Ex-Brit footie star Davenport declared not guilty of attacking his sister

Published>Fri, Jul 02 10 02:18 PM

London, July 2 (ANI): Former West Ham United defender Calum Davenport has been cleared of head butting and biting his sister in a drink-fuelled attack. He was also cleared of trying to throttle his sibling during a drunken row in which he allegedly branded her a "form of cancer".

According to The Sun, Davenport was accused of launching the ferocious attack on 28-year-old Cara after being told she was pregnant again.

The prosecution claimed during the trial at Luton Crown Court that on August 22 last year a furious row erupted over how Cara was going to be able to support her second child financially.

Davenport, 27, was accused of calling her a "whore" before allegedly grabbing her by the throat and bundling her to the ground.

Prosecutor Beverly Cripps claimed he then head-butted his seven-weeks pregnant sister and bit her cheek at her home in Bedford.

But today the former England under-21 international, who has also played for Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland, was found not guilty of actual bodily harm by the jury.

He stared straight ahead as the verdict was delivered after nearly eight hours of deliberations.

He openly wept outside court as he hugged his dad, Curtis, mum Kim Stupple, and wife, Zoey. (ANI)

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Ponting fears losing captaincy in case of Ashes failure

Published Fri, Jul 02 10 01:52 PM

London, Jul 2 (PTI) Australia have twice lost the Ashes under his captaincy and Ricky Ponting fears he might have to look for another job if the team fails to win back the coveted urn this November. "I''d probably be looking for a new job if we lose again," said Ponting. The Ashes would be preceded by a tour to India and followed by the 2011 ODI World Cup, making the next eight months the biggest of his career, said Ponting. "It doesn''t get any bigger than that and everything I do between now and April will be geared at getting the most out of myself and, most importantly, the group," he told the ''Daily Mail''. "If I''m able to do that I think there are some pretty special things on the horizon for this team," he said. Asked if the Ashes and the World Cup win would be a perfect send-off for him, the 35-year-old was non-committal and said he would continue playing as long as he can keep improving. "I don''t know if there''s ever a perfect time to go," said Ponting. "We''ll see. I''ve always said if I don''t feel I can play the way I want to or if I can''t improve any more then it will be time to look at what I''m doing. "But I''m definitely as motivated as ever and as hungry as I''ve ever been. And after scoring runs at the Oval I''m feeling more like my old self, too," said Ponting, who scored a 93-ball 92 in the fourth ODI against England. The right-hander said he was not under any pressure and was looking to do his best in the coming eight months. "I haven''t thought about any added pressure on me," he said. "I''m just thinking about being the best player I can be and having a significant impact on the Ashes series as a batsman and as a leader," he said.

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Restricting Brazilian wingers will be the ticket to success

Published>Fri, Jul 02 10 01:22 PM

New Delhi, July 2 -- In the 1994 World Cup, Brazil eliminated Holland 3-2 in the quarterfinals, a free-kick by Branco. In the 1998 World Cup, Brazil eliminated us again, this time in the semifinal penalty shootout after Ronaldo and Kluivert had tied the game 1-1. There is no team like Brazil, that we Dutch admire, and which has caused us so much pain. Fate has put us together one more time, and coach Bert van Marwijk and his assistant De Boer must prepare a game plan to get a different result. Holland have won 12 straight games with a careful 4-2-3-1 formation. The advantage of this formation is that the holding midfielders become extra defenders and re-launch the forward line. Against strikers of the calibre of Robinho, Kaka and Luis Fabiano, Holland need this extra line of defence. Coach Dunga has the best defence with Bastos, Juan, Lucio and Maicon. In midfield, there is Gilberto Silva, Felipe Melo and Dani Alvez. Kaka, Luis Fabiano and Robinho supply the goals, but so can Maicon, Juan and the injured Elano. The wingers could be the key, as both Maicon and Bastos love to make runs and cross into the centre. Holland must catch them out of position. Also, if Robben and Sneijder have exceptional games we could win this one. Ghana and Uruguay have proved to be the two Cinderella stories of this World Cup. Coach Rajevac inherited an Essien-less team and inspired them to the quarterfinal with a good mix of the U-20 world champions and Rennes striker, Asamoah Gyan, and midfielders Appiah, Anan and Prince Boateng.

Suarez scored 49 goals in 49 games this year. No one else has that average. Ghana will have to find a defence that can stop them. It is not exactly watertight.

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Zimbabwe cricket chief says Howard was just not suitable for ICC post

Published>Fri, Jul 02 10 01:18 PM

Melbourne, July 2 (ANI): Zimbabwe Cricket chairman Peter Chingoka has justified his country's decision not to support the candidature of former Australian prime minister John Howard for the post of ICC vice-president, saying he was just not suitable.

