Sports News

Waqar Younis signs as Pakistan coach

2010-03-02T22:53:00.000-08:00

Waqar Younis' tenure will see him through to December 2011© Getty Images

Waqar Younis has signed on as the new coach of the Pakistan side, in the process becoming the fourth coach of the team in three years. The former fast bowler has been in negotiations with the PCB over the last few days, but confirmed that he will now replace Intikhab Alam on a tenure that sees him through to December 2011.

Waqar, who is based in Sydney currently, will arrive in Lahore next week to begin work, the first assignment of which will be to prepare Pakistan's defense of the World Twenty20 crown in the Caribbean in April-May. "I've signed on and agreed to the contract," Waqar told Cricinfo. "I'll be arriving in Lahore from next week to begin work."

Though the PCB had talked of - and approached - at least one foreign option to replace Intikhab in the aftermath of the tour to Australia, Waqar emerged as a favourite to take over last week. He was sent a contract over the weekend and though there initially were a few sticking points, it is believed the chinks have been ironed out.

"I'm absolutely honoured to take on the role and it is a very exciting challenge," Waqar said. "Hopefully I can deliver on the role. Cricket has given me a lot over the years and I want to give something back to cricket and country now. I've always played my cricket with passion and aggression and I want the team to play like that."

This will be Waqar's first official role as head coach at any competitive level, though he has worked with Pakistan twice previously as a bowling coach. The first was a stint under Bob Woolmer between March 2006 and January 2007, a successful stretch during which a number of bowlers prospered. The second timewas on the recent Australian tour, where he was one of three coaches in a set-up headed by Intikhab and that appointment was for the series only.

But Waqar believes his relative lack of experience in an expansive role will not be a hindrance, hinting that he would relish the broader sweep such a post would afford him. "I'll probably have more control of various situations and have a say in more decisions. I really enjoyed my time as bowling coach, especially the first one under Bob.

"The last one was a little more difficult but I'm confident I can deliver. I learnt a lot from Bob during his time and I'm hoping I can put that to good use."

Osman Samiuddin is Pakistan editor of Cricinfo

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Punter expects toned-down McCullum

2010-03-02T02:59:00.000-08:00

Ricky Ponting does not expect Brendon McCullum to bat as he did on Sunday when the teams meet in the Chappell-Hadlee series on Wednesday.

McCullum played a cavalier innings, cracking 116 from 56 balls, and New Zealand eventually won a one-over eliminator after Australia matched their hosts' total of 214.

Ponting, who does not play Twenty20 for Australia but remains a key man in the 50-over team, cannot see McCullum taking the same attitude into the longer version of the one-day game.

"I'd be surprised if he plays that way and those sort of shots in a 50-over game. The way he played the other day was pretty much down to having to do that because of the format," Ponting said.

"He'll probably feel a bit more responsibility going into a 50-over game as well. Being one of their most experienced players and probably their batter in the best form at the moment he'll probably put it on himself to try to bat for longer periods.

"But as a result of some of the things he did do the other night there has been some conversation around the group about the way we should bowl if he plays some of those shots again so I think we've all learned from watching his innings."

New Zealand halted Australia's unbeaten summer run with their thrilling victory in Christchurch.

However Ponting's men last tasted 50-over one-day international defeat at the end of October last year against India. Since then they have won three on the trot against the Indians to wrap up that series 4-2 and swept aside Pakistan (5-0) and the West Indies (4-0) on home soil.

"Our boys have been on the road for a while and playing a lot of cricket and our form of late has been terrific," Ponting explained.

"So as I've said to our guys right from the start of the summer, it's about trying to find ways to make yourselves better players day in and day out and in the majority of the summer we were able to do that.

"And our team performances probably got better and better as a result.

"We know we have got to give the Kiwis a lot of attention. They're a very good one-day outfit and they've got some matchwinners in their side as we saw the other night, so we have to make sure we start the series well."

Ponting laughed off the impact of the Twenty20 defeat.

"It didn't affect me because I wasn't in the side!" he said.

"There's a few guys coming into this team that didn't play the other night so what generally happens then is that those guys generally bring in a different sort of attitude and probably a more energetic attitude considering they've had a week off."

Ahead of the one-day international in Napier, New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori stressed he would urge McCullum to play in the same uninhibited manner which brought him success in Sunday's match.

"We want Brendon to keep playing the same way," Vettori said. "We'd love that to happen all the time but the nature of cricket means it doesn't so we need other guys to step up."

Vettori predicted a high-scoring match, on a pitch where spin bowlers may struggle to be economical, and picked out Ponting and David Hussey as major threats from the Australia batting line-up.

"They're bringing in some quality players and they're bringing in the team that's dominated their one-day series back home," Vettori said.

"We've got to get up to speed with a lot of them. But they're obviously bringing in one of the best batsmen of all time in Ricky Ponting, so he's a guy we're going to have to really prepare for.

"Him and Hussey have amazing records against us so for us to stop them were going to have to do well against those two in particular."

Vettori relishes the clashes with Australia and knows the New Zealand public feel the same. He also suggests the New Zealand team's performance against their neighbours is how the rest of the world judge them.

He said: "It means a lot to us and it's basically our credibility within world cricket. If we can step up against these guys, play well and win, then people respect us as a team. If we roll over then our summer has been a disappointment."

Test cricket must go day-night to survive - Modi

2010-03-02T02:56:00.001-08:00

Lalit Modi: "There has been a big drop in Test cricket viewing and it's because people don't have the leisure time in the day to watch it" © AFP

Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, has said it is vital for Test cricket to shift to the day-night format and become more broadcaster friendly in order to ensure its survival amid the burgeoning popularity of Twenty20, which he believes will "become the dominant format - without doubt".

"I am a great supporter of Test cricket. People say I'm not but I also run the marketing department of the BCCI and Test cricket is extremely important to us," Modi told the Guardian. "All I am trying to do is remind people that we live in a modern age and Test cricket has a big problem: it is played in the daytime when most people are working."

Administrators, according to Modi, should embrace every opportunity to attract more viewers to Tests and playing it day-night was an effective way of doing so. "If you take it to day-night, then people can watch it on TV when they get home from work - or they can go to the stadium. There has been a big drop in Test cricket viewing [outside England and the Ashes] and it's because people don't have the leisure time in the day to watch it."

