BKSP and Gazi Tank registered their second wins while Surjo Tarun posted their third win in the Premier Division Cricket League beating their respective rivals at separate venues in Dhaka Thursday.
   In the day’s matches, BKSP registered a six-wicket win over all-losers City Club at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium while Gazi Tank earned a five-wicket victory over Young Pegasus at the Fatullah Stadium. Surjo Tarun defeated CCS by 16 runs at the BKSP ground in Savar.
   
   City Club v BKSP
   Wining the toss, City Club scored 188 losing nine wickets in stipulated 50 overs with tail-ender Sirajullah contributing unbeaten 50 runs off 49 balls with four fours while Lalmon Hossain made 40 off 60 balls with four fours.
   Rifatuzaman grabbed three wickets for 37 runs while Imrul Mustaquim bagged two for 17 runs.
   In reply, BKSP easily reached the target 189 in 40.5 overs losing four wickets with opener Asif Ahmed scoring 75 runs off 101 balls featuring 11 fours.
   Two down Mominul Haq added 38 runs while Zabid Hossain remained unbeaten on 43.
   Lalmon Hossain and Shafaq Al Zabir claimed two wickets each for 27 and 52 runs respectively.
   Asif Ahmed of BKSP was adjudged man of the match.
   
   Gazi Tank v Young Pegasus
   Young Pegasus batted first after winning the toss and scored 219 for 9 in stipulated 50 overs with two down Humayun Kabir scoring 51 runs while Abul Bashar added 38.
   Openers Arif Reza (32), Rahat Sadek (31) and tail-ender Rubaiyat Haq not out (23) were the other notable scorers for Young Pegasus.
   Enamul Haq grabbed four wickets for 47 runs while Rabiul Islam captured two for 56.
   In reply, Gazi Tank reached the target in 47.1 overs losing five wickets with opener Imrul Kayes contributing 78 runs off 110 balls with seven fours and two sixes. Another opener Anwar Hossain made 50 off 69 balls with five fours.
   Zakaria Islam bagged two wickets for 58 runs.
   Imrul Kayes of Gazi Tank was adjudged player of the match.
   
   Surjo Tarun v CCS
   Opting to bat first, Surjo Tarun posted 244 for nine in stipulated 50 overs with opener Sandeep Sharma scoring 64 runs off 114 balls with five fours.
   Sabbir Rahman (38) Junayed Siddeque (35) and Anisur Rahman (31) were the other notable contributors for Surjo Tarun.
   In reply, CCS reached 228 in 50 overs losing nine wickets with middle-order Nazmul Hossain contributing an unbeaten 76 off 85 balls with four fours and four sixes. Opener Uttam Sarker made 45 off 80 balls with two fours.
   Monwar Hosain (30), Elias Sunny (20) and Shahbaaz Butt (16) were the other notable scorers for CCS.
   Shaiful Islam claimed three wickets for 49 runs.
   Sandeep Sharman of Surjo Tarun Club was adjudged player of the match.

He owns a Ferrari but has not driven it for a year – just one price that Sachin Tendulkar pays for his iconic status in cricket-mad India.
   But his popularity does mean he is one of the few men in the world who can talk his way onto a plane without a passport.
   Tendulkar, revered for his extraordinary exploits with the bat, said the adulation makes him ‘uncomfortable’ and he would rather remain a regular family man at home with his wife Anjali.
   ‘I used to receive letters written in blood,’ the 35-year-old was quoted as saying in the latest Indian edition of celebrity magazine ‘OK!’
   ‘It feels strange when a fan comes and touches your feet and says you are God. I don’t feel comfortable with it, but it is the way they feel about you.’
   Tendulkar regrets he cannot drive around Mumbai in the sports car with his son Arjun and daughter Sara as they would be mobbed by wild crowds as soon as the car got stuck in the city’s endless traffic jams.
   ‘I did not get time to drive the Ferrari at all last year,’ he said. ‘I can drive only early in the morning and the kids cannot wake up at that time.’
   Tendulkar, however, admitted fame can have its advantages – as in Australia when he was once allowed to board a flight without a ticket or passport.
   ‘I was out with two other players and when we got back to the hotel, the rest of the team had already left for the airport,’ he recalled.
   ‘We had no way of reaching them...We had no tickets, no passports, nothing.
   ‘I got to the counter at the airport and explained the situation. The guy at the counter recognised me and he gave us three boarding passes from Sydney to Melbourne...without passports, without tickets.
   ‘I felt that I was truly special.’
   The soft-spoken Tendulkar, who is the world’s leading batsman with 12,429 Test and 16,440 one-day runs, said he enjoyed doing simple things like dropping his children off at school or cooking for friends and family.
   He also took a swipe at the media, saying ‘criticism is hardly ever constructive’.
   Tendulkar, who began playing international cricket in 1989, left for a tour of New Zealand with the Indian team early Thursday.

