Sports News - Pakistan & Around the World

Italy needs change and investment: Maldini

2013-04-17T09:41:00.001-07:00

“In the 1990s we had seven great teams – Milan, Inter, Juventus, Parma, Lazio, Roma, Fiorentina.”

MIAMI: Italy’s Serie A needs radical change and investment if their struggling clubs are to compete for European trophies, former AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini has told Reuters.
No Italian club has made the Champions League semi-finals since Inter Milan won the title in 2010, with Serie A leaders Juventus’ 4-0 loss on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals causing consternation and Maldini said it was time for the league to look at the reasons why.
“To compete with the great teams in Europe, you have to invest money, there is no other way to reach that kind of level,” said Maldini, who earned 126 caps for Italy and holds Milan’s record for most appearances.
“You could see it with Juventus against Bayern. Juventus are a great team, especially in Italy, but when you compete with a team like Bayern, you can see the difference. They need at least two or three more great players.”
Maldini won the European Cup/Champions League five times during his 25-year career with Milan and played until 2009 when he retired at the age of 41 and he looks back with nostalgia on the years when Serie A was the top league in Europe.
“In the 1990s we had seven great teams – Milan, Inter, Juventus, Parma, Lazio, Roma, Fiorentina. If you look at the players, they were great players but there was some crazy investment and some teams went bankrupt, like Parma and Lazio.
“Then you had the Moratti and Berlusconi families who put in so much money and are still surviving, it is hard though.”
Maldini, widely considered one of the great defenders in world soccer in the last 30 years, has played no role in the game since hanging up his boots although he has now taken on an ‘ambassador’ position with the upcoming International Champions Cup tournament which will be held in the US from July.
Still looking as though he could comfortably handle 90 minutes at left-back, Maldini spends some of his time each year at his Miami Beach apartment having visited during the close-season throughout his career.
As well as enjoying the relaxed rhythm of South Beach life, Maldini, whose two sons are both in Milan’s youth teams, occasionally pops to watch LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA and he said Italian soccer clubs could learn a lot from the business approach to sport in the US
“We should learn from this mentality. In Italy we still have laws that don’t work.
“If you go outside the San Siro (stadium) you can see people selling fake merchandising, it was like that when I started to play and it is still like that now. You can’t allow this.

“Then you have old stadiums, very old stadiums. San Siro is a historic stadium, it’s nice but it doesn’t offer comfort …we have to improve it.
“Above all we need to learn from leagues that make money from sports rather than lose money. Everyone is losing money in Italian football, it’s crazy.”
The only benefit Maldini can see from the lack of investment in Italian teams is that it is forcing clubs to give homegrown talent a chance.
“The positive is that clubs are looking to young players.
Italy has a lot of young players that maybe deserve more space.
Milan has Mattia De Sciglio and Stephan El Shaarawy, who maybe some years ago, would have been still on the bench,” he said.
But Maldini is not going to take on the role of reforming Italian soccer, at least not for some time.
“I’m not working in football. Basically I’m a father with two kids and taking some time for myself,” he said.
“I played for 25 years and I believe I need some space for myself.
“I’m doing different things, in different businesses and enjoying life.”

Salman Butt – a fall from grace

2013-04-17T09:40:00.001-07:00

Former Pakistani cricketer Salman Butt addresses a news conference in Lahore on April 17, 2013.

KARACHI: Salman Butt, who on Wednesday lost his appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a spot-fixing ban, was once touted as a prospect to lead Pakistan for years to come.
The stylish opener was handed the captaincy after Shahid Afridi quit following a one-sided defeat against Australia at Lords in July 2010 and took little time in changing the fortunes of the embattled team.
Pakistan defeated Australia in the very next match by four wickets at Leeds — their first win over Test cricket’s best team for 15 years — and hopes of a new era were high.
But those hopes were short-lived as a month later several Pakistani players, including Salman, became embroiled in a spot-fixing scandal.
Britain’s News of the World claimed that seven Pakistani players, including Salman, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif, took money from Mazhar Majeed to obey orders at specific stages in the Lord’s Test against England.
Scotland Yard detectives raided the team hotel, reportedly confiscating a huge amount of money from Salman’s room.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) provisionally suspended the players, then banned them from cricket for – Salman for 10 years. Worse was to come as in November 2011, a British court jailed all three players and Majeed.
For many in the game Salman’s alleged involvement came as a shock but not for those who knew of his love for expensive watches and luxury cars.
After the tour of India in 2007, the ICC’s Anti-Corruption and Security Unit questioned Salman, Umar Gul and Danish Kaneria and warned them over the pitfalls involved in associating with certain businessmen.
Salman’s role again came under question during the team’s surprising defeat in the Sydney Test against Australia in January 2010 and later in the World Twenty20 held in the West Indies.
“There was no doubt about his huge talent,” said former captain Aamir Sohail, who gave Salman his first chance when chief of selectors in 2003.
“Over the years he really improved and was supposed to bring a lot to Pakistan cricket before these unfortunate events unfolded.”
Emerging from the streets of Lahore, Salman represented his country at all levels, leading Pakistan to the Asian Under-15 title in 1999 and then impressing in the Junior World Cup in 2002.
Salman’s brilliant match-winning hundred in a one-day match against India at Calcutta in late 2004 set his career on the right track and although he remained in and out of the squad, his talent was never in doubt.
Under former coach Bob Woolmer, Salman’s career flourished with hundreds at Sydney in January 2005 and another three-figure knock against Ashes-winning England at Multan.
Former captain Ramiz Raja, who had always praised Salman’s talents, was furious at seeing the captain caught up in the latest scandal.
“I felt he had the potential to play a long innings for Pakistan,” Raja told AFP.
“When you pin hopes on someone and he disappoints you then you yell out a scream.”
Salman, 28, has said that he believes he will play again but with the Swiss court having upheld the ICC ban, that now looks an unlikely prospect.

Troubled Asif faces end of career

2013-04-17T09:38:00.001-07:00

Asif played 23 Tests and 38 one-day internationals and was regarded as one of the best new-ball bowlers in the world.

