Becks, Posh are devotees of 'healing crystals'

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 01:07 PM

London, Dec 3 (ANI): David Beckham and wife Victoria have become devotees of 'healing crystals' since moving to California.

The former England captain and his wife keep the colorful stones in their respective bathrooms at their 14-million-pounds Beverly Hills home-in the hope that they will improve their health and boost their energy levels.

Crystals and gemstones have been considered to have healing powers for hundreds of years across a variety of cultures, and are said to provide 'energy medicine tools'.

"We both like crystals, as in crystal energy. I have lots of pink quartz and black tourmaline in my bathroom," the Daily Mail quoted Posh as telling InStyle magazine.

"It's quite spiritual out here [in LA]; all very positive," she said,

The soccer star added, "We've been into that since moving to LA." (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Becks is a tidy man in bathroom while Posh is 'messy'

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 12:07 PM

London, Dec 3 (ANI): David Beckham is a tidy man in bathroom, while wife Victoria is "very messy"- these are some of the bathroom secrets of the celebrity couple.

"She always leaves her drawers open and leaves the toothpaste top off too," the Daily Mail quoted the soccer star as telling InStyle magazine.

"It's kind of her mess, though. It's her bathroom. It's not down to me," he said.

"He means like cupboard drawers, not as in knickers!' "I'm very messy. Clean, but very messy," said Posh.

"We're lucky enough to have separate bathrooms. David's is all dark wood, very masculine.

"Mine is very modern, black and white. David's products are all hidden away, whereas mine are quite on show," she said.

The designer said that her husband is pretty tidy and doesn't really have any annoying bathroom habits. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

WikiLeaks cables portray Afghan President Karzai as paranoid and weak individual

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 11:37 AM

London, Dec 3(ANI): Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai is regularly described by diplomats and foreign statesmen as erratic, emotional and prone to believing paranoid conspiracy theories, according to classified US diplomatic cables released by whistleblower website Wikileaks.

According to the Guardian, on some occasions Karzai's own ministers accuse him of complicity in criminal activity, including ordering the physical intimidation of the top official in charge of leading negotiations with the Taliban.

In memos back to Washington, the US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, adopted a particularly weary tone when describing bizarre meetings with Karzai.

In one in 2009, Karzai argued that the U.S. intended to "divide Pakistan and weaken Afghanistan in order to pursue its fight against terrorist groups".

He also believed that the U.S. and Iran were working together to support his main political rival in the presidential elections.

Eikenberry concluded that it was unlikely Karzai would ever break his habit of blaming the U.S. and its allies for Afghanistan's troubles and not addressing his own shortcomings.

"Indeed his inability to grasp the most rudimentary principles of state-building and his deep seated insecurity as a leader combine to make any admission of fault unlikely, in turn confounding our best efforts to find in Karzai a responsible partner," a cable said.

Eikenberry also identified two competing personalities in Karzai.

"The first is a paranoid and weak individual unfamiliar with the basics of nation-building and overly self-conscious that his time in the spotlight of glowing reviews from the international community has passed," a cable said.

"The other is that of an ever-shrewd politician who sees himself as a nationalist hero who can save the country from being divided by the decentralization-focused agenda of Abdullah [Karzai's main rival in the 2009 election]," it added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

England maintain upper hand in Adelaide

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 11:27 AM

England ripped through Australia's top order in a stunning start to the second Ashes test on Friday, taking three wickets in the first 10 minutes before the hosts were able to find their feet in the contest.

Australian opener Simon Katich and captain Ricky Ponting went for ducks in the first over and vice captain Michael Clarke was dismissed for two in the third.

The other opener, Shane Watson, made 51 before joining them in the dressing room soon after lunch and the fifth wicket fell when Marcus North departed just before tea.

Mike Hussey (71) and Brad Haddin (2), who enjoyed a partnership of 307 at the Gabba in the drawn first test, had been reunited by North's dismissal with Australia on 159-5 at tea.

Having lost the toss at a ground which is traditionally batting-friendly and where huge first innings totals are the norm, England were expected to spend a long, hot day toiling in the field with little return.

Paceman James Anderson had other ideas, however, but although he did most of the damage for England, the first wicket came courtesy of Australian confusion and a fine throw by Jonathan Trott.

The match was just four deliveries old when Watson set off for a single off his pads but Katich, who had not faced a ball, failed to react and was left fuming as Trott fired a direct hit from midwicket.

The next ball took the key wicket of Ponting for a golden duck, the Australian skipper getting an outside edge to a James Anderson delivery and Graeme Swann swooping to catch it at second slip.

Vice captain Clarke, who again looked out of sorts, lasted just seven minutes before Anderson and Swann combined to dismiss him for two runs.

Anderson thought he had added Watson to his list of victims soon afterwards but his loud lbw appeal was ignored and the tv review showed the ball to be going over the stumps.

The impressive English quick also dropped a difficult return catch off Hussey, a let-off which the Australian mid-order batsman looked to determined to exploit.

Anderson finally got Watson two overs after lunch when he managed to find some swing which fooled the batsman into a shot which ended up in the hands of Kevin Pietersen at gully.

Steve Finn had a poor day with the ball in hand but finally got a return for his efforts in the baking sun when North was caught behind by Matt Prior for 26.

Australia had replaced two thirds of their strike bowling line-up after taking just one wicket in England's second innings in Brisbane.

Doug Bollinger came in for Mitchell Johnson, while fast bowler Ryan Harris replaced Ben Hilfenhaus. England were unchanged.

Source: Web Search

England make stunning start to second test

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 08:27 AM

England made a stunning start to the second Ashes test on Friday, reducing Australia to two wickets for no runs in the first over and three for two in the third before the hosts staged a recovery.

Australian opener Simon Katich, captain Ricky Ponting and vice captain Michael Clarke were all dismissed in the first 10 minutes of play on a hot, sunny day at the Adelaide Oval.

Shane Watson, unbeaten on 50, and Mike Hussey, who had made 36 not out, survived scares of their own before steadying the innings and taking Australia to lunch at 94 for three.

Having lost the toss at a ground which is traditionally batting-friendly and where huge first innings totals are the norm, England were expected to spend a long, hot day toiling in the field.

The first breakthrough came, however, as early as the fourth delivery when Katich, who had not faced a ball, was run out by a superb direct hit from England's Jonathan Trott after Watson had set off for a single without his opening partner.

The next ball took the key wicket of Australia captain Ponting -- the most prolific test run scorer at the ground -- for a golden duck when Ponting got an outside edge from a James Anderson delivery that Graeme Swann swooped to catch at second slip.

Vice captain Clarke, who again looked out of sorts, lasted just seven minutes before Anderson and Swann combined to dismiss him for two runs.

Anderson thought he had added Watson to his list of victims soon afterwards but his loud lbw appeal was ignored and the tv review showed the ball to be going over the stumps.

The impressive English quick later dropped a difficult return catch off Hussey, a let-off which the Australian mid-order batsman will be keen to exploit after making 195 in the drawn first test at the Gabba.

Australia replaced two thirds of their strike bowling line-up after taking just one wicket in England's second innings in Brisbane.

Doug Bollinger came in for Mitchell Johnson, while fast bowler Ryan Harris replaced Ben Hilfenhaus. England were unchanged.

Source: Web Search

England take three wickets in first three overs

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 07:27 AM

England made a stunning start to the second Ashes test on Friday, removing Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke to leave Australia struggling at 2-3 in the third over.

Having lost the toss at a ground which is traditionally batting-friendly and where huge first innings totals are the norm, England were expected to spend a long, hot day in the field.

The first breakthrough was made on the fourth ball when Katich, who had not faced a delivery, was run out by a superb direct hit from England fielder Jonathan Trott after Shane Watson had set off for a single without his opening partner.

On the next ball Australia captain Ponting, the most prolific test run scorer at the ground, went for a golden duck, caught at second slip by Graeme Swann off the bowling of James Anderson.

Vice captain Clarke then lasted just seven minutes before Anderson and Swann again combined to dismiss him for two runs.

Anderson could have had two more wickets.

England had a huge lbw appeal on Watson ignored but demanded a tv review only for that to be turned down as the ball appeared to be going over the stumps.

