Windies fight but India on top

India marched steadily towards victory after enforcing the follow-on despite an improved batting performance by West Indies in the second innings of the second Test at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.

At the close on the third day, West Indies were 195-3, still trailing India by 283 runs, with Darren Bravo (38) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (21) at the crease.

Adrian Barath (62) and Kirk Edwards (60) scored dogged half-centuries in West Indies' second innings after the visitors collapsed in a heap to be all out for 153 in their first essay.

West Indies lost opener Kraigg Brathwaite (nine) early, but Barath (62) and Edwards added 93 for the second wicket to lead the tourists' fightback.

Brathwaite edged paceman Umesh Yadav in the fifth over for captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni to complete a low catch behind the stumps.

Barath, who hit 10 boundaries, played a wild drive against paceman Ishant Sharma, four deliveries after the tea break, and Vangipurappu Laxman held on to a low chance at slip.

"I think we did not bat as well as we should have in the first innings. Basically we learnt from our mistakes in the first innings and we applied ourselves a bit more," Barath told reporters.

"It shows that as a team we are capable of playing spin well. I think it was just a matter of application in the first innings."

The 21-year old Barath was still hopeful that West Indies could avoid the innings defeat by making India bat again.

"It is going to be difficult. Shivnarine Chanderpaul is the key player for us tomorrow," he said.

"He is the one who can bat through tomorrow and make it difficult for the Indian bowlers and take the game into the fifth day and make them bat again."

The lanky Sharma, who is leading the Indian attack in the absence of Zaheer Khan, also got rid of Edwards when he got him out lbw. Edwards hit six boundaries and a six during his knock.

WICKETS GALORE

Earlier, the West Indies batsmen capitulated under the weight of India's mammoth first innings total of 631 for seven declared and were bundled out in the morning session.

Resuming on the overnight score of 34 for two, the tourists, trailing 1-0 in the three-match series, offered little resistance as India's bowlers ran riot to scuttle them in 140 minutes on the third day.

Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha picked up four wickets while Yadav and off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin chipped in with three and two respectively.

The visiting batsmen lasted 48 overs in their first innings with India's bowlers extracting considerable spin and bounce from the track.

"I think right now we are in the driver's seat and things are going pretty well," Ojha said.

"We are hitting the right areas and we are confident that we can get them out tomorrow as soon as possible."

Yadav took the wickets of Bravo (30) and Marlon Samuels (25) - the only batsmen to offer some resistance - in the morning, clean-bowling both of them.

Ashwin, who got married a day before the second Test started, picked up the prized wicket of Chanderpaul.

West Indies captain Darren Sammy (18) went on the counter-attack and hit two fours and a straight six during his 14-ball knock. However, he edged Ojha to Dhoni behind the stumps immediately after hitting the six.

Trapattoni keen to lead Ireland to 2014 World Cup

Giovanni Trapattoni's ambition to remain as Ireland coach and lead them to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil will be discussed sooner rather than later, Football Association of Ireland chief executive John Delaney said on Wednesday.

The 72-year-old Italian ended Ireland's 10-year wait to reach a major tournament when he guided them to the Euro 2012 finals after Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Estonia in the second leg of their play-off in Dublin put them through 5-1 on aggregate.

Trapattoni's contract is due to expire at the end of the European Championship campaign but he says he would like to lead Ireland's bid to reach the World Cup fianls in Brazil.

He previously managed his native Italy in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea and Euro 2004 in Portugal.

Delaney told Sky Sports on Wednesday he wanted to focus on celebrating reaching Euro 2012 for now but also said there is a willingness to sit down and discuss Trapattoni's future.

"To work with Giovanni Trapattoni, for me, has been a pleasure," he said.

"The board will meet in the next couple of weeks to sit down with Giovanni to discuss... what can happen in the future. I think that should happen sooner rather than later.

"We'll leave for another week or two the debate about the manager's contract, but what I will say is: Has Giovanni Trapattoni taken us forward? Yes, he has.

"Four years ago where were we? Today we're in a far better place and we're qualified."

GOOD ACCOUNT

Trapattoni told reporters on Wednesday he believed Ireland would give a good account of themselves at the European Champiosnhip in Poland and Ukraine next year.

"We believe, because we have confronted France, Italy, Croatia, Russia... most of the important European teams," he said.

"I have no answers but we have confronted them and I understand not only our character but the way the team is growing, our entity, our personality.

"We are happy with the team, we have trust, we have a good team and believe this team can do well."

Looking back at the campaign, Trapattoni praised the mental strength of his side following their painful defeat by France in the play-offs for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa.

"I am very, very proud for many reasons. We came here with an important objective," the Italian added.

"We have started the last (World Cup) campaign in a difficult group with Italy and then we had France, and we could have achieved qualification.

"But we started again and we have discovered new important options in terms of players. They have shown how important they have been for us.

"We have improved our quality, like against Russia (who they held 0-0 away). We have started again with new mentality and the players believe in our system."

As expected Ireland were placed in the lowest of the four seeded pots for Euro 2012 by European governing body Uefa on Wednesday along with Denmark, France and Czech Republic.

Wife files fresh complaint against Tanvir

The feud between Sohail Tanvir and his first wife, Nosheen Agha is getting worse by each passing day with the latter now filing a fresh complaint against the Pakistani cricketer for threatening her.

After the police refused to register a formal complaint against Tanvir, Nosheen has now moved to the court of the assistant commissioner in Islamabad for registration of an FIR against the cricketer for harassing her, reports PTI.

Nosheen had earlier filed a similar application for registration of a case at the Shalimar police station but the police authorities didn't register the case and instead initiated the legal procedure of reconciliation between both parties.

The assistant commissioner of Islamabad, Captain Farid heard the case on Wednesday. Nosheen appeared in court and said she was not happy and had reservations over the reconciliation process with Tanvir.

The feud between husband and wife started after Tanvir married another girl chosen by his family forcing Nosheen to come on television and claim that he had contracted a second marriage without informing her or taking her permission.

Nosheen had claimed that Tanvir has been threatening her to leave Islamabad and move to another city. The court of the assistant commissioner adjourned further proceedings until December 14 since Tanvir is currently representing Pakistan in the one-day series against Sri Lanka in the UAE.

The court ordered Tanvir and Nosheen to appear in court at the next hearing.

Spanish pride helps cover up red faces

World and European champions Spain were prickly at suggestions they had underestimated hosts Costa Rica after grabbing a face-saving 2-2 friendly draw on Tuesday that did little to enhance their reputations as favourites for Euro 2012.

David Silva and David Villa scored in the last seven minutes, the equaliser coming in stoppage-time, after they had been outclassed by their opponents in the first half.

"Spain avoid ridicule in Costa Rica" Spanish daily El Pais said on Wednesday, while the front page of sports daily Marca had a message for coach Vicente del Bosque: "Vicente, we have a problem."

Coming hot on the heels of a 1-0 friendly defeat against England at Wembley on Saturday, the latest break for internationals has had a sobering effect on Spain's hopes of becoming the first side to retain the European crown.

"When I said before the match Costa Rica were good I wasn't just saying it to be nice," Del Bosque told reporters.

"In the first half they were better than us, quicker and more aggressive. It was nothing more than that. We aren't guilty of anything. The team showed character to react even if it was at the end."

Captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas, who broke Spain's record for appearances with his 127th cap, gifted Costa Rica an opener with an uncharacteristic error and they were 2-0 down by the break.

"When things don't go well we are the first people to get annoyed," Andres Iniesta, the scorer of Spain's winner in last year's World Cup final, told reporters.

"We didn't play well in the first half but we have to take note of the team's reaction which was positive. I hope we learn from this."

Spain won all eight games in qualifying for Euro 2012 but have had a patchy record in friendlies since winning the World Cup - losing four, drawing two and winning four.

"We know (Euro 2012) will be difficult and that the rivals will be tough," Del Bosque added.

"Being champions doesn't mean everything is already done. We have plenty of time to think about it and make plans."

Moin hits back at Condon remarks

Former Pakistan captain Moin Khan has lashed out at ex-chief of ICC anti-corruption unit Paul Condon for stating that ACU was aware that in the 90s and in the following years all of cricket's leading countries were involved in fixing major matches.

"I don't understand the purpose of his statement now. If the ACU knew that fixing was so widespread what action did they take to bring guilty teams or players to book after the ACU was formed in 2000," questioned Moin, reports PTI.

Moin, who now runs his own cricket academy in Karachi, said he was surprised by Condon`s statement but said in a way it was good for Pakistan.

Condon in a fresh interview said not just Pakistan but other countries were involved in fixing.

"In the late 1990s, Test and World Cup matches were being routinely fixed," Condon, the founding head of the ICC anti-corruption unit, said in an interview with London Evening Standard.

He also spoke about how a Pakistani player who went to England on ACU expenses at the last moment refused to give evidence or unmask those involved in fixing.

"What I want to know is that if fixing was rampant in the 90s and later on like Condon says what did the ACU do. Because until now all of the cases brought against players have been unveiled by the police or media."

Moin said he was not surprised at learning about a player backing out of giving testimony and evidence because of fear to his family`s life.

"Nobody will be willing to risk his family until the ICC ACU and concerned boards provide him proper security and safety. Why should any player run the risk of his family being hurt," Moin added.

Moin noted that when the ACU was spending millions, it could have easily spend more money on persuading players to give evidence after ensuring they got proper safety and security.

"It is responsibility of ACU to provide security and safety to a player wiling to come forward if he knows something. But that is not happening now and that is something the ICC must look into," he said.

He also said Condon was now speaking about the need to have former cricketers involved in the ICC and also in ACU.

"This suggestion to have former players work with the ACU was given any years ago why didn't Condon work on it, why say this now."

