Premier League Portsmouth enter administration

Published>Fri, Feb 26 10 05:26 PM

Portsmouth traded their short-term Premier League status for the hope of long-term survival when they went into administration on Friday.

The debt-ridden south-coast club had been due back in the High Court next week to face an adjourned winding-up order from the British government's Revenue and Customs department but, after failing to secure new funding or a new owner, instead became the first Premier League club to go into administration.

Already seven points adrift at the bottom of the league, Portsmouth will now suffer an automatic nine-point deduction, almost certainly condemning the 2008 FA Cup winners to relegation.

Portsmouth are some 70 million pounds ($107.3 million) in debt and attempts to find a new owner -- the sixth in the last year -- have failed.

The club issued a statement on their website (www.portsmouthfc.co.uk) confirming that they officially went into administration at 1020 GMT.

The administrators will hold a news conference at Portsmouth's Fratton Park ground later on Friday.

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Lee confident of returning to Australian XI

Published>Fri, Feb 26 10 05:22 PM

Melbourne, Feb 26 (ANI): Fast bowler Brett Lee, who retired from Test cricket to prolong his ODI and Twenty20 career, is confident of returning to the Australian XI before the start of the T20 Wolrd Cup in the West Indies once he was fully fit.

The question remains who exactly Lee will replace in the Caribbean for the World Twenty20 in May.

Australia's new-look attack of Shaun Tait, Dirk Nannes, Doug Bollinger, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris have performed well this summer and it will be hard to replace them with Lee.

Lee, however, was confident he could return to the starting XI once he was fully fit.

"The only thing I can worry about is getting my elbow right and my fitness back to the level it is at now and what I'm really happy with," said Lee, whose elbow injury has sidelined him since the end of October.

"I want to get out there and enjoy my cricket. And if I can bowl the way I did towards the end of last year, hopefully I shouldn't have a problem," the Daily Telegraph quoted him, as saying.

Twenty20 captain Michael Clarke said before flying out to New Zealand: "His statistics don't lie in all three forms. He's a wonderful player and has been for a long time for Australia, so if he's fully fit I'm sure he'll make his way back into any form of the game."

Cricket NSW chief executive David Gilbert said Lee had always responded to tough times. (ANI)

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Kieswetter's flair leaves Flower in dilemma over Prior as first-choice wicketkeeper

Published>Fri, Feb 26 10 05:16 PM

London, Feb 26 (ANI): England coach Andy Flower has refused to back Matt Prior as his first-choice wicketkeeper for the team.

Prior, who played as a specialist batsman, top scored with 64 not out as England beat a Bangladesh Cricket Board XI by seven wickets in their final warm-up before Sunday's first one-dayer against their hosts.

Flower said: "It was an opportunity to look at Craig Kieswetter. He kept nicely. He looks a natural catcher. He's a wicketkeeping batsman, so it is an option."

The decision is clearly not an easy one. Prior has been instrumental to the success of the Test side and played a key role in winning the Ashes last summer, The Sun reports.

However, his one-day form has been less impressive. Prior averages 24.24 in one-dayers and 21.16 in Twenty20 internationals.

Kieswetter is brimming with confidence and has shown the kind of clean hitting at the top of the order England have not seen since Marcus Trescothick retired.

His 143 on Tuesday was not chanceless but it was the kind of innings that sets him apart from his rival in the shorter forms of the game.

Prior's top score for England in one-dayers is 87. (ANI)

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Lee confident of returning to Australian XI

Published>Fri, Feb 26 10 04:50 PM

Melbourne, Feb 26 (ANI): Fast bowler Brett Lee, who retired from Test cricket to prolong his ODI and Twenty20 career, is confident of returning to the Australian XI before the start of the T20 Wolrd Cup in the West Indies once he was fully fit.

The question remains who exactly Lee will replace in the Caribbean for the World Twenty20 in May.

Australia's new-look attack of Shaun Tait, Dirk Nannes, Doug Bollinger, Mitchell Johnson and Ryan Harris have performed well this summer and it will be hard to replace them with Lee.

Lee, however, was confident he could return to the starting XI once he was fully fit.

