IPL player auction likely to be postponed again

		The IPL player auction could be deferred by another couple of months because of the ongoing legal dispute between the BCCI and the two expelled franchises, Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab. If that happens, the auction, which has already been moved from November to January 8 and 9 because of the uncertainty surrounding the status of these two franchises, as well as the Kochi franchise, could now wind up clashing with the World Cup, which begins in the sub-continent on February 18, reports cricinfo. "I don't think the auction will happen before March," a top IPL official told ESPNcricinfo. Since the BCCI is not close to reconciling with either of the franchises, the official believes that whichever party receives an adverse judgement will definitely approach a higher court to defend itself. "This is going to be a long drawn-out battle - if the court favours the BCCI, then the other side will go to the Supreme Court and vice-versa. The whole thing is sub-judice. Whatever happens in the High Court, one party will go to the Supreme Court." On October 10, the board had terminated both Rajasthan and Punjab over disputed ownership rights, and the failure to report the change of control in the shareholding pattern to the IPL governing council. Both franchises eventually approached the Bombay High Court, and subsequently opted for arbitration. The board selected Justice BN Srikrishna as the judge in both arbitration cases, and his interim judgement in the case of Rajasthan caught the BCCI unawares. After having heard both parties for three days, the judge said that "prima facie" the Indian board was aware of the change of the control in the ownership structure at Rajasthan and their defence was "too facile to cut ice." He imposed a stay on Rajasthan's expulsion and instructed the IPL to allow them to exercise all their rights under the franchise agreement. Before Punjab's case could be heard the next day, Srikrishna announced that he had been the legal counsel of the Wadia Group 35 years ago, and withdrew from the case as Ness Wadia is one of the co-owners of the Punjab team. The board then approached the Bombay High Court seeking relief from the stay on Rajasthan's removal, with the matter likely to come before the court this week. According to the IPL official, any High Court order concerning the two franchises was unlikely to take place before December 15 at the earliest. "And if the party goes to Supreme Court, it will have to wait as the court will be closed for winter vacation." The court will re-open in the first week of January and he said, "Only if the case is dismissed prima facie, then the matter ends. Otherwise it is most likely to extend to February at least." While there was no discussion in the meeting about the next steps to be taken in the run-up to IPL 4, members of the governing council were aware of the urgency of the issue. Asked if there was any danger of the IPL not happening he denied the possibility, saying, "The IPL will definitely happen, regardless of [the auction clashing with] the World Cup." The franchises seem to have anticipated such a development. "If the BCCI does not compromise and sticks to eight teams [instead of 10] then this is bound to get stretched and it will affect the auction dates," one franchise official said, adding that they could only watch and hope something positive works out soon.

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BREAKING NEWS

Tigers smack Zimbabwe by 65 runs

The Tigers have won their third match against Zimbabwe by 65 runs, leading the the 5-match Micromax ODI Series 2-1.

Clarke fights, then falls, as England eye victory

 Kevin Pietersen gave England every chance of victory in Adelaide with his career-best 227, but it's his bowling that might have made the biggest difference.

Michael Clarke and Michael Hussey gave Australia a fighting chance of escaping with a draw to head to the third Test in Perth still 0-0, but the loss of Clarke to the last delivery on the fourth day gave England a major boost amid the gloomy conditions, reports cricinfo.

Clarke had 80, and was threatening to stand between England and victory, until he inside-edged onto his pad and the ball looped over the shoulder of the short leg Alastair Cook, who took a good catch.

Adding to the late drama, the umpire Tony Hill called the appeal not out, but England asked for a review and Clarke was found guilty of putting bat on ball, to hand Pietersen his first Test wicket since 2008.

It was exactly what Australia didn't need, after Clarke and Hussey put together a promising 104-run partnership.

Instead of two established men walking out in the morning, the under-pressure Marcus North will join Hussey, who was on 44, with the new ball due at the end of the over Pietersen will complete with four more deliveries.

And if that wasn't pressure enough for North, there is a chance of morning showers, which could mean cloud cover and swing.

Australia will be hoping the showers turn into heavier rain, and there is the chance of a thunderstorm in the afternoon.

The battle will be ensuring they last that long, with only Brad Haddin and a long tail to follow Hussey and North, who will resume with Australia still 137 runs behind, at 4 for 238, searching for a draw that would feel like a win.

It remains to be seen whether Andrew Strauss will rue his decision to bat into the fourth morning, despite already holding a 300-plus lead. He might have been questioning that call while Hussey and Clarke were together, batting solidly either side of a heavy downpour late in the afternoon.

Clarke seemed to have shaken off his poor touch and his bad back, looking comfortable against pace and spin.

And it wasn't easy against Graeme Swann, who created the most problems for Australia. He removed Simon Katich and claimed the big wicket of Ricky Ponting, before Steven Finn chipped in by dismissing Shane Watson for another solid half-century that promised to be more.

Swann was finding sharp spin from the rough and his drift and flight caused a few headaches for the Australian batsmen.

Several times, inside edges didn't quite fly to hand for the cluster of fielders surrounding the bat, and Clarke was given out caught at slip on 67 only to have the decision reversed on review; the ball had spun past his bat and lobbed up off his pad.

Generally, though, Clarke handled Swann well, using his feet to smother the spin and driving hard through gaps on both sides of the wicket.
I
mportantly, all the Australian batsmen played positively, refusing to simply bat for time and allow England to dictate the flow. Clarke struck 11 boundaries and Hussey, who continued his excellent series, slammed Swann over midwicket for six late in the day, ensuring that any bad balls were put away, as they would be in happier circumstances.

The only batsman who really struggled was Ponting, who was mesmerised by Swann and couldn't get off the mark until his 13th delivery.

Despite punishing Swann with a vicious cut for four and a powerful sweep to the boundary, Ponting was eliminated by Swann on 9 when he played for the offspinner and edged a straighter ball low to Paul Collingwood at first slip.

Swann had already ended the 84-run opening partnership when Katich tried to defend and was caught behind off a thin edge for 43.

Katich had hobbled his way through the innings with an Achilles tendon injury that severely hampered his running between wickets, and although his hard work was valuable, there is every chance the Australians will need to look for another opener for the third Test in Perth if his problem persists.

The man who threatened to be Australia's anchor was Watson, who batted confidently with his usual aggression and well-timed drives, but once again he failed to convert a strong start.

Watson has passed fifty on 15 occasions in Test cricket but only twice have those half-centuries turned into hundreds, and if ever Australia needed triple figures from him, it was this time.

It was the patience of Finn, who peppered away consistently just outside off stump, that did for Watson when he edged to first slip for 57.

The inability of Australia's batsmen to capitalise on their starts was all the more frustrating for them given the monstrous scores racked up by England's batsmen, led by Pietersen with his double-century.

Pietersen added 14 to his overnight score but it was enough to beat his previous Test best of 226, which he made against West Indies at Headingley in 2007.

He eventually fell caught by Katich at slip, when he misjudged a slog sweep, and it was a consolation wicket for Xavier Doherty, who finished with 1 for 158 and looked nowhere near as threatening as Swann.

England's batsmen scored their runs briskly after Strauss decided against declaring overnight, and in nine overs they pushed the total up by 69 before Strauss called a halt to the innings.

Ian Bell had moved on to an unbeaten 68 and Matt Prior was on 27, which guided England to 5 for 620 - their highest Test innings total in 20 years and their fifth-best of all time against Australia.

The visitors would be sorely disappointed if that effort doesn't turn into a win. They'll want a lift from James Anderson, who didn't bowl at his best, while a stomach strain could keep Stuart Broad from playing much of a part on the final day. England can only hope the weather doesn't play any role either.

