Pakistan name Afridi captain for World Twenty20

Published Tue, Mar 23 10 06:10 PM

All-rounder Shahid Afridi will captain Pakistan at this year's Twenty20 World Cup in West Indies, the Pakistan Cricket Board said on Tuesday.

Afridi's re-appointment to the captaincy came days after he was fined three million rupees and placed on six months probation after being found guilty of ball-tampering on the recent tour of Australia.

"It is a big honour for me and I will try to live up to the expectations of the board and nation," Afridi told reporters.

The 30-year-old Afridi has played 26 tests, 293 one-day internationals and 27 T20 internationals.

He was Pakistan's Twenty20 captain until the ball-tampering incident in February during the fifth one-dayer against Australia in Perth for which he was handed a two-match ban.

The captaincy was handed to Afridi on the same day he received a top civilian honour, the President's Pride of Performance award.

"It is a big day for me to get the award and also the captaincy, I am very happy," Afridi said.

Pakistan won the T20 World Cup under the captaincy of Younus Khan last year in England and Afridi played a key role in the success, winning man-of-the-match awards in the semi-final and final.

"I will try to lead by example and not let down my supporters and fans. We have the capability of defending our title," Afridi said.

Senior all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, another captaincy candidate, said there were no hard feelings.

"I think he is the best choice to lead the team now because he has the ability to lead by example and gel the team. I will give him my wholehearted support. Afridi being captain is a good thing for Pakistan cricket," Razzaq told Reuters.

The PCB this month banned and fined seven players including Afridi following the team's poor performances in Australia.

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David Beckham turns Easter Egg!

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 05:40 PM

London, March 23 (ANI): An Easter Egg version of soccer ace David Beckham has been unveiled.

The decorated version of the footballer is among a set of celebrity specials, which include the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, US President Barack Obama and The Beatles.

Artist John Lamouranne, from New Orleans in the US, spends hours carefully hand-painting hollowed out goose eggs.

John, dubbed 'The Egg Man', also creates the tiny sets to stand the eggs, which sell for up to 200 pounds.

The 63-year-old also takes on private commissions from members of the public, working from a photo.

"Anything can be created with egg shells. My egg art creations are in just about every country in the world," the Sun quoted John as saying. (ANI)

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Turner Sports to offer tech package for NBA game

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 05:28 PM

Turner Sports will offer a package of technologies during an NBA game on Thursday, including Twitter, multi-camera coverage fed online and a live streamed chat in a move to attract fans watching on TV, the Internet and cellphones.

Turner Sports will integrate TNT, NBA TV and NBA.com under the plan, while using TNT's NBA studio show hosts to call a Miami Heat-Chicago Bulls game, said David Levy, president of Turner Sports, which is owned by Time Warner Inc.

"This is not a one-time-only," he said in a telephone interview.

"Our consumer may not be near a television set, so we want to have them have access to what's happening whether it be on Twitter or broadband. It's about engagement with all of our different platforms."

Turner Sports, which a year ago began managing the NBA's digital assets -- NBA TV, NBA.com, WNBA.com and more -- has taken similar approaches in covering NASCAR races, the PGA Championships last year and the NBA All-Star game last month. But it has never gone as far as it will on Thursday.

During the NBA All-Star weekend in February, NBA Digital set an NBA.com record for video streams at more than 17 million, up 20 percent from last year.

On Thursday, Turner Sports will have TNT NBA Thursday studio hosts Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith calling the game at the United Centre in Chicago. Fans also will be able to follow the action via mobile phone applications.

At the same time, Smith will provide running commentary on the game via Twitter, the first time a TNT NBA game analyst has used the short-message service during the action, the company said. Other analysts also will send Twitter messages, which will be aggregated at the NBA Tweet channel, www.nba.com.tweetmixx/.

There will be a live streamed chat on NBA.com, where analyst Kevin McHale will take questions from fans via Facebook and Twitter following halftime, the company said.

