Main Page «
Front Page «
Metro «
Business «
International «
National «
Editorial «
Op-Ed «
Home «
Timeout «
Letters «

Archive «
Launch Supplement «
Special Supplements «

Batsmen shrugged off their rustiness to hit some kind of form as the two-day match between Bangladesh Red and Green ended in a draw at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Thursday.
   Resuming the innings on 79-7, Mashrafee bin Murtaza-led Bangladesh Red were all out for 113 runs, conceding a 75-run deficit on the first innings. Left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak added two wickets to his overnight tally of three to finish with 5-41.
   Junaed Siddique and Mahmudullah Riyad shared an unbeaten 98-run partnership for the fourth wicket to help Bangladesh Green declare their second innings at 201 for three, setting a 277-run winning target.
   Riyad became the only half-centurion of the match scoring an unbeaten 58 off 64 balls with 10 fours while Junaed finished on 35 not out when Green skipper Sakib al Hasan declared the innings.
   Sakib promoted himself in the batting order and opened the innings with Tamim Iqbal to score 41 off 49 balls, the second highest innings of the Green. Tamim made 23. Rubel Hossain, Mashrafee and Enamul all claimed a wicket for Red.
   Chasing the huge target in little over a session, Red finished at 133 for five in 33 overs. With a draw seeming inevitable, newly-appointed national skipper Mashrafee decided to display his batting skills smashing 40 off just 22 balls that included three sixes and as many fours.
   Among others, Shamsur Rahman made 33 runs. Former captain Mohammad Ashraful contributed only 11 runs. Sakib signed off the spinner-dominated game with 3-54.
   With the match Bangladesh completed their preparation for the West Indies tour. The players have been given a three-day break before the team leaves home on June 29 for back-to-back series against the West Indies and Zimbabwe.

Dave Richardson, the ICC’s general manager for cricket, has suggested a two-tier structure for Test cricket, based on teams’ strength, to make the format more competitive. Such a move, Richardson said, would create a context for Test cricket, one of the challenges for the ICC going forward.
   ‘It’s an important point that Test cricket should be played against teams that are at least competitive with each other,’ Richardson told Cricinfo. ‘Ideally, you want to have the top teams playing against each other, and then teams of lesser standing playing against each other, maybe in a second division or a lesser competition such as the Intercontinental Cup. I think that’s the challenge for the ICC, that it can create some sort of context for Test cricket both at the higher level and at levels below that.’
   Richardson was reacting to a suggestion by Adam Gilchrist, the former Australia vice-captain, who suggested while delivering the annual Colin Cowdrey lecture at Lord’s less Tests of better quality could be the way forward for the longer version.
   The ICC has been working over the last year towards lending context and meaning to Test cricket to make it more competitive and attractive for spectators. Last year, officials had discussed the possibility of holding a Test championship where the TV revenue flows into a common pool.
   But the idea was shot down primarily by India and England, who would end up contributing as bulk of that money. The other significant idea to be discussed is for countries to designate Tests between top cricketing nations as full-fledged five-Test ‘icon series’. India and England have already signed one such agreement.
   Any move towards a tier structure would, however, cause concern among the weaker nations, whose revenues stand to be affected most by it.

Sir John Wilson School became champions in the inaugural Citycell Dhaka Metropolis Women’s School Football Tournament by defeating Viqarunnissa Noon School 1-0 in the final at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Thursday.
   Noushin, the find of the tournament, scored the match winner in the fourth minute of the first half of extra time after the stipulated time ended goalless.
   Viqarunnissa started brightly with their ace striker and former national camp trainee Pinki Sanwar leading the attack and they wasted a couple of chances in the first half.
   John Wilson came back strongly in the second half with ace attackers Noushin and Maisha tormenting the opposition defence.
   Pinki wasted an easy opportunity in the first minute of the second half as her chip missed the side post by a few inches. In the very next minute Maisha found Viqarunnissa goalkeeper Sadia alone but shot wide of the far post.
   In the 10th minute of the second half Pinki hit the side post from the edge of the box.
   Noushin slammed the winner in the 4th minute of the extra time with an eye-catching solo effort. Running with the ball from the midfield she dribbled past three opposition players before unleashing a neat grounder past the Viqarunnissa keeper Sadia.
   Noushin, a student of Class XI of John Wilson School, is a support of France. ‘Zidane is my favourite footballer. I enjoyed the tournament very much. I wish to continue playing,’ said Noushin, who scored 12 goals in the tournament.
   Pinki blamed bad luck for her team’s downfall. ‘We missed a couple of chances while they struck from their lone attack. It’s just our bad luck,’ said Pinki who could not continue in the national training camp for her studies.
   Ananda Rajasingham, the head of marketing of Citycell, was the chief guest and distributed the prizes. BFF president Kazi Salahuddin, senior vice-president Abdus Salam Murshedi and renowned model Bibi Russell were also present on the occasion.

India start their campaign today to put the bad memory of their failure in the World Twenty20 behind them, when they face West Indies in the first One-day International of the four match series.
   India and their opponents settle back down to the bump and grind of 50 overs-a-side matches, following a heavy diet of Twenty20 cricket for several of the players in the form of the second edition of the Indian Premier League in South Africa, and the World Twenty20 in England.
   But it’s the World Twenty20 which is still fresh on the minds of the Indians.
   They entered the competition as defending champions, and finished empty-handed, much to the chagrin of their legions of supporters at home and around the world.
   They were humiliated, when they exited the competition following three defeats in the Super Eight stage, including a seven-wicket loss to the West Indies.
   Tiredness and injuries were some of the factors advanced for India’s demise, but they have had close to two weeks to relax and recharge the batteries.
   Against this backdrop, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has asked his players to come forward and be truthful about their fitness ahead of the series.
   ‘For me, it’s the team first and then the individuals and I’d hope it’s the same with everyone else in the group,’ Dhoni said.
   ‘If rest is the cure for an injury, a cricketer ought to opt for it rather than let fatigue or niggles become a major setback to him and to the team.
   ‘If anyone wants to take a break from the game, they should let me know or the BCCI.’
   India have also had time to beef-up their personnel for the four-match series to mitigate against the injuries which have robbed them of star batting duo Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag, the latter of whom was sorely missed in the World Twenty20, plus Zaheer Khan and Suresh Raina.
   However, the new recruits have encountered a few difficulties with getting visas to travel through Britain.
   Now ranked as the third-best ODI side in the World, India will see this as a chance to leapfrog Australia, and take aim at chart-toppers South Africa, setting the stage for another invigorating series.
   India hasn’t played an ODI series since they prevailed in New Zealand in March, but they have lost only three of their last 18 matches, and have emerged as one of strongest ODI sides over the last year.
   But they face a West Indies side with their own demons to exorcise, following a miserable Test and ODI series against England.
   The home team, however, marginally redeemed themselves with a semi-final place in the World Twenty20 in which they beat England to reach the final four.
   They enter the series however, as strangers in their own land, since India have been in the Jamaica capital getting down to business since last Friday, and the West Indies players - including a few fresh faces - only started arriving on Tuesday.
   West Indies coach John Dyson will instruct his side to play aggressive cricket to push the Indians to the limit.
   ‘We will play aggressive cricket, we will play to win as always, and we will
   aim for consistency,’ said Dyson.
   ‘We always look at the opposition and try and determine who the key players are for the opposition and think of ways that we may combat those key players.
   ‘What we don’t know, of course, is from the lower-profile players, how they are going to perform and perform consistently throughout a series. So that’s something we have to monitor as the series progresses.
   ‘(Winning) - it depends on the sort of pitches we’re playing on, the conditions of the day, and the form of our own players, and the opposition players.’
   The short ODI series against India is part of a busy home programme for West Indies, who also host Bangladesh for two Tests, three ODIs and a T20 International in July and August.

