West Indies (158/5) beat New Zealand (152/8) by five wickets (D/L method)
   A late batting onslaught by Ramnaresh Sarwan and Denesh Ramdin saw the West Indies snatch victory with one ball to spare in the one-day international against New Zealand here Saturday.
   In a match reduced to 28 overs per side after a lengthy disruption due to thunder and hail, New Zealand made 152 for eight and under the Duckworth-Lewis system the West Indies were set a target of 158 to win.
   Man-of-the-match Sarwan fittingly hit the winning run off the penultimate delivery to finish unbeaten on 67 off 65 balls while Ramdin was not out 28 from 18.
   For much of the innings the target had seemed out of reach for the West Indies as New Zealand kept tight control in the field, wickets fell at regular intervals and the required run rate escalated.
   Midway through the 23rd over, when Ramdin came to the crease at the fall of Kieron Pollard’s wicket, they were 110 for five.
   With three overs remaining the West Indies still required 30 runs before Sarwan and Ramdin fully opened up, taking 12 off a Tim Southee over and then 14 off Jeetan Patel.
   In a desperate final over, Ramdin took two off the first delivery bowled by Southee, and then he and Sarwan took singles off the fourth and fifth balls to seal the match.
   In between both Brendon McCullum and Grant Elliot missed shies at the stumps that could have resulted in run outs.
   The win put the West Indies one up in the five-match series, although it was New Zealand who started with their tails up after dominating the 36 overs available in the rain-abandoned first ODI at Queenstown on New Year’s eve.
   But they were rocked in the third over here when Fidel Edwards had the big-hitting Brendon McCullum caught behind by Ramdin for one and they never recovered.
   Edwards came back late in the match, when New Zealand were trying to up the batting rate, to remove Jacob Oram and Daniel Vettori in the space of two balls and return the best bowling figures for the West Indies of three for 26.
   Jesse Ryder, who was on 20 when the storm broke in the seventh over, top scored for New Zealand with 32 off 43 balls.
   For the most part New Zealand were hampered by tight West Indies fielding and at one stage went 12 overs without a boundary.
   Oram broke the drought when he clubbed a six and two fours off a Gayle over before being caught in the next over by Chattergoon off Edwards for 25.
   Jamie How contributed 27 while Grant Elliot at the end finished unbeaten on 30.
   New Zealand also had early bowling success when Chattergoon was bowled by Southee in the fourth over for six. Vettori then made a key breakthrough when he captured the West Indies most-prized wicket of Chris Gayle, clean bowled for 36.
   With their illustrious skipper back in the pavillion the West Indies appeared to lose their way as Xavier Marshall, Brendan Nash and Pollard all fell cheaply before Sarwan and Ramdin turned their fortunes around.
   The third match of the five-game series is in Wellington on Wednesday.

Bangladesh Football Federation will felicitate the Swadhin Bangla Football Team for their contribution to the Liberation War of 1971 at a ceremony at the BFF House premises today.
   National Sports Council chairman General Moeen U Ahmed will be the chief guest at the function while Michael Seymour, the CEO of Citycell, will remain present as the special guest.
   At a press conference held at the BFF House on Saturday, the BFF president, Kazi Salahuddin, disclosed the details of the programme. He said the Swadhin Bangla team had played exhibition matches across India in 1971 to create public opinion for Bangladesh’s Liberation War and its players and officials were hailed as ‘war heroes’, but the federation had never taken any steps to honour them.
   The BFF chief said each member of the Swadhin Bangla Football Team will be given a BFF crest and a certificate and a plaque containing the names of all 33 members of the team will be unveiled at the BFF House during the function. The programme will conclude with a musical concert.
   Earlier, the BFF had finalised the names of the 33 members of the team and they are: Zakaria Pintoo (captain), Pratap Shankar Hazra, Ali Imam, Mohammed Kaikobad, Amalesh Sen, Ainul Haque, Sheikh Ashraf Ali, Bimal Kar, Shahjahan Alam, Monsur Ali Lalu, Kazi Salahuddin, Enayetur Rahman, KN Nawsheruzzaman, Subhash Saha, Fazle Hossain Khokon, Abul Hakim, Taslimuddin Sheikh, Aminul Islam, Abdul Momin Joarder, Moniruzzaman Peara, Kazi Sattar, Pran Govinda Kundu, Mujibur Rahman, Khondokar Nurunnabi, Lutfar Rahman, Aniruddha Chatterjee, Sanjit Kumar Dey, Mahmudur Rashid, Saidur Rahman Patel, Dewan Sirajuddin and Nihar Kanti Das. Tanvir Mazhar Tanna (manager), Nani Basak (coach).
   Among them, five footballers – Ali Imam, Sheikh Monsur Ali Lalu, Moniruzzaman Peara and Mahmudur Rashid – and coach Nani Basak have passed away.

Brothers Union Club moved to the second slot with an exciting 2-1 victory over hosts Chittagong Abahani Limited in a match of the CityCell B League at the MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong on Saturday.
   With the day’s win, the Gopibagh-based outfit secured 25 points - just one point behind holders Dhaka Abahani Limited who top the list with 26 points, both playing 12 matches.
   Henry put Brothers Union ahead in the very 2nd minute of the match while Mithun restored parity for Chittagong Abahani in the 23rd minute.
   Henry scored again in the 42nd minute to ensure the victory for Brothers Union. In the day’s other match, Sheikh Russell KC outplayed hosts Khulna Abahani KC by 3-1 goals at the Khulna Stadium.
   After a barren first half, veteran striker Alfaz Ahmed scored first for Russell KC in the 64th minute (1-0) while medio Monwar Hossain doubled the margin three minutes later (2-0).
   Rezaul Karim reduced the margin for Khulna Abahani in the 81st minute (2-1) while Bulbul further sounded the Russell KC margin with a goal in the 84th minute (3-1).
   Dhaka Mohammedan SC will play Muktijoddha Sangsad KC on Monday at the Bangabandhu National Stadium in Dhaka after day’s rest today.