KARACHI: Pakistan paceman Mohammad Asif’s remarkable talent promised much more than he delivered.
Touted as one of the best new-ball bowlers, Asif’s career appears to have been struck a fatal blow on Wednesday after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected his appeal against a seven-year spot-fixing ban.
Along with teenage pace partner Mohammad Amir and captain Salman Butt, he was implicated in a News of the World sting, which claimed that several Pakistani players took money to perform specific orders pre-arranged with bookmakers during the Lord’s Test against England in August 2010.
In 2011 the three players were all banned by the International Cricket Council Tribunal, with Asif and Butt turning to CAS in a last-ditch attempt to get their bans voided.
Scandal is nothing new for 30-year-old Asif, whose brief five-year international career had more lows than highs.
Asif, along with another paceman Shoaib Akhtar, tested positive for a banned steroid in 2006.
He was banned for one year and Akhtar for two years, sanctions which were overturned on appeal, a decision which many felt encouraged Asif to continue flouting the rules.
He again failed a dope test in the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) season in 2008 and a two-year ban followed.
Asif suffered more misery when he was arrested at Dubai airport for possessing a banned drug.
He was detained for 19 days only to be deported after the police found the quantity of the substance “insufficient” to pursue a case.
Even after the ban ended, Asif’s career was hit by a scandal with South Asian film star and model Veena Malik, who alleged he owed her huge amounts of money.
And when the spot-fixing scandal broke, Veena called Asif an “eternal fixer”.
For many, Asif’s failure to act responsibly was disappointing.
“Asif has been through a lot in his life, with doping allegations and bans, but he clearly has not learned from his mistakes,” said former captain Ramiz Raja in 2011.
It was under Pakistan’s coach Bob Woolmer that Asif blossomed as a genuine swing bowler.
Woolmer picked him for Pakistan’s tour to Australia and although Asif went wicketless on his debut Test at Perth, Woolmer never lost faith in the lithe and determined fast bowler.
Asif claimed 11 wickets in a tour match against England in 2005 and was brought back into the national side for Pakistan’s final Test against India at home in 2006.
He took seven wickets in the win over India — including the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar — at Karachi, which also helped Pakistan clinch the series.
He followed it with 11 victims in Pakistan’s Test win at Galle, taking 17 wickets in the two Tests. His “five-for” also helped Pakistan beat South Africa in the Port Elizabeth Test in 2007.
But an elbow injury and worries over his disciplinary record forced Pakistan to withdraw him and Akhtar from the 2007 World Cup.
After he completed the IPL ban, Asif’s career seemed to be back on track until the ill-fated England tour where he grabbed 23 wickets in six Tests — two against Australia and four against the home team.

Badminton players charged over ‘thrown’ matches

2012-08-01T05:17:00.001-07:00

LONDON: Eight women badminton players were charged by the sport’s governing body on Wednesday with “not using one’s best efforts to win a match” after two matches at the Olympics ended in controversy.
Four pairs in the women’s doubles competition – one from China, one from Indonesia and two from South Korea – could face disciplinary action after the Badminton World Federation (BWF) took action.
The players in two matches were booed off court at Wembley Arena in London on Tuesday after they appeared to deliberately serve into the net, or hit the shuttlecock long or wide.
It was apparently an attempt to manipulate the final standings in the first-round group stage with two pairs who had already qualified from the group stage jockeying to play against weaker opponents.
The match between the powerful Chinese pairing of Yu Yang and Wang Xiaoli and unseeded South Korean pair Jung Kyung and Kim Ha Na came under scrutiny after the Chinese lost heavily.
There were no rallies of more than four shots in the match.
Their defeat meant Yu and Wang avoided playing their compatriots Tian Qing and Zhao Yunlei, who had finished second in their group.
Yu said afterwards: “We’ve already qualified, so why would we waste energy? It’s not necessary to go out hard again when the knockout rounds are tomorrow.”
A later match in which South Korean third seeds Ha Je and Kim Min-Jung beat Indonesian pair Meiliana Juahari and Polii Greysia is also being investigated by the BWF.
Tournament referee Torsten Berg came on to court during that match to warn the players about their conduct and was thought to have shown a black card – meaning a dismissal – but it was apparently rescinded.
Berg said after the match: “We have looked seriously into the case and as referee I have taken a decision and made a report to the BWF which will be known in due course.”

Sri Lanka hire ex-ICC chief Lorgat

2012-07-31T10:44:00.001-07:00

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s cash-strapped cricket board has appointed former International Cricket Council chief executive Haroon Lorgat as an advisor for three months, the board said on Tuesday.
South African Lorgat, 52, who quit the ICC in June after serving as CEO for four years, will assist in improving the “governance and administration” of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), a release from the board said.
“Mr. Lorgat has a wealth of knowledge and experience and we are delighted that he has agreed to work with us to improve the governance and administration of our cricket,” SLC president Upali Dharmadasa said.
“Mr. Lorgat is a seasoned administrator and I am excited that with his expertise we can work towards building a strong and sustainable future for SLC.”
The SLC is struggling to repay debts of around $70 million after building two new stadiums in Hambantota and Pallekele and renovating a third in Colombo for last year’s World Cup.

ICC allows non neutral umpires for Pak-Bangla series

2012-03-07T04:54:00.000-08:00

The ICC Chief Executives' Committee says allowing umpires from the two countries would overcome any concerns for the safety of neutral officials.

Mourinho set to haunt Barca in semi-finals again

2011-04-26T03:17:00.001-07:00

The league title is all but wrapped up for Barcelona

MADRID: Jose Mourinho is ready to haunt Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals again on Wednesday, this time with Real Madrid.

The Portuguese coach has always managed to rile Barca, where he spent some of his formative years as an assistant to Bobby Robson in the 1990s, and guided Inter Milan to victory against them in the semis last year on the way to Champions League glory.

Mourinho also crossed swords with Barca three times during his spell at Chelsea, twice bettering them over a ‘two-match series’.

His ability to ruffle the Catalan team’s feathers knows no end and he has outwitted them so far in the unprecedented ‘four-match series’ between the world’s two richest clubs.

A 1-1 league draw, when Real came back to level with 10 men on April 16, was followed by last Wednesday’s 1-0 extra-time victory in the King’s Cup final, Mourinho’s first trophy as coach of the Madrid side.

The league title is all but wrapped up for Barcelona but the tantalising prospect of a 10th European Cup triumph lies ahead for Real, and a third for Mourinho all with different teams.

Barca defender Gerard Pique refused to be drawn on the hot topics of debate after the first two ‘Clasicos’ such as the quality of the refereeing, the length of the grass at the Bernabeu and Real’s aggressive, ‘negative’ approach.

