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An unbeaten knock of 81 runs by Foysal Hossain helped the Bangladesh Cricket Board XI record an easy four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in their first warm-up match at the Fatullah stadium on Friday.
   Talha Jubaer and Tareq Aziz picked up three wickets apiece to bowl Zimbabwe out for a moderate 206 runs with eight overs to play before Foysal sparkled with his bat. The left-handed batsman from Comilla was in long international hibernation having played the last of his four ODIs in July 2004.
   He was included in the Bangladesh A team for the recent tour of Maharashtra only after left-arm spinner Abdur Razaak had pulled himself out. Foysal was one of the successful performers for the A team on an otherwise disappointing tour.
   The same squad that toured Maharashtra played the match under the guise of BCB XI, but this time they proved to be very handy for Zimbabwe. The tourists, who arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday, had enough time to rest their legs but still appeared very shaky in the warm-up game.
   Apart from former captain Tatenda Taibu, none of their batsmen could offer any serious resistance as the BCB XI pacers had success at a regular interval. After Talha, Mahbubul Alam and Sharifullah unsettled their middle-order, Tareq mopped up the tail.
   Taibu fell to Foysal, also a decent left-arm spinner, after scoring 62 off 69 balls. Brandon Taylor made 36.
   Chasing 207 for victory,
   the BCB XI, however, did not start that well as medium pacer Justice Chibhabha rocked them with 3-33 and joining with him uncapped pacer Kyle Jarvis, who handed skipper Hannan Sarkar a golden duck, Zimbabwe reduced the hosts to 53-4 inside 12 overs.
   The run-out of Mehrab Hossain Jr (21) only aggravated their problem, but Foysal added 85 runs with wicketkeeper Sahgir Hossain for the sixth wicket to see the team through with more than five overs to spare.
   Foysal’s 101-ball 81 was adorned with by nine fours and two sixes off Jarvis and Zimbabwe skipper Prosper Utseya. Sahgir was unbeaten on 35 runs.
   Zimbabwe will play another warm-up game against the same opponents at the same ground on October 25, two days before teeing off the five-match one-day series against their old foes Bangladesh.

World champions Australia will not take victory for granted when they clash with India in a seven-match one-day series starting here on Sunday.
   The series gives the home team an early chance to make amends after their first-round exit from the eight-nation Champions Trophy in South Africa earlier this month.
   India have since been boosted by the return of hard-hitting batsmen Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh, both of whom missed the action in South Africa owing to injuries.
   Australian captain Ricky Ponting, riding high after leading his side to a second Champions Trophy win besides a 6-1 thumping of England in September, conceded he expected the Indians to fight back.
   ‘We know that the Indian team will play well in their own conditions,’ Ponting, 34, said ahead of the opening match at the Reliance stadium.
   ‘But I am confident about our group of players. We played well in England and the Champions Trophy. Hopefully, we can build on that.
   ‘The series gives us a fresh set of challenges and we will identify the little things that we need to do to win the series.’
   The Australians won 4-2 the last time they played a one-day series in India in 2007 but three key players of that squad—Michael Clarke, Andrew Symonds and Adam Gilchrist—are missing this time.
   Injuries to first-choice wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, pacer Nathan Bracken and batsman Callum Ferguson have also muddled the line-up of the world’s number one team.
   Ponting, however, made light of their absence.
   ‘It doesn’t bother us,’ he said. ‘We have played some good one-day cricket recently. As far as experience is concerned, we have got players who have some 20-30 games under their belt.
   ‘They are finding their feet in international cricket. In the last 12 one-day games, we have played some terrific cricket, both in the series against England and the Champions Trophy, and so we have the confidence going.
   ‘Also, our overall record in the one-dayers in the subcontinent has been good.’
   The series offers the young Australians in the squad exposure to Indian conditions ahead of the 2011 World Cup to be held in the sub-continent.
   ‘This visit is important for us,’ he said. ‘We can learn a lot, particularly the younger guys playing for the first time in this part of the world. Everything we do now will almost be a trial run for 2011 World Cup.’
   The Indians, ranked second behind Australia, will be banking on Sehwag and Yuvraj for big scores but their bowling has been weakened by the prolonged absence of injured pace spearhead Zaheer Khan.
   The hosts included rookie seamer Sudeep Tyagi in the squad after impressive performances in domestic circuit but it remains to be seen if he is given a look-in early in the series.
   The hosts go into the series without bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh, who were sacked after the Champions Trophy debacle.
   The Indian board has yet to name their replacements, leaving head coach Gary Kirsten with additional responsibility.

India may play in Australia in four out of six years under the new future cricket tours programme, reports said here on Friday.
   Under the current international playing schedule, Australia visit India for Tests or one-day internationals every year, while India tour here once every four years.
   But Cricket Australia has agreed in principle to host the game’s biggest drawcard, India, more often in the future, reports said.
   Australia are to begin a seven-game one-day series against India in the western city of Vadodara on Sunday.
   The Sydney Morning Herald said the deal is designed to ensure that world cricket’s heavyweights—Australia, India, South Africa and England—play each other more often when the new international schedule comes into effect from 2012.
   The newspaper said under the new arrangement, which it says has the provisional backing of the International Cricket Council, India would come to Australia more often, visiting for Tests one Australian summer and one-dayers the next.
   ‘The objective has been to spread the quality of touring teams over the period so that we get better value for the fans,’ a CA spokesman told the Herald.
   ‘If we get it right, we could have India touring here in four out of six years during the next FTP (Future Tours Programme) period.’
   The Herald said the benefit to Australia hosting India more regularly
   was the value of tele-
   vision rights to CA because of the huge, cricket-mad population on the subcontinent.
   But the newspaper said the moves between the ‘big four’ cricket-playing nations was expected to cause consternation among smaller cricket countries, among them Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies, looking for their own slice of the financial pie.
   CA is facing a tough battle to sell this season’s touring sides, the West Indies and Pakistan, to the Australian sporting public and the Herald said it was determined to attract a ‘marquee’ team for future southern summers.