Fans also can access an interactive application on NBA.com that will offer four camera angles at one time: a camera fixed on the announcers even during commercial breaks, two cameras focused on players the fans collectively pick and a robot camera mounted above both backboards, the company said.

"We know that social networking is a big part of the sports world," Levy said. "One of the reasons why I think ratings today are up in sports ... has a lot to do with social networking. People are talking about these games more."

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Man U ace Park says Arsenal and Chelsea can't stop them from being champions

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 05:10 PM

London, Mar 23 (ANI): Manchester United ace Ji-Sung Park has said that there is no need to worry about Arsenal and Chelsea in the Premier league after Sir Alex Ferguson's side took a two points lead at the top of the points table.

Manchester United controls the destiny of the title for the first time and Park said Arsenal and Chelsea can't stop them if they keep winning.We don't need to worry about Arsenal or Chelsea, because if we win our games then we will be champions. So that's why we need to concentrate on our performances and our games," said the South Korean star.

"It was very important we beat Liverpool. We did that and it's a big boost for the rest of the season. There are seven league games left and if we win them all, then we will win the title. So we need to concentrate and keep up our performance levels," The Mirror quoted Park, as saying.

Park is proving to be United's player for the big occasion when he scored winner against Liverpool. He had also scored in the recent crucial victories over Arsenal and AC Milan.

"It was a great feeling to score the winner. Derby matches against Liverpool are very important games, so to score the winner in a derby is a fantastic feeling. Doing it in front of the Stretford End was unbelievable as well because you're right next to the fans," Park said.

"But I want to score more goals for United and it doesn't matter who they are against. I know I should score more goals. I feel good scoring against the big teams like Arsenal, Milan and Liverpool, but I want to score more goals," he added. (ANI)

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Somdev advances, Yuki goes down at Miami qualifiers

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 04:58 PM

Miami, March 23 (IANS) India's No.1 Somdev Devvarman advanced while up and coming Yuki Bhambri fumbled in the first round of the qualifiers of the $3,645,000 Sony Ericsson Open tennis here.

Somdev, ranked 120, beat 139th-ranked Frenchman David Guez 7-6(3), 6-4 Monday.

The Indian next plays third seed and 85th-ranked Ukrainian Illya Marchenko who beat Brazilian Joao Souza 6-1, 6-3.

Wildcard Yuki, 17, went down to top-seeded Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 1-6, 3-6.

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Raise IPL players' cap over $5 mn: Roy

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 04:50 PM

Having won team Pune through a very aggressive bid, Sahara group has suggested to the Indian Premier League to raise the cap on bids that each franchise can place for players so that they get more benefits.

"There is a cap," said Sahara group chief Subroto Roy when asked if he would be as aggressive in bidding for players as he was in bidding for the team last week.

When IPL made its debut three years ago, its Commissioner Lalit Modi had announced that there would be a cap of USD five million on each franchise to buy players and each team was mandated to spend at least USD three million.

"I think they should consider this... Yes I will appreciate that (raising the cap)... I think the benefit should go to players also," he said on whether the IPL should consider raising the cap.

After three years, the players would be up for grabs once again when IPL conducts fresh auctioning in September and going by the success of the event, including the tournament this year, the teams are expected to be aggressive in bidding.

Sahara group, which bid successfully for the Pune team with an offer of Rs 1,702 crore, has already expressed the desire to take Sachin Tendulkar as its captain should the master blaster from Mumbai Indians be available.

Roy also said that he would also leverage from his association with Indian cricket team (Sahara group is the team sponsor), adding that many of the players had suggested to the group to take a team on its own.

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Wife still 'devastated' by Tiger Woods' multiple sex trysts

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 04:40 PM

New York, Mar 23 (ANI): Elin Nordegren is still not over the fact that her husband Tiger Woods cheated on her with a parade of party girls, it has emerged.

