Miandad set to coach Pakistan again

Karachi: previous captain Javed Miandad on Monday spoken his desire to coach the Pakistan cricket team once again if the PCB decides to replace the accused players and the management in England in the wake of the match-fixing scandal. Miandad, a experienced person of 124 Tests, said that he was ready to step in and assist the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in the midst of the biggest fixing scandal to have hit the world cricket.
"I can take charge and manage things but first the board has to recall the players accused of spot-fixing and the present organization from England. We need to ground a new look side and new organization for the One-Day series in England," Miandad told PTI. The previous batting great, who is now the director-general of cricket in PCB, said he had aired his mind and now the ball rests on the board's court.
"I am forever there for Pakistan cricket and these latest spot-fixing scandal has hurt me immensely. It is harmful for Pakistan cricket and the board needs to steps of its own to set things right," Miandad said. Miandad, who was coach of the nationwide team thrice in the past, said PCB should immediately recall those players from England who were under the scanner.
"I don't want to say much now but it is perceptible the management failed. We have enough talent in Pakistan to field a new look side in the ODI series. We should make a fresh start and try to clear this tainted image," Miandad said. Miandad, though, declined to make any comments when asked if he felt it was time for PCB chairman Ejaz Butt to resign.
"seem I don't want to go into that. The chairman has been appointed by the chief patron of the board and only he can decide who will run cricket affairs," he said. "I am a member of this board and I have the attention of Pakistan cricket at heart. That is why I am suggestive of these radical steps. The investigations will go on but we need to understand that we can't carry on playing like this in the ODIs with all this pressure on the team," the former captain added.

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England Beat Hungary 2-1

Steven Gerrard scored twice in four second-half minutes as England came from at the back to defeat Hungary in their first outing since their dreadful World Cup campaign.

England, by and great, received warm backing from the 72,024 inside Wembley, with clapping comfortably outweighing booing after a performance during which Fabio Capello's team produced some eye-catching attacking moves.
But the crowd voiced their disappointment when Phil Jagielka unfortunately guided a low cross into his own net after 62 minutes.
In truth, England had grounds for criticism that are sure to once again raise the subject of goal-line technology.
A Frank Lampard strike that clearly crossed the line was not awarded during England's humiliating 4-1 beat against Germany at the World Cup.
And at Wembley on Wednesday replays optional substitute Michael Dawson had cleared the ball before it had crossed the line.
The coach had moved away from the much-maligned 4-4-2 formation, opting in its place to play Barry, Gerrard and Lampard in a central midfield area, with Adam Johnson and Theo Walcott, who were both left out of the World Cup squad, providing the width as Rooney operated as a lone striker.

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New Zealand squash India by 200 runs

Against New Zealand with a feeble bowling and batting display on Tuesday. After the Kiwis put up a competitive 288 on the plank, riding on captain Ross Taylor (95) and Scott Styris (89), India suffer an mysterious batting collapse to bundle out for a paltry 88 in just 29.3 overs. In what twisted out to be a totally lop-sided contest, only three Indian batsmen could score double figures as the Kiwis ripped through the young batting lineup to open their campaign on a high. It was a powerful show by the New Zealanders who relied on a 190-run stand for the fourth wicket between Taylor and Styris before Daryl Tuffey (3/34) and Kyle Mills (2/26) and Jacob Oram (2/15) shot out India to complete a persuasive win.

Chasing 289 to win, openers Dinesh Karthik (14) and Virender Sehwag (19) made a alert start but New Zealand struck two times in as many deliveries to get rid of the openers and reduce India to 39 for two in 7.1 overs. Sehwag was the first to go when he botched to discuss a short ball aimed at his body by Mills as the ball kissed his glove and landed safely at wicketkeeper Gerath Hopkins' hands. Karthik then followed suit when he played Tuffey's delivery down the wrong line and missed the ball, which struck on his pads in front of the wicket.