Anderson then dropped a difficult return catch off Mike Hussey. Australia had recovered to 31-3 at the end of the 10th over.

Source: Web Search

Woods takes charge in pursuit of first 2010 win

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 07:07 AM

Tiger Woods put himself in position to end a forgettable year on a triumphant note by charging one shot clear in the Chevron World Challenge first round on Thursday.

Seeking his first victory of 2010 in his own tournament after becoming engulfed in a torrid sex scandal at the end of last season, Woods fired a sparkling seven-under-par 65 at Sherwood Country Club.

Although he recorded his only bogey at the par-four last after pushing his tee shot behind a tree, Woods matched his lowest score of the year to finish one shot ahead of Britons Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell in the elite field of 18.

Woods, whose last tournament victory came at the 2009 Australian Masters, opened with a 65 at the PGA Tour's Barclays tournament in August and fired another 65 in the second round of the Deutsche Bank Championship the following week.

He also recorded a 65 in the final round of last month's Australian Masters.

"I played good today," Woods told reporters after recording birdies on each of the five par-fives. "I really striped it. I hit a lot of good shots.

"It's not too often I can say I shot 65 and only made one putt, but that's kind of what I did today," added the world number two who totalled 32 putts on smooth-running greens.

"I only made one putt and it was on (hole) nine. The rest were either two putts or kick-ins. It was a good ball-striking day."

Asked if he was back to his best after struggling on and off the course since his private life unravelled at the end of last season amid sordid revelations of serial philandering, Woods replied: "It's a process.

"I was putting together streaks of holes -- two, three, four, five holes of this -- and then I'd lose it for a little bit. I needed to get to a full round and then eventually a full tournament. Today was a full round, so that's a good start."

SWING CHANGE

Woods took a five-month break from the game going into this season in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to repair his marriage and embarked on the fourth swing change of his career in August.

Playing in his own charity event for the first time in three years, the four-times champion rattled up four birdies in bright sunshine to reach the turn in four-under 32.

His birdie at the par-four seventh, where he struck a superb nine-iron approach to three feet, sparked roars of "Tiger" and "Whoah" from a gallery numbering less than 200.

As Woods approached the seventh green, a fan shouted out: "Great shot, buddy" and the 14-times major champion responded by turning his head with a smile.

He picked up further shots at the 10th, 11th, 13th and 16th to lead by one before his cushion was doubled when U.S. Open champion McDowell bogeyed the tricky 18th.

Woods then pushed his tee shot well right at the last, hacked out on to the fairway with his second and struck his third on to the bottom tier of the green before two-putting for a five.

"It was a lack of commitment," Woods said of his tee shot on 18. "I couldn't really commit to hitting a low fade off the tee there and hit a pop-up."

Long-hitting Dustin Johnson eagled the par-five fifth on the way to a 69 to end a surprisingly warm day in a tie for fourth with fellow American Stewart Cink.

American world number six Jim Furyk, who clinched last year's title by one shot over Northern Irishman McDowell, opened with a 72.

Source: Web Search

Australia win toss and chose to bat

Fri, Dec 03 10 06:07 AM

ADELAIDE - Australia captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and chose to bat first in the second Ashes test against England at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.

Australia replaced the dropped Mitchell Johnson with Doug Bollinger and their fellow fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus was also left out in favour of Ryan Harris.

Bollinger and Harris both make their Ashes debuts in the revamped Australian pace attack alongside Peter Siddle, who took six wickets and hat-trick in the first test.

"Ryan Harris grew up here and played a lot of cricket in Adelaide and knows these conditions, he's the sort of guy that can stand the seam up and hit the wicket hard so hopefully he can have an impact for us here," Ponting said.

"We just feel that making the changes we have will give us the best chance of taking 20 wickets in Adelaide."

England were unchanged from the team that batted for two days to save the first of the five Ashes tests in Brisbane earlier this week.

England captain Andrew Strauss said he was not too concerned about losing the toss despite Adelaide being such a batting-friendly wicket.

"Evidence here suggests it's not a massively important toss to win," he said. "The wicket stays good for the first three or four days.

"The important thing is that if there is any life in the wicket this morning we take advantage of it. Get two or three Australian wickets and put some pressure on them."

Teams:

Australia - Shane Watson, Simon Katich, Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Clarke, Mike Hussey, Marcus North, Brad Haddin, Doug Bollinger, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle, Xavier Doherty.

England - Andrew Strauss (captain), Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Steve Finn, Graeme Swann.

Source: Published>

Putin says Russia won tough, fair fight

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 05:27 AM

Russia won a fair fight to host the 2018 World Cup, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday, rejecting suggestions of corruption at world soccer's governing body FIFA.

"We are honoured to win in this tough and fair fight," Putin told a late evening news conference after flying to Zurich from Moscow on hearing that Russia had beaten England and joint bids from Spain/Portugal and the Netherlands/Belgium to host 2018.

"Thank you for supporting Russia. Together let us make sure that football supports fair play, tolerance, honour."

Putin said he had made the right decision on Wednesday to stay away from Zurich for Russia's final presentation so FIFA executives could make their decision in peace after corruption allegations in the British media.

"I did this out of respect. There was unacceptable campaigning that was deployed for the World Cup in 2018."

"People were accused of corruption. There were accused without any grounds, without any reasons, no justifications," he said.

Putin was credited with helping Sochi win the right to host the 2014 Winter Olympics when he travelled to Guatemala in 2007 to meet members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

His decision to stay away from Zurich ahead of the vote had cast doubt on the Russian bid, especially as all the other European leaders attended.

Asked about leaked U.S. diplomatic cables earlier this week which described the former KGB spy as an "alpha-dog" who presides over corrupt officials and crooked spies, Putin said this had also contributed to his decision not to come.

He rejected suggestions that England had been cheated, adding that the country was a great footballing nation.

"We are a good rival and we are waiting for you in 2018 and we will do our best for England to realise themselves," he said, adding that Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was bringing his experience in England to help develop the game back home.

RUSSIA'S STRENGTHS

Putin noted the western European nations Russia was bidding against had serious economic problems, while his country has strong growth and the world's third biggest stocks of gold as well as being the first host in eastern Europe.

"Our vision corresponded to the FIFA philosophy and this philosophy is to enhance the borders of world football by engaging new territories, new countries," he said.

Asked whether he would return to the position of president by 2018, Putin said he and his successor President Dmitry Medvedev would decide: "We will decide who will take which place and we will take a negotiated decision."

Putin said Russians were so passionate about football they even played during the siege of his home town of Leningrad during World War Two.

"Football was played even at that tragic time. It helped people to stand tall and survive," he said.

Asked whether Russia would accept black players given its problem with racism, he said his country was trying to tackle it, noting it was also a problem elsewhere in Europe.

Amid concerns over the massive infrastructure projects Russia will need to undertake, Putin promised the facilities would be built "on time and to perfection".

Source: Web Search

Russia, Qatar take World Cup to new lands

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 05:07 AM

FIFA gave its ultimate recognition to emerging markets on Thursday by awarding the 2018 and 2022 editions of the prestigious and lucrative World Cup soccer finals to Russia and Qatar, both new hosts.

Russia won the right to put on the 2018 World Cup, the first time it will have been staged in Eastern Europe after 10 editions in the western half of the continent.

Qatar, which has never qualified for the World Cup finals, will stage the 2022 tournament, a first both for the Middle East and for an Arab country. It will also be the smallest nation ever to host the World Cup.

Both new hosts are major energy producers and both had planned larger and costlier investment in infrastructure and new stadiums than all their respective rivals.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who announced the winners after a vote of his executive committee in the Swiss financial capital, said: "We go to new lands.

"Never has the World Cup been in Russia and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Arabic world have been waiting for a long time so I'm a happy president when we talk about the development of football."

Russia's prime minister Vladimir Putin flew in to Zurich immediately after the winning vote and held a news conference before going on to meet and thank Blatter and FIFA.

"We are honoured to win in this tough and fair fight," he told reporters. "Thank you for supporting Russia. Together let us make sure football supports fair play, tolerance, honour."

Putin said he had made the right decision to stay away from Zurich for Russia's final presentation so FIFA executives could make their choice in peace after corruption allegations against some executive committee members in the British media.