Modi believes that the five-day format will fizzle out unless there is a change in its timings because the broadcaster will not be interested it in. "Whether we like it or not, broadcasting determines whether a game survives. Without broadcasters you don't have money to pay players or keep the sport alive. You don't need to fiddle with the format at this stage. All you need do is change the timing. If we went day-night then we would see a real resurgence in the ratings. Look at Twenty20. It has gone to night cricket and the viewership has exploded."

Modi said the Twenty20 format - three hours for a game - was the ideal vehicle for cricket to compete with football and other sports for new consumers and markets. His aim is to make the IPL the "dominant sporting league in the world" across all sports.

"We are only a two-year-old league but we had close to 3.8 billion eyeballs last year. Every game last year we had 100 million eyeballs," he said. "But because our objective is to become the most watched sporting event in the world we are now targeting 150m every day."

Modi believes that the IPL could develop an edge over English Premier League football because, unlike the most popular league in the world, its unique model was based on team equality and therefore was unpredictable.

"Look, my son is a Manchester United fan and I'm a Chelsea fan - and I was very upset to see my team lose [last Saturday]," he said. "But, normally, we know exactly what is going to happen. My son and I know that nine times out 10 either Man U or Chelsea is going to win it. The Premier League is basically so predictable. I wanted to base my league on an unpredictable model - so we don't have a Man U or a Chelsea in the IPL.

"If you look at our ratings, all 59 games in the IPL last year were within a 5% margin of each other in ratings. That has never happened in any other league in the world. From a broadcaster's or advertiser's point of view this is a dream because, when they buy a match, or advertising, they know they are going to get value for money. The other key point is that 52 out of those 59 matches went down to the wire. No one knew who was going to win until the final stages.

"Our model works but a lot of English football clubs are going under. Look at Portsmouth going bankrupt. With the next auction we might have even more surprising figures and people coming into the IPL."

Pakistan lack of fight surprising

2010-02-28T22:47:00.001-08:00

India coach Jose Brasa was pleased with his team’s comprehensive display versus Pakistan in the World Cup opener.

By Adarsh Vinay

Jose Brasa was his jovial self after India registered an emphatic 4-1 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in their encounter at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Sunday night. He was all praise for the team. "We played very well, especially in the first half. We made lots of chances and we thoroughly deserved our 2-0 lead at the break," said the Spanish coach.

But the Spaniard was surprised by the lack of fight shown by Pakistan. The visitors were completely outplayed and, for the majority, the match seemed one-sided. "The match was easier than I expected. I did not think we would have it so simple. But credit to the team, we played well and we deserve the win."

Brasa was especially pleased with the fact that the team kept its emotions in check against their bitter rivals. "I am satisfied with the way they played the game. They controlled their emotions and were very calm throughout," he said. India had lost to Pakistan 7-1 in the 1982 Asian Games at the National Stadium.

India captain Rajpal Singh was equally jubilant with the result. When asked if he thought the result would be so lopsided, he joked that he expected the margin to be higher. But on a serious note, he said he was very happy with the team's performance.

"We dominated the whole game. We stuck to our strategy. We planned to play short passes and that worked for us. Our forward line combined well while building up the attack," said the 26-year-old skipper.

The Indian captain summed up the win in one line: "They were good, but we were better."

Man United lift the Carling Cup!

2010-02-28T22:45:00.000-08:00

Wayne Rooney's superb second-half goal won the Carling Cup final for Manchester United as they beat Aston Villa 2-1 at Wembley.

After starting as a substitute, Rooney was only on the pitch because of an injury to Michael Owen, who had levelled James Milner's fourth-minute penalty.

He was not going to let that inconvenience stop him becoming the Wembley match-winner against Aston Villa though.

And 16 minutes from time, Rooney got on the end of Antonio Valencia's cross and looped home yet another headed goal - his fifth in a row - to take his goal tally for the season to 28 and allow United to retain the trophy after a thrilling Wembley encounter Sir Alex Ferguson feared was not possible.

Southee and McCullum seal super NZ win

2010-02-28T22:30:00.000-08:00

McScoop Master: Brendon McCullum's unbeaten 116 included bouts of brave brilliance © Getty Images

A superb match needed a Super Over to split the teams and New Zealand prevailed to repay Brendon McCullum for his amazing century. McCullum became the second-highest scorer in a Twenty20 international with an unbeaten 116, but after Michael Clarke and Cameron White exploded in the reply the scores were tied at 214 after 40 overs.

A six-ball tiebreaker was required and the calm Tim Southee delivered another tight over to allow only six runs for White, David Warner and Brad Haddin. Shaun Tait's waywardness, including two wides, assisted the locals and Martin Guptill finished the game with a four over point from the third legitimate delivery.

The hosts were upset by a meek performance inFriday's one-sided defeat, but McCullum showed his might with an unforgettable 56-ball demolition on a small ground that was rocking at the start and the end. Things were much quieter as Clarke organised the chase with 67 from 45 and White provided some much-needed muscle with 64 off 26 in a pursuit that was almost perfectly timed. However, Clarke and White could only scurry two from the final ball when three were required, with Clarke run out well short of his ground.

Needing two off almost every delivery throughout the second innings, the Australians managed to stay on track after Warner departed for a McCullum-style 20 off 10. Haddin (47 off 37) and Clarke, who was travelling much quicker than his usual pace, were able to stay close to the rate so they required 125 from the final 60 balls.

James Franklin slowed things down briefly with the wickets of Haddin and David Hussey (10) before White's brute force arrived. White warmed up with a six over cover off Daniel Vettori, then caressed an inside-out clearance in the same area and was dropped on the boundary attempting a third.

He then powered two fours and a six off Franklin before flicking Shane Bond into the spectators at square leg. The 13 that came from Bond's final over left Australia wanting 36 off 18 deliveries, but the first of three magically controlled Southee efforts made it 30 from 12.

White survived a run-out and found two boundaries and a six down the ground off Jacob Oram to cut the margin to 12. In Southee's final over the bowler showed the maturity of a 30-year-old, not a boy who is 21, by delivering more pin-point yorkers to keep his side in the game.

And he proved it wasn't a fluke by doing it again in the Super Over. The result levelled the series and delivered Australia their first loss of their summer while setting up an intriguing five-match one-day contest beginning on Wednesday.