Chingoka told The Age it "goes without saying" that whoever Australia and NZ choose in place of rejected nominee John Howard - if they decide to do so - must be "somebody who's come through hands-on in cricket".

He said the push for election of the former Australian prime minister was akin to "asking me to come and edit the Melbourne Age without any experience in the journalism industry".

"No one has a problem with an Australian candidate, no one has a problem with a New Zealand candidate - if it's an individual we can accept," Chingoka said.

"There is a lot of talent in Australia and New Zealand. I could give you at least six names from Australia who have been on the Australian board or the board of the ICC who are very competent and would be immediately suitable, I can give you two or three names from New Zealand who would be immediately suitable," he added.

While Howard, along with Cricket Australia and NZ Cricket, has complained about not knowing the basis of the widespread opposition, Chingoka said such reasons were "not palatable to some people, but reasons have been given".

He also quashed the suggestion his country's President Robert Mugabe, a target of significant public criticism from Howard while in office, had influenced his board's decision.

"That is an excuse that has been used because of the denial of the reasons given [to Howard and the countries], because it's a convenient excuse."

Chingoka predicted the operation of the ICC board would not be undermined by Howard's rejection.

The most obvious replacement for Howard as nominee, Sir John Anderson, would not comment yesterday. (ANI)

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FIFA to use World Cup quarter-finals in fight against racism

Published Fri, Jul 02 10 01:08 PM

Johannesburg, Jul 2 (PTI) FIFA is all set to use the World Cup quarter-final matches starting tomorrow to fight racism in the game and has called on fans worldwide to support its ''Say No to Racism'' campaign. "We are saying we want to make a clear statement to the billion of people around the world about football''s united stance against racism and all forms of discrimination and there is no better place to do this that in the World Cup," said Federico Addiech, head of FIFA''s social responsibility department. On the lines of the 2009 Confederation Cup, in all the four quarterfinal matches team captains will read a declaration to demonstrate a firm stance against racism not only in football but also in society. Both teams and the match officials will also pose jointly with a banner displaying the unequivocal ''Say No to Racism'' message as part of the official pre-match protocol. Addiech said, since 2001 FIFA had embarked on a strong campaign against racism in the world''s biggest sport and the results have been positive. "We are definitely seeing a lot of improvement there is a high level of maturity and tolerance among the players and everyone who is involved in football," he said while speaking at a FIFA discussion held yesterday which focuses on fighting racism and discrimination in sport.

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Sex-related text slur against England skipper Gerrard was a hoax

Published>Fri, Jul 02 10 12:48 PM

London, July 2 (ANI): Mobile texts and e-mails suggesting that England football captain Steven Gerrard had got his wife Alex Curran's 16-year-old sister pregnant, and therefore this was responsible for the team's early exit from the FIFA World Cup in South Africa, have turned out to be a hoax.

According to The Sun, the lies have been blown apart by one crucial fact - model Alex, 27, does not even have a sister.

The malicious scam blames England's poor showing on the team being torn apart by fall-out from the "affair". John Terry and other players were said to be furious "cheat" Gerrard had kept the captain's armband, while Terry lost it when he was revealed as a love rat this year.

Messages detailing the lies spread like wildfire since England's exit from the tournament on Sunday.

They claim the dressing room was so divided - with some aces backing Gerrard, 30, and others Terry, 29 - that they could not play together on the pitch.

But a source said last night: "The players can't believe such obvious absolute rubbish is being peddled so widely. There was no affair, so there could never have been a rift between the players about it. Anyone doing the slightest research can instantly see it could never be true."

"The whole story is a pack of lies without even a scintilla of truth, but it has spread so widely that some people are being taken in by it," the source added. (ANI)

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No ICC event for trouble-torn Pakistan

Published>Fri, Jul 02 10 12:38 PM

Pakistan remains in isolation as an international cricket venue with the ICC deciding not to allot any event to the trouble-torn country until 2015.

The ICC yesterday announced its events and host countries until 2015 and Pakistan does not feature in the list at all although the ICC has awarded the next two World Twenty20 Cups to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in 2012 and 2014.

Sources in the Pakistan Cricket Board said Chairman Ijaz Butt had shown interest that Pakistan should be given at least one ICC event after 2012 but the ICC members didn't respond positively.

"The 2013 Champions Trophy was on the minds of the PCB but apparently nothing has happened to convince the ICC that international teams can resume touring Pakistan by next year or in 2012," the source said.

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