Milan overpower Brescia to move three clear

Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored another special goal as AC Milan underlined their position as Serie A title favourites with a 3-0 home win over Brescia on Saturday.

The Rossoneri, chasing a first scudetto since 2004, moved three points clear at the top having been briefly caught on Friday by Lazio who beat troubled champions Inter Milan 3-1.

Sixth-placed Inter are now 10 points behind city rivals Milan and their chances of a sixth straight title look remote after 15 games of the season.

Milan, who drew 1-1 with Sampdoria last weekend in a rare blip, took no time at all in dismantling promoted Brescia.

Midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng netted his first league goal for the club in the fourth minute after Ibrahimovic's assist.

Forward Robinho, preferred to fellow Brazilian Ronaldinho for a seventh straight game, extended the lead after 28 minutes when he intercepted a backpass before Ibrahimovic produced great individual skill to make it three on the half hour.

The giant Sweden striker, who failed to net against Samp, scored his eighth of the league campaign and no Milan fan would doubt that the addition of the ex-Inter and Barcelona man is the key reason why they are top of the table.

The shrewd coaching of new boss Massimiliano Allegri, whose only previous Serie A experience was with perennial mid-table team Cagliari, has also made a difference.

The softly-spoken manager has shown his tougher side by daring to leave the underperforming Ronaldinho out despite the playmaker being club owner Silvio Berlusconi's favourite.

The result, along with limiting Andrea Pirlo's slowing influence on the side, has been a quicker and more incisive Milan than the versions seen in the last five years.

"It's important to carry on like this, often it's happened and it will happen that someone is left out. The key thing is that those who play give their all," Allegri told Sky.

"Tonight we can be happy but the championship is still long. Last season (runners-up) Roma made up 14 points on Inter."

CHIEVO COMEBACK

Ronaldinho came on in the second half but, despite long-term injuries to Alexandre Pato and Filippo Inzaghi, the former world player of the year is just a spare part these days and local media say he may leave in January as Milan seek another striker.

In the early game, seventh-placed AS Roma threw away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Chievo and could easily have lost.

Davide Moscardelli sparked Chievo's comeback midway through the second half before Pablo Granoche equalised seven minutes from time and Roma's Daniele De Rossi was sent off for a foul.

Adriano, who criticised Roma coach Claudio Ranieri in midweek for not giving him enough playing time, finally got a start and was involved in both first-half goals for Brazilian compatriot Simplicio on a terrible pitch.

Ranieri rested forwards Marco Borriello and Francesco Totti after last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Palermo and with one eye on next week's crucial Champions League group match at CFR Cluj.

Third-placed Juventus visit Catania in Sunday's standout fixture (1945 GMT) with Napoli hosting Palermo on Monday (1945).
Next weekend's games are threatened by a players' strike.

Messi lifts latecomers Barca, double for Ronaldo

Barcelona shrugged off a last-minute dash by train and bus to Pamplona to defeat Osasuna 3-0 on Saturday, maintaining their two-point lead at the top of La Liga after Real Madrid beat Valencia 2-0 at the Bernabeu.

Rain blights Pallekele's Test debut

PallekeleThe early dismissal of Chris Gayle was as good as it got for Sri Lanka in the 23.3 overs possible before tea, as a fluent Darren Bravo eased West Indies to 69 for 1 before it rained again in Pallekele.

Kumar Sangakkara had opted to field, expecting early assistance for the seamers after weeks of rain and overcast conditions, but the West Indies batsmen were largely untroubled on the first day of the third Test, reports cricinfo.

Darren Bravo continued to impress on his maiden tour, stroking three boundaries to get his innings started. A glide through cover off Angelo Mathews was followed by a controlled edge behind point, before a wristy flick from middle stump in the next over signaled the confidence Bravo had gained from his impressive half-centuries in each of the previous matches.

The runs flowed either side of the wicket for Bravo, with an elegant drive after lunch standing out, as he stood tall to crack the over-pitched delivery through extra cover. He continued assuredly alongside Devon Smith and was unbeaten on 44 when bad light and rained forced the players off the field for an early tea.

Pallekele's debut was set alight in style, as Suranga Lakmal ran in to remove Chris Gayle with the first delivery of the match. Gayle played the wrong line to an inswinger that struck him dead in front, and brought the crowd to life. The spectators cheered the first ever dismissal at the picturesque venue, before Bravo and Smith settled in.

Sangakkara made several bowling changes during the 23 overs of play, using Tillakaratne Dilshan, Ajantha Mendis and Dilhara Fernando in addition to Lakmal and Mathews, who opened the bowling.

Fernando's wayward spell caused few problems for the batsmen, as they found ample scoring opportunities and crashed him for boundaries either side of the wicket.

Mathews too, was flayed after lunch by Bravo, but Dilshan and Mendis extracted some turn from the first-day surface, indicating that the spinners might play a major role as the Test wears on.

Zimbabwe survive dogged Shakib for famous win

 Zimbabwe overcame a stubborn Shakib Al Hasan to outlast Bangladesh by nine runs in the opening one-dayer in Mirpur.

The margin of victory did not do justice to the Zimbabwe spinners' control for most part of the chase, and emphasised Shakib's excellence in retrieving a cause that had seemed out of bounds at one point, reports cricinfo.

He played the defining innings on a day dominated by the bowlers, but his team-mates succumbed to the pressure in a spate of poor shots and run-outs to end their team's dream run, and hand Zimbabwe a famous victory.

Bangladesh were in the middle of a major top-order collapse when Shakib walked out: in under six overs, they had gone from 76 for 1 to 98 for 5, with Ray Price and Prosper Utseya breathing down their necks.

When Suhrawadi Shuvo was cleaned up with the score 115, Bangladesh were pushed right to the edge of the precipice. Shakib, however, knew that the run-rate was under control, and chose to wait for the weaker bowlers to come on.

Displaying the kind of composure that made Michael Bevan famous, he turned things around without ever looking like taking a risk. When Price and Utseya hustled through their overs, he resorted to cautious dabs into the gaps before opening up against Keith Dabengwa who came on as back-up.

Shakib used Dabengwa's angle and spin to find the leg-side boundary with a variety of sweeps, looting 13 runs off the 36th over. That assault reduced the equation to 65 from 14 overs and Zimbabwe began to sweat again.

With Mahmudullah showing the requisite gumption at the other end, Elton Chigumbura was forced to bring back the lead spinners. Shakib seamlessly shifted back into the nurdle mode, bringing up his 16th half-century in the 41st over, with one of several check-drives to long-off.

Zimbabwe eventually broke through in the 43rd, Mahmudullah holing out against Mpofu after adding 54 with Shakib. With the batting Powerplay in place for the last five overs, Mashrafe Mortaza helped Shakib narrow the gap further, biffing a couple of boundaries through the off side.

Twenty-three to get off 21 and time for Bangladesh to show they could close things out. Unfortunately for them, there were more twists to the tale.

A dreadful mix-up left Mortaza stranded mid-pitch, forcing him to sacrifice his wicket for the team's cause. It did not help; With 15 needed at run-a-ball, Shakib committed his first error of the day, top-edging a scoop shot into short fine-leg's lap.

That put Bangladesh one shambolic run-out away from defeat. The moment arrived in the penultimate over, Shafiul Islam perishing to the fourth run-out of the innings, leaving Zimbabwe's fielders jumping for joy.