“The grass is long but I’m not going to cry about it,” the Spanish World Cup winner told daily El Pais of the pitch at Wednesday’s Bernabeu venue.

“It’s normal for them to take particular care over their defence and that they try to stop our passing game. Mourinho will use everything available to him.

POWERFUL TEAM

“At the end of the day they are a powerful team with very good forwards,” added Pique.

Breaking coach Pep Guardiola’s record of five consecutive ‘Clasico’ wins, including a 5-0 demolition of Mourinho’s team at the Nou Camp in November, and then winning the King’s Cup has dented Barca’s aura of invincibility.

Real have proved they can match their rivals with ultra-aggressive tactics that have not been to everyone’s liking, with the Madrid club having had a player sent off in the last three meetings between the sides.

The two clubs are the competition’s top scorers with 24 goals each but the previous two ‘Clasicos’ have been tense tussles with few sights of goal.

Madrid have packed the centre of the pitch with three holding players led by centre-back turned midfield-enforcer Pepe, ruthlessly denying Barca’s playmakers time and space while looking to break quickly.

Sami Khedira’s injury means Lassana Diarra will probably replace him in midfield while Mourinho may opt to play without a recognised number nine again as he did in the King’s Cup final.

At the back Ricardo Carvalho is suspended but Real’s defensive problems are not as acute as Barca’s.

The absence of Eric Abidal, Adriano Correia and Maxwell mean the returning Carles Puyol could be asked to fill in at left back while midfielder Javier Mascherano could play in defence again.

Any change in Barca’s standard 4-3-3 formation would probably be read as an acknowledgement that Real have worked out the way to play against Guardiola’s three magicians – Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.

Probable teams:

Real Madrid: 1-Iker Casillas, 17-Alvaro Arbeloa, 4-Sergio Ramos, 18-Raul Albiol, 12-Marcelo; 10-Lassana Diarra, 3-Pepe, 14-Xabi Alonso; 22-Angel Di Maria, 9-Cristiano Ronaldo, 23-Mesut Ozil

Barcelona: 1-Victor Valdes; 2-Dani Alves, 14-Javier Mascherano, 3-Gerard Pique, 5-Carles Puyol; 8-Andres Iniesta, 16-Sergio Busquets, 6-Xavi; 17-Pedro, 10-Lionel Messi, 7-David Villa.

Alves own-goal pushes Almeria closer to drop

2011-04-26T03:17:00.000-07:00

Both teams went into the game on the back of poor runs but the situation was more worrying for bottom side Almeria who had lost their last four games

MADRID: An own goal by keeper Diego Alves gave Real Zaragoza a 1-0 win over Almeria on Monday which moved them out of the relegation zone but left their opponents firmly rooted to the foot of La Liga.

Both teams went into the game on the back of poor runs but the situation was more worrying for bottom side Almeria who had lost their last four games.

Zaragoza were creating the better openings but in-form keeper Alves was blocking everything that came at him.

Braulio Rodriguez and Ander Herrera had several good chances saved by the Brazilian shot stopper.

Angel Lafita then shot weakly with just the keeper to beat and Nicolas Bertolo was denied by the post.

Eventually Zaragoza found the back of the net in the 70th minute but it was thanks to a dose of misfortune that Alves did not deserve.

A Gabi Fernandez shot came back off the woodwork and hit the shoulder of the keeper before going in.

Almeria almost equalised but Carlos Garcia hit the post and the result means they are now 10 points from safety with five games to go.

“It was a typical match between two teams which were fighting for their future. We struggled more than we should have done and strangely enough after we scored was when we suffered most,” said Zaragoza coach Javier Aguirre.

Almeria coach Roberto Olabe admitted that his team just had to keep going.

“We have to be professional, honest and be loyal to those who have believed in us,” he said.

“In the first few minutes of the game we were alright but our own desire and the pressure ended up working against us. We didn’t take our time and rushed things.”

Barcelona and Real Madrid are fully focused on their Champions League semi-final after both sides won at the weekend to maintain the Catalan side’s eight-point lead at the top of the table.

David Villa got the opener for Barcelona against Osasuna to end an eleven-match goal drought while Lionel Messi became the first player to hit 50 goals in a Spanish season when he scored the other in a 2-0 win.

WI beat Pakistan

2011-04-21T21:54:00.000-07:00

GROS ISLET (St Lucia), April 21: West Indies beat Pakistan by seven runs in the one-off Twenty20 International here on Thursday.

Scores: West Indies 150 for 7; Pakistan 143 for 9.

The hosts recovered from an early setback to a total of 150 from their 20 overs thanks to a stroke-filled 65 from Lendl Simmons, who struck seven fours and two sixes from 44 deliveries. Simmons and Darren Bravo (42 off 33 balls) added 99 for the second wicket to put West Indies back on track after spinner Abdul Rehman had made the breakthrough in his first over when he trapped Andre Fletcher lbw for one.

No other batsman passed 20.

Madrid celebrates

2011-04-21T21:53:00.000-07:00

Madrid beat Barcelona 1-0 after extra time on Wednesday, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s header giving the club its first domestic cup since 1993 and its first trophy of any kind in three years.

Only hours after the victory, Madrid defender Sergio Ramos let the 15-kilogram (33-pound) cup fall from the top of the team bus during the celebration in early Thursday morning in the capital. ”The whole thing about the cup was a misunderstanding, it didn’t fall … it jumped off when it reached Cibeles (the fountain in Madrid where the team celebrates its titles) and saw so many Madrid fans,” Ramos tweeted.

Real Madrid's captain Iker Casillas kisses the trophy.

Pakistan Women Cricket Team Beats Sri Lankatwo-wicket win over Sri Lanka

2011-04-21T21:52:00.000-07:00

Javeria Khan’s unbeaten half-century guided Pakistan Women’s two-wicket win in the one-day international against Sri Lankan Women on Thursday.

The one-off ODI, being played at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club, was a low-scoring encounter, as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 153 runs with Sadaf Yousuf and Qanita Jalil taking three wickets each.

Javeria carried the bat and held the Pakistan chase together as wickets fell around her at regular intervals. She opened the innings with Nida Dar but was soon joined by Nahida Khan, as Nida was dismissed in the second over by Eshani Kaushalya. Nahida (5) and two-down batswoman Bismah Mahroof (7) were medium-pacer Kaushalya’s next two victims are she reduced Pakistan to 21-3 in six overs.