Australia (267/6) against South Africa at stumps, day 1
   There was more than a hint of déjà vu at the SCG, where Australia’s top order spluttered against a probing South Africa before looking to Michael Clarke for a rescue mission on a slow-moving first day. None of South Africa’s bowlers dominated individually but as a group they maintained the pressure and showed why their team could be the No. 1-ranked Test side within four days.
   At the MCG last week, South Africa considered Australia’s 6 for 280 at stumps on day one as below par having chosen to bat. The Sydney pitch was friendlier but South Africa’s attack was just as hostile and they stuck to their plans until late in the afternoon to keep Australia to 6 for 267.
   The evenness of South Africa’s bowling was impressive. At the fall of the fifth wicket the five bowlers had one victim each and the first multiple wicket-taker arrived only when Dale Steyn swung the new ball perfectly past the bat of Brad Haddin (38) and into off stump with 25 minutes left in the day.
   The 75-run partnership that Haddin and Clarke built had started to paper over some of the cracks in Australia’s top order, which have been evident all summer. Throughout the series, Australia’s bowlers have copped their share of criticism but it’s the batsmen who have created some of the most serious messes and the lower order can do only so much mopping up.
   In the first two Tests Australia’s average score at the fall of the fifth wicket - that is, when specialist batsmen were no longer at both ends - was a disappointing 170. This time they found themselves at 5 for 162 before Clarke and Haddin started the salvage operation.
   Haddin was typically aggressive against the spinner Paul Harris, who he dispatched over the leg side for two fours and a six. Clarke put away some punchy drives and showed glimpses of his flair but was generally watchful and happy to post his first Test half-century at his home ground in Sydney having been put down at mid-on by Makhaya Ntini when he was on 12.
   The pair needed to show some fight after several of the top six made starts but failed to go on. The debutant Andrew McDonald was sent in at No. 6 and had an eventful start to his Test career. McDonald was clearly nervous and took his first ball on the elbow from Morne Morkel before edging his third ball just short of second slip.
   Worse was to come when he ducked into a Morkel bouncer that crashed into his helmet, which flew off his head and sailed safely over the stumps. McDonald clipped Harris confidently through leg to reach 15 but was never fully at ease against the fast men and having been pushed back by short stuff, fell to Ntini when he edged a fuller ball behind.
   In fairness it was a tough ask for McDonald, an allrounder with two first-class centuries to his name, to come in at 4 for 130 against an attack that had just made Michael Hussey, Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting look like club cricketers. Hayden and Hussey tried valiantly to bat their way out of their respective slumps but were frustrated not to go further than their scores of 31 and 30.
   Neither man looked totally comfortable as they carefully helped each other through a 46-run partnership. In the end the relentless pressure from South Africa proved too great. Hayden departed after an eight-over period in which he had only faced 14 balls and the extended time at the non-strikers’ end affected his concentration.
   Steyn picked up the well-deserved wicket at the tail-end of an impressive spell when he lured a flat-footed Hayden into a drive outside off that flew off the inside edge and back onto his stumps. His 31 from 78 balls had featured a couple of strong drives down the ground but it was a scratchy innings, as was Hussey’s 30 from 99 deliveries.
   Hussey edged a straight ball from Harris - there weren’t many that turned - to slip and it left Australia in a hole. The initial signs had been good when Simon Katich hit his straps early. Katich dominated the second 50-run opening partnership he and Hayden had achieved in Tests and he raced to 47 from 52 balls.
   He showed his impressive timing when he drove down the ground and he flicked through leg with precision, using the inswing against Steyn, who came around the wicket. But when Jacques Kallis found some extra bounce and moved the ball away, Katich drove hard and was caught at second slip.
   Australia’s 1 for 62 became 2 for 63 when Ponting fell for a golden duck in the next over. South Africa know the trouble that Ponting has against fast men who jag the ball back in - think Ishant Sharma and Ntini - and Morkel exploited the weakness when he found an inside edge with a delivery that nipped back off the seam.
   It was not what the captain had expected when he chose to bat on a pitch that shouldn’t have created too much drama for the batsmen. But South Africa’s fast men swung the ball, kept the run-flow tight, reaped the rewards and edged their way closer to the No. 1 Test ranking.

South Africa finished a strong first day with six Australian wickets but already their thoughts are turning to producing a significant total to limit the difficulties in the fourth innings. Australia’s Simon Katich expects the pitch to become lower and slower as the match goes on and there are already cracks that are being noticed by hopeful bowlers and wary batsmen.
   After Australia ended the day at 6 for 267 the, visitors were intent on limiting them to 350 at the worst. ‘It’s very, very important to get a big, big total in the first innings to take a bit of pressure off the second innings,’ the assistant coach Vinnie Barnes said. ‘The wicket does get a bit slow and lower, and the spinners come into play.’
   Barnes said his side was slightly ahead but felt it could have been a ‘fantastic day’ if Hashim Amla had held on to a relatively easy catch when Michael Clarke was 69. Clarke ended the day on 73 as he lifted the side from another uncomfortable start from the misfiring order.
   Katich began strongly by racing to 47 off 52 balls, but Australia were struggling at 5 for 162 before Clarke and Brad Haddin put on 75. ‘We fought back really well in the last session,’ Katich said. ‘South Africa had their noses in front and then with that partnership between Clarke and Haddin we got ourselves in a position where we could get to 350 and put some pressure on them.’
   Katich, the New South Wales captain, has plenty of experience on the ground and said it looked like a dry wicket and ‘runs on the board are always vital’. ‘This one will deteriorate differently to the Melbourne wicket,’ he said, ‘so hopefully this gives us a bit of an advantage over the next few days.’
   Clarke has not scored a Test century on his home ground and Katich said the signs were good. ‘You can tell he’s keen for a big one here,’ Katich said. ‘The way he played today was very, very good and hopefully he can carry on that in the morning with Mitchell Johnson. If we get one or two really good partnerships we’ll get ourselves in a reasonably good position.’