According to sources, the Swedish model is having a hard time stomaching the notion that Woods bedded Joslyn James, a 32-year-old porn star whose XXX-rated resume includes flicks like "Big Breasted Nurses" and "My First Sex Teacher #12," reports the New York Daily News.

"It devastates her," a source familiar with the situation told RadarOnline.com. "The whole situation is unthinkable for her, but then to throw a porn star in the mix, it just makes her feel like she didn't even know her husband." (ANI)

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We need an X-factor: Ganguly

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 04:30 PM

Mumbai, March 23 (IANS) After a promising start in the third edition of Indian Premier League (IPL), Kolkata Knight Riders have again lost their way. With three losses on the trot, captain Sourav Ganguly is in search of an 'X-factor' that will bring their campaign back on track.

Knight Riders beat defending champions Deccan Chargers and runners up Royal Challengers Bangalore in their first two matches, but then slumped to defeats against Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

'We are getting close but we are losing the matches. We have the team but we need an X factor going for us. Hopefully, we can turn it around in the next match,' Ganguly said after Knight Riders lost to Mumbai Indians by seven wickets Monday.

Tendulkar led the Mumbai Indians charge with an unbeaten 71 to surpass the Knight Riders total of 155 with nine balls to spare.

'I thought we were 10 runs short, but it was a fighting total. We started well but took our foot off the accelerator. It was not easy to get the spinners early on that wicket but we gave away too many runs upfront in the first six overs,' Ganguly said.

Ganguly made 31 and took two good catches. His second catch at short-extra cover was a stunner as he jumped in the air and grabbed the ball one-handed to get rid of Saurabh Tiwary.

'It is the requirement of the game (fielding). I am putting a bit of an effort,' Ganguly said.

The Knight Riders skipper said he and Chris Gayle will be opening the batting.

'Gayle and I will keep opening. And Owais (Shah) is a good middle order player,' he said.

Mumbai Indians skipper Tendulkar lauded the bowlers for their performance.

'Bravo, McLaren, Zaheer, Malinga, Harbhajan, all bowled well and were ably supported by the fielders.'

He was all praise for Delhi opener Shikhar Dhawan.

'Shikhar batted well, the first over set the tone. From the other end, I started getting a few boundaries. We managed to put pressure on them early on, and it was then a matter of staying there till the end.'

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Chelsea can do the double this season: Mikel

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 04:10 PM

London, Mar 23 (ANI): Chelsea midfielder Mikel is confident that the club can still lift the double this season, after owner Roman Abramovich turned up unannounced at the club's training ground, asking every single player and member of the coaching and medical staff to perform or perish.

The Russian billionaire addressed his Blues squad in the aftermath of their Champions League exit to Inter Milan last week.

But Chelsea stumbled again on Sunday as they only managed a 1-1 draw at Blackburn to surrender their title advantage to Manchester United.

Mikel insists the surprise Abramovich rallying call sets them up well, The Sun reports.

"He just came to show support, nothing else. He came to cheer the players. We have a Double to win.

"He's a football man, he understands us entirely. Obviously everyone was shattered after Inter and he wanted to make sure we kept our heads up," Mikel said.

The Blues know if they fail in both the league and FA Cup it will count as a failure of a season.

Mikel added: "It would be a big disappointment but we know we will win both. We have to fight as a team, we don't have to play as individuals."

Chelsea travel to Fratton Park to face Portsmouth tomorrow night.

A win would put Carlo Ancelotti's men back within a point of leaders United with a trip to Old Trafford looming on Easter Saturday. (ANI)

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Schumacher will be on the top by Malaysian leg of F1: Niki Lauda

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 03:54 PM

London, Mar 23 (ANI): Seven times Formula One champion Michael Schumacher, who returned from retirement recently, will shake off a bit more rustiness in Sunday's Australian Grand Prix before fully regaining his brilliance the following weekend in Malaysia, said Austrian legend Niki Lauda.

