Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Serena Williams 'out to save the traditional polish mani-pedi'

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 04:37 PM

New York, Oct 20 (ANI): Serena Williams has always dreamt of opening a chain of nail salons, and now she is one step closer to achieving it.

The Grand Slam champ announced that she had signed a deal with nail polish company OPI. Now beauty bloggers are going bananas over her latest success story: Black Shatter, the polish by OPI that claims to crackle when it dries, reports the New York Daily News.

Over time, traditional polish has taken a bit of a back seat to nail wraps, such as Minx and Nail Rock.

Minx, a 50 dollars procedure, which uses thin layers of film, can get you nails that are anywhere from sleek and silver to wacky and whimsical.

Do it yourself Nail Rock is a lot cheaper but requires a steady hand. No manicurist needed, just 14 dollars and a hair dryer. (ANI)


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'Tough nut' Bell says Aussies can expect 'ton of trouble' during Ashes series

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 04:21 PM

London, Oct.20 (ANI): England and Warwickshire star batsman Ian Bell has warned the Australians that they can expect a tons of trouble from his blade when the Ashes series gets underway Down Under from next month.

Bell, 28, is convinced he is tougher these days and better equipped to deal with the pressures of five days of turbo-charged cricket against England's fiercest enemy.

"I don't think people ever thought ability and shot-making were an issue for me. It was about being tough and scoring runs at the right times," the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Bell, as saying.

"Though we lost 5-0 in Australia four years ago, my batting wasn't too bad. I didn't get a really big score but felt I improved as a cricketer," he added.

"I've become a hell of a better player in the six years since then. I'm a tough cricketer and I've learned some tough lessons along the way," he said.

Bell produced the best batting of his career following his 72 in the Ashes-winning Test at The Oval in 2009.

He plundered three Test centuries in the next nine months before a foot injury forced him to miss the second half of last summer.

Bell leaves for Australia on October 29, and is virtually certain to feature in England's first-choice XI Down Under. (ANI)


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Rijkaard leaves Galatasaray after poor start

Wed, Oct 20 10 04:17 PM

Frank Rijkaard's contract as coach of Galatasaray has been terminated by mutual agreement, the club said on Wednesday, ending his spell in charge after a disastrous start to the season.

The former UEFA Cup champions are currently ninth in the Turkish championship after eight games, eight points adrift of leaders Bursaspor. Galatasaray have also been eliminated from this season's Europa League.

Galatasaray held a management board meeting this week after the club's 4-2 loss at home to Ankaragucu to discuss the situation and said at the time it would announce decisions during the week.

"As a result of mutual talks with technical director Frank Rijkaard... we have decided to part ways as of October 20," the club said in a statement on its website (www.galatasaray.org).

The Dutchman took the helm at the Istanbul club in 2009 after leaving Barcelona.


Source: Published>

Now, 'match-fixing' menace hits Pak National T20 Championship

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 04:07 PM

Islamabad, Oct 20 (ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has started investigations into allegations that some leading players under-performed during two crucial matches of the National Twenty20 Championship, which concluded recently in Lahore.

A well-placed source in the PCB revealed that an undeclared investigation is underway to judge the credibility of the semifinal match played between Karachi Dolphins and Rawalpindi Rams, The News reported.

The PCB is investigating if any of the Rawalpindi players have under-performed to present the semis to the Dolphins, it added.

"Doubts arose when a leading Rawalpindi all-rounder seeking a place in the Pakistan team apparently under-performed with both bat and ball, forcing the PCB to scrutinise his performance," disclosed a source.

It has been alleged that the all-rounder in question, who was seeking a spot in the national team, was guaranteed a place following the completion of the task. However, his poor performance in the match forced the selectors to think otherwise.

Apart from that particular semifinal, another match is also under investigation, said the paper.

The fresh measures are being taken in the wake of the recent ICC warning, which has asked the PCB to take strict measures for curbing match-fixing menace in Pakistan's domestic cricket.

However, PCB's media director Nadeem Sarwar expressed complete ignorance when approached over these developments.

"I am completely unaware of any such development or about any such inquiry," Sarwar said. (ANI)


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France's Bousquet serving doping suspension

Wed, Oct 20 10 03:57 PM

French swimmer Frederick Bousquet has been serving a two-month ban following a positive test for the banned stimulant heptaminol.

The former 50m freestyle world record holder said the positive result was from an over-the-counter ointment but said he deserved the suspension.

"I can confirm that Frederic Bousquet is serving a suspension between Sept. 20 and Nov. 20," Louis-Frederic Doyez, French Swimming Federation managing director, told Reuters.