The terror toll on Indian cricket seems to be increasing. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has admitted that it has incurred a loss to the tune of Rs 120 crore due to the Mumbai Carnage last month. The loss, according to sources, was because of the cancellation of two ODIs against England, Champions League T20 and the Pakistan tour.
   The exact break-up of the losses from different heads was not immediately available but the large chunk of the loss is because of the cancellation of the two ODI matches against England. Kevin Pietersen & Co cut short their seven-match ODI series abruptly after the fifth match. The BCCI earns up to Rs 38 crore from an ODI.
   The loss from the Pakistan tour was in the form of sponsorship money the Board gets from the kit sponsors of the Indian team. Sahara and Nike, sponsors of the leading arm and non-leading arm of Indian players, together contribute Rs 2.5 crore for each match. India would have played three Tests, five ODIs and one T20 game. The earning from this head would have been over Rs 22 crore. Besides, the Board would have earned substantial money from the Champions League T20, which was cancelled. To recover, the Board has requested Cricket New Zealand to add one Test to Indian team’s itinerary. India are scheduled to tour New Zealand in March for two Tests, 5 ODIs and one T20 game.
   Meanwhile, the working committee of the BCCI will meet here on Saturday. The agenda is the approval of the various sub-committee proposals but one important issue could the central contracts for the players. Some state associations have raised voices against the names included/excluded in the four-grade contracts given to 37 players. ‘It is not on the agenda but members are free to raise the issue,’ a top Board official said. The working committee has to approve the contracts.

A new year comes with the same problems despite all the resolutions and promises of change. Like giving up smoking on the first day of the year, the fresh start is often false. Australia’s opening hour was full of promise from Simon Katich and Matthew Hayden, but nothing was the same after the first stop for a drink.
   On a day when Cricket Australia’s chairman Jack Clarke defended his players by saying they ‘deserve and have earned our respect’, the most senior batsmen followed the pattern of the opening defeats to South Africa and left the side in increasingly familiar discomfort. A significant change in direction does not occur from talk, good intentions or a return to familiar patterns. So Matthew Hayden remains a selector’s headshake away from having his career ended and the first day of the team’s 2009 revival went the same way as the end of 2008, finishing at an insecure 6 for 267.
   Hayden has been great as an opener because he has refused to bow to opening bowlers and has stuck to his method when in form or out. At 37 altering the approach is impossible and he is suffering because of it. Old openers don’t do new tricks, especially against such a formidable opponent, and his self-belief is no longer enough when weighed down by slowing reflexes.
   If Hayden wants to play a shot he will. A couple of close fielders on the off side and a man at mid-off may put him off for a few overs, or a few moments, but he will still try to pierce the defence. It’s his will to beat the ball and the tactics. He drove at Makhaya Ntini before lunch and it fell short of mid-off. He was fortunate, as he hadn’t been in Perth and Melbourne, and continued attempting to hold on to his innings and his place.
   After lunch Hayden and Michael Hussey, another consistent performer suffering from a summer without spark, started more positively. Hayden stuck a firm boundary off the back foot in the first over back before Hussey followed with a sharp cover drive for four in the next. They were the shots of composed batsmen and the hope from the stands was that they had re-discovered their old selves. Then Hayden started attempting to play by leaning back without moving his feet, swinging through the off side without success. He tried it enough times to know he should stop, but didn’t.
   With Dale Steyn operating from around the wicket, a plan which has worked well against Hayden throughout the series, the batsman had another go at perfecting the shot. This time he hit it, but the inside edge went on to the stumps instead of in front of point. After almost three hours Hayden was gone for 31 and Australia were 3 for 109. Old players who waste their starts quickly become former players.
   Hussey, whose spot is not in danger even though the 30 was his highest score of the series, will be relieved that he was able to hit through cover and pull with confidence. However, his push at Paul Harris, leading to a catch at first slip, showed his tentativeness had not departed. It is a shame seeing Hussey in such confusion, but he is in a rut while Hayden is camped in a valley. What the dismissals could not hide was that Australia needed more from their most experienced batsmen after Ricky Ponting’s first-ball exit.
   Michael Clarke is in the processing of gaining the senior tag and the way he has varied his batting pace over the summer has shown a player who will soon average more than 50. Most of the time he knows when a flourish or a dead bat is needed and while it means the excitement of four years ago is reduced, the effectiveness has increased to the point where he can now save the side or speed it away.
   His unbeaten 73 took his summer collection to four fifties and a hundred, making him the side’s most consistent batsman. Clarke, Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson, two other men for the future, lifted Australia from the damage caused by their elders. It is still not a strong position and if something isn’t working it is either fixed or a new model is sought. The sooner the selectors realise this with Hayden the quicker they are likely to gain some respect.

Shane Warne’s exploits with the ball don’t necessarily translate into jugglery with words as Channel Nine’s viewers observed in a recent poll.
   The network asked people to vote whether Warne was likely to prove as successful a TV commentator as he was a bowler.
   Of those who responded, 73 per cent said no and the rest said yes leaving Tony Greig to comment that it would be quite a coincidence if the world’s best bowler also happened to become the world’s best cricket commentator.
   The Boxing Day Test was Warne’s serious trial as a commentator and there were mixed reactions from experts.
   Lack of a distinct voice puts Warne at a disadvantage and unless he in on screen, viewers can’t be sure who’s talking, observed people who have been associated with broadcasting.
   ‘Personally, I had trouble telling him from Michael Slater. Slater has a more educated voice than Warne, but they’ve got the same sort of cadence and the same hard A vowel,’ said a leading sports broadcaster.
   ‘I’d put a camera on Warne, and whenever they ask him for a comment I’d let the viewers see him. That way, viewers would start recognising his voice.’
   Another criticism is that Warne laughs a lot while commentating, perhaps expecting people not to take him seriously.
   ‘In many of the things he did, he tried to be funny. I’d be telling him to forget that. ‘Just give us colour, Warney, and if you’ve got a good story to tell then tell it. But don’t try to be funny, because it’s not your bag. You’re not Kerry O’Keeffe,’’ the broadcaster said.
   ‘Warne’s biggest asset is his enormous credibility, based on the fact he’s one of the greatest bowlers the world has seen, and this is what he should be capitalising on. When he says what he thinks about Nathan Hauritz’s bowling, we sit up and listen. He has value. He’s got a nice smile and a kind face and he comes across as a nice bloke,’ he added. That seems to be the general perception and his ability to communicate with people is another strong asset.
   ‘Warne is a good communicator. He can string words together. His stuff on-camera down on the field with Mark Nicholas is very good. They ask him for an expert opinion, and he gives it. He’s really an interviewee in this situation, and he’s very good at it,’ said a sports executive from a rival network.