The Austrian legend took two years out before returning to win the third of his three world titles, albeit not until the third year of his comeback.

Lauda is not concerned that seven-time champ Schumacher was out qualified and outraced by Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg at the opening Grand Prix in Bahrain.

He insisted the 41-year-old German produced a "perfect performance" even though many expected him to be a winner straight away, The Sun reports.

Lauda said: "You can hardly start any better. He ran very little over the winter due to test restrictions, then got into a modified car he had never driven before. So it was simply impossible for him to clock a qualification lap at the push of a button."

"I suppose he needs about three races to get back up to the same level he was at. When you take all that into account, he did a superb qualification lap, even compared to Nico who was only three-tenths faster.

"My guess is that in Kuala Lumpur he will have regained the ability to switch on for a fast lap that every driver has to have," Lauda added. (ANI)

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Sahara for raising ceiling on bidding for IPL players

Published Tue, Mar 23 10 03:24 PM

New Delhi, Mar 23 (PTI) Having won team Pune through a very aggressive bid, Sahara group has suggested to the Indian Premier League to raise the cap on bids that each franchise can place for players so that they get more benefits. "There is a cap," Sahara group chief Subroto Roy told PTI when asked if he would be as aggressive in bidding for players as he was in bidding for the team last week. When IPL made its debut three years ago, its Commissioner Lalit Modi had announced that there would be a cap of USD five million on each franchise to buy players and each team was mandated to spend at least USD three million. "I think they should consider this... Yes I will appreciate that (raising the cap)... I think the benefit should go to players also," he said on whether the IPL should consider raising the cap. After three years, the players would be up for grabs once again when IPL conducts fresh auctioning in September and going by the success of the event, including the tournament this year, the teams are expected to be aggressive in bidding. Sahara group, which bid successfully for the Pune team with an offer of Rs 1,702 crore, has already expressed the desire to take Sachin Tendulkar as its captain should the master blaster from Mumbai Indians be available. Roy also said that he would also leverage from his association with Indian cricket team (Sahara group is the team sponsor), adding that many of the players had suggested to the group to take a team on its own.

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MTN spends $964 mln upgrading network for World Cup

Published Tue, Mar 23 10 03:10 PM

South African mobile operator MTN said on Tuesday it had invested 7.1 billion rand ($964 million) upgrading its domestic network and infrastructure ahead of soccer's 2010 World Cup.

The company said that as part of the work it had completed network coverage upgrades at all stadiums being used in the tournamment.

MTN is one of the sponsors of the month-long tournament, giving it exclusive mobile content rights.

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Legendary 'voice of boxing' commentator Harry Carpenter dies aged 84

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 02:54 PM

London, Mar 23(ANI): Former BBC boxing commentator Harry Carpenter has died at the King's College Hospital, London, following a prolonged illness.

The 84-year-old, dubbed the Voice of Boxing, died in the early hours of Saturday.

Carpenter's lawyer David Wills said that the legend had been unwell since last summer, when he had a minor heart attack.

"The funeral has not been arranged, but will be a family funeral, to be followed by a memorial service in London," The Sun quoted Wills, as saying.

Carpenter had joined the corporation in 1949 and worked for almost half a century before retiring in 1994.

He was presenter of programmes such as Sportsnight (1975-1985), Grandstand and Sports Personality of the Year. He also anchored coverage of Wimbledon from 1967 until 1993.

His rapport with British boxing great Frank Bruno was well known.

Bruno's agent said that the former heavyweight champion was "very upset" at the news. He [Carpenter] was obviously part of Frank's up-and-coming career from the early days when Harry used to commentate, particularly at the Royal Albert Hall, on Frank's boxing," the agent said.

"Frank has many acquaintances, but not many real friends. Harry Carpenter was a friend," the agent added. (ANI)

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Jankovic beats Wozniacki to triumph

Published Tue, Mar 23 10 02:50 PM

India, March 23 -- Jelena Jankovic defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6-2, 6-4 on Sunday to win the BNP Paribas Open, the Serbian's first title in seven months.