Australia coach Tim Nielsen has expressed concern over possible player burnout for a certain section of the touring party in India for the seven-match ODI series starting on Sunday.
   Six players, part of the Victoria and New South Wales squads, have already spent more than two weeks in the country for the Champions League Twenty20 and Nielsen is particularly concerned that there isn’t much time to rest between series.
   The whole team has been on the road starting from the seven-match ODI series in England, which was immediately followed by the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa. Those taking part in the Champions League then headed to India - and both Australian state teams made it to the semi-finals.
   Nielsen said the strain of traveling will be particularly hard on three NSW players - Brett Lee, Nathan Hauritz and Doug Bollinger - who have a day to head to Vadodara for the first ODI after the tournament final in Hyderabad.
   ‘Its difficult. We have our New South Wales players playing the final on tonight and joining the squad tomorrow afternoon,’ Nielsen said.
   ‘We are supposed to play at 9 on Sunday morning. It’s that much of traveling, that much of playing.
   ‘Those guys on the NSW team who were on the Ashes tour have not been home for six months, which is a huge ask.
   ‘Most of our group members had a week and a half at home in that period. If you have a family it can be difficult.’
   Nielsen was pleased, however, that the endless traveling hadn’t reflected in their on-field performances. Australia drubbed England 6-1 in the one-dayers and had an undefeated run in the Champions Trophy.
   ‘We had some young players coming in and the bowling attack changed through injury. Brett Lee was out.
   ‘We had [Mitchell] Johnson already and [Peter] Siddle, [Ben] Hilfenhaus and [Doug] Bollinger coming into the team,’ Nielsen said. ‘They were willing to do things as well as they could.
   ‘We got to a stage when we won 14 out of 16 ODI games in the past three series, Pakistan, England and the Champions Trophy. That’s been very positive signal for us.’
   Nielsen added that the current Australian team has come through the transition period very well, following the retirement of several senior players. He said a pool of international-class players were identified to take
   on responsibilities in the event of injuries and pull-outs.
   ‘We had to sit down and actually define how we need to play our best cricket and what we need to do to become competitive,’ he said.
   ‘We had to talk to every player and make sure they understood what was required of them. We had to start looking a little bit outside the square and taking different players to make sure we had more than 11 or 12 players.
   ‘You saw through the Champions Trophy that without Nathan Bracken, Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke, we were able to cover their losses with three young players who came in.’

Mitchell Johnson has set his sights on one day opening the batting for Australia in Twenty20 or ODI cricket as his all-round talents continue to impress. Johnson scored his first Test hundred in Cape Town this year and was a valuable striker at the Champions Trophy, where his thumping 73 from 47 balls saved Australia’s blushes against a second-string West Indies.
   ‘I know it is a big call but I wouldn’t mind opening the batting in one-day or Twenty20 cricket,’ Johnson told the Daily Telegraph. ‘I would quite enjoy it. It would be hard as we have so many great players in the side but if there was ever an opportunity I would definitely put my hand up to bat higher. I think batting No.8 in Tests is okay for the moment.’
   Johnson has never batted higher than No 8 in a one-day international but he said that during the Champions Trophy, he was often preparing to be a potential pinch-hitter. It seems only a matter of time before he will be get a chance to move up the order and take advantage of the one-day fielding restrictions.
   ‘There were times in the one-day series when I padded up early for Powerplays,’ he said. ‘It was scary as I had never done it before. It is something I reckon I would enjoy.’
   Johnson is embarking on the limited-overs tour of India with a thirst for wickets, having thrived there during the 2007-08 series, when he topped the wicket tally with 14 at 18.57. He is keen to return to his fast, fearsome style after an up-and-down few months.
   ‘I look at the wickets I got in the past and I was unpredictable,’ Johnson said. ‘I was trying to be too perfect with my line and length in England but guys like Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting say just bowl fast.
   ‘The prime example is Shaun Tait. He is unpredictable and fast. He will occasionally bowl wide balls but will get
   wickets. I guess you learn your role.
   I went through that stage where I was thinking about swinging the ball so much that I stopped swinging it. If I swing the ball it is a bonus.’

Bangladesh Under-19 team drew the first blood in the seven-match youth one-day series against England winning the first game by narrow one run at the Chittagong divisional stadium on Friday.
   After restricting Bangladesh to 212-9, the visitors needed nine runs in the final over bowled by medium pacer Abul Hasan to chase down the total. But they could manage only seven to finish at 211-9, conceding the marginal defeat.
   Left-arm spinner Shaker Ahmed orchestrated the win for Bangladesh with a figure of 4-43 that also earned him the man of the match award. Abul Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan, Sabbir Rahman and Noor Hossain shared one wicket each.
   Opener Joe Root made highest 54 runs for England Under-19 before he was run out by Saikat Ali. Ben Stocks added 45.
   Earlier after being asked to bat first, the Bangladesh Under-19 were under tremendous pressure losing wickets at a regular interval that also forced them to bat slowly. In the first 40 overs they made only 129 for six, but then added 83 runs in the last 10 overs to post a competitive total.
   Noor Hossain and Hasan scored 56 runs from 33 balls for the ninth wicket that eventually proved very crucial. Noor, better known as a leg-spinner, was run out in the final ball scoring 34 off 27 balls. Hasan was more destructive plundering an unbeaten 32 off 17 balls that included two sixes.
   The second match the series will be held on October 26 at Fatullah.

England’s upcoming tour of South Africa has been billed as an acid test of their ability but for Ashes-winning off-spinner Graeme Swann nothing will ever compare to beating Australia.
   Swann, one of the stars of England’s 2-1 series win, said: ‘For an Englishman, Australia home or away is the best challenge there is - you grow up wanting to play in the Ashes.
   ‘They still have the best player in the world in Ricky Ponting, and Michael Clarke wasn’t far behind him in the summer.’
   ‘You’re meant to say you’re focusing on the next match but I want to keep performing and doing well, hopefully winning in South Africa, because to be in the team with the chance to retain the Ashes over there (in 2010/11) really whets my appetite.’
   When England last won the Ashes, in 2005, Michael Vaughan’s men were feted with an open-topped bus parade through the streets of London.
   But rather than being the launch-pad for sustained success, that series became the prelude for a sharp decline in England’s fortunes.
   There were far fewer celebrations this year, with Andrew Strauss’s side having little time to enjoy their Ashes triumph before launching into a series of one-day internationals.
   Swann said: ‘In 2005 they deservedly got drunk for two days. That is how it should have been. Their results over the next 18 months had nothing to do with that whatsover. There were injuries and a few diminishing players at the end of their careers.’
   Swann has more reason than most for wanting to do well against South Africa, now ranked as the world’s leading Test side.
   For it was in South Africa that his international career almost ended no sooner then it had begun in 1999/2000.
   Such was the crisis of confidence sparked by that trip that Swann thought about quitting cricket completely.
   Swann made his one-day international debut in South Africa. But missing the team bus because of oversleeping did not impress then coach Duncan Fletcher and Swann, now with Nottinghamshire, had to wait more than seven years for another England call.
   ‘When I was playing at Northants at the end I couldn’t have been further away from playing for England,’ said Swann.
   ‘I didn’t even want to play cricket - for Northants or Northampton Saints (the town’s rugby union team), let alone England.
   ‘I wanted to give up and become a hack (journalist),’ he explained.
   ‘There was a lot of time when I couldn’t imagine playing for England again.’
   But since making his Test bow, against India in December, Swann has established himself as England’s premier spinner.