The sad part for Bangladesh was that their errors in the second half came after a very professional job in the first. Once again, they executed the slow left-arm choke they have become dangerously adept at, overcoming a strong opening and a resilient middle-order recovery to dismiss Zimbabwe for 209.

Abdur Razzak played the lead role for the home side, prising out four wickets to go past 150 one-day scalps, while the support cast tied up things at the other end.

He came on in the 10th over and he promptly made an impact with his variations, after the seamers had wasted the morning haze. Chamu Chibhabha perished to an ambitious swipe across the line, before Brendan Taylor's back foot was coaxed out of the crease with lovely flight and spin.

The track suddenly seemed full of demons, with Razzak getting every other delivery to bite and spit across the right-handers. As is often the case in such circumstances, Elton Chigumbura fell to one of the poorer deliveries, chopping a wide ball onto the stumps.

After Tatenda Taibu's dismissal, Zimbabwe quickly reassessed the innings and Sean Ervine combined with Regis Chakabva in a risk-free repair job. With Razzak out of the attack, survival became easier and both batsmen settled in to work the bowling around.

Chakabva swept a couple of leg-stump offerings and Ervine guided a full toss through the covers, all for fours, but otherwise their 65-run stand was characterised by deft placement and smart running.

Mahmudullah eventually broke through with a flighted offbreak, foxing Chakabva into a return catch for 45. By then, Zimbabwe had survived the toughest phase of the innings without losing much ground. They failed to make the most of the platform, though, losing their way towards the end.

Ervine and Utseya failed to cash in on the batting Powerplay, exposing the tail to the spinners. The result was that the last five wickets fell for 25, ending the innings in the 49th over. At that stage it looked like a fighting score.

A couple of hours later, it seemed to be more than sufficient, but Shakib was not going to go down without a fight. On the day, though, he could not do enough to deliver the knock-out punch.

Chris Mpofu was awarded man of the match. He picked up three wickets including Shakib's, for 28 runs.

Gautam Gambhir, bowlers make 2-0

 Gautam Gambhir's bowlers responded well to his call of bowling first, restricting New Zealand with smart, accurate bowling, and the captain reciprocated with a fluent 138 off 116 balls to make the chase look easy.

Gambhir, capping off a return to form that began with a struggling Test fifty in Hyderabad last month, never let his strike-rate come under 100 once he crossed the mark in the sixth over, reports cricinfo.

He had for company an equally hungry Virat Kohli, who now has two centuries and a fifty in his last three international outings.

Dew, expected later in the evening, was the reason why India put New Zealand in on a cracking surface, but the towels were conspicuous by absence in the second half of the game. This is what made the bowling effort special.

The pitch played slow and low, and India cut out the pace and the room. There was nothing spectacular done with the ball, just accurate, wicket to wicket bowling for most of the part.

Martin Guptill and Scott Styris tried to take New Zealand towards a fighting total with important fifties, but India pulled the visitors back every time they threatened to break free.

New Zealand began with three boundaries in the first two overs, but Sreesanth's late swing removed Jamie How.

Guptill and Kane Williamson looked solid but subdued in a 50-run stand for the second wicket. Those runs took 12.5 overs coming - all but seven of those deliveries in the Powerplay.

The duo did little to upset the bowlers' rhythm. Munaf Patel was allowed to hit the same spot again and again, with slight seam movement either way.

One of those moved a bit more than expected, and found a way through Williamson's bat and pad, taking the top of off. The pressure showed when Ross Taylor went to hit Yusuf Pathan's first delivery for a six, but found deep midwicket.

Styris came out in the 25th over with the score yet to reach three figures, and cut out the unproductive balls, taking singles with ease and finding timely boundaries.

When he and Guptill asked for the Powerplay in the 35th over, R Ashwin responded with a carrom balls to remove Guptill. That set New Zealand back by a couple of overs.

Styris and Daniel Vettori had to take some time set up another charge, but Sreesanth pegged them back again. Like he did in the first match of the series, Sreesanth came back for a new spell in the 46th over, and took two wickets with his first two deliveries.

He ended a threatening ninth-wicket partnership in the last game, and got rid of Styris and Vettori this time.

New Zealand opened their defence with Nathan McCullum, presumably to get through some overs of spin before dew appeared, and immediately troubled M Vijay, who struggled to come to terms with the slowness of the pitch.

Gambhir, however, was playing in a different world. He timed almost everything sweetly except for a couple of inside edges that went for fours.

Against Kyle Mills, he walked down the pitch on a couple of occasions to create the driving length. When Mills pitched slightly short, he cut him away. The driving between mid-off and extra cover stood out.

By the end of the eighth over, Gambhir had scored four times Vijay's eight, taking India to 40, and putting Mills out of the attack. Against Styris he made room and went over extra cover.

Andy McKay strayed too straight, and was clipped for four into the leg side. There was not a hint of power; the short back lift emphasised how well he timed the ball.

Vijay continued his patchy innings until he tried a premeditated slog-sweep off Vettori in the 18th over, and was bowled. Gambhir, though, had reached 54 off 48 by then, out of India's 87, and looked set to carry India through.

A crucial moment came in the 22nd over when Gambhir's bat got stuck into the ground as he tried to slide it in, but Vettori failed to collect the throw cleanly and Gambhir was let off.

Every time Gambhir needed quick runs, he made room and went over extra cover. Kohli batted like he was never dismissed in Guwahati, pulling powerfully wide of long-on, and punching square for most of his runs.

Over by over, the 116-run partnership brought the asking rate down, until it read 4.3 for the last 13 overs when Kohli found short midwicket with a pull shot.

It was a distraught batsman that left the wicket, 36 short of a third straight century, which was possible with 56 still required. His captain and a senior back in Delhi, though, was there to see India home and continue their unbeaten home season.

West Ham dump holders Man Utd out of League Cup

West Ham United humbled holders Manchester United 4-0 on Tuesday to reach the League Cup semi-finals with Old Trafford reject Jonathan Spector scoring twice in the swirling snow at Upton Park.

Mourinho banned, Real fined after red card probe

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho has been given a two-match ban for improper conduct by UEFA after allegations that two of his players deliberately got sent off in a Champions League match against Ajax Amsterdam.

The Ashes - Guide to the Adelaide Oval

England return to the Adelaide Oval this Thursday evening for the second test but it's a ground that doesn't hold happy memories from their last tour Down Under.
The Three Lions suffered a demoralising defeat here back in 2006. After scoring a massive 551/6, including a Paul Collingwood double-century, England declared and it looked like there could be only one winner. They maintained a lead after bowling Australia out for 513 but a second innings collapse (69/1 to 129 all out) let the Australians back in and they won that match by six wickets.
They have got some experience of the ground on this tour already, they played a three day game against South Australia which ended in a draw, although there was encouragment for Graeme Swann who took four wickets.
Australia haven't lost at The Oval since India beat them in 2003, winning four and drawing two of the six games since.
England last won in Adelaide back in 1995 with Chris Lewis taking 4/24 in a 2^nd innings were Australia were bowled out for 156, chasing a target of 263.
Generally Adelaide is good for batting in the first few three days before taking spin and some uneven bounce in the later stages.  There have been eight scores of 500 or more since 2000, the biggest Australia's 575/8 declared against New Zealand back in 2004.
Groundsman Damien Hough makes his test debut after the retirement of the long standing Les Burdett. Hough is likely to follow in his predecessors footsteps by preparing a 'tradional Adelaide pitch'.
"A traditional Adelaide Oval pitch would suggest as the game wears on and we are getting into day four and five, that there will be something in it for the spinners definitely," Hough said on Tuesday.
"And we are getting some hotter weather towards the end of the game, so you would expect there to be some unpredictable bounce, that is for sure."
There is likely to be rain in the next couple of days which could turn the pitch a little green which help the seamers.
There was a total attendance of 136,761 over the five days when these two last met at Adelaide and it's likely to be a great atmosphere this time with the Barmy Army expected to be out in force.
The Oval is located in parklands between the city centre and North Adelaide and has a history which dates back to the 1870s. The ground is a true oval, which makes straight sixes difficult but they are quite common square of the wicket. The grandstands and the scoreboard are all items listed on the City of Adelaide Heritage Register, and two new stands finished in 2003 have raised the capacity to 32,000 for cricket.