The former top-ranked player from Serbia dictated from the baseline throughout the 1{-hour match, hitting the lines and keeping Wozniacki on the run.

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New Zealand-Chile to play pre-World Cup friendly

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 02:40 PM

Wellington, March 23 (DPA) New Zealand and Chile will play a friendly behind closed doors on June 9 in South Africa as part of their preparations for the World Cup finals, New Zealand Football announced Tuesday.

The match will be played near Nelspruit, location of New Zealand's second pool match against Italy and Chile's opener against Honduras, and is likely to be played in three 30-minute periods, a statement said.

Other pre-cup friendlies scheduled are against Australia May 24 in Melbourne, Serbia on May 29 in Klagenfurt, Austria, and Slovenia June 4 in Maribor.

New Zealand Football have arranged a two-week training camp from April 28-May 10 in Auckland for New Zealand and Australian-based candidates for the final squad of 23 that will go to South Africa.

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Gambhir, Nehra return

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 02:30 PM

Colombo, March 23 -- Opening batsman Gautam Gambhir, and left-arm bowler Ashish Nehra, would be returning to India from Sri Lanka on Monday night after receiving treatment for injuries received while playing in the current IPL series.

Interestingly, Mumbai Indians' Sanath Jayasuriya is standing in the elections to be held on April 8 from Rajapaksa's party. Jayasuriya is apparently the only player who has been allowed to leave India while the IPL is on to return to Sri Lanka and campaign in Matara, his hometown and from where he is contesting. Gambhir and Nehra flew down to Colombo last week after suffering injuries.

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IPL rush has Dharamsala in a tizzy

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 02:18 PM

Dharamsala, March 23 -- This is one grand rush for which this sleepy hill resort might not be ready. With Dharamsala all set to host two IPL matches in April, the tourism industry is working overtime to ensure that the cricketing and Bollywood stars - and their entourage - leave with pleasant memories. According to records available with the Tourism Department, there are about 56 registered hotels and guesthouses in and around Dharamsala having a total capacity of 1,100 beds, while the internationally renowned McLeodganj can accommodate another 1,000. But the IPL rush could be 10 times more. No wonder, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) officials are a worried lot. Officials of the Kings XI Punjab, co-owned by Bollywood star Preity Zinta, have asked the HPCA to book 1,000 rooms.

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CSK's focus will be on putting the RCB top order under pressure

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 02:08 PM

Bangalore, March 23 -- Home and away, through batting and bowling, the Royal Challengers Bangalore have not been found wanting in a variety of circumstances. Sitting on top of the points' table, the home team is perfectly placed to take on the Chennai Super Kings, who, even in the absence of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, are favoured to make it to the final four. Two editions of the tournament have taught the teams that momentum is crucial. While every match is a fresh game, and indeed a new opponent, teams that string together a sequence of victories are more likely to push for an early spot in the semifinals and then concentrate on fine-tuning various aspects of preparation. The Royal Challengers know the value of putting together a run of wins, having plumbed the depths in past editions, only to fight back. In this season, the challenge ahead is to keep their form simmering at an acceptably high level, while allowing for enough in the tank to raise their game when needed. The story so far has been one of dominance. Jacques Kallis, who came here with a burning desire to prove that he could translate Test and ODI performances into T20 form, has carved a niche for himself. Batting through the innings, is something few batsmen have been successful at in the IPL, but Kallis has shown there's a place in the game for this method. What has helped his cause is the performance of young batsmen around him. Manish Pandey has found ways to attack the fast bowlers early on. Unafraid to go over the top, and possessed with a clean swing of the bat when he wants to go across the line, Pandey has fired the Royal Challengers to quick starts, allowing Kallis to bed down. Robin Uthappa and Virat Kohli have shown the same sort of urgency, and this situational awareness has made the Bangalore batting look so strong that Rahul Dravid hasn't even been needed so far.