England (566/9 dec & 221/8 dec) lead West Indies (285 & 143/3) by 360 runs at stumps, day 4
   England were eyeing a series-levelling victory, after setting West Indies 503 to win the third Test on Wednesday and at stumps on the fourth day needed seven wickets on the final day to secure the win.
   England declared their second innings on 221 for eight about an hour after the scheduled tea break, and then restricted West Indies to 143 for three in their second innings when stumps were drawn.
   Alastair Cook hit the top score of 51 in the England second innings, Paul Collingwood made 34, Kevin Pietersen got 33 as England batted themselves into an impregnable position.
   For West Indies, Daren Powell collected two wickets for 33 runs from seven overs, Ryan Hinds took two for 45 from 11 overs, and Sulieman Benn two for 58 from 13 overs.
   England then had to wait an hour and 15 minutes either side of tea before they claimed their first wicket, and then took two more to leave West Indies wobbly on 96 for three.
   But the visitors then met stern resistance from Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, two of the West Indies’ most recognised batsmen, in the final hour.
   Sarwan, not out on 47, and Chanderpaul, not out on 19, added 47 - unbroken - for the fourth wicket and will carry the burden of responsibility of saving the test.
   England’s progress was slowed, when West Indies captain Chris Gayle and Devon Smith had carried their side to tea on 32 without loss and then proceeded to take their opening stand over the 50 mark before the visitors broke it.
   Steve Harmison had Smith adjudged lbw for 21, and this started the shaky period for West Indies.
   Graeme Swann had Gayle also lbw for 46 sweeping across the line of a well-pitched delivery, and Stuart Broad deceived Ryan Hinds with a slower delivery and had him caught at mid-on for six essaying a firm drive.
   But he was England’s final success for the day, as Chanderpaul joined Sarwan and batted through until the close with little or no alarms.
   Earlier, Cook had hit his second half-century of the match to help England beef-up their lead, as they reached 135 for three at the interval.
   Cook turned his 92nd ball from Benn behind square for a single to reach the landmark, as England made steady, if not rapid progress before lunch, after they continued from their overnight total of 31 for one.
   Cook had been allied with James Anderson and they frustrated West Indies for the first hour in a stand of 46 for the second.
   But Anderson was dismissed on the stroke of the drinks break, when he was caught behind for 20 off Powell. England continued to chase quick runs, and Owais Shah struck Powell for a wonderful six over mid-wicket before the same bowler spectacularly bowled him middle-stump for 14 to leave the visitors on 97 for three.
   After lunch, England suffered an early setback in their hunt for quick runs, when Cook was caught at slip off Hinds’ modest left-arm spin gloving a delivery that bounced awkwardly.
   But Paul Collingwood joined Kevin Pietersen and they raised the tempo in a stand of 44 for the fifth wicket with a mixture of aggressive strokes and well-judged runs.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s all-conquering India flew out to New Zealand on Thursday with confidence high they can redress a miserable Test record there.
   Not only have India had just one Test series victory in New Zealand—way back in 1968, under Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi—they have not even won a Test match there for more than 30 years stretching back to 1976.
   But coach Gary Kirsten said the team, riding high on the back of home series wins over Australia and England, were now capable of dealing with the country’s unfamiliar weather and pitches.
   ‘We have a very balanced team—in batting, pace and spin bowling,’ said the South African. ‘We are capable of playing in any conditions.
   ‘Conditions will be vastly different and the weather would be cold with a bit of rain. But we have the players to overcome these.’
   The six-week tour opens next Wednesday with the first of two Twenty20 internationals. India and New Zealand will also play five one-dayers and three Tests.
   The previous tour in 2002 was a nightmare for India, who under Sourav Ganguly lost both Tests in ‘windy’ Wellington and Hamilton inside three days, before being thrashed 5-2 in the one-day series.
   Seamer-friendly pitches and cold and windy conditions all made life difficult for the tourists, with only Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid scoring a half-century apiece.
   ‘It’s going to be a tough tour,’ captain Dhoni told reporters here late Wednesday.
   ‘Every place has its challenges. Foreign players come to India and struggle against spin and bounce. We would focus on planning well and in executing those plans. The results will follow.’
   Kirsten was not worried about the absence of any practice match ahead of the Twenty20 opener on February 25, saying four days of net sessions would put his team in gear.
   Only six players in the current squad—Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Dravid, Venkatsai Laxman, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh —- have played a Test in New Zealand before.
   ‘Conditions can vary in New Zealand,’ he said. ‘When the Indian team went there in 2002 the ball was seaming around. But when the West Indies played there recently, the wickets were flat.
   ‘So we can assess the conditions only when we get there.’
   The tourists will draw inspiration from their recent Test and one-day successes under Dhoni and Kirsten.
   India beat Ricky Ponting’s Australia 2-0 and Kevin Pietersen’s England 1-0 in home Test series last year and clinched the one-day series in Sri Lanka 4-1 early this month.
   Their hopes of ending the New Zealand drought will depend on their batting line-up, which is virtually unchanged since 2002. The only name missing from the middle order is the retired Ganguly, who has been replaced by Yuvraj Singh.
   Sehwag’s opening partner Gautam Gambhir has cracked three hundreds and as many half-centuries in his last eight Test innings.

Authorities were trying to track down Texas billionaire financier Allen Stanford Thursday, as fraud charges against the cricket impresario prompted panicked investors to withdraw cash from his banks.
   Two days after the US Securities and Exchange Commission accused Stanford, 58, of perpetrating ‘a fraud of shocking magnitude,’ officials were still in the dark about his whereabouts — as were close members of his family.
   Authorities in the Caribbean island of Antigua, the center of Stanford’s financial empire, and in parts of South America meanwhile sought to quell fears among depositors as big queues formed outside branches of his bank.
   Venezuela on Thursday took control of a local bank owned by Stanford, stressing that the decision was not related to its own ‘stable’ financial situation, and faulting oversight by regulators in the United States.
   And Peru’s securities regulator suspended operations for 30 days at the local office of Stanford Financial Group.
   In an interview with the Houston Chronicle newspaper, Stanford’s 81-year-old father James said he understood that authorities were searching for his son, but insisted he had no idea where his son could be.
   ‘I’d spoken to him a week or so ago — he’d called — about problems with the business climate in general, but nothing of this magnitude,’ he said.
   ‘I cannot imagine, I cannot believe, I will not believe what is being alleged actually happened.
   ‘I cannot believe that my son would run,’ he added.
   Reports also emerged Wednesday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation into whether Stanford was involved in laundering drug money for Mexico’s powerful Gulf cartel.
   ABC News, citing unnamed federal officials, said Mexican police detained one of Stanford’s private planes and found checks inside believed to be linked to the ultra-violent cartel.
   The network also reported that Stanford spent eight million dollars in Washington wooing lobbyists and legislators, and that red-faced lawmakers, including former presidential candidate Senator John McCain, were scrambling to return or donate thousands of dollars Stanford gave to their campaigns.
   In Ecuador, transactions at the Stanford Financial Group were temporarily suspended Wednesday and Stanford representatives were barred from engaging in any trading or other business in the Quito stock market.
   In Antigua, hundreds of people queued up Wednesday at the Stanford-owned Bank of Antigua to withdraw funds. For the past two decades, Stanford has been based in the Caribbean, where he built a reputation as a cricket patron.
   Late Tuesday, Antigua’s Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer rushed to assure depositors that their money was safe.
   Spencer said the Stanford charges ‘have profound serious implications for Antigua and Barbuda,’ but that the government and the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank were ‘putting in place a contingency plan.’
   ‘Therefore there is no need for panic,’ he added.
   While the Bank of Antigua has not been officially implicated in the fraud, another offshore bank, Stanford International Bank, has been involved in Stanford’s alleged scheme.
   The SEC filed civil charges Tuesday against Stanford for what they called a fraud ‘of shocking magnitude’ in selling 9.2 billion dollars in securities, ‘promising ... improbable high interest rates.’
   A US district judge consequently froze Stanford’s assets.
   He ran the most high-profile alleged scheme since Wall Street financier Bernard Madoff was charged in a 50-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme in December.
   Aside from SIB, Stanford’s companies include Houston-based broker-dealer and investment adviser Stanford Group Company, and investment adviser Stanford Capital Management.
   Stanford’s wealth management and financial services group has offices across North America, Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean.
   The scandal has caused huge embarrassment in English cricket with the bosses of the national association facing calls to resign after they signed a now unraveling deal with Stanford to stage matches in Antigua and England.