Moin said he was happy that Condon's statement would ateast clear the misconception that only Pakistani players were involved in corruption and fixing.

"His statement in a way does restore Pakistan's image and confirms corruption and fixing is not a problem restricted to one team or region it is a global issue," Moin said.

PREVIEW High-flying Newcastle brace for City juggernaut

Newcastle United's owner Mike Ashley's bitter-sweet relationship with fans suffered another low last week with his stadium renaming plans, but his waning popularity could improve if the unbeaten team halt the Manchester City juggernaut on Saturday.

The Eastlands clash (1500 GMT) pits the only two remaining unbeaten sides in the Premier League against each other with leaders City already five points clear of second-placed Manchester United after 11 games.

Newcastle have provided the surprise storyline of the season by sitting third on 25 points with seven wins and four draws.

Their resurgence under manager Alan Pardew has been a rare highlight since Ashley's turbulent reign began in 2007.

He has overseen the return and then resignation of club hero Kevin Keegan among a succession of managers, the on-off sale of the club as well as relegation from and then promotion back to the Premier League.

Newcastle's impressive start had diverted some of the attention away from Ashley, who found himself squarely back in the firing line when he announced his intention to rename their St James' Park stadium, their home since 1892, with his sporting goods brand.

The 'Toon Army' fans packing the away end on Saturday are certain to voice their disapproval, although the shouts of discontent against Ashley will die down if Pardew can find a way to quell free-scoring City's fire.

It is the first in a series of three big tests for Newcastle, who follow the City clash with a visit to face Manchester United at Old Trafford the following week before hosting Chelsea in early December.

Saturday's game is a battle between the Premier League's top scorers - City have hit 39 - and the division's stingiest defence - Newcastle have conceded just eight times.

While Manchester United will hope Newcastle can take at least a point at City, Alex Ferguson's side head for Wales to face a Swansea City (1730) team adapting well to the top flight.

Swansea, nicely placed in mid-table in their first season back with the elite since 1983, are proving tough customers at the Liberty stadium, unbeaten in five games and conceding just once.

CHELSEA V LIVERPOOL

Fourth-placed Chelsea welcome sixth-placed Liverpool to Stamford Bridge on Sunday (1600), with Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher poised to return after missing two games with a minor calf injury.

Chelsea, who lost 1-0 at home to Liverpool last season, will need to nullify the threat of in-form striker Luis Suarez who has experienced a mixed week.

He scored all four goals for Uruguay in a crushing World Cup qualifying win over Chile before being charged by the FA with making alleged racist remarks to Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard said Suarez had the potential to be one of the best in the world.

"To see Luis day in, day out has been a real eye-opener for me," Gerrard told LFC magazine. "I knew he was a good player."

Resurgent Arsenal visit Norwich City in the Saturday lunch time kick-off (1245).

After a patchy start Arsene Wenger's side have won their last four league games since losing to Tottenham Hotspur in early October, and have surged up to seventh place on 19 points.

The league's bottom two clubs meet at the DW Stadium where Wigan Athletic, rooted to the foot of the standings on five points, host Blackburn Rovers, just one point better off.

Hiddink hints at Chelsea return

Guus Hiddink has not ruled out a return to Premier League side Chelsea following the termination of his contract as Turkey coach by mutual consent.

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced Hiddink had left the role following the national team's failure to reach next summer's European Championship, reports ESPNstar.

Tuesday night's 3-0 aggregate defeat to Croatia in the Euro 2012 play-offs brought an end to Turkey's hopes of reaching the tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

Hiddink managed Chelsea between February and May 2009, leading them to FA Cup success. He has a good relationship with the Blues' Russian owner Roman Abramovich, and has again spoken fondly about his time in London.

"I'm going to take some time off and then we will see what happens, but I had a wonderful time in England," Hiddink said in quotes reported by the Daily Telegraph.

"It was great at Chelsea, a terrific time, but that doesn't mean I am ready to start tomorrow. I need some time to reflect."

Andre Villas-Boas is Chelsea's manager now after replacing Carlo Ancelotti in the summer, but Hiddink appears ready to consider a sporting director or similar role in the future.

However, Hiddink is not contemplating a move back to Holland after being linked with a potential position at reigning Eredivisie champions Ajax.

"A while ago I just had contact with (Ajax supervisory board member) Johan Cruyff and then was told that the door would be open and that I would be welcome," he told Dutch website www.vi.nl.

"I want something else, perhaps an advisory role.

"I'm not ready to retire, I like to be involved with a team on a daily basis, but maybe I am ready to step out of the limelight a little bit, away from the cameras. Hopefully I will still be involved but perhaps it will be as an adviser or a consultant.

"I don't see myself working in the Netherlands."

Hiddink's departure from the Turkey job was confirmed in a statement on the official TFF website which read: "Following the meeting between Turkish Football Federation Executive Committee and Turkey head coach Guus Hiddink, the Dutch coach's contract has been terminated by mutual consent.

"We would like to thank Mr Guus Hiddink for his services during his working period, and wish him all the best in his future career."

Hiddink, who has also managed Holland, South Korea, Australia and Russia at international level, took charge of the Turkish national team in August last year and leaves the post after just 15 months.

Hiddink's contract with Turkey was due to run until next summer, although it was widely expected the 65-year-old would move on before that time if Turkey were unsuccessful in the qualification campaign.

Speaking after last night's match, Hiddink hit out at the structures in place in Turkish football, insisting that the present system was affecting the national team's chances.

"All national teams representing a country, starting with the under-14 side up to the senior level, depend on how the clubs are organised and how seriously they take the education of young players from the age of 10," Hiddink said in quotes reported by Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman.

"In countries like Germany and Holland, this system is highly developed and the results are obvious.

"On the other hand, only one or two players from Turkey's Under-19 and Under-21 sides have come through to senior level and while in those countries it's a reliable process, in Turkey it's an exception.

"Turkey has a lot of potential but will only take part in big tournaments more frequently if the system is organised in a better way, because the foundation must lie in the clubs and be 100 percent efficient."

Hiddink leaves his post having won just seven of 17 games in charge of Turkey, with five draws and five defeats.

Three of those losses came in Euro 2012 qualifying, as Turkey finished a distant second to Germany in Group A, just two points ahead of third-placed Belgium.

Bangladesh likely to tour Pakistan in Apr 2012

According to international media outlets, the Bangladesh cricket team is expected to tour Pakistan in April next year.

Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Zaka Ashraf has spent the last two days in Dubai trying to convince the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) how important it is for them to support the restoration of international cricket in the country.

During his talks with BCB president Mustafa Kamal, Zaka also proposed that Pakistan play its league matches of a planned tri-nation tournament to be hosted by the BCB in Pakistan.

"The tournament will involve Pakistan and Sri Lanka besides the hosts and the idea is that Pakistan should be allowed to play at least two of its league matches in Pakistan against the two other teams," one source said, reports PTI.

Kamal told reporters that the Bangladesh board was not in a position to take a decision on sending its team to Pakistan and this can only be possible after the ICC gives its security clearance for the tour.

Zaka said he had assured the ICC that Pakistan would have foolproof security for the Bangladesh team and all security measures would be put in place with consultation of ICC experts and advisors.

"We will have bulletproof vehicles for the teams and the routes on which teams travel between their hotel and ground would be sealed off when they are passing through it," he said.

Zaka, who took over as PCB chief from Ijaz Butt last month, said he had emphasised on international teams to start touring Pakistan during his meetings with the ICC and Bangladesh officials.

"The meetings were very positive and there will be follow-ups with all stake holders. We are willing to work closely with the ICC to ensure touring teams can regain confidence about playing in Pakistan," he added.

Kamal said that while his board felt for Pakistan cricket and wanted to help them they will have to go by ICC and government advice and clearance.

"We want to help Pakistan cricket as they have always helped and supported us. But we need to follow certain ICC protocols," he added.

Relations between the two boards soured after the militants attack on the Sri Lankan team in March, 2009 in Lahore after which Bangladesh also joined the other Test-playing nations in supporting a move to move the 2011 World Cup matches out of Pakistan due to security issues.

Pakistan is due to tour Bangladesh from November 26. It is their first full tour since 2002. On other hand, Bangladesh last visited Pakistan in 2008 for a one-day series.

Balotelli rules out City departure

Mario Balotelli has again played down reports of an imminent return to Italian football. The Manchester City striker has never hidden his desire to one day return to his homeland, but he insists that it will not be any time soon.

Italian media claim that the likes of AC Milan, Inter Milan and Napoli could try to land him in January - but he says this is not the case.

"Not now," he said after playing in Italy's 1-0 defeat to Uruguay in Rome, reports ESPNstar.

"One day we will see. It is true I have spoken about Inter or Milan but there are also other teams in England or in Spain.

"Napoli I have said that I like the town, and I thank Moratti [Inter president Massimo] for saying he would sign me back immediately."

Speaking about Italy, Balotelli insists the Azzurri will go to Poland and Ukraine as one of the favourites to win the European Championship.

"The European Championship? We go to Ukraine and Poland to win, otherwise it is the end of the world," he said.

Samuels' fifty rallies WI to 132

West Indies made 132-8 after 20 overs in the Twenty20 international against Bangladesh on Tuesday.

Marlon Samuels held the innings together with a 42-ball 58, studded with two fours and four sixes.

Shakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzak and Shafiul Islam grabbed two wickets each after Mushfiqur Rahim won his first toss as the full-time Bangladesh captain, and chose to bowl in the only Twenty20 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.

Naeem Islam and Rubel Hossain took one wicket each.

Mahmudullah doubtful for WI ODIs

Mahmudullah, who missed the Twenty20 against West Indies on Tuesday with a viral fever, has not been named in Bangladesh's 15-man squad for the three-match ODI series that follows.