Fabio Capello admits banishing the fear factor has been the key to England’s success during his reign.
   Capello led England to next year’s World Cup in South Africa in impressive fashion as his side won nine of their 10 qualifying matches.
   But the sky-high morale around England is a complete contrast to the shattered group of players Capello found when he took over from Steve McClaren after they failed to qualify for Euro 2008.
   ‘I remember the first training session and I was surprised because the players were really good,’ Capello said on Friday at the Global Sport Summit in London.
   ‘And I thought ‘What has happened here, they are good players so why are they not playing in the European Championships?’.
   ‘I understood everything when they played Switzerland in the first match, the same players who played well in training played with fear, with no confidence, and I said this is a big problem of the mind. Step by step, game after game, we have improved a lot.’
   Capello quickly took control of his new players by introducing rules that made it clear they would have to all arrive together to eat, while mobile phones and flip-flops are banned at meal times.
   He believes instilling respect between players allows them to work better on the pitch.
   ‘I don’t understand why anyone would not
   respect the coaches or other people you work with,’ he said.
   ‘I cannot understand why 20 players have to wait for two players that arrive too late or why they don’t respect the rules.’
   He also admitted he is frustrated by the amount of diving in the game today but would find it hard to ‘kill’ one of his players if they won a penalty in controversial circumstances.
   ‘I don’t like the divers, never. The spirit of sport is to win correctly,’ he added.

The Australian who runs Lord’s has insisted the self-styled ‘home of cricket’ will have no fears when competing against the 2012 Olympic Stadium for the right to stage future internationals in London.
   Keith Bradshaw, the chief executive of Marylebone Cricket Club, which owns Lord’s, denied Thursday suggestions he supported the Olympic Stadium’s use as a venue for Twenty20 cricket internationals once the 2012 Games were over.
   Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said Wednesday the London Development Agency were in talks with the England and Wales Cricket Board about using the stadium.
   But Bradshaw said Lord’s, sited in St John’s Wood, a north-west London suburb, had a unique appeal.
   ‘There is a difference between considering an idea inevitable and lending support to it,’ Bradshaw, a former captain of Australian state side Tasmania, said in an MCC statement.
   ‘I believe Lord’s is the best place to watch cricket in the country and I intend to keep it that way irrespective of whether another London ground emerges or not,’ he insisted.
   ‘Lord’s may be the biggest ground in the country but MCC is determined to retain its intimate, traditional character even if capacity is increased through development. We are a ground and not a stadium, and no one here wants that to change.
   ‘Spectators come to Lord’s for everything from the picnics in the Coronation Garden to the thrill of watching players on the hallowed turf follow in the footsteps of (WG) Grace, (Don) Bradman and (Denis) Compton.
   ‘In the face of a potentially massive rival, we would strive to continue to play to our strengths to retain the special atmosphere and attraction of the home of cricket. ‘We have a unique selling point here at Lord’s and if competition is forthcoming, so be it. We will hit it head on.’
   Bradshaw said he’d write to the LDA for clarification on their stance.

Pakistan former vice captain Misbah-ul-Haq was hoping Friday that an electric championship performance would secure him a quick return to the national team after being axed against New Zealand.
   Barely a day after being dropped from the one-day, Twenty20 and Test squads, Misbah hammered a career-best 284 for Sui Gas against Lahore Shalimar.
   He shared a Pakistan record of 479 for the fifth wicket with Usman Arshad, 41 short of the world record for this wicket in first-class cricket set by Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja for Saurashtra against Orissa in India last year.
   ‘Naturally it’s disappointing to lose your place but I have played a big innings, which I badly needed to revive my career and I will prove that my career is not over,’ Misbah told reporters in Lahore. ‘There is no better way to prove your critics wrong than by scoring runs and I will prove that my age is not a hurdle in my career. I will definitely work my way back into the team,’ said the 37-year-old.

Wolfsburg striker Grafite has been told to take a break for a week to regain his focus after a difficult start to the season.
   The top goalscorer from last season with 28 Bundesliga goals has found the back of the net just twice this term, but he has made the headlines for the wrong reasons following a bust-up with coach Armin Veh and a red card in the midweek Champions League draw with Besiktas.
   Veh has now decided that it is in the player’s best interests to take his mind of football for a week.
   ‘Grafite is a very emotional man who has put himself under too much pressure in recent weeks after the success of last season,’ explained Veh. ‘He has got to get his mind free quickly and, to do that, he needs to switch off completely.
   ‘The best way for that to work is if he changes scenery for a few days. I am convinced that it will do him good and he will come back stronger.’

Pakistan on Friday appointed former player Abdul Raqeeb as cricket team manager for next month’s limited-over series against New Zealand.
   He replaces Yawar Saeed, 74, who reportedly fell out with captain Younus Khan during the recent Champions Trophy in South Africa. Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt denied any rift was behind the change.
   ‘Saeed excused himself as he already told us that the Champions Trophy in South Africa would be his last tour as manager. We wanted him to continue for the New Zealand series but he has other commitments,’ Butt told AFP.
   Assistant manager Shafqat Rana was also removed, with former paceman Aaqib Javed reinstated as assistant after being dropped following defeats in Tests and a one-day series in Sri Lanka two months ago.
   Media reported last week that Younus offered to remain captain as long as two officials were removed, one of them Rana.

Shane Watson, the Australian allrounder, has singled out exposure to Indian conditions in the upcoming seven-match ODI series as key to Australia’s preparation for the 2011 World Cup, which will be held in the subcontinent.
   ‘It’s a very important trip, especially for the guys who have not been here before and played in Indian conditions,’ he told PTI. ‘We need to get used to the conditions, understand what our strengths are. The next couple of times we come here are a very big foundation for the 2011 World Cup.’
   Watson is in prime form going into the series, which starts in Vadodara on Sunday. He’s captured 19 wickets at 21.10 in ODIs this year, and has been prolific with the bat, averaging 54.07. He ended the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa, which Australia won, on a high, smashing back-to-back centuries against England and New Zealand in the semi-final and the final.
   ‘I’m getting used to big games. I have been lucky enough to be involved in a few big games and develop strategy, momentum. It’s been a big learning experience to me,’ Watson said. ‘My game has come along especially in the last six months. I just want to continue (in the same vein) and perform.’