ICC world cup cricket 2011- The Countdown begins, latest news and update

Cricket is a great sport and the Cricket World Cup is the highlight of every cricket lover’s year. The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup will be the tenth Cricket World Cup and Cricket world cup 2011 matches will be hosted by three South Asian Test cricket playing countries: India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. It will be Bangladesh’s first time co-hosting a Cricket World Cup. The 2011 Cricket world cup 2011 fixture has scheduled from February 19, 2011 to April 2, 2011 across 13 venues in the three host countries.
The 100-day countdown for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup began and exact 83 days are left for The 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. All of The participating teams are doing their prepation for the world cup cricket. The host countries are preparing the 13 stadiums for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Recently, The International Cricket Council (ICC) removed the one-year ban imposed on the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium in India. For this reason, Ferozeshah Kotla stadium is now ready to host all four scheduled World Cup 2011 matches in India. Reportedly, The International Cricket Council (ICC) expressed satisfaction with the security arrangements of this stadium.
Reportedly, another 23-member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) inspection team has inspected the Punjab Cricket Association stadium. Three matches will be held in this stadium during the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. They were satisfied with the security arrangements of this stadium also. In 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup Hosts Team will play World Cup knockouts at home.
The trophy for World Cup 2011 was launched in a rather innovative manner and the three host countries are gearing up for the World Cup.
The 2011 Cricket World Cup winning team would be taking home prize money of US$ 4 million, with the International Cricket Council deciding to double the total allocation for the coveted tournament to US$ 10 millon.

2011 cricket world cup theme song by ar rahman

The latest buzz around BCCI is that as one of the hosting member of 2011 cricket world cup, BCCI is gonna nominate ar rahman's name for composing music for tournament's theme song with a video. BCCI is the most powerful member of International Cricket Council and they are going to start this process in a executive committee meeting scheduled on next month. A big amount is hoped to be offered for this deal.

Come back for more news....

Real Madrid to go top of the table

 Lionel Messi's superb display handed Real Madrid their first competitive defeat of the season and sent Barcelona top of the table after a 5-0 victory.

After Messi's chip hit the post right at the start of the game, Xavi gave Barca the lead with a lob after the ball deflected into his path, reports BBC sport.

Barca were soon two goals ahead when Pedro poked in a David Villa cross.

Two Messi passes set up Villa for the third and fourth goals, with Jeffran's goal rubbing salt into Real's wounds, before Sergio Ramos was sent off for a nasty kick to Messi. If not for that, definetely for the push in Puyol's face, another push in Xavi's face on his way out, both of whom are his teammates in the Spanish national. Ramos definetely lost his head due to frustration of being hammered with 5 goals.

The match was billed as much as a contest between the world's two greatest players - Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - as between these two fierce Spanish rivals.

But the Argentine's display was so staggeringly good that Real's Ronaldo was reduced to a bit part player in the Nou Camp.

Messi was the target of some cynical Real tactics, notably when he was on the receiving end of a Ricardo Carvalho elbow, but those two passes to Villa for his goals were the perfect riposte to the intimidation he had to endure.

Carvalho escaped punishment for that piece of skullduggery and the Real defender was also lucky not to be sent off for deliberate handball in the second half.

After Barca's fourth goal the Nou Camp were treated to an exhibition of football that must have bordered on the humiliating for their rivals as Pep Guardiola's side barely allowed Real to touch the ball, with Sergi Busquets almost scoring from the half-way line at one point.

Ramos's stoppage-time dismissal was the final ignominy for Real and coach Jose Mourinho, who suffered his heaviest defeat as a coach.

Not surprisingly it was Messi who was the first player to stamp his mark on the game.

After the Argentine won a corner Real were unable to clear the ball and from an acute angle the Barcelona forward clipped the post with the most of delicate of chips with Casillas well beaten.

If Casillas survived that scare there was to be no reprieve on 10 minutes for the Real goalkeeper.

Andres Iniesta motored his way towards the Real box before slipping a pass towards his midfielder partner Xavi. Marcelo almost cut out the ball but the pass was hit with such precision and force that it deflected off the Brazilian into the path of Xavi who cleverly lobbed Casillas with great reflex.

Real's response was immediate with Ronaldo marauding his way down the right and then Angel Di Maria testing Barca keeper Victor Valdes with a rising shot.

Pulling Real out of position with a mixture of short and long passing and almost telepathic combinations, Barca extended their lead on 18 minutes.

Xavi was the architect this time, switching the ball from right to left with a raking, diagonal pass to Villa.
The Spain forward worked his way to the byeline and Casillas was unable to cut out Villa's cross, allowing Pedro a simple tap-in.

Amid all the drama there was pantomime as well when Ronaldo pushed Pep Guardiola on the touchline after the Barca coach throw the ball away rather than giving it directly to the Real striker.

Just past the half-hour a trademark Ronaldo free-kick rocketed through a splintering Barca wall but also past the post.

Real coach Mourinho attempted to bolster his side's midfield for the second half by bringing on Lassana Diarra for Mesut Ozil.

But Messi was seemingly impervious to anything Real tried to do to stop him as he went on a dazzling run that resulted in Villa having a shot on goal.

Moments later a sublime Messi pass released Xavi, who was only able to find the side netting.
But a third piece of Messi magic in that devastating Barca blitz at the start of the second half set up Villa's first goal.

The Argentine threaded the ball into the path of Villa, who turned quickly to fire a shot past Casillas.

You could have forgiven Messi for taking a breather but moments later he was at it again, dropping his shoulder to go past two Real defenders before picking out Villa, who expertly guided the ball past Casillas with the outside of his right foot.

In stoppage time Bojan's cross was converted by Jeffren before Ramos's dismissal.

The win ensured Barcelona leapfrogged their rivals at the top of the table as the Catalan side went two points clear.

Since succeeding Frank Rijkaard as Barcelona coach, Guardiola has now won all five El Clasico encounters, though for his Real counterpart Mourinho it was a humbling return to the club where he once worked as a translator.

Man United to face arch-rivals Liverpool in FA Cup

Manchester United and Liverpool, England's two most successful clubs, will do battle in the third round of the FA Cup after the draw was made on Sunday.

BBC makes new allegations against FIFA ex-co members

An investigation by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) accused three FIFA executives of taking bribes in a programme to be aired on Monday, three days before the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups are decided.

arcelona outclass Real Madrid to go top of the table

Lionel Messi's superb display handed Real Madrid their first competitive defeat of the season and sent Barcelona top of the table after a 5-0 victory.

First TIme in Bangladesh

  Bangladesh cricket team beat Afghanistan by 5 wickets in the men's final in Guangzhou on Friday to win the first-ever gold in any sport in any Asian Games.

Tigers clinched their historic victory reaching their 119-run target with three balls to spare and five wickets in hand.

Afghanistan, winning the toss, chose to bat and scored 118 for eight in the stipulated 20 overs.

Asghar Stanikzai scored 38 off 38 balls, while 25 runs came from the bat of Shabir Noori.