He will join the squad during the course of the series though, a Bangladesh Cricket Board release stated on Tuesday, if he recovers from his illness, reports ESPNcricinfo.

Apart from vice-captain Mahmudullah, the only other omission from the Twenty20 squad is Elias Sunny, an all-rounder who had impressed with his left-arm spin in the recent Bangladesh Board Cup. Instead, left-arm spinner Suhrawadi Shuvo, batsman Shahriar Nafees and all-rounder Shuvagoto Hom have been brought in.

The board had earlier said that fast bowler Shahadat Hossain was being considered for the one-day series, but he did not make the cut.

The first ODI of the three-match series is on Thursday at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

SQUAD:

Mushfiqur Rahim (capt & wk), Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Mohammad Ashraful, Shakib Al Hasan, Alok Kapali, Naeem Islam, Nasir Hossain, Abdur Razzak, Rubel Hossain, Shafiul Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Suhrawadi Shuvo, Shahriar Nafees and Shuvagoto Hom.

It was a calculated shot: Rahim

Mushfiqur Rahim, who sealed Bangladesh's victory over West Indies on Tuesday with a six over midwicket, said it was a calculated shot he played to finish the game.

"I was targeting the smaller side of the ground, and I was confident that even a mis-hit could travel for six," he said, reports ESPNcricinfo.

During Bangladesh's recent tour of Zimbabwe, Rahim was in a similar position in the third ODI. Bangladesh needed eight to win off the last over with one wicket in hand, and Mushfiqur, batting on 99, hit a couple of the first ball and holed out off the next attempting a six.

Here, he said, he was not worried about repeating the mistake.

"In Harare, as we only had one wicket left, I knew that even if I took a single we would have lost the match; in other words it was all left up to me. Here, since we had three wickets left, I knew that even if I mis-hit the shot and we ran one or two there would still be a chance to win."

The match was Rahim's first as captain of Bangladesh and he was glad everything went to plan.

"Everyone wants the first match [of their stint in charge] to be memorable, and I couldn't have asked for more. We won the toss, it was the plan to bowl first because dew might have been a factor and our bowling is spin-reliant. We saved 10-12 runs in the field and made a concerted effort to restrict them as much as possible."

With Bangladesh 93 for 6 in the 16th over, chasing 133, West Indies appeared to have the edge, but Rahim found an able partner in debutant Nasir Hossain.

At that point, Rahim said, he was looking to play out 20 overs.

"I believed that if Nasir and I stayed till the last over, even if we needed 10 or 15 runs [in the 20th], we would win.

"We got some runs in the second-last over [14 off Carlos Brathwaite], which was a bonus for us. In the last over, I had the confidence that if I got the ball in my zone then I could hit it for a four or six. Fortunately, that is what happened."

The Bangladesh bowlers did well to restrict West Indies, he said.

"I think we bowled fantastically well to restrict West Indies to 132. It was not a difficult total [to chase]. Rubel [Hossain] got hit for two sixes, but these things can happen in the powerplays. What I liked was how he responded to the responsibility placed on him and came back well."

Darren Sammy, West Indies' captain, said his side had made too many errors.

"We could have scored more runs, and we could have stopped more balls in the field," Sammy said.

"In the end we made more mistakes than they did.

"We knew it was going to be an interesting series. They held their nerve better than we did. We never took them for granted."

CSA unable to find sponsors for Australia T20 series

Cricket South Africa (CSA) have not been able to secure a sponsor for the Twenty20 series against Australia and have given the exclusive title rights to a charity organisation instead.

In the aftermath of the yet-to-be-resolved bonus scandal, corporates have veered away from associating themselves with the body, and only Castle Lager have remained as backers of the Test and ODI teams. As a result, the T20 team, all international events and two of the three domestic competitions are without sponsors, reports ESPNcricinfo.

Two of CSA's long-time sponsors, Standard Bank and the mobile communications company MTN opted out of their sponsorship agreements with cricket during the off-season. Standard Bank said the move was in line with their cancelling of all sports sponsorships, while MTN declined to give a reason for their withdrawal.

Since then, the bonus scandal has dragged into its second year and CSA have been unable to bring any new company on board.

Instead, CSA has given the Make a Difference (MAD) foundation the title rights for the series free of charge, and will allow the foundation to promote itself at both matches, as a way of giving back to the community.

The organisation seeks to give academically talented but disadvantaged children an opportunity to get a good education, something CSA sees as closely aligned to its own development goals.

"An important focus for CSA has always been in the mentoring and development of young players to become the very best cricketers in the world. And MAD shares a similar vision," Majola said.

South Africa's ODI and T20 captain, AB de Villiers, who is not playing in the series because of a finger injury is an ambassador for MAD, after being introduced to the organisation through former rugby hero Francois Pienaar.

Richard Glover, CSA's commercial manager, said that many companies had expressed interest in sponsoring various cricket properties but have asked to hold off until a 'line had been drawn under the bonus scandal'.

As the season drew close, with only Castle Lager continuing their relationship, Glover remained confident that CSA would secure sponsors before the season started. On September 20, he told ESPNcricinfo that a "sponsor will definitely be announced for the T20 series" against Australia.

However, the CSA's infighting has continued, and no sponsor has been unveiled. Reliable sources have confirmed that four companies have been asked to put their negotiations with CSA on hold until their issues have been resolved.

That could happen as soon as this Saturday, when president Mtutuzeli Nyoka faces a second vote of no confidence.

Five of the eleven provincial unions - Gauteng, Free State, Boland, Easterns and Eastern Province - have confirmed that they will support the motion against Nyoka. Northerns has said they will vote against it, but it is understood that at least one other union is in favour of the motion, and Nyoka is set to be removed from office.

That should end the ongoing battle between him and chief executive Gerald Majola which started when 4.7 million Rand ($671,428) was paid in bonuses after South Africa hosted the 2009 IPL and the Champions Trophy.

The payments were not processed through CSA's remunerations committee (Remco) and Nyoka asked for an external audit to be carried out to investigate them.

CSA held an internal audit, which cleared Majola and voted Nyoka out of office unlawfully three months later. Nyoka challenged them in court and, when he was reinstated, also won the right to have CSA's financials examined. KPMG, who conducted the inquiry, recommended that CSA seek legal advice after finding that Majola may have breached the Companies' Act on four occasions, and opinion was sought from Advocate Azhar Bham.

Majola was severely reprimanded at the AGM in August and CSA vowed to improve their corporate governance methods but denied Nyoka's request for copies of the audit report and legal advice.

They have since met Nyoka and his lawyer to show him both documents, but have also claimed that he has breached media protocol and is no longer fit to be their president.

If he is removed on Saturday, CSA's 15-month-long saga will come to an end, albeit unsatisfactorily for some, the day before the second T20 against Australia. That leaves too short a time frame to rubber-stamp the sponsorship.

There is, as yet, no indication of when CSA will announce sponsors for the ODI series against Australia or the domestic one-day and twenty-over competitions. SuperSport have continued to back the first-class competition in accordance with their television rights deal.

Rhodes appeals to ICC

Former South African cricketer and current Mumbai Indians fielding coach Jonty Rhodes on Tuesday said that the ICC should make every effort to keep the game clean.

Rhodes was a part of the national team that was led by late Hansie Cronje who was later found guilty of match-fixing and involvement with bookies.

"Hansie Cronje was my colleague and we had no idea he was doing something like that. The ICC has put the mechanism in place. I'm sure ICC is doing enough and should make every effort to keep this game clean," said Rhodes who was renowned for his brilliant fielding, reports PTI.

Rhodes's retort came in the wake of the fresh allegations that have surfaced during the spot-fixing trial which is on in London in which three Pakistan cricketers are the accused.

The former Test and ODI player, who has joined hands with Omtex Sports Academy to launch 'Jonty's Way' - an initiative aimed at improving young Indian cricketers' fielding standards - also praised Harbhajan Singh's inputs as captain and player in the triumphant run of Mumbai Indians in the recently concluded Champions T20 League.

"As a player, when you are left out either you can sulk or participate to fight on. Harbhajan Singh is a fighter. He has made a huge contribution (in MI's triumph) and he has put things behind," said Rhodes.

Looking ahead to the five-match ODI rubber between the reigning World Cup champions and England, Rhodes felt that the hosts would come back strongly.

"I don't know what happened in England but England are now in India and I'm sure India will bounce back," said Rhodes.

Rhodes emphasised on the importance of fielding in the modern game.

"I will give you the example of the World Cup final between India and Sri Lanka. Notwithstanding the great knock of Mahendra Singh Dhoni (India skipper), it was the first five overs that changed the game. Indian fielders did not allow anything to get past them. That made a major difference to the outcome," said Rhodes.

"I had no illusion when I was picked for the 1992 World Cup that it was because I was a pretty good fielder. Just see (West Indian and MI player) Kieron Pollard who takes catches on the boundary like a basketball player dunking the ball back in play," he said.

He also praised the young Mumbai Indians players for having contributed to the IPL franchise team's victory in CLT20.

"We lacked experience in the Champions League T20 but we had younger guys running and diving around. Nowadays, you cannot hide anyone on the field even at fine leg or third man with the scoops and reverse hits that are being played," he said.

"T20 cricket is not only about hitting fours and sixes but also about saving runs, field with dives and slides. One run saved can make a difference to the ultimate result as we have found. There's a technique to diving. That's what I want to focus on (at Jonty's Way)," he explained.

Pak players wanted Afridi out, court hears

Members of Pakistan's team cooked up plans to underperform in an effort to remove former Twenty20 and one-day captain Shahid Afridi from his position, a court heard on Tuesday.

During day five of the alleged spot-fixing trial of former Pakistan Test captain Salman Butt and fast bowler Mohammad Asif at Southwark Crown Court, a jury heard recordings of how Pakistan players wanted Butt to be their captain in all formats of the game, reports ESPNcricinfo.

