Sachin creates history in London

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar became the first Indian sports icon to be featured at the Madame Tussaud's wax museum.
The world renowned tourist attraction in London flewn its new wax figure of the Indian batting legend over 7,000 kilometers to Mumbai for a "meeting" with the real cricketing legend.

"I am very impressed with the figure and delighted to be honoured by Madame Tussauds," commented Terndulkar.

"It is the first time we have ever launched a figure overseas but we really wanted Sachin to see his likeness before it "meets" the public in the attraction," said Liz Edwards, PR Manager at Madame Tussauds London.

"The figure will now be returning to London to join the ranks of sporting greats past and present in our Sports Zone. There will also be a cricketing challenge around the figure where guests can test their skills against the `masterblaster` and we know it will be a huge hit with fans," Edwards was quoted.

Sally Chatterjee, Interim CEO, Visit London said, "London and India share a great passion for cricket and we are delighted that Madame Tussauds has unveiled a figure of Sachin Tendulkar. With the ICC World Twenty20 coming to London this June more cricket fans will have the opportunity to come face to face with one of their sporting heroes."

Cesc wants unbeaten run

Captain Cesc Fabregas wants Arsenal to go unbeaten until the end of the campaign in a bid to silence their critics.

The Gunners have failed to mount a serious Premier League title challenge this term, but are in the FA Cup semi-finals and in a strong position to reach the same stage of the Champions League.

Arsene Wenger's men have not lost in the league since November after a period when William Gallas was replaced by Fabregas as the club's captain.

Fabregas has recently returned from almost four months out with a knee injury and is now eager to finish the season in a positive fashion.

"It's quite good what we have done, but it is not enough," said Fabregas. "We want to go all the way.

"We have said to ourselves we do not want to lose another game before the end of the season and that's what we will try to do. Of course, we cannot say for definite that will happen. But that's the aim, for sure. That has been our intention.

"We have done it during the past few weeks. We just need to keep it going for a few weeks more."

Arsenal face Villarreal in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday with the tie at 1-1 before meeting Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday.

Title contenders Liverpool await in the Premier League next week and Fabregas is looking forward to the upcoming fixtures.

He added: "It is a good 10 days we have coming up now. We will play three very important matches for the players and the club that will decide our season and where we can go.

"I'm very confident that if we keep going and playing like we are doing, we can do well.

"We have been playing quite well throughout the whole season, yet for some reason some people decided to go a little bit against us. Some people tried to create a little bit of a bad atmosphere.

"We can answer them by winning things and that's what we are aiming to do over the remainder of the season. That's why these next few days are key for us.

"We have Villarreal in the Champions League, then Chelsea, an amazing team, in the FA Cup semi-final. We still have a big say in the season."

Is Loeb Motorsports' greatest?

In Engine Block’s “Rumble Strip” this week, we ask: Can WRC driving legend Sebastien Loeb rival Motorsports' greatest?

Fifty-one wins from 117 races, 5 consecutive championships from 2004 to 2008 and every other record you can think of in rally racing. To say Sebastien Loeb came into the motorsports scene with a bang is an understatement conquering the Junior World Rally Championship as a rookie in 2001 and progressing straight away to the main series the following year. The Frenchman just narrowly missed winning his first WRC title in 2003, relinquishing the crown to Norway's Petter Solberg by a mere point, but his prowess has been indomitable since.

Loeb's driving supremacy extends to open-wheel where he's posted competitive lap times in testing compared to F1 drivers. The rally specialist has in fact beaten the best of the best in every imaginable racing discipline winning the prestigious Race of Champions event three times, more than any other driver, the formidable Michael Schumacher included.

Yet, in a world where image rules, Loeb is overshadowed by personalities with a penchant for over-the-top drama. Despite his potential for being hailed the greatest driver, he remains hugely under the radar. Still, his many accomplishments speak for itself. Can the Frenchman be considered motorsports greatest?

Nadal to defend Queen's Club title

World number one Rafael Nadal is set to defend his title at the AEGON Championships at Queen's Club in London in June.

The Spaniard warmed up for his maiden Wimbledon triumph last summer by beating Novak Djokovic in the final, and now joins the line-up for the 2009 event alongside Britain's Andy Murray.

Nadal told aegonchampionships.com: "It is nice to come back to a place where you are the last champion.

"The AEGON Championships and Wimbledon are both very traditional tournaments and I love to play these two tournaments. To arrive as the last champion is going to be a really nice experience.

"You feel like you are in a club, a real tennis club, so that always is really nice.

"Playing (the AEGON Championships) means that you are already in London, the courts are in perfect condition like at Wimbledon and so it is always a pleasure to play there.

"The atmosphere is always really good and the crowd has always been really nice with me."

Federer heads to Monaco

Swiss tennis player Roger Federer has decided to accept a wild card to play in next week's Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.

The world number two had initially left the first big clay court event of the season off his schedule but has now changed his mind.

Federer has again failed to recover his dominance of previous years and is yet to win a title this season.

The Swiss star told www.rogerfederer.com: "I have decided to accept a wildcard into the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters tournament that begins on Monday. I will head there this weekend to start the clay court season."

Federer's great rival Rafael Nadal will be going for a fifth straight title when play begins on Sunday.

News agencies to cover IPL

All the major news agencies are set to cover the IPL after it has relaxed stringent media guidelines for covering the event.

The news agencies including Reuters and AP are now preparing to cover the mega tournament in South Africa.

A clause that barred news organisations from distributing news and photographs to specialised cricket websites has been removed after the negotiations.

The News Media Coalition (NMC), on behalf of media interests worldwide, had been in discussion with the IPL regarding the media accreditation arrangements.

Andrew Moger, executive director of the NMC told a cricket website: "It will bring a resolution to the difficult conversations we have had."

He further added in a statement: "The outcome allows us to provide coverage of what promises to be a news-worthy spectacle. We are grateful for the time that the IPL's officers have put into our successful dialogue."

Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner said: "We are pleased to have reached this agreement with the global news media industry. This will now allow IPL fans across the world to gain access to the festival of sport and entertainment that is set to unfold here in South Africa over the next few weeks.

"It was always our intention to give an event like the IPL its proper due by having it covered by the world's media. We are pleased to have reached this agreement."

"Cricket dying, needs T20 for survival"

Legendary West Indian batsman Brian Lara feels cricket is a "dying sport", which has got a fresh lease of life in Twenty20.

Twenty20 is a format that has revived the spectators' interest in the game.

"Cricket is a dying sport and I believe that Twenty20 is going to be beneficial for many reasons," Lara said.

"This new game has brought a different spectator. Not necessarily the right ones I think. But at the end of the day, spectators and television is what make sport and I'm very happy and very welcoming of the Twenty20 game," he was quoted as saying by the 'Jamaica Observer'.

Lara, who has scored 400 runs in an innings and played two seasons for the rebel Indian Cricket League, urged the batsmen to develop attractive shots suited to Twenty20 instead of trying to whack every ball out of the ground.

"I hope that we do see a little bit of artistry because right now it's a lot of 'wam-bam thank you ma'am'.
"I believe that at some point in time people are going to understand that there are tactical ways of playing it and then you are going to see the true talent," he said.

Benitez to risk injured Gerrard

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will be in the squad for Saturday's Barclays Premier League clash with Blackburn.

The 28-year-old has undergone scans on a thigh strain sustained in Wednesday night's 3-1 Champions League defeat to Chelsea, and had been doubtful for the weekend and next week's second leg.

The club announced on their website on Friday that Gerrard will be in the squad for Saturday, but it is unclear whether he will be able to start.

Benitez told the website: "Steven has some problems with his adductor. He will be in the squad but we still have to decide whether he will start.

"It is not very serious but we need to analyse the risk for the future as well. We know it's a very important game, so we'll decide tomorrow.

"We have to think about the best for Stevie and the team - both things together.

"This is a very important game, so we know it will be really good if he can play. But if we were to lose him for the next few weeks it could be a big risk.

"I will talk with him and the doctor on Saturday morning before deciding."