Naeem Islam, Shahadat Hossain, Mohammed Ashraful took 2 wickets each, while Nazmul Hossain and Nasir Hossain took 1 wicket apiece.

Bangladesh did not have a good start in its chase. Opener Nazimuddin left the crease scoring only five, while Mithun Ali got out on 22. The Tigers were under pressure when skipper Ashraful was bowled out by Karim Sadiq on 10 while trying an overhead shot.

The eventual winners fell into deep trouble when Faisal Hossain was out for 3 and Shuvagata Hom for 1 run.

But Naeem Islam played some sensible cricket laying the foundation for victory. He stuck out throughout the innings, slowly but steadily, scoring 34 off 41 balls, including a six and three boundaries.

Bangladesh were 75/5 when they lost their last wicket. Shabbir Rahman came in when Bangladesh desperately required some big hits. And he delivered, hitting three huge sixes. Shabbir scored 33 off just 18 balls.

"I had a good talk with Naeen before the 19th over and we went for it," Shabbir said. "Luckily, it came good. There was no pressure on me, but I am sure my team-mates in the dressing room were tense."

Ashraful admitted he had given up hope towards the end. "I was feeling a bit low but then Shabbir came and did the job for us," he said. "There was a bit of pressure because Afghanistan are a very good side and this was our first major final."

Afghanistan received backing from Bangladesh, who won their country's first ever Asian Games gold medal. "We are celebrating, but I hope Afghanistan will celebrate too because they deserve the silver medal," Imran Sarwar, the Bangladesh coach, said. "They are a very good side and I am sure they will become a top team in the near future. Their rise has been remarkable.

"This was not an easy win at all. We expected them to make around 100 or 110, but they went to 118 and then kept us under pressure till the end."

Cricket has been Bangladesh's most productive sporting discipline at the Asian Games so far - besides the men's gold, they have won silver in the women's competition. They have only one other medal in the Asian Games so far, a bronze in kabaddi.

Bangladesh on the semis of Asian Games Cricket

  Bangladesh made its way to the Asian Games cricket semifinals with a comfortable 70-run victory over Malaysia in the quarterfinals of the Twenty20 competition.

Media reports said Bangladesh, after winning the toss chose to bat first and made a decent 150 for seven from its 20 overs, with wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Mithun (39) and Ashraful (29) making useful contributions.

Malaysia was bowled out for 80 in 19.4 overs in reply. Ashraful claimed three wickets for five runs with his gentle offspinners.

Pakistan was the first team to qualify for last four with a 128-run victory against China on Monday.

Hong Kong, Nepal and Maldives are vying for the remaining two quarterfinals places against Sri Lanka and Afghanistan.

Chelsea youngsters brighten gloom for Carlo Ancelotti

London, Nov23  Chelsea put aside uncertainty over their immediate future with a performance that boded well for the longer term as their young players inspired a 2-1 comeback win over MSK Zilina in the Champions League on Tuesday.

An equaliser from 21-year-old Daniel Sturridge and assured displays from 17-year-old midfielder Josh McEachran, 19-year-old defender Jeffrey Bruma and 20-year-old defender Patrick van Aanholt in the second half helped Chelsea to victory after going behind in the 19th minute.

Florent Malouda scored a late winner to leave Chelsea with a maximum 15 points from their five matches, and guaranteed first place in Group F, followed by Olympique Marseille (9), who won 3-0 at Spartak Moscow (6). Zilina are bottom with no points.

Zilina went ahead through Babatounde Bello and held that lead until six minutes into the second half when Sturridge equalised with a close range effort in Chelsea's 100th match in Europe's elite club competition.
The London side then dominated the second half before finally getting the goal they deserved through Malouda's tap-in four minutes from time.

The result lifted some of the gloom over Stamford Bridge following the recent, controversial departure of popular assistant coach Ray Wilkins and three defeats in their last four Premier League matches which have sparked rumours over the future of coach Carlo Ancelotti.

He, however, was calm and composed after a win against surprisingly stubborn opponents, who lost by a record home Champions League score of 7-0 in their last group match against Olympique Marseille.
Ancelotti made six changes to the side that lost to Birmingham City on Saturday and was without injured or rested senior players like John Terry, Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Alex, and gave some of his younger players a chance.

"We did not play well in the first half but we were very good in the second half and I was very pleased with the young players generally," Ancelotti told reporters.

"It was important to win and move on. We have now had 60 shots at goal in our last two games but only scored twice. We have been unlucky not to score more but the young players have had some good experience tonight and showed the quality they can bring to the team."

He singled out McEachran, a slightly-built creative England Under-17 midfielder who has been with Chelsea since he was eight, for his second-half performance.

"He was good defensively today but can play the ball long or short without a problem," he said. "He has to grow, he has to improve -- but he is ready to play."

SURPRISE GOAL

Chelsea hardly looked ready for anything much in the opening half but it was still a surprise when they fell behind when Bello, a 21-year-old Nigerian-born Benin international exchanged passes advancing up the field with Robert Jez before firing wide of goalkeeper Peter Cech's stand-in Ross Turnbull.

That was Zilina's first goal in the competition since their 4-1 home loss to Chelsea in September, and they continued to worry the English champions.

The home side gradually began to assert themselves with Sturridge prevented from an equaliser before halftime only by a superb save from Martin Dubravka.

At the start of the second half, Ancelotti replaced the only youngster to disappoint -- 19-year-old Gael Kakuta -- with Salomon Kalou and with two wingers stretching the Zilina defence, his side began to dominate.

Didier Drogba and Van Aanholt hit the post before Malouda scored when Zilina's defensive frailties were exposed.

"I thought we had done enough for as point and we are obviously disappointed to lose right at the end," said Zilina boss Pavel Hapal, whose team are in danger of ending this group stage with the worst record since the Champions League began.

"Chelsea though had more chances in the second half, and we could have conceded a lot more, so it's good, if we had to lose, we only lost 2-1."

ManU pounce as Chelsea and Arsenal slip up

Wayne Rooney made his return for Manchester United as they beat nine-man Wigan Athletic 2-0 on Saturday to capitalise on defeats for Premier league title rivals Chelsea and Arsenal that left their managers baffled.

The countdown begins

With 100 days left for the Cricket World Cup, Dhaka begins counting down to the grand event in style amid fireworks.The 100-day countdown towards the Cricket World Cup has begun in Dhaka in style.

The deputy speaker of parliament M Shawkat Ali was at hand to inaugurate the countdown ceremony that kicked off with fireworks.

Fireworks lit up Dhaka's night sky at the strike of midnight. It continued for the next half an hour as thousands gathered on Manik Miah Avenue to watch the proceedings.

The countdown programme at South Plaza of the parliament building, organised by the Bangladesh Cricket Board was open to all.

A H M Mostofa Kamal, president of the Bangladesh Cricket Board said at the inaugural that it was an auspicious day for Bangladesh. "This will surely go down as one of the historic moments of Bangladesh."

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly arrived in Dhaka at 2:30pm to attend the elaborate celebration. The Sri Lankan cricket board president Nishanth Ranatunga was also present.

The World Cup will start on Feb 19, 2011 with a match between India and Bangladesh. The inaugural ceremony is scheduled at Bangabandhu National Stadium and the first match will be held at Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla Stadium.

The World Cup Cricket-2011 will be jointly hosted by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh will host eight matches as well as the inaugural ceremony.

The ceremony was attended national cricketers and cricket officials, government officials besides sponsors.