The comments were made by the agent at the centre of the allegations Mazhar Majeed. Secret recordings from a covert sting operation by an undercover journalist were being played to the court when the comments of the anti-Afridi plan were heard.

"There's a thing going on with the players," Majeed was heard to say.

"A lot of the boys want to f*** up Afridi because he is trying to f*** up things for them and he's the captain of the Twenty20 and one-day (side). They all want Butt to be captain."

Majeed explained that Butt and wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal would "waste two or three overs" to slow Pakistan's run rate.

The jury has already learned of how Majeed didn't want to fix Test matches for Pakistan to lose because he wanted Butt to be successful so that he would stay in his position.

The court was also told on Monday of plans to lose a match in either the Twenty20 or 50-over series in England, matches that followed the Test matches last year.

ICC withdraws mandatory DRS rule

The controversial decision review system (DRS) will no longer be mandatory and its use will be left to bilateral agreements between participating boards, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Tuesday.

"Although the DRS improves correct umpire decisions by around five percent and corrects any blatant errors, there are some who are not convinced by its reliability," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.

"We will continue to work with interested parties to improve the system while permitting the participating teams to decide whether they wish to use it or not."

The ICC, at its annual conference in June, had made the use of Hot Spot technology - which indicates the ball's point of contact - mandatory, subject to availability, and left the use of ball-tracking technology up to the boards.

The ICC had even won over the Indian cricket board (BCCI), which had strongly opposed the ball-tracking technology in DRS, with its modified version of a system which allows teams to challenge umpire decisions.

The new version of DRS, minus the ball-tracking technology but including Hot Spot, was used during India's recent tour of England but drew flak for inconsistent results.

"This decision is a recognition that Hot Spot was not as reliable as we'd have liked it to be," Lorgat told reporters following a two-day ICC executive board meeting in Dubai.

"The evidence that came out of the series was not comforting. There were a number of occasions where Hot Spot did not detect a traceable mark."

The executive board said it would continue using the DRS in its global events and would support the use of technology and its continued development.

BCCI SALVO

The change in the ICC's stance on DRS followed criticism last month by the BCCI's new president N. Srinivasan, who said the Indian board "did not believe in the ball-tracking technology at all."

Lorgat, however, dismissed the idea that the BCCI had forced its decision on the other members.

"This was a board decision that came out through a considered debate and eventually there was unanimity that we need to revert and let those who are comfortable in using it, use it, and those who are not have the option to decide not to use it," he said.

The Pakistan Cricket Board said the system will be used in the upcoming one-day series against Sri Lanka and England being played in the United Arab Emirates.

It has even obtained sponsorship for the use of the technology.

"PCB is probably the first cricket board to obtain sponsorship to enable our broadcasters to use the technology in the series," Subhan Ahmad, chief operating officer of the board, told Reuters.

"The PCB is in support of using the technology in all cricket as it has definitely helped add value to the game and assist the umpires."

The ICC also said that the decision on whether or not a world test championship would start in 2013 would be delayed while it sought agreement from its commercial partners.

The governing body has a contract with broadcaster ESPN STAR Sports which includes the coverage of the Champions Trophy tournament that year.

"We've got existing commitments in terms of the rights agreement with a one-day international tournament that we would need to convert that to a test format and that has got implications for the broadcast partner," Lorgat said.

Butt not retained as PCB chairman

The Pakistani government has not retained Ijaz Butt as chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and has appointed Zaka Ashraf to replace him.

Ashraf, a senior banker, will take over as PCB chairman with immediate effect, replacing Butt who completed his three-year tenure on October 8.

Butt's tenure, which began in 2008, was plagued by controversy including last year's spot-fixing scandal in England which led to bans on players Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, and he was also in charge of the PCB when the Sri Lanka team were attacked in Lahore in 2009.

Cricket is a passion in Pakistan with millions of people scrutinising the board's every move and the national team's performances.

Butt returned home on Monday from Dubai after attending the executive board meeting of the International Cricket Council.

Rahim reign starts in style

Bangladesh skipper Mushfiqur Rahim's dramatic six off the penultimate ball secured the Tigers a tense three-wicket win over West Indies on Tuesday.

It ended a miserable sequence of results for Bangladesh, who had previously beaten Zimbabwe and Kenya in this type of cricket in the last four years.

Needing 133 runs for victory in the lone Twenty20 international, Bangladesh scored 135-7 in 19.5 overs. Rahim remained unbeaten on 41 off 26 balls.

He featured in a match-winning stand of 35 runs for the seventh wicket with Nasir Hossain, who contributed 18.

The Tigers got off to decent start before Tamim Iqbal (11) fell in the third over.

Although Imrul Kayes (22), Shakib Al Hasan (0), Mohammad Ashraful (24) and Alok Kapali (2) came and went, it only drove Rahim to play his shots with gusto.

The turning point of the match came in the 19th over bowled by right-arm pacer Carlos Brathwaite. He was asked to defend 22 runs, but ended up conceding 14 runs.

Even the dismissal of Nasir Hossain, with three balls to go, failed to stem the Rahim's momentum. His captain's knock earning the player of the match award.

Abdur Razzak managed to squeeze a single, leaving Rahim two balls to find a boundary off Ravi Rampaul.

And the Bangladesh captain's eyes lit up seeing a length ball which the pint-sized Rahim duly dispatched over the deep midwicket boundary sending Mirpur into raptures.

It was only Bangladesh's fourth overall success in 17 T20 matches and second against West Indies.

Earlier, after Rahim won his first toss as the full-time Bangladesh captain, and chose to bowl on a slow Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium wicket West Indies struggled to make 132-8.

Marlon Samuels once again showed his prowess with a 42-ball 58, studded with two fours and four sixes.

Apart from Samuels, opener Lendl Simmons made 23, Adrian Barath 15 and Denesh Ramdin 10 were only batsmen to contribute for the tourists who would have fancied their chances after winning both warm-up games going into the lone T20 match.

Shakib Al Hasan, Abdur Razzak and Shafiul Islam grabbed two wickets each.

Naeem Islam and Rubel Hossain took one wicket each.

Both sides will now turn their attention to the three-match one-day series that kicks off on Thursday. All matches will be day-nighters.

Rooney pens apology letter

England striker Wayne Rooney has written a letter to UEFA apologising for his red card against Montonegro last Friday, in the hope that a personal demonstration of repentance will see the organisation's disciplinary committee take a lenient approach when deciding the length of his ban.

Rooney, 25, was sent off for a petulant kick at Miodrag Dzudovic during the 2-2 draw in Podgorica, which secured the Three Lions' passage to Euro 2012, reports ESPNsoccernet.

The Manchester United star faces the prospect of missing up to three matches at next summer's finals, though the written apology coupled with comments from referee Wolfgang Stark, who praised Rooney's behaviour when leaving the pitch, has given England some hope that he will only be given a one-match ban.

Uefa will announce the length of Rooney's ban, along with other outstanding Euro 2012 qualifying issues, after its Control and Disciplinary Body meets on Thursday in Nyon, Switzerland.

Uefa has no authority to reinstate Sion

Uefa is unable to comply with a Swiss court order that Sion be reinstated to the Europa League, European football's governing body said on Tuesday.

Uefa also reiterated that the case should be settled at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), not in a civil court.

The Swiss club, kicked out of the competition for fielding ineligible players and replaced by Celtic, said last week that a civil court in Vaud canton, where Uefa headquarters is based, had ruled that it should be reinstated.

But Uefa said it could not reverse a decision made by its independent disciplinary body.

"The Uefa executive committee unanimously stated that it had no statutory authority to reinstate FC Sion," said the statement.

"This (is) the sole prerogative of the disciplinary instances of Uefa, which operate under the statutes in an independent manner with no influence whatsoever from the Uefa administration or Uefa executive committee.

"As the Uefa disciplinary bodies have twice ruled on this case, the Uefa executive committee unanimously decided to await the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) decision on the merits of the case.

"Uefa wishes to state strongly that, of course, it respects the law and that national law itself recognises the competence of the disciplinary structures that are specific to sport.

"This includes the role of the CAS in Lausanne, whose independence has been recognized by the Tribunal Federal of Switzerland. In this specific case, Uefa is constitutionally unable to apply to the letter of the super provisional and provisional measures decided by the civil court."

Uefa added that last week's civil court ruling was effectively an injunction valid for 60 days and that Sion would have to ask for a full legal hearing if they wanted to make it permanent.

"Uefa noted that the Tribunal Cantonal de Vaud also recognizes the role of the CAS as the competent entity able to decide on the merits of such a case, and gave FC Sion 60 days to initiate proceedings to do so," said Uefa.

Uefa added that Sion had signed an agreement recognising Uefa and CAS as the sole authorities for decisions on sporting matters.

Sion signed six new players in the summer despite being subject to a transfer ban imposed by Fifa after being found guilty of inducing an Egyptian player to break his contract with his previous club to join them in 2008.

Sion then fielded some of the players in a Europa League qualifier against Celtic which they won 3-1 on aggregate.

Perfect 10 for Germany, Belgium fail

Former champions Germany completed a perfect Euro 2012 qualifying campaign on Tuesday by beating Belgium 3-1 to claim their 10th win in as many matches.

Belgium failed to qualify after finishing third in Group A. Germany were top on 30 points while second-placed Turkey booked a playoff spot following their 1-0 win over Azerbaijan.

Mesut Ozil and Andre Schuerrle struck late in the first half and Mario Gomez added another goal just after the restart, dashing Belgium's hopes of recording their first victory against Germany since 1954.

Marouane Fellaini pulled a goal back for the visitors after 86 minutes.

Triple European champions Germany set a record by improving on the eight wins out of eight they notched in qualifying for the 1982 World Cup.