Bousquet failed a dope test last June when he was nursing an unidentified illness.

"There are no mitigating circumstances. I deserve the sanction, that's all," Bousquet told L'Equipe.


Source: Published>

Warwickshire confident of Younus fulfilling his two-year contract

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 03:37 PM

London, Oct 20 (ANI): Warwickshire director of cricket, Ashley Giles, is confident that newly-signed player Younus Khan will fulfil his two-year contract with Edgbaston, though he admitted that one cannot 'predict anything that happens in the future, particularly with Pakistan cricket.'

Although 32-year-old Younus is currently frozen out of Pakistan's national squad, talks of his return to the fold have increased in recent times, the Daily Times reported.

Giles expressed faith about Younus joining up with the Bears for the whole of his agreed deal, saying, "I am very confident right now."

"You can't predict anything that happens in the future, particularly with Pakistan cricket, but Younus has given us his word that he's coming and he wants to commit for two years and is looking forward to the challenge. That's good enough for me because, from what I know of him, he is a man of very good integrity and just a nice guy," he added.

Giles said the club would " want him over for a period before the season starts so that he can see the boys and get to know them a bit."

Referring to the club's contract with Younus, the director said, "He is a top-quality player on the way and it's great to have that signed, sealed and delivered already." (ANI)


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India opt to field against Australia

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 03:08 PM

Visakhapatnam, Oct 20 (IANS) India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to field against Australia in the second one-day international of the three-match series here Wednesday.

Teams:

Australia: Michael Clarke (captain), Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine (wicketkeeper), Michael Hussey, Cameron White, Steve Smith, James Hopes, Nathan Hauritz, John Hastings, Mitchell Starc, Clint McKay.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain/wicketkeeper), Murali Vijay, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Saurabh Tiwary, R. Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, R. Vinay Kumar, Ashish Nehra.

Umpires: Billy Bowden (New Zealand) and Shavir Tarapore

TV umpire: Sudhir Asnani

Match referee: Chris Broad (England)


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Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern and Arsenal keep on winning

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 02:47 PM

Berlin, Oct 20 (DPA) English Premier League sides Arsenal and Chelsea, as well as Bayern Munich and Real Madrid maintained their 100 per cent records in the Champions League as they won their third match of three.

In Munich Tuesday, Romanian visitors CFR Cluj scored four of the five goals, but two of them into their own net as the home side won 3-2, while Real Madrid laid the foundation for their 2-0 victory against AC Milan in the first half with two goals.

Arsenal proved much too strong at home against Shakhtar Donetsk, running out 5-1 winners, while Chelsea won 2-0 in the early game at Spartak Moscow.

In Munich, 64,000 spectators saw Portuguese defender Cadu stun the home side with an opening goal in the 28th minute, but just four minutes later he turned from hero to villain as he turned a Toni Kroos shot into his own goal.

Bayern took the lead in the 37th minute when a Bayern corner hit Cristian Panin on the knee and bounced into the goal.

Mario Gomez put Bayern two goals up in the 77th minute when Cadu tried to clear the ball, but his shot hit Gomez and the ball bounced over the line.

Juan Culio found the net for his side with four minutes to go, but it was too late for the visitors to come back.

As the other Group E match saw Basel score an upset 3-1 victory at AS Roma, Bayern are well placed to advance to the knock-out stage. They lead the table with nine points, while the three other teams are on three points.

Real Madrid scored twice through Cristiano Ronaldo and Mesut Oezil within the space of a minute early on in their Group G game against AC Milan and then allowed the Serie A visitors virtually no chance.

The La Liga team is on nine points, while Milan have four. Ajax Amsterdam, who beat Auxerre 2-1, although they played most of the second half with ten men after Andre Ooijer was sent off, are also on four points.

Auxerre had Dennis Oliech sent off in the 85th minute for a second bookable offence.

The biggest win of the night belonged to Arsenal, who trounced Donetsk 5-1 in London in their Group H game.

The Premier League side was ruthless in the taking of their chances as they scored five times from their first six shots at goal with Alexandre Song and Sami Nasri scoring twice before the break.

Cesc Fabregas converted a penalty after the break and Jack Wilshire and Marouane Chamakh added one-a-piece to give the home side a comfortable five-goal lead.

Former Arsenal player Eduardo, who left the club after failing to come back into the side following a horrific injury that saw him break his leg in two places, scored a late consolation goal for the Ukrainian visitors that saw him cheered by the home fans.