Ferguson wants it fast and furious

Sir Alex Ferguson has urged Man United to go "full throttle" in their attempt to overcome FC Porto at Old Trafford.

Although the Portuguese outfit overcame United at the first knock-out stage in 2004, few are expecting a repeat, with Ferguson's men odds-on favourites to reach their third successive semi-final.

But the Red Devils chief is taking nothing for granted. And even though his side are back in action barely 48 hours after the thrilling 3-2 win over Aston Villa, he is demanding that they hold nothing back.

"It would be stupid to think this is going to be easy," said Ferguson.

"When teams are used to winning their domestic title, as Porto are in Portugal, you always feel they will play with great confidence.

"They have a lot of South Americans in their team as well, which gives them a great physical strength.

"By beating Atletico Madrid in the last round, Porto proved they will be hard to beat. Complacency does not come into it as far as we are concerned.

"We will be going at full throttle in order to get the result we want."

United will be bolstered by the return of Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic and Paul Scholes from suspension, although not Rio Ferdinand, who is still troubled by a groin injury.

As well as that trio, Ferguson is likely to call on Park Ji-Sung, whose energy could be a useful weapon.

However, the majority of Ferguson's starting line-up will be asked to follow up from Sunday, ensuring there was only time for a massage and a few loosening exercises in training on Monday morning.

Cristiano Ronaldo is certain to be a key figure, although he once again was forced to state how happy he is at Old Trafford amid fresh reports of a potential summer move to Real Madrid.

"We always have this question," he grumbled, with Ferguson adding the continued speculation was "pathetic" before Ronaldo delivered his well-rehearsed response.

"I am happy at this club. I think it is the right club," said Ronaldo.

Ronaldo is more interested in continuing the major role he played against Villa, when his two-goal haul took his seasonal tally to 20.

United are now a point ahead of Liverpool at the top of the Premier League with a game in hand and the Portuguese confidently stated: "We are the best team in England.

"We have shown that by being top of the table. That speaks for itself.

"We respect all our opponents but if we carry on winning, we will win the title again."

Indeed, United are still on track to record an unprecedented quintuple, with Ronaldo not quite being as dismissive about the project as Ferguson.

"We have a chance to win everything this season," said Ronaldo.

"First we have to beat FC Porto. After that, we must carry on."

India claim historic series win

India are celebrating their first series win in New Zealand since 1968 after the third Test against the hosts ended in a draw.

The final day of the last Test of the series at the Basin Reserve in Wellington was disrupted by bad weather allowing the hosts to salvage a draw after being set an impossible target of 617 runs for victory.

Rain plays spoilsport

The rain forced the teams off 30 minutes into the afternoon session with New Zealand 281 for eight, still 336 runs short, and play was finally called off two hours 20 minutes later at 4.31pm local time with 57.3 overs remaining.

Daniel Vettori was 15 not out and Iain O'Brien unbeaten on 19.

India win the series 1-0 following their comprehensive 10-wicket win in Hamilton and the draw in Napier.

They were on course for another emphatic victory in Wellington after making 379 in their first innings then bowling the Black Caps out for 197.

Skipper MS Dhoni declared their second innings at 434 for seven midway through the morning session on day four, leaving the New Zealanders a mammoth run chase they never looked likely to achieve.

Ross Taylor was again the top scorer for the Black Caps with 107 following on from his first innings of 42.

Martin Guptill and James Franklin both scored 49 for the only other scores of note in the second innings.

Indian bowlers Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh were New Zealand's chief tormentors, although Sachin Tendulkar's introduction was lucrative with the little master taking two wickets for 26 runs in his six-over spell before lunch.

Khan finished with match figures of seven for 122 off 37.3 overs after taking five for 65 in the first innings. Harbhajan ended with seven for 102 off 56 overs after taking four for 59 in New Zealand's second innings.

Taylor (69) and Franklin (26) resumed in windy, overcast conditions when play began half-an-hour early following Monday's early finish.

Top Performer: Ross Taylor

The pair added a further 59 runs to the overnight score of 167 for four before Taylor was bowled by Harbhajan for 107.

The pair put on 142 runs in total, the highest fifth-wicket partnership by New Zealanders against India.

Taylor brought up his fourth Test century with a four down fine leg - his fourth boundary of the morning and 15th in total.

But two overs later he was cleaned bowled by the off-spinner to leave New Zealand on 226 for five, still needing 391 to win.

Brendon McCullum (six) went shortly afterwards, caught by Rahul Dravid via the gloves of Dhoni off the bowling of Sachin Tendulkar, although TV replays appeared to show the ball missing the edge of the bat.

It's all about numbers!

The part-time spinner would have had the Black Caps vice-captain out without scoring had Munaf Patel made the catch at mid-off a few overs earlier.

Tendulkar bowled a good six-over spell, snaring two wickets for 26 runs, and caused Franklin, who survived an lbw shout by Khan early in the day, some problems before he finally got the all-rounder leg before wicket one run shy of his third half-century.

By lunch the hosts had reached 254 for seven, still requiring 363 to win.

Tim Southee (three) lasted 13 balls before being given out caught behind by Dhoni off Harbhajan, although the tail-ender seemed to hit his pad, not the ball, with his bat.

It was the last meaningful act of the Test as the rain arrived to spare New Zealand's blushes.

Mortaza excited about playing in IPL

Bangladesh pace spearhead Mashrafe Mortaza said he is ready to take the responsibility and give his best in the IPL.

In the absence of Pakistani speedsters Umar Gul and Shoaib Akhtar, Mortaza said he is all set to play his role for the Kolkata Knight Riders during IPL, beginning in South Africa from April 18.

"I'm really excited to play with Ganguly"

"It feels great that I've got a chance to play for a strong side like the Kolkata Knight Riders. I am confident of myself. I am sure it won't be a problem to take the responsibility and perform. I will be playing in the IPL for the first time," said Mortaza, who has played two Tests and two ODIs in South Africa last year.

The Kolkata Knight Riders USD 600,000 catch this season, said he was looking forward to meet Sourav Ganguly and receive his value tips.

"I will play with a great cricketer like Ganguly. I'm really excited to play with him. Obviously, he will give me some tips when I meet him in a one-on-one," Mortaza told reporters here before leaving for South Africa.

"My confidence definitely will get a boost in playing with big cricketers in the IPL," he added.

But Mortaza lamented that the Knight Riders would not be playing in their home town.

"We will miss playing in Kolkata. There would have been many supporters here to cheer us on. But at the same time, I feel the tournament will be equally successful in South Africa." He said the tournament was very popular in Bangladesh and his inclusion in the Shah Rukh Khan-owned side would add to his popularity at home.

"He (Shah Rukh) is very popular in Bangladesh. Last year people prefered the IPL to international matches. Not only Bangladesh, the world follows the tournament. Obviously, with me playing, the IPL fan following in Bangladesh will increase."

"This time KKR team is much stronger"

Cricket expert Harsha Bhogle spoke to Manish Porwal and Ashok Mallik in STAR Cricket's Money Talks about Knight Riders.

IPL is not silly money, it is a serious franchise.

Cricket and Bollywood have always been very important in India but now they have merged effortlessly.

"Our bowling resources are fairly strong"

"IPL was meant to be hard core business for India Cements and GMR, and that's where it delivered," said Porwal, CEO, Percept Talent Management.

It was something that was waiting to happen.

"Big players gave money to franchisees as they wanted to get the particular team they wanted," Porwal said.

"There is a certain amount of vanity in saying 'I own a team'," pointed out Mallik, a senior journalist.

For KKR, Shah Rukh Khan brought endorsements, deals and a fan base that went beyond the city of Kolkata. He brought back the club culture to the City of Joy, a frenzy that was on the verge of disappearance.

KKR had enough ammunition in 2008 to lead it to the top but ended up sixth on the points table with six victories out of 11 matches.

However, Joy Bhattacharya, KKR manager, said that this time the team is much stronger than the last season.

"Our bowling resources are fairly strong. We also have Ajantha Mendis for the entire season this year. In terms of batting, we would have the services of Brendon McCullum and Brad Hodge throughout and Chris Gayle for sometime."