Five-time champion Venus Williams and French Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova eased into the Wimbledon last 32 Thursday, just hours after tour boss Larry Scott had praised the depth of the women’s game.
   Third-seeded Williams took only an hour to see off Ukraine’s Kateryna Bondarenko 6-3, 6-2 while Russian fifth seed Kuznetsova spent just four minutes longer in disposing of France’s Pauline Parmentier 6-1, 6-3.
   Williams goes on to face Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro while Kuznetsova, a three-time quarter-finalist here, meets promising German Sabine Lisicki.
   ‘Everything was working for me. I’m on a great run here and I just want to keep it going,’ said Williams who played despite wearing a heavy strapping on her left knee.
   Australian 18th seed Samantha Stosur, a semi-finalist at the French Open this year, struggled past German qualifier Tatjana Malek 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 and will face either former world number one Ana Ivanovic or Sara Errani of Italy for a place in the last 16.
   WTA Tour chief Scott had earlier insisted that the women’s game is on the verge of hailing a new generation of players, hitting back at claims that there was a lack of genuine competition at the top level of the sport.
   ‘We are certainly going through a period, since Justine Henin’s retirement, where there is a jockeying for position,’ said Scott.
   ‘There is a parity. But there’s a depth in the women’s game that doesn’t come close to what it was six years ago.
   ‘Six years ago people weren’t really talking about the depth of women’s tennis, and there’s a tremendous depth today.
   ‘I’m sure a year from now there will be a completely different story, and I believe we will have a player or players emerging at the top.’
   In the men’s event Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt stunned Argentine fifth seed Juan Martin Del Potro 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 on Thursday to reach the Wimbledon third round.
   Earlier Czech 20th seed Tomas Berdych, Jurgen Melzer, the 26th seed from Austria, and Romanian 31st seed Victor Hanescu all made the last 32.

Adam Gilchrist has called on cricket’s rulers to do all they can to get Twenty20 into the Olympic Games programme.
   The former Australia wicket-keeper/batsman is convinced the short format is the ideal way to spread the game around the globe to non-traditional cricket countries and that the Olympics is the perfect setting for the achievement of that ambition.
   Gilchrist, who made his comments while giving the annual MCC Spirit of Cricket Cowdrey Lecture at Lord’s on Wednesday, has long been convinced of the merits of Twenty20.
   A fine wicket-keeper/batsman in all formats and an especially dynamic hitter in the one-day game, Gilchrist retired from Test cricket last year.
   But he has since led the Deccan Chargers to the 2009 Indian Premier League Twenty20 title and the 37-year-old, speaking just days after Pakistan won the World Twenty20 final at Lord’s, said: ‘We must actively pursue Twenty20’s inclusion as an Olympic sport.
   ‘It is a great challenge, but what a great and worthwhile challenge.
   ‘It would be difficult to see a better or more effective way to spread the game throughout the world.’
   Gilchrist who became well-known for his habit of ‘walking’ when he knew he was out rather than waiting for the umpire’s decision, said cricket’s ethos sat well with Olympic sporting values.
   ‘What better way for the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to spread the Olympic brand and ideals than on the back of Twenty20 cricket?’ he asked.
   ‘If it became an Olympic sport, many countries would be playing cricket for the first time in their history.
   ‘It should sit at the heart of the ICC’s global strategy. In my opinion, every cricket administrator should promote Olympic ambition for our sport.’
   However, Gilchrist - speaking just a fortnight before the latest Ashes series - stressed the enduring importance of Test cricket.
   But he also said: ‘Test cricket will always remain completely inaccessible to those who are unfamiliar with it.
   ‘To preserve its future, we must make less more. We should go back to the future, with fewer Test matches but more important ones.
   ‘Twenty20 cricket ... will never ever be or should it attempt to be Test cricket.
   ‘But as members of the international cricket community, the most important thing is to approach any new development as an opportunity rather than a problem.’
   Golf, baseball, softball, rugby sevens, karate, squash and rollers sports are all competing for a place in the 2016 Olympic programme.
   A decision on which, if any, of these sports should occupy two places said to be available for 2016 will be made in Copenhagen in October.
   Gilchrist was a key member of the Australia team that has set the standards in Test and 50-over cricket since the late 1990s.
   He became on Wednesday the youngest person to give a lecture established in 2001 in memory of the late former England captain Colin Cowdrey.

All-rounder Mahmudul Hasan will lead the Bangladesh Under-19 team during the month-long England tour, the Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Thursday. The BCB named a 15-member squad for the tour with opening batsman Amit Majumder nominated as the vice-captain.
   Bangladesh Under-19 team, who will leave home on June 30, will play two four-day matches, five one-day matches and two Twenty20 matches against their English counterpart.
   They will also play a two-day warm-up match. For the first time in an overseas trip the junior squad will play Twenty20 cricket. Before facing England in the shortest version, they will also play two warm-up matches against a second string county side.
   Former national skipper Minhajul Abedin was made the head coach for the tour and he will be accompanied by manager Tanzeeb Ahsan Saad and technical adviser Jalal Ahmed Chowdhury.
   Squad: Mahamudul Hasan (captain) Amit Majumder (vice-captain), Saikat Ali, Asif Ahmed, Shabbir Rahman, Imamul Hossain, Muminul Hoque, Mohammed Abul Hasan, Abu Zayed Chowdhury, Alauddin Babu, Shohag Reza, Shaker Ahmed, Anamul Haque Bijoy (wicketkeeper), Quazi Nurul Hasan (wicketkeeper) and Nur Hossain.

The players’ transfer for the B League will start on August 1 and finish on August 31. The B League committee of the Bangladesh Football Federation finalised the date at a meeting on Thursday.
   The meeting also decided to invite six teams – Fakirerpool Young Men’s Club, Bashundhara Club Cup Football champions Shuktara Jubo Sangsad of Narayanganj and runners-up Feni Soccer Club, Biani Bazar Club of Sylhet and one team each from Khulna and Rajshahi to participate in the B League but their final selection will depend on fulfilling the criteria.