Sporting Braga secured their first-ever Champions League points as they beat Partizan Belgrade 2-0 in Portugal in the other group game.

In the early game, Chelsea moved to the top of Group F with a 2-0 victory at Spartak Moscow.

Both goals were scored in the first half with Russian international Juri Zhirkov and Nicolas Anelka finding the goals that took Chelsea very close to the knock-out stage of the lucrative competition.

The Premier League side, who were behind their opponents at the start of the match-day on goal difference, dominated play and fully deserved their two-goal advantage at half-time.

In the 24th minute Zhirkov, who used to play for Spartak's city rivals CSKA, made the most of a poor headed clearance from Nicolas Pareja and his left-footed shot from 20 metres gave the Russian goalkeeper Andriy Dykan no chance.

Two minutes from the break Chelsea made the most of their dominance as Michael Essien saw Anelka, who was running into space. The French striker sold his marker a dummy and found the back of the net with a well-placed shot.

Olympique Marseille moved onto three points in the group with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Slovakian visitors Zilina.


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ICC's 'undercover agents' to pose as bookies to snare errant players

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 02:27 PM

Sydney, Oct. 20 (ANI): The International Cricket Council is reportedly considering a radical plan of creating a team of undercover agents, who will pose as illegal bookmakers.

These agents will approach cricketers to see if they report the encounters.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, players who do not report the approaches would be penalised under the anti-corruption code, with sanctions ranging from warnings to fines and suspensions.

The plan is only in its embryonic stage and is one of many new initiatives being considered by the ICC in light of the Pakistan spot-fixing allegations.

The idea was put to ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat and is now being considered.

"We are thinking of setting up our own approaches to players, to see if they report it, we will think out of the box," Lorgat told the Herald.

He added: "It is only a tentative plan at this stage, we are working on a number of measures to combat corruption. We are not sitting on our hands ... we are being as proactive as we can in ensuring the integrity of the game is maintained." (ANI)


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Murali 'forgives' Hair but Howard's jibe still offends

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 02:07 PM

He has "forgiven and forgotten" former umpire Darrell Hair but Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan says the chucker jibe that came from Australia's ex-Prime Minister John Howard still rankles him.

Hair had called Muralitharan for chucking during the 1995 Boxing Day Test at the MCG and though the Lankan feels that the controversial umpire made a mistake by doing that, he has decided to let bygones be bygones.

"I have forgiven (him) and forgotten," Murali said.

"I had been very upset with him, but I have let it go. I am not upset with him. People do make mistakes and I think he made a mistake. My action has been cleared," he was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Telegraph'.

"But I'm not going to look at the past any more.

"What I really didn't like was the comments Howard made (in 2004). That was why I didn't come on the next tour here.

From someone in his position, that was worse than anything the crowd said."

Muralitharan would be in Australia next month for what would be his farewell tour to the country and the off-spinner recalled the torrid time he had while dealing with taunts from the crowd Down Under.

"It has been a bit difficult here for me sometimes but mainly it has just been one or two people in the crowd saying some things," he said.

"That is part of the game and as a sportsman you just have to accept that some people just don't like you," he added.

Muralitharan, who would retire form international cricket after next year's World Cup, said his rival Shane Warne would have made a great Australian captain.

"He proved that in the IPL in the first year when his side (Rajasthan Royals) just had a group of youngsters and he got them to win," he said.

"I always enjoyed talking to Shane about cricket, he had so much knowledge. It might be 200 years before there is another spinner like Shane.

"The only reason I got more Test wickets than him was because I started younger," he said.


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Beckham to play L A Galaxy exhibition match in Australia in November

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 01:57 PM

Sydney, Oct. 20 (ANI): England football star David Beckham will play for L A Galaxy team in an exhibition game against the Newcastle Jets at the Energy Australia Stadium, Newcastle, on November 27.

New South Wales Premier Kristina Keneally made an announcement to this effect this morning, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

"We want to show the world we are ready to host the World Cup in 2022 and securing major events such as this exclusive match for NSW puts us in a strong position during the bid process," Keneally said.

The former England captain played for Galaxy in an exhibition match against Sydney FC at ANZ Stadium three years ago, attracting an almost sell-out crowd of 80,000.

LA Galaxy players will arrive in Newcastle on Thursday, November 25, and spend four days in the region. They are expected to visit the vineyards and Port Stephens during their stay. (ANI)


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ICC task force to grill PCB boss Butt in teleconference on Oct 23

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 01:51 PM

Lahore, Oct 20 (ANI): Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt will be grilled by the special task committee of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in a teleconference scheduled for October 23, a PCB source has revealed.