Despite the flurry of absorbing action at the end, it was McCullum's fireworks over the first half of the match that were the highlight. He showered boundaries around the tiny stadium and the change in attitude left the Australians, who had rested Mitchell Johnson and Shane Watson, wondering if there was any way to stop the run avalanche. They were able to slow it a couple of times, but McCullum carried his team through the loss of six wickets and achieved the side's highest total.

His hundred came up in 50 balls, equalling the record of Chris Gayle, the only other century-maker in this format. It was achieved with a single to deep cover, at which point the batsman ripped off his helmet to take in the applause, but he was not finished and carried his bat. Nathan McCullum joined his brother at the end, getting 14 in a 50-run stand in 3.2 overs on an afternoon that stunned everyone.

The big crowd of 26,148 was sprinkled by McCullum's eight sixes and he backed up with a dozen fours during the barrage. Four of the boundaries came with "McScoops" past or over the wicketkeeper, but that was nothing compared to the two sixes he managed to shovel behind himself off Tait. It was brave and brutal - one of the clearances off Tait came from a 155kph thunderbolt.

McCullum proved he wouldn't be intimidated by Australia's quick bowlers when he charged the third ball of the day from Tait (2 for 40) and bashed him for four through cover. There were 10 runs from the eventful over, which also contained the ugly bowled of the out-classed Peter Ingram for 0 and Tait sending a finger signal to McCullum.

In the second over McCullum planted a six through cover off Dirk Nannes' opening delivery, was almost caught next ball top edging a pull, and quickly flicked him to fine leg for a boundary. The new-ball bowlers couldn't match Friday's performance as they gave up 42 in the first four overs.

McCullum ended up on his back after his first attempt to scoop Nannes over the wicketkeeper, but he managed it the second time, with the ball just missing Haddin on the way to the boundary. He followed up by unleashing a huge six to midwicket to show he could mix the unorthodox and the traditional. Nannes returned for the 16th over and McCullum enjoyed swinging him twice into the stands on the legside as the bowler went for 51 off four.

After losing the strike in the middle stages when some of his team-mates disappeared, McCullum focused by blasting a fierce straight four off Steven Smith and brought up his half-century in the same over when he pulled to midwicket. He dusted off the scoop to surprise Daniel Christian and then pulled him for six behind square - 57 of his runs came in that segment.

Gareth Hopkins (36 off 17) was the perfect ally for McCullum as they put on 68 in five overs to regain their explosive momentum. McCullum kept going till the end and had a chance to seal the game in the Super Over, but he was as happy as every other local when Guptill squared the series.

Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo

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Lee and Bracken stay in Twenty20 sights

2010-02-26T03:16:00.000-08:00

Nathan Bracken and Brett Lee have points to prove after long lay-offs © Associated Press

Brett Lee and Nathan Bracken remain in Australia's plans despite long-term injuries after they were named in the preliminary 30-man squad for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean. Lee retired from Teststhis week because his body can't cope with the workload, but he wants to return to national action in the limited-overs formats.

An elbow problem is Lee's current concern while Bracken is on the way back from surgery, but both have a tough task to win spots in the final 15-man squad for the tournament starting in April. Andrew Hilditch and his fellow selectors have also given hope to Brad Hodge, the 35-year-old batsman, who has not played for Australia since 2008.

There are four new players in the squad with George Bailey, the Tasmania captain, included as well as his state team-mate Xavier Doherty, the left-arm spinner. The Victoria allrounder John Hastings and Ben Cutting, the Queensland fast bowler, have also been given some encouragement after strong domestic campaigns.

"We consider the squad to contain a good blend of youth and experience with several players who have excelled in Twenty20 cricket both internationally and domestically this year," Hilditch said. "From this 30 we hope to pick a final World Twenty20 squad that if it plays to its ability will be a very exciting, entertaining and extremely competitive." Australia have been grouped with Pakistan and Bangladesh and must finish on top to avoid being knocked out in the first round for the second World Twenty20 in a row.

Australia men's squad Michael Clarke (capt), George Bailey, Travis Birt, Doug Bollinger, Nathan Bracken, Daniel Christian, Ben Cutting, Xavier Doherty, Brad Haddin (wk), Ryan Harris, John Hastings, Nathan Hauritz, Moises Henriques, Brad Hodge, James Hopes, David Hussey, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Andrew McDonald, Shaun Marsh, Clint McKay, Dirk Nannes, Tim Paine (wk), Steven Smith, Shaun Tait, Adam Voges, David Warner, Shane Watson, Cameron White.

Australia women's squad Jodie Fields (capt, wk), Sarah Andrews, Kristen Beams, Alex Blackwell, Kris Britt, Melissa Bulow, Jessica Cameron, Sarah Coyte, Lauren Ebsary, Sarah Elliott, Rene Farrell, Katelyn Fryett, Rachael Haynes, Alyssa Healy (wk), Julie Hunter, Jessica Jonassen, Delissa Kimmince, Meg Lanning, Renee Melton, Shelley Nitschke, Erin Osborne, Ellyse Perry, Kirsten Pike, Leah Poulton, Angela Reakes, Lisa Sthalekar, Selena Tainton, Elyse Villani, Julie Woerner, Laura Wright.

Korea's Yu-Na takes skating gold

2010-02-26T03:15:00.000-08:00

Kim Yu-Na produced four minutes and seven seconds of dazzling perfection to claim figure skating gold.

Yu-Na's flawless routine scored her an enormous 228.56 and enhanced her celebrity back home in South Korea, where tens of millions follow her every move, and where she earned £5million in endorsements last year alone.

Behind her, rival Mao Asada of Japan landed the first pair of triple axels in Olympic history, but failed to make up ground on Yu-Na, who had established a world record lead after Tuesday's short program. Asada scored a distant 205.50.

The night belonged equally to Joannie Rochette, who took bronze less than a week after the sudden death of her mother.The Canadian somehow created a performance of grace and poise out of tragic adversity, and could barely hold back tears as the Coliseum erupted at the end of her free skate.

Historically the ladies' figure skating has provided one of the highlights of the Winter Games, creating legends like Katarina Witt and Oksana Baiul. Tonight in Vancouver, these extraordinary athletes did not disappoint.

"I still can't believe the score that I received," said Kim. "I'm really surprised. It's almost as close as the men's score. I still can't believe my performance, and I can't believe this day has finally come for me."

