Cricket - Funny Moments Collection

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Wayne Rooney gets warning for jibe at referee

London: Wayne Rooney was warned by the Football Association for mouthing the words "12 men" into a television camera after Manchester United's 1-0 defeat to Chelsea.

United were furious about John Terry's winner on Sunday, arguing both that the free-kick from which it came should not have been given, and that Didier Drogba committed a foul as Frank Lampard delivered a cross.

Rooney was booked for his protests to referee Martin Atkinson immediately after the goal.

Midfielder Darren Fletcher, who conceded the critical free-kick, suggested he is being victimised after Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger criticised tactical fouling following his side's defeat to United earlier in the season.

"I think we are starting to see Mr Wenger's comments starting to influence referees, which is a shame really," he said.

"It was clearly not a foul. I knew at the time and I have watched it again on the replay.

"I back-heeled the ball and (Ashley) Cole just jumps up in the air, and the ref gives a foul.

"Referees are the only people in the game you can't criticise. Managers and players can be criticised, but you can't criticise referees.

"Now we have to raise our game and ensure these decisions are not affecting the game.

Real crash out of cup against third-division Alcorcon

Madrid: Real Madrid crashed out of the Spanish King's Cup against third-division part-timers Alcorcon.

Real won the second leg 1-0, but go out on an emphatic 4-1 aggregate result because they astonishingly lost 4-0 in Alcorcon, an industrial suburb to the south of Madrid, in the first leg two weeks ago.

Real captain Raul on Tuesday sportingly congratulated the Alcorcon players and said that "they deserve this ... we have not played well, in either game".

Coach Manuel Pellegrini rested only Iker Casillas, Marcelo, Xabi Alonso and Karim Benzema for the match, which attracted almost 70,000 fans to the Estadio Bernabeu, most of who were hoping for a Real comeback.

Kaka and company were jeered off at half time after a sluggish start. They improved slightly after the interval but did not score until eight minutes from time, when Rafael Van der Vaart scored with a left-foot drive.

Three minutes later Gonzalo Higuain hit the Alcorcon crossbar, but time was running out fast for the most expensive team in history.

Alcorcon left the field to well-deserved applause, Real to jeers and boos.

Real have not won the King's Cup since 1993. Last season they were eliminated by third-division Union Irun, a setback that contributed to coach Bernd Schuster

The only good news for the whites Tuesday was that Cristiano Ronaldo was allowed to return to Madrid by the Portuguese football federation, after doctors confirmed the badly sprained right ankle that has kept him out of action for a month now.

To Real's relief, he will miss next week's World Cup play-offs between Portugal and Bosnia.

Real are desperate for Ronaldo to be fit for the Nov 29 "clasico" against league leaders Barcelona.

Barca are at home to third-division Cultural Leonesa later Tuesday in the cup. The match should be a formality, given that Barca won the away leg 2-0 on two goals from the promising Pedro Rodriguez.

Earlier on Tuesday, Valencia scraped through against third-division Alcoyano, on a 3-2 aggregate, while Sevilla thrashed Atletico Ciudad 9-3 overall, and Atletico Madrid beat Marbella on an 8-0 aggregate.

Drogba withdraws from Ivory Coast squad for qualifier

Abidjan: Didier Drogba has withdrawn from the Ivory Coast's World Cup qualifier against Guinea on Saturday through injury, the Ivorian Football Federation has said.

The Chelsea striker stayed behind in London for treatment after he was kicked in the chest by Manchester United defender Johnny Evans in Sunday's Premier League match at Stamford Bridge.

Drogba may be available for the side's friendly international against Germany in Gelsenkirchen next Wednesday.

Olympique Marseille striker Bakary Kone is also out of this weekend's match in Abidjan, although their absence will not be sorely missed as the Ivorians have already qualified for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

Bosman, Smith run riot as SA crush England

Centurion: Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman went on a six-hitting spree as South Africa gained a crushing 84-run win over England in the second and final Twenty20 international at SuperSport Park on Sunday.

Smith and Bosman shared a world record opening partnership of 170 off 81 balls in a South African total of 241 for six, the second-highest in Twenty20 internationals.

England, who won the rain-affected first match on Friday by just one run, struggled to 157 for eight in reply.

Stand-in England captain Alastair Cook had a baptism of fire as sixes flew into the crowd. A total of 17 sixes and 19 fours were hit in the innings.

Smith hit six sixes and eight fours as he made 88 off 44 balls, while Bosman cleared the boundary nine times and hit four fours in making 94 off 45 deliveries.

Only 14 runs were scored off the first three overs before Smith and Bosman went on the rampage, with 21 runs hit off Sajid Mahmood's first over.

Ironically, Smith was bowled off a free hit delivery after a no-ball, while Bosman was caught at mid-off in the same over off a second no-ball.

Another 72 runs were scored off the next four overs as Cook rotated his bowlers without success.

With his regular bowlers taking a hammering, Cook turned to part-time spinner Joe Denly, who had Smith caught at long-on off his first ball.

Three more batsmen, including man of the match Bosman, fell to catches in the deep as South Africa tried to maintain the momentum of the opening partnership.

Smith said he was pleased with a clinical performance by South Africa. "I was disappointed on Friday night when the rain came down because I thought we could have got home there too. We started well with the bat and I was most impressed with the bowlers," he said.

Cook was leading England because Paul Collingwood was ruled out with a back injury. "Smith and Bosman took the game away from us," said Cook. "The margins for error were very slim, especially the way they played."