Sri Lanka break series drought on rainy night

Sri Lanka 3 for 213 (Tharanga 86*) beat Australia 210 (Watson 40) by 29 runs on D/L method
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Upul Tharanga set up Sri Lanka's success with a composed 86 not out © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links News : Ferguson replaces injured Marsh in ODI squad Preview : Sri Lanka seek first series win in Australia Players/Officials: Muttiah Muralitharan | Thisara Perera | Upul Tharanga | Shane Watson Matches: Australia v Sri Lanka at Sydney Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of Australia Teams: Australia | Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka came on this tour with one goal and achieved it with a match to spare. By handing Australia a seventh straight defeat, Kumar Sangakkara's men delivered their maiden series win in Australia in 26 years of trying. When the hosts slipped over for 210 in the greasy conditions it gave Sri Lanka victory by 29 runs - and it had come more easily than expected.

There was much to like about Sri Lanka's play in a match regularly threatened by rain, but there was little to inspire the hosts as they head to Brisbane for Sunday's dead rubber. The only time the visitors struggled was in the first two overs of the match - when they didn't score - but once the openers Upul Tharanga, who held the innings together with 86 not out, and Tillakaratne Dilshan got going there was nothing that could stop them. Not even the weather.

The rain disrupted Sri Lanka's innings twice as it finished early at 3 for 213 in 41.1 overs, but Australia's target was quickly inflated to 244 in 39 overs under the Duckworth Lewis method. The calculations added more difficulty to what was already a tricky pursuit in a seamer-friendly environment, and they began needing more than a run a ball. A short rain break towards the end trimmed another over from the match and reduced the target to 240. It didn't help.

Mistakes came quickly, starting with Brad Haddin's flash at a Nuwan Kulasekara inswinger and the knocking back of his middle stump. Ricky Ponting (10) fell hooking, just as he did so often last summer, and when Michael Clarke's (25) attempted pull ended up with a lunging Muttiah Muralitharan at third man, Australia were 4 for 80 and the game was heading one way.

Murali then watched Michael Hussey tap a catch to deep mid-off, a wicket which came after Shane Watson had missed a sweep on 40 to be lbw. He finished with 2 for 30 off seven while Thisara Perera, Suraj Randiv and Kulasekara also claimed two victims. Cameron White (35) and Steven Smith (33) could not achieve the miracle, especially when Lasith Malinga was varying his pace superbly.

Sri Lanka were 2 for 161 off 34 overs when the weather intervened for the first time, chopping five overs from their original allocation, and they finished in a rush before the clouds reopened. Tharanga ensured Sri Lanka built on the high gained from their stunning victory in Melbourne on Wednesday as he put on 98 for the first wicket with Dilshan.

The 70-run stand between the captain Kumar Sangakkara and Tharanga was starting to warm up when the rain arrived for the first time. Instead of acceleration, the ground received 90 minutes of saturation. Sangakkara (45) sliced Watson (2 for 45) to Clint McKay at third man before Angelo Mathews, the hero from the first game, provided a timely surge by swinging to 17 off 11.

Tharanga, who was comfortable chipping over the infield, was the slower partner alongside Dilshan, but he ended up in the lead role during his 112-ball stay. His half-century came up with two lofted boundaries to the legside off Nathan Hauritz and there were six fours in his display.

While his innings was highly worthy, Tharanga was dropped on 61 by Haddin and also survived a comical run-out attempt when stranded at the wrong end on 76. Haddin's throw flew over the bowler Watson's head before Clarke backed up and shied at the bowler's end. His on-target effort hit the leg of Watson, who was trying to get out of the way of the stumps, and Tharanga eventually regained his ground. It is a moment that will be replayed often until Australia can show they are a committed, unified and successful unit.

After Australia's bowling troubles in their awful loss in Melbourne, they demoted the spinner Xavier Doherty to 12th man despite his four-wicket debut, and also dropped John Hastings. The replacements didn't create a sudden shift in the team's fortunes.

McKay (0 for 42) came in to take the new ball and was steady, while Hauritz showed some useful signs in picking up 1 for 49 from nine overs. Mitchell Johnson gave away 11 runs in his first over while Peter Siddle was handy without being dangerous.

While there only 11,495 watching at the ground, Australia's seventh consecutive loss in all forms of the game will be noticed by everyone. England are in Perth, having started well in their tour opener, and can see a host of Ashes weaknesses. Over in Colombo there will be celebrations for the Sri Lankan team after their biggest obstacle ended up being the weather.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s PP1 PP2 PP3 Last 10 overs NB/Wides Sri Lanka 128 17 0 49/0 23/1 (21-25) 14/0 (40-41.1) 14/0 (1.4) 0/8 Australia 105 8 3 32/2 (1-8) 21/0 (9-12) 18/1 (30-32) 58/5 (8.4) 0/3

Pakistan secure another one-wicket thriller

akistan 275 for 9 (Younis 73, Hafeez 42) beat South Africa 274 for 6 (Smith 92) by one wicket
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Zulqarnain Haider carried Pakistan to another one-wicket victory and kept the series alive © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Morne Morkel | Graeme Smith | Dale Steyn | Wahab Riaz | Younis Khan | Zulqarnain Haider Matches: Pakistan v South Africa at Dubai Series/Tournaments: South Africa tour of United Arab Emirates Teams: Pakistan | South Africa

A classic one-day series will have a deciding encounter after Pakistan produced another nerve-jangling run chase in Dubai to clinch a second one-wicket victory in the space of two matches with one ball to spare. Zulqarnain Haider struck the winning run after just about managing to keep his head as everyone else lost theirs, and South Africa will be left to wonder how they let another match slip away.

When Morne Morkel removed Abdul Razzaq in the 47th over, having also bagged Younis Khan for a measured 73, the game, and the series, was in South Africa's grasp with Pakistan needing 31 off 23 balls, but again their bowling and fielding couldn't cope under pressure. Graeme Smith, back leading the side after missing two matches with a hand injury, spilled a tough chance from Wahab Riaz and then Dale Steyn, who was playing his first international of the season, conceded 12 off the 48th over as two short balls were pulled past short fine-leg.

South Africa messed up a chance to run out Wahab when Johan Botha produced a wild throw from the outfield as he came back for a third, then in the penultimate over another chance was missed when Morkel hurled the ball past the stumps from his follow through and two overthrows ensued. Amid all the drama, it left Pakistan needing four off the last over but a final twist seemed almost inevitable, and duly arrived when Wahab was finally run out.

It meant Haider was on strike with three needed from three balls and he levelled the scores with a chip over midwicket as Parnell missed the chance to win the game for South Africa by failing to flick the ball into the stumps. The next delivery was short on leg and, after the manic scenes, it was a relatively calm nudge to square leg which sealed the result.

It was breathless cricket, the third game in a row that had shown how much the 50-over game still has to offer. There was proper, conventional batsmanship from Younis and Smith, innovative striking from Botha, quality fast bowling from Morkel and Shoaib Akhtar and impressive spin played out in front of a crowd that grew after the sun had gone down.

Chasing 275 was always going to be tough but this was a better surface than for the third game, which had been too slow to enable clean strokeplay. Younis, who only hit one boundary, was carrying his team into a winning position alongside Razzaq as the pair added 49 for the sixth wicket with the batting Powerplay still up their sleeve. It was the ideal combination to complete the chase - Younis' calmness alongside the brute force of Razzaq - but Morkel removed Younis via an inside edge and two balls later Abdur Rehman was run out in a hopeless mix-up.