"I did this out of respect," he said. "There was unacceptable campaigning that was deployed for the World Cup in 2018. People were accused of corruption. They were accused without any grounds, without any reasons, no justifications."

FIERCE LOBBYING

Soccer's governing body's executive committee voted for the two winning bids after a fierce lobbying campaign which saw world political leaders and top sports personalities gather in Zurich to press their case for one of the biggest prizes in global sport.

Russia defeated the challenge of three other European bidders, England and the joint bids of Netherlands/Belgium and Spain/Portugal.

Qatar took the honours for 2022 over rivals Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

They committed in their bid document to FIFA building nine new stadiums and renovating three existing grounds at a cost of around $3 billion.

Qatar bid chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani told the FIFA executive: "Thank you for backing us and expanding the game. You will be proud of us and you will be proud of the Middle East."

ENGLAND HUMILIATED

Russia won on the second round of voting in which an absolute majority was required. England, motherland of soccer, was humiliated, going out in the first round with just two votes despite three days of lobbying in Zurich by British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Observers said they may have suffered from an adverse reaction by FIFA to the corruption allegations and to Wednesday's serious outbreak of soccer hooliganism at a cup match in Birmingham.

The Russians, leading with nine votes on the first ballot, obtained 13 votes on the second round, ahead of Spain/Portugal on seven and Netherlands/Belgium with just two.

Qatar led in the 2022 ballot on each of the four rounds, obtaining 14 votes against eight to the U.S. in the final round.

"I think it was the wrong decision," U.S. President Barack Obama told reporters.

Australia made a first round exit with just one vote and Japan and South Korea fell out in turn on the next two rounds.

Source: Web Search

Liverpool, PSG and Besiktas progress in Europa League

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 03:07 AM

Liverpool, Paris St Germain and Besiktas reached the knockout stages of the Europa League on Thursday in contrasting fashions.

Freezing temperatures continued across Europe but the hardy souls who braved the weather were treated to a flurry of goals.

Paris St Germain sealed their passage to February's last 32 with a 4-2 home romp over Sevilla, who must fight it out against Borussia Dortmund for the second qualification spot when they meet the Germans in the final Group J game on Dec. 15.

Dortmund moved a point behind Sevilla with a 3-0 win over Karpaty Lviv.

Besiktas went through from Group L following a tight 2-1 win at CSKA Sofia while Rapid Vienna went down 3-1 to Porto, who had already secured their progression.

Milan Jovanovic, little used in the Premier League, put Liverpool in front at Steaua Bucharest with a powerful first-half header and although Eder Bonfim equalised, the point was enough to send the five-times European champions through.

Goals flowed in the other Group K game where Uruguay World Cup striker Edinson Cavani grabbed a hat-trick in Napoli's 3-3 draw in Utrecht, where forward Ricky van Wolfswinkel also scored twice for the hosts in vain.

The draw kept the Italians in the hunt as they lie two points behind Steaua ahead of a final home game against the Romanians on Dec. 15.

Already-qualified CSKA Moscow celebrated Russia winning the right to host the 2018 World Cup with a 5-1 home thrashing of eliminated Lausanne with Tomas Necid netting a brace.

Palermo were hosting Sparta Prague in the other Group F game with Group E and D fixtures also taking place.

Groups A-C and G-I played on Wednesday with twice European champions Juventus the biggest name to go crashing out.

Source: Web Search

Eto'o loses appeal against three-game headbutt ban

Fri, Dec 03 10 02:47 AM

Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto'o has lost his appeal against a three-match Serie A ban for headbutting but a 30,000 euro ($39,570) fine has been dropped, the Italian soccer federation said in the statement on Thursday.

The Cameroonian, top scorer for last season's treble winners this term, headbutted Chievo defender Cesar in the chest during Inter's 2-1 defeat last month in similar fashion to Zinedine Zidane's assault on Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final.

Eto'o has already served the first game of the ban, the 5-2 win over Parma on Sunday, and will miss Friday's game at Lazio and the home game with Napoli on Jan 6.

Inter, fifth in Serie A, are at the Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates from Dec. 10.

Source: Published>

Ambitious FIFA taps into new territories, new money

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 02:27 AM

Awarding the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar sees FIFA continue to expand soccer's horizons while tapping into huge financial resources, and the will to spend them, at a time of global economic uncertainty.

The 22 members of FIFA's executive committee chose Russia over rival bids from Spain/Portugal, Netherlands/Belgium and England for 2018 and Qatar ahead of the United States, South Korea, Japan and Australia for the subsequent tournament.

Rejecting familiar territories England, hosts of soccer's showpiece in 1966, Spain (1982), the U.S. (1994) and South Korea and Japan (2002 co-hosts) and going to Eastern Europe and the Middle East for the first time sees FIFA and its president Sepp Blatter continue a modern mission.

After FIFA secured a first World Cup for Asia in 2002, Blatter desperately wanted to take the tournament to Africa in 2006.

In the end he had to wait, as Germany pulled off an electoral coup to snatch the rights to 2006 from his favoured South Africa, but not for long as he pressed ahead and was able to see a first African World Cup staged successfully this year.

Brazil will host the next tournament in 2014, representing a return to South America for the first time since 1978 and a visit to one of the fastest growing economies.

Oil-producing Russia, like Brazil, is part of the "BRIC" group of emerging nations who are becoming ever more important players in global financial terms, while economic growth in gas-rich Qatar has come at a similarly heady speed.

Blatter, of course, was eager to put the decisions in terms of expansion.

"Never has the World Cup been in Russia and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Arabic world have been waiting for a long time so I'm a happy president when we talk about the development of football," Blatter said after opening the envelopes with the winners' names in Zurich.

Critics of FIFA, and there are many, will say the decision was all about the money but it should be noted that in the McKinsey report commissioned on projected revenue Russia scored bottom of the 2018 bidders and Qatar second to last of the five 2022 candidates.

SPENDING PLANS

There had been speculation in the build-up to this week's events in Zurich that FIFA might be in the mood to choose safe options after running risks for so long but not a bit of it, as the executive committee chose two energy producing countries in the mood to splash some cash.

Russia proposed in its bid document to FIFA a massive project of stadium construction and renovation, with proposals for 16 stadiums, 13 of them new, at a cost of $3.82 billion -- the largest figure among the four European bidders.

Qatar plans to renovate three stadiums and build nine new ones at a cost of $3 billion including the climate-control technology that will be needed to keep the temperature on the pitch to 27 degrees Celsius while outside it is a scorching 50 degrees.

So after 68 years of only staging the World Cup in the Americas and Western Europe, FIFA has broadened the footprint of the world's most popular sport to Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Middle East and at a breakneck speed.

There will not be another vote for a World Cup until around 2020, or perhaps a couple of years earlier.

The rule that stops World Cups going to the same continent in consecutive editions mean it could not go to China, India or Australia, which recently joined the Asian Confederation, for example.

Many will expect FIFA to turn back to the heartlands of Europe or perhaps to give the United States another chance but on recent evidence it would be unwise to make too many assumptions.

A Caribbean World Cup anyone?

Source: Web Search

Motherland of soccer humiliated with first round defeat

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 01:47 AM

England's bid to stage the World Cup for the first time in more than half a century ended in a humiliating first-round defeat when they collected just two votes from the 22-man FIFA executive committee on Thursday.

One of those votes was from their own representative Geoff Thompson meaning England's 15.0 million-pound ($23.43 million), two-year campaign to stage the 2018 tournament, 52 years after they last staged it in 1966, gained just one additional vote.

That vote was likely to have been cast by declared supporter Junji Ogura of Japan, while other votes promised to England clearly went elsewhere with Russia emerging triumphant.

Thompson, trying to explain the huge snub, struggled to contain his shock when he told Reuters: "I cannot believe what has happened, and I am naturally very, very disappointed.

"The votes that were promised clearly didn't materialise. I never imagined we would go out in the first round."

David Dein, the bid's international president, who has flown around the world several times seeking support from executive committee members, told Reuters: "I am utterly stunned.

"I knew we had obstacles to overcome, and it was always going to be a tough task -- we knew that. But we did not expect to lose like this -- never in our wildest dreams.

