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Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club made history when they became the first team to win a prize money of Tk 1 crore with a 1-0 victory over their arch-rivals Dhaka Abahani in the final of the Citycell Super Cup at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Friday.
   The prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, distributed the prizes in front of a capacity crowd of 45000 and a few thousand waiting outside. Runners-up Abahani took home a purse of Tk 20 lakh.
   Mohammedan put in a balanced performance to restrict their opponents who missed their key midfielders Joy and Pranatosh and were stunned to see their attacking lynchpin Emily limping off with a muscle sprain late in the first half. Abahani pushed forward after the break but the Mohammedan defence kept Abahani’s main striker Ghanaian Awudu Ibrahim in check. Ibrahim found a very few spaces throughout the 90 minutes and was often the lone prowler in the opposition defence.
   After taking the early lead Mohammedan looked a little defensive and snuffed out the Abahani attack in the midfield. Goalkeeper Aminul, veteran defender Rajani, Nigerian defender Emmanuel Dami and Egyptian midfielder Hazem Mahmood fought their hearts out to bring glory to the traditional black-and-white outfit.
   Abahani launched the first attack in the fifth minute but Mamun’s curling free-kick missed the crossbar by a few inches. Awudu Ibrahim produced one of his trademark solo runs in the 6th minute but shot the ball straight at Aminul from ten yards.
   Mohammedan hit back and Nigerian forward Alamu Bukola Olalekan’s back-heel from a Nasir cross went wide.
   Mohammedan took the lead through Nigerian John Goodwin in the 21st minute. Egyptian midfielder Hazem Mahmood curved a lob from the midfield and Bukola received the ball in the left flank and lost his marker and sent a cross to Goodwin who blasted the ball into the top corner from ten yards.
   Abul, who came on for Emily, headed an Awudu cross wide in the 35th minute with Aminul alone under the bar.
   After the restart Abahani surged ahead in search of a goal and Emeka Christian, who surprisingly was doing a defensive job in the first half, blasted the ball over from close range in the 53rd minute.
   Aminul’s vigilance paid off in the 56th minute as he parried an Awudu grounder diving to his right.
   Abahani piled up the pressure and in the 76th minute Shujon headed a Wali Faisal free-kick intended for Awudu but Aminul rushed forward and made a fingertip save.
   Abahani realised the day did not belong to them as Abul’s goal-bound header from a Awudu Ibrahim cross in the 79th minute was headed to safety by a diving Dami Emmanuele.
   Abahani forward Emily won the red 700cc Cherry car as the most valuable player of the tournament, Aminul Huq scooped Tk 1 lakh as the best goalkeeper, Abdul Hannan Miron was richer by Tk 50,000 as the best referee.
   State minister for youth and sports Ahad Ali Sarker, Chief of Army Staff and NSC chairman General Moeen U Ahmed, BFF president Kazi Salahuddin and Citycell CEO Michael Seymour were present at the prize distribution ceremony.

The good old days of the country’s once popular game of football seemed to have returned on Friday when the two local giants locked horns in an exhilarating final of the Citycell Super Cup at the Bangabandhu National Stadium
   Mohammedan Sporting Club overcame a wave of attacks from their arch-rivals Abahani to win the final 1-0, but football was the ultimate winner as the match came as a sharp reminder of its heyday.
   How many spectators have watched the game from the gallery was a subject of debate as no-one had the exact calculation of the stadium’s capacity after all the recent renovation works, but one thing is beyond doubt that a club football match did not see so many crowds in a decade.
   The South Asian Football Championship that Bangladesh hosted and also won beating Maldives in a tie-breaker in 2003 was the last football event in front of capacity crowd, but that was because of national colour.
   The club football had lost its appeal to the masses long ago and after 1994-95 nobody has seen so many people coming to the stadium to watch the local sides in action. In the meantime, the game had a sojourn away from the BNS to Mirpur, but mostly the lack of star appeal was blamed for it to lose the crowd.
   It remained the same story as Bangladesh did not produce any big name in the recent past, but at least it gave the charge of country’s football to a messiah, Kazi Salahuddin, who did a wonder.
   When the other games including cricket were struggling to get sponsors, Salahuddin brought huge some of money shortly after taking over the charge and finally introduced a tournament that attracted everyone.
   Such was the surge in the Super Cup final that many spectators did not even hesitate to pay five times higher than the original price of a ticket to the black-marketers to get into the stadium. It even attracted the head of the government – the prime minister Sheikh Hasina – who initially declined the invitation but eventually changed her mind to be among the spectators.
   Even the national cricketers, who command maximum popularity among the Bangladeshi sportsmen, could not resist their temptation to come into the stadium and watch the final.
   ‘When I was a schoolboy I used to watch football at the stadium and still the memory is vivid to me. It’s good to see the game gaining the same sort of popularity and as a sportsman I should feel happy,’ said Bangladesh cricket captain Mohammad Ashraful.
   Ashraful was flanked by his national team-mates Shakib al Hasan, the number one one-day all-rounder in the ICC rankings, and the national team’s Australian physiotherapist Michael Henry.
   Both Ashraful and Sakib supported Mohammedan and returned home with happy mood.
   Also happy were the crowds, irrespective of their club affiliation, as they saw their money returned in the shape of entertaining football, though it was only one winner in the end.
   ‘Mohammedan won the match, but Abahani won our hearts also.
   ‘They tried everything and were denied only by Mohammedan goalkeeper Aminul and partly by luck,’ said a spectator, who identified himself as Mokbul, after the game.

The Citycell Super Cup champions Dhaka Moham-medan attributed their success to their new found team spirit after clinching the glittering trophy and the biggest prize money of Tk 1 crore at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Friday. However, Dhaka Abahani, the runners-up side, were disappointed at not being able to find the rhythm in the crucial final.
   Mohammedan coach Maruful Huq gave all the credit to his players. ‘I found a new motivation when my team reached the final, it boosted my players to produce the best and they did it, I asked my players not to commit mistakes and they heeded. Abahani tried hard but we played to our strategy to win the final,’ said Maruf.
   Mohammedan skipper, Arman Aziz was flying high with the success. ‘You cannot imagine how bad we felt after finishing runners-up in the B League. Well, I told my players that we can wipe out our failures by winning the Super Cup, all my players were focussed on the final, we have succeeded in finishing as the best. We needed the success very badly,’ said the midfielder.
   Amalesh Sen, the veteran coach of Dhaka Abahani, was in a realistic mood after the loss. ‘We failed to field our best eleven. Moreover, Emily had limped off with a muscle strain in the first half, still my players got closer to a goal on a number of occasions but we lacked the finishing touch,’ said Amalesh.
   ‘Mohammedan did not play a great game but they scored and maintained the lead with a defensive approach. I also have to admit that Abahani did not produce the best to win the title,’ concluded Amalesh.
   Abahani skipper Nazrul blamed their poor luck. ‘Emily limped off the field and we couldn’t convert our chances to a goal. In a final you have to convert the half chances to win whereas we squandered the chances that came our way,’ said Nazrul.

Brothers Union came back from a goal down to beat Chittagong Moham-medan 3-1 in a third-place play-off in the Citycell Super Cup at the Bangabandhu National Stadium on Friday.
   Nigerian forward Henry Quaye, Liton and Topu scored one goal apiece for the orange outfit after Guinean forward Raphael Sagno had put the port city team in front with his first-minute strike.
   With the victory Brothers Union received Tk 7 lakh while fourth-placed side Chittagong Mohammedan earned Tk 5 lakh in prize money. Sagno gave the port city outfit the lead in the very first minute after the kick-off when he received a long ball at the edge of the box and watching Brothers goalkeeper Shakil off position the Ghanaian slammed the ball into the far corner.
   Henry Quaye restored parity in the 10th minute from a penalty after Chittagong Mohammedan defender Khan Sharif had pushed Brothers forward Topu inside the box. In the 34th minute Topu blasted the ball over the crossbar from six yards out in the 34th minute.
   Sagno, however, let his team down in the 57th minute when he hit the post from a spot-kick.
   Khan Sharif again was the culprit when he caused the second penalty in the 61st minute and Brothers Union substitute forward Liton coolly converted the spot-kick to put his team up.
   In the 80th minute Topu fired the third goal to seal the victory after a solo effort beating Chittagong Mohammedan keeper Mamun Khan at the far post.