Mortaza excited about playing in IPL

When asked about the whole effort to include Bangladeshi seamer Mushrafa Mortaza in the team, Bhattacharya said that it was entirely a monetary based decision that was made by Shah Rukh.

It was the last spot left and they had decided it would be Mortaza.

The Sourav Ganguly led team is the most flamboyant in the IPL.

The coming weeks will show how the Knight Riders perform with the strong line-up they have.

India close in on historic win

Gautam Gambhir hit 167 as India put themselves on course to a historic series triumph by taking a massive 531-run lead.

India turned the screws on day three of the third and final Test against the Black Caps to close in on their first series win in New Zealand in over 40 years.

Resuming on 51 for one, already 233 runs ahead, India piled on the misery for the New Zealanders as they racked up 349 runs for the loss of five wickets at Wellington's Basin Reserve.

That gave them a mammoth lead of 531 runs when bad light ended play early and with just two days remaining it left the visitors nicely poised to wrap up the series with ease after their comprehensive 10-wicket win in the first Test in Hamilton.

Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid added 170 runs for the second wicket which effectively took the game away from New Zealand as their bowlers, particularly Tim Southee, found it tough going.

It was the 76th time Dravid had been involved in a century stand - a record for any batsman.

But the Black Caps enjoyed a profitable spell immediately after lunch with Daniel Vettori snaring the wickets of Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, who made a 20-ball nine, as India went from 170 for one at lunch to 208 for three.

Dravid was dismissed on 60 after reaching his 57th Test half-century shortly before the interval. His 145-ball innings included 10 boundaries and was his fourth fifty of the series.

Gambhir and Laxman however, ploughed on to take India to 314 before both fell in quick succession once the second new ball had been taken.

Top Performer: Gautam Gambhir

Having reached 151 shortly before tea, Gambhir added a further 16 runs in the final session before he was trapped lbw by Iain O'Brien which brought to an end an impressive 257-ball innings that included 16 boundaries and two sixes.

O'Brien then struck again in his next over to dismiss Laxman (61), who had brought up his 39th half-century - and third in four innings - three overs previously.

That left India 319 for five, 501 runs ahead. Captain MS Dhoni (16 not out) and Yuvraj Singh (15 no) saw the visitors through to the close.

In a circumspect start Gambhir, who began the day on 28, took 75 balls to reach his 51, which included seven boundaries.

But he upped the tempo after morning drinks, finding the rope a further five times and hitting a six off O'Brien to be on 96 by lunch as the Indians ended the morning session on 170 for one, 352 runs ahead.

The opener brought up his second ton in as many Test matches, and his sixth overall, in the second over after lunch, sending Southee's first ball after the break out to the boundary rope.

The very next over Dravid (60) was dismissed by a smart bit of fielding by Brendon McCullum. The wicket-keeper anticipated a paddle sweep down leg side by the right-hander and put himself in a good position to claim the catch to the disbelief of the batsman.

It's all about numbers!

It was Vettori's first wicket of the Test and he quickly doubled his tally when Ross Taylor took a superb diving catch in the slips to dismiss Tendulkar.

After the fall of the wicket, New Zealand managed to restrict the run-flow for a while with Laxman taking 14 deliveries to get off the mark.

But by tea Laxman and Gambhir had put on 61 runs and the latter had made 151 as the Indians reached 269 for three to be 451 runs ahead.

Laxman's eighth boundary then got him to 53 off 104 deliveries, although he survived a scare on 49 when Jesse Ryder failed to hold onto a catch from in close.

And a few overs later he was heading back to the dressing room. Vettori (two for 88 off 29 overs) and O'Brien (two for 77 off 22) were the day's only wicket-takers and along with Chris Martin, who had Virender Sehwag caught by Taylor the previous evening, shouldered most of the work.

Southee struggled again and went for an expensive 58 runs off 12 overs, while James Franklin (none for 50 off 13) and Ryder (none for 21 off six) were given limited opportunity with the ball.

Fergie: Rooney row is nonsense!

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson branded claims that he had a row with Wayne Rooney as 'absolute nonsense'.

Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson suggested Ferguson had a bust-up with Rooney following last month's 4-1 home defeat to title rivals Liverpool .

The England international was then handed a second yellow card in United's 2-0 loss at Fulham after he had been left out of the starting XI.

Lawrenson said: "Everybody knows he had a massive row with Fergie after the Liverpool game and was then left out against Fulham.

"It is an ongoing problem, but if anyone can deal with it, it is Sir Alex."

Ferguson, though, has dismissed the suggestions outright, with the Scot keen to focus his side on their vital Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

The Red Devils chief said: "I was made aware of it. Absolute nonsense.

"I don't know where that came from, but the revealing part of it is 'everybody knows', but I didn't know and I was in there.

"These people self-promote but who the hell's bothered about it?

"Nobody followed it up which tells you everything because if there was any truth you'd have found out."

Benitez sends United warning

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has warned Manchester United that the World Cup break will not break the Reds' momentum.

According to the Sun, Benitez is convinced the two-week gap will have no bearing on Liverpool's hopes of catching United.

Liverpool are in a rich vein of form at the moment after scoring 13 goals in their last three games - including a four-goal romp at Old Trafford.

He insisted: "We were playing very well before the break, that is true.

"Now we have to start again. We want to pick up where we left things and carry on winning.

"We've every confidence it will be the same when we get everyone back.

"I am really positive when I think about the rest of the season."

Kirsten denies Eng coach rumours

India coach Gary Kirsten quashed speculations that he is a front-running probable among English coach candidates.
"I am not a candidate," he was quoted as saying by the 'cricinfo' on the sidelines of Indian team's practice session here ahead of the third Test against New Zealand.

BCCI Secretary N Srinivasan also refused to comment on the reports, saying it was all "speculation by the UK media".

Leading British daily 'The Guardian' today claimed Kirsten was a "potential front-runner" to succeed Peter Moores ahead of the Ashes against Australia.

Flower also a front-runner

"In addition to (Andy) Flower, India's coach, Gary Kirsten, who is soon to be out of contract, has emerged as a potential front-runner," the paper said.

The newspaper also claimed that a four-man ECB panel would interview the candidates on the shortlist at a secret location in the UK.

Mickey Arthur, the South Africa coach, was also linked to the England job though he said that he remained committed to his national contract till 2011.

"We have had a robust and transparent process. We are pleased with those who have applied. Our interview process will begin when we get home at the weekend with a view to appointing the permanent post before the West Indies series," Hugh Morris, managing director of England cricket, told reporters in St Lucia yesterday.

Hamilton stripped of third place

FIA has announced that McLaren's Lewis Hamilton has lost the third position he won at last weekend's Australian GP.

Hamilton and McLaren have been disqualified after race stewards decided that the reigning world champion had deliberately misled them when providing evidence about an incident that saw him passed by Jarno Trulli during a safety car period.

The Italian was handed a 25-second penalty following the incident on lap 57 at Melbourne, which relegated him from third to 12th in the final classification and saw Hamilton promoted from fourth to third.

But both drivers were called before the stewards in Sepang today to address new evidence on the incident.

Following the hearing, the stewards decided to reinstate Trulli's third place and to sanction Hamilton and McLaren by excluding them from the race classification.

They explained their decision in a statement, which read: "The stewards having considered the new elements presented to them from the 2009 Australian Formula One Grand Prix, consider that driver No 1 Lewis Hamilton and the competitor Vodafone McLaren Mercedes acted in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading to the Stewards at the hearing on Sunday 29th March 2009, a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

"Under Article 158 of the International Sporting Code the driver No 1 Lewis Hamilton and the competitor Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are excluded from the race classification for the 2009 Australian Grand Prix and the classification is amended accordingly."

McLaren have decided not to appeal the decision although team principal Martin Whitmarsh was not pleased with the stewards' decision

"Obviously we are disappointed by what happened but in the circumstances, we are not going to appeal," he said.

"As we see it, during the closing stages of the race under difficult conditions, there was a safety car incident where Trulli fell off the circuit and Lewis legitimately passed.

