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Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillekeratne Dilshan hammered an opening stand of 124 as Sri Lanka beat the West Indies by 15 runs in the World Twenty20 here on Wednesday.
   The duo lifted Sri Lanka to 192-5, a total the West Indies chased bravely despite the absence of explosive opener and captain Chris Gayle, who missed the Group C match due to a knee injury.
   The West Indians ended at 177-5, fired by a spectacular counter-attack by Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan, who put on 77 off 59 balls for the fifth wicket.
   Bravo hit a 38-ball 51 that included five fours and two sixes, while Sarwan remained unbeaten on 28.
   The match, watched by a sell-out crowd at Trent Bridge, held only academic interest since both teams had already qualified for the Super Eights at Australia’s expense.
   Sri Lanka, who thumped Australia by six wickets in their first match, are hot favourites to make the semi-finals from Super Eights Group F which includes Pakistan, Ireland and New Zealand.
   The West Indies are drawn in the tougher Group E which also has defending champions India, South Africa and hosts England.
   Two teams from each group will advance to the semi-finals.
   Left-handed Jayasuriya, at 39 the oldest player in the 12-nation tournament, smashed 81 off 47 balls that was studded with 10 boundaries and three sixes.
   Dilshan, who contributed just 38 in the century partnership, went on to make 74 off 47 balls before he became one of seamer Lendl Simmons’ four victims.
   All-rounder Kieron Pollard bore the brunt of the Sri Lankan assault, conceding 45 runs from his three overs.
   The West Indies made a spirited reply, reaching 70-1 by the seventh over before losing three wickets in the space of as many runs.
   Two of those wickets fell in one over from spinner Ajantha Mendis, who had Xavier Marshall caught in the deep before bowling danger man Shivnarine Chanderpaul for one.

A dejected Bangladesh national cricket team returned home after their disastrous World Twenty20 campaign on Wednesday without their coach Jamie Siddons and captain Mohammad Ashraful. Vice-captain Mashrafee bin Murtaza admitted their poor show against Ireland threw Bangladesh out of the tournament.
   Coach Siddons flew to Australia to get beside his girlfriend Kim, who is expecting a baby next week while Ashraful and all-rounder Sakib al Hasan opted to stay in England for treatment. Sakib had a pre-appointment with a doctor but Ashraful at the last moment informed the team management that he would visit an eye specialist.
   Mashrafee was calm when explaining the bitter defeat. ‘We went down against Ireland as we could not play better cricket. The upper-order batsmen did not click and the team never recovered from that early pressure,’ said the vice-captain.
   He, however, categorically stated that Bangladesh were never in a light mood during the crunch match.
   Mashrafee also defended his skipper’s decision to bring on the off-spinning duo of Mahmudullah Riyad and Naeem Islam after completion of the power play. ‘We thought that as both the Irish batsmen were lefties the off-spinners would be useful to separate them,’ he explained.
   Batsman Roqibul Hassan, who looked sluggish in the shortest version of the game, was included in the team to hold an end and Mashrafee said: ‘The strategy was to go for big hits once the first six overs of power play ended, and in case of early fall of a couple of wickets we need a batsman who could hold the innings.’
   Reacting on Siddons’ comment that ‘our boys tend to do things their way a lot and they don’t listen that well and it is time some pressure is put on them to listen, from the captain down to the players’, Mashrafee said that he had no idea about that.
   The conclusion was as usual that the Tigers would learn from their mistakes and there would be an improved show next time.
   Ireland broke the Tigers’ hearts, handing a comprehensive six-wicket defeat and dashing their hopes of making the Super Eights as they had played in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007.
   Bangladesh, who also suffered a 25-run defeat against reigning champions India in the first match, were the first team to arrive in England and the first to catch the return flight home.

Pakistan captain Younus Khan challenged his side to win the World Twenty20 for their cricket-starved fans after they boooked their place in the second round here on Tuesday.
   Victory over the Netherlands - who stunningly defeated England in the opening match of the tournament - by 82 runs at Lord’s saw Pakistan bounce back from their 48-run loss last weekend to the hosts at the Oval.
   Now Younus wants Pakistan, finalists at the inaugural World Twenty20 two years ago in South Africa, to go all the way and give their supporters something to celebrate after the Asian nation became a virtual no-go zone for international cricket following an armed attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in March.
   ‘We have no international cricket so if we reach the semi-final or win the tournament, the nation will stand up for us,’ Younus told reporters.
   ‘I need a cup for Pakistan. If I bring one cup for Pakistan that will be an achievement for me.’
   The Dutch, who began the match with a better run-rate, needed to stop Pakistan winning by at least 25 runs to go through to the Super Eights.
   But, after holding Pakistan to 175 for five and so needing to make at least 151 to get into the second round, the Dutch were dismissed for just 93. Leg-spinner Shahid Afridi did the bulk of the damage with four wickets for just 11 runs - the fourth best figures in all Twenty20 internationals.
   ‘If we bowl like that in every game, we will go through to the semi-finals, said Younus.
   ‘Everybody knows we are slow starters, I just hope we have performances like this in every game.’
   Afridi, perhaps best known as a destructive batsman in limited overs cricket, has been struggling for runs of late but Younus said: ‘I don’t worry about his batting.
   ‘Everybody knews if he bowls well, we will get quick wickets.’
   Kamran Akmal responded to being promoted to open from No 3 by top-scoring with 41 and the wicket-keeper then completed four stumpings during the Dutch innings.
   ‘I am very happy to open the batting,’ he said. I was just given a free hand.’
   Dutch captain Jeroen Smits said his Associate or non-Test side, which features several part-time players, could be proud of their efforts.
   ‘I thought we had a good chance,’ he said. ‘Maybe we were a bit over-confident.’
   However, the wicket-keeper added: ‘Pakistan deserved to win, Afridi bowled a special game. Afridi was really special and he made life hard for us.
   ‘Maybe that’s the difference between Associate level and a professional level. We can be proud of ourselves but I feel a bit disappointed we didn’t make it to the Super Eights.
   ‘We felt confident at half-time but we needed a big innings from someone. I would have liked to seen Darron Reekers (the opener’s 13 included three fours) for a few more overs but it wasn’t to be.’
   Pakistan return to Lord’s on Friday for their first Super Eights match against Sri Lanka.

