Chelsea to allow Terry break to resolve personal issues

Published>Wed, Feb 03 10 03:29 PM

London, Feb 3 (DPA) Chelsea will give captain John Terry time off to resolve problems in his personal life if he wants, according to reports in the British media Wednesday.

Terry could fly to Dubai to visit his wife Toni in 10 days and miss the FA Cup fifth-round tie against Cardiff City.

The defender has been at the centre of a media storm after allegations he had an affair with Vanessa Perroncel, the girlfriend of former team-mate Wayne Bridge, and it is possible he could be stripped of the England captaincy.

'This is an issue for me and John Terry; it's not your problem. You will see the line-up for Cardiff,' Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti said after Tuesday's 1-1 raw at Hull City.

'If he needs to have a holiday I will give him a holiday. If he doesn't need a holiday he will play against Cardiff.'

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Wayne Bridge 'holds secret talks with former girlfriend'

Published>Wed, Feb 03 10 02:55 PM

London, Feb 3 (ANI): English footballer Wayne Bridge is said to have held secret talks with his ex-girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel for the first time since the news about her affair with John Terry was exposed.

Bridge, 29, is reported to have been left "totally distraught" after he came to know that his ex-lover and his former England team-mate had enjoyed a string of secret romps.

The Manchester City footballer is said to have travelled from Manchester to Surrey to meet with the French lingerie model and their three-year-old son Jaydon.

"He has been on the phone constantly, but this is the first time they've seen each other since Friday," the Sun quoted Perroncel's spokesman Max Clifford as saying.

"It was a very emotional reunion. There were lots of tears. It's been very upsetting for both of them and they are anxious to protect their little son Jaydon from this as much as possible," he stated.

Bridge has repeatedly been calling up Perroncel, and had called her at least four times on February 2 as he tried to recover from her betrayal with Terry.

"He just can't seem to get over it. The more John's betrayal sinks in, the worse it gets for him. He's absolutely in pieces, totally distraught," one of Bridge's pals added. (ANI)

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Barca plans ?40 mn summer swoop for Fabregas

Published>Wed, Feb 03 10 02:19 PM

Barcelona is increasing the pressure on Arsenal as they plan a 40 million pounds summer transfer for ace footballer Cesc Fabregas.

The Catalan giants vice-president Alfons Godall has insisted that the Gunners skipper will end up at the Nou Camp.

"Sooner or later Cesc will end up coming back. We are a club that can sign players because we are respected and solvent," he said.

The European champions have made no secret of the fact they want to recapture Fabregas, who left the club when he was 16, 'The Sun' reports.

Godall is one of the two main candidates for the June 13 presidential election and is the favourite to succeed Joan Laporta.

The other main candidate, Sandro Rossell, is also a huge fan of Fabregas.

However, Barcelona's bitter rivals Real Madrid are keen to land the 22-year-old midfielder as well.

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CA's five bowlers policy hampering Hopes' first-choice status in team

Published>Wed, Feb 03 10 02:09 PM

Melbourne, Feb 3 (ANI): All rounder James Hopes has said that he can reclaim his first-choice status within the Australian one-day team if selectors scrap their recent policy of using only five genuine bowlers.

The Queenslander was not selected for the first three matches of the series against Pakistan and was promoted only when Shane Watson was rested for the last two games.

Hopes had played 46 of a possible 49 matches for Australia until he injured his hamstring in the first match of one-day series in India late last year.

"We've (previously) played a lot with three fast-bowlers, two all-rounders and a spinner to give us six bowling options, but at this stage we're comfortable going with the five bowling options," Hopes said.

"That puts me up against Shane Watson, who's been in pretty handy form. I wouldn't expect to knock him out of the one-day team. I think my way into that team full-time again is to be playing in the team with him," The Age quoted him, as saying.

The 31-year-old said the manner of Australia's 5-0 series victory over Pakistan had not given selectors any need to change the structure of their bowling attack.

"I don't think Pakistan gave us any reason to think that we needed a sixth bowling option at all, they didn't play that well.

"If the West Indies put up a good show well maybe there could be some thought to having another option because it does limit your options if you've only got five bowlers. If one or two of them get hit around you haven't got the sixth one to call on," Hopes said.

"The reason we did do it in the past is that when you play teams like South Africa you do need that sixth option. But if we keep playing the way we're playing, well, there's no need for the sixth bowler," he added. (ANI)

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India look for finishing touch

Published>Wed, Feb 03 10 01:49 PM

Once the Republic Day parade got over on Rajpath and the roads were thrown open to traffic, Harendra Singh got an opportunity to take a trip down memory lane. As he walked into the renovated National Stadium on the other side of India Gate, the former India player was transported back to the days when he began his career. "I felt 10 years younger," Harendra, who is the Indian hockey team's coach now, told The Indian Express on Tuesday, a day ahead of the final preparatory camp at the stadium, the venue for the hockey World Cup beginning from February 28.