Day-night Test matches have been given the support of the ICC’s chief executive, Haroon Lorgat, but a five-day game under lights will only take place once a suitable ball has been developed.
   ‘The lack of crowd attendance at many grounds around the globe is a cause for concern,’ Lorgat said at a Sydney press conference to mark the 100th anniversary of the ICC’s founding. ‘In that was the possibility of exploring day-night cricket because there is no doubt James Sutherland [chief executive of Cricket Australia] has put that on the table.’
   Last month Sutherland said that playing under lights ‘might be the only way that Test cricket stays alive’, with attendances reportedly in decline in the face of Twenty20’s growing popularity. The biggest problem, for players and public alike, is replicating the visibility of a red ball at night while retaining its colour and characterisitcs. In one-day and Twenty20 cricket, a white ball is used which contrasts well against the coloured clothing, sightscreens and the night sky.
   But it discolours easily and behaves differently than the red ball. As one scientist told Cricinfo in April, ‘the optimum would be to have one ball, of course, which behaved in the right way [for all cricket]’, but this is easier said than done.
   At the start of England’s 2008 domestic season, the MCC trialled the use of a pink ball with some success, and last November Cricket Australia were given assurance by the country’s government scientists that a suitable replacement for red balls would be possible.
   Despite the concerns over the future of Test cricket, Australia is one of the few countries - England being the second - where attendance (and television audience) remains strong. David Morgan, the ICC president, spoke more optimistically.

Shoaib Malik says he would prefer to have a long-term tenure as the captain of the Pakistan cricket team as appointment on series to series basis puts any skipper any under more pressure.
   However, chief selector Abdul Qadir has insisted that the captain should be appointed on series to series basis.
   Malik’s tenure as captain expired on December 31 but PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt has said Malik will be retained as captain when the governing council of the Board meets on January 15.
   ‘I am happy with whatever the Board decides but it is a fact that appointing the captain on a series to series basis adds pressure on him. It is better if the captain knows his terms clearly,’ Malik said.
   ‘If the Board wants to retain me as captain I would be very happy and feel honoured,’ he added.
   Qadir though said there should be separate captains for the Test and one-day teams and the leader of the team should be announced only ahead of the series.
   ‘I have full regard if the Chairman has said Malik will be retained as captain but I would suggest having the captain on a series to series basis,’ the former Test leg-spinner said.
   Malik said leading different teams in domestic cricket has also helped him enhance his leadership skills in the last 18 months.

The BCCI plans an annual inter-corporate tournament, covering both 50- and 20-over formats, with the winners getting Rs 1 crore (approx $200,000). This proposal, by the board’s working committee, will mark a new area of the BCCI’s interest.
   A statement after a working committee meeting on Saturday said the tournament was aimed at increasing employment opportunities for players. Other prizes include Rs 50 lakh for the runners-ups and Rs 25 lakhs for the losing semi-finalists.
   The board also announced an expected decrease in revenues of Rs 120 crore [approximately $25 million] for the current year in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, with the cancellation of two ODIs against England, and India’s tour of Pakistan. The amount includes the loss of revenue arising out of the postponement of the ICC Champions Trophy 2008. “While there will be a decrease in revenue, the BCCI will still have a healthy excess of income over expenditure for the current year,” the release clarified.
   The committee also finalised specialised coaching centres: for fast bowlers at Punjab Cricket Association’s Cricket Academy, for spinners at the Tamil Nadu Cricket association’s Cricket Academy and for batsmen at the Mumbai Cricket Association’s Cricket Academy.

India are planning a series against Sri Lanka to compensate for the aborted tour of Pakistan. Officials of both national boards have confirmed they are in talks over the tour, which will take place sometime over the next couple of months - most likely between Sri Lanka’s current tour of Bangladesh and their trip to Pakistan in the middle of February.
   ‘We are about 60 per cent certain that we could arrange a series for the Sri Lanka team with India shortly,’ Sri Lanka’s sports minister Gamini Lokuge told the Daily Mirror. ‘We have had successful discussions with the Indian cricket board and at the moment we are finalising the schedule.’
   An Indian board official confirmed that negotiations with SLC are underway. ‘We trying hard to recover losses the BCCI has incurred this year.
   There is a likelihood of Sri Lanka playing at least three ODIs against India before their Pakistan tour,’ the official said.
   India toured Sri Lanka last year for three Tests and five ODIs.

Peter Moores has turned down the opportunity to deny the scale of the rift that has formed between him and England’s captain, Kevin Pietersen, following the exclusion of Pietersen’s predecessor, Michael Vaughan, from next month’s tour of the Caribbean.
   Moores, whose methods have been criticised by Pietersen since the day he took over the captaincy in August, could be forced out of his job before the teams depart for the West Indies, as the ECB’s director of cricket, Hugh Morris, steps in to arbitrate in the escalating row.
   Speaking briefly to The Sun, Moores was given the opportunity to play down the seriousness of the row, but instead stated: ‘I hope you understand that I can’t really comment at this stage. I think I’ll take a rain-check on that.’

