznar was prime minister of Spain from 1996 to 2004.
   Former vice chairman Vicente Boluda is currently in the post temporarily following the January resignation of Ramon Calderon amid allegations he rigged voting at the club’s last annual general assembly, which approved the club’s financial accounts.
   Former chairman Florentino Perez is favourite for a return if he wishes to stand. It was Perez who embarked on the strategy of landing high-profile ‘galactico’ names such as Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham while at the helm from 2000 to 2006.
   The former head of telecoms giant Telefonica, Juan Villalonga, is the only candidate to declare an interest to date.

Arturo Francisco Jover Gonzalez is so worried about the financial problems of his beloved Valencia that he is prepared to give the troubled Spanish giants an interest-free loan. According to sports daily AS on Wednesday, Jover is prepared to lend the cash-strapped club 12,000 euros (15,200 dollars) from his own savings, without charging any interest at all.
   The 42 year-old fan, who lives in the Valencia suburb of Torrent, told AS that ‘this idea should serve as a moment of reflection, to see if people are prepared to mobilise for the club, and to see if we can make a new start.’
   Jover added that ‘the existence of our club is in danger, and if we do not fix this the club could be in real trouble.’
   He has presented his offer, in legal form, to the troubled club and is now waiting for a reply.
   Valencia are more than 100 million euros (126.53 million dollars)in debt and have not paid their players since December. The club also owes more than 20 million euros to the construction company that has started work on its new stadium, due to be opened in 2010.
   Embattled club president Vicente Soriano is searching desperately for a bank to give him more credit, but so far without success.
   Last week Valencia raised eyebrows by announcing that their famous old Mestalla stadium and pitch will be up for rent, at the end of the season, for weddings, banquets, baptisms and first communions.
   Valencia’s international defender Raul Albiol said on Monday that ‘we have to work together to change the economic and sporting situation.’
   With regard to the salary delays, Albiol claimed that ‘I am not worried, nor are my team-mates. The only thing that we have to do is improve things on the field, whilst the club will try to solve those problems.’
   When asked whether the payment delays had been a cause in the team’s recent poor form, the young Spain defender replied that ‘I really don’t think so...I don’t know if there are players who do not trust (the club), but we must all have confidence in the club and in the president.’
   Albiol added that ‘we have to have a little patience, and hope that everything is solved. It is a delay, and if we are not paid now then we will be within a few days or weeks.’
   Valencia are fourth in La Liga. On Wednesday they are away to Dynamo Kiev in a UEFA Cup round of 16 first leg that Albiol claimed will be ‘very hard, because they have just come out of the Champions League.’
   Valencia’s cash-flow problems may oblige Soriano - if he actually manages to survive as president - to sell top players like Euro 2008 stars David Villa and David Silva.
   Silva, in whom Barcelona and Juventus are said to be interested, said on Tuesday that ‘I am very focused on the team and enjoying myself in Valencia. I don’t want to talk about anything that will distract me or the team.’

Applications for three million FIFA 2010 World Cup tickets will open Friday with 120,000 reserved for locals at a reduced price to attend the world’s top soccer event, the organising body said.
   ‘Early completion of stadiums will allow us to determine the exact number of tickets to be made available, for now we have approximately three million tickets available,’ said ticketing chairman David Will.
   Application forms for tickets will be available online at www.fifa.com at midnight Friday (0100 CET).
   Tickets will be priced in US dollars with one person allowed to apply for only four tickets per game for a maximum of seven matches. A ticket applicant may not apply for two matches taking place on the same day.
   South Africans will also be allowed to apply for tickets in the local rand currency at a fixed exchange rate at branches of a local bank, First National Bank, which is one of the tournament sponsors.
   ‘FIFA and the organising committee decided to apply a fixed exchange rate of 7 ZAR to 1 USD in order to apply a constant price throughout the sales process,’ said Will.
   The exchange rate Wednesday was 10.2 rands per US dollar.
   A total of 120,000 tickets, known as category four tickets will be reserved for the residents of the host country and will be sold at reduced prices to ensure that FIFA partners and ordinary people, including stadium construction workers, are afforded the chance to see the World Cup.
   ‘We realised that in South Africa not everyone has access to the internet or have a credit card,’ said Wills.
   The 2010 World Cup, the first to be hosted on the continent, starts in June.