The opening match of IPL 2009 will be played at Newlands in Cape Town on April 18, and the final will be held at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on May 24, according to reports in the Indian media.
   The IPL is yet to officially release its schedule, and at least two franchises have confirmed to Cricinfo that they haven’t received an official copy, but PTI and the Hindu have released what they have claimed is the tournament fixture. According to these reports, a double-header lined up on the opening day will have defending champions Rajasthan Royals taking on the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the first match, followed by the clash between last year’s runners-up Chennai Super Kings and the Mumbai Indians at the same venue.
   In all, the 59 matches will be held across eight cities – Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban, Centurion, East London, Kimberley, Bloemfontein and Port Elizabeth, the reports said.
   Kingsmead in Durban, which has a sizeable Indian-origin population, has been reportedly allocated 16 matches while Supersport Park in Centurion will host 12 ties. The Wanderers in Johannesburg and Newlands in Cape Town will stage eight matches each, while St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth and Buffalo Park in East London have been given seven and four matches respectively, the reports said. Two matches each have been handed to the Outsurance Oval in Bloemfontein and De Beers Oval in Kimberley.
   The matches will be held at 12.30pm and 4.30pm (4.00pm and 8.00pm IST).
   
   The schedule (All times IST; according to PTI):
   April 18: Rajasthan Royals (RR) v Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) (4 pm) in Cape Town; Mumbai Indians (MI) v Chennai Super Kings (CSK) (8 pm) in Cape Town
   April 19: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) v Deccan Chargers (DC) (4 pm) in Cape Town; Delhi Daredevils (DD) v Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) (8 pm) in Cape Town
   April 20: RCB V CSK (4 pm) in Port Elizabeth
   April 21: RR v MI (4 pm) in Durban; KKR v KXIP (8 pm) in Durban
   April 22: DD v CSK (4 pm) in Durban; RCB v DC (8 pm) in Cape Town
   April 23: KKR v RR (4 pm) in Port Elizabeth
   April 24: KXIP v RCB (4 pm) in Johannesburg
   April 25: KKR v CSK (4 pm) in Cape Town; DC v MI (8 pm) in Durban
   April 26: RR v KXIP (4 pm) in Cape Town; RCB v DD (8 pm) Port Elizabeth
   April 27: KKR v MI (4 pm) in Cape Town; CSK v DC (8 pm) in Durban
   April 28: DD v RR (4 pm) in Centurion
   April 29: MI v KXIP (4 pm) in Durban; KKR v RCB (8 pm) in Durban
   April 30: DD v DC (4 pm) in Supersport Park; RR v CSK (8 pm) in Centurion
   May 1: RCB v KXIP (4 pm) in East London; MI v KKR (8 pm) in Durban
   May 2: RR v DC (4 pm) in Johannesburg; CSK v DD (8 pm) in Port Elizabeth
   May 3: MI v RCB (4 pm) in Durban; KXIP v KKR (8 pm) in East London
   May 4: DC v CSK (4 pm) in Port Elizabeth
   May 5: DD v KKR (4 pm) in Durban; KXIP v RR (8 pm) in Durban
   May 6: MI v DC (4 pm) in Centurion
   May 7: KXIP v CSK (4 pm) in Supersport Park; RCB v RR (8 pm) in Centurion
   May 8: DD v MI (4 pm) in East London
   May 9: DC v KXIP (4 pm) in Bloemfontein; CSK v RR (8 pm) in Port Elizabeth
   May 10: KKR v DD (4 pm) in East London; RCB v MI (8 pm) in Johannesburg
   May 11: DC v RR (4 pm) in Bloemfontein
   May 12: RCB v KKR (4 pm) in Centurion; KXIP v MI (8 pm) in Centurion
   May 13: DC v DD (4 pm) in Durban
   May 14: MI v RR (4 pm) in Durban; CSK v RCB (8 pm) in Durban
   May 15: KXIP v DD (4 pm) in Kimberley
   May 16: CSK v MI (4 pm) in Johannesburg; DC v KKR (8 pm) in Port Elizabeth
   May 17: RR v DD (4 pm) in Kimberley; KXIP v DC (8 pm) in Johannesburg
   May 18: CSK v KKR (4 pm) in Centurion
   May 19: DD v RCB (4 pm) in Johannesburg
   May 20: CSK v KXIP (4 pm) in Durban; RR v KKR (8 pm) in Durban
   May 21: DC v RCB (4 pm) in Centurion; MI v DD (8 pm) in Centurion
   May 22: Semi Final 1 in Centurion
   May 23: Semi Final 2 in Johannesburg
   May 24: Final in Johannesburg

Zealand (619/9 dec) lead India (79/3) by 540 runs at stumps, day 2
   A Jesse Ryder double ton and centuries from Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum put New Zealand in a commanding position at the close of day two in the second Test against India here Friday.
   New Zealand declared their first innings at 619-9 and then took three quick wickets to have India 79-3 at stumps.
   Spinners Daniel Vettori and Jeetan Patel did the damage as India ended the day 540 runs in arrears.
   With three days remaining, the New Zealand century-makers, backed by half-centuries from Vettori and James Franklin, had taken New Zealand from a faltering 23-3 to a position from where they should not lose.
   New Zealand needed a morale-boosting performance after being thrashed by 10 wickets in the first Test and reeling early on a placid track here.
   Ryder stepped up, casting aside the swashbuckling approach that has made him an impressive one-day performer, and knuckling down in a stand of sublime concentration that lasted just over eight hours.
   ‘I was just going ball by ball,’ he said after the longest innings of his career.
   ‘I just went out and stuck to my gameplan and it’s worked for me and I came off with a double. I can’t ask for anything more at this stage of my career.’
   In an innings of milestones Ryder was the star, reaching his maiden double century in his eighth Test by pulling Zaheer Khan to the boundary for four to move to 201.
   However, Ryder’s celebrations were short-lived as an uncharacteristic slash at the next delivery chopped the ball back on to the stumps.
   Ryder, who scored his maiden Test century in the first Test last week, produced only the 15th double ton in New Zealand Test history.
   In an innings that was a portrait of patience, he faced 328 deliveries, hit 24 fours and a six, and seldom put a foot wrong.
   But after a heroic innings, he threw his bat away in disgust on leaving the field.
   ‘I was just so disappointed going so far and working so hard to get to where I did, and just to get out like that really angered me.’
   He and Taylor came together with New Zealand on the ropes and put on 241 – a record New Zealand fourth-wicket stand against any country, and a record for any New Zealand partnership against India – before Taylor went for 151.
   Ryder then shared in a 121-run partnership with James Franklin for the fifth wicket and added 62 runs with McCullum for the sixth.
   New Zealand resumed the second day at 351-4 and added 64 runs before Franklin was run out for 52 when he was slow to respond to Ryder’s call for a quick single.
   McCullum appeared to shed a tear as he reached his third Test century – and first against a major playing nation – after he cut Virender Sehwag through backward point for four in the final over before tea.
   ‘No disrespect to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe (his previous centuries), to get one against a top quality side like India means a lot, so that was probably the reason for the emotion.’
   After the tea break, Vettori lasted two overs, time enough to race from 43 to 55, before he was bowled by Ishant Sharma.
   Two overs later, McCullum’s stand came to an end when he belted Sharma to Sachin Tendulkar at deep point.
   In contrast to Ryder’s measured approach, McCullum’s 115 came from 140 balls and included 13 fours.
   In the over following McCullum’s dismissal, Vettori called his side in when Harbhajan Singh had Jeetan Patel caught for one.
   On a wicket that proved unresponsive for the quick bowlers, Sharma finished with three for 95 and Khan three for 129.
   However, Vettori’s decision to mix spin and pace with the new ball paid handsome dividends in the 23 overs India faced before stumps, with the New Zealand captain taking two for 16 off five overs.
   Sehwag blasted 34 off 25 balls, including five boundaries and a six, before he was caught behind by McCullum off Vettori.
   Gautam Gambhir, who survived a close run-out call on 11, moved through to 16 before he hit a gentle catch to Vettori off Patel.
   Nightwatchman Sharma went lbw to Vettori without scoring, leaving Rahul Dravid on 21 and Tendulkar, yet to get off the mark, to resume on the third day.