Roman Pavlyuchenko scored twice as Tottenham reached the FA Cup fourth round on Friday with a 3-1 win over fellow Premier League outfit Wigan which kept the London side on course for a double Cup success this season.
   Russian striker Pavlyuchenko, with a 52nd-minute penalty, and a 76th-minute header from Croatian star Luka Modric sent the eight-time FA Cup winners on their way at White Hart Lane.
   They had to survive a nervous last few moments when Senegal international Henri Camara found the target for Wigan in the 88th minute before Pavlyuchenko added his second in stoppage time with a fine drive.
   The win gave Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp, who coached Portsmouth to FA Cup glory last season, the perfect build-up to Tuesday’s League Cup semi-final first leg clash against Burnley.
   ‘Pavlyuchenko did well today and he also worked hard for the team which is encouraging,’ said Redknapp.
   Wigan, flying high in seventh place in the Premier League, were without leading strikers Emile Heskey and top scorer Amir Zaki, as well as goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, through injury.
   ‘We were right in it but we had a few players missing and didn’t have the firepower,’ admitted Wigan boss Steve Bruce whose team will welcome Spurs in a league game on Sunday week.
   ‘Hopefully, you’ll see a different Wigan team in that match.’
   In a poor first half on Friday, Camara narrowly headed wide from a fine cross by Antonio Valencia in the seventh minute while Modric spurned Spurs’s best chance moments later when he drove wide of the post after a good one-two with Pavlyuchenko.
   Tottenham were in front seven minutes after the break.
   Substitute Fraser Campbell was brought down by Wigan’s debutant keeper Richard Kingson which allowed Pavlyuchenko to score from the penalty spot for his eighth goal of the season.
   Modric grabbed the second with a diving header after a 30-metre drive from Jamie O’Hara came off the post.
   Camara then pulled one back for Wigan after substitute Maynor Figueroa had scuffed his attempt as the clock ticked down.
   But Pavlyuchenko made the game safe with a smart long-distance effort in the third minute of injury time.

Sir Alex Ferguson launched an astonishing attack on the way that the Barclays Premier League fixtures are drawn up and openly questioned whether the system was designed to handicap Manchester United.
   Ferguson is so aggrieved by what he perceives as prejudice against United that he intends to send a club official to oversee the process in the summer. He says that this may be the only way that he can guarantee the veracity of the 2009-10 league programme. The United manager is concerned that, during the first half of this campaign, his side have had to play away from home against nine of the ten teams who finished directly below them in the league last season, and that the club’s three European away games this term were followed by matches away from home in the league.
   José Mourinho, the former Chelsea manager, and Rafael Benítez, the Liverpool manager, have questioned the fixture list in the past, although Ferguson, whose team are seven points adrift of Liverpool, the league leaders, albeit with two games in hand, has taken his objections a step farther.
   ‘I’ve been saying this for a few months, but our fixture programme didn’t do us any favours and I think we have been handicapped by the Premier League,’ Ferguson, whose team face Southampton in the FA Cup third round at St Mary’s Stadium today, said. ‘They tell me it’s not planned - bloody hell!’ Asked if he seriously thought that the Premier League wanted to put United at a disadvantage, the United manager said: ‘I’ve got my doubts. I’m not saying what they do down there, but next year we’ll be sending somebody to see how it happens, I can assure you. I just don’t understand how you can get the fixtures like that.’
   Despite Ferguson’s complaints, United did not raise any objections about their fixture scheduling with the Premier League when they had the chance last summer. Although not part of the Fixtures Working Party that oversaw this season’s fixture list, Ken Ramsden, the United secretary, has since joined the group.
   A statement from the Premier League dismissed Ferguson’s claims. It said: ‘The Premier League fixtures are put together through as random a process as possible. The initial list is created by specialist software before going to the Fixtures Working Party, which is made up of representatives from the Premier League, Football League, FA, clubs and supporters. The police also approve it before it is sent to the clubs, at which point they can raise any objections they may have.
   ‘There are various factors that go into the structuring of the fixture list - police requests, club requests, involvement in European or FIFA competitions for example - but the overriding factor is the luck of the draw.’
   Meanwhile, Ferguson has warned Cristiano Ronaldo that he must learn to accept the harsh physical treatment he is subjected to by opposing defenders in the Premier League after admitting that the Manchester United forward is beginning to show his frustrations.
   The Manchester United manager, who also accused the Premier League yesterday of ‘handi­capping’ the fixture list to the detriment of his club, has witnessed Ronaldo’s increasing irascibility in recent weeks, with the 23-year-old escaping ­punishment for kicking out at the Tottenham defender Michael Dawson last month before his half-time confrontation with Middlesbrough’s Emanuel Pogatetz during United’s 1-0 victory at Old Trafford on Monday.
   The Portugal forward has regularly complained of a lack of protection from referees and he once again argued his case during an interview on MUTV, the club’s channel, earlier this week. Ronaldo’s annoyance and unhappiness at his perceived rough treatment at the hands of opponentshas been apparent by his on-field demeanour, but while defending his player, Ferguson admitted that he is merely paying the price for his success.
   Ferguson said: ‘Of course I can understand Cristiano’s frustration. I don’t want to get into that because enough has been said about it all, but I can understand it all right. He has produced little moments of displeasure at the treatment he is getting and they have been trivial things, but because it is Ronaldo, as he points out himself, it is magnified. But that’s the penalty for being a great player. He has to understand that.’

Arsene Wenger insisted on Friday that he has no intention of spending crazy money in the January transfer window to get Arsenal’s spluttering season back on track.
   Wenger’s side have little chance of winning the Premier League after falling 10 points behind leaders Liverpool and the fifth-placed Gunners could even miss out on a place in the Champions League as Aston Villa step up their challenge to finish in the top four.
   With captain Cesc Fabregas, England winger Theo Walcott and Czech midfielder Tomas Rosicky all sidelined for several months through injuries, Wenger is expected to strengthen his depleted squad this month.
   Zenit St Petersburg’s Russia playmaker Andrei Arshavin and Everton’s Spain midfielder Mikel Arteta have both been linked with Arsenal.
   But Wenger is determined not to risk his club’s security in the current perilous financial climate, so he will only sign players if the price meets his valuation.
   ‘We have a specific budget which is not as big as I have read in the newspapers, some ridiculous amounts of money that are completely crazy. But we will try to use it wisely and well if we can,’ he said.
   ‘This team is together, getting stronger and stronger - but what we need to focus on is continually developing and not live in dreamland where we are linked with players of 30 million pounds or 40 million pounds because that is not realistic.
   ‘At the moment, people in football are not conscious of what is facing us economically.
   ‘People still think we are in a bubble, but we will be hit like anybody else in this economical crisis, I am convinced of that.
   ‘You will have a much more cautious market than you expect it to be and one of the isolated powers you could have are Manchester City.
   ‘That will be one of their strengths because they will not have quite as much competition as they would have had in normal circumstances.’
   Arsenal have a long-term debt commitment following the move to their new, 60,000-seater home at Ashburton Grove and Wenger knows the Gunners must continue to live within their means.
   ‘What is most important is the club has built a new stadium and we live in a very strong and healthy situation financially,’ he said.
   ‘You look how many clubs have done that and we play at the top. ‘How many clubs have managed to build a new stadium, have a good financial situation and continue to play at the top?
   ‘It is not that we do not want to spend. We have gone for a policy that is to develop our young players and we have to show some character and strength, not listen to everybody who comes out everyday with a new name.’
   Wenger does not expect any of his players to leave this month even though Ivory Coast defender Kolo Toure recently had a transfer request rejected following a disagreement over team selection.
   ‘The situation is that Kolo is a player who has two-and-a-half-year contract and will remain with us,’ Wenger said.
   ‘I am happy with players who are committed and Kolo is a big example.
   ‘There was a minor incident that you can multiply by 20. It happens every day in every club which is sorted out. Kolo is happy here.
   ‘We have a very young and compact squad and I don’t expect anybody to leave.’