Coach Joachim Loew left out Bayern Munich duo Bastian Schweinsteiger and Jerome Boateng after they picked up knocks in Friday's 3-1 win over Turkey and made four more changes to his starting lineup.

The hosts survived early pressure from Belgium but should have taken the lead on the half hour when Gomez was denied by keeper Simon Mignolet from close range.

Ozil, who did not play against Turkey, opened the scoring when he rifled the ball in from 19 metres on the half hour.

Three minutes later Schuerrle, starting instead of Lukas Podolski, chipped Mignolet to notch his fifth goal in 10 international appearances.

Bundesliga top scorer Gomez squandered another golden opportunity seconds before the break but the striker, who was also on target against Turkey, made amends three minutes into the second period after combining well with Ozil.

Fifa must be put in its place: Romario

Fifa must not be allowed to ride roughshod over Brazilian law when it stages the 2014 World Cup, former Brazil striker Romario, now a federal Congressman, said on Monday.

Romario told reporters that Brazilian laws which guarantee half-price entry to football matches for the elderly and ban on alcohol in stadiums should not be swept away for Fifa's benefit.

"If FIFA is not put in its rightful place, Fifa will soon have more power than our president and the World Cup will be the way FIFA wants it and not the way we should do it," Romario told reporters.

"They have to respect the laws for old age pensioners, supporters and students. Fifa has to understand that things have changed.

"According to FIFA's calculations, they would lose 180 million real ($101 million) with the half-price entry.

"We don't have to pay this. FIFA could earn a little bit less so that the Brazilians can take part."

World Cup host nations must agree a series of conditions imposed by FIFA before staging the event.

These cover, among others, ticket sales and pricing, protection of trademarks and a ban on vendors not licensed by FIFA in and around stadiums.

FIFA argues that profits are reinvested in football.

The Brazilian Congress is currently debating a so-called World Cup law which needs to be passed for FIFA's conditions to come into effect.

Romario added that the urban transport remained one of the biggest worries for the staging of the World Cup.

"Urban transport is the biggest problem," he said. "There are a lot of paralised projects.

"There are problems in all venue cities," he added. "Brazil is certainly not going to stage the best World Cup in history as some have said.

"It's not going to be the World Cup for the Brazilian people."

Romario, 45, led the attack when Brazil won the World Cup in 1994 and was one of the country's most prolific goalscorers during a career which took him to Netherlands, Spain, Qatar, United States and Australia.

He claimed to have scored more than 1,000 goals during his career although that total includes goals scored in youth, friendly and testimonial games.

West Ham stadium deal falls through: report

A deal to award preferred bidder status for London's main 2012 Olympic stadium to English soccer club West Ham United has collapsed, according to a BBC report on Tuesday.

The report said the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) had brought negotiations to an end amid a protracted dispute with Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham Hotspur had been given a three-week ultimatum to accept a 17 million pound package to stay in north London and drop the legal battle over the future of the main Olympic stadium.

The BBC report said the stadium would be held in public ownership with a new winning bidder renting the venue instead of buying it.

Second-tier West Ham were selected to inherit the stadium, the centrepiece of the July 27-August 12 Games, in February.

We are going to Denmark to win: Ronaldo

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo insists that his side will aim for a victory against Denmark in their final Euro 2012 group qualifier on Tuesday evening.

The Euro 2004 finalists need just a draw in Copenhagen to progress directly to next summer's finals in Poland and Ukraine, as they currently lead Group H on goal difference, reports goal.com

Both Portugal and Denmark have collected 16 points from seven rounds of matches, and Tuesday's clash at the Parken Stadion will effectively decide who between them will qualify automatically as group winners.

And even though a draw will be enough to seal top spot for Portugal, Ronaldo wants his team-mates to give their all for a victory on Danish soil.

"Portugal are going to Denmark to win the game, that's our thinking," the Real Madrid forward told Spanish sports daily AS.

"We know there are conditions but we want to win the game for direct qualification. That is always the mentality of the team and I am sure we will make it a good match."

Ronaldo, though, concedes that they needed to tighten up at the back following their 5-3 defeat of Iceland on Friday.

"We very much need Pepe," stated the 26-year-old. "But those who are here now are the most important.

"We can talk about Pepe, but Ricardo Carvalho did not come to Portugal."

Third-placed Norway are three points behind both Portugal and Denmark, and need to register a big win against Cyprus at home to remain in contention for a play-off spot.

Ibrahimovic will stay with AC Milan: Allegri

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri is confident that Zlatan Ibrahimovic wants to continue playing for his team and is still hungry to win more titles.

Allegri was speaking in the wake of the 30-year-old striker's revelation last week that he was "starting to get old" and that "playing football has become more and more of a routine job" for him, goal.com reports.

Ibrahimovic's statements have since sparked rumours that he could be the subject of a bid from Spanish giants Real Madrid during the January transfer window, but Allegri is confident that he will retain the services of the Sweden international.

"Sometimes words can be misinterpreted," the Italian is quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I don't believe that Ibrahimovic is tired because the season has only just started.

"He and everyone else at Milan want to return to get results like last season. I am convinced that Zlatan wants to remain at Milan and return to win with this club."

Ibrahimovic was instrumental in Milan's first Serie A triumph since 2004 last season and has a contract with the club that lasts until June 2015.

WC QUALIFIERS Japan, Socceroos show their class

Continental powerhouses Japan and Australia stamped their authority on Asian World Cup qualifying with comfortable victories in the third round of matches on Tuesday.

Japan, who scraped past North Korea 1-0 at home and drew 1-1 in Uzbekistan in their opening two Group C games, crushed Tajikistan 8-0 in Osaka with Mike Havenaar, Shinji Okazaki and midfielder Shinji Kagawa scoring two goals each.

"We knew we were expected to win but it felt good to win in such emphatic fashion," Japan coach Alberto Zaccheroni told reporters.

In the other Group C match, Uzbekistan maintained their unbeaten run as Alexander Geynrikh's first-half goal secured a 1-0 win over North Korea in Pyongyang.

Australia beat Oman 3-0 in Sydney and took a big step towards the next stage with their third successive victory, cementing their place at the top of Group D.

Brett Holman's goal after seven minutes and second-half strikes from Josh Kennedy and Mile Jedinak sank Oman.

"I always keep saying the 11 players on the pitch are all key players, if they don't have the quality or the potential they don't have the right to play in the Socceroos," Australia coach Holger Osieck said.

"It was important for us to win but it's not a finished situation. We still have to win games, gain points... the boys are all aware of that."

Younis Mahmoud scored the winner in the 45th minute as China lost 1-0 to 10-man Iraq, coached by Brazilian Zico, in Shenzhen.

China, coached by Spaniard Jose Antonio Camacho, failed to take advantage of Basem Abbas's sending-off for a second yellow card in the 64th minute and suffered their second Group A defeat in a row.

JAKARTA THRILLER

2022 World Cup hosts Qatar had to dig deep in Jakarta to win 3-2 against a resilient Indonesian side, who twice came from behind to level.

Qatar, who drew their first two matches in Group D, took the lead through Abdulaziz Al Sulaiti in the 14th minute before Uruguay-born striker Cristian Gonzales, who became an Indonesian citizen last November, equalised 12 minutes later.

Qatar took the lead again in the 32nd minute through Khalfan Ibrahim, only for Gonzales to score his second goal three minutes later.

Mohammed Razak's 59th-minute strike turned out to be the winning goal as the Gulf side maintained their unbeaten run.

Saudi Arabia, three-time Asian champions, continued to disappoint with a goalless draw against Thailand in the other Group D match.

The Frank Rijkaard-coached side needed a win to close the gap on Australia and Thailand but they struggled in front of goal and continued to languish in third spot with two points from three matches.

An own goal from Hamdan Al Kamali and skipper Park Chu-young's fifth goal in the qualifiers gave South Korea a narrow 2-1 home win over United Arab Emirates.

Park opened the scoring five minutes into the second half and the home side went 2-0 up in the 63rd minute courtesy of the own goal.

Ismaeil Matar scored a consolation during second-half stoppage-time for the Gulf side who suffered their third consecutive defeat.

Jordan continued their rich vein of form as they made it three wins in a row, defeating bottom-placed Singapore 3-0 away to sit pretty at the top of Group A.

Final Euro qualifiers promise rare drama

The largely predictable Euro 2012 qualifying tournament could throw up real late drama Tuesday with France and Portugal involved in make-or-break matches.

France host Bosnia in a game which will send one of the teams to Poland and Ukraine and condemn the other to trying their luck in a two-legged playoff next month.

Denmark and Portugal will be playing for a direct spot at next year's tournament when they meet in Copenhagen, with the visitors at risk of missing out altogether if they lose.

There have been precious few such matches in the marathon nine-group qualifying competition, which has consisted largely of embarrassingly easy wins for the top teams.

Germany, Italy, England, Spain and Netherlands have all qualified, joining co-hosts Poland and Ukraine, without losing a match between them.

UEFA president Michel Platini has expressed concern for the future of international football although he does not see the Euro qualifying tournament as the problem, saying the small nations have a right to meet the top sides.

However, he will take little comfort for Tuesday's program where 27 of the 44 teams in action have nothing to play for apart from pride and nine of the 22 matches are effectively dead rubbers.

The Moldova v San Marino, Switzerland v Montenegro, Hungary v Finland, Kazakhstan v Austria and Macedonia v Slovakia games, all featuring teams whose fate is sealed one way or the other, are hardly likely to set pulses racing.

Five more teams -- the final four group winners and the best runners-up -- will ensure their places Tuesday while the other eight second-placed sides will go into the playoffs to decide the last four qualifiers.

The most attractive fixture pits Denmark and Portugal, level on 16 points at the top of Group H.