"I thought we would go two or three rounds at the very least, but it was not to be. As in football, on the pitch, sometimes the best team does not win.

"We will have to see what went wrong, but certain elements did not help us."

TECHNICAL REPORT

The bid was rated as the strongest by FIFA's technical inspection team and also finished ahead of competitors Russia, Spain/Portugal and Netherlands/Belgium in an independent economic report on projected revenue.

But those points were ignored by FIFA's top table which means the motherland of the game cannot hope to stage the finals again until 2026 at the earliest.

The wounds from this setback may just have healed by then.

After FIFA president Sepp Blatter announced Russia would stage the finals, and the full story of England's defeat began to emerge, there was little doubt about what undermined it.

An investigation by the Sunday Times that led to two FIFA executive committee members being suspended after allegations they offered to sell their votes for cash was compounded by a BBC documentary which made further allegations of corruption.

As if those were not big enough obstacles for the bid to overcome, crowd trouble at a League Cup tie in Birmingham on Wednesday night between local rivals Birmingham City and Aston Villa further damaged the bid's credibility.

David Beckham, who gave a polished performance in England's final bid presentation, looked completely stunned by the result.

Asked if the corruption allegations had harmed the bid, the former England captain replied: "I don't know, perhaps you should ask the delegates that.

"The odd member mentioned the allegations, and what had been said, but it had been smoothed out and everything was looking positive."

The bid endured something of a roller-coaster ride but looked to be gaining in momentum until the Sunday Times published its allegations about corruption within FIFA.

So despite promising FIFA record profits, and having the stadiums and infrastructure to host a dazzling finals, England's bid was left in tatters.

The national team have struggled to make an impact on the World Cup since they lifted the trophy on home soil.

The country's administrators have now suffered a similar unpalatable setback confirming England's place among the also-rans in the game it gave to the world.

Source: Web Search

Russia toast victory for 2018 World Cup

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 01:27 AM

Russians roared in triumph on Thursday after the country won the right to host the 2018 World Cup finals, sparking festivities in government halls and sports bars across the frozen land.

Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who had complained of unscrupulous competition in the contest, said he was leaving Moscow immediately to fly to FIFA headquarters in Zurich to thank the soccer governing body.

"In Russia we love football, we know about football and we have everything to ensure that we hold the 2018 World Cup in a very worthy way," Putin told reporters in Moscow.

"Of course we need to do a great deal -- stadiums, airports, hotels, roads -- but that is the challenge, that is the advantage of our bid because that means the development of world football," Russia's paramount leader added.

The FIFA decision is a timely victory for Putin after leaked U.S. diplomatic cables earlier this week cast the former KGB spy as a leader who presides over corrupt officials and crooked spies.

Transparency International rates Russia joint 154th out of 178 nations in its corruption perceptions index, along with Cambodia, Kenya and Laos. Russia is perceived as more corrupt than any other G20 or BRIC country.

Russia plans a massive building project to prepare for the World Cup and the shares of Russian steel companies rallied on Thursday on expectation that hosting the World Cup would fuel a lucrative construction boom.

GREAT PRIDE

The defeat of three other European bids -- England and the joint bids of Netherlands/Belgium and Spain/Portugal -- is a matter of great pride for Russia, which became the first country in Eastern Europe to win the right to hold the final.

Soccer fans sat tensely in rows of chairs facing a wide-screen TV at a sports bar in central Moscow, roaring when they saw that Russia was the winner.

"I'm thrilled that Russia is finally going to be seen on the stage of international football," said Maxim Ivanov, 28, a Spartak Moscow fan. "We hope that Russia getting the World Cup will help develop domestic football here."

"Everyone here believed that the strength of the country would be enough, and we were all sure that when Russia wants something, it will get it," said Ivan Kuznetsov, 26.

"Hooray! Victory!" President Dmitry Medvedev said just minutes after Russia's bid was declared the winner, sparking celebrations across Moscow which has been shivering in Arctic temperatures reaching minus 25 degrees Celsius (minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit) since the start of the week.

"I wasn't sure how it was going to work out, but I thought of it like a soccer match and waited for the final result," said Alexei Selivanovich, 26, a web designer who had a tricolour Russian flag tied around his beer glass at a sports bar.

Some motorists drove the streets with Russian flags rippling from the windows in the frigid air.

Economists said that hosting the bid could spark a major construction boom for Russia's $1.2 trillion economy and could help polish Russia's investment image, which has been tarnished by concerns over corruption and poor property rights.

Russia has a massive building project to prepare for the World Cup and has put forward proposals for 16 stadiums in 13 host cities, with only three current stadiums being renovated and 13 to be built from scratch.

The construction project is budgeted at $3.82 billion -- the largest figure among the four European bidders, though if the experience of preparing for the 2014 Winter Olympics is anything to go by, that figure could jump sharply.

Source: Web Search

Russia, Qatar take World Cup to new lands

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 01:07 AM

FIFA gave its ultimate recognition to emerging markets on Thursday by awarding the 2018 and 2022 editions of the prestigious and lucrative World Cup soccer finals to Russia and Qatar, both new hosts.

Russia won the right to put on the 2018 World Cup, the first time it will have been staged in Eastern Europe after 10 editions in the western half of the continent.

Qatar, which has never qualified for the World Cup finals, will stage the 2022 tournament, a first both for the Middle East and for an Arab country. It will also be the smallest nation ever to host the World Cup.

Both new hosts are major energy producers and both had planned larger and costlier investment in infrastructure and new stadiums than all their respective rivals.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter, who announced the winners after a vote of his executive committee in the Swiss financial capital, said: "We go to new lands.

"Never has the World Cup been in Russia and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Arabic world have been waiting for a long time so I'm a happy president when we talk about the development of football."

This year's World Cup was held in South Africa, the first time it had been held on the African continent.

FIERCE LOBBYING

Soccer's governing body's executive committee voted for the two winning bids after a fierce lobbying campaign which saw world political leaders and top sports personalities gather in Zurich to press their case for one of the most prestigious and lucrative prizes in global sport.

Russia defeated the challenge of three other European bidders, England and the joint bids of Netherlands/Belgium and Spain/Portugal.

Russian president Vladimir Putin flew to Zurich after the victory was announced and was due to give a news conference at 2000 GMT.

He had stayed away from lobbying in Zurich, complaining about "unscrupulous competition", an apparent reference to British media allegations of corruption against some FIFA executive committee members.

Qatar took the honours for 2022 over rivals Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United States.

They committed in their bid document to FIFA building nine new stadiums and renovating three existing grounds at a cost of around $3 billion.

Russia deputy prime minister Igor Shuvalov, whose delegation whooped with delight on the announcement, said: "You have entrusted us with the FIFA World Cup for 2018 and I just can promise, we all can promise, you will never regret it. Let us make history together."

Qatar bid chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani told the FIFA executive: "Thank you for backing us and expanding the game. You will be proud of us and you will be proud of the Middle East."

The voting process took place against a highly charged background after the recent British media corruption allegations.

The executive committee, reduced to 22 after two were suspended over the allegations, voted in secret.

ENGLAND HUMILIATED

Russia won on the second round of voting in which an absolute majority was required. England, motherland of soccer, was humiliated, going out in the first round with just two votes despite three days of lobbying in Zurich by British Prime Minister David Cameron.

Observers said they may have suffered from an adverse reaction by FIFA to the corruption allegations and to Wednesday's serious outbreak of soccer hooliganism at a cup match in Birmingham.

The Russians, leading with nine votes on the first ballot, obtained 13 votes on the second round, ahead of Spain/Portugal on seven and Netherlands/Belgium with just two.

Qatar led in the 2022 ballot on each of the four rounds, obtaining 14 votes against eight to the U.S. in the final round. Australia made a first round exit with just one vote and Japan and South Korea fell out in turn on the next two rounds.

Source: Web Search

England bid organisers left dejected by 2018 World Cup failure

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 12:27 AM

London, Dec 2 (DPA) The organisers of England's failed bid to stage the FIFA World Cup in 2018 were left angry and gutted Thursday with the overriding feeling being that 'sometimes the best team doesn't necessarily win'.

FIFA's 22-man executive committee voted for Russia to host the competition, with England going out at the first stage, despite their final presentation labelled as 'remarkable and excellent' by FIFA president Joseph Blatter.