South Africa captain Graeme Smith has insisted the presence of Kevin Pietersen in the England side won’t act like a red rag to a bull when the sides meet in their World Twenty20 Super Eights opener.
   Thursday’s clash at Trent Bridge is set to be the latest high-profile match which sees South Africa-born Pietersen up against the Proteas.
   Pietersen controversially quit South Africa and opted to play for England, where his mother was born, in protest at a policy of racial quotas in domestic cricket which he believed were hampering his prospects.
   Smith, another white cricketer, by contrast stayed and his relationship with Pietersen has often been fractious.
   England batting ace Pietersen labelled Smith ‘an absolute muppet’ in his autobiography and Smith once said: ‘Kevin and I would get on a lot better if he kept his mouth shut.’
   But Smith, speaking after South Africa’s one-run win over New Zealand in their final group match, insisted such ill-feeling was a thing of the past.
   ‘I don’t think there’s animosity there,’ he told reporters. ‘There will always be the competitiveness between players. He’s a world-class batter.
   ‘There’s no doubt he’ll be up for the game on Thursday and tactically we will look at a few things.
   ‘But I think South African teams have come a long way in terms of the way we play our game. We control our emotions very well now. We are tactically quite astute and calm under pressure.
   ‘We’d rather look at executing good skills rather than get into scrambles that don’t really need to be there.’
   During the past year South Africa have won Test series in both England and Australia and Smith said that was proof of their increasing maturity.
   ‘It’s shown in the results we’ve turned out in the last two years. We’ve travelled to pretty much every continent and won.’
   Pietersen top-scored with 58 in England’s 48-run win over Pakistan having missed their shock defeat in the tournament opener against the Netherlands with an Achilles injury.
   Asked which England would turn up at Trent Bridge, Smith replied: ‘We are preparing like we are going to get the one that played against Pakistan. ‘England have got some class players and obviously will have home support going into the game on Thursday.’
   Tuesday’s match against New Zealand may have been a ‘dead’ game, with both sides already through to the second phase after beating minnows Scotland, but Smith was heartened by the way in which his bowlers held their nerve at Lord’s.
   South Africa only made 128 for seven, Smith top-scoring with 33.
   But just when it seemed the Black Caps were cruising home, left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe (two for 14) struck to remove key batsmen Ross Taylor (22) and skipper Brendon McCullum (57).
   Then, with 15 needed for New Zealand to win off the last over, 19-year-old pace bowler Wayne Parnell demonstrated admirable composure.
   ‘I think in terms of the bigger picture it was fantastic for us to have a high pressure game,’ said Smith. ‘To defend a total like that and perform under pressure was great.’
   South Africa’s Super Eights group, from which two sides go through to the semi-finals, also features reigning champions India and the West Indies.
   The other group includes minnows Ireland, a so under performing Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
   But Smith said he felt there was a benefit to being in the ‘harder’ group.
   ‘Whoever gets through this group has an advantage. They will have played really competitive cricket through the Super Eights and will probably be better for it going through to the semi-finals.’

Turn and trickery, rather than raw pace, are proving match-winners at the World Twenty20 as slow bowlers put the brakes on the game’s big hitters.
   It was feared by some that cricket’s shortest and newest format would be a nail in the spinner’s coffin, with a combination of short boundaries and aggressive shot-making stacking the odds against them.
   But the evidence at this tournament is that sides really can win with spin.
   It is not always easy for batsmen to ‘tee-off’ when there is no pace on the ball and the fact that matches are being played on the same pitches leads to worn surfaces which aid turn.
   Yet at the same time the generally flat nature of the wickets means batsmen can hit through the line with confidence against pace bowlers who, if they are off target and not doing that much with the ball in the air, can struggle.
   Take Australia’s six-wicket tournament-ending loss to Sri Lanka on Monday where the unorthodox Ajantha Mendis, one of several Lankan spinners, took three wickets for 20 runs in his four overs.
   A bowler who ‘flicks’ the ball off his fingers and turns it both ways, Mendis is not easy to read.
   The Australians clearly struggled to work him out and with bowlers restricted to a maximum of four overs each they had hardly any time to get a handle on Mendis.
   ‘We knew that it would be a huge challenge against their spinners,’ said Australia captain Ricky Ponting. ‘We knew we had to play them well. We didn’t do that.’
   By contrast fast bowler Brett Lee, hammered during a blistering innings by West Indies captain Chris Gayle in Australia’s opening match defeat, saw his four overs against Sri Lanka cost 39 runs while fellow quick Nathan Bracken went for 33.
   Pakistan were on the brink of exiting the World Twenty after their first round defeat by England - a match where the hosts, unusually, played two spinners in Graeme Swann and Adil Rashid.
   But leg-spinner Shahid Afridi and off-spinner Saaed Ajmal took seven wickets between for a mere 31 runs as Pakistan coasted home to an 82-run victory over the Netherlands, shock winners over England in the tournament opener, at Lord’s on Tuesday.
   Afridi’s figures were the fourth best in the history of Twenty20 internationals and his bowling exploits are now threatening to overshadow his reputation as a hard-hitting batsman.
   ‘I don’t worry about his batting,’ said Pakistan captain Younus Khan. ‘Everybody knows if he bowls well, we will get quick wickets.’
   But it’s not just the Asian nations, with World Twenty20 champions India fielding Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha, where spin has traditionally played a key role, who are fans of slow bowling in this format.
   For a long time South Africa got by without a specialist slow bowler.
   But they weren’t winning any major limited overs tournaments either and, after losing their one-day series in England last year, coach Mickey Arthur and captain Graeme Smith knew they had to change their approach.
   ‘We realised pace off the ball was going to be a major issue for us,’ Arthur said. ‘We realised we needed to grow our spin bowling department.’
   The fruits of that change were on show Tuesday when, despite defending a meage total of 128 for seven, South Africa beat New Zealand by one run off the last ball at Lord’s.
   Off-spinner Johan Botha bowled three tight overs for 17 runs but it was left-armer Roelof van der Merwe, with two for 14, who turned the match the Proteas’ way.
   Neither is a ‘mystery’ spinner but they were certainly effective against a New Zealand side without injured captain Daniel Vettori, arguably the world’s leading left-arm spinner.
   ‘At the end of the day I am not too worried about getting wickets,’ said van der Merwe, somewhat surprisingly. ‘I am more of a ‘container’.’
   But as former Australia captain and leg-spinner Richie Benaud has often said there is no better way of ‘containing’ than getting batsmen out - and that still remains true in any form of cricket.