But Cook said England would take heart from having shared the series 1-1, after winning by one run on the Duckworth/Lewis method in Johannesburg last Friday.

"We'll take that into another form of the game," he said of a five-match one-day series starting in Johannesburg on Friday.

Collingwood's injury meant an earlier-than-planned return to action for star batsman Kevin Pietersen, who had not been expected to play before a 50-overs match against South Africa A after joining the touring party late following heel surgery.

Pietersen made 29 off 19 balls, second only to Jonathan Trott, who top-scored with 51.

South Africa's total was the highest in a Twenty20 match between Test nations and second only to the 260 for six made by Sri Lanka against Kenya in the 2007 World Twenty20 in Johannesburg.

I enjoy cricket like a 16-year-old: Tendulkar

New Delhi: So much in India has changed since 1989 that you can now virtually not recongnise the country, but there has been one constant indulgence and that person's name is Sachin Tendulkar. CNN-IBN's Sports Editor Gaurav Kalra spoke to the Indian batting maestro, who completed 20 years of international cricket on November 15, 2009.

CNN-IBN: Do you still remember the Karachi morning of November 15, 1989?

Sachin Tendulkar: Yes, I remember. I remember that we fielded first and after the first day, I was so tired that I went to hotel and went to sleep at 6:30 and then woke up at 8:30. I had dinner and then again went on to sleep. Salil Ankola was my room partner and I remember discussing with him that how tiring the first day in Test cricket was and I never thought it will be that tiring.

CNN-IBN: At 16, you were a Test cricketer.

Sachin Tendulkar: Yes, at 16 I got an opportunity and I was grateful but it was an experience. That match was something. It was Kapil Dev's 100th Test match and also Waqar Younis' debut Test.

CNN-IBN: Did you experience stage fright at that point? Did you ever think this is not where I belong just yet?

Sachin Tendulkar: I definitely felt that way. When I was going out to bat in the first innings, the entire stadium was going berserk and it was Wasim Akram bowling from one end and Waqar Younis charging in from the other. I didn't know what was happening.

For a good six-seven minutes, I had no clue what was happening. That entire innings is kind of a blur now. I don't know precisely what happened on each ball. Normally, I do remember but I don't remember much of that innings. But I remember when I got out and came back inside I told myself: 'what have you done? This was not expected out of you. You were supposed to go out there and do well.' I was extremely disappointed and I started doubting my ability and I started thinking if I really belong here.

CNN-IBN: What will you say have been the highest and the lowest points in your international career of 20 years?

Sachin Tendulkar: There have been many wonderful moments. But if I have to single out one, it has to be the 2003 World Cup match against Pakistan. The entire atmosphere was something special. Exactly a year before that, people had started counting the number of days left for that match. So that has to be the special match. And the lowest point probably was the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.

CNN-IBN: Twenty years is a lot in modern sport. You have to play so much that you have been ravaged by injuries. Has there ever been an occasion where you have said: 'this hurts too much. I have done enough and now I need to give up.' Has that thought ever come into your mind?

Sachin Tendulkar: Not like that. At no stage, I have felt that I should stop and I have had enough. There have been occasions when I have felt that my body is not feeling great. I need to work harder in the gym and get myself in a good condition.

I precisely remember the tennis elbow injury. It was the worst injury I have had so far. It was a difficult phase. I tried every possible treatment but nothing worked. After getting operated which was the last option, and I was pushed to an extent that I had to undergo a surgery.

After that, again I was not feeling great. By then I had become so impatient, I wanted to get back to action and I wanted to start playing. My progress was not taking place at the rate one would have expected. But the doctors said that you just need to be patient. It will get better. Everything will be fine. It just requires time. In between the pressure was so much. I was getting scared at times that I may not be able to play cricket again. I could not even lift my son's cricket bat. There was no strength and there was vast amount of muscle loss.

I was just praying to God that I get one more opportunity. I don't want to stop playing cricket. There are some crazy things I have done. I could not sleep at night. So, I used to go for drives alone. I was so mentally disturbed because I did not want my career to end.

CNN-IBN: A lot of people have spoken of this rivalry between you, Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting. When you see them performing, do you see them as competition?

Sachin Tendulkar: Not really. I have followed Brian's cricket closely. He is a good friend of mine. We shared various things with each other. We discussed how he would approach a particular match or, what would be my mental setup. But at no stage I felt we have competed as such.

CNN-IBN: Recently, Sunil Gavaskar told CNN-IBN that if there was one little area of concern with Tendulkar's legacy it will be in his two stints as captain, he was a little inflexible. In your own mind, do you see captaincy as a failure.

Sachin Tendulkar: I don't because captaincy has a lot to do with how the team performs. And by no means, I am saying that the players didn't want to perform. Every time a player walks out, he wants to do well.

But when we went to Australia, on the entire tour, we never went past 25--260 runs. How are you going to win if you score 250 runs in a Test match? All these factors are there and I don't blame anyone. Some times, it's just luck.

I remember when we were playing in Sharjah and I was captain and against the West Indies, a leg-spinner was bowling and I sent Robin Singh up the order but he got out on the first ball. There was flexibility. But exactly a week later, Azhar was the captain and he promoted Robin in Bangladesh against Pakistan and the same Robin Singh played brilliantly. He scored 86 or 88 in no time. Not that he didn't want to do well in Sharjah but sometimes things don't work out.