"The only thing I can worry about is getting my elbow right and my fitness back to the level it is at now and what I'm really happy with," said Lee, whose elbow injury has sidelined him since the end of October.

"I want to get out there and enjoy my cricket. And if I can bowl the way I did towards the end of last year, hopefully I shouldn't have a problem," the Daily Telegraph quoted him, as saying.

Twenty20 captain Michael Clarke said before flying out to New Zealand: "His statistics don't lie in all three forms. He's a wonderful player and has been for a long time for Australia, so if he's fully fit I'm sure he'll make his way back into any form of the game."

Cricket NSW chief executive David Gilbert said Lee had always responded to tough times. (ANI)

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MP to play against TN in Vijay Hazare semi-final

Published Fri, Feb 26 10 04:46 PM

Rajkot, Feb 26 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh, holders of the record for the highest total in domestic one day cricket, will take on defending champion Tamil Nadu in semifinal of Vijay Hazare inter-zonal tournament here tomorrow at Madhavrao Scindia cricket ground. Madhya Pradesh, which had posted 412 for 6 against Railway before qualifying for the tournament, has reached the semifinal after beating Orissa by five wickets. Naman Ojha will again be the mainstay in batting for Madhya Pradesh alongwith captain Jalaj Saxena, Harpreet Singh and S Abbas Ali. The bowling would be spearheaded by Amarjeet Singh and Ankit Sharma. The duo had done well by picking up three wickets each in the quarterfinal against Orissa. Tamil Nadu too look formidable after beating Mumbai in quarterfinal even after losing skipper Murli Vijay. Vijay has been called up for national side for third and final one-day international against South Africa tomorrow. The batting responsibility will again rest on S Badrinath while Abhinav Mukund and S Aniruddha are also in good touch. Laxmipaty Balaji and Yo Mahesh will share the new ball to be supported by M Prabhu. Both Balaji and M Prabu had a good match against Mumbai as the duo shared seven wickets between them. .

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Tiger Woods 'threatens to sue PETA' over sex life-mocking ad

Published>Fri, Feb 26 10 04:36 PM

New York, February 26 (ANI): Tiger Woods has reportedly threatened to take People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to court over their planned billboards bearing his face and the slogan, "Too much sex can be a bad thing."

A legal team for the disgraced golfer was said to have contacted the animal activists, threatening them with legal consequences over the use of Woods' image in their campaign urging owners to neuter their pets.

"We were contacted by Tiger's lawyers at IMG who kindly, but firmly, told us we were not authorized to use his image on the billboard, and would we desist," the New York Post quoted a PETA source as saying.

PETA has now apparently turned their attention to another famous philanderer, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, with the possible tagline: "Your dog doesn't have to go to South America to get laid."

Woods has been on an indefinite break from professional golf after admitting infidelity followed by reports that linked to him as many as 19 mistresses. (ANI)

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Lee in Australia's preliminary squad for World Twenty20

Published>Fri, Feb 26 10 04:16 PM

Melbourne, Feb 26 (IANS) Paceman Brett Lee has been named in Australia's preliminary 30-man squad for the World Twenty20 championship beginning April 30 in the West Indies.

Lee, 33, announced his retirement from Test cricket Wednesday to extend his international career in limited-overs format.

He has not represented Australia in any format since October. The squad will be pruned to half as the event draws closer. Michael Clarke will lead the side.

Paceman Nathan Bracken, who has been plagued with injury, has been included in the squad along with veteran batsman Brad Hodge, who has not played for the country for almost two years.

George Bailey, Xavier Doherty, John Hastings and Ben Cutting are four uncapped players in the squad.

'The Australian Twenty20 team has played well in recent times with a solid win against reigning champions Pakistan and also against the West Indies at home this summer. The squad also has two matches against New Zealand over the coming days and the NSP (National Selection Panel) will be watching performances closely,' NSP chairman Andrew Hilditch said.

'We consider the squad to contain a good blend of youth and experience with several players who have excelled in Twenty20 cricket both internationally and domestically this year.

'From this 30 we hope to pick a final World Twenty20 squad that if it plays to its ability will be a very exciting, entertaining and extremely competitive team in the Caribbean,' he said.