One point would be enough for Portugal, who have won their last five games in the group, thanks to their better head-to-head record.

PORTUGAL RISK

However, while Denmark are assured of a top-two finish, defeat for Portugal could lead to them being overtaken by Norway, who face Cyprus and are three points behind, and missing out on the playoffs as well.

"I don't plan draws or wins," said coach Paulo Bento after Friday's 5-3 win over Iceland. "One or three points will give us top spot and we're going to Denmark to win."

France, one point ahead of Bosnia at the top of Group D, need a draw in Paris to qualify but can take nothing for granted against a team who earlier this year were on the point of being kicked out of the competition due to a political dispute in the federation.

Since losing 3-0 in Romania in June, Bosnia have bounced back with four wins in a row and no goals conceded.

The team who miss out will have the consolation of finishing second and a playoff spot.

Russia face what should be a formality to qualify, needing a point at home to Andorra to top Group B, and are leaving Ireland and Armenia to fight for second spot in Dublin.

The Irish, one point ahead of their opponents, need a draw.

Group F leaders Greece also require a draw in Georgia to qualify, otherwise Croatia could pip them by beating Latvia at home.

Greece and Croatia are already sure of at least a playoff place.

Scotland and Belgium need to end the 100 percent records of Spain and Germany respectively to take second spot in their groups.

Scotland's 1-0 win over Liechtenstein Saturday took them second in Group I but they have only a one-point advantage over Czech Republic, who visit eliminated Lithuania.

Even one point against the rampant world and European champions appears a tall order for Scotland, who have not qualified since 1996.

Belgium are one point clear of Turkey in Group A but need to win in Germany to have any realistic chance of finishing above Guus Hiddink's team.

The Turks have the bonus of hosting an Azerbaijan side who have conceded 15 goals in losing their four away games.

Estonia, who have completed their matches attempting to qualify for their first major tournament, will have a nervous wait to see if they can hold on to second place in Group C as Serbia can still pip them with a win in Slovenia.

Higuain thrilled by excellent form

Real Madrid and Argentina striker Gonzalo Higuain is delighted with his current form for club and country after scoring two hat-tricks in six days.

The 23-year-old put three past Espanyol in Real Madrid's last game before the international break, sending Los Blancos to third place with a 4-0 win, reports ESPNstar.

He then scored another hat-trick, this time for Argentina against Chile, and set up one more for Lionel Messi as they beat their neighbours 4-1 in the 2014 World Cup qualifier.

Higuain expressed delight with his performance, but insists that getting the result for his nation was more important than his personal performance.

He told AS: "You can say this was a perfect week. I am very happy with how things have turned out, but more than happy with my goals, I am happy with Argentina's victory against a very tough opponent such as Chile."

"It was very good to get off on the right foot. It was very important to begin the road to the World Cup with a victory, and doing it with this result was even better.

"We could have scored more goals, but we are very happy with our display. We have to continue like this to get what we want."

Higuain ended off with high praise for his team-mate Lionel Messi, saying: "It is impossible to play badly alongside him. We are very lucky that he plays for us, we got along very well. It is a pleasure to play with him, because everything makes much more sense."

Puyol unsure if he will retire after Euro 2012

Barcelona defender Carles Puyol has refused to confirm whether he will retire from international football with Spain after next summer's European Championships.

Vicente del Bosque's men have already secured their place at Euro 2012, where they will look to defend the title they won in Austria and Switzerland back in 2008.

Puyol, meanwhile, has endured an injury-plagued six months, and the experienced centre-back is unsure whether this will force him to retire from the international stage in the near future.

"I do not know if I will retire from [international] selection. First of all we have to go there [Euro 2012] and see what happens," the 33-year-old told reporters at a press conference, reports goal.com.

The Barcelona captain then spoke of his injury woes and how he had struggled with the uncertainty as he waited to discover what the problem was.

"The first three months were the toughest as there was no clear diagnosis. We did everything, then I began to train and I broke down," he added.

Puyol is expected to start for the national side in their final Euro 2012 qualifier against Scotland on Tuesday, particularly after it was revealed that Raul Albiol will miss the encounter due to a fractured cheekbone.

Those who like football like watching me: Ronaldo

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has said he believes football fans around the globe love watching him in action, as he responds to recent criticism.

Ronaldo was jeered and hissed in September's 4-0 Euro 2012 qualifying win over Cyprus in which a number of fans shouted the name 'Messi,' referring to Lionel Messi, the Barcelona striker.

It is an issue which had gone quiet in recent weeks, but following Portugal's 5-3 Group H win over Iceland on Friday, Ronaldo has returned to talk about what happened against Cyprus.

The former Manchester United man shrugged shoulders at the whole affair and insisted he was not affected by it.

In fact, he feels everyone loves his game - his message coming just days after former Madrid coach Bernd Schuster said Ronaldo is less selfish now.

"These things [the Cyprus jeers] are abnormal things. And, I don't care about them," Ronaldo is quoted as saying by AS, reports goal.com.

"I think that all those who like football are happy when Cristiano Ronaldo is playing."

Ronaldo could be in action when Portugal play Denmark on Tuesday.

His side need just a point from their final group game to secure a place at Euro 2012.

Vettel can surpass Schumacher :Lauda

Double Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel could ultimately be even more successful than Michael Schumacher, according to triple title winner Niki Lauda.

Red Bull's 24-year-old German quipped after winning his second title in Japan on Sunday that, even if he was now the sport's youngest double champion, his great compatriot Schumacher was the youngest to win seven crowns.

Schumacher, now 42, briefly led Sunday's race for Mercedes and has a record 91 wins under his belt in a career that started in 1991.

No other driver has won more than five championships and only eight have taken more than two since 1950 but Vettel appears certain to join their number before long.

"It is the best performance so far in Formula One, at his age to win two (titles)," Austrian Lauda told Reuters at Suzuka.

"To win the first one is always the most difficult because all your career, starting from go-karts all the way up, is years and years of work for this particular day. The second one is easier in a way because there is less pressure."

Asked whether he could win many more, the man who won championships with Ferrari in 1975 and 1977 and McLaren in 1984 nodded in agreement.

"He has all the circumstances to do it. If the car and his career and where he drives and which car continues in the right direction, then yes.

"If you choose the wrong car or the car you are driving doesn't work, then you can't win because its always the combination of the two," the 62-year-old added.

"But he certainly theoretically can win more than Schumacher if he sits at the right time in the right car because he himself is certainly capable of it."

Schumacher, who retired in 2006 and then started his comeback last year, won five titles in a row with Ferrari during the Italian team's most dominant era from 2000 to 2004.

FEAR FACTOR

In Lauda's day, death was an ever present danger in Formula One and a driver could expect to attend numerous funerals of colleagues.

Lauda himself almost died in a fiery crash at the Nuerburgring in 1976 and went on to miss the title by a single point to Britain's James Hunt after refusing to race on in atrocious conditions at a rain-lashed Japanese Grand Prix.

Citing boredom at going around in circles, he then quit the sport for two years at the end of 1979 in search of new challenges in aviation.

The last driver fatality in Formula One was Brazilian triple champion Ayrton Senna in 1994 and Lauda doubted Vettel would be halted by either the 'fear factor' or any loss of enthusiasm.

Instead, he expected him to have a long and brilliant career ahead.

"I spoke with Schumacher a couple of months ago," he said. "Like in our days, this danger discussion with yourself 'Do I want to take the chances even being 35 or 40?' -- this doesn't apply today.

"Luckily enough the cars and the circuits are so improved that the drivers today do not have to question themselves about the risk like we had to do in the old days," he continued.

"This doesn't really come into it because they are used to these cars being safe and fit. They hit everything they can hit and nothing happens."

Vettel, Lauda said, had enough challenges ahead to keep him motivated for years to come.

"He is this kind of person, every lap he is doing and every race he is doing he wants to get quicker and quicker," the Austrian said.

"I came to a point where I really decided I wanted to find something else for my life. But in his particular case, with his age and what is all in front of him, there is no way he will be demotivated. He drives himself."

Tevez too expensive for Al-Wasl: Maradona

Diego Maradona has indicated Al-Wasl will not be making a move for Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez.

The Argentina international, who was coached and highly praised by Maradona at national team level, angered Roberto Mancini after apparently refusing to come on as a substitute in the 2-0 Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich.

Mancini suggested Tevez was 'finished' at the Etihad Stadium after the episode, but the striker's future remains uncertain as the club investigates the incident, with his advisor Kia Joorabchian suggesting he had been mistranslated.

It had been reported Al-Wasl would offer the striker an escape route, but Maradona, speaking after watching his side succumb to a 5-0 loss to Dubai, has suggested a transfer is not possible for financial reasons.

"Tevez is very expensive," Maradona said, according to Sport 360, reports goal.com.

"He will cost a lot of money and right now we have a budget for around five per cent of the fee he commands."

Inter, Paris Saint-Germain and Corinthians are all reportedly interested in signing Tevez.

The Brazilian club had attempted to sign the 27-year-old for a second spell before the summer transfer window closed but have since suggested they may not make another move in January.

Julio Cesar quits Brazil tour nursing thigh injury

Brazil goalkeeper Julio Cesar travelled back to his club Inter Milan on Sunday nursing a bruised thigh that has put him out of the upcoming friendly against Mexico, the Brazilian Football Federation (CBF) said.

Julio Cesar hurt his left thigh during the second half of Brazil's 1-0 win over Costa Rica in San Jose on Friday. The CBF said on its website (www.cbf.com.br) it was not a serious injury though he would need to rest.

Jefferson, who came on for Julio Cesar against Costa Rica, is expected to start Tuesday's match at the Azteca in Mexico City.

Teenager Neymar scored the only goal for the 2014 World Cup hosts, who were captained by Ronaldinho, on Friday.