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Cole wants to stay at Chelsea despite no new offer from Blues

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 01:40 PM

London, Mar 23 (ANI): Midfielder Joe Cole has said that contract talks with Chelsea have broken down, and added that he wants to stay but the club have withdrawn their offer of a new deal.

Cole will be available on a free transfer in the summer, but he refuses to give up on his Chelsea career.

"I've never spoken publicly about contracts before. I don't think contracts should really be discussed mid-season. I have always signed mine in the summer in the past," The Sun quoted Cole, as saying.

"But this time it's different. We can't seem to find common ground and it's distracting. At the moment there is no offer on the table, so I know where I stand. I still hope to talk in the summer," he said.

Cole's current deal expires on June 30 when he will be free to quit the Blues after seven years at Stamford Bridge.

No new talks are planned between the parties at present even though Cole is keen to stay. helsea has been tightening the purse strings at the club for some time and Cole has been on the fringes of the team recently. (ANI)

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Gambhir, Nehra meet Rajapaksa; thank him for treatment

Published Tue, Mar 23 10 01:24 PM

Colombo, March 23 (PTI) A fit-again Indian opener Gautam Gambhir and fast bowler Ashish Nehra met Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and thanked him for facilitating their quick treatment at the hands of a reputed ayurvedic physician of the island nation. The Delhi Daredevils players met Rajapaksa at his residence yesterday prior to their departure for India after recovering from their injuries sustained during the ongoing Indian Premier League. Gambhir and Nehra were treated by Eliyantha White on Rajapaksa''s request. "Gambhir and Nehra thanked President Rajapaksa and Dr. White for their speedy recovery," a release from the Presidential Secretariat said. The statement said that two players also thanked Sri Lankan cricketers and Daredevils team-mate Tillakaratne Dilshan for suggesting the doctor to them. "The two players also thanked Sri Lankan cricketer Tillakaratne Dilshan, who is now playing in the IPL, for recommending treatment in Sri Lanka and making arrangements for it through the President," it said. Gambhir suffered a hamstring injury during Daredevil''s first home game against Mumbai Indians, while Nehra has been suffering from a rib injury he picked up during training in Mohali before the team''s first IPL game. Incidentally, star Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has also been successfully treated for a sports injury by Dr. White at the request of Rajapaksa.

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Hughes blasts Aussies to victory against Kiwis

Published>Tue, Mar 23 10 12:50 PM

Phillip Hughes thrashed 86 not out in an Australia total of 106-0 as the tourists wrapped up victory in the first Test against New Zealand in Wellington.

Hughes, was recalled to the side in place of the injured Shane Watson, struck 12 fours and one six while Simon Katich played an anchor-man role with his 18 not out from 65 deliveries as Australia reached their target of 106 without loss and with two sessions to spare.

Debutant Ryan Harris took 4/77 in New Zealand's second innings to help Australia bowl New Zealand out for 407 on the final morning.

The Kiwis had resumed on 6-369 and lost their last four wickets for 38 in 50 minutes of play. Brendon McCullum hit two consecutive boundaries off the bowling of Doug Bollinger in the opening over to reach his fifth Test century. But Harris soon had McCullum caught at first slip by Michael Clarke for 104 from 187 balls.

Since losing the Ashes decider at The Oval last August, Australia have racked up an impressive run of six wins and a draw in Test cricket.

New Zealand will be forced into changing their line-up for the final Test against Australia in Hamilton after Daryl Tuffey broke his hand while making an unbeaten 47 in the Black Caps' second innings.

Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke was named man of the match for his career-best 168 in Australia's first innings of 5(dec)-459.

Skipper Ricky Ponting said he was extremely proud of Clarke for showing his strength of character after receiving plenty of bad publicity following his broken engagement to model Lara Bingle.

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