"Lewis didn't do anything abnormal and it was clear Trulli shouldn't have passed him.

"But we have to accept the decision."

It has been suggested that the FIA arrived at the decision because McLaren withheld information about a radio conversation that took place between Hamilton and the pit during the course of the incident.

"What I understand is that there's a belief that the team was not explicit enough in terms of the content of the radio conversations," Whitmarsh continued.

"We don't believe that those radio conversations had an effect on the fact that he was passed by Trulli under a safety car period.

"The problem is that the stewards believe that the team was not explicit enough in releasing that information. We don't think that affected the outcome of their (original) decision.

"I believe that it was a harsh decision. I think the facts of the case are that Lewis made a legitimate pass and subsequently was re-passed.

"We felt that the decision of the stewards in the immediate aftermath of the race was fair but the stewards now believe that the radio conversation - that was listened to and heard by the FIA - because it was not sufficiently contained in the submission that we made and that we withheld that was the reason that they came to their decision today.

"As you would imagine Lewis is extremely disappointed.

"It's a harsh decision but I think that experience has told us that you have to accept these decisions and these things that come along and you focus on the this weekend and the races beyond that."

Bolivia vs Argentina Preview

Lionel Messi is ready to help Argentina follow up their win over Venezuela by hitting the heights at altitude.

Argentina face an uphill tasko on Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Bolivia in La Paz.

The Albicelestes' superb form in Buenos Aires on Saturday took them up to second in the South American qualifying zone on 19 points - four below the leaders Paraguay - and Messi is out to retain their unbeaten record under coach Diego Maradona.

"Although we have not trained too much under him and we have played two friendlies and Saturday's match, the good point is that the players get on with each other very well," said the Barcelona forward.

"Argentina are a match for anybody, and under Maradona we feel even stronger.

"We have some things to correct. Sometimes we play too fast, and you make some mistakes because of that speed. The ideal is the form we had in the second half against France and the Venezuela match."

Messi has never played at high altitude before and does not know how his body will react to a venue 3,600 metres above sea level, at the Estadio Hernando Siles.

"In Europe, no countries have those sort of conditions," he explained.

"I always want to play, and it is up to Diego whether I play or not. I think it might be cool; it is a new experience."

Second-bottom Bolivia have only nine points - Uruguay, in the play-off position have collected 16 - so Argentina's opponents have obvious motivation.

Goalkeeper Carlos Arias does not fear Argentina, though.

"We know they have excellent skills, but the important thing for us is winning the match. We need to win to go back home calmly," he said.

"We'll maybe have special head-to-head duels against Messi, Sergio Aguero or Carlos Tevez."

"The fans may come to watch Argentina stars, but we will win the match. Bolivia are a different team in La Paz - we'll pressurise them and attack constantly."

Arias believe Bolivia can still dream of qualification too.

"We have several games ahead," he pointed out.

"Only when mathematics say we are eliminated will we give up."

"Cricket has changed Afghan perception"

Ahmadzai, who is currently in South Africa with his team to play in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers is a proud man. To him, the game is not just about the fame and the dough it brings but a wee bit more than that.

"I am very happy to play for my country. Cricket has helped people change their perception towards Afghanistan."

Probe him a little further and he yields: "We were always looked at differently with the current scenario in our country. People always looked at us suspiciously. They thought we were a violent lot and wondered how we dressed and how we ate.

But when we stepped out to play cricket, people saw we loved the game and our passion for it was just as high as theirs."

Ahmadzai, a big fan of former Pakistani opener Aamir Sohail and England all-rounder Owais Shah said he was sure the day was not far when his team could play with international stars.

"We have started mingling with players who we grew up watching on TV and God willing, we would soon play with them in the international arena."

And his dream might not be very unrealistic. Six teams from the ICC World Cup Qualifiers would get to play ODI's for the next one year while the top six would qualify for the World Cup.

Ahmadzai understands playing for Afghanisthan means a lot.

"We are ambassadors of peace. Back home, we have never met with any resistance playing cricket."

The young batsman hopes some day the situation would change for Afghan players and they would be rubbing shoulders with the best in business.

The emotions are running high and the hint of intensity in the voice is unmistakable.

KKR dumps Buchanan's multi captain idea

Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday dumped their cricket manager John Buchanan's idea of having multiple captains in the team.
The KKR management has said there would be only "one" captain for the side for the second season of Indian Premier League.

However, the KKR thinktank did not specify whether Sourav Ganguly will remain captain saying a decision on the issue will be taken in South Africa where the Twenty20 tournament begins on April 18.

Knight Riders management in a statement, following a meeting of Ganguly, Buchanan and team owner Shah Rukh Khan at the Bollywood superstar's bungalow 'Mannat' here this afternoon, said, "The captain for the team is one and only one as in the case in most sports." Seeking to put an end to the controversy after the Australian coach announced that Ganguly will not be the sole captain, the statement continued, "Needless to say the term 'multi captains' has raised a few eyebrows and questions.

"The idea is to have a set of strategists as is always the case classically in cricket, who will form a team of four to five core experts in the field of fielding, bowling, batting and data, etc. These coaches or strategists will assist the one captain on field with their viewpoints on the game-plan set earlier or shoot from the hip as the case may be.

"Just the roles which are there in the regular format of the game as the fielding expert, batting coaches, are being better defined to be able to give quick suggestions as in the case of baseball and some other faster paced sports," the statement said. But the suspense on who would be the captain remained with the KKR deciding to announce the skipper as well as the squad in South Africa.

"As the team is not decided because of all overseas venue changes, etc, we will take the call on the issue of captain, vice-captain, the team, post the sessions in South Africa, prior to the first game.

"Reason for doing so is not to shirk the issue of who is the captain but to announce all that together to make that a cohesive decision from the team management to avoid confusion like it has resulted right now.

"So please can we now lay to rest all theories on how John and Dada relate to each other and let us get on with the more important aspect of getting together the best team to play in the tournament," the statement said.

According to KKR sources, Ganguly was "not very happy" with the decision as there still remained a suspense over "who would be the captain".

Ganguly though did not say anything after the marathon meeting that lasted for about four hours.

KKR also sought to drive home that most of the team decisions were taken collectively and there was no disagreement on any issue. "All internal decisions are taken collectively by the core cricketing team which comprises of Buchanan, Ganguly, Matthew Mott and a few others.

"There is no dissent on that ever. Even this confusion is caused because these roles got described as multiple captains a day before the joint press conference between Buchanan and Ganguly. We have immense respect for the two most senior members of our KKR team and all decisions are taken in tandem."

The Greatest: Final Countdown

After weeks of voting from motorsport fans, it has come down to a battle between two of F1's greatest legends.

Michael Schumacher vs Niki Lauda

Two drivers who drove their race machines with absolute finesse.

Formula 1 fans across the world hail Schumacher as the perfect driver with his tenacity and daredevil approach while Lauda is renowned for his never-say-die attitude like when he made a swift comeback from a disastrous 1976 German Grand Prix.

Michael Scumacher

Literally, the most successful Formula One driver alive. Seven world titles, a total of 91 wins and 68 pole positions is unlikely to be overtaken by any other driver in the next decade.

Equally impressive is the fact that after winning his first two titles he left the Benetton team to join Ferrari, who'd barely won in a decade. Schumacher, along with Ross Brawn and Jean Todt, turned the ailing Scuderia into a winning machine like no other.

Niki Lauda

Niki Lauda was the reigning world champion when he was given the last rites by a priest at the trackside after suffering horrendous burns in the 1976 German Grand Prix.

Few ever believed he would race again, yet he was back at the wheel of his Ferrari just six weeks later and only narrowly lost his crown to James Hunt.

A year later Lauda became champion again in 1977 and gained a third title in 1984 when he returned from retirement to drive for McLaren. A true hero.

So which driver gets your vote as The Greatest?

Vote now!

Contest closes on 5th April.

Dravid: Job only half done

India may have crawled their way back into the second Test against New Zealand but the job is half done, said Rahul Dravid.

He also said that India would have to keep up the good work on Monday to ensure a draw.