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Ishant to ignore tri-series opener against Kiwis

Dambulla: India suffered a shake ahead of their tri-series opener against New Zealand as paceman Ishant Sharma was on Monday ruled out of the match due to an ankle injury.

The lanky Delhi bowler was to do the accountability with new ball along with state-mate Ashish Nehra.  "Ishant is not obtainable for tomorrow's match because of an ankle problem," India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said at the pre-match press conference.

India are previously without experienced pacer Zaheer Khan, senior spinner Harbhajan Singh and opener Gautam Gambhir. Zaheer had missed the just finished Test series against Sri Lanka due to a shoulder problem and flew to South Africa for treatment.

Harbhajan and Gambhir were rested all along with Sachin Tendulkar for the tri-series. Both Harbhajan and Gambhir had missed India's third Test against Sri Lanka due to injuries.

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Jonny Wilkinson missed England training for Toulon game

Jonny Wilkinson will not be released to join up with England's elite squad when they assemble on 8 August, the fly-half's French club Toulon have confirmed

 

Toulon said Wilkinson "will respect his agreement and be available for the first game of the Top 14 on 13 August".
England boss Martin Johnson is consideration to be happy for Wilkinson to stay in France with Toulon. Johnson also said there had been "close and friendly consultation" with all clubs over player attendance.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has an agreement with English clubs over player let go outside the official international windows, but has to discuss individually with French sides. Back row James Haskell and lock Tom Palmer, who play for French team Stade Francais, have also been called up for the week-long England training campsite by Johnson.

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Davies fades missing in 10km event

Olympic silver medallist David Davies washed out after a strong start and came 30th in the 10km open water event at the European Swimming Championships.

European Swimming Championships 2010
Venue: Budapest Dates: 4-15 August

The Welshman led for most of the race on day one of the Hungary championships but fell back behind on and was last of the three British swimmers to finish. Daniel Fogg came 11th in one hour 54 minutes and 40.2 seconds even as Richard Charlesworth was 27th at Lake Balaton.
He looked on course for a medal after top for much of the race but could not maintain the lick over the last 2km and finally finished in the pack in a time of 1:58.21.4.
"For Dave to go back to action and lead for 8km is very positive. though he hit a wall, we know where he is now and where he needs to be to gain victory." The women's 5km race was won by Ekaterina Seliverstova of Russia in 1:02:34.7.
Pool swimming events start in Budapest on Monday.

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Lewis Hamilton thrilled by five-way battle for F1 title

 

Lewis Hamilton says he is keyed up by the intense competition for the Formula 1 drivers' championship - with five men in conflict to win the title.

The top five drivers are divided by 20 points going into the summer break with Red Bull's Mark Webber in top spot after he won the Hungarian Grand Prix.
McLaren's Hamilton told his website: "We'll take up again as if it's the start of the year, with everything to play for.
"None of the top three teams are really behind on points. That's thrilling!"
With seven races to go, Hamilton has 157 points, four points behind Webber, even as Webber's team-mate Sebastein Vettel is third on 151 points, McLaren's Jenson Button is fourth on 147 and Ferrari's fifth-placed driver Fernando Alonso is on 141 points.

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shining Sehwag leads Indian response

Third Test,P Sara Oval: Virender Sehwag led an violent Indian response to Sri Lanka's demanding score on a competitive pitch on the second day at the P Sara Oval. Thilan Samaraweera let down India's quest for early wickets with an certain century amid testing spells from Ishant Sharma and Pragyan Ojha, but Sehwag's counter-attack, with some luck, helped the visitors even things out. The signs were encouraging for Sri Lanka at the start of the Indian innings with the seamers finding sway while their opponents had produced virtually none. Lasith Malinga targeted the blockhole and hurled a couple of sharp bouncers, while Chanaka Welegedara got the ball to flit in. But the helpful conditions did not produce the restlessness Sri Lanka would have hoped from the Indian openers, as Sehwag settled in with three consecutive boundaries - through point, mid-on and over midwicket - off Welegedera, who had dismissed him twice in the Galle Test.