Speeches by Prime Minister David Cameron, former England captain David Beckham and Prince William were all well received but ultimately in vain, leaving those there wondering whether the country will ever stage a World Cup in their lifetime.

'It was always going to be difficult,' said David Dein, part of England's bid. 'I just really feel for all the fans because now it will be 2030 before the World Cup comes back to Europe.'

'I don't know exactly how (the voting) worked but I can only say sometimes in life, the best team doesn't necessarily win.'

Beckham, whose efforts were praised by everyone present in Zurich, described the events as 'very disappointing'.

'It was hard not to come away with the World Cup in 2018,' he said.

'A lot of hard work has been done by a lot of people. It would have been great to bring the World Cup to our country because we haven't had it for years.'

Cameron said England could not have done any more to win the vote.

'It's bitterly disappointing,' he said. 'According to FIFA, we had the best technical bid and the best commercial bid and we're passionate about football, but it turns out that wasn't enough.'

'It's desperately sad. We haven't had a World Cup in my lifetime. I was hoping we could change that, but not this time.'

Another former England captain, Alan Shearer, found it hard to hide his feelings.

'It is hard to swallow right now,' he said. 'The way our presentation went this morning with the guys who got up and spoke - they were absolutely magnificent. You have to think that if we couldn't get it this time, when are we going to get it?'

Source: Web Search

US disappointed at FIFA's decision

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 12:21 AM

Washington, Dec 2 (DPA) The US football organisation said Thursday it was let down by FIFA's decision to reject US Soccer's bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

Instead, the ruling body chose the small Persian Gulf country of Qatar.

'There's no way around it: I am disappointed,' wrote Sunil Gulati, president of US Soccer, on the group's website.

'Millions of US soccer fans worked hard to bring the World Cup to our country. To come up short is very difficult to take,' he said.

A fan interviewed by CNN expressed astonishment at the choice, saying that the financially most successful World Cup ever was the 1994 edition held in the US.

'I can't believe they chose a country the size of Connecticut... with only one city,' he said of Qatar.

Source: Web Search

NBA signs two TV deals to air games in India

Published>Fri, Dec 03 10 12:11 AM

The National Basketball Association signed multiyear deals with media company Taj Television and a company majority-owned by Sony Corp to broadcast games in India, the U.S. sports league said on Thursday.

Financial terms of the deals with Taj Television and Multi Screen Media Private Ltd were not disclosed, but they bring broadcasts back to a growing market where NBA games were previously aired by ESPN Star Sports, whose deal expired after last season.

"Their local expertise will help connect the NBA to its growing fan base in India," Heidi Ueberroth, NBA international chief, said in a statement about the two new partners.

Indian fans will be able to watch a record number of live games as a result of the deals, which are part of the NBA's expansion in a country with 1.2 billion people and a fast-growing middle class.

The sport has more than 4 million active participants in India, according to the NBA, which cited data from the Basketball Federation of India (BFI).

The NBA earlier this year launched a recreational league in India with conglomerate Mahindra Group, and plans to open an office there early next year.

NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver told Reuters in March that basketball participation and interest in India is growing, and there might be an opportunity to create a league sooner rather than later.

Last December, the NBA launched its first-ever online and mobile sites designed for fans in India.

In June, sports and entertainment agency IMG and Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries announced a 30-year deal with BFI granting their venture commercial rights to basketball in India, including franchising rights.

Under the NBA deal, Taj Television will broadcast two live games per week on its Ten Sports channel, as well as the all-star game and playoffs, including the finals.

Taj Television also will locally produce NBA-dedicated highlight recaps, and air features on NBA grass-roots events in India and an NBA-themed weekly reality program.

MSM, majority-owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, will televise two live games per week on its English-language movie channel PIX, as well as some playoffs and a highlights show. It also will air a weekly show that condenses a game into 30 minutes.

Source: Web Search

Goa score 482 in first innings, Hyderbad 133/1 on day 2

Fri, Dec 03 10 12:07 AM

Hyderabad, Dec 2 (PTI) Regan Pinto hit a superb 154 to help Goa amass 482 in their first innings on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Plate League match against Hyderabad here today. Resuming at 334 for five, Goa went on to pile up 482 with Pinto adding another 48 runs to hios overnight score of 106. His 154-run innings had 21 boundaries in it. Other Goan batsmen SS Bandekar (46), SB Jakati (7), RR D''Souza (49), Amit Yadav (31) and HH Gadekar (12) also chipped in with their contribution. Among Hyderabad bowlers, MA Khader claimed three wickets, while A Lalith Mohan, Kanishk Naidu took two wickets each. Alfred Absolem and SA Quadri had one wicket each to their credit. In reply, Hyderabad posted 133 for one in their first innings with DB Raviteja making 81 not out and P Shashank Nag hitting 24 runs. Opener P Akshat Reddy made 19. Raviteja (81) and Shashank Nag (24) were at the crease when wickets were drawn for the day. Brief Scores: Goa 1st innings: 482 Hyderabad 1st innings: 133/1 (DB Raviteja 81 not out and P Shashank Nag 24 not out).

Source: Published>

Bologna deducted one Serie A point for unpaid taxes

Thu, Dec 02 10 11:27 PM

Serie A side Bologna have been deducted one point and owner Sergio Porcedda banned from the sport for six months because of unpaid taxes, the Italian soccer federation said on Thursday.

Porcedda, who sacked coach Franco Colomba a day before the start of the league campaign, only bought Bologna in the close season but put the club up for sale last month given the financial difficulties.

Bologna stay in 16th place after 13 games but drop to 13 points.

Worse could follow for the northern club with federation prosecutors probing the non-payment of players' wages which could lead to a further points deduction.

Source: Published>

Goa score 482 in first innings, Hyderbad 133/1 on day 2

Thu, Dec 02 10 11:07 PM

Hyderabad, Dec 2 (PTI) Regan Pinto hit a superb 154 to help Goa amass 482 in their first innings on the second day of their Ranji Trophy Plate League match against Hyderabad here today. Resuming at 334 for five, Goa went on to pile up 482 with Pinto adding another 48 runs to hios overnight score of 106. His 154-run innings had 21 boundaries in it. Other Goan batsmen SS Bandekar (46), SB Jakati (7), RR D''Souza (49), Amit Yadav (31) and HH Gadekar (12) also chipped in with their contribution. Among Hyderabad bowlers, MA Khader claimed three wickets, while A Lalith Mohan, Kanishk Naidu took two wickets each. Alfred Absolem and SA Quadri had one wicket each to their credit. In reply, Hyderabad posted 133 for one in their first innings with DB Raviteja making 81 not out and P Shashank Nag hitting 24 runs. Opener P Akshat Reddy made 19. Raviteja (81) and Shashank Nag (24) were at the crease when wickets were drawn for the day. Brief Scores: Goa 1st innings: 482 Hyderabad 1st innings: 133/1 (DB Raviteja 81 not out and P Shashank Nag 24 not out).

Source: Published>

Tiny Qatar brings 2022 World Cup to Middle East

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 10:47 PM

Summer temperatures which can soar to above 50 degrees Celsius and a concern about lack of infrastructure did not deter FIFA on Thursday from awarding the 2022 World Cup to the tiny Gulf state of Qatar.

The Middle East has never before hosted a major global sporting event and analysts said Qatar's win would do much to boost the region's global profile.

FIFA were likely to have been swayed by Qatar's hefty financial prowess with money no object for the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas.

The country's economy, forecast to grow by 15.5 percent this year, is expected to soar by a staggering 21 percent in 2011, allowing Qatar to pour as much cash as necessary into preparations for 2022.

It is likely to spare no expense in constructing stadiums for the event. The ultra-modern Lusail Stadium, which has yet to be built, will host the opening and final matches.

With a capacity of 86,000 and surrounded by water, it will take four years to build and is expected to be completed by 2019.

CONSTRUCTION SITE

Under the proposals submitted to FIFA, Qatar would renovate three stadiums and build nine new ones, with the 12 stadiums divided among seven host cities.

The total cost of the construction and renovation is estimated at around $3 billion. It submitted a budget of $645.5 million to run the Confederations Cup in 2021 and the World Cup the following year. It projects a total number of 2,869,000 tickets will go on sale.