Lord Sebastian Coe was confirmed Wednesday as a non-executive director of England’s bid to stage the 2018 football World Cup.
   Coe led London’s successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympic Games and currently the chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games; a position he will continue to hold.
   Coe, one of Britain’s greatest athletes and now a leading figure in international sports administration, will continue as vice-president of the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) but will step down temporarily from his role as chairman of world football governing body FIFA’s ethics committee.
   ‘I look forward to playing my part in our bid for the FIFA World Cup,’ said Coe, the Olympic 1,500 metres champion at both the 1980 and 1984 Games.
   ‘I am passionate about football so am delighted to be standing alongside many other people and football greats up and down the country in bidding for this event.
   ‘Winning the Football World Cup would be the hat trick in a golden era for sport in the UK following the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012 and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014,’ he added.
   ‘I will continue my roles as chairman of the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games and vice-president of the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) but will be taking a temporary leave of absence from my position as chairman of FIFA’s ethics committee.

UEFA chief Michel Platini told the European Parliament on Wednesday that unless his plan of capping transfer and wage spending was introduced, the European game could ‘financially implode’.
   The UEFA President’s comments will further widen an already major split with Europe’s leading clubs over the issue.
   Earlier this month, the European Club Association which represents 137 leading teams such as Manchester United and Real Madrid, said it did not support the introduction of salary caps.
   The Premier League has also said it opposed any Europe-wide financial regulation.
   But the head of European soccer’s governing body said if action were not taken, the game in Europe was ‘in danger’ from the worst financial crisis in nearly 80 years.
   ‘European clubs are currently telling us that our system is in danger of financially imploding in the medium term…’ Platini said in a speech at the European Parliament in Brussels.
   ‘We are currently looking at the idea of limiting, to a certain degree, a club’s expenditure on staff – salary and transfer fees combined – to an as yet undecided percentage of its direct and indirect sporting revenue.’
   UEFA sources told Reuters that under Platini’s plans, clubs would be allowed spend somewhere between 46 and 63 percent of their revenue on wages and buying players.
   But revenue would be determined as money received only from ticket sales, sponsorship, merchandise and television income. It would not include any financial investment by owners or major shareholders.
   ‘For the past 15 or 20 years, we have grown tired of hearing that there is no need to regulate, that the market regulates itself perfectly, that excesses and imbalances will disappear of their own accord,’ Platini said.
   ‘We now know that none of this is true. In football as in the economy in general, the market is incapable of correcting its own excesses, and it was not the UEFA president who said so, it was Barack Obama.’
   Platini said sports in the United States ‘have coped with the financial crisis better’ and Europe could learn lessons from US sports regulators.
   ‘Our American friends have known for decades that sports competitions are only attractive if they are well balanced and if no one team possesses the ultimate weapon,’ he said.
   ‘Over the decades, they have introduced countless measures designed to maintain this competitive balance, sporting measures combined with financial regulations that ensure the clubs are properly managed.
   ‘The American sports system can certainly give us food for thought. It is completely different from the European model of sport in a number of fundamental ways. There are nevertheless some lessons that we can learn,’ Platini added.
   Platini’s move was prompted by an upsurge in the cost of buying players – highlighted by Manchester City’s failed bid for AC Milan’s Kaka reported by British media to be 110 million euros ($145 million) – combined with huge salaries prompted the move as the global financial crisis bites.
   ‘Is it morally acceptable to offer such sums of money for a single player?,’ Platini said.
   World soccer body FIFA, UEFA and the European Union have also expressed concern over the influx of money from billionaire owners from outside Europe who have recently taken large stakes in clubs, particularly in England.
   In November, EU sports ministers mulled the possibility of a pan-European financial regulator for sport but decided instead to press FIFA and UEFA to introduce stricter financial rules for clubs and leagues.
   Platini said he opposed any regulation from Brussels.
   Any new UEFA rules would only immediately affect clubs participating in its competitions such as the lucrative Champions League and UEFA Cup.
   ‘I believe that it is reasonable that UEFA should be able to decide independently under what conditions clubs may participate in the competitions that it organises,’ Platini said.
   ‘Of course, we will not impose any kind of diktat. That has never been and never will be how I work.’
   But in reality since most clubs either already regularly play in European competitions, or strive to play in Europe, they would be forced to meet UEFA’s requirements at all levels.