South Africa left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe took two key wickets as the Proteas beat New Zealand by one run off the last ball in their ‘dead’ World Twenty20 group clash at Lord’s here on Tuesday.
   The Black Caps were cruising at 82 for two, chasing just 129 to win, when van der Merwe, who finished with two for 14, bowled Ross Taylor, who appeared to be suffering from a hamstring injury, as the batsman slogged across the line.
   He then had top scorer Brendon McCullum stumped for 57 and New Zealand were 93 for four off 17 overs.
   Come the last over, from teenage seamer Wayne Parnell, New Zealand still needed 15 to win.
   With 10 runs required off three balls, a diving Jacques Kallis at long-off dropped Jacob Oram and next ball the left-hander glanced a boundary.
   But with four needed off the last ball, Oram couldn’t manage a repeat display and was run out by South Africa captain Graeme Smith.
   Left-handed opener Smith top-scored for his side with 33 off 35 balls in a modest total of 128 for seven.
   However, this was a ‘meaningless’ match with both sides already through to the second stage Super Eights after they’d each defeated minnows Scotland.
   ‘We were 20 runs short when we batted. We lost our way as well as some intensity and kept finding their fielders,’ said Smith.
   ‘But it wasn’t an easy wicket and we knew that if we could bowl well, it would be a great challenge.
   ‘In the next phase, we’ll know, from a bowling perspective, that we can defend a low total when we are under pressure.’
   Once again, spinners played a major part with Van der Merwe named man of the match with his 2-14 while Johan Botha went for just 13 runs off his four overs.
   ‘Our spinners have bowled well over a period of time now,’ added Smith. ‘They managed to control their batsmen today.’
   Van der Merwe said: ‘It was a slow wicket so I could vary my pace. There was bite and bounce.’
   New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said his batsmen never came to terms with the tight South African bowling.
   ‘We bowled and fielded well,’ said McCullum. ‘We were pretty pleased that we were chasing under 130 but we never got any momentum and weren’t able to accelerate.
   ‘Normally we are good at clearing the boundaries but today South Africa bowled really well and kept us under pressure. Hopefully this experience will stand us in good stead for the Super Eights.’
   McCullum got the Black Caps off to a brisk start and he went on to complete a 46-ball fifty with five fours.
   But Martin Guptill, opening in place of the injured Jesse Ryder, went cheaply for six.
   And when Neil Broom, who’d taken Ryder’s place in the side, was caught and bowled for one by a diving Kallis, New Zealand were 26 for two.
   But a stand of 56 between McCullum and Taylor appeared to have repaired the early damage.
   New Zealand were again without captain Daniel Vettori because of the left-arm spinner’s shoulder injury.
   Both these teams begin their Super Eights programme at Trent Bridge on Thursday. New Zealand play Ireland while South Africa take on hosts England.

England’s talismanic allrounder Andrew Flintoff insisted on Tuesday he would be able to play in the first Test of the Ashes series against Australia which begins on July 8.
   The 31-year-old Lancashire star has been plagued by injuries over the past few years.
   He had to sit out the ongoing World Twenty20 competition because he had not fully recovered in time from right knee surgery after he suffered the injury during the Indian Premier League series in South Africa in April.
   However he told the BBC that he was making good progress in his recovery and was back to bowling outside.
   ‘Not being fit for the Ashes is not an option,’ Flintoff told the BBC.
   ‘I am bang up to where I want to be at this stage and I have had no ill reaction. So far so good.’
   The 31-year-old bowled outdoors under the supervision of Lancashire coach Peter Moores prior to his team’s County Championship match against Somerset at Old Trafford.
   ‘He has progressed really well,’ said Moores, who would not be drawn on Flintoff’s chances of playing.
   ‘I always take a back seat from the cricket side and let the medical staff tell me when he is ready.
   ‘If they turn around to me and say the bloke can play then we will sort something out. It’s all gone very well and probably better than some people expected in many ways.
   ‘He is coming to Durham (for their county match on Thursday) whatever. It’s part of his whole rehab, to be integrated into the team here and back into cricket,’ added the former England coach, who stepped down along with then captain Kevin Pietersen after they fell out.
   Moores, however, would not give a definitive date for his return.
   ‘We won’t look at games until he is declared fit. That is the way it goes,’ said Moores.
   ‘We can then make a choice on what cricket is around, what fits the schedule, to get him back.’
   Flintoff, who has courted controversy in the past going for a pedalo ride during the 2007 World Cup and turning up the worse for wear for a fielding practice during the 2006/07 Ashes series when he was captain of the side, has appeared in 75 tests and 141 one day internationals since making his first England appearance in 1998.
   However, injuries have played an increasing role in his career and he was forced to return early from the test series in the West Indies earlier this year because of a hip injury.
   He did return to the Caribbean for the one day series and played a pivotal role by taking a hat-trick in the fifth and decisive match.

Pakistan on Wednesday sought special permission from the organisers of the World Twenty20 to include all-rounder Abdul Razzaq in their squad to replace injured Yasir Arafat, an official said.
   The 29-year-old Razzaq cut his ties with the unrecognised Indian Cricket League earlier this month and was cleared by the Pakistan Cricket Board to play for the national team.
   Fast bowler Arafat suffered a hamstring injury during Pakistan’s 48-run defeat against England in their opening match on Sunday and could be ruled out of the remaining matches.
   ‘Yes, we have requested for Razzaq’s inclusion as replacement,’ PCB chairman Ijaz Butt told AFP.
   The technical committee of the World Twenty20 will take a final decision on the inclusion of Razzaq.
   Razzaq, who played 46 Tests and 231 one-day internationals for Pakistan, joined the unrecognised ICL as a protest for his omission from the squad selected for the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007.
   The PCB barred all the 23 players who signed for the rebel league from domestic and international cricket as the ICL was not recognised by the ICC and Board of Control for Cricket in India.
   But all but two of Pakistan’s ICL players got their bans suspended by Sindh High Court in February this year.
   Razzaq said he was delighted at the prospect of playing for Pakistan again.
   ‘I am very happy and if given a chance I will do my very best for the country,’ he said.