According to reliable sources, the teleconference will be held to discuss and review the measures taken by the PCB for improving its governance and implementing measures recommended by the ICC at its executive board meeting in Dubai earlier this month, the Daily Times reported.

In the meeting, Butt had been clearly told that the board needed to clean up its act and seriously pursue implementing the ICC- recommended measures within next 30 days, otherwise it risked facing possible sanctions.

"Ijaz will be asked about the steps taken by the PCB to enforce the recommendations made by the ICC executive board which is not willing to give much leeway to the chairman now," disclosed a source.

"The ICC executive board means business and during the teleconference the task committee formed to look into Pakistan cricket affairs will find out from Ijaz about the steps being taken by him to improve governance as well as about the recent successful holding of the National T20 Championship here at Gaddafi Stadium that attracted big crowds," the source added.

The PCB is already under pressure because of the spot fixing allegations against the tainted trio- Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer.

"The problem now facing the PCB is that the England, Australian, New Zealand and South African boards have told the ICC that there should be no leniency shown towards the suspended trio. The presidents of three boards have pressed on the ICC that it needs to take action against the trio because they had brought a bad name to the image of cricket on a whole," the source said.

He added that though India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and West Indies had so far not shown support for the strong stance taken by the four other boards on the spot fixing issue, the PCB was worried about future developments. (ANI)


Source: Web Search

PCB just following ICC 'guidelines': Tafazzul Rizvi

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 01:47 PM

Islamabad, Oct 20 (ANI): The International Cricket Council's warning to Pakistan for implementation of specific measures to overcome flaws in the country's cricket within next 30 days were in fact 'guidelines' usually suggested to all of its members, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has claimed.

On October 6, the ICC had issued a strict warning to the PCB to implement a series of measures to solve problems faced by the country's cricket or "risk sanctions," the Dawn reported.

However, PCB's legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi disagreed over the same, saying, "There was no mention of sanctions, instead, they were the guidelines suggested by the ICC and we will be mirroring it in our domestic cricket structure."

He also insisted that the ICC never warned PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt that his membership would be suspended. "We are very responsible board member of the ICC and are aware of our position and stature at the international sporting level," the board's legal advisor added.

While the federal officials in Islamabad revealed that the ICC's recent warning was the last nail in the coffin of the sitting PCB management, Tafazzul, the man who has been assisting PCB's legal battle, both at home and abroad, has claimed that "the domestic rules along with a code of conduct was already in place.

"The ICC is the primary regulator of the sport and forwards advice to its members and our initiative was meant at elevating the domestic structure of cricket," he added.

Tafazzul said that the board's current steps were aimed at bringing Pakistan's domestic cricket at par with the domestic cricket of top cricket nations like Australia and England. (ANI)


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PCB boss Butt irks Sports Ministry by directly approaching Zardari on cricket issues

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 01:41 PM

Islamabad, Oct 20 (ANI): The Sports Ministry of Pakistan is irked with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ijaz Butt for bypassing it and directly writing a letter to President Asif Ali Zardari, seeking 'free hand to deal with the menace' plaguing cricket in the country.

In the letter, Butt had sought Zardari's approval in making necessary changes in the PCB setup according to the measures recommended by the International Cricket Council (ICC) during its meeting at Dubai.

"The letter that has been sent directly to the president is aimed at seeking his approval to make necessary changes in the PCB set up in order to implement ICC recommendations," The News quoted a source in the presidency, as saying.

"Ijaz Butt is expected to meet the President in ten days time now after his session with the ICC," he added.

Butt had also requested more power be given to him to take serious decisions.

"I want your approval sir as political pressure may bar the PCB to take corrective measures as recommended by the ICC. I need free hand to deal with the menace," Butt reportedly wrote in the letter.

However, this action of Butt has not gone down well with the Ministry of Sports, which was bypassed as the letter was written directly to Zardari, who is also the PCB Patron.

"The PCB had to go through the Ministry as was required by the constitution. Since the Ministry acts as custodian to sports and is answerable to all acts of the PCB in the parliament, it should be taken in confidence before writing such a letter," said an official of the board, expressing concern over Butt's direct approach to the president. (ANI)


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PCB just following ICC 'guidelines': Tafazzul Rizvi

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 01:37 PM

Islamabad, Oct 20 (ANI): The International Cricket Council's warning to Pakistan for implementation of specific measures to overcome flaws in the country's cricket within next 30 days were in fact 'guidelines' usually suggested to all of its members, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has claimed.