Yu-Na is the most famous face in her homeland. If the expectation needed heightening, there was the desire to out-shine neighbours Japan. The two countries are barely on speaking terms and angrily contest sovereignty of the tiny Liancourt Rocks in the Sea of Japan.

In the Coliseum press centre, Korean and Japanese photographers sat apart. Then they over-spilled the bleachers seeking the shots which would enhance the status of either Yu-Na or Asada as a national heroine.

No-one, though, could deny that it was as much Rochette's night - one of those nights when bronze meant as much as the battle for Olympic gold as she skated to one of sport's most remarkable triumphs.

Yu-Na's perfect short program, which had scored her a world record 78.50, had already virtually assured her of gold. Utterly flawless again tonight, on her final spin it sounded like the whole of Seoul had packed the Pacific Coliseum with cheers.

Yu-Na's total score was so big that Asada could not have dreamed of over-hauling her rival. As it was, despite nailing her historic pair of triple axels at the start of her programme, two small slips meant the margin was huge.

The stage was then set for Rochette, who despite an early slip skated beautifully to Samson and Delilah, scoring a total of 202.64 which was enough to maintain her third place and secure heroic bronze.

Cavs break Boston drought

2010-02-26T03:11:00.000-08:00

The Cleveland Cavaliers ended their nine-game losing run in Boston in emphatic style with a 108-88 win.

LeBron James led the Cavs with 36 points, nine assists and seven rebounds while the Celtics struggled at the offensive end without All-Star Paul Pierce who remained sidelined with a thumb injury.

The Milwaukee Bucks won for the fifth straight game 112-110 at the Indian Pacers.

John Salmons shot 20 points as the Bucks remained unbeaten since his trade from Chicago on February 18.

In the only other game, Chauncey Billups returned a game-high 37 points in a comfortable 127-112 win for the Denver Nuggets at the Golden State Warriors.

Lampard: Hilario never lets us down

2010-02-25T23:32:00.001-08:00

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard is confident Hilario will prove an able deputy to Petr Cech in the Blues goal.

Cech will be out for at least a month after tearing a calf muscle in Wednesday's Champions League defeat by Inter Milan in the San Siro.

The keeper was carried off in the second half of the 2-1 loss after damaging his calf when collecting a cross.

The Czech Republic international underwent further scans on the injury yesterday and the club confirmed last night Cech will be out of action for up to a month.

It means he will miss tomorrow's clash with Manchester City at Stamford Bridge and the return leg against Inter on March 16.

It is a bitter blow for Chelsea as they continue to battle for glory in the Barclays Premier League, Europe and the FA Cup.

But England midfielder Lampard, while admitting Cech's absence will be a "huge blow" for Carlo Ancelotti's side, is convinced deputy Hilario is the perfect replacement.

"It is a huge blow to lose Petr," admitted Lampard. "He has been in fantastic form as everyone knows and he has always been up there with the best in the world and no-one wants to lose that.

"But Hilario has never let us down at all. He has been brilliant every time he has come in, whether it is for one game or a run of them.

"That is something we are not worried about. You have to have faith in him, and Ross Turnbull behind him, and we certainly have that."

Cech's injury compounded a night when Chelsea lost their last-16 first-leg tie despite outplaying their hosts for much of the game.

The Blues, facing former boss Jose Mourinho for the first time since he left the club in September 2007, were stunned by a third-minute strike from Diego Milito.

Salomon Kalou equalised in the 51st minute only for Esteban Cambiasso to fire the winner four minutes later.

The away goal could prove crucial but Lampard does not believe Chelsea can be lauded as favourites to go through to the quarter-finals.

It will be an emotional return to Stamford Bridge for Inter boss Mourinho and Lampard is well aware his side have the capability to hurt them at home as well.

"The away goal is very important these days and a 1-0 defeat would have been very frustrating for us," added the England midfielder.

"But we were pleased to get it back to 1-1 and then frustrated to give away another one. But our goal does give us something to go for at home.

"We know if we win the game 1-0 we go through but also we have confidence in ourselves that we can create as many chances, if not more, than we did here and try and score more than one goal.

"Inter Milan are a very good team and not to be underestimated. I think it would be very naive to say we are the favourites because they can also score at our place. So I would say the tie is 50-50."

Carling Cup Final: Devils vs Villans

2010-02-25T23:02:00.000-08:00

Manchester United vs Aston Villa in the 2010 Carling Cup Final. What will be the colour of the ribbons on the trophy?

Sir Alex Ferguson will seek to add another piece of silverware to an already bulging trophy cabinet while Martin O'Neill will attempt to outsmart the United tactician.

Both managers will rely on their key players to deliver the knockout blow at Wembley with James Milner the likely Villan star and who else but Wayne Rooney on the opposite end.

With so many English stars on show, Frank Malley is adamant that this will do English football a world of good.

Villa trio of Carlos Cuellar, Richard Dunne and Stiliyan Petrov are all ready to turn the tables on their more experienced rivals to ensure that Ferguson cannot add to his impressive trophy-haul.

Tension is building up towards the big match as fans from the two clubs clash in the heated debate as to who will be hoisting up the first trophy in English football this season.

Finally, we relieve the road to Wembley for both teams. The Villans tore Blackburn Rovers apart in the semi-finals with a 7-4 aggregate while United stamped their authority over their cross-town rivals, Manchester City to progress into the final.

If all that is not enough to whet your appetite for Sunday's showdown, we take it up a notch with some retro classics with five of the best League Cup Finals.

Tait looks to Wellington wind for extra speed

2010-02-25T22:49:00.000-08:00

Shaun Tait would love to bowl the quickest ball of all time© Getty Images

Shaun Tait is keen to take full advantage of what he hopes will be strong wind in Wellington as he aims to crank his speed past 160kph for the second time this month. In New Zealand, Tait has only ever played internationals in Auckland and Hamilton and is looking forward to testing out men like Brendon McCullum and Ross Taylor in Friday night's first Twenty20.

"I've never played here before - the wind, I've got to get the right end," Tait told the Sydney Morning Herald. "I don't want to be pushing into it. It doesn't always happen that you know you can bowl at that sort of speed but when the time does come, every now and again, you're always going to have a crack at the quicker ball. I look up at the screen reasonably often to have a look at the speeds myself. Sometimes you can't help yourself.