Australia recovered from a shaky start as they finished the first day of their Ashes tour opener against Sussex on 349 for seven here on Wednesday.
   Australia had been in trouble at 114 for five after South African seamer Pepler Sandri marked his Sussex debut with three top-order wickets, having failed to take one in three games for Sussex club side Hastings.
   But a sixth-wicket stand of 114 between wicket-keeper Brad Haddin (69) and Michael Clarke checked Sussex’s progress.
   Both men fell in the space of four balls but bowlers Brett Lee (47 not out) and Nathan Hauritz (65 not out) then added an unbroken 117 against a tiring Sussex attack.
   Haddin showed his class as a batsman by striking spinner Ollie Rayner for a straight six, but the bowler had the last laugh when Haddin was caught by Sandri at mid-on.
   And soon afterwards Rayner had Clarke caught and bowled for 45.
   Sandri, having dismissed Phillip Hughes before lunch, removed Simon Katich for 49 shortly afterwards as Australia lost three wickets for one run in 10 balls.
   Left-hander Katich was on course for a fifty when he edged a cut off a full-length Sandri delivery and was taken at slip by Michael Yardy.
   Two balls later Michael Hussey (32) was lbw to James Kirtley and, in Sandri’s next over, Marcus North, on one, nicked through to wicket-keeper Andrew Hodd.
   Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who won the toss, saw opener Hughes plunder three off-side fours in the first over of the match from Kirtley.
   But the opener, who had a brilliant early season spell with English county side Middlesex, was out for 15 when he was bowled middle-stump on the drive by a full-length delivery from Sandri, who finished the day with three wickets for 73 runs from his 13 overs.
   Hughes’s exit brought Ponting to the crease and the Tasmanian punched two cover-drives off the backfoot in trademark fashion to go to eight.
   But Ponting was then out when he edged a lifting ball from Luke Wright through to Hodd.
   Australia have one more tour match, against the England Lions, before the first Ashes Test starts in Cardiff on July 8.

Players will be able to challenge officials’ decisions in Tests as a matter of course from October onwards, the International Cricket Council announced Thursday.
   A joint meeting of the ICC board and its chief executives’ committee at Lord’s ratified the May decision of the governing body’s cricket committee that the Umpire Decision Review System is set to be introduced permanently into the Test arena on the basis of a ‘phased roll-out’ from October 2009.
   The system, which was trialled for nine months, gives players the opportunity to request a review by the third umpire of a decision made by the on-field umpire they believed was wrong.
   Significantly, this was the first time players had been allowed to challenge a decision.
   Once a player asked for a referral, the third umpire was able to view replays and relay information back to the umpire on the field who then had to decide whether or not to reverse his original decision.
   The October roll-out date means the system won’t be used during the upcoming Ashes series between England and Australia, which starts in July.
   In May, ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said that from October the plan was for sides to be limited to two unsuccessful appeals per innings as was the case during the West Indies-England series in February and March.
   There was an understanding the third umpire would advise his on-field colleague to change their minds only if they had made an obvious error.
   But some third umpires were criticised for effectively ‘over-ruling’ the standing umpires when their decisions could, in the opinion of many observers, fairly have gone in favour of either side.
   The ICC also said Thursday it was looking into day/night Tests which, if a suitable ball could be developed along with several other conditions, could lead to a Test under floodlights in 2010.
   The ICC also announced that stricter penalties should be imposed on Boards and venues found guilty of producing pitches considered ‘poor’or ‘unfit’.
   In February, cricket authorities were widely criticised when a Test between the West Indies and England had to be abandoned after just 10 balls when the sandy outfield at the newly built Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua was deemed too dangerous.
   However, the ICC’s definition of a ‘poor’ surface would also include batsmen-friendly ‘featherbed’ surfaces which, it was felt, were a serious threat to the game.
   And regarding bad light, the ICC said it would follow the example of English domestic cricket and suspend play only when the umpires considered conditions unreasonable or dangerous (rather than as is currently the case, unsuitable) and that the umpires alone would make that decision rather than offer the batsmen the option to choose.
   It also said fines for slow over-rates would be doubled and a captain of a side found guilty of three over-rate fines in the same format of the game in a rolling 12-month period should be banned automatically for one match, the ban applicable in the next match played by his side in that same format.
   Match officials were also instructed to crack down on delays such as unscheduled drinks breaks and that team over-rates are displayed on scoreboards to ensure everyone was aware of the situation at all times.
   Slow over-rates and unscheduled stoppages have been cited by some terrestrial television broadcasters in England as a reason for their reluctance to carry live coverage of Test matches.

Australia fast bowler Brett Lee insists there is still time for him to become even quicker as he bids to regain his place ahead of next month’s first Ashes Test.
   And he is adamant that, at the age of 32, he remains a ‘pure fast bowler’.
   Lee played the last of his 76 Tests back in December before undergoing foot and ankle surgery.
   Lee, who has taken 310 Test wickets at an average of just over 30 apiece, now finds himself competing for a spot with Ben Hilfenhaus, Stuart Clark and Peter Siddle in a pace attack where only Mitchell Johnson seems assured of a place.
   ‘Sprinters reach their peak at 33, 34 years of age. There’s no reason why a bowler can’t keep improving,’ said Lee.
   ‘Of course there will come a time when your pace will drop off and you’ve got to go back bowling a slower pace because your body can’t take it.
   ‘Yes, I am 32 years of age but I have missed a fair bit of cricket through being 12th man and a couple of surgeries on my ankle so maybe I am a cricketing 27. I want to keep improving my pace. The work I’ve done in the gym, it’s all about bowling fast
   ‘I’m not going to be out there bowling 130 kph (80mph) and trying to swing the ball. That’s not the way I play.
   ‘I am in the squad to be a bowler who can bowl at up around 150kph (93mph) and a good line and length. I’m not looking to hang the boots up. I’m a pure fast bowler.
   ‘No batsman likes facing a very fast bowler if he is on-song, I don’t care what they say. It’s coming down at 150kph, it’s pretty scary stuff. But if you don’t get the ball in the right spot then it is money for jam because the ball goes to the fence quicker.’
   Kevin Pietersen, struggling with an Achilles injury, is widely regarded as vital to England’s hopes of regaining the Ashes they lost 5-0 in Australia in 2006-07.
   Asked what it was like to bowl at the South Africa born batsman, whose 158 at the Oval in 2005 sealed England’s 2-1 Ashes series win, when he was in form, Lee replied: ‘Not good. He’s a class act.
   ‘When KP’s on-song he’s one of the hardest batsmen in the world to bowl to, I don’t care what anyone says.
   ‘I’ve bowled against him when he’s been playing well. He picks the ball very early, he hangs back in his crease, gives himself that extra yard of time and he plays the all shots.
   ‘Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff are the two most-like Aussie players in the England squad, the way they’ve got that controlled aggression and don’t want to let any player overpower them,’ Lee explained.
   ‘When you’ve got that with a player who’s got talent, that’s a pretty handy mix,’ he added.
   One of the most memorable moments of the 2005 series was at the end of the second Test at Edgbaston where non-striker Lee was consoled by Flintoff after so nearly seeing Australia to victory with the bat in a match they lost by just two runs.
   ‘That moment was one of my favourite moments in Test cricket,’ Lee recalled. ‘To me, that was in the right spirit of the game.
   ‘It was a moment I’ll always treasure but I am hoping that 2009 will be similar but that the result will be different.’
   But Lee, who showed his batting prowess by making an unbeaten 47 on the first day against Sussex here on Wednesday, knows getting back into the Test side won’t be easy with just the fixture at Hove and a match against the England Lions before the Ashes opener starts in Cardiff on July 8.
   ‘Now it comes down to how we play in the two trial games,’ said Lee.
   ‘Mitchell Johnson has been outstanding, you’d always expect him to go through. But there’s a couple of guys fighting for one spot and 16 doesn’t go into 11.’