New Zealand’s cricket ‘wild child’ Jesse Ryder further enhanced his cult status with a magnificent double century in the second Test against India here Friday.
   His 201, nearly a third of New Zealand’s first innings 619-9 declared, lifted his average to a phenomenal 64 from 14 innings in eight Tests.
   The player who opens New Zealand’s one-day batting because of his fiery, swashbuckling approach, showed again that at Test level he is equally comfortable playing a patient innings when the team needs it most.
   But away from cricket, the 24-year-old is too often in the headlines for his well-documented battle with alcohol.
   Initially it held back his cricket career but Ryder proved such a valuable talent that New Zealand Cricket has a programme in place to help him off the field.
   However his ability with the bat, and as a part-time medium pacer, have never been in doubt.
   w‘Clearly we’ve had concerns over the years with a number of issues off the field,’ then-New Zealand convener of selectors and former fast bowling great Sir Richard Hadlee said when Ryder finally made the national side last year.
   But the enfant terrible of New Zealand cricket continued to have problems even when selected for New Zealand and was sidelined for seven months after injuring a hand when he broke a window in a bar.
   When he was recalled for the New Zealand tour of Bangladesh last year he said he was delighted to be given another chance.
   ‘It’s been a long time coming. It was up to them (the selectors) to give me another chance and I’m just happy they did,’ he said then, adding the bar incident had changed his attitude ‘pretty much big time’.
   ‘I’ve got a good support network around me now and we go through one day at a time in getting it all sorted,’ he said.
   But there was to be more trouble when the West Indies toured New Zealand earlier this year and he was dropped for the fourth one-day international after a drinking binge.
   Again there was repentance, and again Ryder was reinstated.
   ‘Jesse assures us it’s a thing of the past and we have to move on with that in mind,’ said New Zealand coach Andy Moles.
   ‘We’ve got a plan in place to help Jesse with his problem.’
   New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association chief executive Heath Mills said his organisation was supporting Ryder, although it was ultimately the player’s responsibility.
   ‘People counsel him, programmes are put in place around him and for a time he apparently stopped drinking, but I’m not sure he fully understands how serious this is.’
   Even when he is batting at his sublime best, Ryder is not allowed to forget his troubles.
   In a one-day match against England last year, a sign at the ground read: Jesse Ryder’s favourite shot – tequila.

Kevin Pietersen said Friday he cannot wait to get home after a ‘heck of a tough time’ following his departure as England skipper, although he insisted there were no problems with his return to ranks.
   In an interview with the Daily Mail, he said he still could not understand what happened in January, when he quit after just three Tests in charge claiming he couldn’t work with coach Peter Moores, who was sacked in the row.
   ‘I still don’t understand why everything happened the way it did so suddenly and so quickly,’ the South Africa-born batsman told the newspaper.
   ‘It’s something I’ve got to deal with and live with, and I have dealt with it and I’m living with it. I just want to bat and bat now.’
   He added: ‘I did what I did for the sake of the England team and I know that the players have enjoyed this tour even though we haven’t won games.’
   The 28-year-old said the whole affair had ‘drained me mentally and I know people have been watching me and talking about me throughout this tour’.
   ‘It’s been a heck of a tough time and I’m at the end of my tether now. Really and truly I can’t wait to get home,’ Pietersen said.
   He was speaking ahead of the third one-day international against West Indies at Kensington Oval on Friday. The five-match series is tied 1-1.
   ‘There haven’t been any dramas here or any trouble with me going back to the ranks like some people seemed to think there would be. I knew it wouldn’t be a problem,’ the former skipper said.
   But he admitted he was wary of giving his successor Andrew Strauss any advice, saying: ‘It’s been too close to the bone in terms of what happened in January and that has made it difficult for me to get involved in decisions.’
   He said: ‘I never had everything I wanted as England captain, that’s the thing that gets me.
   ‘My England captaincy was not the England captaincy I wanted, that’s what will live with me for a long time.... I wasn’t allowed to do it in my way.’
   By contrast, ‘Straussy got what I wanted but good luck to him because he’s a top man. I know he’ll make the most of it.’
   Asked if he would consider the captaincy in the future, he was sceptical, and downplayed suggestions he might take over for the Twenty20 World Cup.
   ‘After the way I was let down I just don’t think I want to get involved in that again,’ Pietersen said.

The prime minister, Shekh Hasina, wished football the best and welcomed the country’s football revival. The prime minister said this while speaking at the prize giving ceremony after the Citycell Super Cup final at the Bangabandhu National stadium on Friday.
   ‘I am happy to see a packed Bangabandhu National Stadium after a long time, I am extremely delighted to see you all here, I hope you will be coming in this way to inspire our footballers,’ said Hasina
   ‘I hope your continuous support will encourage our footballers to bring laurels for the country. I congratulate Mohammedan for winning the title and also Abahani for their hard work, winning and losing are part of the game,’ said the prime minister.

The war of words between John Buchanan and Sourav Ganguly escalated further with Buchanan, the Kolkata Knight Riders’ coach, saying that he had already discussed with Sourav Ganguly the controversial theory of multiple captains for the team before making the announcement in a press conference on Wednesday. Ganguly had earlier denied any knowledge of this development, but Buchanan insisted that the two had had discussions on the issue during the IPL’s first season.
   ‘I had detailed discussions with Sourav during last season’s IPL about his future role,’ Buchanan told Anandabazar Patrika, a Kolkata-based daily. ‘The developments were not at all new to him. We had spoken about the importance of having alternative captains.’ Buchanan’s remarks contradict the statements of Ganguly, who had said he had no idea about this strategy. ‘All I can say is that I was not consulted on this. Frankly, it’s a new concept. It may work, it may not.’
   The decision has evoked strong reactions in Kolkata, with Ganguly fans burning effigies of Buchanan, whose security has been strengthened in the wake of these protests. But the coach explained that this format of the game required a completely new approach, and adapting to this would be difficult for most of the old-timers.
   ‘Not just Sourav. Ponting, Gilchrist, Sachin, Laxman, Dravid - for them the onset of Twenty20 has perhaps come at the wrong time. They still can manage because of their sheer talent. But I’m quite clear in my thinking. Like Sourav, they are also nearing the end of their playing careers. The game needs a ‘new dawn’. And the light will be provided by the numerous unnamed, uncapped players waiting for their chances.’
   When he was reminded that India had won the World Twenty20 under one captain, Buchanan responded by saying the game had undergone much change over the last one-and-a-half years.
   ‘At the time there wasn’t much research done about the Twenty20 format. I don’t want to undermine India’s achievement. But it’s true that most of the renowned international players were missing then. The state-level players showed more efficiency and sharpness during the tournament. Gone are those days. The world of franchises has completely changed the face of Twenty20 cricket, The game is progressing. This is what I had explained to Sourav.’
   Buchanan didn’t clarify as to who would lead the team during various stages of the match, saying that any of three or four senior players - including Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum - could take charge.
   He did say, though, that he understood Ganguly’s reluctance to accept the new idea, admitting that Steve Waugh would have reacted similarly had he been in Ganguly’s place. ‘Steve would have been worried the same way. He is also been brought up the traditional atmosphere. I had spoken to him before I left Australia and told him about my new plans. ‘Again a new idea?’ Steve said.’