Dravid's (62) 133-run partnership with Gautam Gambhir (102 not out) bailed India out before Gambhir added another 89 runs with Sachin Tendulkar (58 not out) to raise India's hopes of forcing a draw.

"We need a good spell tomorrow"

Dravid said though India had done well on Sunday, only half the job has been done.

"We needed a big performance today and tomorrow. Now we have got half the job done and we hope we have a good session tomorrow first up," he explained.

"Hopefully, if we can bat well in the first session (tomorrow) it will be an ideal scenario to make them bowl for 270 overs going into Wellington. Being back on field after three days will not be easy on them," he said.

Dravid also warned his teammates that the Kiwis would strive for a victory in the first session.

"We know that New Zealand will come hard at us in the first two hours as that is their only chance. They have fought hard and they will go for one big effort. That is what we have to be wary of. We have to show the same mental discipline that we showed today," said Dravid, who has notched up three half centuries in this series.

"Hats off to Gautam"

Gambhir's tenacity, skill and the ability to bat for long hours won him accolades from Dravid who lavished praise on the youngster.

"Hats off to Gautam for being there right through to the end of the day. He showed at lot of character. An innings like this will go a long way in a young career," Dravid said.

"He will learn a lot from a day like this in Test cricket. This will give him a lot of confidence in showing that he can play and read a situation and can play differently in any situation," he added.

Gambhir needed assistance from the team physio twice during his 434-minute vigil at the square but Dravid assured that though the left-hander was tired, he was mentally keyed up after hitting his fifth Test century today.

"I am sure he is tired but he is also over the moon. He will recover and will be looking forward to spend a lot more time in the middle tomorrow," he said.

"But it is never easy to sleep when you have batted the whole day. You are tired mentally and the adrenalin is so high. But he is a tough little kid. The key for him tomorrow is to set small targets and achieve it," Dravid added.

Gambhir ton frustrates New Zealand

A gritty unbeaten 102 from Gautam Gambhir and a stylish 58 not out from Sachin Tendulkar ensured India reached the fifth and final day of the second Test against New Zealand.

Having been made to follow on after being bowled out for just 305 in their first innings in reply to the Black Caps' 619 for nine declared, Gambhir and Tendulkar steered the visitors to 252 for two by the close on day four to leave the visitors trailing by 62 runs.

Unless something dramatic happens on the final day at McLean Park in Napier, the second Test appears to be heading for a draw, meaning the series, which India lead 1-0, remains alive heading into the final match in Wellington which starts on Friday.

It was a long hot day in the field for the Black Caps and the bowlers toiled hard for little reward with Daniel Vettori, Jeetan Patel, Iain O'Brien (none for 50 off 21, six maidens) and Chris Martin (none for 47 off 18, five maidens) doing the bulk of the work.

Gambhir and Rahul Dravid batted steadily through the morning adding 72 runs, but the session was not without its dramas with Dravid surviving a run-out chance in just the second over of the day when James Franklin missed the stumps with the batsman out of his ground.

Gambhir, who began the day on 14, survived a couple of lbw appeals and a big shout for a catch when a Jeetan Patel delivery hit his pad and flew to Jesse Ryder at short leg. He went on to bring up his 11th Test 50 with his eighth boundary of the innings a short time later.

Dravid reached his 56th Test half-century with a nice off drive that earned him two runs off Daniel Vettori a couple of overs before drinks in the afternoon.

The partnership was eventually broken when a Vettori delivery flicked off Dravid's pad and Jamie How took a diving catch at short leg.

Vettori finished the day with figures of none for 48 off 24 overs, including seven maidens while fellow spinner Patel bowled some good tight spells to end day four with one for 73 off 28 overs and six maidens.

Rooney: I am always in control

England striker Wayne Rooney brushed aside concerns over his temperament by insisting: "I am always in control."

It was a brief response from the 23-year-old just after scoring twice in the 4-0 win over Slovakia, coming a week after he punched a corner flag having been sent off for Manchester United at Fulham.

Rooney may never lose the red mist but he showed his maturity at Wembley with a polished performance, on the left or supporting a striker.

His two goals took his England tally to 21, with seven coming in the last four games.

"As long as he's not knocking anyone out on the field it doesn't matter," said England team-mate Carlton Cole, who has pulled out of the squad through injury.

"Wayne is a top international player and you have to understand that sometimes his temperament lets him down but he is world class."

Cole, Peter Crouch and Emile Heskey picked up injuries against Slovakia but it did not faze Rooney.

"I am a bit more experienced and have played in big games at club level which has really helped me," he said.

With Steven Gerrard's form for Liverpool, Rooney sometimes went to the left flank allow his team-mate the free role that he enjoys at Anfield.

"It is something we worked on in training," Rooney said. "Stevie has been playing unbelievably for Liverpool and it is good that we both slotted in and it is nice to do well."

Rooney will reach 50 caps against Ukraine on Wednesday in the World Cup qualifier, although milestones do not bother him.

"I am pleased if I can get to the 50 caps but I want to win a trophy. Hopefully in the future we can do that," he said.

Skipper John Terry passed the 50-cap mark against Slovakia and has tipped Rooney to earn up to 150, well past David Beckham's current record of 109 for an outfield player.

Terry himself wants to reach triple figures.

"That would be nice," he said. "I've been a bit overshadowed but I'll take that, it was a great achievement for Becks.

"It was a great achievement for myself and that is the target when you first come into the squad. You set yourself a target and mine was 50, now I'm there I want to reach 100 if I stay fit I have a chance."

Meanwhile, Slovakia centre-back Martin Skrtel, who was given a tough afternoon by Rooney, led the praise for the United forward.
"It is very difficult to play against him," said the Liverpool defender. "He moves every time and not only played against the defenders but he was going deep on the pitch from midfield and he is a very good player. He is one of the best.

Black Caps in strong position

New Zealand restricted India 79 for three at stumps on day two after the hosts posted 619 for nine before declaring in the second Test.
Jesse Ryder highlighted the Black Caps superb first innings after reaching 201 runs to become New Zealand's 11th double-centurion.

Jeetan Patel and skipper Daniel Vettori also played their part after taking one and two wickets respectively after tea to put the hosts firmly in the driving seat.

Rahul Dravid finished the day unbeaten on 21 for India alongside Sachin Tendulkar, who has yet to score.

New Zealand had resumed this morning on 351 for four and Ryder and James Franklin set about building on that lead as they combined for 121.

Franklin needlessly became the only wicket to fall during the first session when he was run out after reaching his second Test half-century.

Ryder, who had resumed on 137, added 54 runs by lunch and brought up his maiden double ton with a pull shot past leg gully off Zaheer Khan shortly after lunch.

It was his 24th boundary in a superb innings that spanned over eight hours and also included one solitary six.

But just as he did when reaching his century in Hamilton, the big left-hander was dismissed the very next ball and was clearly furious with himself, slamming his bat into the floor and disconsolately walking off to a standing ovation from the McLean Park crowd.

His 201 was the third highest score by a New Zealander against India, sitting behind Graham Dowling's 239 and Bert Sutcliffe's unbeaten 230.

Khan fully deserved his wicket as he beat both Ryder and Brendon McCullum regularly in a fiery start to the afternoon session by the seamer.

Ryder's dismissal left New Zealand on 477 for six, having resumed on 448 for five after lunch.

Top Performer: Brendon McCullum

But an unbroken 115-run partnership between McCullum and Vettori had the Black Caps on a mammoth 592 for six at tea.

McCullum's half-century, which he brought up with his sixth boundary, came in just 60 balls and in the final over before tea he hit another boundary off the part-time bowling of Virender Sehwag to become the third centurion of the New Zealand innings behind Ross Taylor and Ryder.

His 103 took 131 balls and included 11 fours and when he reached three figures for the third time in his Test career he let out a huge shout of delight and raised both arms aloft.

Khan finished the session with figures of three for 129 off 34 overs, including six maidens.

New Zealand surpassed the 600 mark in the 151st over when Vettori smashed a four through covers for boundary that also brought up his 19th half-century.