CNN-IBN: You have spoken about the passion for playing for India. Do you feel that the energy of the young brigade in the current Indian team has given you them impetus to go on in international cricket or are your goals completely self-driven?

Sachin Tendulkar: How I feel personally is more important. I may have youngsters in the team but if within me (the motivation) is not there, then it can never happen.

I feel very strongly about cricket. Cricket has given me everything in life and even today I enjoy cricket like a 16-year-old. The enthusiasm, the satisfaction, the art of out-thinking the opposition is what I love.

CNN-IBN: Did the 175 against Australia in Hyderabad hurt more or the 136 against Pakistan in Chennai because of the performance you put in but still your team lost

Sachin Tendulkar: I think both hurt me a lot. I know everyone was happy but in a team we think differently and as a player we think differently. I was disappointed. I was happy that I was able to go so close but my hurdle was not crossed and I felt terrible.

CNN-IBN: Will we be talking in five years time, celebrating 25 years of Sachin Tendulkar in international cricket?

Sachin Tendulkar: I don't know about that. But I want to thank the entire nation for all the support and for all the love.

CNN-IBN: We will put a little more pressure on you and ask you to get 13 more hundreds so that you can have 100 hundreds.

Sachin Tendulkar: May be by god's grace but I will continue to enjoy the game and what has to happen will happen.

Determined Dravid clobbers ton to rescue India

Ahmedabad: Rahul Dravid notched up his 27th Test century immediately after tea as India continued their recovery act from the pre-lunch collapse in the first Test against Sri Lanka here on Monday.

Dravid, who stood rock-like in his inimitable fashion, was unbeaten on 98 as India reached 221 for five at tea, having faced 54 overs after skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni chose to bat first in the morning.

The hosts, who were tottering at 32 for four before recovering to 105 without further loss in the first session, added 116 runs in 29 overs between lunch and tea for the loss of Yuvraj Singh's wicket in the post-lunch period.

Yuvraj, not out 35 at lunch, added 33 more with some aggressive batting before becoming wily off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan's first victim in the match.

Yuvraj and Dravid, who brought the Indian innings on an even keel after the home team was rocked in the first half hour by rookie left-arm pacer Chanaka Welegedara, put on 125 runs for the fifth wicket in only 129 balls and under three hours.

Dravid, who remained unconquered at the tea break after batting for 223 minutes and facing 157 balls, and Dhoni (29 in 48 balls), ensured that the home team did not lose any more wicket while putting on an unfinished half century stand worth 64 runs.

Dravid, playing each ball on merit and uncorking splendid clips off toes and drives to covers and to the on-side, and a belligerent-looking Yuvraj, carried on from the lunch-time score of 105 for four when the second session of play began.

The duo looked comfortable against the double pace attack employed by Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara.

Dravid started off aggressively by crunching Dhammika Prasad for three fours, the first of which being a superb on-drive that helped him to his 58th half century in 74 balls with five fours and a six in it.

The 36-year-old Bangalore stalwart, who was playing in his 135th Test, played second fiddle as his partner Yuvraj went on the offensive after the duo raised their century partnership in quick time (109 minutes) and off 146 balls.

His fifth wicket partner, the left-handed Yuvraj steered Angelo Mathews behind point for his ninth four to complete his seventh fifty in 29th match in only 77 balls.

Yuvraj, who played superb drives but also edged a few balls short and wide of the slip cordon, was hit on the shoulder by a short ball from Dhammika Prasad, but responded with a four then fell in the next over of Muralitharan.

He stepped out of the crease to the wily off-spinner and, finding himself in no man's land, chose to defend only for the ball to pop up high to give a dolly catch to Tillekaratne Dilshan at short covers.

Dravid and skipper Dhoni, who stepped into the breach when the score read 157 for five, were unseparated at tea.

Chanaka Welegedara, playing in only his second Test spread over two years, led the Lankan assault on the much-vaunted Indian batting line-up and dismissed the top three batsmen in a fiery opening spell to leave the hosts struggling at 31 for three.

Swinging the ball in late, the 28-year-old struck three big blows, including two in four balls, to bring down the home team on its knees and raise visions of a repeat of the last Test here when India were bowled out by South Africa for 76 in 20 overs in the opening session in April, 2008.

Welegedera's first spell read a splendid 7-2-28-3 and his victims were openers Gautam Gambhir (1), Virender Sehwag (16) and champion batsman Sachin Tendulkar (4), whose celebrations as he stepped into his 21st year in the international game were rudely halted by the superb bowling.

Right arm pacer Dammika Prasad, playing in only his fourth Test, struck another blow from the other end to send back V V S Laxman for a duck that left India punch-drunk at 32 for four before Dravid and Yuvraj stemmed the rot.

FA punish Man U boss Ferguson with ban, fine

London: Manchester United Manager Alex Ferguson was handed a four-match touchline ban, two of which were suspended, and fined 20,000 pounds ($33,150) by the English FA on Thursday for insulting referee Alan Wiley last month.

At a personal hearing in London, Ferguson, 67, admitted a charge of improper conduct for questioning Wiley's suitability to officiate following United's 2-2 draw with Sunderland at Old Trafford on October 3.

Ferguson said Wiley was not fit enough to referee the game. Peter Griffiths, the Chairman of the FA's Regulatory Commission told the FA's website (www.thefa.com): "Each member of the Commission recognised Sir Alex Ferguson's achievements and stature within the game.”