Manches-ter United winger Cristiano Ronaldo is perennially linked with a move away from Old Trafford and to the warmer climes of central Spain and Real Madrid, with los Blancos seemingly doing all they can
   behind the scenes to
   tempt the Portuguese away from England’s rainy North-west.
   Now, English broadsheet The Times reports that Ronaldo is planning to open a branch of his fashion chain ‘CR7’ in Madrid. This, the paper goes on, has Spanish tabloids such as Marca indulging in frenzied speculation surrounding the significance of this move, suggesting that perhaps it means that the Red Devil is seriously considering a move to La Primera.
   Branches of the store had previously opened last year in Ronaldo’s native land, with a shop in Madeira being swiftly followed by another in Porto.
   However, according to the Spanish reports, the name of the Madrid branch may have to be changed to ‘CR9’, already trademarked by the Portuguese, as Spanish legend Raul wears Real Madrid’s number seven jersey.
   Ronaldo’s own website reports that he has plans
   to open new shops in
   Paris, Milan, Madrid, London, Berlin, Prague, Tokyo and Los Angeles, but not, interestingly, in Manchester.

The Pakistan Cricket Board is considering a request from banned senior batsman Mohammad Yousuf to be reconsidered for national selection.
   The PCB’s Chief Operating Officer Saleem Altaf said on Friday they had received a letter from Yousuf, who is banned from the national team due to his links with the rebel Indian Cricket League.
   ‘We have sent the letter to our legal advisors for input. But one thing is clear—he can only be considered when he leaves the ICL,’ Altaf added.
   ‘We will see what our legal advisors say. And eventually the selectors have to decide on whether Yousuf is in form and fit to play for Pakistan.’
   Yousuf and 16 other players who have contracts with the ICL were recently allowed by the Sindh High Court to play domestic cricket but they are still banned from representing Pakistan.
   The International Cricket Council and its members do not recognise the league, which is bankrolled by India’s largest media firm.
   Yousuf, 34, joined the league last year after initially walking out of a contract in 2007 on the insistence of the PCB.
   The batsman, who has played 79 Tests and 269 one-day internationals, reiterated his desire to play for Pakistan.
   ‘I can only say this much—I have always wanted to play for my country and hopefully in next few days the situation would become clear,’ Yousuf told Reuters.
   Pakistani players in the ICL returned home in December after the attacks on Mumbai and the league was called off by organisers. The ICL has not resumed this year.

England captain John Terry has insisted he is solely thinking about football ahead of Saturday’s friendly international against Slovakia after newspaper reports his mother and mother-in-law had been cautioned for shoplifting.
   The Chelsea defender told reporters here on Friday: ‘I’ve got experience of seeing many headlines and as a player you get on with it and fully concentrate on football, like I did in training this morning - it doesn’t affect players.’
   David Beckham will set a new record of 109 caps for an England outfield player if he comes on against Slovakia, breaking the record of 1966 World Cup winning captain Bobby Moore.
   ‘He fully deserves the accolades and the caps he’s getting,’ said Terry of the AC Milan midfielder, who made his name at Manchester United.
   ‘He’s made 99 starts, possibly 100 tomorrow, and should win his 109th cap. What an achievement and example to young players,’ added Terry, who left open the possibility that Beckham could captain the team at some stage on Saturday.
   ‘To see the stat that he’s had 99 starts for his country is unbelievable.’
   England, who face Ukraine in a 2010 World Cup qualifier on Wednesday, are unbeaten so far in their quest to reach the 2010 finals in South Africa.
   Terry said the hurt of England’s failure to reach the 2008 European championships in Austria and Switzerland remained a powerful source of motivation. ‘After the disappointment, no-one was hit harder than me,’ he recalled.
   ‘But we are more determined than ever to do well. We have had a great start and are just looking to keep winning and winning. Other teams are fearing us again, and we are hoping we can use that to our advantage.’
   And on England’s defeat by European champions Spain in a friendly international in February he said: ‘Spain are one of the best teams in the world at the moment. They played some great football, and at times it was difficult to get close and press them,’ he explained.
   ‘But you will learn, and we have learned from that.’
   Terry too is in sight of a milestone, in his case a 50th England cap.
   ‘When you get to 20 caps you think about 50. Hopefully I’m going to get 50 against Slovakia, then 80 and 100,’ he said.

Xabi Alonso believes Liverpool have shown they are superior to Manchester United in this season’s matches between the title rivals.
   The Spain midfielder admits United are still favourites to retain their Premier League crown but the events of the past few weeks have certainly opened up the race.
   Liverpool’s sensational 4-1 victory at Old Trafford was followed by United losing at Fulham the following weekend, while Rafa Benitez’s men thumped Aston Villa 5-0 to close the gap at the top to just a solitary point.
   Earlier in the campaign Liverpool also stole bragging rights at Anfield as they claimed a 2-1 victory on Merseyside.
   United still have a game in hand on their North West rivals, but Alonso sees no reason why a 19-year wait for the title could not be sated this season.
   ‘We can win the Premier League. It is far more likely than a month ago when we were a lot of points behind,’ he told the Daily Star.
   ‘Liverpool have demonstrated this season that they are superior to United in the two matches between the teams.
   ‘Nobody could dispute that, but now it is a real race for the title.
   ‘It is not impossible to imagine that we could win all of our next eight matches while United lose two. But we know that we need to remain calm and to play without any real pressure or fear.
   ‘United know what it is like to play under pressure, but they have shown there are some cracks in the last two games, and we will be ready to pounce.
   ‘Every game is going to be vital from now on.’
   Alonso concedes Liverpool must win their remaining eight league games in order to have a realistic chance of the title.
   ‘In our dressing room we are trying to remain calm. We know we need to take 24 points from a possible 24 so we need to be ice-cool about it. That is our challenge,’ he added.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists Lionel Messi is not for sale at any price.
   Manchester City and Chelsea have been linked with world record bids for the Camp Nou favourite in the summer, but Barca will not consider any offer.
   Messi’s performances this season have cemented his reputation as one of the world’s finest players and Laporta feels such accolades are a testimony to the club’s policy of nurturing young talent.
   The 21-year-old, like Kaka at Milan, has repeatedly expressed contentment with his present employers and it would appear a parting of ways is highly unlikely in the foreseeable future.
   ‘Messi is not for sale and that’s it,’ said Laporta.
   ‘It’s not a question of money. For me he’s the best player in the world and he feels comfortable at Barcelona.
   ‘For us, Messi reflects Barca in a perfect way that makes young players see how we develop talent.
   ‘Leo Messi came to Barca when he was 12 years old. He has a natural talent but we created the player you know and we are very proud of this.
   ‘I think Leo is very happy in our city and in our country and so is his family.’

Deco is virtually certain to play for Portugal in their World Cup qualifier against Sweden today, just two weeks after his club Chelsea hinted that the midfielder’s season could be over.
   Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz said on Thursday: ‘We are 90 per cent confident that Deco will play in the match (in Porto).’
   The 30-year-old Deco suffered a thigh injury playing against Manchester City in the English Premier League on March 15 with the setback judged so serious that Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink thought the star would be sidelined until next season.
   Portugal and Sweden have suffered stuttering starts to their World Cup campaigns. Portugal are fourth in Group One while the Swedes are a place further back.