But the Kiwi skipper was dismissed in the next over for 55 when he chopped on a delivery from Ishant Sharma before McCullum was dismissed for 115 when he smashed a Sharma delivery to deep point where Tendulkar made the catch.

It's all about numbers

By then, the hosts were 618 for eight and Iain O'Brien then picked up his one and only run before New Zealand declared after Jeetan Patel was out for one when Sharma caught well at midwicket from Harbhajan Singh's delivery.

India made a decent start in their reply with Sehwag in fine fettle as he hit five fours and a six before Vettori made a simple catch at mid-off to dismiss him for 34.

Gautam Gambhir followed suit not long after when he lobbed a catch to Vettori from Patel's delivery and Sharma was out for a duck in the penultimate over of the day when he was dismissed lbw from Vettori's delivery.

Slow start for champion Hamilton

With the cars sporting newly-designed front and rear wings, as well as a return to slick tyres, it was tip-toe stuff at first around Melbourne's Albert Park for the first practice session. And come the end of the initial 90 minutes run under blue skies and in warm sunshine ahead of Sunday's Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton was left languishing.

However, it was apparent McLaren are playing cat-and-mouse games as team-mate Heikki Kovalainen underlined there is clear potential in the car as he was fifth quickest. The Finn finished almost 1.6 seconds ahead of the Briton, and just under 0.8secs behind an unexpected one-two as Nico Rosberg topped the timesheets ahead of his Williams team-mate in Kazuki Nakajima.

Williams were one of three teams - along with Brawn GP and Toyota - cleared on Thursday by race stewards of using an illegal diffuser, a key aerodynamic component that aids the airflow beneath a car.

Just 0.049secs separated the Williams duo, with 2007 world champion Kimi Raikkonen a close third, finishing fractions behind the Japanese in his Ferrari.

The Brawn GP pairing of Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button, who had blown everyone away with their speed in testing, sandwiched Kovalainen in fourth and sixth.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa, who was denied the title last season by a point from Hamilton, finished seventh and almost a second down on Rosberg, whose fellow German Timo Glock was eighth.

The Force India of Adrian Sutil was ninth, followed by Fernando Alonso in his Renault, and then the first of the BMW Saubers in Nick Heidfeld.

As for Hamilton, he was 2.355secs off Rosberg's pace and the last of the Mercedes powered cars as Brawn GP and Force India both run with the German manufacturers engines. However, it is clear there is more to come if Kovalainen's pace is anything to go by.

Sebastian Vettel, now driving for Red Bull after switching from sister team Toro Rosso, finished bottom of the timesheets. The young German, of whom big things are expected this season, managed just four laps due to a technical issue with his car that forced him to pull over to one side of the track.

Militants warn of fresh attacks on Indian army in Kashmir

A Pakistan-based Islamist militant group warned Wednesday of fresh attacks against Indian troops, as the army said a "large number" of guerrillas were poised to infiltrate Kashmir.

Eight soldiers and 17 rebels died in protracted gun battles that started Saturday in Kashmir's Kupwara district, close to the Line of Control (LOC) that divides the Indian and Pakistani zones of the Muslim-majority Himalayan region, the Indian army said.

Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) said its members were involved in the clashes, some of the fiercest in recent years.

"The gun battles should serve as a message to India that the struggle for Kashmir's freedom is on with full vigour," Lashkar spokesman Abdullah Ghaznavi told AFP by telephone in Srinagar, in Indian Kashmir, from an unknown location.

Ghaznavi said Lashkar militants initiated the gunfight by ambushing an army column in a forest area. He said the fighting left 25 Indian soldiers and 10 Lashkar militants dead.

The Indian army said the operation was launched by the soldiers after they were tipped off.

General Deepak Kapoor, chief of India's million-plus army, warned the military was bracing for more attacks in Kashmir.

"The Kupwara encounter with militants is definitely an indication of stepped-up infiltration into Kashmir," Kapoor said in New Delhi.

The general said cross-border militants were operating from about 50 "terrorist camps" in the Pakistan-administered zone of divided Kashmir.

India accuses Pakistan of arming, training and funding the rebels, a charge Islamabad denies.

The army chief's warning came as Indian Defence Minister AK Antony ordered the military to handle the situation in Kashmir with "utmost firmness."

Lashkar has been blamed for the attacks in Mumbai late last year that killed 165 people. It has denied any role in the attacks.

An army commander in Kashmir confirmed the slain militants were Lashkar guerrillas and added more militants were expected to cross into Indian territory.

"There are likely large numbers of terrorists awaiting infiltration," brigadier Gurmit Singh said in Srinagar.

He said maps and global positioning systems recovered from the dead militants were "indicative that state and security forces' assistance from across (the border in Pakistan) was there, as such material is not usually in the civil domain."

He also said the militants were intercepted because of "absolute, accurate and reliable human intelligence from both sides of the LOC, that is from our side and from across the LOC."

"All I can tell you is that we have a very deliberate, well laid-out intelligence network to have early warnings of the infiltration attempts," he added.

India has begun deploying precision US and Israel-made sensors and radar at the LOC to monitor infiltration.

The anti-India insurgency has left more than 47,000 people dead in Kashmir by official counts.

Scientists find new species in PNG

A brilliant green tree frog with huge black eyes, jumping spiders and a striped gecko are among more than 50 new animal species scientists have discovered in a remote, mountainous region of Papua New Guinea.

The discoveries were announced Wednesday by Washington DC-based Conservation International, which spent the past several months analysing more than 600 animal species the group found during its expedition to the South Pacific island nation in July and August.

Of the animals discovered, 50 spider species, three frogs and a gecko appear to have never been described in scientific literature before, the conservation group said. The new frogs include a tiny brown animal with a sharp chirp, a bug-eyed bright green tree frog and another frog with a loud ringing call. One of the jumping spiders is shiny and pale green, while another is furry and brown.

"If you're finding things that are that big and that spectacular that are new, that's really an indication that there's a lot out there that we don't know about," said expedition leader Steve Richards. "It never ceases to amaze me the spectacular things that are turning up from that island."

The findings are significant, particularly the discovery of the new frog species, said Craig Franklin, a zoology professor at The University of Queensland in Australia who studies frogs.

"They're often regarded as a great bioindicator of environmental health," said Franklin, who was not involved in the expedition. "Often we see declines in frogs as a direct pointer to an affected environment."

Researchers from Conservation International explored the region with scientists from the University of British Columbia in Canada and Montclair State University in New Jersey, as well as local scientists from Papua New Guinea.

The area the researchers explored provides a critical source of clean drinking water to tens of thousands of people living in surrounding communities and local clans rely on the region for hunting.

Montclair State University anthropologist William Thomas worked with the local Hewa clan to document the area's resources during the expedition as part of a project he started with scientist Bruce Beehler of Conservation International.

"In a place like PNG, the local communities, the traditional communities, are so close to their environment," Beehler said. "By working with local communities, you actually get a leg up you learn a lot more because they already know so much."

Conservation International plans to conduct three more expeditions to Papua New Guinea this year, in the hopes of turning up even more new animals.

"Most of us live in urban worlds where we think everything's totally well known," Beehler said. "It's a little bit of a reminder, just a wake up call, that we really need to know our world better so we can manage it better."

India chase history in NZ

History beckons India team as it prepares to take on an inexperienced and demoralised New Zealand in the second Test.
This victory would give the visitors their first series triumph in New Zealand in 41 years.

Leading 1-0 in the three-match series, the Indian team has been in decimating form and is high on confidence as it seeks to wrap up the three-match series with a win.

Twin spin option for NZ

In contrast to India's three-seamer, one-spinner combination, New Zealand have packed their attack with two spinners and three seamers for the contest at the McLean Park.

The hosts are hoping that off-spinner Jeetan Patel would give them the edge if the wicket assists spin.

Patel is expected to replace medium pacer Kyle Mills, who had a poor outing in the first Test at Hamilton.

But Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni doesn't see the need to add an extra spinner.