Pakistan had been ahead, or within touching distance, of the asking rate throughout the chase but South Africa had kept chipping away. What made the final disintegration of their fielding so surprising was that it was shaping as the difference between the teams. Younis and Asad Shafiq added 56 for the third wicket before Shafiq was run out by a direct hit from mid-on by Wayne Parnell, then Shahid Afridi - who took three boundaries in an over off Steyn to kick-start the innings - was brilliantly caught at long-off by Parnell as he tried to launch Botha into the stands.

Imran Farhat had fallen in the first over, trapped lbw from around the wicket by Morkel, but Mohammad Hafeez set a positive tone and latched onto the extra pace of Steyn, who returned after a lengthy absence. It was fascinating viewing as Steyn worked through the gears and Hafeez was winning the early battles with a string of boundaries.

Steyn had his revenge when Hafeez tried to whip a straight delivery through the leg side and was comfortably leg before. Ultimately, though, his 10 overs cost 79 runs, the second most expensive analysis of his career, and questions will again be asked about how South Africa bowled in the closing overs, especially as Rusty Theron, who kept his nerve in the previous match, was left out.

Smith had a far more productive return to action although his lay-off had only been two games after taking a blow on his hand in the opening encounter in Abu Dhabi. He was soon back in the grove and eased to a 57-ball half-century, adding 94 for the third wicket with de Villiers, who laboured against Pakistan's spinners in a boundary-less 70-ball innings.

Smith missed out on a hundred when he tried to work Hafeez through the leg side, and for a while South Africa lost momentum as Wahab put himself on a hat trick by yorking JP Duminy and David Miller. Botha responded with a string of clever boundaries, including two reverse sweeps off Hafeez and a brace of scoops over short fine-leg against Wahab. The impetus was back in South Africa's camp, but it's been impossible to predict the outcome in this series and this was to be another thriller to the end.

Innings Dot balls 4s 6s PP1 PP2 PP3 Last 10 overs NB/Wides South Africa 135 22 0 50/1 26/1 54/3 84/3 1/11 Pakistan 147 18 0 64/2 23/0 39/2 64/4 1/12

Rocks sign Lara, Sidebottom for T20

Zimbabwean franchise Southern Rocks have signed former West Indies batsman Brian Lara and former England fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom for the Stanbic Bank Twenty20 competition, which starts on November 13 in Harare.

Sidebottom, 32, played 22 Tests, 25 ODIs and 18 Twenty20s for England, including the recent World Twenty20 triumph in the Caribbean, in an international career that spanned nine years before his international retirement in September. Lara, for many years regarded alongside Sachin Tendulkar as one of the best batsmen of his era, retired after the 2007 World Cup and has not played much competitive cricket since.

However, Lara had a stint with the unofficial Indian Cricket League in 2007-08, where he had a forgettable tournament with the bat and as captain of Mumbai Champs, and has maintained ambitions of coming out of retirement to try his hand at Twenty20 - a format that hadn't taken off internationally when he retired.

He was briefly in talks to play for Surrey in the English domestic Twenty20 tournament last season, and though those discussions fell through Lara was part of the MCC team that played the touring Pakistanis in a Twenty20 at Lord's in June, striking a 32-ball 37 before he was bowled by an Umar Gul yorker.

"We have signed Sidebottom and we have also confirmed the Lara deal, so we are done with the acquisition of new personnel and we are just ready to get going," Rocks chief executive Givemore Makoni told the Zimbabwe Independent.

"It was a bad season the last time on but we have achieved good results in the competitions that have been played so far. In Sidebottom we signed a player who has proven himself on the big stage and with Lara we just have got ourselves the best batsman to grace the game of cricket."

Rocks also secured the services of Stuart Matsikenyeri and Tatenda Taibu before the start of the current season, but have lost Sean Ervine, who has signed for Mutare-based franchise Mountaineers.

Bale inspires Spurs to victory

Holders Inter Milan crashed to their first Champions League defeat of the season on Tuesday when they lost 3-1 to Tottenham Hotspur inspired by a brilliant individual performance from Gareth Bale

Batista officially named Argentina coach

Sergio Batista was confirmed as expected on Tuesday as Argentina's coach until the 2014 World Cup dashing any lingering hopes Diego Maradona might have had of reclaiming his dream job.

Booters leave for Asiad on Thursday

A 20-member Bangladesh football team leaves on Thursday night to take part in Guangzhou 16th Asian Games.

Australia seek to regain winning feeling

Sri Lanka's victory in the Twenty20 has given Australia plenty to think about. They haven't won an international match since the Lord's Test against Pakistan in July and, while they will claim their focus is on winning this series, as much as anything that is for the momentum that it would give their Ashes campaign. Ricky Ponting, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz and an out-of-form and under-pressure Michael Hussey are back in the squad, which features the majority of the men likely to take the field in the Gabba Test, although Ponting and Hauritz won't play in this one-day series opener.

"If you look at it that way, since July, it looks like a long time," Ponting said of the losing streak. "It's only a few games, really. There's no sugar-coating anything, we know we've got some work to do. It's really important that we do start getting that winning feeling back around the group again. There's no doubt that it's always a different feeling around the change rooms when you are winning games of cricket. We have to start that off pretty soon, and hopefully that's tomorrow."

Sri Lanka have never won a series in Australia and if they can carry their Twenty20 form in to the ODI arena, this could be their best chance yet of breaking that record. They are also planning ahead to the World Cup, which will partly be held in their own country starting next February. Last time they co-hosted the World Cup they emerged as the champions, and they deserve to be among the favourites in 2011. Following this tour they head back to Sri Lanka for a Test series against West Indies, so they too are hoping to build momentum heading in to a home series.

The other question is whether anybody will turn up to the match. Many Victorians have already taken an extra long weekend due to Tuesday's public holiday for the iconic Melbourne Cup horse race, and asking the public to back up immediately and attend another day of elite sport is ambitious.

Federer clears the air with Swiss over Davis Cup

  Roger Federer has cleared the air with the Swiss tennis federation over his last-minute decision to pull out of the Davis Cup tie in Kazakhstan in September, the 16-time Grand Slam champion said on Monday.

Federer received rare criticism in his homeland when he withdrew two days before the tie. Switzerland went on to lose 5-0 and were condemned to the Europe/Africa group, effectively the competition's second division.

"Criticism is okay but I think most of the people actually understood my decision," Federer told Reuters after overcoming Alexandr Dolgopolov in the Swiss Indoors on Monday when the Ukrainian retired hurt.

"I don't read that much press but I always try to be very transparent with my thoughts.

"Kazakhstan was unfortunately not one I could do at the very end, I tried to keep it open as long as possible, but I always think of the long term.

"I had a good conversation with the president of Swiss Tennis and all is under control."

Federer has played 37 Davis Cup rubbers, although from 2005 to last year he only represented his country in the playoff round which decides whether they stay in the World Group.

KAZAKHSTAN TRIP

The Kazakhstan tie came shortly after the US Open, where Federer lost to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals, but Swiss media said he should not have waited until the last minute before deciding.

Federer lost only four points on his serve as he won 6-4, 5-2 in 51 minutes on Monday, the match prematurely ending after Dolgopolov hurt his ankle.

World number two Federer said the Ukrainian appeared more interested in shaking his hand than worrying about the injury.

"I ask him if he needed water, a towel, if I could help him out.

"He wanted to shake my hand while he was lying down on the floor, I was saying 'put on your shoe, let's hope you're okay, you can maybe walk out and then let's shake hands, don't rush yourself.'"

Federer, once a ball boy at his hometown tournament, is aiming to win it for the fourth time, having lost to Djokovic in last year's final.

"For me, it's always one of the nicest parts of the season," he said.