"When you hit that 160 mark as a fast bowler, that's a pretty special feeling. The adrenaline is pumping, the crowd in Melbourne was really getting into it when I did it there. But you've got to be careful not to put too much pressure on yourself. The main thing I've got to do is take wickets."

Tait broke through the 160kph barrier during the Twenty20 against Pakistan at the MCG earlier this month when he let one delivery rip at 160.7kph. It was the fastest ball ever recorded in a match in Australia - the quickest anywhere was Shoaib Akhtar at 161.3kph in the 2003 World Cup - but Tait said he wasn't always convinced at the accuracy of the speed guns.

"You can tell when you're bowling around 160," Tait said. "Back home it seems like the Foxtel cameras are slower than the Channel Nine ones. But that doesn't matter. When you get up to the 160 mark, it's slightly rewarding. It's not something I think about all the time - but it'd be great to bowl the fastest recorded ball of all time."

Warne denies bust-up with Ponting

2010-02-25T05:52:00.000-08:00

Shane Warne denied having a heated argument with Ricky Ponting over the Australian cricketers' participation in the IPL.

"There was no heated disagreement between me andRicky," said Warne, who led the Jaipur-based Rajasthan Royals to a fairytale triumph in the first edition of the cash-awash league.

"We're mates, we get along fine. There were a lot of people asking (Australian Cricketers Association chief executive) Paul Marsh for clarity on some issues. I think that's healthy. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion," Warne was quoted as saying by 'The Daily Telegraph'.

A report in 'The Australian', however, claimed that the cricketers were "at each other's throats" during a security briefing in Sydney yesterday.

According to the daily, freelance former players like Warne, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist are all for playing in the IPL, while majority of the Cricket Australia-contracted players are little cagey about it.

"It is understood the past players, including Shane Warne, Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist clashed with Australia's captain Ricky Ponting during the meeting," the report claimed, quoting sources. .

ACA chief executive Paul Marsh, however, was confident that the players would show solidarity till the issue is resolved.

"That's something we are still working through, it's the way we have operated in the past and I guess we have a couple of weeks to work through that," Marsh said.

Warne, meanwhile, said that with the Indian government throwing its weight behind IPL's security contractor Nicholls Steyn, there should not be worry for the players.

"I think the development overnight is that the Indian Government is going to get behind Nicholls Steyn, the IPL security people, (and) ramp up security for the players," he said.

"That will give the players comfort, and that was the main aim of the players' association. I think it's going to work pretty well," said Warne.

Indo-Pak encounter excites Vogels

2010-02-25T05:50:00.000-08:00

The much anticipated India-Pak encounter will be one of the most exciting matches of World Cup, feels Guus Vogels.

The veteran Dutch goalkeeper Vogels said even though the Netherlands open their campaign the next day against Argentina, it won't stop him from watching the sub-continent rivals lock horns at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium in Delhi on Sunday.

"The India-Pakistan match would definitely be an exciting one. This match will eventually decide the standing of Pool A.

I will definitely watch it," said the 34-year-old custodian.

Even though Vogels was not certain about India's chances in the prestigious tournament, he feels Pakistan would be a tough contender to deal with during the February 28-March 13 event.

"We played two practice games against Pakistan in Doha before the World Cup and both the matches were tight. Pakistan is very strong in counter attack and no team can afford to give them space. In Sohail Abbas, Pakistan has one of the best drag-flickers in the world," he said. .

Vogels have all the major medals in his cupboard, including four Champions Trophy titles, two Olympic gold and a European championship crown.

But a World title has always eluded him and the 34-year-old, who will retire after the tournament, said that they will leave no stone unturned to win the tournament, which would be a perfect farewell to his career.

"World Cup is a nice goal because after this tournament I will retire and I want to retire as a world champion," said Vogels, who was a member of the Netherlands side that won back-to-back golds at 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 2000 Sydney Games.

"I have played for the country for the last 14 years and I am the number one goalkeeper for the last 10 years. So, I feel that its time for me to move on," he added.

Vogels said though the Dutch hockey has gone down in the last couple of years, there is very little gap between the top teams of the world.

"We have had some disappointments over the last few years. It all started from the last World Cup in Monchengladbach (Germany), but the difference between top four teams is minimal.

"We could not train back home because during winter the pitch was frozen but we practiced in South Africa. We have had a good preparation. So far our first goal is semifinal and from there on we will see," he said.

India rest Sachin Tendulkar

2010-02-25T05:49:00.000-08:00

Openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag have been rested for India's final one-day international against SA on Saturday.

India have already sealed victory in the three-match one-day series against South Africa with wins in the first two games in Jaipur and Gwalior.

Tendulkar, 36, smashed a world record 200 not out in Gwalior yesterday.

With Saturday's game being a dead rubber, India's selectors have decided to give fringe players some international experience.

The India selectors have picked top-order batsman Murali Vijay and have also called up uncapped Karnataka fast bowler Abhimanyu Mithun in place of medium-pacer Praveen Kumar.

Batsman Rohit Sharma, who had missed the first Test in Nagpur due to an ankle injury on the morning of the first day, also returns to the team.

Selectors have also named a 30-member long list for the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean.

Team for final ODI: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Murali Vijay, Dinesh Karthik, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Sudeep Tyagi, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Abhimanyu Mithun, Ashish Nehra.

Long list for the World Twenty20: Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Sudeep Tyagi, Rohit Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Ishant Sharma, Abhishek Nayar, Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha, Piyush Chawla, Abhimanyu Mithun, Manish Pandey, R P Singh, Munaf Patel, Murali Vijay, Vinay Kumar, Amit Mishra, Pragyan Ojha, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin.

Williams moves into the quarters

2010-02-25T04:21:00.001-08:00

Venus Williams kept the defence of her Abierto Mexicano Telcel tournament title on track with a win over Kaia Kanepi.

The former world number one was made to sweat by her Estonian rival who twice broke her in the opening set, but struggled on her own serve and was broken to concede the opener.

Kanepi then immediately broke Williams, but the American overpowered her to reach the last eight.

It was a good day for the top seeds with Agnes Szavay (second), Gisela Dulko (third) and Carla Suarez Navarro (fifth) all progressing to the quarter-finals.

Hungarian Szavay was too strong for Renata Voracova 7-5 6-1 while Dulko won by the same scoreline against Barbora Zahlavova Strycov.