All the players of the national football team will go through a thorough medical check-up before they join the conditioning camp in the coastal town of Cox’s Bazar.
   Coach Dido and the National Team Management Committee have decided that the camp will start from June 20, five days later than the earlier proposed date, because of the unavailability of accommodation at the BKSP before July 15. The squad will move to the BKSP after completion of the three-week conditioning camp in Cox’ Bazar.
   Meanwhile, the NTMC had decided to check the physical conditions of all the players before the commencement of the national camp to keep a detailed record of how the players have fared. The players will undergo a special medical check-up at the Japan Bangladesh Friendship Hospital and their conditions will be monitored before and after the camp. Four players who are playing in the Bashundhara Club Cup Championship – Rashed, Rana, Emon Babu and Rezaul Karim – underwent the check-up on Wednesday and physio Dalilur Rahman recorded all the details.

Bangladesh Cricket Board on Wednesday selected 45 cricketers for the Under-17 Challenge Series 2009 that begins on June 15.
   Selected players have been asked to report to the BCB Pace Bowling Coach Golam Faruk Suru and Project Operation & Logistic Officer M Shahidul Islam at the BKSP in Savar on June 14 at 3:00pm.
   Selected players are: Sabuj Sarker (Rajshahi North), Towkir Ahmed (Dhaka South), Al-Amin (Dhaka South), Tasvir Raihan Siddique (Sylhet Div), Mehdi Hasan Anik (DM Blue), Rahul Khan (Rajshahi South), Sadman Sabbir Sayek (Rajshahi North), Nasum Ahmed (Sylhet Div), Miraj Hasan Jim (Barisal Div), Zakir Hossain Rumman (Dhaka North), Mosaddek Hossain Saikat (Dhaka North), Sadman Kabir (Khulna Div), Sourav Hasan (Khulna Div), Faizan Khan (Chittagong Div), Nayem Hossain Sujon (Rajshahi North), Ratnak Shah (DM Blue), Sahariar Alam Ovi (Rajshahi South), Didar Hossain Imran (DM Green), Jabir Ahmed (Khulna Div), Niloy Ahmed (Sylhet Div), Tareq Aziz (Chittagong Div), Rafiqul Islam (Rajshahi South), Faisal Ahmed (Barisal Div), Ruhul Amin Rifat (Rajshahi North), Fazlee Rabbi (Dhaka North), Jubairul Islam Ratul (Rajshahi North), Shahriar Islam Sumon (Rajshahi South), Jasimuddin (DM Blue), Liton Kumar Das (DM Green), Victor Mohibur (Khulna Div), Kamran Farhad Sunny (Khulna Div), Sabbir Hossain, Prasenjit Das, Shariful Islam Saikat (Chittagong Div), Sumit Chowdhury (DM Blue), Zubair Hossain Linclon (Dhaka North), Abid Hossain (DM Green), Mehdi Hasan (Khulna Div), AM Rupu (Sylhet Div), Asif Hasan (DM Blue), Atiqur Rahman (Barisal Div), Naeem Islam (Rajshahi South), Khalid bin Walid (Khulna Div), Moin Khan (Barisal Div) and CM Abu Towhid (Rajshahi North).

The Girls’ School Cricket Tournament, organised by Bangladesh Cricket Board, begins on Friday at the Dhanmondi Women’s Sports Complex with eight school teams participating in the meet
   Azimpur Girls’ School and College play against BKSP while Rahmatullah Model High School meet Par Gandaria (Namapara) Primary & Junior High School on the opening day.
   The teams will initially play 20-over matches on league basis with white dress and red ball. Later, the two top teams will play the final on June 25 at the Azimpur Girls’ School ground.
   The participating teams are: Azimpur Girls’ School & College, Viqarunnisa Noon School & College A and B teams, Par Gandaria (Namapara) Primary & Junior High School, Rahmatullah Model High School, Amzad Ali Sarker Pilot Girls’ High School A and B teams and Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishthan.

The Olympic Day Run, intended to spread the message of Olympic movement, will be held on June 23 in the capital.
   The run will start at 7:30am from the National Tennis Complex at Ramna and will finish at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.
   Bangladesh Olympic Association will host a seminar on Olympic movement on June 21 and a children’s drawing competition on June 22. A blood donation and a cultural programme will be held at the BNS after the completion of the run.

Kevin Pietersen has reserved some of his best performances in an England shirt against South Africa, the land of his birth, and the hosts will hope for more of the same at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
   England face South Africa in their opening match of the Super Eights with Pietersen, who missed their shock loss to the Netherlands because of an Achilles injury, having played a key role in getting them to the second round by making a fifty in their victory over Pakistan.
   Pietersen, 28, caused widespread resentment in South Africa by opting to play for England because he believed a racial quota selection policy was holding back his career.
   Whatever the rights and wrongs of that decision, it was certainly a bold move to come to England and that innate self-confidence was on show when he first came up against South Africa in international cricket.
   After a modest debut against Zimbabwe, he was chosen for the one-day series in South Africa in 2005.
   Confronted by hostile crowds, the talented batsman responded with three centuries in five innings which showcased his ability for improvisation and excellent eye for the ball.
   Having taken more than his fair share of verbal abuse from spectators, it was perhaps no surprise that, after scoring his maiden ODI century in Bloemfontein, Pietersen made a great show of kissing the England badge on his batting helmet.
   And just in case there was any doubt as to where his allegiance lay, Pietersen announced afterwards he was going to get a tattoo of his England number and the national emblem of the Three Lions.
   In the end Pietersen’s talent appeared to have trumped the initial hostility to the extent that by the end of that series the jeers had turned to cheers.
   That brilliant start against South Africa means that while Pietersen’s career average in one-day internationals is 46.67, against the Proteas it stands at a mammoth 98.66.
   But there is rather less Twenty20 evidence to go on, with Pietersen’s lone match against South Africa in the format at the inaugural World Twenty20 in Cape Town two years ago seeing him run out for 15.
   Last year, ex-England captain Pietersen had the satisfaction of making 152 against South Africa in the drawn first Test at Lord’s.
   After an enthusiastic reception from spectators, Pietersen declared he’d never felt ‘so loved’.
   Pietersen began his county career at Trent Bridge with Nottinghamshire where his three year stint ended in a bust-up and a move to Hampshire, who were then captained by his friend and Australia leg-spin great Shane Warne.