"Having said that, it was made clear to Sir Alex that with such stature comes increased responsibilities." "The Commission considered his admitted remarks, in the context in which they were made, were not just improper but were grossly improper and wholly inappropriate. He should never have said what he did say."

Ferguson criticised Wiley in a television interview, saying "He was not fit enough for a game of that standard." "The pace of the game demanded a referee who was fit. It is an indictment of our game. You see referees abroad who are as fit as butcher's dogs," Ferguson said.

"We have some who are fit. He was not fit. He was taking 30 seconds to book a player. He needed a rest. It was ridiculous."

Ferguson also criticised referee Martin Atkinson after Manchester United lost 1-0 at Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday. "You lose faith in the refereeing sometimes - that's the way the players are talking in there," he said after the match.

The FA, however, said on Monday he would not be facing action from them over those comments.

Benayoun, Riera add to Liverpool injury woes

London: Wingers Yossi Benayoun and Albert Riera added to Liverpool's injury woes on Friday when both were ruled out for up to a month due to hamstring problems.

''We will have to wait and see how they progress but hopefully in three weeks they could be available,'' manager Rafa Benitez told the club's website.

''We are disappointed because there are too many things at the moment we can't change. Both players are wingers as well and for them to be out at the same time is bad news for us.''

Liverpool are seventh in the Premier League, 11 points behind leaders Chelsea, and also in danger of making an early exit from the Champions League.

There was better news on other injured players, with Benitez hoping the international break would allow his depleted squad time to recover for the next game against Manchester City on November 21.

BAD TIME

''Sometimes a break comes at a bad time because you don't like to see your players flying all over the world but this time it gives us a chance to get some players back,'' said the Spaniard.

Benitez said defender Daniel Agger, who suffered a knock in the 2-2 draw against Birmingham City on Monday and withdrew from Denmark's friendlies against South Korea and United States, could be back in training in a few days.

The condition of right back Glen Johnson, who pulled out of England's squad for Saturday's friendly against Brazil, was also encouraging.

''Hopefully it's not too serious and he could be available again in a week,'' said Benitez.

Spain striker Fernando Torres will need two or three weeks treatment on his groin strain.

''I was talking with him this morning and he is doing well,'' said Benitez. ''Hopefully he can be running in a few days and we will see how he progresses.''

Maradona feels mistreated and persecuted

Madrid: Argentina coach Diego Maradona feels mistreated and persecuted but says he is focusing on his job, family and the support of "ordinary people".

Maradona, who will appear before a FIFA disciplinary committee in Zurich on Sunday over his foul-mouthed rant after last month's World Cup qualifier in Uruguay, told Spain's Marca newspaper that many people were out to get him.

"Much worse things have been said and there are people who do terrible things in soccer...," the paper quoted Maradona as saying in an interview conducted in Madrid on Wednesday.

"I am taking refuge in my team, my family, my daughters and in ordinary people from the street," added the 49-year-old.

"Lest nobody forget, people in Argentina, from the street, are showing me a lot of affection, they greet me and love me just like always.

"And I am focusing on that, on the people without microphones, not on what the media says."

Maradona could be sidelined from matches in next year's finals in South Africa if FIFA decide to hand down a stadium ban for his outburst at the end of the 1-0 win that guaranteed Argentina a place at the tournament.

Maradona rounded on his critics immediately after the final whistle in Montevideo, unleashing a stream of invective when interviewed on the touchline and another outburst in a post-match media conference broadcast live on several television networks.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter announced two days later that disciplinary proceedings would be opened.

"If anyone wants to take it badly, then let them take it badly," Maradona told Marca.

"I said what I said and that's where we stand. On Sunday I will go and say what I have to say to FIFA and that'll be that."

The volatile 1986 World Cup winner had been heavily criticised for defeats to Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil and Paraguay that took Argentina to the brink of failing to reach the World Cup finals for the first time since 1970.

The Argentina Football Federation has sent a report to FIFA, saying: "Maradona was acting in a state of violent emotion over arguments with journalists in the days before the match."

Maradona compared his situation with that of Mexico coach Javier Aguirre, who was banned for three matches by regional soccer body CONCACAF in July after clashing with Panama midfielder Ricardo Phillips during a Gold Cup group match.

"I say, as a joke, that if I had done that flying kick that Aguirre did against Panama they would sentence me to life imprisonment,

FIFA bans Maradona from football for 2 months

Zurich: Argentina coach Diego Maradona has been given a two-month ban and fined over $24,000 following his globally-broadcast foul-mouthed outburst at the end of last month's decisive World Cup qualifier in Uruguay.

Maradona, who as a player was kicked out of the 1994 World Cup for a doping offence, was handed the ban by FIFA's disciplinary committee on Sunday.

Soccer's governing body said in a statement: "The FIFA disciplinary committee...decided today to impose a two-month ban on taking part in any football related activity and a 25,000 CHF ($24,630) fine on the head coach of Argentina Diego Maradona, in relation to the disciplinary proceedings related to the incidents following the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying match between Uruguay and Argentina played on Oct. 14 2009 in Montevideo."

The statement added: "The committee took into consideration the apologies and the sincere remorse shown by Maradona in its decision, which was communicated to him at the end of the meeting."

Maradona flew from Madrid, where his side lost 2-1 to Spain in a friendly on Saturday, to Zurich to appear before the tribunal in person.