Captain Sana Mir then held her innings together for 43 balls as she scored 20 runs in the 41-run partnership with Javeria. She was, however, bowled out by her counterpart Shashikala Siriwardene in the 20th over. Marina Iqbal, who replaced Sana, could only survive three deliveries from Siriwardene before being given out leg-before. At this stage, Pakistan needed another 91 runs off 30 overs with five wickets in hand.

Javeria then shared a 53-run stand with Asmavia Iqbal, who scored 25 runs, to take Pakistan closer to the total. While Sri Lanka staged a late comeback to reduce Pakistan to 137-8, the visitors were anchored home by their resilient opener with 10 balls to spare.

Earlier, Qanita gave Pakkistan the perfect start when she bowled out Chamari Jayangani on the first ball of the innings. The medium-pacer then dismissed Suwini de Alwis in the third over to reduce the hosts to 8-2.

None of the middle-order batters could get into double figures as wickets continued to fall through the early overs. Captain Shashikala Siriwardene fell to left-arm medium-pacer Masooma Junaid after scoring four runs, and was soon followed by Sandamali Dolawatta and Dilani Surangika, both of whom were dismissed by left-arm spinner Sadia Yousuf.

At 48-6, the hosts’ chances of crossing the 100-run mark appeared slim when Deepika Rasangika and Eshani Kaushalya started building a partnership. The two lower-order batters were able to resurrect the Lankan innings to some extent with their 62-run partnership that came in 14 overs.

Pakistan captain Sana Mir then brought herself into the attack and managed to break the partnership in the 35th over when she had Rasangika edge a ball to wicketkeeper Batool Fatima after scoring 31 runs. Kaushalya’s 52-ball vigil also ended soon when she became Qanita’s third victim. The all-rounder top-scored for the hosts with 35 runs, which included two fours.

Sri Lanka saw a late flurry from Udeshika Pabodhani, who hit three fours in her 33-ball 19 as the hosts finished their innings on 153 runs, with one ball to spare.

The one-off ODI will be followed by a quadrangular series, which also includes Netherlands and Ireland. Pakistan play their first match of the series against Netherlands on Saturday.

Dhoni in Times 100 list of Powerful People

2011-04-21T21:51:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK: Previously unknown newsmakers from Egypt and Japan joined pop stars and politicians on Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in the world released on Thursday.

The list includes pop culture giants such as Justin Bieber and Oprah Winfrey plus the lesser known Wael Ghonim, an Egyptian Internet activist who helped topple President Hosni Mubarak, and Takeshi Kanno, a Japanese doctor who refused to leave behind victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

“We’ve always, always tried to tell stories through people…. We discovered it was a fantastic way to get people to think about what’s going on all over the world,” said Time DeputyManaging Editor Michael Elliott.

The complete list can be seen on http://www.time.com.

World leaders such as British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff populate the list for how they have wielded power.

“The first time I met David Cameron, I knew we were political soul mates,” actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote in a profile for Time, calling him “a centrist who avoids the gutters of politics.”

Others include Gabrielle Giffords, the American congresswoman who survived a bullet wound to the head during a gunman’s rampage in Arizona, and Michele Bachmann, the Republican congresswoman from Minnesota who has energized the anti-tax, anti-spending Tea Party movement.

Jailed Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was honored for his “bravery and artistic skill,” Elliott said.

From the world of sport, Argentina soccer phenomenon Lionel Messi was joined by Indian cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose charisma and leadership united an ethnically diverse team that won the World Cup.

South Korean pop star Rain won The People’s Choice vote for the third straight year. Time editors chose the names on the list except for The People’s Choice, selected by online voters.

“He has very determined fans,” Elliott said.

Europe’s “big four” leagues already looking settled

2011-04-19T04:39:00.000-07:00

Barcelona are also eight clear after their 1-1 draw with second-placed Real Madrid.

LONDON: Winter has only just given way to spring in Europe yet the league titles of the continent’s major leagues already appear done and dusted with around half a dozen games still to be played.

After their main challengers all slipped up, Barcelona, Manchester United, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund would need to slip up spectacularly in the next few weeks to miss out on their respective championships, leaving France and the Netherlands to provide some excitement in May.

Dortmund, seeking their first title in nine years, are likely to be the first to close out the race among the “big four” leagues after they beat Freiburg 3-0 at the weekend to open an eight-point lead with four games remaining.

Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen lost ground in spectacular style when they were thrashed 5-1 at Bayern Munich and Dortmund can secure the title next weekend by beating Borussia Moenchengladbach if Leverkusen fail to take all three points against Hoffenheim.

Barcelona are also eight clear after their 1-1 draw with second-placed Real Madrid. Even with the distraction of a Champions League semi-final and King’s Cup final against their big rivals to come, it would be a huge surprise if they allowed themselves to be reeled in over the remaining six games.

United spent the weekend being knocked out of the FA Cup in the semi-finals by Manchester City but after Arsenal were held 1-1 at home by Liverpool, Alex Ferguson’s team are six clear with six to play.

The top two still have to meet at the Emirates and United also have to host last season’s champions Chelsea but it still looks a formidable gap, particularly as Arsenal seem to have completely lost their form in recent weeks, drawing four and winning one of their last five league games.

Both sides are in action when a United win at Newcastle United combined with a defeat for Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur would end any remaining debate.

AC Milan have a six-point lead after Napoli lost 2-1 at Udinese on Sunday to probably end their hopes of winning the league for the first time since Diego Maradona led them to glory 21 years ago.

Milan, 3-0 winners over Sampdoria, are on course to win the league for the first time in seven years – a success made all the sweeter as it will end Inter Milan’s five-year hold on the trophy.

Although Porto wrapped up the Portuguese title two weeks ago there are still some interesting battles to be found elsewhere in Europe.

With seven games to go in France, Lille’s tilt at a first championship in 57 years seems to be getting to them.

Their lead is down to a point after they drew with Girondins Bordeux and Olympique Marseille beat Montpellier.

Lyon are a further five points back after they lost 1-0 at Paris St Germain but they also remain in the mix.

It is even tighter in the Netherlands where PSV Eindhoven and Twente Enschede both have 65 points and Ajax Amsterdam 64 with three games to go.

Arsenal will fight to the finish, vows Wenger

2011-04-19T03:54:00.000-07:00

Wenger's team had to settle for a point as Dirk Kuyt's penalty, with the last action of the game at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, cancelled out Robin van Persie's stoppage-time spot-kick.