Still, much remains to be done, and many wonder whether even 12 years will be enough. The country is still being built, with much of the capital city Doha resembling a construction site.

Qatar has launched a huge spending programme in recent years to build infrastructure needed to accommodate its rapidly expanding population, now estimated at 1.7 million.

Over the next five years, the country will build a $25 billion rail network, an $11 billion new airport, a $5.5 billion new deep water seaport and a $1 billion crossing linking the new airport with mega-projects in the northern part of the capital, Doha. It will also spend an additional $20 billion on new roads.

Plans are in place to complete a metro system connecting each stadium by 2017 with venues no more than one hour apart from each other.

"Budget is not a constraint," said Jamal Al-Kaabi, manager of roads and drainage at Ashgal, Qatar's Public Works Authority.

Doubts linger over whether Qatar will be able to handle an influx of about 400,000 fans, many on a tight budget. Hosting a World Cup would require the capacity for 32 teams, their travelling fans and a huge media presence.

The country currently has about 50,000 hotel rooms and will need 60,000 to meet the requirements of world soccer's governing body. Bid leaders have promised 95,000 rooms will be available by 2022.

"With the Asian Games, it became a last-minute panic to get everything ready and in place," one Doha resident said. "The biggest thing is that there is so much to be done. It's a monumental task, and you need to finish it a few years early."

ISLAMIC NATION

The country's conservative social mores may present a larger challenge than bid organisers anticipated. While it has become more Westernised in recent years, it is still a relatively closed Islamic nation.

Although Qatar has been eager to display a liberal and welcoming image to inspectors and media during recent months, the sale of alcohol and the possibility of rowdy behaviour from World Cup fans are likely to be a significant hurdle in an Islamic country where public drunkenness is prohibited.

Bid representatives have said alcohol will be allowed in designated areas throughout the tournament.

Although the tournament is played during the two hottest months of the year, bid organisers said the heat would not be an issue thanks to climate-controlled, zero-carbon-emitting stadiums.

The country has harnessed solar-powered technology to cool stadiums to about 27 Celsius.

The stadiums would also be partly dismantled after the finals, with the extra seating shipped to developing nations who could reconstruct them as smaller stadiums for their own use, a plus for developing football globally, bid organisers said.

Qatar will be the smallest host nation to stage the finals since Uruguay hosted the first World Cup in 1930. Ten out of its 12 stadiums are located within a 25 to 30 kms radius.

Source: Web Search

Putin heads to thank FIFA for 2018 World Cup

Thu, Dec 02 10 10:27 PM

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he was leaving for Zurich to thank soccer governing body FIFA for awarding Russia the right to host the 2018 soccer World Cup finals.

"This decision shows that Russia is trusted," Putin told reporters before leaving for the airport to fly to Zurich.

Putin, who had complained of unscrupulous competition in the contest, said the decision showed much about Russia's economic and political stability.

"Hurrah! Victory!," Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said in a Twitter post on the FIFA decision.

Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said Russia will spend significantly less on preparations of the 2018 World Cup than on the organisation of the 2014 Winter Olympics.

"It'll be significantly less," Kudrin said. "We have a clear plan on assigning sites."

Source: Published>

Russia to host 2018 FIFA World Cup

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 09:57 PM

Russia won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup and Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup, it was announced on Thursday after a vote by FIFA's executive committee in Zurich.

Russia was chosen over the likes of England and Spain-Portugal to host the 2018 World Cup, while US lost out to Qatar, as the latter will host the 2022 World Cup.

Other contenders for the 2022 bid were Japan, South Korea and Australia. Brazil was already chosen as host of the next World Cup.

For Russia, not even the absence of Vlamidir Putin could derail their bid as the possibility of new frontiers became the top-priority for the voters. Putin was expected to be a prominent figure during the final days of the bidding but he chose to remain in Moscow.

This will not be the first experience for Russia as they have already hosted events like Champions League final between Manchester United and Chelsea in 2008 and UEFA Cup Final in 1999.

Source: Web Search

Russia, Qatar to host FIFA World Cups

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 09:51 PM

Russia won the bid to host the 2018 World Cup and Qatar was chosen to host the 2022 World Cup.

Russia was chosen over the likes of England and Spain-Portugal to host the 2018 World Cup, while US lost out to Qatar, as the latter will host the 2022 World Cup.

Other contenders for the 2022 bid were Japan, South Korea and Australia. Brazil was

already chosen as host of the next World Cup

Source: Web Search

Russia to host 2018 World Cup

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 09:47 PM

Zurich, Dec 2 (DPA) Russia will host the 2018 World Cup, it was announced Thursday after it won a vote by FIFA's executive committee.

The decision was announced in Zurich by Joseph Blatter, the president of football's world governing body.

Russia won the vote ahead of rival bidders England, Portugal/Spain and Belgium/Netherlands.

Source: Web Search

Davis Cup pair in verbal joust ahead of final

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 09:27 PM

Frenchman Gael Monfils and Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia traded blows in a verbal rally on Thursday, the eve of their Davis Cup final opener.

Monfils started off by suggesting his bearded opponent may struggle with the huge expectation on his shoulders after being chosen ahead of the higher-ranked Viktor Troicki.

"I think he will be very nervous coming out first in front of the Serbian crowd," the world number 12 told reporters of a player better-known for his wrap-around sunglasses and Dostoyevsky quotations tattooed on his left arm.

"I will try to be very relaxed and play my game. Of course there is pressure but that's all part of the game," added Monfils who is undefeated in his team's run to a 16th Davis Cup final.

Tipsarevic, given a singles slot behind world number three Novak Djokovic who will face Gilles Simon in Friday's second rubber, laughed off Monfils's comments.

"If Gael thinks I'm going to be more nervous than him in front of 18,000 Serbs he better think again," said the recently-married Belgrade resident who made his Davis Cup debut for the former Yugoslavia in 2000.

"Of course we are both under pressure and he is no doubt a very good Davis Cup player but I honestly don't think he can be completely relaxed in front of a passionate home crowd."

World number 49 Tipsarevic clinched Serbia's place in the final for the first time with a decisive victory over Czech Radek Stepanek in September.

SERBIAN FORTRESS

That tie also took place in the imposing Belgrade Arena which has become a fortress for the home team.

With Djokovic enjoying a 5-1 career record against Simon, including a comfortable victory in Shanghai recently, French hopes of a 10th Davis Cup title will rest heavily on Monfils giving them a flying start.

"I'm happy to play first," Monfils said. "If I bring the first point in it will put more pressure on Novak and Gilles can play a better match if we're 1-0. So I think it's good for the team."

France captain Guy Forget had toyed with the idea of playing Michael Llodra or Arnaud Clement as the second singles player in the absence of the injured Jo Wilfried Tsonga but elected for Simon who has played just three ties in the competition.

Llodra and Clement will team up for Saturday's doubles rubber against world number 30 Troicki and Nenad Zimonjic.

Forget, who has Richard Gasquet as "fifth man", said he was blessed with more options than counterpart Bogdan Obradovic -- suggesting Serbia are relying on Djokovic.

"One of our strengths is Tsonga was our number one player and hasn't played the last two matches," Forget said. "These guys have been able to make the finals without Jo.

"I don't know if Serbia could have gone to the finals without Novak."

Source: Web Search

McCullum not completely fit for third ODI

Thu, Dec 02 10 06:08 PM

S S Ramaswamy Vadodara, Dec 2 (PTI) New Zealand, struggling to stay alive in the five-match rubber, going into the third ODI here against India on Saturday, are sweating over the availability of injured opener Brendon McCullum for the must-win encounter at the Reliance Cricket Stadium. "Brendon''s condition is being monitored constantly. He''s improving," said visiting team''s media manager Ellery Tappin, adding nothing can be said today whether the hard-hitting batsman would be able to take the field in the do-or-die tie on December 4. McCullum''s absence due a troublesome back was sorely felt by New Zealand in the first two ODIs at Guwahati and Jaipur which they lost to go down 0-2 in the series in which the last two ties are to be held at Bangalore (Dec 7) and Chennai (Dec 10). The wicketkeeper-batsman, who has given up his glove work in Tests but continues to perform the job in the limited overs game, accumulated 370 runs at an average of 74.00 in the three-Test rubber that New Zealand lost 0-1 against India. McCullum''s unavailability for the first two ODIs has left New Zealand short-staffed in batting. Jesse Ryder, the second-highest run-scorer in the Test series with 274 runs at around 55 per innings, is also not a part of the ODI team as he returned home at the end of the Test rubber to attend to his calf injury that he picked up in the opening match at Ahmedabad. New Zealand are also without pace bowler Darryl Tuffey, who too went back to take treatment for a bicep strain that he picked up in the first ODI at Guwahati. .