Maradona rounded on his critics after Argentina beat arch-rivals Uruguay 1-0 in Montevideo in October to secure their berth in the South Africa in the last game of an 18-match qualifying campaign.

Another outburst

He launched into an expletive-filled rant when interviewed on the touchline and produced another outburst in the post-match media conference, which was broadcast live on several television networks.

The 1986 World Cup winner had been heavily criticised for defeats against Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil and Paraguay that left twice world champions Argentina on the brink of failing to reach the World Cup for the first time since 1970.

Appointed in October last year, Maradona's coaching credential have been repeatedly questioned.

He has called up more than 70 players for 14 matches -- eight qualifiers and six friendlies -- and been criticised for his team selections.

The Argentina Football Association (AFA) had told FIFA in a report: "Maradona was acting in a state of violent emotion over arguments with journalists in the days before the match."

Maradona's tenure has been marked by clashes with players, coaches, journalists and directors since he took charge midway through the qualifiers in Oct. 2008 following the resignation of Alfio Basile.

The controversy began less than one week after he took over when a row over the AFA's refusal to let him appoint former captain Oscar Ruggeri as assistant coach led to speculation that he could quit.

Playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, a central figure at the 2006 World Cup and for Basile in the 2010 qualifiers, quit saying Maradona did not live by "the same codes".

Maradona has also had differences with 1986 World Cup-winning coach Carlos Bilardo, who was appointed the AFA's technical director of national teams.

Bilardo appeared to have been named as someone whom Maradona could turn to for support but the coach has said he will make all the decisions and the older man should "stay up in the directors' box in suit and tie" with AFA president Julio Grondona.

Did big bucks buy Yankees the world series?

Did big bucks buy Yankees the world series?

So the big money spending New York Yankees won the World Series the other night. After throwing hundreds of millions of dollars at CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and A.J. Burnett they finally got back to the World Series and won it. Checking the list of World Series winners I see it had been 8 years since they had won it all. Is all those millions of dollars George Steinbrenner shells out really worth winning a World Series once every eight years.

They did win 3 World Series in a row from 1998- 2000 and have won a total of 7 since George Steinbrenner and a group of investors bought the New York Yankees for 10 million dollars back in 1973, that’s 7 World Series wins in 30 years. In the 96 years since they’ve been named the New York Yankees they have won a total of 27 World Series titles. I don’t really know when team owners started shelling out big bucks for free agents but I’m sure the majority of the Yankees titles and other teams as well was won without the big payrolls that you see today.

You’ve probably guessed that I’m not a big New York Yankees fan and I’m not. I just think spending hundreds of millions of dollars for top free agents is not good for baseball. It’s not just the Yankees, several teams spend big bucks on players and the majority of the other teams are left fielding good players but have no chance in getting the great ones they would need to make their team better.

Luckily spending big bucks usually doesn’t lead to winning the World Series. The Yankees are a perfect example of that, in 30 years under The Boss’s ownership they’ve won 7 titles. So George is batting .233, when you look at it that way George is very mediocre

Vettori undergoes scan after injury

DUBAI: New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori was given the all-clear on Thursday after undergoing a scan on a head injury suffered during the second One-day International against Pakistan, a team official said.

The 30-year-old was ruled out of the first Twenty20 game here on Thursday after the incident brought on vomiting, but New Zealand manager Dave Currie said Vettori was given all-clear.

"The scan report is clear, but Vettori had concussion and will be continuously monitored. He will not be available for the second Twenty20 match on Friday," said Currie.

Vettori was hit on the grill of the helmet and had not felt well in the last few days.

He vomited on Thursday afternoon, so on doctor"s advice was sent for a CT scan.

"The doctors have advised a couple of weeks rest," said Currie. That advice leaves Vettori in doubt for the first of three Tests against Pakistan starting at Dunedin on November 25.

The injury-hit New Zealanders had just 12 players to choose from before the first of the two Twenty20 Internationals.

Kallis: We have a plan for Morgan

Kallis: We have a plan for Morgan

Jacques Kallis has revealed that South Africa will have a plan for Eoin Morgan on Sunday and for the one-day international series that gets under way next week.

The England batsman hurt South Africa at the Wanderers last night with an exceptional display in which he smashed 85 from 45 balls to help the tourists win the first Twenty20 encounter by one run on the Duckworth/Lewis method.

Veteran all-rounder Kallis missed that game but will be back at Centurion on Sunday as a batsman as he inches towards full recovery from a side strain that prevented him from bowling in the recent series against Zimbabwe.

He said: "He (Morgan) played really well, hit some really big sixes and is quite adaptable as well.

"He's quite a tough guy to bowl to, but we have sat down and come up with a few ideas which we will hopefully implement tomorrow and over the next few one day games.

"Hopefully that works for us."

Morgan was not the only tormentor for the Proteas with Paul Collingwood (57) and the rain also playing crucial roles.

After England had piled on 202 for six, the home side looked on course for victory at 127 for three after 13 overs before the heavens opened and ruined their chances of a win - which they would have had if they scored two runs more at that stage.

Kallis continued: "I don't think I can recall a game where Duckworth/Lewis has actually worked for us, it's always seems to hurt us."

However, the 34-year-old believes that not much can be read into the result, insisting it will have no bearing on the remainder of the series.

He added: "I think both sides walked away from that game - England having felt that they won the game but not really won it and we having walked away like we lost it but not really having lost it.