The son of former Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer said Thursday captain Younus Khan’s decision to dedicate the World Twenty20 title to his late father was ‘very sweet and lovely’.
   In a letter to the Pakistan Cricket Board, Dale Woolmer thanked the Pakistan captain for acknowledging his father’s contribution to Pakistani cricket, saying the gesture had touched the whole family.
   Bob Woolmer, a former England batsman, was found unconscious in his hotel room in Jamaica a day after Pakistan’s shock defeat to minnows Ireland in the 50-over World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007.
   He was rushed to hospital but later died. The Jamaican police initially treated it as murder and investigated Pakistan team members before declaring it a natural death.
   Bob Woolmer coached the team from June 2004 until his death in March 2007.
   Dale Woolmer recalled his father’s association with the Pakistan team as ‘magnificent.’
   ‘He used to say that Pakistan can be the best team if they believe in themselves and I visited Pakistan on several occasions and found the people of the country as great and hospitable,’ he wrote in his letter.
   Dale Woolmer said he wished foreign teams would return to play in Pakistan in the future. The country was stripped of its World Cup 2011 matches after a militant assault on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March this year.
   ‘It is very important for Pakistan cricket that foreign teams return to the country. I hope the matter is solved in the near future,’ he wrote.

Former Australia fast bowler Jeff Thomson believes swing bowling could help England in their quest to regain the Ashes.
   Four years ago in England the ability of Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones to move the ball late at sharp pace played a key role in Australia’s 2-1 Ashes series loss.
   Although the injury-plagued Jones is now out for the season and Flintoff has only recently returned from a knee problem, England’s James Anderson is one of the world’s leading swing bowlers.
   And 58-year-old Thomson, a ferocious fast bowler who made his name during Australia’s triumphant Ashes campaign of 1974-75, believes swing bowling could yet be the undoing of his compatriots once again.
   ‘Our guys are not any good at the ball that moves,’ Thomson, said on Wednesday.
   ‘Nobody really moves them back home.
   ‘(Ben) Hilfenhaus does, but they don’t get enough of it and nobody develops it,’ added Thomson, whose distinctive slingshot action helped him take 200 wickets at an average of 28 in his 51 Tests.
   ‘England’s swing bowlers have always cashed in and they don’t promote it back home - it’s the most ridiculous thing ever,’ added Thomson, who formed a celebrated pace partnership with Dennis Lillee.
   ‘Our batsmen against balls that move? Not very good.’
   Turning to Australia’s attack, he added: ‘Hilfenhaus should be really handy over if he bowls properly. He moves the ball about a bit like (Andy) Bichel used to.’
   As for 32-year-old fast bowler Brett Lee’s prospects of a successful return to the Test side following ankle surgery, Thomson said: ‘Brett’s been out for ages. What is he, 33, 34? It’s pretty hard to come back then.
   ‘He is a fit guy, which makes a hell of a difference, but only time will tell. He’s a bit of a gamble.’
   Off-break bowler Nathan Hauritz is the only specialist spinner in Australia’s squad and Thomson said: ‘But I don’t think the pace bowling’s a problem. It’s just spinners - we’ve got no spinners.’
   The first Ashes Test starts in Cardiff on July 8.

Shoaib Malik, the former Pakistan captain, has praised his successor Younis Khan’s leadership skills. He said Younis’ leadership as well as sessions with a sports psychologist helped Pakistan win the World Twenty20.
   ‘I think those sessions helped as the doctor used the power of hypnotism to drill it into our minds that we were going to England to become the World Twenty20 champions,’ PTI quoted Malik as saying. ‘It helped us a lot to play to our true potential.’
   Malik said losing to India in the 2007 World Twenty20 final, when he was captain, was bitterly disappointing but he felt elated now. ‘I think our victory over South Africa in the semi-final showed that we could beat anyone on our day.
   ‘We had the momentum with us and with [Shahid] Afridi finding his batting form, it was almost like we were destined to win. I am happy just like the rest of the nation over this victory. It is a big honour for our country and we needed it now.’
   Pakistan’s next assignment is a tour of Sri Lanka which includes three Tests, five ODIs and two Twenty20s between July 4 and August 12.

BKSP clinched the title of the Girls’ School Cricket Tournament defeating Viqarunnissa Noon School by a massive 163 runs at the Dhanmondi Women’s Sports Complex on Thursday.
   Batting first, BKSP piled up 195 for four in the stipulated 20 overs with Azra Raihana hitting 54. Later Sanjida Islam took four wickets for nine to bundle Viqarunnissa out for a paltry 32. Aka Mollika took two for eight.

Wayward Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds was not included in the Queensland squad for the 2009-10 Australian season when it was announced by Queensland Cricket on Thursday.
   Symonds, 34, was sent home from the World Twenty20 in England earlier this month after the latest in a series of alcohol-related indiscretions.
   Cricket Australia subsequently withdrew its contract offer to Symonds and said it hoped he would continue to play domestic cricket with Queensland.
   Symonds, whose management said he is deciding on his future plans after also fielding interest from England and South Africa, previously advised Queensland Cricket not to include him on their contract list for next season.
   He was a success in the Indian Premier League, helping the Deccan Chargers to the Twenty20 title in South Africa last month and has another year left on his Deccan contract.
   ‘Andrew has been upfront with us and made a very selfless gesture by advising us not to contract him,’ QC chief executive Graham Dixon said earlier this month.
   ‘He knows the door is open here and we look forward to catching up with him when he’s ready to have a chat about what his plans might be.’

The Grameen Danone Nations Cup (U-12) football tournament kicks off at seven venues across the country from Sunday. A total of 44 district teams will be fighting for the championship to earn the ticket of the Danone Nations Cup scheduled to be held from August 9th to 11th at Sao Paulo Brazil.
   Gazipur, Nilphamari, Feni, Kushtia, Rajbari, Sirajganj and Satkhira are the seven venues that will hold the preliminary phase matches. Later, the seven zonal champions and a BFF Development Squad will play in the final round at Dhaka.
   In a press conference held at the BFF House, Anwarul Huq Helal, BFF executive committee member, Satyajit Das Rupu member BFF, Mary Suberian, the event manager of Danone disclosed the tournament to the press.