Arsenal and Holland star Robin van Persie has revealed he was desperate to join Rangers as a teenager.
   Van Persie was approached by former Ibrox boss Dick Advocaat - in his role as director of football - but the move never materialised.
   He said: ‘There was some interest from Rangers when I was at Feyenoord.
   ‘The problem for me was they didn’t come in and make an offer. I was quite interested because I really wanted to leave my club.
   ‘Rangers are massive, like Celtic. I speak to (Celtic defender) Glenn Loovens and he tells me lots of stories about the stadium and Scotland itself.
   ‘My European debut was against Rangers at Ibrox and that was a fantastic moment. When I heard about their interest, I sat by the phone hoping it would ring.
   ‘I was in a difficult situation at my club and desperate to leave. Advocaat told me he needed to sell some players before he could buy. That’s why it dragged on and did not happen.’

Former Pakistan batsman Ijaz Ahmed said he was innocent Friday and vowed to defend himself in court after his arrest for allegedly giving false cheques to a client.
   Ijaz was due to appear in court in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore on Friday but was taken to hospital after his health deteriorated.
   ‘I have not done anything wrong,’ Ijaz told AFP. ‘The police have mistreated me and I am in hospital after an attack of asthma. I will defend myself in the court once my condition gets stable.’
   The 40-year-old coaches students on fielding at the National Cricket Academy run by the Pakistan Cricket Board in Lahore and also has a private business.
   ‘I vomited blood and experienced difficulty in breathing, so doctors put me on artificial respiratory system for sometime. It has been very frustrating because I have not done anything wrong.’
   ‘These clients owe me money and instead they made a false case against me,’ he added.
   A Lahore police official said Ijaz was arrested on Thursday.
   ‘This is a land scam case under which Ijaz was on bail. His bail expired on Thursday and we arrested him on charges of giving false cheques to a business party,’ senior police official Rana Abdul Jabbar said.
   Cheques worth 10.05 million rupees (125,000 million dollars) were involved, the police official said.

Diego Maradona is poised for a record-breaking competitive bow as Argentina coach when he leads the double world champions into their latest World Cup qualifier against Venezuela today.
   The legendary player, who has overseen two friendly wins over Scotland and France since taking charge last year, is in such demand that the Estadio Monumental venue, where ticket prices have rocketed 60-percent in a year, could be bursting at the seams.
   Over 19,000 tickets, with a minimum price of 60 pesos (16.30 US dollars; 12.10 euros) were snapped up on Thursday, generating 2.5 million pesos. Around four million pesos will be spent on tickets for the game, a new record for the stadium.
   Argentina, who will also face Bolivia in La Paz next week, are currently third in the South American qualifying zone with 16 points, seven behind leaders Paraguay and just one behind bitter rivals Brazil.
   Maradona succeeded Alfio Basile who resigned after a World Cup qualifying defeat to Chile last time out, won praise for his tactics in a 2-0 win over France in Marseille.
   His build-up to Saturday’s clash has not been helped by veteran playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme saying he will never turn out for a Maradona-coached Argentina side.
   However, Maradona has a luxury of youth and experience to call upon from Javier Zanetti, with over 120 caps, to Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero whose links to the coach are very close - his girlfriend is Maradona’s daughter.
   A month ago, Aguero and Giannina presented the 48-year-old Maradona with his first grandchild.
   ‘Becoming a grandfather has revitalized me,’ said the coach.
   Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez is also enjoying the new regime.
   ‘You get goose-bumps every time Diego talks to you. We’re very happy with the national team set-up and I’m sure Argentina are going to do very well,’ said Tevez.
   Brazil travel to Ecuador on Sunday with their build-up rocked by an increasingly bitter and public war of words between Robinho and Pele over drugs allegations.
   Coach Dunga had been under fire after Brazil played out three uninspiring 0-0 draws at home before recapturing their form of old with a 6-2 friendly victory over Portugal and a 2-0 win against world champions Italy in London.
   ‘We enjoy playing the way we did in these friendlies. And when we do that we’re tough to beat,’ said Robinho.
   Leaders Paraguay have won seven and drawn two of their qualifiers.
   With the top four sides assured of places in the finals, they have one step in South Africa.
   Paraguay travel to Uruguay today.
   ‘We’ve already made important strides but we’ve still got the final step to take,’ said coach Gerardo Martino.

Reigning champions Italy and 2006 runners-up France can train their thoughts firmly on reaching the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa if successful in qualifiers in the next few days.
   France have a double-header against Lithuania today, away, and then on Wednesday in Paris, while Italy travel to Montenegro before a top-of-the-table clash against Republic of Ireland in Bari.
   Coach Raymond Domenech, whose performance is still under the microscope from a demanding French media, leads his side in Kaunas today with the aim of shoring up their weakness in defence facing free-kicks.
   Central defender Philippe Mexes has battled back after his disastrous showing in the 3-1 defeat to Austria in September last year, when at fault in all three goals, and
   when France’s defensive frailty to set-pieces was exposed.
   Domenech said: ‘We have to be able to suffer. Those who imagine we will win easily by making neat one-twos in the opposition’s box don’t realise we will have a fight on our hands and we’ll need to be very solid.’
   Conceding goals from free-kicks has cursed France since the World Cup final, having let in 14 out of 30 since the defeat to Italy on June 13, 2006.
   Defender Gael Clichy said: ‘Before the Austria game, we really worked hard on free-kicks yet conceded two goals from them. We have players who can head a ball well but they aren’t necessarily the most physically strong either.
   ‘We know teams like Lithuania will try to take advantage of that so it’s up to use to avoid conceding too many corners and making fouls on the edge of our box.’
   Serbia lead Group Seven from Lithuania, both on nine points from four matches, while France are third with four points from a match less. Romania host Serbia in the other game in the pool.
   Italy coach Marcello Lippi gave a hint as to his starting team for todau’s match in Montenegro by separating 11 players from his squad to work alone in midweek training.
   The ‘team’ comprised Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, centre-backs Fabio Cannavaro and Giorgio Chiellini, full-backs Gianluca Zambrotta and Fabio Grosso, midfielders Andrea Pirlo, Daniele De Rossi and Angelo Palombo and forwards Vincenzo Iaquinta and Udinese pair Antonio Di Natale and Fabio Quagliarella.
   If that is indeed Lippi’s first choice team it means he will be adopting a 4-3-3 formation with Quagliarella and Di Natale flanking Iaquinta up front.
   Italy head Group Eight ahead of the Republic of Ireland, both on 10 points. Montenegro are fourth in the six-team group with two points and have yet to win a match.
   Meanwhile, Liverpool’s Albert Riera warned his Spanish teammates that Turkey, who face the Euro 2008 champions on Saturday, are a ‘very aggressive’ team which ‘plays as one.’
   ‘Turkey is a proud team, very patriotic,’ he said. ‘They have a very aggressive game, hard. It’s a team that plays as one,’ the midfielder said.
   Germany captain Michael Ballack wants a solid win as much as a goal-bonanza today when his side tackle European minnows Liechtenstein following back-to-back home defeats.
   Defeats to Norway in February and England last November have dented the team’s confidence and the national team needs a convincing win over tiny Liechtenstein which is 151st in FIFA’s world rankings.
   The principality is just 160 square kilometres and the national team is largely made up of part-time footballers.