Source: Published>

PCB dropped 'tainted' players from NZ tour over fears of ICC backlash: Source

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 05:48 PM

Karachi, Dec 2(ANI): The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly does not want to select senior players like Shoaib Malik, Kamran Akmal and Danish Kaneria to avoid any altercation with the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The trio has been overlooked for Pakistan's tour of New Zealand because of suspicions that they could be involved in match-fixing, a source said.

The source said that the PCB has its suspicions, but does not have any proof against the players.

"The thing is that the PCB has suffered big headaches because of controversies related to spot-fixing that it has decided to be extra careful," the News quoted the source, as saying.

"After what happened in England last summer, the Board is unwilling to take any chances and wants to keep any player with a question mark over his integrity out of the national team," he added.

Earlier, the PCB was given a 30-day ultimatum by the ICC to put its house in order or face sanctions including possible suspension of Pakistan from international cricket.

"Since that ultimatum, the PCB has become really cautious and wants to avoid any more scandals," the source added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Beauty secret question makes Becks blush!

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 05:38 PM

London, Dec 02 (ANI): David Beckham has always been known for his looks alongside his soccer skills, but the star was left absolutely baffled when grilled about his beauty secret.

While fielding questions about the 2018 World Cup bid, Beckham was suddenly asked about his film star looks by a flirtatious female radio reporter.

Stephanie Oehen, a pretty host for Zurich rock station Radio 24, said, "Forget the secrets of the England bid, what are your beauty secrets?"

As laughter rang out in the background, Beckham nervously rubbed his designer stubble, played with a microphone and looked at his feet.

"I don't know - having three boys to chase, that keeps me fit of course. Oh my goodness, you've got me flustered," the Daily Express quoted him as the footballer finally replied.

He then tried to deflect Oehen by telling her he still had a year left on his contract with Californian soccer team LA Galaxy.

Oehen, 23, said afterwards she was delighted simply to ask the world's most famous footballer a question.

"It's every girl's dream. He's gorgeous. I just wanted to know how he does it," she said. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

Ponting upset with selection panel over Johnson's omission

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 05:18 PM

Adelaide, Dec 2 (IANS) Australian captain Ricky Ponting is unhappy with the omission of fast bowler Mitchell Johnson from the Ashes Test squad.

For the first time it looks as if Ponting's opinion doesn't count anymore in matters of team selection. In the first Ashes Test, Ponting wielded considerable influence over the national selectors, that saw left-arm spin of Xavier Doherty in side at the expense of Nathan Hauritz.

But the omission of Johnson for the second Ashes Test has left Ponting upset.

'We thought long and hard about the decision that was made with Mitch. We honestly think it will make our attack better for this game. When it's big decisions like this one that are to be made, it's wholly and solely made by the selection panel,' Ponting was quoted as saying by Sydney Morning Herald.

'Of course, they ask for my input and the coach's input but ... they're the ones that make the decisions,' he said.

The daily revealed that the dropping of Johnson could be seen as the hand of new selector Greg Chappell, who is likely to take over the chairmanship from incumbent Andrew Hilditch, whose contract runs out after the 2011 World Cup.

Asked if the selectors would show some mercy to Johnson as they did in the case of Mike Hussey, Ponting said: 'Good question. You might have to ask Andrew Hilditch that.'

Source: Web Search

Gambhir retained as captain for rest of New Zealand series

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 05:08 PM

Mumbai, Dec 2 (IANS) Gautam Gambhir has been retained as the India captain for the remaining three One-day Internationals against New Zealand.

The senior selection committee that met Thursday also decided to include fast bowling spearhead Zaheer Khan for the rest of the series. Zaheer missed the third Test and the first two ODIs with a groin strain. Praveen Kumar, who missed the first two ODIs because of a fever, also made a comeback.

The Indian selectors also decided to give some rest to batsman Suresh Raina and fast bowler Sreesanth. The two players will be flying to South Africa early before the Test series that starts December 16.

Mumbai batsman Rohit Sharma, who was dropped after the tri-series in Sri Lanka in August, also makes a comeback, but only for the fourth and the fifth ODI. Since Rohit is playing in a Ranji Trophy game against Gujarat in Valsad, he would not play in the third ODI that would be held in Vadodara, Dec 4.

Medium-pacer R.Vinay Kumar will be released from the team after the third ODI for Karnataka's Ranji Trophy matches. Wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel also has been included in the side for the last two ODIs and will replace Wriddhiman Saha.

Teams:

For 3rd ODI: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Wriddhiman Saha (wicketkeeper), Ravichandran Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Ravindra Jadeja and R. Vinay Kumar

For 4th and 5th ODIs: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Parthiv Patel (wicketkeeper), R.Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma

Source: Web Search

Indoor cricket coach in Australia slept with 14-yr-old girl club member

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 04:38 PM

Melbourne, Dec 2 (ANI): An indoor cricket coach and umpire, who scattered rose petals over his bed on a Valentine's Day in order to bed a teenage girl who was a member of his club, has been sentenced to two years' imprisonment.

e man, who was 35 at that time, slept with the 14-year-old for the first time that evening on February 14, 2003, after she came to his Townsville unit, reports News.com.au.

The defendant, who is now 43, pleaded guilty in the Townsville Magistrates Court to four counts of unlawful carnal knowledge of a child under 16.

The cricket official was first introduced to girl when she joined the club at the age of 10.

Four years later, as a teenager, she started working at the centre and socialising with the accused and this is when the pair had sexual relations about four times.

The teen, who made the complaint in 2009 at 22 after confessing to her mother and friends, could not remember all of their sexual encounters but said to the police other occasions included after a Cowboys match and during her high school exams.

"There was never any manipulation, threats or coercion. This is an unusual case because the girl was aware that my client was married," said defence barrister Justin Greggery.

He said the defendant had since lost two jobs and his wife because of the offending.

Magistrate Ross Mack accepted that the man was remorseful.

"It was a significant time ago, there was no predatory aspect to it and no resistance on the part of the complainant," the magistrate said.

"But a 35-year-old man taking advantage of a 14-year-old girl is a very grave matter indeed," he added. (ANI)

Source: Web Search

'In form' Kamran, Malik disappointed over exclusion from Test, T20 squads for NZ tour

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 04:08 PM

Karachi, Dec 2 (ANI): Pakistan cricketers Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik have expressed their disappointment at having been overlooked by the selectors for the Twenty20 and Test squads against New Zealand.

"I am disappointed at being left out, because I passed an email from the ICC to the PCB last month which cleared my name for selection, so I should know why my name was excluded," the Daily Times quoted Kamran, as saying to a news agency.

Kamran's name was also mentioned in a video footage aired by a Pakistani TV channel this week, in which alleged bookmaker Mazhar Majeed claimed that the wicketkeeper was among the seven Pakistani players obeying his orders during matches.

Kamran admitted that Majeed was his marketing agent, but denied that he had been involved in any wrongdoing.

"Majeed has been a Pakistani players' agent. He was Inzamam-ul-Haq's agent, Yousuf's agent and an agent for several other players, including Umar Gul and Salman Butt. But I have never been involved in any wrongdoing," he said.

The wicketkeeper was not selected for Pakistan's recent series against South Africa in the United Arab Emirates because he was recovering from an appendicitis operation. But he has since featured in domestic matches, hitting his highest first-class score of 268 last month.

"I am performing well at first-class level, so I still hope to play for Pakistan in the one-day series against New Zealand and then in next year's World Cup," said Kamran.

Shoaib Malik, who hit two hundreds in domestic matches last month, said that he was upset after being excluded from both squads for the New Zealand tour.