The United States stunned Spain 2-0 on Wednesday to book a place in the Confederations Cup final and end the European champions record-breaking win streak.
   A first-half strike from Villarreal’s Jozy Altidore and another 16 minutes from time by Fulham’s Clint Dempsey did the damage in what will go down as one of the biggest victories in US football history.
   They also had a flawless performance by Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard and a commendable defensive display to thank for earning them a shot at the trophy on Sunday against Brazil or hosts South Africa.
   Their only black mark was having Michael Bradley – son of coach Bob – sent off for a lunging tackle with four minutes left, meaning he will miss the final.
   ‘For us it’s a big night,’ said Bradley senior.
   ‘The players have all worked hard. We constantly talk about reaching higher and we did that.
   ‘Spain are a super team who we have great respect for. We knew it would be a challenge but we felt we had a chance and could win. There was a real confidence.’
   It was a remarkable upset on a freezing night that not only ended Spain’s record of 15 consecutive wins but also prevented them from surpassing Brazil’s 35-match unbeaten run.
   Spain will have to be content with going into the history books level with the South Americans after their first loss since November 15, 2006.
   ‘We faced a team that played with good energy, was good in attack and was fast. We were surprised. The entire team was very dangerous for us,’ said Spain coach Vicente del Bosque.
   ‘We are in the world of sport and it was a strong rival and I cannot be unhappy with the effort made by the team. We did everything we could.’
   After resting several players for their last match against South Africa, they were back at full strength with Iker Casillas, Sergio Ramos, Joan Capdevila and Xabi Alonso returning to action.
   The United States welcomed back captain and ex-Fulham player Carlos Bocanegra while Howard returned to goal.
   Spain had won all three previous encounters but the United States’ miracle run to the last four, qualifying on goals scored after finishing level with Italy on goal difference, showed they could not be underestimated.
   Spain had the first chance of the match but the US weren’t sitting back and Charlie Davies sent a spectacular bicycle kick flashing just wide.
   With Dempsey firing a long range drive close soon after it was clear they meant business.
   At the other end Cesc Fabregas sent a cross in from the left which Fernando Torres volleyed just past the post.
   They combined superbly again shortly after with the Liverpool striker forcing a fine one-handed save from his Merseyside rival Howard.
   But in a major shock the US took the lead on 27 minutes when the powerful Altidore muscled past Capdevila and Carles Puyol with Casillas unable to prevent his shot finding the back of the net.
   It was only the third goal Spain had conceded in 16 games.
   Spain were in trouble but bounced back with a hatful of chances with Torres and Ramos in the thick of the action only for heroic defending to deny them.
   They went to the break losing 1-0 and in need of something special.
   David Villa almost provided it soon after the restart when he let rip from just inside the box but Howard turned it round the post.
   They threw all they had at the Americans but Bocanegra and his defensive partners held firm and against the run of play they scored a second.
   LA Galaxy’s Landon Donovan sent a cross in from the right and errors by Gerald Pique and Ramos allowed Dempsey to hustle the ball over the line for a famous victory.

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque paid tribute to his team Thursday after their phenomenal unbeaten run was ended by the United States, vowing they would bounce straight back.
   The European champions were heavily favoured to make the Confederations Cup final but were outfoxed by the Americans late Wednesday to lose 2-0 in a major upset.
   It not only brought an abrupt halt to their world record 15 consecutive wins, in which they conceded just two goals, but also prevented them from surpassing Brazil’s 35-match unbeaten streak.
   Spain will have to be content with going into the history books level with the South Americans after their first loss since November 15, 2006.
   ‘We are in the world of sport and it was a strong rival and I cannot be unhappy with the effort made by the team. We did everything we could,’ said Del Bosque, who tasted his first defeat since taking over the national team.
   ‘It’s never good to lose and we are not used to it but there always comes a moment.
   ‘We’ve finished the Confederations Cup and we’ll try to win the next match then try to think about our qualification for the World Cup.’
   Spain had won all three of their previous encounters with the United States but were undone by Bob Bradley’s tactics,
   with Barcelona’s influential midfielder Xavi successfully stifled in the middle.
   Add in a solid defensive display and a fine performance by Everton’s Tim Howard in goal and it is the United States who will contest the final on Sunday in Johannesburg against Brazil or South Africa.
   Despite a long, gruelling season, Spain can’t escape the freezing South African winter just yet with the third-place playoff game on the same day in Rustenburg.
   ‘We did a good analysis of the rival,’ said the pokerfaced Del Bosque, who had spent the days before the match studying videos of the United States.
   ‘They do not spend much time in midfield, they go straight for goal.
   ‘We tried to go down the wings because it was too tough for us through the middle. We had many opportunities and they really closed the door for us while our attackers had real problems with their defence.’
   The 58-year-old denied that his team were complacent or were thinking about the final before getting through the semis.
   ‘No, we are sportsmen and we have to accept this defeat. But fortunately we have a team that can bounce back and has a very good future ahead,’ said the former Real Madrid boss.
   ‘This is a stumbling block for us and we have to look to just look forward.’
   Despite the loss, Spain’s talent-laden team remain the number one ranked side in the world, although Del Bosque is uncomfortable with the mantle.
   ‘I don’t like this description,’ he insisted.
   ‘You only have to look at teams like Brazil, Germany and England to know there is a lot of quality out there.’

Barce-lona midfielder Xavi says Spain are hurting after failing to make the final of the Confederations Cup.
   The maestro, who was effectively shut down by the United States in their upset 2-0 in the semi-finals on Wednesday, was disappointed that the European champions’ dreams of another title were shattered.
   ‘It’s a big disappointment and it hurts not to be in the final because we would have liked to be there,’ he told reporters.
   ‘Nothing went right for us during the match. We had a lot of scoring chances, but none of them went in.
   ‘It’s a real shame, but I do not believe it is necessary to jump to any negative conclusions. It is important, however, to learn from this defeat.’
   The defeat ended Spain’s 15-match unbeaten streak but Xavi denied they had become too confident.
   ‘I don’t think this is a lesson in humility for us because the main identity of this team is humility and hard work,’ he said.
   ‘We do not have to prove anything. We have a great group of players and our desire and efforts have always been demonstrated on the pitch.’
   Captain Iker Casillas admitted the team lost concentration on a freezing night in Bloemfontein.
   ‘Something like this had to happen one day and that day was now,’ he said.
   ‘It was one of those games where you play 10 times and you win nine of them. Well, as it would turn out, we lost.
   ‘We missed a lot of goalscoring chances and we paid for our two defensive errors.’
   Spain must now lift themselves for a third-place play-off against the losers of Thursday’s semi-final between defending champions Brazil and hosts South Africa.
   ‘It’s clear that this defeat, our first, really hurts, but now we must play the match for third and fourth placing,’ said Xavi.

Roger Federer has a new passion – and two million people are sharing it with him.
   Fed, bidding for a record 15th Grand Slam, loves the history and tradition of tennis.
   But the Wimbledon favourite is a thoroughly modern mister when it comes to the high-tech 21st Century.
   And that is why Fed has signed up to social networking site, Facebook.
   One of the options is to poke a friend, an online nudge in the ribs.
   It is a trick that Federer first learned on court, anyway, and which he is executing to perfection this week.
   Second-round opponent Guillermo Garcia-Lopez was given the same treatment as Yen-Hsun Lu on Monday.
   The Spaniard was routinely dispatched from Centre Court 6-2 6-2 6-4 in a mere hour and 29 minutes. Well and truly poked.
   Federer’s ghastly new Wimbledon outfit looks like a streak of caramel in vanilla ice cream but it was Garcia-Lopez who melted in the heat.
   Ranked at 42 in the world, he was simply another minor obstacle to overcome in the Swiss superstar’s search for a sixth Championship title.
   Afterwards a smiling Federer revealed: ‘Facebook is a real fun thing. It’s been a lot of pleasure lately. I like to interact.
   ‘I have a person who helps me do it because I can’t go all the time on it.
   ‘But I try to update it as frequently as I can.
   ‘It’s amazing how the fan base grows so quickly. I think we’re close to two million.
   ‘Fans mean a lot to me, that they support me so much not only by internet but also in the stadium. I can feel that.’
   One fan was missing from Centre Court. Pregnant wife Mirka was feeling under the weather and opted out of sitting in the sunshine. Fed added: ‘She was not feeling 100 per cent.
   ‘It’s important for her to rest and she’s already feeling better.’
   Hubby did not leave her alone for long. The No 2 seed did not even have to play that well to win.
   He said: ‘It felt good. I expected it to be much harder because he played well at Eastbourne.
   ‘I was quite surprised I was able to win so easily.’

