Button 'surprised' at his good relation with Hamilton

Published>Sun, Oct 10 10 12:57 PM

London, Oct 10(ANI): Reigning Formula One champion Jenson Button has admitted that he is surprised he has got on so well with McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton this year.

"I am surprised how well we've got on. I never knew what Lewis was like as a person. Knew him as a kid, but that's very different when you are both racing in F1. We both understand our private life is important as well as an F1 life - keeping it as private as you can," News of the World quoted Button, as saying.

"We respect each other and we know we don't want to lose to each other, we want to beat each other. As a driver that's important to you, beating your teammate. But also we know that one driver on his own is not going to win a championship."

"It takes two to develop a car and move it forward. He's an intelligent guy and knows it takes both of us," he added.

Button signed a three-year deal with McLaren in late 2009 for a reported six million pounds per season.

He had earlier said that he decided to leave Brawn GP because he wanted the motivation and challenge from competing head-to-head with Hamilton.

The 30-year-old further said that he is confident of evolving as a stronger driver in his second year with the team.

"Next year I'll definitely be a stronger driver just through experience and having a bit more direction when it comes to the development of the car for 2011. I'm sure every driver says that every year but the fact is when I arrived in January the car was already built," Button said.

"I don't want to have any excuses because it's been a great season and I'm very excited about next year. But still it's not enough yet. We're still fighting for the championship this year and that's got to be our aim," he added. (ANI)

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Schumacher told to justify 29 million pound salary at Mercedes

Published>Sun, Oct 10 10 12:52 PM

London, Oct 10(ANI): Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher has been warned by bosses at Mercedes to improve his performance or risk being sacked.

Schumacher has had a nightmare return to F1, and is struggling down in 10th place in the drivers' standings.

According News of the World, Mercedes GP team principal Ross Brawn has warned the German that he has to justify his 29 million pound a year salary next season.

"I am happy with Nico. Now I want to see progress with Michael," the tabloid quoted Brawn, as saying.

"I want to see our drivers fighting close together. It is not good when one driver is too far behind the other," he added.

Schumacher had retired from F1 in 2006, but stayed with Ferrari as an advisor.

After an earlier attempted comeback for Ferrari, as cover for the injured Felipe Massa, the 41-year-old signed a three-year contract to drive for Mercedes team from 2010. (ANI)

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Australia 384 for five at lunch on day 2

Published>Sun, Oct 10 10 12:37 PM

Australia were 384 for five at lunch on day two of the second and final Test against India on Sunday.

Score: Australia 384-5 (Marcus North 81 not out, Ricky Ponting 77, Shane Watson 57, Tim Paine 52 not out) v India.

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At 26, 'old guy' Tevez wants to quit football forever

Published>Sun, Oct 10 10 12:27 PM

London, Oct 10(ANI): Argentina and Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez has admitted that he is seriously thinking about quitting football forever.

"I have been playing many games this season, and my body is feeling it. I am tired. I started to play when I was really young and I have always fought so much, but now I'm feeling the effort," News of the World quoted Tevez, as saying.

"I'm an old guy now, and I started to think about some stuff. For example, I am less tolerant as a person today than I was a few years ago. Then I think - what happens if I quit football as long as I am okay in my life?" he added.

When asked about when he would eventually retire from the sport, Tevez said: "At the moment I still don't know if this is going to be in one month, one year, three or five years."

"I have the idea of quitting in my mind. Maybe one of these days, I will just wake up and say no more football," he added.

The Argentine footballer is currently the captain of Manchester City.

He has previously played for Boca Juniors, Corinthians, West Ham United and Manchester United.

He transferred to Manchester City in 2009 summer transfer window, becoming the first player to move between the two clubs since Terry Cooke in 1999.

The 26-year-old has made over 50 appearances for the Argentina national team, scoring 12 goals. (ANI)

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Liverpool's US buyers may walk away over 'nine-point deduction' fears

Published>Sun, Oct 10 10 12:21 PM

London, Oct 10(ANI): Liverpool's 300 million pound takeover by US-based New England Sports Ventures (NESV) is reportedly on the brink of collapse because of fears that the club would be placed in administration and docked nine points by the Premier League.