With just over a month to go for its second season, the IPL has lost out on a US$ 31.16 million deal spread over four years because of a dispute between Sony, its broadcasters and prime sponsor, and Big TV, a direct-to-home provider.
   Big TV officials have confirmed that they are no longer with IPL and have cited contractual violations as the reason for the pullout. The reason for the dispute is a separate deal that Multi Screen Media Pvt Ltd, which holds the IPL contract under the Sony umbrella, has signed with Airtel Digital TV, which is Big TV’s rival.
   IPL had signed the DTH deal last August with Big TV, which is owned by the Reliance Anil Dhirubai Ambani Group, primarily for on-ground advertising and visibility at match venues. But earlier this year, Sony, which bought the IPL’s telecast rights along with World Sport Group for US$ 1.02 billion, struck an on-air advertising deal on its own with Airtel – only Airtel’s ads will be shown, in the DTH category, during IPL telecasts.
   The IPL has now asked MMPL to clarify its position and the dispute has given rise to speculation that the IPL is reviewing its relations with Sony. In fact, matters took a curious twist today with reports emerging that Kunal Dasgupta, the chief executive of MMPL, had put in his papers.
   However, Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, was quick to clarify that Dasgupta’s departure has nothing to do with the aborted Big TV deal. ‘He was the first person to have believed in what we were doing and it is very sad for me to see him go,’ Modi told Cricinfo. ‘He will be surely missed.’ Sundar Raman, the IPL CEO, said the league is working for an early resolution to the dispute. ‘Sony are our broadcasters and another ground partner has raised a valid issue, for which we have asked for a clarification,’ Raman said.
   Rohit Gupta, president, network sales, MMPL, dismissed suggestions that the ongoing dispute would affect Sony’s long-term deal with IPL. ‘We are discussing the issue with the BCCI and we are confident it will be resolved,’ Gupta said.
   However, Big TV officials are clear that they will revive their IPL deal only if all the original conditions are met. ‘According to our IPL deal, we had the first right of refusal for an on-air advertising deal,’ Sanjay Behl, group head, brand and marketing, Reliance Communication, told Cricinfo. ‘Sony did come to us with their on-air offer but awarded the contract to a rival before we could respond. We have pulled out of the IPL and will look at reviving the arrangement only if the original terms and conditions are adhered to.’

Former India cricket captain Mohammad Azharuddin, who was forced to quit the game after a match-fixing scandal, entered the country’s turbulent political scene on Thursday.
   Azharuddin, 46, was paraded for the media at the Congress headquarters in New Delhi after joining the ruling party ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections. But Congress spokesman Veerappa Moily refused to confirm if the Hyderabad-based Azharuddin would contest polls expected in April-May.
   ‘I’ve known him for 25 years and he expressed his desire to join the Congress,’ Moily said.
   ‘I took up this matter with the Congress president (Sonia Gandhi), who has agreed to admit him into the party.
   ‘He is joining the party unconditionally. Whether he will contest for the Lok Sabha (lower house) elections will be discussed later.’
   Azharuddin said he was delighted to sign up with Congress – a party he said he ‘admired a lot’ – but sidestepped questions on standing for elections.
   ‘I am not the captain here, just a player, and will do anything the party asks me to do,’ he said.
   ‘The Congress has done so much for the country since the freedom movement. I wanted to give something back to the nation and the best way was to serve the people.
   ‘I know I am capable of helping the party and the nation. I will do my best.’
   Moily said the Congress party was not worried about Azharuddin’s tainted past.
   ‘There is no criminal case against Azhar,’ he said. ‘If there is a case at all, then it is between the BCCI and him, which has been filed by Azhar himself against the ban.
   ‘Remember, he served Indian cricket for 16 years with distinction and was one of the best captains.’

Usha KC earned their second consecutive victory in the six-team Need for Speed Shaheed Smriti Hockey Tournament beating Dilkusha SC by 2-0 goals at the Maulana Bhasani National Hockey Stadium on Thursday.
   The winners led the first half 1-0.
   Rimon Kumar put the old Dhaka outfit Usha KC ahead in the 19th minute with a field goal while substitute forward Krishna Kumar doubled the margin in the 65th minute from a penalty corner.
   The day’s other match between two Services teams - Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Air Force - ended in 1-1 draw at the same venue.
   Bangladesh Navy went into the lead in the 33rd minute with a field goal scored by Mamun Hossain while Dinsey Ali scored the equaliser for Air Force in the 60th minute.

Bangladesh Sports Journalists Association will distribute sports awards at a colourful function at the NSC Tower at 10:30am on February 28.
   Information and cultural affairs minister Abul Kalam Azad will be the chief guest at the function. State minister for youth and sports Ahad Ali Sarker and managing director of Square Toiletries Limited Anjan Chowdhury Pintu will remain present as special guest.
   The BSJA has selected 111 sportsmen, sports organisers, coaches, referees, umpires and sponsors for their contributions to sports during the last seven years from 2002 to 2008.