Spain was in a state of shock and disappointment as a result of Wednesday’s 2-0 defeat against the United States in the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup. The European champions were overwhelming favourites to reach the final, but turned in a flat, sluggish display against the well-drilled Americans – and suffered their first defeat since 2006.
   A win or even a penalty shootout defeat against the US would have given Spain a new world record of 36 games without defeat. Now, they have to settle for sharing the record of 35 games with Brazil.
   The shock defeat in South Africa was front-page news in every Spanish newspaper on Thursday.
   ‘The Yankees Bring Us Down from the Clouds,’ said the headline of Madrid sports daily Marca, Spain’s top-selling newspaper.
   Rival daily AS led with ‘How strange it is to lose,’ then said that ‘Spain fell blindly into the trap’ with a slow, predictable form of possession football that ‘rarely tested an excellent American defence.’
   According to the prestigious El Pais, US manager Bob Bradley ‘clearly won his duel’ against Spain’s Vicente del Bosque, who was now taking criticism for the first time after taking over from Euro 2008 hero Luis Aragones 11 months ago.
   Del Bosque won his first 12 games in charge of ‘La Seleccion,’ virtually qualifying them for the 2010 World Cup finals. But now he is beginning to feel the heat for the first time.
   Two other men in the line of fire were full-backs Joan Capdevila and Sergio Ramos, whose schoolboy errors led to the two US goals.
   ‘They have been the weak point of the national team for several years,’ commented Radio Marca, ‘and that was confirmed on Wednesday.’
   El Mundo pointed to the absence of forwards Andres Iniesta and David Silva, both of whom were key figures at Euro 2008, as another reason for the defeat.
   Barcelona paper La Vanguardia blamed the setback on the fatigue of playmaker Xavi ‘after a long and difficult season.’
   La Vanguardia said that Xavi, who was voted player of the tournament at Euro 2008, now needs ‘a proper break’ before resuming command of the Barcelona midfield.
   One thing that all of the Spanish newspapers agreed upon was the absurdity of Spain having to stay in South Africa until Sunday, in order to play the third-place match against the losers of Thursday’s Brazil-South Africa semi-final.
   Third-place deciders have been scrapped by UEFA for the European Championship finals since 1984, but the world governing body FIFA insists on continuing with them at their tournaments.

The head of Iran’s football federation has denied punishing players for wearing green wristbands in a show of support of the opposition during a World Cup qualifier, local media reported on Thursday.
   ‘The comments in foreign media are nothing but lies and a mischievous act,’ Ali Kafashin was quoted as saying. ‘The federation has not banned any player from the national team.’
   Football’s world governing body FIFA wrote to the Iranians to seek answers over alleged punishments meted out to players who wore green wristbands during the 2010 World Cup qualifier against South Korea last week, reflecting their support for opposition presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi.
   Star striker Ali Karimi, once dubbed Asia’s Maradona, and skipper Mehdi Mahdavikia were among six players who wore the wristbands.
   On Wednesday, both players resigned from the national team, known as Team Melli, which has failed to qualify for next year’s World Cup finals, saying they wanted to clear the way for younger players, ISNA news agency reported.
   ‘I am sure that the younger players in the team and the ones who will join later can succeed in Team Melli,’ Karmi, 31, was quoted as saying.
   ‘Team Melli has to get ready for the Asian Cup 2011, and I believe I should give my place to younger players, therefore I am saying goodbye to the team,’ said 32-year-old Mahdavikia.
   British media have reported that the two players were told they would never play for Iran again because of their political stance.

Barcelona’s Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o is set to stay with the Catalan club amid a dearth of offers for the star, sports daily AS reported on Thursday.
   ‘They have received no offers,’ reported the paper, a comment which would be music to the ears of Barca chairman Joan Laporta, who wants the 28-year-old to stay for the rest of his career.
   AS added that wage demands of some ten million euros a year were frightening top clubs off Eto’o.
   Last week Laporta said that ‘we’re trying to find a way in which he can stay’ after talks between the player’s agent, Josep Maria Mesalles, and Barca’s director of football Txiki Begiristain.
   Eto’o bagged 30 goals in La Liga last season and also hit the opener in the Champions League final win over Manchester United but his current contract only runs for another year.
   That has sparked interest from big-spending English Premier League club Manchester City, French side Lyon and Italy’s Inter Milan.
   City’s initial interest has waned with the club landing Paraguayan forward Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn.
   Spanish media have tipped Valencia’s David Villa, Atletico Madrid’s Diego Forlan and Inter’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic as possible replacements for Eto’o if he should leave.

Arsenal skipper Cesc Fabregas is fed up with the club’s trophyless run stretching back four seasons and is angry at the glaring contrast with Manchester United, The Sun reported the star Thursday as saying.
   ‘The absence of titles at Arsenal is what angers me most,’ Fabregas told The Sun, noting that Cristiano Ronaldo has moved from United to Real Madrid only after winning a shoal of top honours.
   ‘When you don’t win everyone is in a bad mood. For four years now, we’ve needed a title to regain our belief in ourselves.’
   ‘Cristiano said he’s leaving Manchester United because he had nothing else to win.
   ‘For me right now, it is the exact opposite – seeing the impotence.’