First Innings:

Sri Lanka 425 (Samaraweera 137, Sangakkara 75)

India 180 for 2 (Sehwag 97*, Tendulkar 40*)

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Gareth Thomas caps rugby club move with call-up to Wales squad

Gareth Thomas is rest to win his first rugby league cap after being named in Wales's training squad for the Alitalia European Cup.
Thomas, 36, a former British and Irish Lions captain, who won the last of his 100 caps in rugby union at the 2007 World Cup, in his first season of league with Crusaders.
He said,‘It is a great feeling,' 'To be able to stand for Wales in a different sport, in such a short space of time, is a massive, massive honour and achievement for me.'

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Cricket: Tendulkar rest to break record

Sachin Tendulkar is set to become the most capped test cricketer while India plays Sri Lanka in the third and final match.
The 37-year-old batting huge, who is the most creative run getter in both tests and one-day internationals and who has the most number of centuries in both versions, will exceed former Australia captain Steve Waugh when he plays his 169th test.
"It has been a very long journey. The 169th test. I still remember the first test match that I played against Pakistan," Tendulkar said today. "Very happy that I have had the freedom of such a long journey at international level and this was my dream. To play for India was my dream and getting to play 169 test matches is unbelievable."

TEST APPEARANCES - ALL TIME LEADERS

168 - Sachin Tendulkar (India)
168 - Steve Waugh (Australia)
156 - Allan Border (Australia)
146 - Ricky Ponting (Australia)
145 - Shane Warne (Australia)
141 - Rahul Dravid (India)
140 - Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
134 - Mark Boucher (South Africa)

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Death a twice loss for rugby and cricket

Eric Tindill, the only man to play tests for New Zealand in both cricket and rugby, and preside in a test in both, has died in Nelson. He was 99 years old.
At the same time as others have become known as double rugby-cricket internationals though appearing only in tour games as different from tests in one or the other sport, Tindill was single in his four-strong achievements.
A halfback or first five-eighths for Wellington, Tindill played 16 matches for the All Blacks, include one test, a 13-0 loss to England at Twickenham in 1936.
Fourteen years later he was refereed three tests, two between the All Blacks and the British Lions, and then one against Australia in 1955. Tindill played five cricket tests as a wicketkeeper-batsman between 1937 and 1947, his first appearance against England at Lord's. His first-class career spanned 18 seasons.

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Andrew Flintoff lined out for rest of the spell by Lancashire

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff leftovers hopeful of making his long-awaited comeback from injury but has not set himself a timescale after his domestic season was ended in advance without him playing a match.
The 32-year-old has not played since the the final Ashes Test nearly a year ago, after which he underwent two operations on his right knee and his comeback for Lancashire 2nd XI this week was aborted as a defensive measure.
His province have ruled him out for the remainder of the domestic season - which in reality is only six weeks - in order for him to continue treatment work.This latest delay also rules him out of next month's Twenty20 Champions Trophy in South Africa where he was due to play for Chennai Super Kings.

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£9k for shaming the World Cup FIFA 2010 fine Holland paltry sum after 'anti-football' in final against Spain

Holland's violent feat in the World Cup final has landed the Dutch FA a paltry fine of £9,244.

Eight Holland players were revealed yellow cards and one - John Heitinga - was sent off by English referee Howard Webb through the most ill-disciplined World Cup final in history. FIFA yesterday responded with a nominal fine, a sum which looks even lesser set against the £15m awarded to the Dutch for dying runners-up.

Champions Spain were themselves fined £6,162 for individual shown five yellow cards, but it is the punishment of Holland, whose plans were condemned as 'anti-football' by Johan Cruyff, which will dismay the football world. The Dutch FA also face a recompense claim from Bayern Munich, who have reacted angrily to news that Arjen Robben will be sidelined for eight weeks as a result of his early return from a hamstring wound sustained in a warm-up game to play five matches at the World Cup.

Tests have since found that a constrain tear was not properly diagnosed earlier.

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