Opener Virender Sehwag on Wednesday admitted he was not fit going into the Twenty20 World Cup as he had hurt his shoulder during the Indian Premier League semi-final.
   ‘I had suffered the injury during our IPL semifinal clash against Deccan Chargers when I dived to stop a ball,’ said Sehwag, who captained the Delhi Daredevils in the event, after being ruled out of the T20 World Cup.
   The semi-final against Deccan Chargers, which Delhi Daredevils lost badly, was held in South Africa on May 21, almost three weeks ago.
   The injury has been described by coach Gary Kirsten as ‘a Grade I tear’ and with the urgency being shown on Sehwag’s treatment, it raises question why no medical solution to get him in shape was sought for close to three weeks.
   Reports now suggest Sehwag would leave for South Africa to show himself to a specialist, but he first intends to show himself to a specialist in London.
   ‘There is little I can do. At the moment I would leave for London with my wife (Aarti) and son Aryaveer,’ Sehwag said.
   Kirsten had earlier said Sehwag’s medical treatment, besides the physio’s work, was restricted to just giving injections to the opener.
   ‘It’s the type of injury we can’t make a decision on, yet. He’s had an injection and we want to see how he responds to that,’ Kirsten had said.
   ‘He was picked in the squad and he then had got injured which wasn’t serious enough for him to miss the whole tournament.’
   A Grade 1 injury is less than five per cent damage to individual muscle fibers. It’s a mild strain which requires two to three weeks’ rest.
   However, if the patient continues to play, the condition will worsen. If ignored, a Grade 1 strain has the potential to become a Grade 2 strain or even a complete rupture.
   Sehwag, in the last few days, hasn’t been seen carrying out any extensive physical activity besides lifting his son, incidentally with his injured right arm—and moving around.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has lashed out at Real Madrid and lambasted his counterpart Florentino Perez for ‘distorting’ the transfer market.
   Madrid completed the world-record signing of Kaka from AC Milan overnight, splashing out a reported 65 million euros (£59 million) for the Brazil playmaker.
   Speculation is also rife that they are set to beat even that with an 80 million euro (£69 million) bid for Cristiano Ronaldo, and Laporta believes that could be dangerous for football.
   ‘It’s an opportunity to try to show that the market is at different levels,’ he said. ‘To pay these quantities is exorbitant.
   ‘It doesn’t fit in with the reality of the market and it’s too risky. It’s distorting it.’
   Laporta insists Madrid’s massive spending power does not worry him following a spectacular season for Barca which saw them lift the treble of the Primera Division, Copa del Rey and Champions League.
   Barca have been linked to big-money deals of their own but their president claims he will not be following their bitter rivals’ example.
   He added: ‘We only have to make touch-ups. I’m trebly calm.’

Jesse Ryder is set to miss New Zealand’s opening World Twenty20 Super Eights match against Ireland at Trent Bridge today as he undergoes hospital treatment.
   The 24-year-old opening batsman missed New Zealand’s one-run loss in their final group match against South Africa at Lord’s on Tuesday and is staying in London to have tests to determine the nature of an ongoing muscle pain.
   New Zealand team manager Dave Currie said: ‘Jesse is continuing to suffer serious discomfort and has been admitted to hospital for observation and further tests, which we hope will provide a clearer picture of his condition.’
   The Black Caps also have ongoing concerns regarding the fitness of captain Daniel Vettori, who has yet to play in this tournament because of a shoulder injury, and batsman Ross Taylor, who appeared to sustain a hamstring strain against South Africa.

Australia were on Tuesday fined for a slow over-rate during their six-wicket loss to Sri Lanka in the Group C match of the World Twenty20 at Trent Bridge on Monday.
   Match referee Chris Broad imposed the fines after Ricky Ponting’s side were ruled to be one over short of their target at the end of the Sri Lanka innings when time allowances were taken into consideration.
   ‘In accordance with the ICC Code of Conduct regulations governing over-rate penalties, players are fined five per cent of their match fees for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time, with the captain fined double that amount,’ said an ICC statement.
   Ponting was fined 10 per cent of his match fee while his players received five per cent fines.

Spain fired a six-goal warning on Tuesday as the countdown to the June 14 kick-off of the FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa continued.
   Striker David Villa, reportedly on the wanted list of super spenders Real Madrid, performed a one-man sales pitch during the first half in Azerbaijan with a hat-trick that set up a 6-0 friendly triumph.
   While pitting the country, ranked first in the world, against opponents who weigh in at number 140 might appear cruel, the sizzling Spaniards reeled off another victory without a hint of mercy.
   Euro 2008 winners Spain inhabit what appears to be much the easier of the two Confederations Cup groups with hosts South Africa and the champions of Asia and Oceania, Iraq and New Zealand.
   On the other side of the draw, World Cup holders Italy come face to face with defending Confederations Cup champions Brazil, and potentially dangerous ‘dark horses’ Egypt and the United States lurk in the background.
   New Zealand, who have lost all six encounters in two previous Confederations Cup appearances with an embarrassing 2-17 goal tally, face Spain in the north-west mining town of Rustenburg on Sunday.
   And when the score from Baku in the oil-rich east European state filters through to the ‘All Whites’ camp, it can only heighten fears that they are set to become the next victims of the Spanish armada.
   Villa from cash-strapped Valencia demonstrated his predatory instincts by converting an Alvaro Albeloa cross, slamming home a shot from outside the penalty area, and converting a penalty when Cesc Fabregas was fouled.
   Albert Riera, substitute Daniel Guiza and Liverpool goal machine Fernando Torres scored in the second half as Spain demonstrated why they are the most feared national football team in Europe.
   It was much closer in Cape Town where Iraq scored first but had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Poland in their first competitive action under Serb Bora Milutinovic, who has coached five countries at the World Cup.
   Mahdi Kareem half-volleyed a cross from constant menace Hawar Mohammed into the Polish net on 54 minutes only for Brazil-born Roger Guerreiro to equalise with a shot that gave goalkeeper Noor Sabri no chance.
   South Africa, who edged Poland 1-0 in Johannesburg last weekend, meet Iraq in the tournament opener at Ellis Park on Sunday with the winners expected to accompany Spain into the semi-finals.
   Super Stadium in Atteridgeville outside Pretoria – host to numerous recent South Africa fixtures – will stage a friendly between Italy and New Zealand on Wednesday night.
   This fixture presents a challenge for notoriously fickle South African football followers who must decide between attending the game in expected freezing winter conditions or watching it live on television.
   The Confederations Cup began officially in 1999 and now serves as a four-yearly dress rehearsal for the World Cup, which South Africa hosts between June 11 and July 11 next year.