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez received the dreaded ‘vote of confidence’ ahead of Sunday’s clash against Manchester United but the Spaniard knows kind words alone cannot do much for his side.
   The Reds, who last won the English title back in 1990, go into this weekend’s Anfield fixture on the back of four straight defeats and are eighth in the table, already seven points behind arch-rivals and Premier League leaders United.
   Another defeat will likely spell the end of Liverpool’s latest title challenge – a bitter pill for those fans who grew up lauding it over United during the Merseysiders’ decades of dominance in the 1970s and 1980s.
   And to make matters worse, Liverpool could well kick off on Sunday without the star duo of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard, both battling to overcome groin problems.
   Liverpool’s recent run has inevitably turned the spotlight on Benitez, in charge at Anfield since 2004.
   He appears safe in his post for the time being, if only because it would cost feuding American co-owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks too much, at a reported 20 million pounds, to sack the former Valencia manager, who signed a new five-year contract seven months ago.
   However, Gillett insisted both he and Hicks were united in their admiration for Benitez, saying: ‘We have just entered into a long-term agreement with Rafa.
   ‘Our family is extraordinarily pleased with him, we think he is absolutely as good as there is in the business and I am sure the Hicks feel the same way. We just extended his contract.’
   Gillett also told the club website, www.liverpoolfc.tv: ‘I think the run of results disappoints everybody. Certainly, it disappoints the fans and it disappoints Rafa. We are all disappointed, but we are in this together.’
   Liverpool were beaten in midweek in the Champions League by Lyon while United won away to CSKA Moscow.
   But Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said recent results would be an irrelevance this weekend.
   ‘I think form goes out of the window in these games,’ Ferdinand told MUTV. ‘We all know that when there’s a big rivalry between two teams, whether it’s a derby or a big cup clash, form doesn’t come into it.
   ‘It all comes down to who performs best on the day and that’s what we’re looking to do,’ the England centre-back added.
   United could find themselves kicking off in second place if Chelsea win at home to Blackburn today.
   The Blues’ form away from Stamford Bridge has been patchy, with defeats away to Wigan and Aston Villa.
   But they have been a different proposition back in west London, while a midweek success over Atletico Madrid maintained their winning start to this season’s Champions League.
   Ivory Coast striker Salomon Kalou, who scored twice in the 4-0 win over Atletico, said: ‘It was a very good opportunity for me, I haven’t been playing lately and I scored two goals which is very good.
   ‘It’s very important for a player to get on the pitch and show what he can do.’
   At the other end of the table, basement club Portsmouth travel to fellow relegation candidates Hull City.
   The teams have managed just three league wins between them this season, while Portsmouth, who have been beset by ownership problems so far this campaign suffered fresh off-field turmoil on Thursday when it emerged their chief executive, Peter Storrie, was in line to face tax evasion charges.
   Birmingham, beaten 3-1 away to Arsenal last time out, welcome Sunderland to St Andrews for the Midlands side’s first home match since the club was taken over by Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung.
   Saturday’s other matches see high-flyers Tottenham taking on Stoke while Wolves play Aston Villa and Burnley face Wigan.
   European commitments mean that, in addition to the Liverpool-United match, there are three other fixtures on Sunday with big-spenders Manchester City at home to Fulham, West Ham up against Arsenal in an all-London affair and Everton making the short journey to Bolton.

Everton sank to a first Europa League defeat of the season with a 5-0 loss at Benfica on Thursday, while reigning champions Shakhtar Donetsk thrashed Toulouse and Roma rescued a draw at Fulham.
   An injury-time goal earned 10-man Lazio a 2-1 win over Villarreal, Spanish heavyweights Valencia were held 1-1 at home to Slavia Prague and struggling Scottish giants Celtic went down 1-0 to Hamburg.
   Everton were 1-0 behind at half-time at the Estadio da Luz after Javier Saviola volleyed the home side in front before three goals in seven minutes put the game beyond the visitors.
   Paraguayan international Oscar Cardozo scored twice from close range after pin-point left-wing assists from Saviola and man-of-the-match Di Maria, before Brazil centre-back Luisao headed in the fourth.
   Saviola touched home his second late on from another Di Maria assist as the hosts drew level with their opponents on six points at the Group I summit.
   ‘I have said to the players that this is a different competition and we have had two wins and a defeat so it’s not that bad,’ said Everton coach David Moyes after his team’s worst ever defeat in European competition.
   Premier League Fulham took an early lead against their Serie A opponents when Brede Hangeland headed home from a corner before Stephen Kelly was sent off after conceding a 78th-minute penalty for a foul on John Arne Riise.
   The assistant official behind the goal mistakenly instructed the referee to dismiss Hangeland, but once the error had been rectified Mark Schwarzer preserved the home side’s lead by brilliantly repelling Jeremy Menez’s spot-kick.
   Fulham looked poised for a memorable victory but defender Marco Andreolli lashed in a half-volley off the underside of the crossbar with the last kick of the game to earn Claudio Ranieri’s men a point.
   Argentine starlet Mauro Zarate gave Roma’s city rivals Lazio the lead in their Group G home game with Villarreal before Sebastian Eguren equalised five minutes before the break.
   Midfielder Matuzalem was sent off for the hosts mid-way through the second period but they snatched victory in injury time through skipper Tommaso Rocchi.
   Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg maintained control of the group by beating Levski Sofia 1-0, with a 20-yard drive by Dusan Svento securing their third consecutive victory.
   Shakhtar, who won last season’s tournament when it was still known as the UEFA Cup, were 3-0 up at half-time against French side Toulouse and went on to win 4-0 as they maintained their perfect start in Group J.
   ‘It was a very beautiful match that brought me a lot of joy and pride for my team and our fans,’ said Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu.
   ‘Nine points from three matches is a very good result but we should be ready for a very tough return match in Toulouse.’
   Valencia fell behind to a 28th-minute strike from Slavia’s Macedonian striker Riste Naumov before drawing level in the second half through defender David Navarro.
   That result allowed Lille to assume a two-point lead over the Spaniards in Group B after they belied indifferent domestic form to beat Italy’s Genoa 3-0.
   Celtic were sunk by a 63rd-minute goal from Hamburg’s Swedish forward Marcus Berg and remain bottom of Group A, with Israeli side Hapoel Tel Aviv level on six points with Hamburg after stunning Rapid Vienna 5-1.
   Dutch league leaders FC Twente went down 2-0 at Moldovan outsiders Sheriff Tiraspol, while there were also wins for Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, Athletic Bilbao, Fenerbahce, Galatasaray, Sporting Lisbon and Panathinaikos.