Pakistan will hope to put a series of on and off-field disasters behind them and rebuild under new captain Younus Khan when they play their first Test in 14 months against Sri Lanka from Saturday.
   Drug and disciplinary problems and a series of poor results had already plunged Pakistan into crisis before multiple bomb blasts and the Mumbai attacks robbed the team of playing opportunities.
   Australia and New Zealand both cancelled matches and India also called off a visit after the Mumbai incident, which it said was planned on Pakistani soil.
   The elite Champions Trophy, scheduled for last September, was put off for a year and then withdrawn from Pakistan completely this month.
   Meanwhile, some 17 first-class players remain banned from international cricket after taking part in the unsanctioned Indian Cricket League.
   Younus, who replaced Shoaib Malik in January after a one-day mauling by Sri Lanka, said Pakistan hoped to leave their problems in the past.
   ‘Whatever has happened in the past is behind us,’ said Younus.
   ‘I know my job and feel no pressure as captain, and I also know my role as a batsman. My team is also in the right frame of mind.’
   Pakistan have not played a Test since facing India at Bangalore in December 2007, and have not hosted one since playing South Africa in October two years ago.
   Sri Lanka agreed to a split tour after India pulled out, playing three one-day matches last month before returning for two Tests.
   However, Pakistan’s prospects look shaky with controversial fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar out injured, leaving the onus on fellow quick Umar Gul and leg-spinner Danish Kaneria.
   Debutant captain Younus will also have to carry the batting in the absence of Mohammad Yousuf, who is one of the banned rebels.
   In their 15-man squad, Pakistan have named five uncapped players—fast bowlers Sohail Khan and Mohammad Talha, openers Ahmed Shahzad and Khurram Manzoor, and all-rounder Fawad Alam.
   Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene backed Younus to handle the situation and insisted Pakistan would pose a serious challenge.
   ‘I don’t think captaincy is going to be a problem for Younus and the guys around him have quite a bit of experience, not just playing for Pakistan but playing for counties and various other teams,’ Jayawardene said.
   ‘I know they haven’t played Test cricket for quite some time so we have to wait and see how their approach is going to be.’
   Jayawardene, who is stepping down after this series, will hope to go out on a high and help Sri Lanka bounce back from their 1-4 one-day defeat to India this month.
   ‘Our Test team is quite different to our one-day team. The way we play and our approach is quite different so I don’t think it’s going to make a huge difference,’ he said.

Wayne Rooney ended his six-week injury lay-off with a goal as Manchester United moved five points clear of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Fulham at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
   Rooney, sidelined since straining a hamstring against Wigan on January 14, scored from South Korea winger Park Ji-Sung’s cross moments after replacing Dimitar Berbatov to put the seal on United’s latest victory.
   Paul Scholes’ opener and a strike from Berbatov had given United a 2-0 half-time lead against a Fulham side that rarely looked like adding to their three away league goals this season.
   But United were in determined mood and the victory left them in a commanding position at the top of the league and with dreams of an unprecedented haul of five trophies in one season looking more realistic by the week.
   United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had warned against complacency ahead of the game by admitting that ‘this fixture looks a bit too easy’.
   But United’s peerless form in recent weeks and Fulham’s winless run away from home in the league this season suggested that the only likely outcome was a United win.
   And although Ferguson had warned his players that the unthinkable could happen, the prospects of such an unlikely outcome vanished once Scholes had spectacularly opened the scoring after just 12 minutes.
   The former England midfielder has been overshadowed by fellow veteran Ryan Giggs recently, but the 34-year-old certainly reclaimed the spotlight with a jaw-dropping display against the London club.
   His goal, only his second in the league this season, was as good as any you are likely to see, even if it was given a helping hand into the net by Fulham’s Australian goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer.
   As Michael Carrick stepped up to take a corner, Park’s decoy run left Scholes unmarked 25 yards from goal and Carrick picked him out brilliantly, allowing the midfielder to unleash a right-foot volley.
   Schwarzer managed to get his body behind the shot, but he could not hold the ball and it squirmed out of his grasp before bouncing over the line and into the net.
   Scholes has form for such eye-catching goals. Similar strikes over the years at Bradford City and Aston Villa have challenged for Goal of the Season awards, so this goal was no surprise. The fact that he is still producing such magic at his age is the amazing aspect.
   But he is not just about goals and he proved that on the half hour when he created the second goal for Berbatov with another piece of brilliance.
   This time his deft chip into the penalty area in the 30th minute allowed John O’Shea to tee up the former Spurs striker, who scored from close range.
   Berbatov was denied a second early in the second half when Schwarzer redeemed himself for his earlier mistake by repelling the United striker with a brilliant save to keep out a powerful snapshot.
   But the former Middlesbrough keeper could not continue to stem the tide and Rooney made it 3-0 in the 63rd minute - less than three minutes after climbing off the bench.
   Park’s shot across the face of goal was met by Rooney at the far post and, after springing the offside trap, the England star slotted in his seventh league goal of the season.