Chelsea have made an offer of 50 million euros for Atletico Madrid’s highly-rated Argentinian striker Sergio Aguero, according to English media reports on Wednesday.
   The 21-year-old, who scored 17 goals last season to help Atletico claim a place in the Champions League, is one of the hottest properties in European football.
   He said earlier this month that he wanted to stay in the Spanish capital but urged Atletico’s owners to invest in player reinforcement to ensure the club was capable of making an impact among Europe’s elite, suggesting he could be attracted by a switch to a club challenging for major honours every season.
   The size of Chelsea’s reported offer will severely test the resolve of the Atletico board to keep Aguero, who is the son-in-law of Diego Maradona.
   Chelsea’s desire to rejuvenate an ageing squad has also resulted in moves to sign Manchester City’s 19-year-old Daniel Sturridge, who is a free agent from the end of this month.
   Sturridge is set to become the best-paid teenager in English football after turning down a reported 45,000-pounds-a-week offer from City in favour of negotiating a deal with Chelsea.
   City would be entitled to compensation for developing the player and will argue that Sturridge is in the same category as Theo Walcott, who could eventually cost Arsenal 12.5 million pounds under the terms of his transfer from Southampton.
   The amount Chelsea will have to pay may have to be decided by a Football Association tribunal if the clubs cannot agree a price.
   Chelsea are also said to be leading a three-horse race for the signature of their former defender Glen Johnson, who has established himself as England’s first-choice right-back under Fabio Capello.
   Liverpool and Tottenham are also believed to be interested in signing the 24-year-old, who will cost considerably more than the four million pounds it cost Pompey to make what was initially a loan deal from Chelsea permanent in 2007.
   Liverpool’s position in the transfer market is unclear because of uncertainty over the finances of their American owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who face a July 24 deadline to refinance 350 million pounds of debt they used to acquire the club.
   Hicks and Gillett have played down fears the banks will call in their loans and manager Rafael Benitez, who remains hopeful of signing Spain striker David Silva from his former club Valencia, has confirmed that he has money to spend.
   ‘Clearly we don’t have much to spend but I think we have enough money to add the one or two players that we need,’ Benitez said.
   Reds midfielders Javier Mascherano and Xabi Alonso have attracted interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively but Benitez has ruled out selling any elements of the ‘spine’ of his team.
   Any prospect of first-choice midfielders being sold receded when England’s Gareth Barry, who came close to joining Liverpool last summer, opted for Manchester City’s cash over the chance of Champions League football at Anfield.

After completing a move for Kaka, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has said he intends to talk to Manchester United in a bid to convince the club to let Crisiano Ronaldo join the Spanish giants.
   ‘I have not yet spoken to them but I will do it in the coming days,’ he told Spanish public radio RNE late on Tuesday.
   Spanish media have reported that Real have a pre-agreement to sign the 24-year-old Portuguese winger from Manchester United but Perez said he has never seen this agreement, which was allegedly made by his predecessor.
   However sports daily AS reported Wednesday that Perez had decided to pay 89 million euros (124 million dollars) for the 2008 FIFA World Footballer of the Year under the terms of this pre-agreement.
   Rival paper Marca reported Wednesday that he had already spoken to David Gill, Manchester United’s chief executive, who told the new Real Madrid president that the player would cost 96 million euros (134 million dollars).
   Ronaldo, who is under contract with United until 2012, was involved in a protracted transfer tug-of-war between the English and Spanish sides last summer, with the player having publicly admitted he wanted to join Real.
   Real announced Monday that they had signed Brazilian playmaker Kaka, the 2002 FIFA World Footballer of the Year, from AC Milan for a reported fee of 65 million euros.
   It was the club’s first signing since Perez was sworn in once again as president of Real Madrid on June 1.
   Under his previous term at Real between 2000 and 2006 he signed top players like France’s Zinedine Zidane and England’s David Beckham which earned the club the knickname ‘Los Galacticos’ and boosted revenues from sales of t-shirts and other club souvenirs.
   Perez said he had spoken to Bayern Munich representatives who said they were not interested in selling their French playmaker Franck Ribery.
   While he said he ‘respected’ the German side’s decision, he did not completely close the door to a bid for the player, saying that if Bayern changes its mind Real would be interested.
   Perez is also interested in signing David Villa, who scored a hat-trick during Spain’s 6-0 friendly win in Azerbaijan on Tuesday, away from financially-troubled Spanish side Valencia.
   He said he was already spoken to Valencia’s new president, Manuel Llorente, who told him that he was studying which players could be sold shortly.

Steffi Graf recently returned into the public eye for two tennis occasions but there will be no major event when she turns 40 on Sunday. Graf has never hugged the spotlight, and the number 40 means ‘unbelievably little’ to her as well, as she revealed in a rare interview, with the German Press Agency dpa.
   ‘Birthdays are of no major importance in our family...I am not interested in gifts, it is much more important to me to be together with all the others...I am happy when my family is fine.’
   Graf and her husband Andre Agassi, together with their children Jaden Gil (seven) and Jaz Elle (five), having been living a perfect family life in their Las Vegas home for years.
   ‘The family is the centre of my life. Some people have asked how this can be possible in Las Vegas? All I can say is that it works, and I am very happy about it,’ she said.
   The main work after their illustrious tennis careers centres on their charities, with Graf’s Children for Tomorrow project taking her around the world in an effort to help traumatised children.
   Returning to tennis is rare, but Graf and Agassi did appear on court last month when the new Wimbledon Centre Court with its movable roof was unveiled.
   They were also on hand last weekend to present the French Open singles trophies in Paris, 10 years after they both won the Roland Garros crown.
   ‘I was never really fond of major public appearances,’ says Graf.
   Graf said that the family life doesn’t allow her dwell on the past, but that she does have memories on certain occasions like the recent date at Wimbledon where she played her last official career match, losing the 1999 final to Lindsay Davenport.
   ‘I have the feeling that my tennis career is way in the past. Our day at Wimbledon was like a journey into the past.
   ‘When my husband and I walked onto Centre Court and recognised the familiar surroundings a lot of memories surfaced. And then you start playing and simply can’t imagine that your last match there was 10 years ago,’ said Graf.
   Looking at the state of the game today, Graf says that she is ‘lost for words’ when she watches men’s world number one Rafael Nadal, who according to her is ‘an unbelievable athlete.’
   Off the court, Graf shares the concerns of many others about the world economic crisis, and like others has high hopes in US president Barack Obama.
   ‘He can bring people together...This is what we all hope for and need. He stands for stability and communication. But he faces many challenges in a world which is in great difficulties,’ said Graf.
   Graf had her own hardships during her career, ranging from injuries to the tax evasion affair around her father Peter Graf.
   She says there are always things she could have done differently, but that she is ‘so happy right now that there is no reason to quarrel about matters of the past.
   ‘I can look back at the first 40 years with a lot of joy. Most of all I am happy about my family. I am proud about my two children and my husband. And I had a great career. I couldn’t have wished for anything better,’ Graf told dpa.