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho insists he wants to see out the rest of his contract at the San Siro.
   Mourinho, who has admitted he would love to return to the Premier League in the future, has been linked with a move back to England this summer, with cash-rich Manchester City a possible destination.
   However, the former Chelsea boss claims he wants to remain at the helm of the reigning Serie A champions for a further two seasons at least.
   ‘I am happy and even in the most difficult moments in adapting, I never had any second thoughts,’ Mourinho told Mediaset.
   ‘I don’t avoid comparisons with my previous experiences, I have never hidden and I will never hide that England was different, there’s a different calmness for a coach, footballing-wise and socially a different world for a football man.
   ‘But I am happy. My contract runs out in 2011 and I want to honour it.’
   The Portuguese coach also spoke out about his future plans.
   He said: ‘At the end of my career I would want to do two things, first of all coach the Portugal national team, then I would like to go to a country like the United States to help them take a potentially fantastic world of football to the level of other sports like American football or baseball.
   ‘I would like to do this, but I still have to wait a lot.’
   Mourinho has been involved in several high-profile spats since his arrival in Italy, most notably with Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri and Bologna boss Sinisa Mihajlovic.
   While he claims he would happily go out for dinner with either of them, he could not resist a sly dig at his Bologna counterpart who recently said he could not talk about football with Mourinho because the former Porto coach had never played at a high level.
   ‘I could go out with either of them, without any problems,’ said Mourinho. ‘With Ranieri also to talk about football, in that he is a person with experience who has dedicated his own life to the sport.
   ‘Certainly talking with him would mean improving my own knowledge of Italian football.
   ‘I couldn’t talk about football with Mihajlovic, because he himself said he didn’t want to do that with me.
   ‘I can imagine that, if he doesn’t want to talk with me, he also wouldn’t even talk with (Sven-Goran) Eriksson, (Alex) Ferguson, (Arrigo) Sacchi, (Arsene) Wenger, (Rafa) Benitez. He couldn’t talk to most of the top coaches in world football.’
   Mourinho faced a similar situation in England, where his controversial comments saw him at loggerheads with Wenger and Ferguson among others. The 45-year-old claims he is friends with the Manchester United boss but admits he has never seen eye to eye with the Arsenal manager.
   ‘I don’t understand him (Wenger) and I don’t think it was easy for him that before 2004 he won everything, tearing up every record, and then after he didn’t even win a cup,’ continued Mourinho. ‘Chelsea in 2004 ended up winning over Arsenal.
   ‘It’s obvious it’s not easy, but I respect him a great deal.
   ‘Ferguson is a friend and I have even gone out for dinner with him.
   ‘Between us there was the habit that, after every game, we always liked to have our little glass of red wine.’
   That custom is set to be taken up again, with Inter pitted against United in the Champions League.
   And Mourinho admits it is a clash he is relishing.
   ‘I am happy to be facing Manchester United, reigning champions and World Club champions,’ he continued. ‘We couldn’t be facing a club with more prestige, there isn’t a club that could give us more motivation.
   ‘We’ll have to see what happens, but if I succeed in transmitting to the players what I myself feel in these moments, I am sure we can do well.’

Bayern Munich have snapped up Hamburg’s Croatian international star Ivica Olic, who will join the Bavarians in the summer, Bayern said Saturday on their website.
   ‘We have reached agreement - we just have to sign the deal,’ said Bayern’s general manager Uli Hoeness from the club’s winter camp in Dubai.
   Olic, 29 and who is out of contract in June with Hamburg, is to sign a three-year contract.
   A sometime target for Juventus and Liverpool he has spent two seasons in northern Germany since arriving from CSKA Moscow, scoring 25 goals including six this term.
   Olic has won 61 Croatian caps, scoring 11 goals.
   At Bayern he will vy for a starting place with German international Miroslav Klose and Italian Luca Toni.
   In contrast, the Bavarians are set to offload unwanted German forward Lukas Podolski, who has not settled since a 2006 move from Cologne, who would like him back despite interest from assorted other European clubs.

Juventus are so serious about signing Barcelona star Lionel Messi they are considering selling Gianluigi Buffon in order to afford the Argentinean striker.
   Reports in Italy have been plagued with talk about the Old Lady’s interest in Messi and, what was described as a dream by some papers, could soon become a reality.
   Tuttosport claims Juve are considering selling their No. 1 man in order to raise enough cash to tempt the Blaugrana.
   Messi is considered to be worth around 75 million euros by the Spanish side, but he has a 150 million euros buyout clause on his contract. However, the Italians could get a helping hand from the Premier League as Manchester City are keen on Buffon. City’s mega rich Arab owners are ready to offer Juve €100m for the keeper. Therefore, a Buffon sale could buy Messi, and the club will still have some change left over to strengthen their defense.
   Juve president Giovanni Cobolli Gigli may reconsider his options on selling his prized asset as the Agnelli family are pushing for Messi. The only problem could be pleasing the fans. A survey conducted by Tuttosport shows 52 per cent of Bianconeri would rather keep Buffon than sacrifice him for Messi.