Sir Alex Ferguson insists it is too soon to crown Manchester United as Premier League champions despite watching his side move five points clear of Liverpool with a 3-0 victory over Fulham.
   The win was United’s ninth on the bounce in the league and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar racked up his fourteenth consecutive Premier League clean sheet, taking his shut-out run to 1302 minutes.
   But United boss Ferguson admitted that there are still possible pitfalls on the road to an eighteenth league title between now and May.
   He said: ‘You can never be dead sure, but it’s safe to say that Chelsea have an uphill fight now to overcome us. Things can happen, though. We were 12 points clear of Arsenal one season, 1997-98, and we lost the league.
   ‘We had a lot of injuries that year, but hopefully, with the squad we have now, we can cope with injuries. That’s been the change around at the club, we have such a big squad that we can cope with injuries.
   ‘This was our game in hand, though, so it was important and I think the players applied themselves the right way. They worked hard because they had to work hard for the result and I’m pleased with them.
   ‘Paul Scholes was fantastic and some of his switches of play were absolutely devastating. He and Ryan Giggs are a great example to young players in the sense of the way that they live their lives, but they have kept their ambition which is important. We are so delighted and proud to have them here.’
   Rooney’s goal, three minutes after replacing Berbatov in the second half, was an added bonus for the England player, who had been sidelined since early January with a hamstring injury.
   And Ferguson admits that he will not take chances on the fitness of any of his players between now and the end of the season.
   He said: ‘Wayne scored with his first touch. It was a nice ball and he came in late, which he has done many times, but he is back now and I’m pleased. Hopefully he will stay fit now.
   ‘He is 100 per cent, there is no question about that. We are at the stage now where we won’t take risks with any players.
   ‘If they have slight injuries, we won’t play them because if you do and they exacerbate the problem, they can be out for weeks and we don’t want that.’
   Fulham boss Roy Hodgson saw his team fail once more to claim their first away win of the season, but he admitted that United were simply too strong.
   He said: ‘We wipe our faces on this one and accept the dream of coming here and doing something spectacular remains a dream. We found a United side that had too much in the locker.
   ‘The way we set out our team wasn’t that disastrous - what was, was conceding an early goal that put us on the back foot before we were on the front foot!
   ‘With United in that form, we weren’t going to get anything from them.’

Following consecutive home defeats, Germany coach Joachim Low was criticised on Wednesday by German Football Federation president Theo Zwanziger for the first time since taking charge.
   ‘I am not content at the moment with the sporting achievements of the national team,’ Zwanziger told German magazine Sport-Bild.
   ‘It is now the task of Joachim Low and his training staff to analyse exactly how the team could lose to England in Berlin and then Norway in Duesseldorf in succession.’
   Low’s side, minus a host of top stars, was beaten 2-1 at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium by an England team suffering from a huge injury list in November last year.
   To make matters worse in their next international, a weakened Norway side then beat a full-strength Germany team 1-0 in Duesseldorf on February 11.
   Both defeats were avoidable and die Mannschaft played with an unusual lack of urgency and structure - rarely seen since Low succeeded Jurgen Klinsmann as Germany coach in July 2006.
   It was the first time Germany have lost consecutive home games since 1956 and it was also the first time the Germans have lost to Norway since 1936.
   Germany now have World Cup qualifiers against Liechtenstein, in Leipzig on March 28, and against Wales, in Cardiff on April 1.
   Although they top their group, the national side’s collective drop in form has sent alarm bells ringing here.
   After captain Michael Ballack criticised Low, when he accused the national coach of not showing senior players enough loyalty in an interview last October, there is a feeling Low has lost respect.
   Both Ballack and Torsten Frings criticised the coach, yet both played in the defeat by Norway and there is a feeling here last year’s public row has undermined Low’s authority.
   Zwanziger believes there is an attiude problem in the squad and it is important Germany get their form back for their next two games.
   ‘It is an attitude problem, before the next two games it will be crucial that a good performance is coaxed out of the players,’ said Zwanziger.
   Low himself admitted he was extremely disappointed with his squad after the Norway defeat and as Germany had previously not lost consecutive games for six years, the pressure is on the national coach and his squad to perform with South Africa 2010 approaching.
   ‘The team was not ready to go to its limits (against Norway),’ said Zwanziger.
   ‘The sympathy levels for the national team will keep dropping unless results pick up.’
   With the most expensive tickets for the Norway defeat costing 80 euros (100 US dollars), Zwanziger said he had sympathy for Germany’s fans who deserve to see their stars at least put up a fight in defeat.
   ‘I didn’t have to buy a ticket (for Duesseldorf), but I feel sorry for the fans who bought tickets and wanted to see a convincing Germany team,’ he added.
   ‘It makes me uncomfortable for the many young fans, who come into the stadium and want to see their stars play well, that they see a performance like the one against Norway,’ said Zwanziger.
   Low has already tightened the reins on his squad of players by insisting the players come to Leipzig a day earlier than planned for a day of fitness testing before the qualifier against Liechtenstein.
   ‘I am glad that we have a few more days with the players in March,’ said Low.
   ‘We will work on a few things intensely and we will show a different side of our play in the qualification games.’

Barcelona have agreed a deal with the United Arab Emirates-based telecommunications services provider, Etisalat, that will see them sponsor the club for the next four years.
   Sport reports that the contract is worth €12 million and will see the club marketed in eighteen countries.
   The telecom’s customer base is claimed to reach 74 million customers and it is certainly a high-profile deal between the two parties.
   The sign from Barcelona, who have been in the shadow of Real Madrid for some time now in terms of advertising in Asia, is that they are ready to expand too.
   With plenty of money on offer in a large continent, the deal comes as no great surprise, and Etisalat is a big business for Barcelona to be tied with.
   They currently rank in the top 500 companies trading on the stock market and are one of the largest in the Middle East.