On October 6, the ICC had issued a strict warning to the PCB to implement a series of measures to solve problems faced by the country's cricket or "risk sanctions," the Dawn reported.

However, PCB's legal adviser Tafazzul Rizvi disagreed over the same, saying, "There was no mention of sanctions, instead, they were the guidelines suggested by the ICC and we will be mirroring it in our domestic cricket structure."

He also insisted that the ICC never warned PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt that his membership would be suspended. "We are very responsible board member of the ICC and are aware of our position and stature at the international sporting level," the board's legal advisor added.

While the federal officials in Islamabad revealed that the ICC's recent warning was the last nail in the coffin of the sitting PCB management, Tafazzul, the man who has been assisting PCB's legal battle, both at home and abroad, has claimed that "the domestic rules along with a code of conduct was already in place.

"The ICC is the primary regulator of the sport and forwards advice to its members and our initiative was meant at elevating the domestic structure of cricket," he added.

Tafazzul said that the board's current steps were aimed at bringing Pakistan's domestic cricket at par with the domestic cricket of top cricket nations like Australia and England. (ANI)


Source: Web Search

Anand favourite at Pearl Spring

Wed, Oct 20 10 01:21 PM

From Our Chess Correspondent Nanjing (China), Oct 20 (PTI) World champion Viswanathan Anand starts as the favourite to win his maiden Grand Slam of the year in the Pearl Spring Chess tournament that gets underway here. Following his decent performance in the recent Bilbao Final Masters that saw him regain the number one ranking in terms of ELO rating in the unofficial live rating list, the Indian ace will be hoping to win his first Grand Slam of the year ahead of Norwegian Magnus Carlsen who has been struggling for form. Carlsen has lost more than 25 points from his last outings at the Chess Olympiad and Bilbao and is currently ranked second in the world. The event will also see former world champion Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria vying for the top slot. Topalov, who lost to Anand in the last World Championship in Bulgaria will be hoping for an improved performance against the Indian and given his uncompromising style, he is the other contender for the title besides the top two. It will be played on a double round-robin basis between six players and each participant will get to play against the others twice. The Sofia rules will be in place and the draw offers are not allowed. The draw can be agreed to in theoretically drawn positions only. The total prize fund of the tournament is 2,50,000 Euros (over Rs 1.5 crore) with the winner''s purse being 80,000 Euros. Wang Yue of China will spearhead the local challenge. The current World University champion has been playing in top events regularly for some time now and is known as a solid player. Vugar Gashimov of Azerbaijan and Etienne Bacrot of France complete the line up. Gashimov was surprisingly left out of the Azerbaijan''s national team in the Chess Olympiad and he will be itching to prove his mettle in this elite field while Bacrot has been a consistent performer for many years now. For Anand, the main challengers will be Carlsen and Topalov who are not playing their best at the moment. Like Carlsen, Topalov too lost many rating points in the Olympiad and both need to recover lost ground. Anand meets Wang Yue in the opener where the former will play with white. Carlsen and Topalov also open their campaign with white pieces against Bacrot and Gashimov respectively. Pairings round 1: V Anand (Ind) v/s Wang Yue (Chn); Magnus Carlsen (Nor) v/s Etienne Bacrot (Fra); Veselin Topalov (Bul) v/s Vugar Gashimov (Aze).


Source: Published>

Kiwi keeper McCullum set for move down batting order

Published>Wed, Oct 20 10 01:07 PM

Wellington, Oct. 20 (ANI): New Zealand cricket captain Daniel Vettori and batting coach Mark Greatbatch have reportedly decided to push batsman-wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum down the order to change the fortunes of the team after its 4-0 loss to Bangladesh in a one-day international series.

McCullum is expected to be shifted from his preferred slot as a flying opener to return to his successful post at No 7 where he looked to win matches in the dying overs rather than the opening ones.

Judging by their comments to The Dominion Post, they will try to convince the New Zealand Cricket Board the team has never worked harder, the controversial management model they have in place is the correct one and the buck stops with the batsmen.

"I've summoned myself. I think it is important that people understand everything that went on, and it's for myself as well so that I understand where NZC is coming from. I know their expectations but it needs to be face-to-face rather than relayed second hand," Vettori was quoted, as saying.

"I hope people understand that whatever they are feeling that it is 100 times worse for me and the players. We are dying about these results and we want a chance to turn it around," he added.

High performance manager Roger Mortimer will join the pair in Wellington. Vettori and Greatbatch support his involvement.

"Roger is there to make sure the players adhere to their own personal programmes," Vettori said. (ANI)


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