"I don't think too much will be read into it. It's really sad that the weather did come into it because it was a sort of game that was setting the tone for what's going to be an unbelievable summer, I think."

Dinesh Karthik receives one-match ban

Dinesh Karthik receives one-match ban

Dinesh Karthik, Tamil Nadu`s captain, has been banned for one Ranji Trophy match after being found guilty of breaching the BCCI Code of Conduct and has been warned over his future conduct. Karthik, the wicketkeeper-batsman, was found guilty of a Level 1 and 2 offence during Tamil Nadu`s Super League match against Gujarat in Ahmedabad.

Sanjay Patil, the match referee, found him guilty of breaching Level 1 and 2 of the conduct rulebook, which refers to bringing the game into disrepute by excessive appealing and charging toward the umpire. Karthik was fined 75% of his match fee and will not be available for Tamil Nadu`s next match against Punjab in Amritsar starting November 17.

The incident took place when Jay Desai was on 68 during Gujarat`s second innings and Karthik excessively appealed for a catch off offspinner R Ashwin, who was also issued a verbal warning for arguing with the umpire. Desai went on to score 108 as the match ended in a draw.

Elsewhere, in Mohali, Hyderabad captain VVS Laxman was fined 20% of his match fee for bowling five overs less during Punjab`s second innings. The rest of his team-mates were docked 10% of their match fees per the BCCI`s ruling. Punjab just escaped copping a fine after their captain Ankur Kakkar rushed through 20 overs during the last hour of play on the final day, using a bunch of spinners.

At the Eden Gardens, match referee Sanjib Paul fined both Bengal and Baroda captains, Connor Williams and Laxmi Shukla, 20% of their match fees for a slow over-rate. The players were fined 10% each. Satyajit Parab, on whose classy 154 Baroda made merry against the hosts, was given an official reprimand for aggressive appealing during Bengal`s innings.

We need modern coach: Imran

We need modern coach: Imran

LONDON: Imran Khan on Thursday asked the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to replace national team coach Intikhab Alam with a younger and modern trainer, saying that only by embracing new technology can national cricket progress in the right direction.

The former Pakistan captain said that Intikhab belongs to a different era and is not the right choice to coach the national team.


“I believe that we need a more modern coach, who can take our team in the right direction,” said Imran, who arrived here on a personal visit on Thursday.

Imran decided to throw his weight behind Younis Khan, saying that the PCB should support him. “Younis is a courageous captain but he needs all the support.”

Imran also backed Younis Khan, who was criticised for branding Twenty20 cricket as mere ‘fun’ cricket. “Younis is right in saying Twenty20 matches are just about entertainment.”

Imran refused to predict the eventual winner in the ongoing World Twenty20 championship saying that predictions is risky business when it comes to the slam-bang format.

“Twenty20 is completely unpredictable. I mean one day you will see Australia getting thrown out of the first round and then the Netherlands winning against England.”

Imran said that Friday’s clash between Pakistan and Sri Lanka was a huge match for both sides adding that Younis Khan’s men can win it if they play to their potential.

We can floor Sri Lanka, says Younis

We can floor Sri Lanka, says Younis

LONDON: Pakistan captain Younis Khan declared on Thursday that his team has the potential to floor Sri Lanka in its World Twenty20 Super Eights match here at Lord’s.

“Sri Lanka are a good side. But its also a good chance for us because I believe that if we make things right at the right time, we can beat them easily.”

Younis played down the threat posed by Sri Lanka’s spin duo of Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis, saying that his batters have a plan to deal with them.

“We are used to the Sri Lankan spinners now,” said Younis, whose team bounced back from a crushing 48-run defeat to beat the Dutch by 82 runs and qualify for the Super Eights.

“My batsmen will play well against them. Because of cold conditions the ball might not break here at Lord’s tomorrow. But that said, if you play your shots against a

bowler like Mendis, there is always a chance that you might give away your wicket.”

Younis almost rules out the inclusion of seasoned all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, saying that it would be difficult for the player to take the field against Sri Lanka after arriving here just before the Super Eights match.

“I don’t think it’s possible for him to come here after 16 or 17 hours of travel and then take part in the match right away.”

Hussey certain of Test place

SYDNEY: Michael Hussey believes his improved results since the end of the Ashes series should gain him a start in the first Test of the Australian summer.

With a big push for Phillip Hughes and uncertainty over Shane Watson"s role as an opener, Hussey"s place has been under heavy scrutiny for the opening game against West Indies from November 26.

However, Hussey"s excellent one-day series in India, where he scored 313 runs at 104.33, has given him confidence and he is one of seven players who have been rested from next week"s Sheffield Shield matches. The move indicates the selectors want Hussey and the rest of the group to have a break before the first Test.

Ricky Ponting, Mitchell Johnson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, Shane Watson and Nathan Hauritz will not feature in the state games following the heavy schedule during their winter.

While the team was in India Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said deciding on Hussey"s future would be one of the most difficult calls, but his stance has softened as the batsman"s performances have improved.

"I think scoring a hundred in my last Test (at The Oval) hopefully helps, and scoring runs on this tour hopefully really helps as well,"" Hussey told AAP.

"But certainly my results haven"t been as I would have liked in the last 12 months.

"There"s always going to be speculation if you"re not putting performances on the board. I feel like, in the last few months, I have been able to put performances on the board, so hopefully that stands up well for the selectors."

Hussey expects his position to be analysed closely by Hilditch and his panel. "I just hope that they retain the faith in me," he said, "and I hope I can repay them if selected."