A late equaliser from Werder Bremen’s Brazilian international Diego denied AC Milan victory in their UEFA Cup first knockout round first leg tie in Germany on Wednesday.
   Midfielder Diego rewarded a strong second-half display from the Bundesliga side six minutes from time by controlling Hugo Almeida’s header with his chest before firing past Dida to secure a 1-1 draw.
   Filippo Inzaghi had put competition favourites Milan ahead on 36 minutes, the striker firing in a rebound after his own header from Mathieu Flamini’s cross had been blocked.
   On-loan midfielder David Beckham came off the bench for the final two minutes after being added to Milan’s UEFA Cup squad despite uncertainties over his future with the Serie A side. Beckham, on a two-month loan from Los Angeles Galaxy, has said he wants to stay in Italy.
   Holders Zenit St Petersburg began life without influential playmaker Andrei Arshavin by defeating VfB Stuttgart 2-1.
   Arshavin, instrumental in Zenit’s first European triumph last year, completed a move to Arsenal earlier this month after protracted negotiations with the Premier League side.
   Ukraine international Anatoliy Tymoschuk blasted the Russian side 2-1 ahead in first-half stoppage time with a fierce shot after latching on to Danny’s pass.
   New signing Szabolcs Huszti had fired Zenit ahead on his debut after two minutes, the Hungarian international pouncing on a rebound before Mario Gomez grabbed what could be a crucial away goal following a lengthy run.
   The competition’s leading scorer Vagner Love took his tally to nine this season with a first-half goal in CSKA Moscow’s 1-1 draw in Birmingham with Aston Villa.
   Brazilian Love worked a one-two with strike partner Alan Dzagoyev before advancing to fire past keeper Brad Guzan and hand CSKA a 14th-minute lead.
   Norwegian striker John Carew capped a sustained spell of Villa pressure to sweep in the equaliser on 69 minutes from Craig Gardner’s pass.
   ‘We cannot be disappointed but we had our chances to win,’ Carew told Channel Five television.
   ‘The away game will be more difficult…we will have to prepare well but we believe we can still do it.’
   Brazilian coach Zico took charge of CSKA for the first time after replacing Valery Gazzaev who led the Russians to their 2005 UEFA Cup triumph and ended his long association with the club in December.
   St Etienne, back in Europe this season for the first time in 26 years, continue to defy their poor Ligue 1 form and rekindle memories of their heyday in the 1960s and 1970s.
   Les Verts, 10-times French champions and beaten 1976 European Cup finalists, secured an impressive 3-1 away win at Olympiakos Piraeus, who had previously gone nine matches unbeaten at home in Europe.
   Despite being entrenched in a battle to avoid relegation from Ligue 1, St Etienne took the game to Olympiakos and led 2-0 at the interval through Brazilian striker Ilan and midfielder Geoffrey Dernis. A penalty from Predrag Djordjevic gave the hosts hope but Bafetimbi Gomis struck a third in stoppage time.
   Valencia, the 2004 winners, drew 1-1 in Ukraine against Dynamo Kiev, Paris St Germain striker Guillaume Hoarau scored twice in the final 10 minutes in a 2-0 home victory over VfL Wolfsburg and Hamburg SV all but booked their last 16 place after easing to a 3-0 win away to NEC Nijmegen.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has taken the latest comments from outspoken striker Samuel Eto’o in his stride.
   Eto’o hit the news again this week after he was reported to have told a French magazine that his real love was for Real Mallorca and that he was only working for current club Barcelona.
   The prolific Cameroon international - La Liga’s leading scorer this season with 23 goals - also spoke about other matters, including saying he had already made a decision about his future at the
   Nou Camp, and since then he has been closely linked in the media with AC Milan.
   Laporta was unmoved by the whole episode though, saying of Eto’o: ‘He is an extraordinary man, you cannot expect ordinary behaviour from him.
   ‘Eto’o is Eto’o, he is how he is, with his virtues and defects like everyone - he isn’t a conformist and that’s why he has the quality he has.
   ‘You have to respect him and if he has certain points of view you have to respect them.
   ‘We already know what Eto’o’s character is and the squad accepts it.
   ‘It’s a debate which doesn’t interest us much, what we are interested in is that the team continues along the same path.’
   Regarding the player’s future, Laporta added: ‘He has a contract until 2010 and of course we want a goalscorer like him at Barcelona, but it will depend a lot on what the player wants because we want players committed to the team and who really want to be here.
   ‘We won’t keep anyone against their will.’

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson believes Chelsea have effectively ruled themselves out of the Premier League title race after sacking Luiz Felipe Scolari.
   Scolari was axed last week after Chelsea fell seven points behind leaders United and his replacement Guus Hiddink has made it clear he still thinks the Blues can catch Ferguson’s team.
   But the Scot is convinced that Chelsea made a rash move to get rid of former World Cup winner Scolari and he feels the main threat to his side will now come from Liverpool.
   ‘I think they have played into our hands and that the title race now is going to be between ourselves and Liverpool,’ Ferguson told United Review.
   ‘However, I shall be keeping a wary eye on Aston Villa, who seem to have picked up the baton from Arsenal.
   ‘I was shocked that Chelsea should part so soon with a manager of such great experience and proven success as ‘Phil’ Scolari.
   ‘Their haste is a reflection of the sad way the game is going, with everyone from owners, the board members, the supporters and the media demanding instant success and showing absolutely no patience in the pursuit of their ambition.’

Liverpool have written to UEFA to ask that the date of their potential Champions League quarter-final second leg be changed to avoid a clash with the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster.
   If Rafael Benitez’s side get past Real Madrid in the last 16, they are currently scheduled to face their next opponents for the second time on April 15.
   That is exactly two decades since 96 Liverpool fans died at Sheffield Wednesday’s ground before and during the FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
   Liverpool are keen to keep the date free so memorials can take place and have asked UEFA allow them to play the match on the 14th if they progress.
   ‘We wrote to UEFA last year, pointing out the significance of April 15 if we do get to the quarter-final, especially as it is the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster,’ a Liverpool spokesman said.
   ‘We have asked not to play on that date and that April 14 should be considered instead.
   ‘UEFA has replied acknowledging the significance of the date and confirming they will do their best to support our request if we progress.’