The Australian team is in Group A alongside Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Australia squad: Michael Clarke (captain), George Bailey, Travis Birt, Doug Bollinger, Nathan Bracken, Daniel Christian, Ben Cutting, Xavier Doherty, Brad Haddin, Ryan Harris, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, Moises Henriques, Brad Hodge, James Hopes, David Hussey, Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Andrew McDonald, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Dirk Nannes, Tim Paine, Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

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Suresh Kalmadi satisfied with security for hockey World Cup

Published>Fri, Feb 26 10 03:50 PM

New Delhi, Feb 26 (ANI): President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Suresh Kalmadi on Friday expressed hopes of hosting a successful hockey World Cup amid security threat.

Expressing satisfaction with the security arrangements made by the police, Kalmadi said: "I'm happy with all the security steps taken by the Delhi police and I'm sure the World Cup will go off very well."

The organisers of the World Cup have undertaken extra security measures for the teams.

New Delhi is hosting the 12-team hockey World Cup from February 28 to March 13 and is also gearing up for the Commonwealth Games in October. (ANI)

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Egypt squad for England friendly

Published Fri, Feb 26 10 03:26 PM

Egypt coach Hassan Shehata on Friday named the following squad for the friendly against England at Wembley Stadium, London on Wednesday.

Goalkeepers: Essam Al Hadari (Ismaili), Abdelwahed Al Sayed (Zamalek), Mahmoud Aboulsaoud (Mansoura)

Defenders: Mohamed Abdelshafi (Zamalek), Ahmed Al Muhammadi (ENPPI), Abdelzaher Al Saqqa (Eskisehirspor), Mahmoud Fathallah (Zamalek), Ahmed Fathi, Wael Gomaa, Sayed Moawad (all Al Ahli), Hani Said (Zamalek), Moatasem Salem (Ismaili)

Midfielders: Hosni Abd Rabou (Al Ahli), Mohamed Aboutrika (Al Ahli), Hossam Ghali (Al Nasr), Ahmed Hassan (Al Ahli), Mahmoud Shikabala (Zamalek), Abdelaziz Tawfiq (ENPPI)

Forwards: Ahmed Eid (Haras Hodoud), Sayed Hamdi (Petrojet), Emad Motaeb (Al Ahli), Mohamed Nagui (Ittihad), Ahmed Raouf (ENPPI), Amr Zaki (Hull City), Mohamed Zidan (Borussia Dortmund)

Source: Web Search

Akmal under investigation for match-fixing: report

Published Fri, Feb 26 10 02:56 PM

Karachi, Feb 27 (PTI) Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal is being questioned for suspected involvement in match fixing and could be ignored for the Twenty20 World Championship if he fails to prove his innocence, a media report here has claimed. A report in ''The News'' quoting sources said Akmal was axed from the Pakistan squad for the two Twenty20 matches against England in Dubai because of the suspicion that he might have deliberately dropped catches during the second Test in Sydney against Australia last month. However, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had said that he was overlooked because of his flop show in Australia and speaking to media without consulting the Board. "If he fails to prove his innocence, Kamran may be overlooked for the ICC World Twenty20 Championship in the Caribbean where Pakistan will be looking to defend their title this May," the source was quoted as saying. .

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Football players to wear shirts made of plastic bottles during World Cup

Published>Fri, Feb 26 10 02:54 PM

London, Feb 26 (ANI): Football players from Brazil, Holland and Portugal will wear shirts made out of recycled plastic bottles.

The USA, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Serbia and Slovenia will also use them.

Makers Nike are going green with shirts made from 100 per cent spun polyester produced from treated recycled plastic bottles. ach shirt contains the equivalent of eight bottles, plus 200 tiny laser-cut holes to aid air flow and keep players dry.

The Sun quoted Nike as saying that the shirt is its lightest product yet.

Brand boss Charlie Denson said Nike was trying to cut the environmental impact of its products by recycling 13 million bottles.

"Consumers should not be penalised for choosing environmentally-friendly products. Our goal is less impact and lower cost," Denson said. (ANI)

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