Chelsea captain John Terry believes Liverpool could struggle to put their Premier League title challenge back on track because Rafa Benitez’s squad doesn’t have strength in depth.
   While Liverpool have suffered badly whenever Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard are injured, Chelsea shrugged off Didier Drogba’s three-match European ban by starting their Champions League campaign with a 100 per cent record.
   Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou have both scored important goals for Chelsea in Europe this season, but in stark contrast, Liverpool – without Torres – slumped to a 2-1 defeat at home against Lyon on Tuesday.
   That loss was Liverpool’s fourth in a row and another defeat in Sunday’s match against Manchester United would all but end their rivals’ title hopes.
   Asked if Benitez’s men will be out of the title race if they lose to United, Terry replied: ‘When Stevie and Torres get injured they seem to be very short in the squad they’ve got.
   ‘We’re very fortunate at Chelsea. Since Roman Abramovich came we have had a lot of strength in depth in the squad, like with Salomon Kalou scoring twice against Atletico with Didier Drogba being out.
   ‘People said we would struggle without Didier, but we didn’t. If you take Torres out of their team, who do they bring in? It’s difficult.
   ‘We have players that are not here only to make up the numbers, but players that are fighting and working hard every day in training to come in and really prove themselves.
   ‘Salomon seems to always come in and do well. Didier knows that the players behind him are working hard and wanting his place, the same goes for Nico. When Salomon comes in and does well, it gives the manager a real problem.’
   Despite Terry’s fears for Liverpool, Anfield boss Benitez is refusing to panic ahead of the United match.
   ‘The main thing going into these games is that you stay calm,’ he said.
   ‘You cannot afford to think too much about if you win or lose before you’ve even played the game. That doesn’t help. ‘It is very important when you play against the top sides to show character and belief.
   ‘That is what we must do on Sunday against United. It’s really important to stay calm and think about one game at a time. That has always been the message and always has to be.
   ‘This season, the top sides will lose more games, I’m sure of that. We will see more teams losing points against teams that they have perhaps been used to winning against.’

Manches-ter United captain Gary Neville insists he would happily accept two defeats against arch-rivals Liverpool this season if it means retaining the Premier League crown.
   Sir Alex Ferguson’s side were beaten 2-1 and 4-1 by Liverpool last season but still finished four points ahead of Rafa Benitez’s team to win their third successive title.
   Ahead of Sunday’s meeting at Anfield, lifelong United fan Neville is adamant he would have no problem with the same scenario this time, even though it would mean suffering two painful losses to the old enemy.
   ‘Liverpool may have beaten us twice in the league last season, but I wouldn’t say we’re looking for revenge,’ Neville said.
   ‘When the top teams play against each other it seems to go through cycles and teams have good results and bad results.
   ‘We know anything can happen in these kinds of games, so the main thing is not losing.
   ‘The most important thing at the end of the season is winning the league and we’re delighted that we won it last season.
   ‘I suppose we’d rather lose both games again and win the league than beat Liverpool and not win the title.’
   Liverpool are in dismal form and could fall 10 points behind United if they lose on Sunday, but Neville believes Benitez’s men could still get back in the title race.
   ‘They haven’t had the best start to the season, but even if we beat them, it would be too early to write off their championship challenge,’ he said.
   ‘Teams can win six games on the run and they’ll be back up there again.’
   Neville knows he is likely to receive a hostile reception from the Liverpool supporters once again on Sunday after his infamous goal celebration in front of Reds fans at Old Trafford several years ago.
   ‘I don’t get a great reception at Anfield I must say – I’m not their favourite son,’ he added.
   ‘No United players get a good reception at Anfield, but it’s the same for their players at our ground and it is to be expected.
   ‘I’ve never said I don’t respect Liverpool. You have to respect a team that
   has been as successful
   as they have and has the history and tradition they have.’

Germany and Argentina will prepare their bids for the 2010 World Cup with a friendly match on March 3 in Munich, the German Football Federation announced on Friday.
   The match will be the Germans’ third friendly ahead of the tournament, coming after their fixtures against Chile on November 14 in Cologne and the Ivory Coast on November 18 in Gelsenkirchen.
   Germany coach Joachim Low had specifically requested to play Argentina, world champions in 1978 and 1986, as part of their preparations. ‘I’m really delighted that Argentina have accepted,’ said Low. ‘Even though they had some problems during qualifying in the LatAm zone they are still among the top teams in the world.’
   Diego Maradona’s side grabbed the final South American qualifying berth for the South Africa tournament with a last-gasp 1-0 win over Uruguay earlier this month. Three-time world champions Germany qualified from European Group Four with a four-point lead over their only serious rivals Russia, who will go into a play-off with Slovenia on November 14 and 18.
   ‘We have to give everything we have against them. This match in Munich will be a real test before the announcement of the World Cup team,’ said Low.
   The two countries have already slated another friendly for August 15, 2012 in Germany, the federation added.
   — AFP

Manchester City manager Mark Hughes claims the Premier League’s ‘big four’ clubs enjoy more decisions in their favour because officials are in awe of their status.
   Hughes’ side are bidding to smash the stranglehold on English’s top four places established by Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea over the last decade.
   City’s Abu Dhabi-based owners spent over 120 million pounds on star signings during the close-season in an attempt to snatch a lucrative Champions League spot.
   But Hughes has hinted that those clubs trying to force their way into the top four need to overcome what he believes is the assistance currently given to the English superpowers. ‘You have to be careful because you cannot go around questioning the integrity of people trying to do their jobs,’ Hughes told the Daily Mirror.
   ‘But if you are talking about games involving Liverpool, United, Chelsea and Arsenal, they are big games with huge profiles and if decisions are incorrect, there are consequences. Key decisions become hugely significant. ‘Maybe there’s a different mindset with the top four. They have had the benefit of a high profile over a long period and there is maybe a bit of gravitas in that.
   ‘Maybe there’s also a bit of reverence from the powers that be in terms of their relationship with the personality involved in those clubs.
   ‘The referees don’t exactly get sucked in to it, but it’s there. It’s not tangible – you can’t grab hold of it – but there is something out there and that is another thing we have to break down.’

Reds fans plan protest
   Liverpool supporters are preparing to protest against George Gillett and Tom Hicks, the club’s American owners, before Sunday’s Premier League clash against Manchester United. The pair have come under fire from fans upset at the way Liverpool have struggled to keep pace with Premier League rivals United and Chelsea. Gillett and Hicks, who have also been criticised for plunging the club into debt and failing to deliver a new stadium, plan to attend the United fixture and Liverpool supporters groups want to show their displeasure with a 10,000-strong march to the stadium. It is also believed there are plans for thousands of placards to be waved at the Americans if they sit in their usual front-row seats of the directors’ box. Les Lawson, spokesman for the Liverpool Supporters Club and a member of the Spirit of Shankly group who are planning the march, said: ‘There have been protests before, but the Americans do have elephant-thick skin. But there is no point in sitting back and doing nothing. This will be a direct action to keep the campaign in the public eye. There are plenty of other things going on behind the scenes to keep the campaign going, though. The fans have to do something to show their anger at the way Liverpool is being run.’ Liverpool have lost four games in a row and another defeat against Manchester United would all but end their title hopes.
   — AFP
   