Tom Moody, the Western Australia coach, was shocked by the decision to rest Hussey and Mitchell Johnson from their Sheffield Shield game against Victoria on Tuesday. "They haven"t played a longer form of the game since the last Test match in England, so it"s a significant difference in batting and bowling and standing in the field for potentially a day-and-a-half," Moody said. "You need that condition.

20 years on, Tendulkar takes fresh guard

NEW DELHI: Sachin Tendulkar begins a third decade in world cricket next week, insisting he is still as passionate to play for India as he was as a wide-eyed teenager 20 years ago.

"My love for cricket and the honour of playing for my country have kept me motivated all these years," said Tendulkar, 36, ahead of the first Test against Sri Lanka starting in Ahmedabad on Monday.

"Cricket is my life and I am lucky and absolutely honoured that I have been able to wear the India cap for 20 years."

The Ahmedabad match will be Tendulkar"s 160th Test appearance surpassed only by retired former Australian captain Steve Waugh"s tally of 168 since his debut aged 16 against Pakistan in Karachi on November 15, 1989.

He has risen to become the world"s most successful batsman in both Test and one-day cricket, a result of both his unparalleled genius with the bat and amazing longevity in the game.

The world was a different place when Tendulkar began. No one sent e-mails or browsed the world wide web, Nelson Mandela was still in jail, the Soviet Union had not broken up and mobile phones had not become a way of life.

When he started, Tendulkar"s current captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was an eight-year-old schoolboy and team-mates Ravindra Jadeja and Virat Kohli were barely a few months old.

"We call him "grandpa" in the dressing room," joked compatriot Yuvraj Singh. "But he is just amazing. He has achieved everything there is to achieve, but still wants to improve with every game.

"Frankly, I can"t think of an Indian team without Tendulkar."

Among post-war cricketers whose careers spanned 20 years were Pakistanis Imran Khan and Mushtaq Mohammad, West Indian Garfield Sobers, Colin Cowdrey of England and Bobby Simpson of Australia.

But Tendulkar has scaled the summit, scoring more Test runs (12,773) and centuries (42), and more one-day runs (17,178) and hundreds (45) than any other batsman.

And he is not done yet. One of his cherished dreams is to win the World Cup in front of millions of worshipping home fans when India co-hosts the 2011 showpiece with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Tendulkar has appeared in five World Cups and helped India reach the final in South Africa in 2003, but Sourav Ganguly"s men failed to emulate Kapil Dev"s winning feat in England in 1983.

Tendulkar, born in a middle-class family of a Marathi novelist and named after famous Bollywood music director Sachin Dev Burman, is a multi-millionaire in a country where he is revered like a demi-god.

But retirement has not even crossed his mind despite the wear and tear of a 20-year grind that has left him nursing injuries to the shoulder, elbow, back, hamstring and feet.

"I know there is lot of cricket left in me because I am still enjoying it," said Tendulkar. "I am not thinking of retirement. At some stage, I will have to, but I don"t need to think of it right now."

Team-mates and rivals alike rejoice at his feats. Australian spin legend Shane Warne rated Tendulkar as number one on his list of 50 contemporary cricketers prepared for the London-based Times newspaper.

Former captain Ganguly calls him "the king of cricket", West Indian great Viv Richards, one of Tendulkar"s childhood heroes, regards him as "99.5 percent perfect."

Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara says the Indian is the "greatest modern cricketer."

For his countless fans, Tendulkar is a joy to behold. For there may never be another like him again.

Symonds ends break to join Bulls

SYDNEY: Andrew Symonds" Queensland comeback will begin on Saturday (today) after he answered a call to help out the injury-depleted one-day side in Alice Springs.

Symonds, who had his Cricket Australia contract torn up in May, was due to play only Twenty20 matches for the state as a guest signing, but a recurrence of Chris Swan"s groin problem and a knee injury for Glen Batticciotto led to an early return.

Symonds agreed on Wednesday to join the FR Cup squad to face South Australia and will be paid on a match contract. Queensland"s selection chairman Ray Phillips said Symonds had been waiting for the call.

Queensland were prepared to include Symonds in their squad but he did not want to commit to a full season. His last major tournament was the Champions League Twenty20 in India, where his side the Deccan Chargers were knocked out in the first round.

Gayle wants tour to mark new beginning

BRISBANE: Chris Gayle wants West Indies" tour of Australia to be the new beginning the region desperately needs after another round of strikes and disputes.

While Gayle was a key figure in the four-month boycott as the side"s captain, he is now charged with leading the reunification process that starts with the three-Test series of Australia.

It won"t be easy as the old players mix with the new but one benefit of their marathon trip from the Caribbean to Brisbane, extended by half a day due to a delay in London, was that the 15-man squad has had plenty of bonding time. Before they departed the players spoke about leaving the distractions at home. While they were in the air Viv Richards was saying Gayle would have to change his attitude to show he wanted to be in charge.

Gayle is one of the most targeted men in the game, mostly for his love of lucrative one-day leagues over Test cricket. Now he is hoping to focus on peace and unity. "That"s life," he said of Richards" comments. "I am trying to move on, it doesn"t make sense to fight with each other. That"s not the real cause to be here (in Australia)."

While Gayle is so laidback even when severely jet-lagged that he makes hippies seem stressed, he could snap if the criticism continues from the big names back home. "Our main focus is to represent West Indies well," he said after the side finally arrived in Brisbane on Friday afternoon.