Argen-tina coach Diego Maradona refused to reveal the line-up for the World Cup qualifier against Venezuela today or who will replace retired striker Juan Ramon Riquelme.
   ‘I still have to decide some things,’ Maradona said on Thursday at a news conference.
   Local sports media have been speculating Maradona will unveil a three-man offense, including Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Atletico Madrid’s Sergio Aguero and Manchester United’s Carlos Tevez.
   It was thought he would bolster his defense with three as well.
   Maradona said he has tried various strategies on the pitch, but he wouldn’t divulge any details in his last contact with journalists before his official debut as Argentina coach following two friendly wins against Scotland and France.
   Earlier Thursday, Messi said he would like to play with Tevez and Aguero on the attack.
   ‘If the three of us get to play together, it’s going to be good for the team. It’s more attacking,’ Messi told journalists during a quick break from training.
   Maradona wouldn’t say who will wear the No 10 jersey after Riquelme announced two weeks ago he wouldn’t play for the national team while Maradona was in charge. The former captain, the team’s leading scorer in qualifying, was upset by Maradona’s public criticism of him while playing for Boca Juniors.
   When asked about No. 10, Maradona said, ‘It hasn’t been decided.’
   He said he was guardedly confident facing Venezuela.
   ‘Everything is a lot more on par. Venezuela has grown, without a doubt. But the history doesn’t compare. Argentina has to be respected,’ he said.
   Argentine fans are eager to see Maradona in his first home match as coach. But Maradona, considered the country’s greatest player, said the focus should be on the players.
   ‘How people receive me is secondary. What I’m worried about is how they receive the players,’ Maradona said. ‘They’re the real stars.
   ‘My dream is that the stadium explodes and that all my players are applauded. I want the national team to leave the stadium to a standing ovation, which hasn’t happened in a long time.’
   The players agreed.
   ‘The only thing we want is to win so that things start moving and we can think about the World Cup,’ defender Gabriel Heinze said.
   ‘A new stage has begun,’ Javier Zanetti said, ‘since we had two important wins in friendlies (against Scotland and France) to prepare us and now come the matches that count, the ones that will get us closer to the World Cup.’

David Beckham is ready to act as Wayne Rooney’s minder to keep the fiery England forward out of trouble.
   England coach Fabio Capello called Rooney a ‘crazy man’ following the Manchester United star’s petulant red card for throwing the ball at the referee against Fulham last weekend.
   Capello’s joke hid concern that a lack of individual discipline could damage England’s hopes of a successful World Cup campaign in South Africa next year.
   Rooney has often struggled to control his temper with England and was sent off for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho in the 2006 quarter-final defeat against Portugal. He was also substituted by Sven Goran Eriksson after losing his rag in a friendly against Spain in 2004.
   Beckham knows from personal experience how the red mist can descend quickly on the pitch following his costly red card for kicking Diego Simeone in the 2002 World Cup defeat to Argentina.
   The on-loan AC Milan midfielder is a more mature figure now but he knows it is essential that Rooney retains his fire or he will become a less dynamic player.
   Beckham believes it is impossible to completely tame Rooney but he is keen to keep an eye on Rooney so he can avoid the kind of explosions that could lead to more disciplinary problems.
   ‘If you take that side of him out of his game he becomes a different player and a different animal,’ Beckham said.
   ‘There’s no way you want to take that out of him. He knows it’s not right.
   ‘It’s happened a few times with myself. I probably still haven’t been able to control it fully. When things go badly, the team’s losing and it’s not going well, that frustration comes out.
   ‘I was frustrated in the Spain game and got a yellow card for talking back to the ref. You try to control it, but sometimes you can’t.
   ‘As an experienced player you tend to notice those things more when you are a bit older. You see players’ reactions and see what can happen next.
   ‘I’ve seen it with some of the best players in the world. Look at (Zinedine) Zidane, you could see it in his eyes sometimes in games.
   ‘You know what’s going to happen. It’s all about the passion, which is the biggest thing. You don’t want to take that out of him. You can try to get to him in time as a team-mate, but some things are uncontrollable.’

David Beckham insists he won’t retire from international football even if his gruelling road to the 2010 World Cup ends with England victory in South Africa.
   Beckham’s desire to be part of Fabio Capello’s squad at next year’s finals is so strong that he is willing to subject his ageing limbs to a relentless schedule that will see him in action virtually non-stop for over 12 months.
   The former Manchester United star will have only four weeks to rest after finishing the Serie A season with AC Milan, where he is currently on loan, on May 31 before jetting back to the USA to complete the MLS campaign with LA Galaxy while his England team-mates head off for their holidays.
   If LA reach the playoffs, it could mean Beckham plays an extra 11 games. Then after the MLS season ends in November, the 33-year-old will rejoin his Milan team-mates for training and then resume playing in January.
   By then Beckham hopes he will be part of an England squad preparing for the start of the World Cup on June 11 next year.
   It is a fixture list that would drain many a younger man. But Beckham believes he is fitter than ever thanks to his spell with Milan and he is willing to test his body’s limits for as long as England want him.
   ‘I’d love to go to the World Cup, and be involved in every squad that gets picked up to that time,’ Beckham said. ‘Things can change very quickly. I know that. But I’d love to be involved in that.
   ‘I don’t think I’d ever retire. I’m passionate about playing for my country.
   ‘I’m playing pretty well. Fitness-wise, I’m definitely the best I’ve been in a long time. I’ve always said that when my fitness is at a high level, I can perform.
   ‘Hopefully I’ll be involved in the England qualifying games while I’m back at the Galaxy. If not, I’ll work hard on my fitness and my game.’
   Beckham could have saved himself a whole lot of globe-trotting if he had stayed in Europe back in 2007 rather than quitting Real Madrid for LA but he has no regrets about the move.
   ‘I’d finished my career with Real on a high. I wasn’t in the England team. I’ve always said, because people have asked whether I regret it, that it was right at the time,’ he said.
   The improvement in Beckham’s fitness owes much to the work done by the Milan scientific gurus who extended the careers of Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta into their 40s.
   ‘It’s literally down to training,’ he said. ‘From the moment I arrived in Dubai (for a training camp) with Milan, we’ve worked more than I’ve ever done.’
   Beckham will earn his 109th England cap against Slovakia if he makes it onto the Wembley pitch on Saturday, a milestone which will make him the country’s most-capped outfield player.
   According to reports, some players, including all time record holder, Peter Shilton, are unhappy that Beckham is picking up caps as a substitute.
   Beckham denied suggestions that his continued selection is a hindrance to younger players.
   ‘I don’t feel as if I’m getting in the way. I can help with my experience. To be here and be around these players, seeing the talent coming through is a good thing,’ he said.

Sir Alex Ferguson will quit as Manchester United boss at the end of next season, his son Darren has said.
   Ferguson Junior believes his 67-year-old dad will be happy once United overhaul Liverpool’s record of 18 league titles.
   ‘His health is fine and he’s building a new team. If they win this year then they catch Liverpool in terms of titles won. I can see him doing this year and next - and then that might be it for him,’ The Sun quoted Peterborough boss Darren, as saying.
   Ferguson has refused to name his new retirement date.
   He said he was going to quit at the end of the 2001-02 season and felt that affected his team as they lost the title that season.
   The Old Trafford boss, who took over in 1986, has said that while his health is fine he is happy to carry on working.
   Meanwhile, left-back Patrice Evra has played down United’s back-to-back defeats against Liverpool and Fulham.
   He said: ‘I’ve been here for three years and this is the first time I have lost two straight matches. I am sure it is just a little accident.’

AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti will almost certainly be staying at the club according to vice-president Adriano Galliani.
   Speculation in the Italian press has long linked Ancelotti with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid but Galliani said that would not happen.
   However, he said Milan would wait until they knew for sure which European competition they were playing in next season before beginning their summer shopping.
   ‘It’s 99.99 per cent certain he will stay. All transfer dealings will begin the day when we know exactly what competition we’ll be in,’ said Galliani. ‘I think and I hope it will be the Champions League. As for Ancelotti and Real I’m not worried.
   ‘He has a contract (until the end of next season) and then (Real president) Florentino Perez keeps telling me he’s a friend, he would never do this without telling me.