Luiz Felipe Scolari insists he can feel the power of love from his players but rumblings of discontent continue within the Chelsea camp.
   Branislav Ivanovic is the latest fringe player to run out of patience with limited opportunities and wants to go out on loan to protect his place in the Serbia team. But Scolari reacted to suggestions that he is struggling to make his squad of high-profile players gel by relying on his long-standing reputation as a trustworthy father figure.
   ‘The players love me because I never, never, say you or you or you are wrong,’ said the Chelsea manager, jabbing his finger. ‘It is our mistake. The players like me because I defend them and give my best for them every day.
   ‘They don’t come in and say “I love you” but I feel my relationship with my players. Your wife or son does not come in every day and say “I love you, I love you” but you know they love you.’
   Scolari will always be compared to Jose Mourinho, who generated a fearsome spirit within the dressing room during three successful years at Stamford Bridge.
   This may have started to unravel before Mourinho left - some point to the signings of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack at the behest of owner Roman Abramovich - but both Avram Grant and Scolari have found it hard to recapture. Questions surface after each disappointing result and even Scolari admits this season’s home form has not been good enough.
   ‘I am not a good coach inside (at home) but outside (away) I am very good,’ said the Brazilian, at a loss to explain why the results differ so much.
   ‘This is your opinion because I don’t win so many at Stamford Bridge. I don’t lose games away. Why is this possible?’
   Wayne Bridge has finally had enough of waiting for injuries to Ashley Cole and is off to Manchester City and fellow defender Alex, who has also spoken of his discontent at being a full time reserve, may follow.
   Chelsea supporters will probably not lose much sleep over it but now Ivanovic is seeking a way out on loan after starting only six times in the Barclays Premier League since signing for £9million from Lokomotiv Moscow last January.
   Although he denied as much on Friday, Scolari’s decision to recall Michael Mancienne from his loan spell at Wolves suggests he fears losing a central defender or does not rate his current options.

Sir Alex Ferguson believes the arrival of flying Serbian winger Zoran Tosic will end Wayne Rooney’s days as a makeshift wide-man.
   Rooney has frequently found himself shunted into the winger’s role as Ferguson looks to bring more balance to his Manchester United side.
   But the Scot has told Rooney to operate in a more advanced role this term, a move that has brought more consistency from the England star.
   And Tosic’s capture from Partizan Belgrade ensures United have sufficient strength in depth on the wings to leave Rooney free to cause more damage in central areas.
   ‘There is no harm in having three or four wide players given the pace of our game,’ said Ferguson.
   ‘We don’t consider Ryan (Giggs) a wide player now, which leaves us with Park Ji-sung, Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo.
   ‘We have tried Wayne Rooney there and we played Darren Fletcher wide right. But in terms of natural width Zoran is a natural.’
   Tosic is part of a double capture from Partizan Belgrade that has also seen the arrival of Adem Ljajic in a deal that could eventually cost £17million.
   Ferguson confirmed it marks the beginning and the end of United’s January transfer business.
   While 17-year-old Ljajic will remain in Serbia for another 12 months to continue his development, Tosic has had his work permit granted is already training with his new team-mates.
   As Tosic has not played a competitive game since December 10, Ferguson feels it will be at least a month before the winger is ready to make his senior debut.
   However, the United chief does feel the 21-year-old has the ability to muscle his way into his plans quite quickly given the outstanding form that has earned him 12 international caps.
   ‘The boy has some very good attributes,’ said Ferguson.
   ‘He has a good understanding of the game itself and a decent goalscoring record. ‘He has scored quite a few goals from free-kicks as well, so we just need to give him time to develop.’

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has challenged his misfiring players to use this weekend’s FA Cup third round trip to Southampton as an opportunity to rediscover their scoring touch.
   United have not scored more than one goal in a Premier League game since beating Stoke 5-3 at Old Trafford in November.
   Ferguson is anxious to put that statistic right at the St Mary’s Stadium today ahead of a potentially crucial league meeting with Chelsea next weekend.
   ‘Every game is an opportunity to score goals,’ Ferguson said. ‘We made 25 chances against Middlesbrough on Monday and scored once. It is not what we expect but with the players we have, you have to think someone is going to suffer.
   ‘The goalscoring will correct itself at some point because we have good goalscorers.’
   No team has ever won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup in the same season and Ferguson has already played down United’s chances of a historic quadruple.
   The United boss is looking for an extended FA Cup run after being knocked out by Southampton’s south coast rivals and eventual winners Portsmouth last season.
   Ferguson added: ‘We are competing. The FA Cup is partly down to luck. It is sudden death and anything can happen.
   ‘We have not got the home draw I always look for but they have a good stadium and I expect an interesting game.
   ‘Southampton were one of the most consistent teams for nearly 30 years.
   ‘They had a fantastic record for a provincial team, with some marvellous players.
   ‘They had that golden period under Lawrie McMenemy with lads like Peter Shilton, Mike Channon and Kevin Keegan. More recently, Matthew Le Tissier was top goalscorer in the Premier League.
   ‘Now they are having to deal with young players but their coach has done a great job considering he has no money to work with.’
   United’s preparations have been boosted by Cristiano Ronaldo pledging his future to the club and the 16 million pounds (16.65 million euros) double signing of Serbian youngsters Zoran Tosic and Adem Ljajic from Partizan Belgrade.
   While United are preparing for a second half of the season assault at home and in Europe, Southampton face a battle to preserve their Championship status.
   Their Dutch manager Jan Poortvliet says beating Ferguson’s side would equal the achievement of playing for his country in the 1978 World Cup final against Argentina.
   Poortvliet said: ‘This is your biggest challenge as a manager when you play against the world champions and you can put them out of the FA Cup.
   ‘You will remember the day for the rest of your life. The FA Cup is massive not only in England but also in Holland because it will be on television there.
   ‘For every coach it is special playing against the best in Europe and in the world. It is like a World Cup final.
   ‘Playing for my country in the World Cup final was huge but you can say Sunday has the same prestige.’
   United will be without injured defender Rio Ferdinand while Polish international Tomasz Kuszczak is set to replace the rested Edwin van der Sar in goal.