"The negativity, I won"t take it on too much unless something might trigger out a line, and then I"ll have to take it on, but that"s the situation. If that situation occurs we"ll deal with it at that point in time."

Since Gayle"s last Test in England in May, West Indies have lost at home to Bangladesh while the main players were on strike over the pay and contractual disputes. He arrived in England a couple of days before the opening match, preferring to boost his bank balance with more games in the IPL, and was soon back-tracking after saying he wouldn"t be so sad if Test cricket died.

When asked on Friday what the series in the Caribbean last year which Australia won 2-0 meant, Gayle said he couldn"t remember much about it. The critics would say it showed his lack of interest in the game"s traditional format but he did miss two games of that campaign with a groin injury and his head has been in the clouds for most of the week.

He does regret the damage caused by the strike that fractured an already split cricket region.

"That"s the last thing we wanted to do, bring the game into disrepute," he said. "Having said all that, it"s after. This is a new beginning and hopefully things can be better from here on in."

As captain Gayle is now working with David Williams, the coach, and Joel Garner, the manager, in moulding the group into a unified unit. However, he knows they are starting from behind following the Bangladesh defeat and their early exit at the Champions Trophy.

West Indies squad: Chris Gayle (capt), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Brendan Nash, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor, Gavin Tonge.

England ride on Morgan masterclass

England ride on Morgan masterclass

England's new fearless batting approach, led by an audacious 45-ball 85 from Eoin Morgan, got their international winter off to a winning start, but it required an accurate over from James Anderson to secure England the opening Twenty20 international. After posting 202 for 6, their highest score in Twenty20s, England turned the D/L equation into their favour after South Africa had been in the winning position an over before and when a thunderstorm arrived at the Wanderers the home side needed to be 129 after 13 overs, but Anderson had conceded just six from his third over to put England ahead of the rate.

Although England will happily take the result it was an unfulfilling end to a match packed with powerful hitting as Morgan led the way, with England's highest individual Twenty20 score, adding 98 in nine overs with Paul Collingwood who clubbed 57 off 32 deliveries in a full-blooded batting performance. They certainly lived up to the promise of not taking a backward step after coming out of their shells during the Champions Trophy.

South Africa responded through Loots Bosman as he cracked 58 off 31 balls, adding 97 for the first wicket with Graeme Smith in 8.3 overs, before England claimed crucial wickets. Collingwood deserves credit for making the right call in recalling Anderson to the attack, after South Africa moved ahead of the D/L target when Albie Morkel swung Graeme Swann for six.

Alastair Cook pulled off a vital diving save at backward point to prevent a certain boundary from Anderson's second ball back and after conceding a wide he responded by going for two off the next three balls. When AB de Villiers could only club a single to midwicket England were ahead and the heavens opened.

When Bosman and Smith were together South Africa were making rapid progress towards the target in a similar manner to how they chased down 206 to beat West Indies here during the opening match of the 2007 World Twenty20. England's quicks tried to mix up their deliveries but overdid the variety; Tim Bresnan's second over went for 14 and Sajid Mahmood's second cost 19 as South Africa had 67 on the board after six overs. Bosman's 26-ball fifty was the second fastest for South Africa, but when Smith carved to deep cover England started to claw back. Collingwood held a steepler to end Bosman's charge and Mahmood trapped JP Duminy lbw for 6.

Following the bowler-friendly conditions of the Champions Trophy, this was the Wanderers back in more familiar form as boundaries flowed across and over the boundary with regularity. Even though the game lost seven overs, 17 sixes were hit which is enough to make the bowlers question their vocation.

The first-ball dismissal of Joe Denly (his second in two Twenty20 internationals) meant an early arrival to the middle for Jonathan Trott for the most hyped homecoming since Kevin Pietersen. After a predictable first-ball bouncer he made England's first statement of the tour with four consecutive boundaries off Dale Steyn's first over.

Collingwood made his intent clear when he launched Morkel for a leg-side six and despite the two early wickets England's fifty was up inside the six-over Powerplay. The team was certainly living up to the new positive approach instilled by Andy Flower and the absent Andrew Strauss. It wasn't dull.

Trott's contribution was ended when he chanced a single to backward point and was beaten by a sharp return even though the bowler, Roelof van der Merwe, almost messed up his attempt at breaking the stumps. However, it brought in another in-form batsman.

Morgan has provided the middle-order with the power for so long lacking in England's limited-overs side and this display was another demonstration of his awesome striking ability. One six over the leg-side went out of the ground, off Steyn no less, leaving gasps of amazement from those watching. Yes, the Wanderers is at altitude. Yes, the pitch had the pace and bounce batsmen enjoy. But it was a monumental blow nonetheless.

He followed up by dispatching the struggling Morkel for 14 off three balls before Collingwood made it 21 from the 14th over with a thumping six over long on. Smith made regular bowling changes, moved his field around all over the place, but was powerless to stop the onslaught.

Both Collingwood (27 balls) and Morgan (29 balls) reached their half-centuries in the 15th over and by the time Collingwood carved to deep cover the pair had added 98 in 9.1 overs. Briefly South Africa slowed the charge with three wickets in 15 balls, but Morgan kept his head to regain the momentum and took 29 off his last seven balls with his full array of drives, deflections and mighty blows. In terms of whetting the appetite for the tour ahead, this certainly wasn't a bad start.