Spain, like Italy making their Confedera-tions Cup debut, turn up in South Africa as arguably the team to beat after their dazzling Euro 2008 triumph which ended a four-and-a-half decade trophy famine.
   Having laid their big final hoodoo well and truly to rest La Furia Roja are out to capture another title and to this end Vicente Del Bosque’s squad will send a shiver down the spines of New Zealand, Iraq and South Africa, their first round rivals.
   With the exception of Andres Iniesta, who pulled out injured last week, Del Bosque has at his disposal a glittering array of talent headed by Fernando Torres, the Liverpool striker who sunk Germany in the Euro final.
   Torres was deployed as a lone striker in front of a five man midfield which proved an irresistible force in Vienna last June.
   Also there is Torres’s strike partner David Villa, who with four goals ended up as the Euro’s top scorer despite the Valencia marksman missing the final itself with injury.
   In midfield Del Bosque can call on the likes of Premier League stars Cesc Fabregas and Xabi Alonso, Barcelona’s European champion Xavi while his team-mate Carles Puyol and Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos feature in defence with the commanding presence of Ramos’ team-mate, Iker Casillas, in goal.
   Iniesta’s absence, however, is a blow.
   A key member of Barcelona’s treble winning side, he had to pull out after aggravating a thigh muscle injury in the Champions League final win over Manchester United.
   His place has been taken by Valencia’s Pablo Hernandez.
   ‘All teams are going with their best squad. We are going with the squad which we feel is the best and are obligated to enhance the prestige of this Cup,’ Del Bosque said when unveiling his squad this month.
   He added: ‘We have six young guys, who could compete with the U-21s; this is the best system of renovation, although the base of the team are the players from Euro 2008. We want to win.’
   And history is on the side of a country that has yet to get its hands on a FIFA title as both Denmark and France added the Confed Cup to their European triumphs.
   It was Luis Aragones who masterminded Spain’s Euro win but Del Bosque’s arrival has seen Spain maintain their winning ways and under the former Real Madrid boss they have maintained a fine record which hasn’t seen them lose since a 1-0 reverse to Romania in a friendly in November 2006.
   The Spaniards are cruising through their qualifying group for next year’s World Cup with a maximum 18 points from their six matches.
   The Spanish lit up Euro 2008 with their adventurous attacking style which is set to win over a new audience on a continent where free-flowing football is the norm.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez on Wednesday insisted that the club would not sell Javier Mascherano, despite claims from the player’s agent that the midfielder would favour a move to Barcelona.
   ‘Mascherano has no price,’ Benitez told www.liverpoolfc.tv. ‘Barcelona could not afford to match his value to Liverpool Football Club. We do not want to sell and Javier is very happy here.
   ‘I have spoken to Javier two or three times this summer – the last time was only last week – and he was very happy, very positive.
   ‘He gave me the private number of his agent, Walter Tamer, and again the conversation was very positive and was all about football.’
   Tamer was quoted in the British press as saying that Argentina captain Mascherano, arguably the best defensive midfielder in world football, would be proud that Barca were interested in him and suggested a move could be ‘feasible’.
   But Benitez claimed he had made it clear that Liverpool would not sell a player he regards as a key component of his side.
   ‘Walter told me that two clubs with big, big names were asking after Mascherano – and I told him to forget it, that Javier was happy in Liverpool and he was not for sale,’ the Reds manager added.
   ‘So I was surprised to see the agent’s comments today.
   ‘He has a long contract and any club can forget about bidding for him. They can offer 40 million pounds or even 50 million, we don’t want to sell.’
   There has been speculation that Benitez could be forced to sell some key players this summer because of the financially precarious position of the club’s American owners, who have to refinance 350 million pounds of debts by July 24.
   But the Spaniard has insisted he will only consider offloading fringe players and that he does have some money to spend. An extra striker and a new right-back are the club’s main priorities with Valencia’s David Silva the principal target in the former category.

Andrea Pirlo has refused to rule out the possibility of joining Chelsea this summer.
   With former AC Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti having recently taken the reins at Stamford Bridge, a host of the Rossoneri’s top stars have been linked with a switch to west London.
   Brazilian superstar Kaka was touted as a potential target, but has completed a big-money move to Real Madrid, while his compatriot Alexandre Pato is also believed to be a possible target for the Blues.
   World Cup-winner Pirlo is the latest to find himself at the centre of much transfer talk, and has done little to stem the tide of speculation.
   ‘Me at Chelsea? Let’s see,’ the midfielder said from Italy’s training camp in South Africa ahead of the Confederations Cup.
   ‘Maybe not now, but we will see.’
   Pirlo has admitted that the sale of Kaka has disrupted the Milan camp and he believes the club could pay the price for putting financial reward ahead of the best interests of the team.
   ‘We took it badly,’ he added.
   ‘Kaka is a really great player and a really great man. To cover his absence will take time.
   ‘They (the Milan board) wanted to bring in the money. Ricardo (Kaka) was right to say this hasn’t been his decision.’

Robinho has cast doubt over his Manchester City future by admitting any player would relish the chance to play for Barcelona.
   The Brazilian left the Primera Division last summer, joining City from Real Madrid for a British record fee of £32.5 million.
   Robinho struck 14 Premier League goals during his debut campaign in England and he recently stated his commitment to City.
   However, the forward has been quoted as conceding that the opportunity to play for Barca would be an attractive proposition for any player.
   ‘So far, there have only been speculations,’ he told Sport. ‘There is nothing concrete and I haven’t received any offers.
   ‘The only thing I can say is that Barcelona are a great team and everybody would love to play for them.’
   Robinho did, however, insist he remains ‘comfortable’ with his decision to swap Madrid for Manchester.
   He said: ‘I left because I was not happy. I do not regret the decision and I’m comfortable at Manchester City.’