Razzaq to lead Pakistan in HK Super 6s

Pakistan national selectors named experienced all-rounder Abdul Razzaq as captain of the Pakistan squad for the Super Sixes tournament, to be held in Hong Kong later this month.

Razzaq, who has been ignored for national selection since the World Cup and was not considered for the Test series against Sri Lanka, will lead a strong seven-member team for the Hong Kong event, reports PTI.

Besides Razzaq, the selectors also accommodated other national team players, Umar Akmal, Sohail Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Shah, Hammad Azam and newcomer Sharjeel Khan in the Super sixes squad chosen on Sunday.

Pakistan have featured regularly in the Hong Kong sixes event, which is held annually with teams from all Test playing nations taking part in it.

Umar, Sohail, Tanvir and Yasir had all toured Zimbabwe with the senior team in August, but were dropped for the Test series against Sri Lanka in the UAE.

Windies arrive on Tuesday

The West Indies cricket team will reach Dhaka on Tuesday to play against Bangladesh.

The 19-member squad, led by Darren Sammy is scheduled to land at 8:00 pm, BCB media and communication manager Rabeed Imam told bdnews24.com

The players who are participating in the Champions League in India will join the team later.

The West Indies will play a T20, two Tests and three one-dayers against the Tigers. But prior to that the team will play two practice matches on October 7 and 9 at the Fatullah Stadium.

The only T20 between West Indies and Bangladesh will be played on Oct 11 at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium. On October 13 and 15 they will go head-to-head in the first two one-dayers at the same venue. These are to be day-night matches.

The last ODI is to be played at the Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium in Chittagong on October 18. The first Test will commence there on October 21.

The second and last Test match will be played at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium, initiating from Oct 29.

After the month long tour, the Caribbeans are scheduled to leave Dhaka on November 3.

ODI AND T20 SQUAD:

Darren Sammy (capt), Adrian Barath, Devendra Bishoo, Carlos Brathwait, Darren Bravo, Danza Hyatt, Anthony Martin, Kieron Pollard, Kieran Powell, Dinesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels and Lendl Simmons.

TEST SQUAD:

Darren Sammy (capt), Adrian Barath, Carlton Baugh (wk), Devendra Bishoo, Craig Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shivnaraine Chanderpaul, Fidel Edwards, Kirk Edwards, Kieran Powell, Dinesh Ramdin (wk), Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Marlon Samuels and Shane Shillingford.

Mohsin Khan named interim Pakistan coach

Pakistan chief selector Mohsin Khan will serve as the team's interim coach for the series against Sri Lanka beginning later this month.

Mohsin steps in to fill the vacancy created by Waqar Younis' departure after the tour of Zimbabwe as the PCB is in the process of appointing a full-time coach. Ijaz Ahmed will be the team's assistant coach, reports ESPNcricinfo.

The PCB committee tasked with finding the new head coach had shortlisted five names for the position out of a list of thirty-seven applicants.

Twelve foreign and 25 local coaches had applied for the job. Those in contention for the top job reportedly include Dean Jones, Dermot Reeve and Aaqib Javed.

The committee hadn't finalised on a candidate, though, in time to take over before the Test, ODI and Twenty20 matches against Sri Lanka in the UAE.

Mohsin was appointed chief selector in March 2010 and was also involved in the PCB's fast-track coaching programme at National Cricket Academy, where he coached batsmen.

Colonel Naushad Ali will take charge as associate manager for the Sri Lanka series and the tour of Bangladesh.

He will function as manager for the Tests against Sri Lanka, though, in the absence of Naveed Akram Cheema, who will take over as manager for the limited-overs leg.

Cheema, a PCB governing board member and also the managing director of WAPDA, was appointed manger for the Zimbabwe series, replacing Intikhab Alam.

The Pakistan squad will assemble in Lahore for a pre-series camp between November 10 and 13.

Amla to skipper in ODIs and T20

Hashim Amla will make his international captaincy debut for South Africa in their upcoming T20 and ODI series against Australia.

He replaces the injured AB de Villiers, who was named captain in both limited-overs formats in June. The series were due to be de Villiers' first as skipper but he was ruled out for between four and six weeks after breaking a finger while practicing with the Royal Challengers Bangalore during the Champions League, reports ESPNcricinfo.

Amla was chosen as de Villiers' vice-captain but there was speculation that he would not captain the side straight away, having never done the job before, and described himself as 'more of a backroom guy'.

But the selectors have shown faith in their decisions and handed Amla the leadership role in both formats. Amla has only played three T20s for South Africa, but has plenty of experience in ODIs, having played 49 matches and is currently ranked the top batsman in the 50-over format.

AB de Villiers' absence also meant that South Africa had to search for a new wicketkeeper and have turned to an old favourite. Mark Boucher has been recalled to the ODI side having last played an ODI on South Africa's tour of West Indies in May last year.

He was left out of the squad that took part in the World Cup earlier and had made public his desire to return to the limited-overs format of the game, insisting he has plenty of offer in that department.

Heino Kuhn has been named wicketkeeper for the T20s while Morne van Wyk, who took part in the World Cup and can bat in the top five, has been excluded from both squads.

Andrew Hudson, the convenor of selectors, doesn't believe the one-day squad needs to be tampered with much, despite the disappointing World Cup campaign where South Africa crashed out in the quarter-finals. Boucher's inclusion will beef up the middle order along with David Miller, who replaces Colin Ingram.

There are plenty of options in the bowling department, with all three spinners who did duty in the World Cup being retained, but no space for Albie Morkel who is only in the T20 squad.

"We will probably go in with seven batsmen, including Boucher at No 7, and we have kept all our bowling options that worked well at the World Cup," Hudson said.

"We will be able to go in with four specialist bowlers plus the back-up of Kallis, JP Duminy and Faf du Plessis."

The only new cap is in the T20 squad which includes Cobras opening batsman Richard Levi. He has had an impressive run of form domestically and scored 43 off 27 balls in the team's Champions League opener against New South Wales. With the mix of youth and experience in the T20 squad Jacques Kallis and Dale Steyn are being rested.

Both are taking part in the ongoing Champions League, and have enjoyed five months away from cricket since the end of the IPL, but Hudson said leaving them out was part of CSA's rotation policy.

Imran Tahir, who burst onto the international scene at the World Cup, and took 17 wickets in 16 matches at an average of 16.88 for Hampshire in the English Friends Life t20 domestic tournament, has not been included in the T20 squad.

"With the ICC World Twenty20 less than a year away we need to keep a solid core of experience around the side," Hudson said.

"At the same time we want to give younger players a run as well and this certainly applies in the case of Richard Levi and David Miller. We don't have a lot of T20 International matches before the ICC event so it is important that we give the likes of Levi, Miller and Colin Ingram an extended run."

Graeme Smith, who stepped down as T20 captain in August last year and ODI captain after the World Cup, and batted for the first time in a competitive match after having knee surgery for the first time on Saturday, has been named in both squads.

South Africa's series against Australia starts with a T20 on October 13 in Cape Town and that will be followed by another T20 in Johannesburg then three ODIs. The two-Test series starts on November 7 and the Test squad will be announced after three more rounds of SuperSport Series matches.

ODI SQUAD:
Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, Mark Boucher, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis, David Miller, Morne Morkel , Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

T20 SQUAD:
Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, Colin Ingram, Heino Kuhn, Richard Levi, David Miller, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell , Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

France's Benzema, Ribery and Matuidi ruled out

France trio Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery and Blaise Matuidi have been ruled out of Friday's Euro 2012 qualifier at home to Albania and next week's final group game with Bosnia because of injuries, the French Football Federation said on Monday.

The three were part of the 24-man squad named by coach Laurent Blanc last week but fresh injuries while on club duty mean France will be stretched as they try to wrap up qualification for June's finals in Ukraine and Poland.

"MRI scans...have shown that all three are unable to play in the matches," a federation statement said.

France lead Group D by a point from Bosnia with just the two qualifiers at the Stade de France left.

Regulars Philippe Mexes, Yoann Gourcuff, Abou Diaby and Guillaume Hoarau were already out with long-standing injuries and on Sunday Bacary Sagna pulled out after breaking his leg playing for Arsenal, leading to a call-up for Mathieu Debuchy.

Real Madrid striker Benzema is suffering from an abductor muscle problem, Bayern Munich winger Ribery has calf injuries and Paris St Germain midfielder Matuidi is struggling with thigh trouble.

Defenders Eric Abidal and Laurent Koscielny remain in the squad but are doubtful with knocks.

"It is part of the job of national coach," Blanc earlier told reporters about his squad's fitness.

"Players are subjected to quite a tough regime with (club) matches every three or four days and muscle injuries can multiply. Eric is very important to us. I really hope he will be fit to play."

A decision on possible replacements for the injured trio has not yet been made and depends on whether Blanc sticks to his usual plan of having one man up front or switches to 4-4-2 given that Albania are likely to play defensively on Friday.

France may try to attack more than normal as they need to beat Albania to guarantee they stay in front of Bosnia ahead of the final showdown with the Balkan side on Oct. 11.

Cook rubbishes ball-tampering talk

Alastair Cook has vehemently denied Umar Gul's accusation that England bowlers Stuart Broad and James Anderson have engaged in ball-tampering.

Gul was quoted by the PakPassion website claiming Anderson tampered with the ball during Pakistan's controversial 2010 tour of England and that Broad did the same in the most recent Ashes series in Australia, reports ESPNstar.

The Pakistan right-armer has since clarified his comments in a statement to the same website, claiming he intended them to mean that any bowler could be accused of ball-tampering.

But England one-day skipper Cook hit back at the 27-year-old's claims, saying:
"We certainly haven't tampered with the ball and if he did have any complaints he should have gone to the ICC over that.