LONDON: Arsene Wenger has asked his Arsenal players to fight until the end in the Premier League title race after suffering a huge blow to their hopes during a controversial 1-1 draw against Liverpool.

Wenger’s team had to settle for a point as Dirk Kuyt’s penalty, with the last action of the game at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, cancelled out Robin van Persie’s stoppage-time spot-kick.

It leaves Arsenal six points behind Manchester United with just six games to play this season and time running out to catch Sir Alex Ferguson’s league leaders.

“We have to give everything until the last game of the season and see if it is our year or not,” Wenger said.

“It’s about us winning our games. We are on a 15-game unbeaten run in the league but we have not taken enough points recently. The players are very disappointed. Who wouldn’t be?

“We have to continue to play and fight until the last moment. We have players who are ambitious and want to do as well as they can.

“We’ve had disappointments before and bounced back. That is what we have to do.”

Wenger was furious with referee Andre Marriner for awarding a penalty 11 minutes into stoppage-time for Emmanuel Eboue’s clumsy barge on Lucas Leiva, who appeared to wait for contact before falling to the turf.

“We conceded a penalty after 11 minutes when the referee said there was eight minutes of injury time,” Wenger said.

“I don’t see where those three minutes came from and it was no penalty. Lucas stopped in front of Eboue.”

It led to a furious protest from Wenger, although Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish appeared to dismiss his complaints during a touchline confrontation.

“I said to Dalglish it was not a penalty. That was all. You can check it on the TV,” Wenger said.

“We have been badly done by in the two games here. Against Sunderland we scored a regular goal and were not given a penalty that was 100 percent.

“Against Liverpool we got caught like that. It’s a period where we have not the biggest luck, that’s for sure.”

Van Persie’s goal came after Martin Skrtel tripped Cesc Fabregas, although Dalglish felt defeat would have been harsh on his players.

The result worked in the favour of Liverpool’s bitter rivals at Old Trafford but Dalglish added: “We never handed anything to anyone. In fact, we beat them (United) 3-1 at Anfield so I don’t know how we handed them anything if we beat them.

“We’ll look after ourselves and if anyone gets any advantage from our results then so be it. We can only look after ourselves and that’s what we always do.”

United could overtake Liverpool’s shared record of 18 league titles this season, but Dalglish added: “In my eyes we’re still the best club in English football, if not world football. So I’m not very sad at that.

“The surprise is that we have not won the title for a long time, that is the surprise but it’s not sadness. It’s just a fact of life.

“They never acquired enough points in any season since then to win it. They came close a couple of years ago when Rafa (Benitez) went close, had a fantastic record against the so-called top four but just couldn’t get it over the line.”

Ferdinand gives evidence in ‘stalker’ trial

2011-04-19T03:53:00.001-07:00

Ferdinand, 32, said he had felt unsettled when Ibru appeared outside his home for the first time in the early hours of February 21.

LONDON: Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand on Monday gave evidence in the trial of a woman accused of harassing him and his family by turning up at his home on several occasions.

Susanne Ibru, 38, was allegedly seen outside Ferdinand’s home in Cheshire, northwest England, three times between February and June last year, Macclesfield Magistrates’ Court heard. She denies the charges.

Ferdinand, 32, said he had felt unsettled when Ibru appeared outside his home for the first time in the early hours of February 21.

“At first I was angry and upset but then disturbed, really, because I have got a young family and this was not the time or the place to be coming to speak to me,” said Ferdinand.

Ferdinand called United’s security staff, who alerted the police, before watching Ibru walk away on his CCTV system.

The woman returned to the premises twice, on June 16 and June 18.

On the first occasion, having just returned from training, Ferdinand called the police and then tried to prevent Ibru from leaving by engaging her in conversation.

“My main concern was to keep her there until the police arrived,” he said.

“I asked why she had come to my house and she told me ‘Things needed to be resolved’, and that they couldn’t be resolved until we spoke.

“I told her I would speak to her then but she said it would take a couple of hours.”

Ibru was given a formal warning by police to leave Ferdinand and his wife, Rebecca, alone, but she turned up at his house again only two days later, once again in the early hours of the morning.

Ferdinand called police and Ibru was arrested.

“The safety of my family is as huge to me as it is to anyone,” said the England international.

“Then you have people at your door talking about things that don’t make sense. You want to be left alone with your family.”

West Indies rope in Haynes for Pakistan series

2011-04-19T03:53:00.000-07:00

The West Indies Cricket Board announced on Monday that Haynes will work with Darren Sammy's side for the duration of the home series against Pakistan and India before it undertakes a search for a long-term batting coach.

ST JOHN’S: West Indies have been able to persuade Desmond Haynes, one of their legends, to become a batting consultant for the current side.

The West Indies Cricket Board announced on Monday that Haynes will work with Darren Sammy’s side for the duration of the home series against Pakistan and India before it undertakes a search for a long-term batting coach.

Haynes’ arrival comes on the heels of a disappointing World Cup, following which coach Ottis Gibson placed heavy blame on the senior batsmen in particular, and made an urgent request for such expertise to be brought on board.

“I have always said I wanted to be involved in West Indies cricket, and help in any way I could,” said Haynes in a WICB media release announcing his appointment.

“This is a chance to help the young players with their development. I just want to see the players get better as we aim for improvement at all levels in West Indies cricket and get the team back to the halcyon days.”

Haynes’ appointment is timely, since there are several unproven batsmen in the line-up to face Pakistan in the opening exchanges of a home series during the next week.

This follows the omissions of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle, and Ramnaresh Sarwan for the inaugural Twenty20 against the Pakistanis on Thursday at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St. Lucia, as well as the first two One-day Internationals at the same venue.

Haynes was part of the team’s brief training camp at the West Indies High Performance Centre last week in Barbados before travelling with the side to St. Lucia.

“I am happy to be part of the team management unit, headed by Ottis Gibson, and I believe I can also help the players with the mental aspect of their game and the way they go about their cricket in general,” he said.

“This is a chance to make a contribution, and I’m pleased to be given the opportunity to be involved in West Indies cricket once more.”

Haynes was one half of the famous opening pair, along with compatriot Gordon Greenidge, which served West Indies successfully during the glory years between the late 1970s and the 1980s.