"I am really disappointed," he said, adding, "I have performed well in the domestic season."

"Throughout my 11-year career I have never been involved in any wrongdoing and was not even in the team when all those (fixing) allegations were levelled," stated Malik, who played neither in the Sydney Test nor the England series this year, during which spot-fixings allegedly took place. (ANI)

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Zaheer returns; Sreesanth, Raina rested for next 3 ODIs

Thu, Dec 02 10 03:52 PM

Jaipur, Dec 2 (PTI) Pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, who missed the first two matches due to a injury, today returned to the Indian team for the next three games of the ODI series against New Zealand while the selectors decided to rest batsman Suresh Raina and pacer Sreesanth ahead of the upcoming South Africa series. The selectors announced two seperate teams for the third ODI in Baroda on Saturday and fourth and fifth matches of the series in Bangalore and Chennai on December 7 and 10 respectively Gautam Gambhir has been retained as the captain of the side for the next three matches, BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan said in a press release after a meeting of the selection committee here. Even though the selectors have called back Zaheer, they have decided to prolong the rest period of four senior players -- regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh, who were not considered for the first two matches due to injury concerns. Zaheer makes his way into the team in place of in-form Sreesanth, who has picked up an impressive seven wickets in the first two ODIs and has been rested ahead of the upcoming South Africa series. Zaheer missed the third Test against New Zealand and the first two ODIs of the five-match series after sustaining a groin injury during the second Test in Hyderabad last month. Left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra, who was a late induction in the team for the first two ODIs after Praveen Kumar was down with fever, has also managed to retain his place in the side for the next three matches alongwith Praveen. However, wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha, who retained his place for Baroda match, will hand over the gloves to Parthiv Patel in the last two matches, while R Ashwin will make way for Rohit Sharma. India lead the five match ODI series 2-0 against New Zealand. Indian team for third ODI in Baroda: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), R Ashwin, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Munaf Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, R Vinay Kumar. Indian team for the fourth and fifth ODIs in Bangalore and Chennai: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Murali Vijay, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Sourav Tiwary, Yusuf Pathan, Parthiv Patel (wk), R Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja, Rohit Sharma.

Source: Published>

Hilfenhaus facing possible axe for Adelaide Test

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 03:08 PM

Adelaide, Dec.2 (ANI): Australian fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus could face the axe in the Adelaide Test, following his one wicket haul at the Gabba.

The host team for the second Test has already been given a shake up, with out-of-form speedster Mitchell Johnson dropped from the 12-man squad on Thursday.

Johnson's omission almost certainly means a Test recall for New South Wales quick Doug Bollinger.

Hilfenhaus and Ryan Harris are believed to be fighting for the final seamer's possession.

Hilfenhaus is under pressure after taking the wicket of Strauss on the third ball of the Gabba Test but then going wicket less in his ensuing 50 overs.

Ponting said a final decision on Australia's XI would be a tough one.

"Hilfy's strengths are his ability to swing the new ball, he's a very consistent bowler and bowls in good areas to tie batters down," Ponting said on Thursday.

"Ryan's strengths are that he has played much of his cricket here (at the Adelaide Oval), he's probably slightly quicker in the air, he hits the wicket harder than Ben does and probably he's the better reverse swing bowler for later in the game.

"Ben did a terrific job for us in the India in conditions that will probably be similar to what the wicket will be like here, particularly over the last couple of days.

"It makes that decision a pretty difficult one which is why we need a fair bit of time to think about it."

Blewett said Hilfenhaus should get another chance unless the tough conditions in Brisbane had taken too much of a toll on the Tasmania swing bowler. (ANI)

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Pace attack awaits India on South African tour

Thu, Dec 02 10 02:48 PM

Johannesburg, Dec 2 (PTI) Andrew Hudson, convenor of selectors for the Proteas, said that South Africa would concentrate on its strong points when they announce their Test squad for the upcoming series against India. "We will most probably choose just one spinner and depend on South Africa''s traditional strength, its pace attack," Hudson told the Afrikaans daily Beeld. Hence, India can expect a pace attack when they start touring in South Africa from December 16. There was still a view among the South Africans that despite India''s strength being their batting, they remained vulnerable to bounce balls," said Beeld cricket writer Altus Momberg. "This will be tested (against India) this summer," Momberg said, adding that Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were extremely dangerous under South African conditions. The South African squad for the Test series against India will be announced at the end of this week. Momberg speculated that the proposed tactic of the South Africans was probably why Indian coach Gary Kirsten and ten members of his team, including captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar, would arrive in Cape Town next Wednesday itself to get used to the South African conditions ahead of the first game on December 16. The rest of the team, still playing in a one-day series against New Zealand, will only arrive in Johannesburg on December 12. India, during their tour of South Africa, however, will not face South Africa''s first national cap of Pakistani origin, Imran Tahir. The addition of Tahir, who has lived in South Africa for the past four years after marrying a local woman, was announced by Cricket South Africa (CSA) and then almost immediately withdrawn after it was discovered that he did not qualify because he was not yet a South African citizen. Although Tahir''s papers are expected to be ready by the end of the month, Hudson said he would not be considered for the series against India.

Source: Published>

Pietersen labels Adelaide groundsmen "pathetic

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 02:08 PM

Adelaide, Dec.2 (ANI): Key England batsman Kevin Pietersen's tweet labeling Adelaide Oval groundsmen as pathetic has not gone down well with his team, or with Australian fans here.

Key batsmen Pietersen fumed when practice pitches were uncovered during a sudden downpour in Adelaide on Wednesday, forcing the tourists to train indoors.

He reportedly made his feelings known to curators at the ground before using Twitter to express his displeasure, reports the Herald Sun.

"What should a groundsmen make sure he does 2days out from a test match????" Pietersen wrote.

"Cover the nets when it rains maybe??? "PATHETIC!".

Pietersen in September used Twitter to reveal his dropping from the England side for a one-day series against Pakistan, before any official announcement.

Captain Strauss said England's cricketers had strict guidelines on the use of social networking sites, but refused to say what they were.

Asked if Pietersen had crossed the line, Strauss replied: "No, he didn't.

"But it was obviously, there are kinds of degrees of everything, and we don't want anything that distracts our attention from what is important, which is getting on the cricket pitch and performing."

Strauss said Pietersen failed to realise the potential ramifications of his tweet. (ANI)

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Media bashed Ponting looking to turn things around in Adelaide Oval Test

Published>Thu, Dec 02 10 01:38 PM

Adelaide, Dec.2 (ANI): Australian captain Ricky Ponting has fond memories of the Adelaide Oval, which will be the venue of the second Ashes Test against England from Friday, and is hoping that the media bashing that he has copped after the Gabba Test will reduce with a better performance from his team and himself.

Ponting has scored five of his 39 Test hundreds at this ground, and says that he always loves to come back.

"It's one of my favourite places to bat, and once you're in, then it's one of the best places to bat in the world," Ponting said.

"Venue-wise, it's a nice place to come and I've always said that once I finish playing, if I ever come back to watch a Test match then it will be at Adelaide. The new stand looks terrific. You can always appreciate the beauty of different venues around the world and this is certainly one of them," he added.

Meanwhile, Ponting has come in for some media stick this week.

Labelled 'Clueless' in one newspaper, he then had to contend with his former teammate Shane Warne saying that this Test was crunch-time for the captain.

"At the end of the day it was a draw in Brisbane," said Ponting.

"People probably expected us to push a bit more for the win, but give England some credit for the way they fought their way out. We come here at nil-all and looking forward to another challenge," the Daily Express quoted him, as saying.

When Australia beat England in Adelaide in an extraordinary turnaround four years ago, life was much easier for Ponting as captain. He simply had to throw the ball to Warne or Glenn McGrath and wait for them to do the damage.

These days, wins are much more difficult to come by for Australia, but Ponting says he finds the challenge much more absorbing.

"When you're not expected to win and there are doubts around you, like there is now, it heightens everyone's instincts and makes you work that little bit harder, makes you stick together and achieve something special. That's certainly the feeling I've got around my group at the moment. We know we were a bit off our best last week but the end result was a draw. We come here hoping to play a lot better than we did at The Gabba," Ponting said. (ANI)

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