"I think he has almost said himself that it has been a bit of a mountain out of a molehill."

Gul came out with accusation that Broad and Anderson illegally tampered with the ball after reading retired Pakistan paceman Shoaib Akhtar's autobiography, which contains a confession that he took part in ball tampering during his career.

Cook was speaking at London Heathrow airport ahead of his team's departure to India, where they will play five 50-over games and one Twenty20 over the next four weeks.

Cook led the ODI team to a 3-0 win over the Indians in England this summer after Andrew Strauss had skippered the team to a 5-0 Test whitewash.

Cook admits playing the 50-over world champions on their own soil will be a much harder task, but has still backed his men to win.

"I certainly think we can beat India," Cook said.

"It will be incredibly tough. We need everyone to be playing very well.

"We all know what the one-day crowds are like over there. They love their cricket.

"Delivering our skills when 50,000 or 60,000 people are screaming and when balls are flying all over the place will also be a key factor, but certainly with this squad I think we can do something really special."

Iniesta to return to action soon

Barcelona finally had some positive news on the injury front on Monday when medical staff said midfielder Andres Iniesta was about to be declared fit after three weeks out with a muscle tear.

The Spain playmaker's return would be a welcome development for coach Pep Guardiola, who has lost midfielders Cesc Fabregas (hamstring) and Ibrahim Afellay (knee surgery), forward Alexis Sanchez (thigh) and defender Eric Abidal (hamstring) to injury in recent weeks.

Iniesta was "already on the verge of receiving the all-clear," club doctor Ricard Pruna said at a news conference following Afellay's knee operation on Monday.

Gayle(46-ball 86 runs) blast sets up RCB win

Chris Gayle blasted a 46-ball 86 to set up the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) for a massive 51-run win over Somerset in their Champions League T20 match in Bangalore on Monday.

Chasing a daunting 207 to win, Somerset made a brisk start with Peter Trego making 58 off only 38 deliveries, reports supersport.

However, Daniel Vettori and Dirk Nannes kept pegging away at the wickets at the other end, and by the time Trego succumbed to Raju Bhatkal, caught in the deep by Vettori, the writing was on the wall for the English team.

Vettori finshed with 2/25 and Sreenath Aravind was even more miserly, conceding only 23 runs for his two wickets.

Earlier, Gayle's onslaught propelled Bangalore to 206 for six, having been asked to bat first.

Tillakaratne Dilshan took the initial responsibility on what started off as a slow and damp wicket and, riding his luck, scored a quick 23 runs off 16 balls before being bowled around his legs.

Virat Kohli joined Gayle and, with the track flattening out, the pair scored with greater ease and brought up the 100 in the 11th over.

Steve Kirby stuck to his guns to first remove Kohli, bowling him with a yorker, and he followed up that success by having Saurabh Tiwary caught at deep mid-wicket.

Though wickets were falling around him, Gayle kept his concentration and continued to attack the bowlers, hitting four boundaries and eight sixes, before Alfonso Thomas had him caught in the deep.

Kirby finished with 2/23, commendable figures in an innings where the run rate exceeded 10.

Arsenal and Spurs unite following ugly chants

Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur put their intense on-field rivalry to one side on Monday by taking the unusual step of issuing a joint statement condemning the chants of some of their supporters at Sunday's north London derby at White Hart Lane.

Arsenal fans were offensive towards their former striker Emmanuel Adebayor who now plays for Spurs, mocking the gun attack on his Togo team bus during last year's African Nations Cup tournament in Angola which left three members of the Togo party dead.

The Arsenal fans chanted: "It should have been you, it should have been you, killed in Angola, it should have been you."

Spurs fans targeted Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with their own offensive insult as they have done for much of the last decade.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp was scathing of the Arsenal fans afterwards, describing the chants at Adebayor as 'disgusting' and Spurs confirmed on Monday that several fans from the home and away sections of the crowd were ejected during the game.

"How do you chant something like that. You can't be right mentally. There were kids up there," Redknapp said.

Wenger said he had heard the chants and added: "We respect everybody and want to be respected too."

The statement, issued on their websites read: "Both clubs were extremely disappointed to hear the chants from supporters at yesterday's game.

"Neither club tolerates foul language, racist chanting, homophobic chanting or any anti-social behaviour from its supporters.

"We shall be working closely with each other to identify the individuals involved."

A Tottenham spokesman said Spurs, in line with club policy, would ban for life any fan found guilty of offensive chanting during the match which they won 2-1.

Despite Monday's united front, it was not all harmonious between the clubs immediately after Spurs' victory.

Tottenham's assistant coach Clive Allen described Wenger as 'two-bob' - a derogatory put down - for refusing to shake his hand after the final whistle.

Wenger replied: "Nothing happened. I shook hands with Harry and (assistant) Kevin Bond. How many hands do I have to shake?"

Spot-fixing trial set to begin Tuesday

Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif begin their trial at a criminal court in London on Tuesday, more than a year on from the spot-fixing allegations that engulfed the cricket world during Pakistan's troubled tour of England.

The former Pakistan Test captain Butt, 27 on Friday, and fast bowler Asif, 28, will appear at Southwark Crown Court with the possibility of a custodial sentence awaiting them if deemed guilty, reports ESPNcricinfo.

Both players are pleading not guilty. Reporting restrictions are in place on this event.

The players are facing charges of conspiracy to cheat, and conspiracy to obtain and accept corrupt payments, following the Lord's Test in August last year when they allegedly conspired to bowl pre-determined no-balls.

Butt and Asif, along with teenage fast bowler Mohammad Amir, were exposed by the now defunct British tabloid the News of the World in an undercover sting operation. Their former agent Mazher Majeed was recorded by a secret camera, saying when no-balls would be delivered by the bowlers.

The fact the case is being heard at a crown court shows the seriousness of the allegations facing the defendants, with crown court being the more senior of the criminal courts.

One of the complexities of this trial surrounds its high-profile nature. Because the issue was so well reported globally at the time, after it was revealed in the News of the World, it is likely to be difficult to find a jury that has not in some way heard of the case or information about it and therefore inherited some amount of bias.

A re-trial could therefore occur, though how any future jury would also have no previous knowledge of the story is also difficult to quantify.

The players have already been punished by the ICC after a disciplinary hearing in Doha, Qatar. There, the three players were each banned from the sport for at least five years. Butt received a further suspended five-year ban and Asif was handed a further two-year suspended sanction.

All three players have filed appeals against their bans at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The Pakistan team has admirably set about recovering from a controversy that shocked the sport, after the key players were suspended. Asif, the right-arm swing bowler, and left-armer Amir quickly became one of the most potent new-ball attacks in world cricket. Butt, meanwhile, was a respected opening batsman and was seen as an articulate, diplomatic captain by the British media on that tour last year, prior to the allegations.

The most important aspect at stake during the trial is for cricket as a whole and its integrity, honesty and transparency, according to sports lawyer Max Eppel of McFadden's LLP, who has worked on cases involving cricket and football among others.

"The most important thing for any fan of sports is to know the teams are going out there on a level playing field," he said.

"If there is any hint of corruption, the sport could be destroyed. Ultimately, any kind of hype about a criminal court trial is bad publicity for a sport, but if there are good things to come out of it, it is that the sport will get a chance to see any ramifications there are for ever getting involved in this sort of stuff."

IAAF assured London stadium will retain track

London 2012 organisers showed off their newly laid Olympic track on Monday and assured visiting officials assessing a bid for the 2017 World Athletics Championships that it would be there for keeps.

"The athletics track is a non-negotiable part of the legacy of this stadium," Sports and Olympics minister Hugh Robertson told Reuters on the track after meeting an International Association of Athletics Federations' (IAAF) inspection commission delegation.

"Once we had spoken to them, there were no questions afterwards," he added.

"We have now a letter of guarantee from the treasury solicitor that says the track will remain in the stadium in legacy mode and all the indications are that that has now put that argument to bed."

Premier League soccer club Tottenham Hotspur are fighting a legal battle over the future of the Olympic Stadium in east London.

A court hearing into the awarding of preferred bidder status to take over the Stadium after the Games to West Ham United is scheduled for October 18.

Tottenham, who would have removed the running track after the Games had they won the bid, argue that a 40 million pound ($62 million) loan from Newham council gave West Ham an unfair economic advantage.

The uncertainty had threatened the bid for the 2017 championships with the IAAF making clear that London had no chance without the Olympic Stadium being available.

NON-NEGOTIABLE

Robertson said even if Tottenham won their hearing, it would be a hollow victory.

"The judicial review is about the process by which the decision was reached, not the substance of the decision itself," he said.

"So therefore if the litigants were to win in the high court, and I don't think they will, we would simply start the process again and make the athletics track a non-negotiable part of the solution."

London 2012 organising committee chairman Sebastian Coe, a twice 1,500 metres Olympic gold medallist, turned out in his running kit to give the track a test along with British athletes hoping to be in the medals next year.

They were joined on the track by children from a local primary school before reporters were also allowed to try out the springy, 13.5mm deep surface for themselves.

"It's a lovely surface, it's a really good surface," Coe declared of the red Mondo surface which was laid in August with a training circuit nearing completion outside the main stadium.

"Instinctively, it felt a bit like Zurich," added the 54-year-old. "Which was good for me."

"It's an intimate stadium...and of course as we pointed out to the IAAF this morning, there will be some reconfiguration if we get 2017."

Coe said he had organised a private meeting with IAAF officials and tackled the main issues head on.

"They went away with the guarantees they needed," he said.

"We didn't leave them in any doubt at all about the commitment to the stadium.

"We made a very strong case this morning and we will continue to make that case, and it's a compelling case."

London is bidding against Qatar's Doha for the championships, with a decision due to be taken by the IAAF in Monaco in November.