He played 116 Tests, making 7,487 runs at an average of 42.29, and contested 238 ODIs, scoring a West Indies record of 8,648 runs at an average of 42.37 until Brian Lara passed him.

Haynes continued his involvement with the game, coaching in his native Barbados and around the World, working with players like the South African pair of Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs, among others, since his acrimonious retirement from the game almost two decades ago.

He has also worked in various administrative roles, including becoming a director of the WICB, and the first vice-president of the Barbados Cricket Association.

Haynes is the second West Indies great to be attached to the side, following the appointment of Richie Richardson, another former captain, to the post of manager last year ahead of the tour to Sri Lanka.

The WICB’s success in convincing Haynes to work with their side comes following the Pakistan Cricket Board’s failure to influence batting great Javed Miandad to join their side on this tour in a similar capacity.

Muhammad Hafeez leads Pakistan to tour-match win

2011-04-19T02:14:00.000-07:00

Mohammad Hafeez hit 10 fours and two sixes in his 93-ball 101.

Mohammad Hafeez carried on with his impressive World Cup form as he led Pakistan to a 68-run win over University of West Indies Vice-chancellor’s XI on Monday.

Hafeez (retired hurt on 101) and Abdur Rehman (four wickets) were the stars for Pakistan as they played their first tour match at the Mindoo Phillip Park Stadium in Castries, St. Lucia.

Pakistan made 287 runs from their quota of 50 overs, with handy contributions from most batsmen including, Taufeeq Umar (44), Ahmed Shehzad (49) and Umar Akmal (57). However, it was Hafeez’s 93-ball knock that did the most damage, after the West Indian university side dropped the stand-in Pakistan captain in the first over. The opener then went on to plunder 10 fours and two sixes before retiring out to give his teammates a chance to gain batting practice.

Umar Akmal was also impressive with the bat as he hit eight fours and a six in his 57-run stint.

For the hosts, pacer Carlos Brathwaite was the most successful bowler, with three wickets off his 10 overs and Nkruma Bonner also chipped in with two wickets from his four overs of leg-spin bowling. West Indies international Fidel Edwards could only manage one wicket from his eight overs, while star all-rounder Dwayne Bravo was expensive on his return from injury as he gave away 69 runs from his right overs.

The hosts’ captain and opener Omar Phillips could only score nine runs before being bowled out by medium-pacer Tanvir Ahmed, who returns to the Pakistan side after missing out on the World Cup.

Miles Bascombe was dismissed for 26 by left-arm seamer Junaid Khan, and the opener was soon followed back to the pavilion by Kyle Corbin, who was caught off the bolwing of Wahab Riaz.

Bravo then combined with Bonner for the hosts’ biggest partnership (48 runs) and resurrected the chase. Bonner was dismissed by left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman for 43 runs. Bravo, true to his reputation as a big-hitter, scored 63 runs from 70 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes to become Rehman’s second victim.

Rehman took two more wickets to finish with figures of four wickets for 27 runs off his 10 overs. The hosts were eight wickets down and 68 runs behind the target when they finished up their quota of 50 overs, to finish at 219-8.

Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi opted to sit out, along with Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Ajmal and Sadaf Hussain.

Pakistan meet West Indies on Thursday, in the one-off Twenty20 match before the one-day international series gets underway on Saturday (April 23).

Pakistanis: Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Taufeeq Umar, Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Hammad Azam, Usman Salahuddin, Mohammad Salman (wicketkeeper), Tanvir Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Abdur Rehman

University of West Indies Vice-chancellor’s XI: Omar Phillips (captain), Miles Bascombe, Kyle Corbin, Nkruma Bonner, Dwayne Bravo, Kjorn Ottley, Chadwick Walton, Carlos Brathwaite, Kevin McClean, Keron Cottoy, Fidel Edwards, Gilford Moore

Ban spinners who don`t spin, says Swann

2011-04-18T23:35:00.000-07:00

LONDON, April 18: Graeme Swann has a simple solution for the age-old problem of English spinners who, to adapt the biblical parable of the lilies of the field, toil but do not spin.

“They should be banished from the first-class game. It winds me up, if you are a spinner, spin the ball,” Swann said in an interview at a Kinect Sports Superstars event.

“I have never, ever seen the point of bowling without trying to spin the ball. It`s been my bugbear that I have seen some young spinners come up who have got lovely control and land it nicely but don`t try to turn it.”

Swann has climbed to number two in the world Test rankings by giving the ball a fierce tweak from a vigorous body action.

“I really like watching the ball fizzing down,” he said. “That`s why I always like watching Shane Warne bowl, [Muttiah] Muralitharan bowl, these guys who really try and spin it, these are the guys I really try to emulate.”

“I`m certainly 10 times the bowler I was 10 years ago. The longer you play the game your body just gets used to it. Your rhythm comes naturally compared to when you were a kid when you have as many bad days as you do good,” he said.

“I`m certainly bowling better than I was 10 years ago but hopefully there is more to come.

“Sydney was famous for turning but it doesn`t anymore. You need footholes to make the ball go. In Melbourne it was almost going the other way.

“Michael Hussey got after me in the first game in Brisbane but that was because I was bowling badly.”

All-rounder to lead in all formats: Dilshan appointed new Sri Lanka skipper

2011-04-18T22:58:00.001-07:00

COLOMBO, April 18: Sri Lanka`s cricket authorities on Monday named big-hitting all-rounder Tillekeratne Dilshan as captain for the upcoming tour of England.

Dilshan will lead the side in all three formats of the game — Tests, One-day Internationals and Twenty20s — on the tour, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said in a statement.

The 34-year-old, renowned for an over-the-head scoop shot dubbed the “Dilscoop”, replaces Kumar Sangakkara, who stepped down after Sri Lanka lost the World Cup final to India earlier this month.

Fitness worries meant the five-member national selection panel headed by Duleep Mendis, a former Sri Lanka skipper, did not name a vice-captain.

“The prospective candidates are nursing injuries and their availability for the forthcoming tour is still in question,” the statement added.

All-rounder Angelo Mathews, 23, has been tipped for the role, but he is nursing a side strain suffered during the World Cup semi-final.

Dilshan, a right-handed batsman currently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), is expected to travel to Colombo this week to meet the selectors and pick the squad for England.

The tour runs from May to July and includes three Tests, five one-day games and a Twenty20 match.

The son of a police officer, Dilshan is the 11th full-time Sri Lankan skipper. He made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in 1999 and hit an unbeaten 163 in his second Test match in Harare.