   Rio, Cole attend film premiere
   England football stars Rio Ferdinand and Ashley Cole attended the premiere of ‘Dead Man Running’, a new British gangster film they produced. The pair joined the cast from the movie on the red carpet Thursday in London’s Leicester Square, the home of British film premieres. Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand, 30, put up the money for the film, which stars Tamer Hassan, a friend from the same tough estate in Peckham, south London. However, his involvement came on condition that 15 work placements were found for disadvantaged youngsters he supports through his Rio Ferdinand Live the Dream Foundation. The centre-half said: ‘We’re in the credit crunch so getting the children some work was the main element for me when I spoke to the director, I said: “Can you please make sure the children get a chance?” Now they’re going to be involved in future projects so it’s going to be a win-win situation for everybody involved.’ The film stars US rapper 50 Cent and London actor Danny Dyer. Co-producer Cole, the Chelsea full-back, said: ‘I never thought I’d see my name in the credits of a film...but I’m not counting this, it’s only small writing on the poster.’ It is not Ferdinand’s first foray into show-business. He fronted ‘Rio’s World Cup Wind-Ups’ in 2006, which saw him pull pranks on England team-mates, including Cole, David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville and Peter Crouch, finished off with the catchphrase: ‘You got marked’.
   — AFP
   
   Henry linked to Red Bulls
   French striker Thierry Henry may leave Barcelona next summer to play for the New York Red Bulls, a Spanish sports daily said Friday. Henry, 32, would like to end his career in the same country as his friend and countryman Tony Parker, who plays basketball for the San Antonio Spurs, the daily AS said, without indicating its sources. Spanish media have previously reported that Henry, who arrived at Barca from English side Arsenal in 2007, does not plan to stay at the Spanish and European champions beyond the summer of 2010. — AFP

Reigning European and Spanish champions Barcelona will aim to put their first dip in form of the season behind them when they host Real Zaragoza in La Liga on Sunday.
   After losing their perfect league record with a 0-0 draw at Valencia, the Catalan side suffered a shock 2-1 Champions League home defeat by relatively unknown Russians Rubin Kazan in mid-week.
   The Kazan loss was Barca’s first since the end of May when they lost 1-0 at home to Osasuna having already wrapped up the league title.
   ‘I don’t believe in positive defeats, nor that it gives us a reality check,’ said coach Pep Guardiola, whose side lead Real Madrid by a point.
   Real also lost at home in Europe with a 3-2 reverse against AC Milan but have the chance to go above Barcelona as they are in action first on Saturday at Sporting Gijon.
   Atletico Madrid harboured aspirations to challenge Barca and Real for the title but hover a point above the relegation zone with their coach Abel Resino clinging to his job after a 4-0 mauling by Chelsea in the Champions League.
   ‘I am not worried about my situation but the team’s situation,’ explained Resino.
   Former Getafe coach and Real Madrid favourite Michael Laudrup has been identified as Resino’s likely successor in the Spanish media.
   Atletico host high-flying Real Mallorca, currently fifth, at the Vicente Calderon on Saturday aiming to tighten up at the back after leaking eight goals in their last two matches.
   Barcelona, in contrast, have the best defence in the league but must do without Brazilian defender Dani Alves, who is out for three weeks with a thigh injury sustained against Rubin, so Carles Puyol may deputise at right-back.
   Lionel Messi may be the favourite to win the Ballon d’Or but he has received criticism following some below-par displays for Argentina and Barcelona.
   ‘He is so strong mentally,’ said Guardiola. ‘He is the best player in the world and will continue to show that.’
   Real are still waiting for their Messi equivalent, Cristiano Ronaldo, to return from an ankle injury so will turn to Brazilian Kaka for inspiration in Gijon on Saturday.
   Going forward Real have been menacing but at the back they look unsure and even the ever-reliable goalkeeper Iker Casillas is having problems and was at fault for two of Milan’s goals in the 3-2 Champions League defeat.
   Madrid have leaked seven goals in their last three matches and Spanish international centre-back Raul Albiol called for an improvement.
   ‘We have to learn from our mistakes,’ said Albiol. ‘If we can’t win games we at least have to learn to not lose them.’
   While the trio of Barcelona, Real and Atletico Madrid all lost in Europe, Sevilla made it a perfect three wins with a 3-1 triumph at Stuttgart to top their Champions League group.
   Sevilla entertain Espanyol on Saturday hoping to bounce back from a 1-0 loss at Deportivo La Coruna last time out.
   ‘Real aren’t at the same level as at the start of the season and Barcelona have dipped,’ said Sevilla’s Aldo Duscher.
   ‘This is added motivation for us to try and catch up and perhaps go past them.’
   Villarreal were expected to be tussling with the top sides but are the only side without a win and prop up the standings going into Sunday’s home match with Malaga.
   It has been a nightmare start for coach Ernesto Valverde, who has not won a league match since taking charge.
   Malaga were challenging for the Champions League last season but have lost five out of their opening seven games to lie second from bottom, a point in front of Villarreal.

AC Milan look to build on their stunning Champions League win at Real Madrid with Sunday’s trip to little Chievo representing a perfect opportunity to continue their recent renaissance.
   A week ago coach Leonardo expressed his hope that his team’s next two games against AS Roma and Real could act as a springboard to a return to something nearer their expected form.
   They beat their Italian rivals 2-1 in Serie A and then stunned the only team to have won more European titles than them, 3-2 in Madrid.
   But Leonardo will not be getting carried away.
   Roma totally outplayed Milan in the first half at the San Siro a week ago and should have led by more than 1-0 at the break and it took a highly controversial penalty to change the flow of the game.
   At the Bernabeu, Milan were on the back foot for the majority of the game but were helped out by two uncharacteristic howlers by Real goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
   Add to that the fact that Milan have often been a team for the big occasion and those two wins weren’t such a big shock.
   Milan’s problem has often concerned more mundane matters, a category into which this weekend’s trip to Verona falls.
   The seven-time European champions have already lost to Udinese and FC Zurich while failing to beat Atalanta, Livorno and Bari.
   And their scoring problems haven’t entirely been solved by the five goals in their last two games given that they had a huge helping hand in three of them.
   ‘Every match is an examination, every Sunday. But now we are going into the next match after two good performances,’ said centre-back Alessandro Nesta.
   ‘We’re going to Verona but we have to be careful because we’ve not done well against the little teams.’
   The problem for Milan will be making the mental adjustment from competing in front of more than 80,000 in the Bernabeu in the Champions League to having to roll up their sleeves in front of less than half that in Verona.
   ‘Sunday’s match will certainly be a different sort of reality with respect to the Bernabeu,’ said Andrea Pirlo.
   ‘But likewise there’s three points on offer and we have to go into it with the same desire and motivation.’
   Meanwhile, the top two in Serie A play on Saturday in home matches against teams near the bottom of the table.
   Inter Milan host Sicilians Catania while Sampdoria – two points behind Inter in second – are at home to Bologna, who changed coaches in midweek, with Franco Colomba replacing Giuseppe Papadopulo.
   Third-placed Juventus are away to lowly Siena, who sit second bottom, but have not won in four Serie A games, although their 1-0 home success over Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday was their first win in a month in any competition.
   Rock-bottom Livorno, who also changed coaches this week with Serse Cosmi replacing Gennaro Ruotolo, travel to Roma.