"This is the place where I learned to hold a hockey stick, where I grew up as player. Coming back to the National Stadium two days after it reopened was a privilege. The facilities are world-class, and I felt like playing all over again. I'm sure it will pump up the team as well. And after what the nation has given them, they would like to pay them back in kind."

India have been training in Pune for the last six months, and will now get a chance to prepare at the venue of the World Cup. Construction delays saw a trial event being cancelled and the team now have a little over three weeks to get used to the conditions. Harendra insisted that was more than enough. "I won't say three-four weeks' time is insufficient. The other teams are going to start coming just five-six days before the event. So we still have a distinct edge. We'll have enough match practice. The team is going to play against India A, who're playing in the South Asian Games, from February 15 to 22. Then we play a couple of practice matches against Argentina and Holland on the 23rd and 25th, so match practice shouldn't be an issue," he said, adding that with all the hard work done, the emphasis will now be over giving the preparations final touches.

'Realistic target'

"For the last one-and-a-half years, we have been training hard and I'm hoping for a good show - at least a semi-final spot, which is a realistic target, given that we will be playing in front of our home crowd. The Pune camp was intense and wholesome. Now we are going to focus on strategy and the individual and team responsibilities," he said.

Looking ahead

The camp in Pune was also mired by a lot of controversies - first the reports of differences in the team and head coach Jose Brasa and then the payment issue. Asked if the distraction affected the practice, Harendra said it was time to look ahead.

"Whatever has happened has happened. The team has put behind all that and we're looking forward now. 2010 is a crucial year for Indian hockey's revival, so the players and coaches are concentrating on the job at hand," he said.

The coach, though, urged the team to keep their emotion in check. "We are playing at home, and need to keep a check on our emotions. If we can do that, I think we'll see the Indian team on the podium somewhere."

Brasa unhappy?

PUNE: Even before the hockey training camp in the Capital could kick off, there were signs of trouble brewing in the team, with coaches and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) reportedly involved in a tiff over the gym at the National Stadium. According to sources in the team, it didn't go down well with head coach Jose Brasa that the gym at the National Stadium wasn't operational and that the team had to use another fitness centre at Connaught Place, which is about two kilometers from the venue. "Brasa had asked for a gym inside the stadium premises. SAI has made an alternative arrangement, but it is far from the venue. The head coach was upset about it. It may seem like a minor issue, but it disrupts the schedule," said the source, adding that in Pune, the gym was just 100 yards from the practice ground. When contacted, Brasa refused to comment.

-Kabir Mandrekar

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Leaders Chelsea held at lowly Hull City

Published>Wed, Feb 03 10 01:39 PM

London, Feb 3 (DPA) Chelsea missed an opportunity to extend their lead atop the English Premier League to four points as they were held to a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened Hull City.

Steven Mouyokolo headed Hull into a shock lead on the half-hour mark, but Didier Drogba equalized from a free-kick three minutes before half-time here Tuesday.

The result leaves Chelsea two points clear of champions Manchester United at the top of the league.

Much of the attention before the game surrounded John Terry, who faces the prospect of losing the England captaincy because of revelations over his private life.

Terry led Chelsea as usual but was just one of many players in Carlo Ancelotti's side to play below par.

Hull pressed them throughout the evening and fully deserved to earn a point that lifts them up one place to 18th, level on points with three sides above them.

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Ball-tampering 'probably' prevalent, says Tait

Published>Wed, Feb 03 10 01:33 PM

He has never seen it for himself but Australian pacer Shaun Tait says there is no denying that all teams indulge in ball tampering.

Backing Shahid Afridi's claim that all teams tamper with the ball, Tait said though he is yet to see it himself, there is little doubt that such cheating tactics are not new in international cricket.

"It probably goes on, but I have never seen it with my own eyes," Tait was quoted as saying by 'The Herald Sun'.

"I am sure there could be players that do it, but not that I have seen. I have never engaged in biting the ball,' he said.

Afridi, a former teammate of Tait in a state side here, was banned for two Twenty20 games after being caught biting the ball during a one-dayer against Australia in Perth.

Former wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist felt such offences need to be dealt with strictly to set an example for others.

"I think what we saw on Sunday night in Perth and also in the England and South Africa series is that this is an issue that must be dealt with sooner rather than later," Gilchrist said.

"There is simply too much weight of evidence that it's occurring. I have no doubts that anyone caught should face extremely serious ramifications and punishment.

"It's up to the players to make the call on this one and say this simply cannot be tolerated," he added.

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