Manchester City attacking midfielder Elano has revealed he is considering a move to Serie A giants Lazio.
   The 27-year-old made an instant impact in the Premier League following his arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk last summer, but has had limited chances under new manager Mark Hughes.
   Hughes is now believed to be considering offloading the Brazilian during the January transfer window to make way for new faces, and Elano admits he would be willing to move on if Lazio make good on their reported interest.
   ‘I would not have any problem playing in Italy. And Lazio are a very good team,’ Elano told Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport. ‘I cannot say more, I have to speak to Manchester City. I will do it soon, then decide what to do.
   ‘I have heard it said that Lazio would be interested. I am pleased that such a big club is tracking me.’
   However, Elano made it clear that no contact has yet been made with the Rome-based outfit - or with Spanish side Espanyol, who are also thought to be interested.
   He said: ‘At the moment there are lots of things being said, I have to stay focused. I prefer not (to add anything). I’m a Manchester City player and I have to give priority to my club.
   ‘I have not talked about my future with any team.’

Brazil forward Adriano was back with his Inter Milan team mates on Saturday after missing their first training session of the year 24 hours earlier. The Serie A champions said on their website (www.inter.it) the player was absent on Friday because of medical checks but Italian media reported that he had returned late from his Christmas holidays in his native country.
   Adriano has upset Jose Mourinho with his commitment at times this season but the coach, who held talks with the 26-year-old on Saturday, dismissed speculation he could be loaned to his old club Flamengo.
   ‘What’s he going to do at Flamengo? You go to Brazil on holiday,’ Mourinho told reporters.
   Adriano spent part of last season on loan at Sao Paulo after falling out with Mourinho’s predecessor Roberto Mancini.
   Mourinho said Adriano would soon be fit to play for the league leaders after injuring his thigh in last month’s 2-1 defeat at Werder Bremen in the Champions League.

Portsmouth manager Tony Adams has warned Jermain Defoe that he will only be allowed to leave Fratton Park for the right price.
   Defoe, 26, revealed his desire to quit the FA Cup holders at a meeting with Adams and executive chairman Peter Storrie and Adams last week.
   The England forward, who is unavailable for Saturday’s FA Cup third round clash with Bristol City after he phoned in sick, is reportedly being chased by Aston Villa, Manchester City and Tottenham.
   Adams would like to keep Defoe but he knows it will be hard to work with an uhappy player so he will consider a deal - as long as Portsmouth receive a substantial offer.
   ‘Peter Storrie had a meeting with him last Wednesday, which I sat in on, and Jermain expressed a desire to leave,’ Adams said on Friday.
   ‘I think Peter is talking to a few clubs about him but the final decision will be mine and I have a price in mind of what I think he is worth.
   ‘He is a superb player and a great goalscorer but I have not yet made up my mind whether or not I am going to sell him.
   ‘I have to make a call on that like I had to with Lassana Diarra when Real Madrid came knocking.
   ‘If I wanted to play him against Bristol City I could because he is still a Portsmouth player but it looks as if his illness has taken that out of my hands.’
   In Defoe’s absence Peter Crouch will assume a lone role upfront as Portsmouth begin their defence of the FA Cup they won at Wembley against Cardiff in May.
   Adams, who was assistant to Harry Redknapp for that victory, would love to return to Wembley this year, but he has enough experience of FA Cup giant-killings not to underestimate Championship outfit Bristol City.

Short-term loan signing David Beckham is in excellent shape and could make his Serie A debut in AC Milan’s first league match after the winter break at AS Roma next week, coach Carlo Ancelotti said on Saturday.
   ‘He is impeccable in training. Physically he is well, he just lacks a little power,’ Ancelotti was quoted as saying at
   Milan’s training camp in Dubai by La Gazzetta dello Sport’s website (www.gazzetta.it).
   ‘He will definitely be on the field in the (friendly) test against Hamburg (on Tuesday) and he may even be ready for Roma.’
   Beckham has joined Milan on loan from Los Angeles Galaxy to keep up his fitness during the United States close season and stay in contention for an England squad place.
   The midfielder scored an own goal in a practice game on Saturday, media reported.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has told South Korean midfielder Park Ji-Sung that he has a golden future at Old Trafford.
   Ferguson is optimistic that the popular Park will sign a new contract to take him beyond his current deal which expires in 18 months’ time.
   ‘It is not on the radar screen but he will be offered a contract,’ said Ferguson.
   ‘Ji has been fantastic for us and is one of our most consistent players.’

Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz claims Manchester City are set to bid for him but denied any official offer had been made yet.
   The Paraguayan forward commented to 970 radio station that negotiations had not started but said he expected to join City in the current transfer window.
   ‘Rumours are growing every day. It seems that the circumstances needed for me to be transferred are going in a good direction, but everything is a rumour until now,’ said the 27-year-old.
   ‘It is forbidden (in England) to talk with the clubs directly so I do not know a lot about it. I know that they are going to make a proposal, but I do not know the terms,’ he added.
   However, the former Olimpia and Bayern Munich forward, who is recovering from a muscle tear in the shin, confirmed that he would be happy to remain at Ewood Park.
   ‘Now it is a matter of time. We will see. The important thing, at the end, is that Blackburn and I are happy. There is a long way ahead until the market closes and I am fully committed with Blackburn and I will continue working with joy here,’ he said.

Wantaway Bayern Munich striker Lukas Podolski claims Italian side Roma are interested in signing him.
   The 23-year-old Germany frontman has requested a move away from Bavaria after growing frustrated with the lack of opportunities under Jurgen Klinsmann this season.
   The Giallorossi are short of firepower with captain Francesco Totti sidelined through injury, and Podolski reckons they are after him. ‘I know Roma are tracking me and would like to sign me,’ Podolski told Corriere dello Sport.
   ‘I would have no problems in moving there, as they are a big club - although I doubt Romans can speak Kolsch (dialect spoken in Cologne)!’
   Cologne have been widely considered as front-runners to clinch Podolski’s signature, with the player keen to return to his hometown club. But he is keeping his options open and would appear to also relish a move to the Eternal City.
   ‘I need to play and cannot keep sitting on the bench,’ he said. ‘I am not comfortable staying in Munich any longer and I feel the time has come to leave to return to doing my job (playing).
   ‘I think I’m ready for an experience abroad, including Italy.’