There is a sense of shock and outrage in Madrid on Friday at the intention of Ramon Calderon to try to regain the presidency of Real Madrid. Calderon, of course, resigned as Real president on January 16 because of accusations that he sneaked fake delegates into the club’s annual general assembly in December, in order to have his proposed budget and other measures passed.
   The allegations about the assembly were made by sports daily Marca, and caused a massive crisis at the club. Calderon denied the accusations but was eventually forced to quit - amid scenes reminiscent of Richard Nixon leaving the White House in 1974.
   Calderon is generally regarded as the least honest president in Real’s proud 107-year history. Indeed, a group of angry club members has brought a civil lawsuit against him, and is trying to have his club membership cancelled.
   Angel Maria Villar, president of the Spanish football federation, raised eyebrows in January by appointing Calderon as chairman of the committee that is organizing the federation’s centenary - and by refusing to remove him after Calderon had quit Real in shame.
   On Friday sports daily AS published an interview with Calderon, in which the latter stated that ‘I have decided it (to stand as a candidate)...I am not going to keep silent, and I need to clean up my honour and leave things very clear.’
   Calderon added that his presidency was ‘two and a half horrendous years, being accused of intolerable falsehoods...Now justice will be done.’
   He pointed out that 18,000 new members were enrolled during his presidency, and that most of these new ‘madridistas’ will probably vote for him.
   Bizarrely, Calderon then told AS that ‘I am not going to win the elections, but I am surely going to create a storm.’
   He then lashed out at Florentino Perez, Real president from 2000 to 2006 and the favourite to win the upcoming elections.
   ‘I want Perez to have the courage to debate with me in public, in front of the television cameras...I want him to have to sweat in order to win the presidency. I believe that he will not have the courage to accept television debates with me.’
   Calderon has frequently claimed that Perez tried to undermine his presidency, with the help of his friends and contacts in the media.
   AS editor Alfredo Relano claims on Friday that a Calderon candidacy will ‘pollute even more’ the atmosphere at the club, and advises Calderon to accept a ‘discreet retirement.’
   Marca, for its part, has launched an online poll asking the question ‘Do you think it is ethical that Ramon Calderon should be a candidate in the Realk Madrid elections?’
   By Friday morning 7572 readers had voted, with 80 per cent opting for ‘No’.
   In a vitriolic editorial, Marca expresses the hope that Calderon’s intention to stand in the elections will turn out to be just ‘brave words’ - like his promises when president to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Cesc Fabregas, David Villa and Santi Cazorla.
   Marca’s bitter conclusion is that ‘it will not be first time nor surely the last time that he does not keep his word.’

The management at Manchester United is reportedly thinking of consulting their vision expert to see if the colour blue is a bad luck charm, and needs to be replaced.
   According to sources at Old Trafford, Man U reckons their title blues are down to the colour of Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar’s shirt.
   Van der Sar has worn blue in United’s last two Premier League games, which have seen them beaten 4-1 by Liverpool and 2-0 by Fulham.
   Research by a contributor to United fanzine Red News has brought the information to the club’s attention.
   It reveals Van der Sar has worn yellow in the league 17 times this season. In those games, United have conceded just four—with a goal difference of plus 21 — winning 12, losing one and drawing four, gaining 40 points from a possible 51.
   However, the figures take on a different hue when Van der Sar wears blue, reports The Sun.
   In 10 games, United have conceded 13 for a goal difference of plus seven, winning six, losing three and drawing one — 19 points from 30.
   United leaves nothing to chance and they have employed optometrist Gayle Stephenson to advise them on correct colour combinations.
   She contacted the club back in the 1995-96 season after United were beaten at Southampton.
   They had worn grey shirts in the first half and went 3-0 down. United swapped them at the break because the players said they could not pick each other out. They did not concede again even though they lost 3-1.
   Stephenson wrote to boss Alex Ferguson explaining that she could help with vision issues in the future. She has since advised them to wear white socks for night games rather than traditional black so players can pick each other out more easily under lights when they are running with their heads down.
   The attention has now turned to Van der Sar and the defence, despite them keeping a record 14 straight league clean sheets earlier this season.
   Their first back-to-back league defeats since April 2005 has seen Liverpool cut the gap at the top to just one point.
   But blue is not the only shirt problem for United. The club could lose the final £14m instalment of their lucrative shirt sponsorship deal with AIG.

Manches-ter City forward Robinho believes the perception that he performs better for Brazil
   than he does for his club side can be attributed to the star names he plays alongside at international level.
   The 25-year-old’s form at City has dipped alarmingly in recent weeks, with his most recent sub-standard display coming against Sunderland last time out, a game which Mark Hughes’ team narrowly won after Robinho had missed a penalty.
   Robinho’s displays, particularly away from Eastlands, have been in stark contrast to the form he showed for the Selecao in a friendly against Italy at the Emirates Stadium last month, when the former Real Madrid player capped a good display with an exquisitely taken goal in a 2-0 win for the South Americans.
   City’s fans are demanding better from their record signing, but Robinho has hinted his performances in the league are being affected by those around him.
   ‘I truly dedicate myself to my club,’ Robinho said in quotes reported by The Independent.
   ‘Sometimes I am questioned [as to] why I play better for the national squad than my club Manchester City.
   ‘I have the same will at both places, but Manchester City is one team and the national squad at Brazil is another.
   ‘No disrespect to the players at Manchester City, who are very good, but here I play with Kaka, Ronaldinho, and it is totally different.
   ‘Here I play well, but I believe I am playing well at Manchester City. I have scored 11 goals.’

Bayern Munich are preparing for a ‘brutal fight’ to stop playmaker Franck Ribery falling into the clutches of would-be suitors like super-rich Manchester City.
   Reports in England this week suggested Premier League side City were planning to swoop for Ribery and his fellow Frenchman, Barcelona striker Thierry Henry, at the end of the season.
   Other clubs likely to be interested in Ribery’s services are Barcelona, Real Madrid and possibly Chelsea.
   But Bayern warned Friday that they were not about to let their prize jewel go without a struggle.
   ‘Our aim is to do everything to hold on to Franck,’ Bayern general manager Uli Hoeness told Friday’s edition of Bild.
   ‘But it’s going to be a brutal fight, there are some clubs who are going to table offers.
   ‘The most important thing is to show that we know what we want and that we indicate that we want to keep him because if there’s the slightest doubt his agents will try their chance.’
   Hoeness added: ‘Franck and his family feel very comfortable with us here, but it’s obvious that his agents are potentially interested in a transfer.’
   He went on to identify one factor that could trigger Ribery’s exit from Jurgen Klinsmann’s side, namely a lack of what he termed ‘perspective’ in the quest for a European title.
   ‘But I don’t see any case of that at Bayern,’ ahead of Bayern’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Barcelona.
   With money seemingly no object for City’s new Middle Eastern owners Hoeness concluded the interview by suggesting there was no sum which might tempt Bayern enough to contemplate losing one of their best players.
   Ribery joined the Bundesliga giants from Marseille in July 2007 for 26 million euros.
   He quickly found his feet to become the talismanic leader of Bayern’s midfield.
   At the start of the year, Ribery hinted he would be prepared to leave Bayern, but the 25-year-old later issued a reversal insisting he will fulfill his contract, which expires in June 2011.
   Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge spelled out this month precisely what Ribery meant to the side.
   ‘He is a crowd favourite, one of those players the supporters love, because he represents spectacular football and is synonymous with success.’