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson insists he has no intention of writing off Liverpool ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash despite the mounting crisis at Anfield.
   Liverpool are on a terrible run of four straight defeats having lost away to Fiorentina in Europe followed by back-to-back league defeats against Chelsea and Sunderland before Lyon beat them at home on Tuesday.
   The Reds’ woes have been compounded by the possibility that Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard could miss the United clash through injury, but Ferguson insists Rafa Benitez’s men will be as dangerous as ever and that their recent form will count for little in such a fiercely contested fixture.
   United may have to play the game without England forward Wayne Rooney, who is still struggling with a calf injury, while Darren Fletcher is also a doubt.
   Rooney will have to undergo a fitness test on Saturday to decide if he will be ready but Ferguson was not overly confident.
   ‘Derby games are derby games and anyone can win it,’ Ferguson said. ‘It has happened so many times and strange things can happen.
   ‘I am not interested in their league form, I am more pleased with the kind of form we are in. We are consistent and consistent is important.
   ‘I am more concerned about what we can do rather than them on Sunday.
   ‘We go into it in decent form. There is confidence in our play but it is a derby game and anything can happen in derby games.
   ‘Unfortunately Rooney is still a doubt and we will have to see today (Friday) and tomorrow (Saturday). If Wayne does train on Saturday then we will have a better idea.’
   Ferguson also left little doubt as to who he considers United’s biggest rivals.
   With Manchester City’s bank balance helping to transform them into genuine Premier League contenders in recent seasons, the notion in the north-west is that their rivalry with United is taking on greater significance.
   However, Ferguson sees life differently, stating that Liverpool are - and will forever remain - his side’s main rivals.
   ‘Manchester United and Liverpool games, as I have said many times, are massive games,’ Ferguson said. ‘That will never change.
   ‘In my 23 years it has never changed and it is still a massive game and the game as far as I am concerned. I think if you go to Anfield at any time it is a hard game.
   ‘It is always a hard game for both teams and that will be no different on Sunday.’
   United suffered the ignominy of losing twice to Liverpool last season, 2-1 at Anfield and a humiliating 4-1 at Old Trafford.
   ‘We don’t have a point to prove, I don’t see that,’ Ferguson said.
   ‘Different games are shaped different by the circumstances of those games and you cannot look at last season as a barometer of our form or Liverpool’s form.’

Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti hopes to be back at Stamford Bridge in time for the match against Blackburn today despite returning to Italy to be with his sick father.
   Ancelotti learned that his father Giuseppe, 86, was seriously ill after Chelsea’s 4-0 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday and immediately flew home to be with him.
   His father was in a stable condition on Thursday and Chelsea’s assistant boss Ray Wilkins is confident that Ancelotti will be back in time for the Blackburn game.
   ‘I am sincerely hoping that Carlo will be back,’ Wilkins said on Friday. ‘His father is not in the best of condition.
   ‘I spoke to Carlo last night (Thursday) and his father was stable, so
   we are keeping our fingers crossed that he will be back. Carlo will decide who plays.’
   Wilkins will take charge against Rovers if Ancelotti remains in Italy as the Blues look to continue the momentum from their impressive victory over Atletico.
   The Blues assistant boss knows Chelsea need to collect as many points as possible now before several of their key players head off for the African Nations Cup in January.
   Chelsea are currently banned from signing any new players for the next two transfer windows after being found guilty of inducing teenager Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with Lens two years ago.
   But they are trying to get FIFA’s transfer ban suspended via the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
   That would allow Chelsea to strengthen their squad to cover for Didier Drogba, Salomon Kalou, Michael Essien and John Mikel Obi when they are on African Nations duty.
   Wilkins said: ‘We have got a massive game against Blackburn and as far as the transfer situation is concerned I am not overly concerned about that.
   ‘It would be very pleasant to be able to bring people in because we lose some influential players in Kalou, Drogba, Essien and Mikel, but we have a squad here that is more than capable of coping with that situation.
   ‘If we are able to bring people in then all well and good and if we are not, we’ll just crack on with what we have got. We are quite confident with what we have here.’

Manchester City are set to be without Robinho for at least a further fortnight after the Brazil star suffered a setback in his bid to recover from an ankle injury.
   City manager Mark Hughes had hoped the striker would be fit for Tuesday’s League Cup tie at home to Scunthorpe.
   But, having already spent two months on the sidelines, it now appears the 25-year-old will not be available until the home English Premier League match against north-west rivals Burnley on November 7.
   ‘He’s had a little bit of a setback, and the likelihood is it will be another 10 to 14 days,’ said Hughes.
   ‘The area where the stress fracture is hasn’t healed as quickly as we anticipated.
   ‘He could probably join in with the group, but the fear would be if he got a direct bang on that area there’s a chance he may re-break the leg.
   ‘So we don’t pitch him into those circumstances, and it would be crazy to, so we’re going to err on the side of safety.
   ‘We’ve options, so can cope and give ‘Robi’ the time he needs. It’s important we don’t put him at risk,’ the former Manchester United striker added.
   Hughes has also had to deal with yet more questions about Robinho’s future, even though Barcelona said this week they were not planning to bring City’s British record 32.5 million pounds signing from Real Madrid back to Spain.
   ‘It’s a non-story from our point of view. Nothing has changed in respect of Robi. He won’t be leaving us, and that’s the top and bottom of it.’
   Hughes added: ‘Our frustration at the moment with Robi’s situation is that he is not fit and well and available for selection. That will resolve itself in a couple of weeks, so he’ll be back playing, and that’s what he wants to do.
   ‘He’s a big part to play here. I’ve said on many occasions he has a real role here.
   ‘Last year he had an exceptional season in terms of goals and the impact he made in a difficult season for everybody.
   ‘We’re in better shape now, we’re a better team and obviously the team is playing with confidence.’
   City, five points behind leaders Manchester United, hope to have captain Kolo Toure back for Sunday’s league match at home to Fulham.