"In terms of importance, everybody talks about the slams and everything but in terms of emotions, this is obviously very high up there, if not number one.

"I love this tournament, more than any other almost, and it's always wonderful for me to come back here. I try to get good at not getting injury before because it's happened twice before."

Smith hurt by Gibbs' book

South African skipper Graeme Smith has lashed out at Herschelle Gibbs for his controversy-ridden autobiography, 'To the Point'.

Admitting that the book had caused a stir among quite a few South African cricketers long before it's release, Smith said, "We were aware of it and it made a few of the guys nervous, but I'm not really surprised."

"It corresponds with the way he lived his life - on the edge - but it's sad that he'll now be remembered for his antics," said Smith.

The book also gave accounts of his sexual escapades, involving other South African players as well, during overseas tours, and his fight against alcohol abuse.

"I haven't read the book yet but I have to confess that the rest of the team and I are hurt by some of the things he says," Smith was quoted as saying by Sport24.

Despite being criticised by Gibbs in his autobiography, Smith said the opener could still make a comeback to the national team.

"Like every other player he is still welcome in the team, as long as his performances justify it and if he is willing to have an open discussion with every guy he discusses in the book," said Smith.

"The team and the game are more important than any player, and that includes myself," he added.

In the tell-all book, Gibbs wrote that Smith was "hopelessly too powerful" and even coach Mickey Arthur struggled to assert himself when faced with the skipper.

"It is outrageous to allege that there is a culture of debauchery, because we would definitely not have been able to achieve so much success recently if we got falling-down drunk every couple of nights and partied in our hotel rooms with strange women until the early hours of the morning," Smith said.

Coming back to accusations of divisions in the South Africa squad, Smith said, "In every team there is usually a group of senior players that takes the lead, just like in a successful business."

"If Herschelle ever felt left out, it's a sign of his own insecurity. Someone like A B is far more junior to him and should never have been a threat to him."

According to Smith, despite everything, the team carried Gibbs "through the most difficult times of his life".

"We were (the only people) he could count on for support during his messy divorce and his fight against alcohol abuse, and that's why we don't understand why he has turned against us like this now," Smith asked.

"I have sent him an SMS to find out why he did this."

The South African skipper felt the media has blown the issue (out of proportion) and said that he would still "like to stay friends" with Gibbs.

"He was an excellent player, and we all know that he should have achieved so much more with the talent that he has."

Playing 100 Tests a great honour: Vettori

  The first Test at Ahmedabad on Thursday against India will be Daniel Vettori's 100th for New Zealand, making him only the second cricketer from the country, since Stephen Fleming, to reach the milestone. Vettori said it was a landmark that meant a lot to him.

"It's a great honour for me and something I would really cherish all my life. It's been an amazing journey," said Vettori, who in addition to his New Zealand appearances, also turned out for the World XI, against Australia in 2005, reports ESPNcricinfo.

"For anyone to have such longevity is a great achievement. The fact that I have played well most all the time and that it is not just a number, gives me great satisfaction."

Vettori's coach Mark Greatbatch termed it a 'phenomenal achievement'.

"Dan is very humble and very hard working, and 100 Tests for New Zealand is a testament to his skills and his longevity."

Vettori said the occasion, momentous as it may be, won't disturb his focus once the Test starts.

"I have got all the celebrations out of the way in Hamilton; I am just trying to focus on the game. I am trying to see it as just another Test."

It won't be just another Test of course. If he hits 38 runs at Ahmedabad he will become only the third all-rounder in Test history to have 4000 runs and 300 Test wickets, behind Kapil Dev and Ian Botham. It's that big.

"I suppose with how my game has developed over the last few years, I have worked on my skills, 4000 runs and 400 wickets is what I really aspire to achieve and that's not too far away," he said.

Vettori is currently on 325 wickets and said that he is under no illusions about who has been New Zealand's all-time best bowler.

"But if I do get there [431 wickets], I would still see Sir Richard Hadlee as our greatest bowler ever. His record is amazing. Mine will be a career of longevity, while his was one of absolute skill. He is one of the greatest bowlers of all time."

Stats reveal that Vettori has been a better bowler in ODIs, and he agreed.

"My batting in both forms of the game has come on, as has my one-day bowling. But Test match bowling is something I want to get better at.

"There are a number of goals that I want to achieve and that is primary among them. At times, I have been a successful Test bowler, but that is a part of my game I want to improve."

Vettori took over the captaincy from Fleming after the 2007 World Cup and is currently going through his toughest time as a leader. New Zealand were drubbed 4-0 by Bangladesh in the recently-concluded one-day series and faced severe criticism back home.

"It was hard, but the criticism you have within your own thoughts is worse than anything anyone could say," Vettori said.

"What I have put myself through and what all the rest of the team has put itself through couldn't compare with what anyone else could say. We expected the criticism, and it was all fair. When you lose 4-0, no matter to whom, you should expect a lot of criticism. Hopefully, it can be a catalyst for us in improving in all facets of our game."

Vettori is the only member in this squad who has played Tests in India and he said that though he will have a big role to play, he anticipates a major effort from the fast bowlers.

"I suppose the responsibility primarily lies with me as the most experienced bowler over here, but I know, looking at the statistics, that seam bowlers can do a pretty good job particularly if you can get the ball reversing. So we are going to place a lot of onus on them bowling well and not just saying it's up to the spinners to do the job."

Ashraful handed top-level central contract

Mohammad Ashraful has been awarded a top-level central contract despite not playing in Bangladesh's recent historic 4-0 one-day series victory against New Zealand.

He is one of six players handed an A+ deal with the board and is among 16 contracts handed out across four levels along with two rookie players. reports ESPNcricinfo.

Ashraful has been in and out of the Bangladesh squad throughout the year, which began with him missing the home series against England in March before being recalled for the return contest during May and June where he played both Tests at Lord's at Old Trafford.

Following a poor Asia Cup in Sri Lanka he was then dumped again only to be recalled as injury cover during the one-dayers in England.

However, patience again ran out for the visit of New Zealand last month where Bangladesh secured their first series victory against major opposition but Ashraful, who averages a disappointing 23.45 after 163 ODIs, is clearly still close to the selectors' thoughts with four months to go until the World Cup.

The other players handed top contracts are unsurprising with Tamim Iqbal, who missed the New Zealand series with a wrist injury, named alongside captain Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzaq and Mushfiqur Rahim.

The A-band of deals on the level below include Junaid Siddique, who has been a solid presence at No 3 during the year after hitting his maiden Test century against England in Chittagong, along with all-rounder Mahmudullah and fast bowler Shahadat Hossain.
Raqibul Hasan, the middle-order batsman, who angrily announced his retirement during England's tour to Bangladesh after being omitted from the squad before reversing his decision, has been given a C-grade contract. Enamul Haque, the left-arm spinner, and middle-order batsman Mehrab Hossain were the two players not to have their contracts renewed from the previous batch.

Bangladesh's next assignment will be hosting Zimbabwe for a one-day series some time before Christmas and that is another contest they will be expected to win following the impressive displays against New Zealand.

Grade A+ Mashrafe Bin Mortaza, Shakib Al Hasan, Mohammad Ashraful, Abdur Razzak, Mushfiqur Rahim, Tamim Iqbal

Grade A Shahadat Hossain, Junaid Siddique, Mahmudullah

Grade B Syed Rasel, Raqibul Hasan, Nazmul Hossain, Naeem Islam, Imrul Kayes, Rubel Hossain

Grade C Shafiul Islam

Rookie Grade Jahurul Islam, Mohammad Sohrawordi

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