Lounging peacefully on the terrace, watching the elephants, leopards and antelopes gather at the watering hole.
   That’s how hundreds of football fans will relax in South Africa’s Kruger National Park on ‘soccer safaris’, after taking in World Cup matches in the nearby city of Nelspruit.
   With 100,000 people, Nelspruit is among the smaller of the host cities and doesn’t have enough accommodation for the fans expected to arrive here in June 2010.
   So organisers are tapping resources in the tourist magnet of Kruger game park, just a two-hour drive away.
   ‘Any person who comes so close to Kruger would definitely come to see the game. You cannot miss it if you’re that close to it, especially coming from Europe or Asia,’ said Stephen Nel, a manager at the Berg-en-Dal rest camp.
   About 1.3 million tourists each year visit the park, which is about half the size of the Netherlands and has a highly developed network to accommodate guests.
   During the World Cup, the camps of Skukuza, Berg-en-Dal and Pretoriuskop will host nearly 2,000 fans in search of South Africa’s ‘Big Five’ - elephants, buffalo, leopard, lions and rhinos.
   FIFA partner responsible for accommodation, Match, is offering packages that include lodging, transport and safaris, which could mean pre-dawn drives to catch the animals at sun-up, twilight hikes, or dinner in the bush.
   To allow the guests to see the football matches, Kruger is reworking its rules. The park currently closes at 6:00 pm, and some games at Nelspruit’s Mbombela stadium will only kick off two hours later.
   Armed rangers will escort the fans back to their lodges and tents, ‘to protect them from lions, elephants and other dangerous animals,’ according to South African National Parks.
   ‘They’ll probably change the opening times of the restaurants as most of our guests would be for the World Cup,’ Nel added.
   He said that the camp had welcomed guests from the rugby World Cup in 1995, but that was on a smaller scale that what organisers expect in 2010.
   The World Cup will be the biggest event ever held in this rural province, with Nelspuit building a 46,000-seat stadium for the occasion.
   ‘Initially, there was a shortage of accomodation,’ said FS Siboza, operations manager for the city.
   But he said the new guesthouses have opened in the city, and two other towns are helping to ensure enough beds are available during the tournament, he said.
   The city expects new hotels will be built, while some homeowners plan to leave on vacation and to rent out their homes to the tourists.
   Organisers are even considering creating tented campsites for visitors, spread around a 200-kilometre (125-mile) radius, including in neighbouring Swaziland and Mozambique.
   FIFA wants to ensure that 55,000 rooms are available across the country during the World Cup. Right now there are 34,000, making Kruger’s model an appealing option that could be expanded to other national parks.
   The only requirement for the ‘soccer safaris’ is that guests can actually see the matches. At Berg-en-Dal, they will be housed in simple cottages built in 1985, without televisions.
   The camp is thinking about setting up a TV in a conference room so the fans can watch games in other towns... if they find generators to keep the electricity running.

Edwin van der Sar’s extraordinary run of clean sheets in the Barclays Premier Leagues goes on and on.
   The Manchester United star kept out Fulham at Old Trafford to extend his record to an incredible 14 games.
   That is a whopping 1,302 minutes without conceding - and the Daily Mail has got thinking on just what else the keeper could have done in the almost 22 hours he has spent unbeaten between the sticks:
   1. Count the £10,333 he earns in wages every 22 hours.
   2. Watch every minute of United’s triumphant Champions League campaign from last season - including that penalty save from Nicolas Anelka in the Moscow final against Chelsea.
   3. Drive to Wembley and back to Manchester three times. Beware the traffic, though.
   4. Fly to his native Holland and back seven times.
   5. Watch a replay of last year’s epic Wimbledon final between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer four times in a row - with time for a half-hour kip before each viewing.
   6. Time to make Heston Blumenthal’s perfect spaghetti bolognese three times. Recommended simmering time: seven to eight hours.
   7. Complete a ‘normal’ 22-hour shift on one of the dangerous fishing boats featured in the hit TV series Deadliest Catch.
   8. Sit down for the entire first series of 24 with time for a cup of tea between each episode.
   9. Plenty of time to complete the Ironman Triathlon. A 2.4 mile swim and 112m bike followed by a marathon. Current world record: 8hrs 4mins 8sec.
   10. Do 28 full cycles on the Tube’s Circle Line (journey time: 47 minutes). Regular commuters will deny one is possible, let alone 28.

Around 400 builders at one of the 2010 South Africa World Cup stadiums have been dismissed for going on strike in a move that could put at risk its July completion deadline, their union and employers said.
   ‘About 400 of the construction workers at Mbombela stadium, most of them members of the National Union of Mine Workers, who have been on illegal strike were sacked on Tuesday,’ George Ledwaba, the union’s local spokesman told AFP.
   ‘If this strike, which began on February 6, goes on for another week, it will affect the scheduled completion date of the stadium,’ he said.
   ‘Our target completion time is July ... we will probably have to extend this deadline as a result of the strike,’ the stadium construction manager, Neil Fourie, told AFP.
   He said that the workers downed tools over wages and bonuses.
   Ledwaba condemned the strike by his union members which he said was ‘illegal’ and ‘irresponsible’ because, according to him, they did not follow due process before downing tools.
   The construction is a joint venture between South African construction company Basil Read and French firm Bouygues.
   A spokesman for the venture, Eugene de Toit, said the workers were dismissed because they reneged on an agreement last year that they would not embark on an illegal strike or ‘unprotected’ job boycott.
   The parties agreed that ‘if there is any unprotected industrial action that would take place, that the workers will immediately be dismissed,’ he said on SA FM radio.
   About 1,000 workers are involved in the construction of the stadium.
   Workers at the 46,000-seat Mbombela stadium have staged earlier strikes, most significantly in February last year to demand a near doubling of their wages.
   Similar disputes have previously broken out at stadiums in Durban and Cape Town, but World
   Cup organisers say they are confident those projects will be completed on time.
   Ten stadiums in nine cities will play host to the 2010 World Cup, the first time the tournament has been staged in Africa.
   The FIFA deadline for the completion of all the stadiums is October 15.

Michael Essien hopes to be back in action for Chelsea next month after making encouraging progress in his recovery from knee-ligament damage.
   It was initially feared the powerful Ghana midfielder would miss the entire season after sustaining the injury in September while on international duty.
   He played just two matches for Chelsea - against Wigan and Tottenham - before undergoing surgery, robbing the Blues of one of their most consistent performers.
   The speed of his rehabilitation means Essien could return for the Barclays Premier League fixtures against Manchester City and Tottenham next month.
   And should Chelsea negotiate their Champions League last-16 tie against Juventus, he would surely figure in the quarter finals in early April.
   ‘According to rehabilitation physio Thierry Laurent, it should not take more than one month for me to play actively again,’ Essien told 90minutes.
   ‘He has assured me that once we go through a few other exercises for two or three weeks, I should be fit enough to return to the pitch.’
   Essien’s injury meant he missed virtually the whole of Luiz Felipe Scolari’s brief reign at Stamford Bridge.
   Indeed the 26-year-old’s absence denied Chelsea a key player who Scolari failed to adequately replace, arguably contributing to the Brazilian World Cup winner’s downfall.
   Guus Hiddink, Scolari’s successor, has overseen training this week and Essien approves of the appointment.
   ‘Hiddink has been around for quite a while and knows what it takes to get positive results out of nothing,’ he said.
   ‘He is a fantastic manager so we hope he would bring the magic to give us the strength we need to mount a challenge in all competitions.’
   Essien’s fellow African Salomon Kalou has also given Hiddink’s arrival the thumbs-up.

Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has joined Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson in writing off Chelsea’s hopes of challenging for the Premier League title this season.
   Luiz Felipe Scolari was sacked as boss of the west London club last week after a poor run of form which has seen them slip to fourth in the table. And despite Guus Hiddink coming in as interim manager until the end of the season Carragher cannot see them recovering.
   On Wednesday, Sir Alex also stated his belief that the title race ‘is going to be between ourselves and Liverpool’.
   Liverpool are not five points behind United after they comfortably won their game in hand against Fulham on Wednesday night, but Carragher still thinks his team will battle all the way with the current Premier League, European and World Champions.
   ‘Just overtaking Chelsea and Arsenal in the challenge is an achievement in itself already so everyone should be proud of that,’ he told the club’s official website.
   ‘We finished fourth last season, but we have overtaken Chelsea and Arsenal and even though everyone at the club understands that it’s not over yet by a long way, at the moment it looks like it is going to be us and Manchester United for the title.
   ‘A lot of people said at the start of the season that we needed to be in the title race at the end and at least be in with a fighting chance.
   ‘Now hopefully we can go one step further and win this title. There are still a lot of games to go, so it’s important everyone at the club remains calm.’
   Liverpool’s bid could be further boosted by the sooner-than-expected return of skipper Steven Gerrard with manager Rafael Benitez opening the door for a potential return as a sub against Manchester City on Sunday.
   ‘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,’ said Benitez.
   The club have also asked UEFA to bring forward the date of their potential Champions League quarter-final second leg to avoid a clash with the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster. ‘We wrote to UEFA last year, pointing out the significance of April 15 if we do get to the quarter-final, especially as it is the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster,’ a Liverpool spokesman said.
   ‘We have asked not to play on that date and that April 14 should be considered instead.’
   A UEFA spokesman said: ‘We have received a request and we will try our best to accommodate it, but we cannot guarantee at this stage that we will be able to.’

Sven-Goran Eriksson has admitted he remains in the dark over the reasons behind his dismissal by Manchester City last summer.
   The former England boss was given just 12 months at the helm of the Eastlands outfit before ex-owner Thaksin Shinawatra elected to bring in Mark Hughes.
   City made an impressive start to life under the Swede last season before fading after Christmas, but still finished in a creditable ninth place and secured a UEFA Cup berth via the Fair Play league.
   Eriksson, who has been linked with the Portsmouth vacancy, is now in charge of Mexico’s national team but is under pressure after a series of mixed results although he insists he will not walk away.
   Yet it is his brief tenure at Eastlands which still causes Eriksson confusion several months after his departure.
   He told World Soccer magazine: ‘I can’t, to this day, understand it.
   ‘Up to Christmas we were amongst the best three or four teams but, after that, the season was too long for most of the players.
   ‘We had too many who weren’t used to playing in the Premier League. In the end, they collapsed.
   ‘It was a big adventure to be able to compete against the best teams.
   ‘The owner had something in his head to have another coach.

Real Madrid boss Juande Ramos has questioned Rafa’s Benitez’s decision to sell Robbie Keane ahead of the UEFA Champions League meeting with Liverpool.
   Keane lasted just six months at Anfield following his £20million move before Liverpool agreed to sell him back to Tottenham for a hefty loss on their initial outlay.
   Ramos was reluctant to lose Keane to Liverpool while he was in charge of Tottenham and he admits he was surprised to see Benitez offload the Irishman after such a short spell on Merseyside.
   ‘You can’t tell me Robbie will not score goals at a top club,’ Ramos told The Sun.
   ‘He is a top player and I don’t think he did badly at Liverpool.
   ‘He scored goals and showed he’s a team player.
   ‘He’s definitely a match-winner for any club and if he were still at Liverpool, I would be telling my defenders to watch for him.’
   Ramos also believes Benitez has taken a massive gamble by letting Keane go in the January transfer window without bringing in a replacement.
   ‘When you are a top club playing around 60 matches a season, you don’t want to let any of your players go in January unless they have a real desire to go,’ added Ramos.
   ‘It was a lot of money to lose on Robbie over such a short space of time - especially in this market.
   ‘Let’s put it this way. I wouldn’t want to lose that amount of money on one player.
   ‘Maybe Liverpool should have kept Robbie until at least the summer to give him more time and try and get the right price for him when there was more time to do so.’

AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has confirmed ‘progress’ has been made to make David Beck-ham a permanent signing.
   The England international is currently on loan to the Serie A giants from MLS outfit LA Galaxy, but is due to return within the next month.
   Beckham has made a huge impression during his brief spell in Serie A, forcing the club to seek to long-term solution to retaining his services.
   Although MLS’s deadline set to finalise Beckham’s future has elapsed, Galliani remains confident a resolution between all parties can be reached.
   Galliani would not divulge too much information when he spoke although he did confirm to Gazzetta dello Sport: ‘In the past few hours we have taken steps forward.
   ‘We are more confident now.’

Former England cricketer Chris Lewis denied trying to smuggle cocaine into Britain as he appeared in a London court on Thursday.
   The 41-year-old former all-rounder is accused of trying to sneak cocaine with an estimated street value of 200,000 pounds (290,000 dollars, 225,000 euros).
   Lewis and his co-defendant Chad Kirnon, a 27-year-old one-time English league basketball player, were both remanded in custody at Croydon Crown Court after entering not guilty pleas.
   Judge Warwick McKinnon ordered the trial date to be included on the court’s fortnightly list for May 11.