According to the Daily Mail, NESV remains committed to buying the club in their current position, but they are not prepared to take the added risk of paying a fortune for a team that would be in genuine danger of being relegated to the Championship.

"It (going into administration) has always been an issue. We have tried to deliver a sale to the owners before the loan comes up for repayment, which is on October 15," the newspaper quoted Liverpool Chairman Martin Broughton, as saying.

"We don't have the capacity to repay the loan so that leaves RBS with the options of rolling over the loan or putting the club into administration or finding some other exit," he added.

The Premier League has already approved the takeover by NESV, but also made it clear that the American company must prove that it has the funds available.

"The Premier League is satisfied, with the information provided, that the individuals NESV intend to put in place in the event they complete their takeover of Liverpool FC meet the criteria set out in our owners' and directors' test," a Premier League statement said.

"The board of the Premier League will continue working with Liverpool FC in regard to this process. However, we are aware that the formal completion of this takeover is yet to be resolved and it is therefore inappropriate for us to offer any further comment at this time," it added.

Liverpool could be given a nine-point deduction by the Premier League due to the row over the club's ownership.

On current points tallies, the nine-point deduction would leave Liverpool at the bottom of the table on minus-three points.

Current bosses Tom Hicks and George Gillett have opposed the sale by taking action in the High Court.

The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) would be able to put parent company Kop Holdings into administration if Hicks and Gillett fail to pay off their 280 million pound debt before October 15. (ANI)

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Ashes coup: Australia signs England's batting coach

Published>Sun, Oct 10 10 12:17 PM

Sydney, Oct 10 (ANI): Australia has signed England's batting coach Dene Hills ahead of the Ashes series, which is being considered as a major coup.

The Sunday Age understands Hills has been signed by Cricket Australia as the team's analyst, replacing Michael Marshall who has vacated the position due to family commitments.

The new Australian batting coach has had great success mentoring England's newcomers at its National Cricket Performance Centre at Loughborough University, but it is his intimate knowledge of the habits of England's established top-order batsmen that will be invaluable as Australia looks to wrest back the urn.

He will have information on how English batsmen plan to adjust to Australian conditions, how they will attack certain bowlers, and how they respond to different pressures. He can provide feedback on their temperaments, and the best fields to set.

England is known to be furious with Hills' defection but is unable to stop him because he has a get-out clause in his contract.

Hills, the former Tasmanian opener who has a long association with Test skipper Ricky Ponting, will be able to divulge the batting weaknesses of England's top order.

He will not be able to join the set-up until the Ashes are under way because England has forced him to serve his full three months' notice, denying Australian the chance to use him during its preparations.

Hills is expected to arrive days before the third Test in Perth, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. (ANI)

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Cricket Australia asks Oz players to stop compalaning about playing in T20

Published>Sun, Oct 10 10 12:07 PM

Sydney, Oct 10 (ANI): Cricket Australia has asked its players to stop complaining about tight schedule between Twenty20 tournaments and Test matches, as it was clearly mentioned in their lucrative Indian Premier League contracts in writing.

Australian batsman Mike Hussey has said that he had requested Cricket Australia to excuse him from the Champions League in order to prepare for the Test series against India, but his request was refused, and he was ordered to play for Chennai Super Kings.

CA holds a 25 per cent stake in the Twenty20 Champions League, therefore it has a vested interest in making its players available for the six million dollar tournament.

But CA said on Saturday that the clause for participation in the Champions League was written into IPL contracts. The organisation was essentially powerless to prevent the franchises from forcing internationals to play.

"The players who choose to sign IPL contracts do so presumably on the basis of eyes wide open. Those contracts are nothing to do with us. It is a condition of those contracts that players stay until the end," CA spokesman Peter Young told The Sun-Herald.

Hussey and teammate Doug Bollinger were part of Champions League winner Chennai team in South Africa and the pair would have preferred to train with teammates in India.

Hussey struggled in the first innings after two days of preparation, while Bollinger sustained an injury. (ANI)

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