Spain's Suarez Navarro was taken the distance by Catalina Castano 6-1 4-6 6-2 in a match that lasted two hours and 14 minutes.

Eighth seed Polona Hercog reached the last eight with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Alize Cornet.

Spanish qualifier Laura Pous Tio caused the biggest upset of the day when she beat seventh seed Roberta Vinci 6-3 6-2.

Sixth seed Sara Errani followed her fellow Italian out of the tournament at the hands of Edina Gallouitis 6-4 5-7 6-4.

Canada's Sharon Finschman, who beat fourth seed Sorana Cirstea in the opening round, continued her impressive run with a 6-2 6-3 win over Mariya Kuryttseva.

Pavilion, road to be named after Sachin

2010-02-25T02:59:00.000-08:00

A road and a pavilion in Gwalior district of Madhya Pradesh will be named in honour of master batsman Sachin Tendulkar.

Making the announcement, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the City Centre-Hurawali Road will be named after the batting maestro, who delivered a 147-ball blistering knock to clinch the three-match series against South Africa, Gwalior Collector Akash Tripathi told PTI.

Union minister of state for commerce and Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association (MPCA) president, Jyotiraditya Scindia also announced to name a pavilion after the legendary cricketer, who cracked an unbeaten 200 to help India beat South Africa by 153 runs in the second ODI yesterday.

Vettel unfazed by the heat

2010-02-25T02:34:00.000-08:00

Vettel insists he is not worried about the pressure that comes with being one of the favourites to win the Formula One.

The list of favourites is a pretty long one this year. Besides Vettel, Mark Webber, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg have all been tipped as possible title winners in 2010.

Red Bull driver Vettel, who finished nine points behind world champion Button last year, admits there will be pressure on him this year, but he's not bothered about it.

"It is true that the expectations are higher from the outside," he told Germany's Salzburger Nachrichten. "It's something I can also be proud of. Our position as one of the favourites this year is down to our achievements of 2009.

"However, there is no time to rest. You must once again prove yourself in each test, in each round. To become world champion was my goal last year and that will again be the case this year. Whether the pressure comes from the outside, I don't really care."

The new season is just a few weeks away and it's already clear from testing sessions that the four front runners are set to dominate. Vettel, though, insists "there's still more to come" as teams will make further improvements.

"Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and ourselves are at the front," he said. "But everything will be probably be very close. Ferrari have looked pretty strong so far. However, all teams will make improvements to their car before the start of the season, so there's is more to come."

Sachin better than even Bradman

2010-02-25T01:03:00.000-08:00

Nasser Hussain says that Sachin is the greatest batsman the game has ever seen, better than even the iconic Don Bradman.

"I have never liked comparisons between great players, but after Wednesday's incredible game it must be said that Sachin Tendulkar is the greatest batsman of all time," Hussain wrote in his column for 'The Daily Mail'.

Tendulkar became the first batsman to crack a double century in the four-decade-long history of one day cricket against South Africa yesterday and Hussain felt that should settle the debate on who is the greatest batsman ever.

"Better than Brian Lara and Ricky Ponting, the other two great players of my era. Better than Sir Viv Richards, Sunil Gavaskar and Allan Border. And I would even say better than Sir Don Bradman himself," wrote the Chennai-born English cricketer of Indian origin.

Hussain said Tendulkar has somehow managed to retain his early enthusiasm even after two decades of international cricket which he found incredible.

"I played against Tendulkar on my first England tour, the Nehru Cup in India in 1989, and I could still see that excited boy in big pads in Gwalior," said Hussain, who once resorted to negative tactics and asked spinner Ashley Giles to bowl way outside off-stumps to curb the Indian," he said. .

"That extraordinary drive and enthusiasm are what make Tendulkar so special. He has been playing international cricket for 20 years under the intense scrutiny being an Indian superstar brings, so it is remarkable he still loves holding a bat as much as ever," Hussain said.

Looking at Tendulkar's illustrious career, Hussain said guiding the Indian team to 2011 World Cup victory with his broad bat would perhaps give a sense of fulfilment.

"What else is left for Tendulkar now? Well, it is sometimes said that he has not played enough match-winning innings on the really big occasion for India.

"What better, then, than to score a hundred in the World Cup final against Australia - or maybe even England - on home soil this time next year," he said.

"That would be the full stop that would enable Tendulkar to ride off into the sunset with everything achieved in his career," said the Englishman.

Doffing his hat to Tendulkar and referring to maverick soccer coach Jose Maurinho's famous moniker, Hussain said, "My admiration for him is total. To steal the nickname of a certain football coach who led Inter Milan against Chelsea on Wednesday, Sachin Tendulkar truly is The Special One.

Mourinho re-ignites match-fixing saga

2010-02-25T01:01:00.000-08:00

Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho has raked Italian wounds by bringing up the 2006 match fixing scandal in a scathing attack on the Italian game.

The Portuguese coach never has been scared of speaking his mind and, while his open and honest misdemeanour may endear him to fans of the club he represents, those on the other side often struggle to accept his apparent arrogance.

Nobody appears less comfortable with his behaviour than the Italian Lega Calcio officials who, 48 hours before Wednesday's important Champions League tie with Chelsea, banned him for the next three Serie A matches due to a handcuff gesture he made during his side's 0-0 draw with Sampdoria last weekend.

Mourinho has kept quiet since the ill-timed disclosure of his touchline ban and the Lega Calcio may have been lured into thinking that would remain the case.

But he exploded after the Chelsea game to break his silence with a damning attack on the Italian game.

"I have recently heard a new term for my pathetic Italian," he said.

"I am told that we 'have to lower the tone'. Well let's 'lower the tone'.

"You Italians have created a story that I, as a professional in the world of football, as a person who earns his living in football, was terribly ashamed of.

"Your Calciopoli was shameful. At the time I was working in Portugal, and it ashamed me to feed my family with money earned in football."

Calciopoli was the name given to one of the biggest footballing controversies in history when a number of Serie A and Serie B teams were implicated in a match fixing scandal in 2006.

A number of teams including Juventus, AC Milan and Fiorentian were alleged to have rigged games by influencing referee appointments.

As a fallout of the allegations, Juventus were relegated to Serie B while Milan and Fiorentina were docked eight and 15 points respectively in Serie A.

Little did Mourinho know back then during the worst match-fixing scandal to hit Italian and probably European football that he himself would end up earning his money directly from the Italian game.