David Beckham is set to win a record-breaking 109th cap for England in today’s friendly against Slovakia, but Fabio Capello knows the landmark occasion can’t be allowed to overshadow his attempt to build a team capable of more substantial achievements.
   Beckham will become England’s most capped outfield player of all-time at Wembley this weekend, overtaking the previous mark set by Bobby Moore, who captained his country to World Cup glory in 1966.
   It is a remarkable achievement given that Beckham’s international career appeared over when he was dropped by former England coach Steve McClaren in the aftermath of a disappointing 2006 World Cup campaign.
   Beckham signalled his intention to wind down his career when he moved to LA Galaxy, but was granted a reprieve by McClaren and the former Manchester United midfielder’s decision to go on loan to AC Milan has kept him fit and sharp enough to stay in Capello’s plans.
   With Theo Walcott injured again and Shaun Wright-Phillips struggling with an ankle problem, Beckham, confidence restored by his time in Italy, could even make his 100th start on Saturday.
   ‘I didn’t think I would play for my country again when I got taken out of the team by Steve (McClaren),’ Beckham said.
   ‘And when I went to Milan, I didn’t know whether I’d be able to keep up with the pace of some of the players in the team, but I surprised myself.
   ‘The confidence is back in that I think I can still play at this game. I’d hope I offer more than just experience. If I come on in a game, I can set up goals from crosses, free-kicks, corners.
   ‘I’ve still got that work-rate there, I’ve shown that with Milan and have played in every game so far.’
   If Capello does start Beckham on the right wing, he is sure to give way at some stage to Tottenham’s Aaron Lennon, whose blistering pace makes him a potential alternative to Beckham as Walcott’s understudy.
   Although Capello is gradually assembling a group who look capable of making a strong challenge at next year’s World Cup finals, the Beckham condundrum is just one of several dilemmas the Italian has to resolve.
   Ukraine visit Wembley for a vital World Cup qualifier on Wednesday so Capello will be keen to deal with some of those issues during the Slovakia game.
   He has to decide whether Steven Gerrard should be given the chance to replicate his superb form for Liverpool in the advanced attacking role he thrives on at Anfield.
   Making Gerrard England’s focal point would meet with wide-spread approval, but it would mean a complete restructing of the 4-4-2 formation Capello has favoured so far.
   It is more likely the Liverpool captain will once again be used on the left-wing, with Frank Lampard and Gareth Barry anchoring central midfield.
   Lampard has been forced to curb his own attacking instincts to allow Gerrard to roam and the Chelsea star insists he is willing to adapt for the good of the team.
   ‘I am playing a different role. It is much more of a holding position, while Steven has been asked to play more on the left, but to be fair it’s worked,’ Lampard said. ‘There had to be a rejigging of the midfield because it wasn’t working. I do want to get forward because that is my natural game but I will try to adapt.’
   Despite his description of Wayne Rooney as a ‘crazy man’ after the bout of petulance that saw the Manchester United star sent off against Fulham last weekend, Capello knows the fiery forward is essential to his team.
   The only question remains, if not Gerrard, then who will partner Rooney.
   Emile Heskey has filled the role capably but has struggled with Aston Villa of late. Peter Crouch is in form for Portsmouth, while West Ham’s Carlton Cole could get another chance to impress at some stage after winning his first cap against Spain last month.

The Central Bank in Argentina are launching a new project which could see famous faces such as Diego Maradona appear on Argentinian bills.
   The ex-footballer and now national team coach is widely recognised in Argentina and this is why he could be joining Jose de San Martin on the back of currency.
   According to the founder of the Circulo Filatelico and Numismatico de Santiago del Estero (a monetary organisation in Argentina), Juan Carlos Barron and Maradona could be appearing with the liberator of Argentina, San Martin, for tourism purposes.
   ‘For us [Argentinians], Belgrano, Roca and San Martin are all figures in our history, but a Canadian or Chinese person will not know what they mean. They would know who Diego Maradona who is though,’ he told El Siglo de Tucuman.
   ‘What makes us think it is that he is a worldwide idol, just look at when he arrived in India and 50,000 people waited for him, and the same thing happened in China.’
   Certainly the face of Maradona is known around the world, and as he is the current Argentina coach even more people are likely to see him.
   Barron admitted that this would not be the first time that a figure in the media spot light has appeared on money.
   ‘It has happened for some years in France, where the bills carry the face of Brigitte Bardot, a famous icon of cinema in the sixties,’ he mused.
   Whilst Maradona’s inclusion is not certain yet, the Central Bank are known to be considering using writers, Jorge Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares, and Nobel Prize winners, Luis Federico Leloir and Bernardo Houssay.

Germany captain Michael Ballack wants a solid win as much as a goal-bonanza today when his side tackle European minnows Liechtenstein in a World Cup qualifier following back-to-back home defeats.
   Defeats to Norway in February and England last November have dented the team’s confidence and the national team needs a convincing win over tiny Liechtenstein which is 151st in FIFA’s world rankings.
   The principality is just 160 square kilometres and the national team is largely made up of part-time footballers.
   Germany top Group 4 by four points from rivals Russia and need three points from Leipzig’s Zentralstadion, as well as next Wednesday against Wales in Cardiff, to stay on top especially with October’s trip to Moscow in mind.
   But Ballack says Germany must start asserting themselves against opponents with an eye on the World Cup in June next year - starting with Liechtenstein.
   ‘We are lacking in dominance,’ said Chelsea midfielder Ballack, who captained Germany to their 1-0 defeat by Norway in February.
   ‘And recently results have also not been good, that is something we have to change.
   ‘This has a lot to do with physical condition, but also with quality.
   ‘We are in a phase where we don’t put teams under enough pressure.’
   Ballack believes Germany will qualify for South Africa, but says the team needs to use games like these to make sure they can step up to the challenges they will face from the world’s top teams in the republic.
   ‘We will qualify for the World Cup and we will go past the group stage even if it gets tight. But then come the matches against the big teams.
   ‘We must now set the foundations so that at the World Cup we can win the so-called life or death matches.
   ‘This is what I am trying to point out as the captain.’
   And Liechtenstein should present no problem to Germany who have won all three of their previous meetings, scored 23 goals compared to their opponents’ three and it was 6-0 to the Germans when the teams last met in September.
   With Bayern Munich veteran striker Miroslav Klose out with an ankle injury, Stuttgart’s Mario Gomez will partner Bayern’s Lukas Podolski up front with a flurry of goals expected from the home side.
   At the other end, goalkeeper Rene Alder is out with an elbow injury and Hanover’s Robert Enke will take his place in the Germany goal for the first time since damaging his hand last autumn.

Applica-tions for World Cup tickets passed the one-million mark five days before the first phase of sales closes, FIFA said on Friday.
   The figure excludes applications made by South African residents through bank branches across the country, world football’s governing body added in a statement.
   Online applications had been received from more than 160 countries, led by South Africa, Britain and the United States.
   The first sales phase, during which some 743,000 tickets are available to the general public, closes next Tuesday and a lottery in mid-April will determine the successful applicants.
   FIFA said the number of applications had far exceeded their expectations although at the same stage of the sales process for the 2006 finals in Germany, six million applications had been received.
   A second sales phase runs from May 4 to November 16 when tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, said FIFA.
   Ticket sales for the Confederations Cup, an eight-team test event being held in South Africa this June, had increased by 10 per cent since a marketing campaign was launched, a FIFA spokesman said on Friday.
   However, ticket sales had yet to reach the halfway mark for the tournament, despite the participation of World Cup winners Italy, European champions Spain and Brazil.

Poland’s influential Roman Catholic church is gearing up for the UEFA Euro-2012 football championships slated to be co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine, the Polish Episcopate confirmed Thursday.
   ‘It is the vocation of the church to accompany man everywhere, including sport, the physical dimension of which must have a spiritual dimension also,’ Father Edward Plen, a priest serving Poland’s sports community, told AFP.
   ‘If we want these championships to make history, we must all react together. It is not just a matter of building stadiums and highways, but also of creating a great team, a big family of supporters,’ he said.
   The church intends to create a network of young, competent English-speaking volunteers to help
   fans who will arrive in Poland for the Euro 2012 play-offs.
   It is also planning special meetings and seminars for Polish fans in parishes across Poland as well as special catechism classes in schools ‘to recall the ten commandments’ in order to eliminate violence, racism and anti-Semitism from football, Plen said.
   During the championships, churches in close proximity to stadia will keep their doors open to fans who may want to congregate there, he added.
   UEFA chief Michel Platini will visit Poland and Ukraine April 15-16 on a reconnaissance mission to gauge the progress of preparations for the Euro-2012 finals.