"We have been quite comfortable with 3-1 combination. When it comes to three seamers and one spinner, we have part timers who have proved that they can get wickets in Test cricket also. You have Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, and Sachin Tendulkar who can bowl if it is turning," said Dhoni.

But strengthening their bowling is unlikely to serve New Zealand much as it is their inexperienced batting which let them down at Hamilton.

Multiple jobs bothering Vettori

And if Daniel Flynn, who made a fighting half-century in the second innings in the first Test, fails the fitness test tomorrow, the Kiwis would be desperately short of batters who can spend long hours at the crease, something which Vettori has demanded of his beleaguered men. In the eventuality of Flynn, who had bruised his bottom hand while playing Ishant Sharma, being ruled out, New Zealand would be forced to play Jamie How, the cover for the diminutive left-hander.

India will be unchanged from the first Test, which they won convincingly by 10 wickets.

In recent times, India have trounced the West Indies (Trinidad, 2002), beaten Pakistan in their backyard (2004-05), humbled the Australians in their outback (Adelaide 2003-04 and Perth 2007-08), bearded the English lion in its own den (2007) and tamed the South Africans (2007).

And if the current bunch can't achieve what Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi's men did in 1967-68, India will certainly find it tough to conquer the Kiwis in their own den when the Sachin Tendulkars, the Rahul Dravids, the VVS Laxmans and the Zaheer Khans are gone.

Good team has made Dhoni's job easier

Dhoni said his job of planning has been made easier by an on-a-roll batting line-up and an effective bowling attack.

"The stress is on execution of plans rather than making too many plans. It is important that the batsmen and bowlers do their job. It gets very easy when each and everyone is performing at his best. "We have done that throughout the series and if continue to do so in the next couple of games it will be good for us," said Dhoni.

The Indian skipper was not hassled by the condition of the wicket, a part of which was infected by fungus.

"I have not had a look at it. But have read a few headlines and fungus affecting the wicket. It won't make a difference," said Dhoni, who said he was focussed on completing the series win here itself before the team heads to Wellington for the third Test early next month.

Squads:

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, VVS Laxman, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Laxmipathy Balaji.

New Zealand: Daniel Vettori (captain), Martin Guptill, Tim McIntosh, Daniel Flynn, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder, Brendon McCullum, James Franklin, Chris Martin, Iain OBrien, Jeetan Patel, Jamie How, Kyle Mills, Umpires: Billy Doctrove, Ian Gould.

Third umpire: E Watkin, Fourth umpire: G Gaffaney Match referee: Allan Hurst.

Match start: 3.30 am IST.

Madrid waiting for Real chance

Juande Ramos has stated that if Barcelona slips up in the Primera Liga, Real Madrid will be ready to pounce.

Real are now six points behind Barca in La Liga but with a game still to be played between the two sides at the Bernabeu, deciding the league champions for the season will go down to the wire.

Ramos has declared that his team will not give up but they must give the team their all until the end of the current campaign.

"At no time did we give up on the twelve point gap that was between us and the great merit of this team will be to win every game and make Barcelona do the same," Ramos said in an interview. "The key was relaxing the players and making them believe. We have tried to get the best out of them so they can play for a team as big as Real Madrid. The effort we have put in from day to day has allowed us to compete with Barcelona in the league."

"Barcelona cannot even have the tiniest slip up because we will be there. They will have to give their best if they want to win the league, that gives me a lot of hope."

La Blaugrana are the favourites to win the league at the moment and will fancy their chances regardless of one El Classico to play.

Ramos also praised the balance in his side and recognises that not conceding goals has been key.

"Games can only be won by playing well and having a balance. If you let in a small amount of goals it helps the defence and also the attack. The first results were small, but now the team has grown a lot. We have defensive security and we have improved up front," continued Ramos.

The Los Blancos coach went on to praise the two winter signings, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Lassana Diarra.

"They are doing wonderfully... [Diarra] knows how to read games perfectly," Ramos concluded.

Refs could force Ronaldo to leave?

The lack of referee protection from BPL officials may force Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Man United for Real Madrid.

Both the English and Spanish media have reported that Ronaldo is growing weary of the lack of protection offered by referees in the top flight of English football after his latest spat with match officials during Man United's match against Fulham over the weekend.

Even Sir Alex Ferguson was fuming over how his superstar was being "systematically fouled" by rival defenders.

"It has become a tactic," Ferguson said in an interview. "Someone fouls him, then someone else. The referee thinks he is diving and the crowd are screaming."

The Man United boss also referenced a Champions League game with Villarreal to illustrate the disparity between referees in England and in Europe.

Italian referee Roberto Rosetti gave Joan Capdevila his marching orders for a rash tackle above the knee on Ronaldo in that fixture at El Madrigal. Ferguson claimed that foul would not have resulted in a sending off in the Premier League.

The thought of extra protection from Primera Liga refs and the less physical nature of Spanish football is appealing to Ronaldo and could persuade him to move to the Bernabeu.

It is widely believed that Madrid already raised the funds necessary to sign the FIFA World Player of the Year. Furthermore, it has also been spread that an agreement has been reached with Ferguson to allow the two parties to negotiate a transfer this summer - which, if true, means that it is now strictly up to Ronaldo whether he wants to leave Man United for the Santiago Bernabeu.

Gerrard reveals obsession

Kop hero Steven Gerrard revealed his biggest obsession yet to be achieved. The Barclays Premier League title.

Despite getting dubbed by Zinedine Zidane as the best player in the world, Gerrard remains a humble man who just wants to play football.

"There are times you look over what's gone on in your career, think about the highs and the lows and recognise so much has been achieved," says Gerrard.

"But you never want to dwell too much because there's still a lot more to do. When I think of where the club was when I made my debut and where we are now, I can see how far we've come.

"I've reached a few milestones recently, such as 100 games in Europe, reaching the anniversary of becoming captain, and the 10 years since my debut. I can't believe how quickly it's gone. A career passes by in a flash.

"Back in 1998 when I made my debut we weren't qualifying for the Champions League and were well off the pace in terms of competing for the title. We didn't have the reputation in Europe we have again now. Sometimes you have to stop and appreciate that, but be careful not to think that's enough.

"There are a lot of people at Liverpool, players and staff, who deserve credit for taking us to a point where we now have someone like Johann Cruyff saying we're feared by the rest of Europe. People have been saying a lot of nice things about us, and that all comes from performances.

"As for being described as the best player in the world? It's really flattering to hear someone say that about you, especially given the quality of players out there at the moment and the calibre of some of those who have said it.

"I try not to read too much into it, but if people say that about you it reflects well on the team. You can only look a good player if you have good players around you.

The England midfielder has always made it clear that he will gladly sacrifice all his previous medals just to lift the league trophy and with just one point separating the top two, his dream might just come true this season.

"It's great to have that level of respect, but the most satisfying thing is always winning trophies. If we win the title, it will rank alongside Istanbul as one of the greatest achievements in our history. None of us will ever give up trying and we still believe we can do it.

"I've said I'd swap every other medal I could win for the rest of my career to win the league, and I mean that.

"I'd rather lose to United home and away and win the league than the other way around, and I'm sure the United players feel the same way about us.

"The win at Old Trafford was unbelievable, but it won't mean much at the end of the season if we haven't won the title."

Liverpool travel to Craven Cottage a fortnight from now to take on Fulham.

Sachin disappointed with venue shift

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar has said that he is disappointed that the second edition of the IPL has been moved out of India.
"It is disappointing that the IPL has been moved out of India. We will certainly miss playing in front of our supporters. It won't be the same," said Tendulkar, who is the captain of Mumbai Indians team.

The BCCI took the surprise decision yesterday after the government told the organisers that it may not be possible to provide adequate security during the 45-day event due to general election in the country.

Tendulkar said it was a great feeling to play the matches in home and away basis in the inaugural edition of the event.

"It was a good concept to play home and away matches. This is something that the teams will miss this time around," he said.

However, the Mumbai cricketer said the decision was not unexpected to him as the schedule of IPL was clashing with dates of the general elections. "This was expected. Wherever we play, we hope to have the same fervour that we had had last season," Tendulkar said.