But he will not let his own integrity be affected.

"I entered Italy honestly and I will leave honestly," he said.

"There was a penalty for Chelsea tonight."

The flamboyant Portuguese coach was referring to a foul on Salomon Kalou in first-half stoppage time which was missed by referee Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez.

Inter were therefore able to preserve their one-goal advantage at the interval and go on to seal a 2-1 win, putting them in the driving seat of this knockout-stage tie, but Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti refused to pin the blame on the referee.

"I know Mejuto Gonzalez is a very good referee with a lot of experience and I don't want to say anything else," he said.

"We can say that we were unlucky this evening and we hope that will be better in the future.

"I think there was a penalty in the first half, but a penalty is only when the referee whistles."

Ancelotti's return to the San Siro was therefore not quite the occasion he had hoped for.

"I am a Milan fan so, against Inter, it's always a derby," he said.

"I think we played a good game with personality and courage and with good play.

"We have to do the same in the next game against Inter."

A 1-0 win will do for the Blues at Stamford Bridge on March 16, but Mourinho is not so sure they will be able to prevent his side from scoring.

"Obviously they will think that they can turn the result around, which is normal, but we think we can win and this is important," he said.

British media praise Sachin Tendulkar

2010-02-24T23:50:00.000-08:00

Tendulkar's feat of becoming the first cricketer to score a double century in one-dayers was hailed by the British media.

"Tendulkar underlined his sensational class with a double century in Gwalior. To have reached such a landmark, with a single in the final over, only serves to underline his class and add to the legacy that already surrounds arguably the finest batsman to have played the game," BBC Sports said.

"His innings, the 46th one-day century of his career, was typified by wristy strokes, trademark boundary shots and, above all, stamina as he batted through the entire innings," the report read.

Meanwhile, The Times tried to anticipate whether the Indian can complete a century of centuries in international cricket by the end of this year.

"All kneel down and praise whatever god you fancy for the mighty Sachin Tendulkar. This could just be turning into the greatest year of his international career, more than 20 years after it began," the report said.

"Tendulkar now has 93 hundreds in international cricket - 47 in Tests and 46 in ODIs - which is 25 more than the next best man, Ricky Ponting. At the age of 36 and in such great form, he could reach 100 hundreds by the end of the year," it added.

Tendulkar yesterday became the first batsman in the four-decade history of ODI to hammer a double ton as his 200 not out helped India pile up a mammoth 401 for three against South Africa and beat the visitors by 153 runs in the second one-dayer.

Daily Mail also termed the innings as "sensational" in their report.

"Sensational Sachin Tendulkar smashes world record one-day innings and first ever double hundred for India," the headline goes.

In another report, Guardian opined that the stormy knock has hit hard the notion that form of Tendulkar is on the wane.

"The blazing innings comes 10 months after his 36th birthday and four years after he was booed off his home ground in Mumbai, with his career apparently in terminal decline.

"Somewhat improbably given today's innings, the abuse had been for slow scoring," the daily said.

It was not only Tendulkar's 46th ODI century but also the highest score in one-dayers, eclipsing the previous record of 194 which was held jointly by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe's Charles Conventry.

I'd like to bat another full 50 overs - Tendulkar

2010-02-24T23:47:00.000-08:00

Sachin Tendulkar: "Since I was timing the ball well, I could be more aggressive and put pressure on the bowlers"© Associated Press

Sachin Tendulkar, who broke the record for the highest individual ODI score, overtaking Saeed Anwar and Charles Coventry on his way to the format's first double-hundred, has said his ability to bat the entire 50 overs was a testament to his fitness after having played the game for more than 20 years.

"It feels good that I lasted for 50 overs, a good test of my fitness. I'd like to bat another 50 overs at some stage and see that the fitness level doesn't drop," Tendulkar said after his effort helped India take a unassailable 2-0 lead in the series. "The ball was coming onto the bat and I was striking the ball well. So when everything falls into its place, it feels nice. It was one of the innings where I felt I was moving well. Since I was timing the ball well, I could be more aggressive and put pressure on the bowlers."

Tendulkar, while dedicating his feat to the people of India, credited coach Gary Kirsten for the team's success in both forms of the game after the debacle in the World Cup in the Caribbean. "I've enjoyed various challenges; after the 2007 World Cup things have looked different and I'm enjoying the game," he said. "The credit also goes to Gary [Kirsten], he has really held the team beautifully. It's about togetherness and playing for each other. You see during the practice sessions that Gary himself trains as hard as anyone else, or probably harder than anyone else as he's the one giving us practice all the time."

Tendulkar said he sensed an opportunity to break the record and reach a double-century when he had gone past 175 in the 42nd over. The record eventually came in the 46th over, and the 200 in the 50th. "When I was near 175-180, I thought I could get a 200 as there were quite a few overs left," he said. He added that he would prefer his achievement to be upstaged by an Indian. "I don't play for records, I play for enjoyment and play with lots of passion. That's how cricket started. I didn't start playing cricket to break all the records; it's happened along the way. The dream was to play for India and do my best.

"I don't think any record is unbreakable. Records are made to be broken. I hope that if this record is broken, it's done by an Indian."

This was India's third-highest score in ODIs, and Tendulkar said the 400-mark would not have reached if not for some big hitting by Yusuf Pathan and MS Dhoni. "I thought a target of 340-350 would be a good one, but Yusuf Pathan and MS Dhoni came in and hit the big shots and cleared the ropes consistently and helped us pass 400."

Tendulkar added that India were not relaxing despite having put up a mammoth score, for they were aware South Africa were the only team to have chased down a target in excess of 400. "This was the team that chased 434 against Australia. So we didn't get complacent and told ourselves that we had just got through the half-way stage by scoring 401. And what we did in the second half was extremely important. We were aiming at getting early wickets and putting them out of the game."

Dhoni, who witnessed Tendulkar surpass the record from the other end, said: "I think one of the best innings, you can say. It's always good to be on the other side, watching him score 200 runs. When he is tired and can't play the big shots, he was very clever to use the pace of the bowler and it's very difficult for the bowlers as they don't know where exactly to bowl."