Former World Cup winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari took over Uzbekistan league leaders and AFC Champions League quarter-finalists Bunyodkor, local media reported on Tuesday.
   The 60-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2002 World Cup, and was sacked by Chelsea in February, signed an 18-month deal with the Uzbeki flagship side, which was earlier managed by his compatriot Zico.
   No financial details of the deal were disclosed.
   ‘Uzbekistan’s football is now creating its successful history,’ local media quoted Scolari as saying.
   ‘Bunyodkor as a part of the country’s football has performed impressively in the last four years,’ he added. ‘The side is directed by very responsible people and it definitely has bright prospects.’
   The Uzbeki football federation also announced that they were expecting Scolari to coordinate the management of the national youth football academy, which was recently founded in Tashkent.

Qatar saw their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup extinguished Wednesday while Saudi Arabia earned a point that keeps them on track for a ticket to South Africa.
   The Qataris ended their eight-game campaign with a 1-1 draw against Japan in Yokohama but it was not enough to keep them in contention.
   With Australia and Japan already assured of the top two places in Group A, with their names in the hat for the World Cup draw in December, the race for the third place play-off slot is now between Bahrain and Uzbekistan.
   Bahrain lost 2-0 to the Socceroos in Sydney to remain on seven points to Qatar’s six and Uzbekistan’s four.
   Uzbekistan and Bahrain play each other next week in Manama with the home team needing a draw to make the play-offs against the third-placed team from Group B.
   That position is still to be decided with Saudi Arabia’s 0-0 draw against the already-qualified South Korea in Seoul leaving them alongside North Korea on 11 points.
   North Korea have the edge in goal difference, with the two sides playing each other in a winner-takes-all showdown in Riyadh in a week’s time.
   Iran have seven points and must beat United Arab Emirates at home later Wednesday to keep their hopes alive with a difficult trip to South Korea concluding their crack at qualifying once again.
   In Yokohama, Japan took a 1-0 lead two minutes into the game when defender Atsuto Uchida sent a cross from the right and Ahmed Ali Al-Binali failed to clear, instead putting the ball into his own net.
   The visitors levelled the game in the 53rd minute when Yahya Afif scored from the penalty spot after Magid Mohamed Hassan was hacked down by skipper Yuji Nakazawa.
   Qatar continued to threaten on the break but their increasingly desperate hunt for the decisive second goal never materialised.
   Like Japan, Australia maintained their unbeaten run. But fielding only four survivors from the team that booked their place in South Africa last weekend they laboured to victory.
   Mile Sterjovski broke the deadlock in the 55th minute after he punished a Faouzi A’aish defensive error inside the six-yard box and beat goalkeeper Sayed Mohamed.
   David Carney doubled the lead in the 88th minute after Jason Culina’s spectacular overhead kick ricocheted off an upright for Carney to ram the ball home.
   Bahrain had the ball in the net during the second half from an Abdulla Marzooq header but the defender was ruled offside. It would have been the first time Australia had conceded in their last seven qualifying games.
   South Korea had the better of the game against Saudi Arabia with their best chance coming 10 minutes into the second half when Kim Dong-Jin crossed from the left for Park Chu-Young.
   The AS Monaco forward soared over three defenders but headed the ball just over the crossbar.
   Nasser Al-Shamrani had a chance for the Saudis soon after but they never threatened again, settling for the point that kept them in the World Cup frame.

European champions Spain arrived here Wednesday to chase glory and records at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa.
   Wet, cold winter conditions greeted the star-sprinkled Spaniards, who were taken from a jet to their bus and whisked away for security reasons without meeting the public or media.
   They face likely Group A whipping boys New Zealand Sunday in the north-west mining town of Rustenburg fresh from a 6-0 mauling of Azerbaijan in the oil-rich east European nation last night.
   Spain have gone 32 matches since last losing - at home to Romania in a 2006 friendly - and are three games short of matching a record set by Brazil 13 years ago.
   And if the Euro 2008 winners defeat the New Zealand ‘All Whites’, and Iraq in Bloemfontein three days later, they will share with Brazil and France the feat of 14 consecutive victories.
   Veteran coach Vicente del Bosque, who replaced Luis Aragones after the Euro 2008 final triumph over Germany in Vienna, has already claimed a place in the record books with 10 wins on the trot since taking over a national team.
   Famous Brazilian Joao Saldanha held that record for 40 years and Del Bosque came close to having his hopes of overtaking it dashed two months ago in Turkey where Albert Riera snatched a stoppage-time winner in a World Cup qualifier.
   Spain, World Cup holders Italy and defending Confederations Cup champions Brazil are favourites to win the two-week tournament with South Africa, Iraq, New Zealand, Egypt and the United States completing the line-up.
   The ‘festival of champions’ was officially launched in Mexico 10 years ago and serves as a four-yearly dress rehearsal for the FIFA World Cup, which South Africa stages next June and July.

Bayern Munich striker Luca Toni on Wednesday revealed European champions Barcelona are interested in signing him.
   World Cup-winner Toni, 32, struggled to hit the back of the net last season with 14 goals after being the Bundesliga’s top-scorer the year before on his debut season in Munich with 24 having joined from Fiorentina in 2007.
   Bayern have already signed Germany striker Mario Gomez from Stuttgart and Croatia’s Ivica Olic from Hamburg this summer.
   The pair will compete with Toni and Germany’s Miroslav Klose - the top-scorer at the last World Cup - for the two available first-team places under new coach Louis van Gaal.
   But Toni told Italian sports paper Gazzetta dello sport that Barcelona have contacted him and with the World Cup less than a year away, he insisted he must play first-team football.
   ‘Barca has the strongest team in the world and it is an honour they contacted me,’ said Toni, who has a contract until 2011.
   ‘My contract is still running, but Mario Gomez will arrive from Stuttgart now, he is very good and four strikers in the squad is a lot.
   ‘I do not know whether I will remain here and I need to talk to Bayern.
   ‘There is a World Cup next year and I need to play first-team football wherever I am.’