Meanwhile, his Team India colleague Yuvraj Singh, who is also the skipper of Kings XI Punjab, said although he was disheartened he would abide by the decision of the cricket board.

"It is sad that the IPL won't be held in India. But we have to go ahead with it as it is the decision of the Board," Yuvraj said.

"As we would be returning home from New Zealand after a long tour, we hope we are allowed to take our families along," he added.

PCB to contact Indian Board

PCB has said it would contact BCCI and seek advice from its government on the status of its players' chances of playing in IPL.

IPL will now be staged in South Africa or England.

PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt said there were lot of issues to be cleared up regarding the participation of Pakistani players in the IPL which was shifted from India on Sunday as it clashed with the Indian general elections.

Butt explains

"I will be talking to the Indian board President and also our government. I am sure some of the players would now like to play in the IPL if possible," Butt said.

The Pakistan government had stopped its players from going to India for the IPL due to security issues and also because of diplomatic relations taking a nosedive after the Mumbai attacks in November.

Butt said he was not in a position to say if the government would reconsider its stance on allowing players to appear in the IPL now.

India team want Eng as new IPL venue

"But if some players are interested in playing in the IPL and if their commitments don't clash with our national team commitments I will talk to the relevant authorities," Butt said.

The former Test player described the shifting of the IPL from India as unfortunate and said security issues and fears were playing havoc with cricket in the region.

Pakistan has suffered the most because of the security situation in the country in the last few years with chances of international teams now touring the country dim after the terror attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore this month by suspected militants.

Butt said Asian countries needed to stick together to ensure security issues didn't hamper the organisation of international matches and progress of the sport.

"It is a bad omen for cricket in Asia"

Former Test captain Zaheer Abbas said he was disappointed by the decision to shift the IPL from India .

"It is a bad omen for cricket in Asia and it will now create doubts over the organisation of the 2011 World Cup matches in the region," he said.

Abbas said the shifting of the IPL will send wrong signals to the rest of the world.

"Pakistan has suffered the most of these security problems and I think the Asian cricket nations must sit together and devise a joint strategy through which they can convince other teams cricket must go on in the region," he said.

South Africa emerges IPL frontrunner

According to recent reports, South Africa has overtaken England as the venue for the second edition of Indian Premier league.

Even though England was considered the favourite to host, but in sudden turn of events South Africa emerged as the front runner with one report claiming that Lalit Modi and his colleagues will head to there first.

Modi set to tour both SA, London

"Booked (for) both places", Modi told PTI when queried whether he was leaving on Monday night or any time soon for London or South Africa to hold discussions with the officials of the cricket boards there.

Reports claimed that weather turned out to be the main factor that compelled the BCCI officials against using England as a venue.

The officials feared that rain would seriously disrupt the schedule of the tournament to be held from April 10 to May 24.

It is also reported that the South African Government is extremely keen to host the mega event.

South Africa is also considered a better option than England in terms of TV timings. The IPL wants to start its first match of the day at 4 pm IST, which would mean a 11.30 am start in England. In South Africa it would be a 12.30 pm start.

IPL moves out of India

IPL will probably be played in England or South Africa, in the wake of a tussle between the Government and BCCI.

The BCCI took the surprise decision on Sunday after the Union Home Ministry and some state governments had told the organisers that it may not be possible to provide adequate security for the 45-day tournament whose dates clash with the Lok Sabha polls.

Even a rescheduling of the matches and change of some venues had not satisfied the security establishment which had heightened concerns after the Lahore terror attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team.

Determined to go ahead with the tournament which involves big money -- some estimates putting the figure at close to Rs 10,000 crores mainly in TV rights and sponsorships -- the BCCI threw a googly at the government by taking the tournament out of the country.

After the meeting of the BCCI working Committee attended among others by Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, the BCCI President Shashank Manohar told a press conference that they were forced to take the tournament out of the country because of the government's attitude.

"Apologies to the people of India"

The decision to shift the Twenty20 tournament out of the country was taken at the BCCI's emergency Working Committee meeting to take a final call on the cash-rich event which had run into rough weather because of security apprehensions.

"Because of the attitude of the government that they are not ready to spare security forces for the cricket tournament, we are forced to take the decision to move the event out of India," BCCI President Shashank Manohar told a press conference.

"So the Board has decided to take the tournament out of the country. We are in discussion with other Boards who are willing to host the event. I apologise to the people of India for moving the tournament out," Manohar said.

"But we're are going ahead with the event so that they can at least watch the event on television," Mahohar added.

"Schedule to be out by Monday evening"

Modi: Final IPL dates and venue on Monday evening

IPL Commissioner and Chairman Lalit Modi said that the new dates and the venue will be decided on Monday evening.
Modi said the number of matches, format and timing of the event will remain unchanged and the organisers would not tinker with the "integrity of the tournament".

"Dates and timings of the matches will remain the same. The Indian audiences can watch the matches at 4 pm and 8 pm IST as they did in the inaugural season," Modi said.

"Revenue cannot be an issue, the 59-match tournament will remain as 59-match tournament. The issue is the integrity of the tournament.

Manohar expressed displeasure at state governments' attitude

"We want to ensure the quality which we deliver and it cannot be compromised. We have to deliver the world standard event," he said.

Manohar also expressed his displeasure at the state governments' attitude, saying Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra Government changed there stance at the last moment.

"The AP government revoked its earlier permission... And Maharashtra Chief Minister wrote a letter that we can't host matches in that state until May 13. We had scheduled 18 matches for Maharashtra," he said.

Asked if franchise were also taken into the confidence before taking the decision, Manohar said "the franchise would want the tournament to go ahead".

BCCI will not hold a truncated event, says Modi

Meanwhile, a BCCI press release, said it was not possible to hold the event on any other dated that the original schedule due to busy international calender.

"The BCCI is conscious of the general elections, which will be held between April 16 and May 13, 2009. The BCCI has had several discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs on the scheduling of IPL matches.

"...It is pertinent to understand that within the present International calendar of events, there is no other window for IPL to be played during this year. Immediately after conclusion of the IPL, the teams will play in England on May 25 for the ICC Twenty20 World Cup commencing from June 2.

"After the ICC Twenty20 World Cup, the Indian team will play four ODIs in the West Indies after which, the team will tour Zimbabwe for a tri-series involving Zimbabwe and South Africa.

"In September, India would play Champions Trophy in South Africa, following which would be the Champions League. Between October 2009 and March 2010, there are three home series against Australia, Sri Lanka and South Africa," it said.

The release also said the tournament provided a large revenue last year so, it would not hold a truncated event.

"The experience of the first IPL has shown that apart from providing employment at the various venues, IPL has also contributed close to Rs. 100.0 crores to the exchequer.

"The BCCI, therefore, is not in a position to either play a truncated IPL or to cancel the 2nd edition of the IPL... The BCCI is left with no other option but to conduct the Indian Premier League in another country."

Strong quake near Tonga prompts tsunami warning

A powerful 7.9-magnitude earthquake struck Friday in the Pacific Ocean, shaking an erupting underwater volcano off Tonga's main island and raising fears of increased lava and ash flows, officials said.

There were no immediate reports of injury or damage from the quake, which was felt more than 3,000km away in New Zealand. A tsunami warning for islands within 1,000km of the epicentre was cancelled two hours later.

"We are quite lucky not to get a tsunami," Tongan government chief seismologist Keleti Mafi told The Associated Press.

But he warned the powerful quake "will directly affect the eruption" of the volcano about 10km from the southwest coast of Tongatapu island and could lead to more molten lava and ash flowing into the sea. A column of smoke and steam was rising 20km into the sky.

"The strength of the earthquake could crack the volcano's (undersea) vent and allow more magma (molten rock) to be ejected," Mafi said.

A check of the volcano Thursday from a boat 3.2km away from the vent showed about "a 10-meter (33-foot) depth of lava at the vent" standing up out of the ocean.

"It's grown out of the sea," he said, adding the violent eruption meant "it's very risky to go closer."

With most of the volcano underwater, much of the ash was soaking into the water rather than spewing high into the air.