West Indies Cricket Board president Julian Hunte insisted on Wednesday that the organisation will be fine without Sir Allen Stanford’s cash.
   The WICB President said the controversial Texan businessman’s implication in an alleged billion-dollar investment fraud scheme will not effect the operations of the game in the Caribbean.
   ‘I want to make it clear that the financial viability of West Indies cricket has never depended on Stanford’s largesse, and thank God for that because we are now able to proceed,’ Hunte said.
   He added: ‘When Stanford indicated a few months ago that he was no longer interested in West Indies cricket, it was suggested that we were financially dependent on his money.
   ‘I had to point out that before Stanford’s domestic tournament we issued him a licence which brought us in one million US dollars a year for five years.
   ‘He didn’t pay the first year and when we got a tripartite agreement between the England and Wales Cricket Board, the WICB and him, we insisted that he pay and we got two million dollars.
   ‘Apart from that, Stanford dealt with the local boards and gave them money, but it ended up with him suspending payments to them and I assume those payments will now stop.’
   Hunte refused to admit that the WIC were too hasty in entering into an arrangement with Sir Allen, who has been charged with ‘fraud of shocking magnitude’ by the Securities Exchange Commission in the United States.

Phillip Hughes might feel he is part of a reality TV show during Australia’s tour game in Potchefstroom from Friday, with the South Africans sending a cameraman specifically to tape the new opening batsman. Hughes is only 20 and so fresh that the home side’s analysts don’t have any footage of him.
   Matthew Hayden’s retirement has given Hughes a chance and he will partner Simon Katich during the three Tests. ‘We obviously know Phil Hughes is a very skilful and talented player but I’m going to have to send a spy down to Potch on Friday so we can have a proper look at him,’ Arthur told the Sydney Morning Herald. ‘I don’t have any video footage of him now but I certainly will have footage of him after this weekend.

A six-year-old boy is being seen as Zinedine Zidane of the future, after reports suggested that his tricky step-overs, daring flicks and jinking runs are reminiscent of the legendary French football midfielder.
   Madin Mohammed is said to be such a tricky footballer that even bosses at Chelsea and Real Madrid clubs are tabs on his progress.
   The little boy, whose family moved to France from Algeria when he was three, already been signed up on a scholarship by the French football association.
   ‘He has an amazing talent. He plays every day and has a great passion for football. He can cross the ball, control it, swerve, pass between the legs — he is spectacular with the ball... he really is magic with it,’ the Sun quoted Christian Lazaoui, president of Roubaix, Madin’s local club, as saying.
   A five-minute video showing his adeptness at dribbling and controlling the ball has already been viewed over a million times on YouTube.
   The clip features the young lad waltzing past players, beating a man by slipping the ball through his legs, and even catching the ball on the back of his neck.
   The fascinating video has also been telecast on French national television, where an awestruck presenter commented: ‘Amazingly, he is only six years old but he has a complete arsenal of skills.’
   According to reports, despite being born in Algeria, Madin will be eligible to play for France.

Jose Mourinho is relishing the prospect of taking on Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in the Champions League when his Inter side join battle with the Red Devils for the first leg in Milan on Tuesday, February 24.
   With the second leg at Old Trafford the following Wednesday, the former Chelsea manager has good reason for optimism. His United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson has only once triumphed against a Mourinho-led side.
   ‘Before the draw I said that I wanted United and some people thought I was crazy,’ Mourinho told MUTV.
   ‘After all, why would I want the top team in Europe? But I wanted them because it’s a big challenge and because it will be difficult.
   ‘It’s a special draw for my players and I won’t need to motivate them for this tie. The best matches to play in are against the best sides and the best side at the moment is Manchester United.’
   However, that sanguine attitude should be tempered by the fact that Inter as a club have never beaten United in a competitive fixture, a statistic one senses Mourinho would definitely like to change.
   ‘We know we can win,’ Mourinho added. ‘United are a special team with special players. They are very solid in defence and dangerous in attack.
   ‘You look at the talent they have on the pitch and then at the bench too, and you know this will be difficult.
   ‘My side has a lot of experience, we have a lot of talent and we know how to play the big games. It will be a close tie.’

Bangladesh Army and Usha made winning starts in the Need for Speed Shaheed Smriti Hockey Tournament beating Dilkusha and BKSP at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium on Wednesday.
   Bangladesh Army defeated Dilkhusha 4-2 while star-studded Usha came from behind to beat BKSP 2-1.
   Sirajul Islam netted thrice and Sanwar Hossain scored the other for Army. Quamruzzaman and Khwaja Tayeb Reza netted one goal each for Dilkhusha.
   Golam Mowla of BKSP shocked Usha in the 52nd minute but Zahid Bin Talib and Sheikh Mohammad Nannu one goal apiece in the 55th and 59th minutes for Usha.
   Former general secretary of Bangladesh Hockey Federa-tion Mahmudur Rahman Momin inaugurated the meet. Tournament Committee chairman Shamsul Bari was also present.