Football made rare headlines in the United States on Wednesday after the US beat Spain 2-0 in the Confederations Cup to reach the first FIFA men’s final in its history. At the game played in Bloemfontein’s Free State Stadium, the US claimed what has been called their biggest football victory ever. Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey scored in either half for the US, who snapped Spain’s winning streak at 15 matches and unbeaten run at 35 games.
   ‘This win is huge for American soccer,’ said man of the match Dempsey. ‘This is our first time to be in the final of a major competition, so obviously we are thrilled.’
   Many US newspapers called the shock result ‘the miracle on grass’ - referring to the US hockey team’s upset defeat of the Soviet Union in the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, a victory referred to as ‘the miracle on ice.’
   ESPN commentator Jim Rome, whose baseball and basketball analysis show followed the live broadcast of the game from South Africa, was almost lost for words, as he introduced his programme. ‘Whew,’ he told his audience, ‘soccer rocks.’
   From the New York Times to Yahoo to the Los Angeles Times, newspapers and websites across the country plastered news of the success prominently. The Times said it was ‘probably the greatest victory ever by the men’s national soccer team,’ and noted that the ‘inequity’ of the teams’ pedigree made the victory even more of a spectacle.
   More importantly, the paper pointed out, the victory may well persuade FIFA to improve the US seeding prior to the World Cup draw on December 4. ‘This was not the World Cup, but it was an important tournament in the march toward 2010,’ said the Times.
   Alexie Lalas, a member of the 1994 US World Cup team, said that Wednesday’s win gave him hope going in to the World Cup. ‘You have got to be proud – it’s a good old fashioned American soccer team,’ he said.
   Alan Black of the San Francisco Chronicle was a little more poetic. ‘Spain, the royalty of the world soccer empire, had their crown knocked off by a gutsy bunch of Yanks, unwilling to bend the knee to soccer kings,’ he wrote.
   ‘What we saw today was a foreshadowing. At some point in the future, the USA will be the best soccer team in the world, and win the World Cup. That will be the day when an extra star could be added to the flag, the star of the ‘international’ state.’
   For fan Chris Hoene, 38, of Washington, it was an amazing game, ‘one of the top four or five games for us.’
   ‘You make it to the final, you advance out of a group with Brazil and Italy, and then beat Spain when they are number one?’ said Todd Turner, 34, who watched the game with Hoene at an ESPNZone bar in the US capital. ‘It helps them get a seed in next year’s World Cup.’
   ‘Yeah, we got the shaft on that last time,’ Hoene said, shaking his head. ‘We won, like, nine straight games against Mexico and finished the second seed in our region.’
   The US team was eliminated from the 2006 World Cup after losing to Ghana and the Czech Republic and drawing with Italy.
   Hoene said the US team had made an impressive showing so far, despite not having much practice together.
   ‘They got better every game,’ Hoene said. ‘They haven’t played together a lot, and the first two games were a little rough. The third game was way better, the fourth game was way better ... it shows that they are learning how to play together.’
   Turner said the upcoming Gold Cup could be another coup for the Americans. ‘Our team could win that ... we have definitely got momentum’ for the World Cup and the upcoming qualifier at Azteca Stadium in Mexico, Turner said.
   Aaron Ingham, 21, of Pennsylvania, hoped Wednesday’s win would finally draw greater interest from US fans.
   ‘Not a lot of Americans really get up and care about how the team is doing, especially getting ready for the World Cup ... hopefully this will rally a bit of support,’ he said.
   The excitement spilled over the border into neighbouring Canada. ‘I’m very fortunate to get paid to commentate on and talk about this wonderful sport, but I am almost speechless at what I witnessed in the first semi-final of the FIFA Confederations Cup,’ noted Nigel Reed of the Canadian Broadcasting Company.
   ‘How could a team which lost its opening two games and was seemingly on the next flight out of Johannesburg make it all the way to the final at the expense of the European champions,’ he said.
   It was not only the professional pundits who were gushing. Sofia Lepore, a 12-year-old goalie, watched the game live with her friends on summer vacation. ‘Our coach always tells us to stick to the game plan, try our best and never give up, That’s what the US team did today,’ she said. ‘It was amazing.’

The United States’ shock Confedera-tions Cup semi-final win over Spain has sparked enormous interest from Americans in next year’s World Cup, FIFA revealed on Thursday.
   ‘There is huge demand for World Cup tickets, already 93,000 have been sold and the response since last night’s victory has been incredible,’ the 2010 Local Organising Committee’s media officer Jermaine Craig told journalists at a FIFA briefing at Ellis Park.
   ‘There’s phenomenal excitement from the United States,’ he added.
   FIFA head of media Nicolas Maingot believes Wednesday’s stunning 2-0 win over the European champions at Bloemfontain could have far reaching implications for the sport in the United States.
   ‘This result can have an impact on the development of soccer in the United States. Soccer is developing there for years and years and a result like this can only help,’ said Maingot.
   World football’s governing body FIFA is hopeful that US President Barack Obama will attend the World Cup opening ceremony and first match.
   White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, a former college soccer goalkeeper, is certainly enthusiastic at the possibility of attending.
   ‘I asked specifically...in order to get my seat early,’ Gibbs said at his daily briefing on Monday.
   Gibbs added: ‘I’m told from scheduling that the president has accepted a meeting with the head of FIFA World Cup, but we have not yet altogether made plans.
   ‘I can assure you that a small group of us have assembled in order to move the president in that direction.’
   The opening ceremony will be at the new 100,000-seat Soccer City stadium on the outskirts of Soweto. The match is likely to feature either hosts South Africa or defending world champions Italy.

Serena Williams revealed on Wednesday she is working on a TV comedy script, but such was the one-sided nature of her latest routine Wimbledon outing that farce might be more appropriate.
   It took the world number two just 58 minutes to dispose of the lightweight challenge presented by Australia’s Jarmila Groth and her post-match news conference quickly turned to writing, snacking and Maria Sharapova’s shock exit.
   Williams, who has already dipped her toe into showbiz with walk-on roles, said she is working on a script for TV, drawing on American favourites like Desperate Housewives, Family Guy and Sex and the City.
   ‘You’ll be excited to know I wrote three parts already. I call it “my treatment”,’ said the American.
   ‘You know what, today’s a good day. I can write.
   ‘It’s definitely for TV. I don’t know how good I would be at writing a movie. Hopefully it will be good.
   ‘It’s a mixture of some of my favourite shows, like Desperate Housewives and Sex and the City, and actually Family Guy. It’s kind of those put together in one, if you can imagine.’
   Italy’s Roberta Vinci is the next sacrificial lamb on the agenda for double champion Serena, but thoughts of her opponent were far from her mind.
   With another comfortable afternoon expected for the 27-year-old, questions turned to her problems with the All England Club’s policy of eating in the locker rooms.
   Williams was ticked off for snacking by fussy officials.
   ‘I just got confused as to why there are bananas and other stuff that you consume in the locker room, unless they found another way to consume it that I’m not aware of. I don’t dare want to find out,’ she said.
   ‘They told me not to eat. I try to abide by the rules. I’m just confused as to why do you supply something you consume if there’s a sign that says, No consuming.’
   And Sharapova’s defeat to Gisela Dulko?
   ‘I feel for her being injured. I know how hard it is to come back. I think she’ll be fine.’
   Serena also fended questions on the air quality at the Beijing Olympics, Roger Federer’s new jacket and the impending departure of the head of the WTA.
   Thirty-three questions in all, only two of which were about her demolition of Groth.

Brilliant tactics helped the United States pull off a stunning 2-0 win over Spain and reach the Confederations Cup final, something coach Bob Bradley described as huge.
   A first-half strike from Villarreal’s Jozy Altidore and another 16 minutes from time by Fulham’s Clint Dempsey did the damage on Wednesday in what will go down as one of the biggest victories in US football history.
   They also had a flawless performance by Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard and a commendable defensive display to thank for earning them a shot at the trophy on Sunday against either Brazil or hosts South Africa.
   ‘When you play Spain you certainly have to work very hard as a group to defend. We made a special point to close down Xavi as best we could to prevent his penetrative passes,’ said Bradley.
   ‘We felt strongly that when we got the ball we needed to be aggressive and have the confidence that we could keep the ball and move it.
   ‘We did a very good job of sealing down the middle of the field. Our backline did very well. It was a team effort to just try and make sure our defending was good and look for moments to score.’
   Spain coach Vicente del Bosque admitted his side were outfoxed.
   ‘We faced a team that played with good energy, was good in attack and was fast. We were surprised. The entire team was very dangerous for us,’ he said.
   ‘We are in the world of sport and it was a strong rival and I cannot be unhappy with the effort made by the team. We did everything we could.’
   It was a remarkable upset on a freezing night that not only ended Spain’s record of 15 consecutive wins but also prevented them from surpassing Brazil’s 35-match unbeaten run.
   Spain will have to be content with going into the history books level with the South Americans after their first loss since November 15, 2006.
   ‘For us it’s a big night, huge,’ added Bradley.
   ‘We’re excited to be in the final and when you’re there you have chance to win. The motivation will be very high.’
   Spain had won all three previous encounters but the United States’ miracle run to the last four, qualifying on goals scored after finishing level with Italy on goal difference, showed they could not be underestimated.