Atletico de Madrid fired coach Abel Resino on Friday after a disastrous start to the Spanish league season.
   ‘Abel Resino is no longer the first team coach of Atletico de Madrid as of Friday,’ the club said on its website.
   He was replaced on an interim basis by his assistant, Santi Denia, Atletico’s sporting director Jesus Garcia Pitarch told a news conference.
   Spanish media said Denmark’s Michael Laudrup had rejected an offer to take over as Resino’s permanent replacement.
   Other names floated are former AS Roma coach Luciano Spalletti and Quique Sanchez Flores, the ex-coach of Getafe, Valencia and of Benfica. Resino, 49, has been at Atletico since February when he replaced Mexican Javier Aguirre.
   ‘We must find a solution as quickly as possible because the team is not doing well,’ Atletico president Enrique Cerezo said in London on Thursday. ‘We can’t go on like this.’
   Resino, the first Primera Liga coach to lose his job this season, confirmed his departure at the news conference with Pitarch.
   ‘This is goodbye, I want to thank the Atletico fans for the support they have given me from day one until today, also to the employees and my closest assistants and to the players, who have tried but things did not work out,’ he said.

Real Madrid have pencilled in Cristiano Ronaldo for a return to action against AC Milan in their crucial Champions League clash at the San Siro in November.
   Ronaldo limping out of Portugal’s World Cup qualifier against Hungary on October 10 with an ankle injury and Bernabeu medics predicted to £80 million forward would be sidelined for a month. But the 24-year-old is confident he will be on the pitch at the San Siro a week ahead a schedule.
   ‘The ankle already doesn’t hurt me,’ he told Marca. ‘I think I am ready to play.’
   The news will be greatly welcomed by the Spanish giants who have struggled in his absence, while he would also be available for Portugal’s two-legged World Cup play-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Paris Saint Germain skipper Claude Makelele hit out Friday at his one-match ban saying it was ‘unacceptable,’ after French football’s disciplinary body turned a yellow card into a suspension.
   Makelele said he feared that referees would go after him following a squabble between his coach Antoine Kombouare and a rival over the ability of the 36-year-old former French international midfielder.
   ‘It’s a shame this ban comes now. It’s unacceptable. I just hope there won’t be a Makelele case.’
   ‘I ask refs to referee me the same as anyone. It’s a bit tiring all this,’ he added.
   Makelele ended up at the disciplinary hearing on Thursday in the aftermath of the spat between Kombouare and Lorient coach Christian Gourcuff.
   Kombouare said Gourcuff ‘deserves a smack in the mouth’, for claiming Makelele was ‘past it’.
   Makelele, who joined PSG from Chelsea in 2008, had been considered fortunate to avoid a red card for a foul on Sigamary Diarra and the disciplinary committee decided to review the case.

Southeast Asian nations could jointly bid to host the FIFA World Cup, the Thai finance minister proposed Friday at a summit of the region’s leaders.
   Korn Chatikavanij said he had discussed the idea of hosting the football tournament with business forums as a means of boosting the economies of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
   While the proposal is not on the official agenda at the summit, Korn told reporters it could still be discussed by leaders here in the Thai resort of Hua Hin.
   ‘It must be an informal discussion but I think ASEAN has the potential to host the World Cup,’ he said. ASEAN groups Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore, which together have a population of nearly 600 million people.
   Korn pointed to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which was held by South Korea and Japan—the first edition in the tournament’s history to be hosted by two countries.
   The next tournament is set to be held in South Africa in 2010, followed by Brazil in 2014.
   ASEAN leaders at the Hua Hin summit will hold talks focusing on the economy before meeting their counterparts from China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand at the weekend.
   They are expected to focus on growing regional economic integration, especially with China, and on plans to establish an EU-style economic community by the year 2015.

German football authorities Thursday denied reports its squad for the World Cup next year in South Africa was being advised to wear bullet-proof vests amid security concerns. The reports, based on remarks from the head of a private security firm, caused a stir in South Africa Thursday, but German football federation DFB media director Harald Stenger said there was no basis to the reports.
   ‘We are aware of the reaction in South Africa, and immediately made it clear after these false reports were published that we are not considering equipping the players with bullet-proof vests,’ he said.
   The DFB’s security head Helmut Spahn is travelling to South Africa with a small delegation over the weekend to get a detailed impression of the squad’s base near Pretoria. Stenger said that on matters of security the DFB would not be taking any independent action. All security measures would be taken in conjunction with world governing body FIFA and the South African government, he said.
   ‘No security concept has been agreed for our team,’ he added.
   The comments follow reports that German players would be warned to expect to wear bullet-proof vests if they ventured beyond their hotel during the tournament.
   Germany’s Sport Bild weekly had quoted Guenter Schnelle from security firm BaySecur as saying that German players’ movements outside the hotel boundaries ‘should be kept to a minimum’ amid concerns over South Africa’s high crime rate. ‘Otherwise there must be a full escort: armed security guards and bullet-proof vests for the players,’ he said.
   BaySecur is one of the firms hoping to be deployed by the DFB for the national squad at the June 11-July 11 World Cup.

Brabourne gets Test 36 years on
Test cricket will return to Mumbai’s vintage Brabourne stadium for the first time since 1973 when Sri Lanka play a match there in December. The stadium, owned by the Cricket Club of India, was the regular Test venue in Mumbai from 1948 until matches were shifted to the nearby Wankhede stadium. The Brabourne, which hosted its last Test against England in February, 1973, was given the game against Sri Lanka because the Wankhede is being renovated for the 2011 World Cup. The Brabourne stadium was due to host a Test against England last year, but the match was shifted to Chennai following the Mumbai attacks in November which killed 166 people.Sri Lanka will play three Tests, two Twenty20 matches and five one-day internationals on the seven-week tour starting next month, the Indian cricket board said. The other two Tests will be held in Kanpur and Ahmedabad.
   
— AFP

Golfers tee off on world’s longest course
A group of determined golfers were Friday tackling the world’s longest course, the Nullarbor Links, which snakes through vast tracts of the inhospitable Australian Outback. Kym Woods, secretary of the Ceduna Golf Club, said the opening tournament for the course—with 18 holes at towns and service stations spread over 1,365 kilometres (848 miles) — had kicked off in South Australian.
   ‘The competition is in progress,’ he told AFP. Woods said the players were aiming to complete three or four more holes Friday at stops along the drive from Ceduna to Border Village some 450 kilometres to the west. The Nullarbor Links, which spans two time zones and measures more than the entire length of Britain, features synthetic tees and greens plotted along a red desert landscape better known for dingoes and kangaroos than golfers. The inaugural group plans to finish the par-71 course, designed to attract tourists to the desolate Nullarbor Plain on Australia’s southern coastline, in the remote mining town of Kalgoorlie on Tuesday.
   
— AFP