His career took off in 2009 when he volunteered to open in all three forms of the game in Pakistan, exploiting attacking fields and amassing huge scores in all formats.

He scored 11 international hundreds in the year and won the World Twenty20 Player of the Series prize.

Dilshan also had an excellent World Cup, where he was the tournament`s highest scorer with 500 runs.

His appointment is expected to be a short-term move because he is not expected to be a candidate for the 2015 World Cup to be played in Australia and New Zealand.

McCullum stars in Kochi victory

2011-04-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

Kochi Tuskers Kerala batsman Brad Hodge watched by Chennai Super Kings wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as he plays a shot

KOCHI: Brendon McCullum smashed a rapidfire 47 to power Kochi Tuskers Kerala to a seven-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League match on Monday.

The New Zealander hit three sixes and four boundaries in his 33-ball knock as Kochi achieved a rain-revised target of 135 with two overs to spare in a match reduced to 17-overs-a-side.

It was Kochi’s second win and Chennai’s second defeat in four matches.

McCullum, who hit two sixes off South African paceman Albie Morkel early in his innings, added 51 off just six overs for the second wicket with Parthiv Patel, who scored a 26-ball 34.

The New Zealander eventually fell attempting a big shot as he was caught at long-off by Morkel off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who also dismissed skipper Mahela Jayawardene (16) to finish with 2-31.

Australian Brad Hodge (19 not out) and Ravindra Jadeja (16 not out) completed the victory with a 25-run stand for the unfinished fourth wicket off just two overs.

Chennai’s Suresh Raina earlier cracked a brisk 40-ball 50 with the help of one six and five fours to prop up the innings after the early dismissal of Australian Michael Hussey (eight).

Hussey was caught behind off paceman Rudra Pratap Singh, but Raina steadied the innings with two useful stands as he added 37 for the second wicket with Murali Vijay (28) and 48 for the next with Subramaniam Badrinath (19).

Opener Vijay hit six fours in his 18-ball knock before skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni made a 13-ball 14 not out, including a six off the last ball of the innings.

Brief scores:
Chennai Super Kings 131-4 in 17 overs (S. Raina 50, M. Vijay 28) lost to Kochi Tuskers Kerala 135-3 in 15 overs (B. McCullum 47, P. Patel 34; R. Ashwin 2-31) by seven wickets (D/L method).

Nadal beats Ferrer for seventh Monte Carlo crown

2011-04-18T02:46:00.000-07:00

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after defeating David Ferrer of Spain in the final match of the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters tournament in Monaco.

MONACO: Rafa Nadal continued his extraordinary love affair with the Monte Carlo Masters by sealing his seventh straight title on the Monaco clay after a 6-4 7-5 win over fellow Spaniard David Ferrer on Sunday.

The top seed, whose victory here last year made him the first man in the professional era to triumph in the same tournament six times in a row, showed few signs of letting his grip on the trophy loosen despite a generally scrappy display.

“King of Clay” Nadal first broke in the third game when his compatriot netted but Ferrer struck back immediately with his own break of serve thanks to an exquisite drop shot in the final of the first claycourt event of the European season.

However, Ferrer’s joy was short-lived with Nadal breaking next game and winning the first set before seizing the initiative in the second with a superb passing shot only to be broken in the eighth game and then hitting back for 6-5.

He leapt into the air with delight when Ferrer hit the net to seal his victory in one of the world’s most glamorous spots.

“It’s perhaps the best tournament in the world,” Nadal beamed after picking up a trophy he virtually owns.

“I congratulate David on his good start to the year and wish him well. For me today is very special, to win here seven times is much more than a dream. I could never have imagined it.”

TOO STRONG

Ferrer defeated an injured Nadal in the last eight of January’s Australian Open but this time the world number one, who beat Fernando Verdasco in the principality last year in another all-Spanish final, was too strong on his forehand.

Nadal won every claycourt event he entered last year and few would bet against him repeating the feat this season with the defence of his French Open title due next month after trips to Barcelona and the Masters events in Madrid and Rome.

The 24-year-old has arguably not been at his very best this week at the beachside event, and was pushed hard by Andy Murray in Saturday’s semi-final, but even the odd problem with his serve or failure to kill off a point have not cost him.

Novak Djokovic beat Nadal in his previous two finals on hardcourts this year but he pulled out of this tournament with a knee injury, robbing fans of the chance to see whether the Serb could threaten the Spaniard on his favoured clay surface.

Roger Federer lost in the quarter-finals when the Swiss had seemed on a collision course towards the final with his great rival Nadal, but fourth seed Ferrer put up a decent fight instead with his family watching from the sun-kissed galleries.

Other notable spectators at the Monte Carlo Country Club were Prince Albert of Monaco, who had a knockup on the courts before play, and U2 singer Bono, while a super yacht was anchored in the bay just below one of tennis’s most idyllic venues.

“Generally I’m happy, I’m happy with my game,” Ferrer told reporters. “I was a bit sad about certain moments.

Mumbai lose despite Tendulkar century

2011-04-15T23:11:00.001-07:00

Kochi Tuskers Kerala's Brendon McCullum looks back to see himself being bowled out by Mumbai Indians' Lasith Malinga.

MUMBAI: Brendon McCullum and Mahela Jayawardene hit robust half-centuries as Kochi Tuskers Kerala posted an eight-wicket win over Sachin Tendulkar’s Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday.

Skipper Tendulkar hammered an unbeaten 100 off just 66 balls for his maiden IPL hundred to help his side reach 182-2 before Kochi achieved the stiff target with six balls to spare for their first win in three matches.

New Zealander McCullum cracked a 60-ball 81 while Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene hit 56 off 36 balls before being yorked by compatriot Lasith Malinga, but not before the pair had put on 128 for the opening wicket.

McCullum hit two sixes and 10 fours and Jayawardene nine fours.

Ravindra Jadeja (25 not out) finished the match with two successive sixes off left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza as Mumbai suffered their first defeat in three games.

Tendulkar, needing 10 runs off the last four deliveries of the innings to complete the century on his home ground in Mumbai, hit two fours and took two singles off seamer Vinay Kumar.

The Mumbai captain, who smashed three sixes and 12 fours, added 116 for the second wicket with Ambati Rayudu, who hit four sixes in a 33-ball 53.

Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 182-2 in 20 overs (S. Tendulkar 100 not out, A. Rayudu 53) lost to Kochi Tuskers Kerala 184-2 in 19 overs (B. McCullum 81, M. Jayawardene 56, R. Jadeja 25 not out; L. Malinga 2-42) by eight wickets.

Murali slams SLC for calling back players from IPL

2011-04-15T23:11:00.000-07:00

Pune warriors Mohnish Mishra shakes hand with Kochi Tuskers Kerala cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan.

NEW DELHI: Retired spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan slammed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for asking its players to return home midway through the Indian Premier League (IPL) for a tour to England, saying the No Objection Certificate had permitted them to play till May 20.

“I think the board (SLC) has given them permission till May 20. I don’t know what happened suddenly. The players were told to come on May 5. It is the fault of SLC because they signed the NOC till May 20 so if they change it to May 5 it is something wrong,” Muralitharan, who quit international cricket after Sri Lanka’s defeat to India in the World Cup final early this month, said.

“Players will get demoralised because if they go back on May 5 they play half of the IPL and they are going to miss a lot.

SLC should have informed the players earlier, then the IPL franchises would understand and everyone would understand,” he said. Muralitharan said that the incident could spark “friction” between cricket boards of the two countries and SLC would lose a lot financially if it antagonises the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI).

“There’ll be a little bit of friction between the board (SLC) and the players and even the Indian Cricket Board. If the SLC is not going to support they are going to miss a lot from India, because when India tours Sri Lanka it is very important and if we are not playing in the Champions League Twenty20 we are going to lose some money. Friendship between India and Sri Lanka will be negative,” he said.

“We have $25 million of debt after World Cup. You don’t have to antagonise India because when India comes only we make money and survive, so I don’t know what’s going to happen.

“It might get sorted. These things happen between countries but in the end financially we depend on India, whatever said and done. SLC will have to be careful,” he told a news channel.

Meanwhile, Deccan Chargers captain Kumar Sangakkara said on Friday he will not rush back home immediately and will be continued playing in the the IPL till first week of May.

“Yes, we have been informed about the call but it is not going to happen immediately. I am not going back, at least not before May 5,” Sangakara says.

While things are finally beginning to look upbeat on the IPL front, one cannot ignore the call of duty,” he admits.

“See, it is up to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to decide when they want us to be in Sri Lanka. All I know is that the England tour involving Tests and ODIs are in the end of May, so we are not needed anytime soon. But we will have to go as and when they ask us to.”

Popularly called Sledgehammer Kumar for his power-packed knocks, Sangakara’s absence might create a vacuum in the team. Who is the next one capable of filling his shoes?

“Well, this is T20 cricket and there are so many capable and young players. Anybody can take on my responsibility, I don’t see the need to name one,” the captain modestly said.

The fact that the Sri Lankan players are called back has created the need to make some last-minute changes in Team Bagalore too. And captain Daniel Vettori doesn’t deny the fact.

When asked if he is looking for a replacement for Tillakaratne Dilshan, he says, “It is difficult to replace Dilshan as he is one of the finest batsmen we have. But with Sri Lankans being recalled back, we have to look for a replacement, which we are doing.”

Aisam ul Haq-Bopanna score impressive win over second seeds

2011-04-15T23:10:00.001-07:00

Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna broke their opponents' serve nine times and served three aces in the match.

Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan and his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna continued their impressive run at the Monte Carlo Masters with a straight-sets drubbing of second seeds Daniel Nestor and Max Mirny on Friday.

In their second consecutive match of the tournament, Qureshi and Bopanna scored a 6-1, 7-5 win over the grand-slam winning pair of Nestor and Mirny.

In the first set, the IndoPak Express breezed through to a formidable lead after breaking their opponents’ serve twice. At 2-1, it was Nestor who gave them the first break of serve and the South Asians held their own to make it 4-1. When it was Mirny’s turn to serve, Qureshi and Bopanna broke again to serve for the set in the next game and Qureshi duly obliged by closing the set 6-1 in 21 minutes.

Former world number one pair, Nestor and Mirny, came back into the match in the second set despite having been broken to go 1-2 down. Qureshi-Bopanna were broken next to make the score level and the set swayed between the two pairs, with serves being broken at regular intervals.

The IndoPak Express were soon serving for the match at 5-4 but the Canadian-Belarusian pair fought their way back to gain a break of serve only to get their own serve broken and concede a 5-6 lead. When Qureshi and Bopanna were serving for the match at 6-5, they faltered to go 30-0 down, but regained their composure and closed out the set and the match at 7-5.

While they are eighth in the ATP doubles rankings, Qureshi and Bopanna are playing their first clay-court Masters series and will hope to hone their skills on the surface before next month’s French Open.

They face the South American pair of Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) and Bruno Soares (Brazil) in the semi-final.

Kolkata ease to nine-wicket win over Rajasthan

2011-04-15T23:10:00.000-07:00

Gautam Gambhir cracked one six and 11 fours, including four boundaries in an over from seamer Amit Singh

JAIPUR: Jacques Kallis and Gautam Gambhir hit impressive half-centuries to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to a nine-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League on Friday.

South African Kallis top-scored with a 65-ball 80 not out while skipper Gambhir made an unbeaten 75 off just 44 balls as Kolkata achieved a 160-run target with nine deliveries to spare for their second win in three matches.

The pair added 152 for the unfinished second-wicket stand to ensure an easy victory for their team.

Left-handed Gambhir, caught off a no-ball when on 66, cracked one six and 11 fours, including four boundaries in an over from seamer Amit Singh. Kallis hit two sixes and seven fours in his third successive half-century.

It was the first defeat in three matches for Rajasthan, led by former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.

Kolkata spinners Yusuf Pathan (2-4) and Shakib Al Hasan (2-31) earlier shared four wickets to restrict Rajasthan despite a 25-ball 35 not out by New Zealander Ross Taylor.

Off-spinner Pathan bowled former India captain Rahul Dravid (35) and then held a return catch to account for Ashok Menaria (27) in the same over to put pressure on Rajasthan.

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Shakib struck with his third delivery when he had opener Amit Paunikar (nine) caught by Kallis.

He then got a big wicket when he bowled Australian all-rounder Shane Watson for 22, which came off just 13 balls with the help of two sixes.

Watson recently smashed a record 15 sixes in his career-best 185 not out in the second one-day international against Bangladesh in Dhaka.