Despite calls from the AFA chief for Juan Roman Riquelme to express his availability for the Argentine national team, the playmaker has reaffirmed that he has no intention of returning.
   Riquelme told the press that he was ‘surprised’ by the declarations made by AFA president Julio Grondona, who pleaded for the Boca Juniors superstar to ask to be called up again.
   ‘Next year I will continue to play football, and I will be where my children want me to be. I can’t predict the future and I don’t know what will happen in one year’s time,’ said Riquelme.
   Obviously surprised by the declarations made by the AFA president, once again Riquelme reiterated that he ‘won’t talk about the national team’ and that there’s no chance that he will return if Diego Maradona continues to be the coach of the side.
   ‘I will always be grateful for what Julio has done, because he has done a lot for me to be here today, at Boca. He contributed and facilitated my return to Boca and my exit from Villarreal. I won’t forget about that.’
   For now, at least, it seems that there is no chance that Riquelme will return to wearing the famous blue and white stripes of his national team.

Sania Mirza hopes that within a few years she won’t be the only Indian tennis star battling at the highest level.
   Mirza said there was finally plenty of talent beginning to come through the ranks as interest in the sport picks up.
   And though the 22-year-old does not feel lonely on the tour, she is aware of the pressure on her shoulders as India’s only top-100 player.
   ‘I hope there’s a lot more tennis players, especially women, come up from India,’ she said.
   ‘We seem to have a lot of talent and with the right kind of backing I hope that we can have instead of just one player playing out there, about five or six.
   ‘One of the reasons is people aren’t very tennis aware in the country,’ she told AFP.
   ‘Cricket is more like the sport that people like to play and the masses connect with, but it’s getting better. I don’t know when but hopefully in a few years it will get better and we will have more than one player on the tour.
   ‘At least there’s a lot of interest and that’s a start. I remember when we used to play under-10s we were struggling to have eight people fill the draw and now they have draws of 32 and 64 for under 10s and 12s which I think is a big step.’
   Mirza’s face is plastered on posters and billboards throughout India and she recognises that she is carrying the weight of national expectation.
   ‘There’s always pressure, especially in a country like India where there’s so many people,’ she said.
   ‘But I’ve learned to deal with it over the years and I take it in my stride and that’s how it’s supposed to be, that’s something that’s not in my control.
   ‘I just have to change the negative pressure into the positive and try and take all the support and go out and perform.’
   Mirza, ranked 85 in the world, tumbled out of Wimbledon in the second round, losing 6-4, 6-4 to Romanian number 28 seed Sorana Cirstea on Wednesday.
   The pair are good friends off the court but fought a close battle on it.
   ‘We are professionals and we go out there and give our best, and we come off and we’re friends again.
   ‘I came back and she was eating lunch with my dad so just before the match we actually had a laugh about that. I just saw her for five minutes.’
   Mirza has yet to start her ladies’ doubles and mixed doubles campaigns at the All England Club but is feeling confident about her progress this year after having struggled with a wrist injury.
   ‘In terms of fitness I’m pretty much at my best because I’m not really hurting in any major way, which is one of the best things because I’ve gone through half the year almost and not been injured yet.

Carlos Tevez is considering offers from Manchester City, Chelsea and one other club, according to the player’s adviser Kia Joorabchian.
   After Tevez decided not to renew his contract with Manchester United, despite being made the offer by the Old Trafford club that he had long been waiting for, Joorabchian commented the Argentinian’s future will be defined in ‘about 10 days’ and hinted City were in pole position to sign the player.
   Joorabchian told Radio del Plata: ‘Right now we are evaluating the proposals from Manchester City, Chelsea and one other team.
   ‘In the next two weeks, Carlos, Adrian (Rouco, Tevez’s agent) and I will meet to sort this out.
   ‘City is a club with most of the chances because they are building a big squad, but it is not a decisive point.
   ‘The contract with United officially runs to until June 31 and we’ll respect that. After July 1, we’ll see. We may be defined in 10 days.’
   Last weekend, Tevez turned down a lucrative five-year offer to stay at Old Trafford, with Joorabchian making clear it arrived too late.
   ‘Carlitos has never asked United for money, he has never complained about his contract. It is not a problem regarding money, but we never talked about that in two years.
   ‘In two years, (United manager Sir Alex) Ferguson always said we were going to sit down to negotiate but we never did so. He sent an offer, but it was too late because they had not offered anything in two years.’

Valencia defender Raul Albiol is to be big spending Spanish side Real Madrid’s third signing of the close season, it was widely reported on Thursday.
   The 23-year-old Spanish international will sign a five year contract while Valencia will receive 15million euros for him, according to sports dailies AS and Marca.
   The official announcement will not be made till after the ongoing Confederations Cup, which saw Spain eliminated on Wednesday after they lost 2-0 to the United States in the semi-finals.
   Real chairman Florentino Perez - who in his previous tenure bankrolled the signing of the ‘galacticos’ such as Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham and Luis Figo - has already bought Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka this summer for huge fees.

Members of South Korea’s football squad will receive up to 80 million won (62,000 dollars) each as a reward for getting the country to its seventh consecutive World Cup finals, officials said Thursday.
   A total of two billion won will be distributed to 42 players who made the squad over eight matches in the final Asian qualifying round, the Korea Football Association said.
   South Korea booked their place in South Africa 2010 by finishing unbeaten – four wins and four draws – in the qualifiers which ended on June 17.
   Players will be listed in six groups based on the number of appearances and contributions to the team’s success.
   Captain Park Ji-sung of England’s Manchester United, who played in seven games, is expected to scoop the highest prize.
   Head coach Huh Jung-moo will receive 120 million won.

Two South African robbers were on Wednesday sentenced to five years in jail for breaking into the hotel room of two Brazilian police officers on observational duty at the Confederations Cup.
   ‘They were basically caught with their hands in the cookie jar,’ said police spokesman Vish Naidoo.
   The two men broke into the Pretoria hotel room at 0300 local time on Tuesday and were arrested by the Brazilians, who are in South Africa to observe police operations ahead of their country’s hosting of the 2014 World Cup.
   ‘They’ve been given five years each,’ but the last two years were suspended, said Naidoo after the pair appeared in court on Wednesday.
   The two men were found guilty of housebreaking, Naidoo said.
   The incident is the Confed Cup’s first conviction and sentencing following reported thefts from hotel rooms of the Egyptian and Brazilian teams during the eight-nation tournament, which comes a year ahead of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
   South Africa has one of the world’s worst crime rates, with heavily beefed up security procedures in place for the Confederations Cup.
   Last week, one of the stadiums built for the 2010 World Cup, but not being used for the Confederations Cup, was attacked by armed robbers after an international rugby union match with the touring British and Irish Lions.

Turkish champions Besiktas are in talks with Spanish side Villarreal over the transfer of their Turkey international striker Nihat Kahveci, the Istanbul club announced on Thursday.
   ‘Negotiations are ongoing with the player and his Spanish club,’ read a statement on the Besiktas website.
   Popular Turkish newspaper Sabah reported that the 29-year-old forward met Besiktas president Yildirim Demiroren while on holiday in Izmir, western Turkey on Wednesday.
   Sabah claimed that Nihat, who spent four years at Besiktas between 1998 and 2002 after graduating from their youth set-up, has agreed to sign a four-year contract at the club.