India lost Virender Sehwag early, and Tendulkar was assisted in three sizable stands where runs came at a brisk pace, with Dinesh Karthik, Yusuf and Dhoni. "Once Viru got out, it was important to get some kind of a partnership going. They [Tendulkar and Karthik] went on with their innings, and they set a platform after which we were sure we would get 350-plus which would be a difficult target," Dhoni said. "Yusuf was sent up the order and with the talent he's got, he can be a great asset to the side."

Yusuf scored a quickfire 36 and was particularly lethal during the batting Powerplay, while Dhoni proved destructive at the death, bludgeoning 68 off 35 in a century-stand with Tendulkar in just 53 balls. "I have changed my batting a bit, but the situation demanded that kind [attacking] of innings," Dhoni said. "The ground is a small one, and we were a bit worried about the dew factor. But once they lost 3-4 early wickets, it was difficult for them to get back into the game."

For South Africa and their stand-in captain Jacques Kallis, it was a case of the basics gone wrong. "The toss was quite vital. Our basics were just weren't good enough today. We were outplayed," Kallis said. "We lost wickets at crucial stages, our basics let us down. A fantastic innings by Sachin; he took advantage of some good conditions and he played superbly. We let ourselves down in some areas."

HSBC Women's Champions: Top Five

2010-02-24T03:45:00.000-08:00

Eugene YS Han picks out five golfers to look out for among the star-studded line-up at this year's HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore.

With the competition set to heat up at the Tanah Merah Country Club, expect world-class golf on display with world number one Lorena Ochoa leading the way. She will have much to fend off this current crop of young LPGA stars aiming to dethrone the Mexican. Here's a look at the best five.

Ai Miyazato

Ai Miyazato is going into the HSBC Women's Champions in great form after she came from behind to win LPGA's season-opening Honda PTT LPGA Thailand on Sunday. Miyazato, who is sometimes regarded as the real darling of the Japanese media, is looking to make a huge splash in 2010 after closing the previous year on a high. After securing her LPGA card in 2006, the 24-year-old finally got her first LPGA Tour win at the 2009 Evian Masters in July after defeating Sophie Gustafson in a playoff. A winner of 17 Japanese LPGA titles, Miyazato had long been earmarked as a potential major winner. Perhaps 2010 could bring her some major cheer.

Amanda Blumenherst

Heralded as the next American golfing superstar, 23-year-old Amanda Blumenherst earned the chance to play at the HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore after receiving one of the sponsor's invites. Blumenherst is a multi-award winning golfer during her amateur days. Before turning professional in June 2009, the Arizona native won the 2008 US Women's Amateur Championship and was also awarded National Player of the Year at Duke University three times. Blumenherst also took part in professional tournaments as an amateur in five LPGA events, including the US Women's Open in 2006 and 2007 where she finished tied for 10th and 50th, respectively.

M.J. Hur

Another prodigious young talent from South Korea, M.J. Hur has been tipped to follow in the footsteps of Park Se Ri and Jiyai Shin for golf superstardom. The 20-year-old notched her first LPGA Tour title when she saw off Suzann Pettersen and Michele Redman to win the 2009 Safeway Classic. Hur seems to be ready to start 2010 with a bang. She hit six-under-par 66 to share the first-round lead with former champion Suzann Pettersen at the Honda-PTT LPGA Thailand last week. She eventually faded and ended up tied for 13th place on the final day. Nevertheless, Hur is still another exciting talent to watch out for at the HSBC Women's Champions.

Jiyai Shin

Shin is often talked about as the best of the current crop of talented South Korean golfers taking part in the LPGA. She has been widely tipped to be the most likely golfer to usurp the world number one title from Lorena Ochoa. The 21-year-old burst into the LPGA stratosphere in 2007 by playing in three of the four majors and making a name of herself in those tournaments. It took just one year for Shin to win her first major when she clinched the 2008 Women's British Open by three strokes. In 2009, she went on to win the LPGA Rookie of the Year as well topping the LPGA Money list. And did we mention, she is the reigning Queen of the HSBC Women's Champion this year?

And Michelle Wie

Making her first appearance in the city state of Singapore, Michelle Wie is perhaps the closest this island gets to a Tiger Woods-que golfing figure on her shores. No disrespect to the other golfers, the terraces will be and is expected to be filled with golfers and non-golfers alike - all hoping to get a glimpse of the super-star that nearly fizzled out early in the career. Outrageously talented at a young age of 14, Wie was tipped to be take the golfing world by storm, and so far that post-Tiger Woods world is still waiting with bated breath. 2009 has given us some glimpse of the vast potential that Wie has. Could 2010, the year of the Tiger, be the year Wie finally finds her range and appetite for victories on the fairways around the world?

Game over for Ashley and Cheryl

2010-02-24T03:44:00.000-08:00

Cheryl Cole is separating from her husband, Chelsea defender Ashley Cole, her spokesman revealed on Tuesday.

The split follows allegations that the star's husband, the England and Chelsea footballer, had again been unfaithful.

Cole flew back to Britain after fleeing to the US when reports about her husband surfaced.

Her spokesman, Sundraj Sreenivasan, said: "Cheryl Cole is separating from her husband Ashley Cole. Cheryl asks the media to respect her privacy during this difficult time. We have no further comment to make."

The statement ends one of the most high-profile showbusiness marriages - the couple wed in 2006.

Until now, the Fight For This Love singer, 26, has maintained a dignified silence over reports that her husband had been with other women.

On Monday she was pictured in LA being comforted by US dancer Derek Hough, 24, whom she met when she recorded her album 3 Words. Before the scandal broke, the Girls Aloud star had spoken about one day wanting to start a family with her husband.

The marriage survived a previous allegation of infidelity, which came 18 months after the couple's highly-publicised wedding. Two women then sold stories about how they had become involved with the footballer.

Ironically, Cole's career hit new heights - becoming the nation's darling with a judging role on the X Factor - following the reports.

Fight for This Love, Cole's first solo single, was inspired by her battle to fight for her marriage. But as her relationship crumbled, her career could have been put in jeopardy if she was seen to stick by him again.

Gerrard to lead with or without armband

2010-02-24T02:46:00.000-08:00

England midfielder Steven Gerrard insists wearing the skipper's armband is not an issue when you lead by example on the pitch

Gerrard was considered as Fabio Capello's on-the-pitch leader when the Italian was appointed and is now expected to be vice-skipper after John Terry was stripped of leadership duties.

The 29-year-old Gerrard feels there is no difference between performing as a captain or as part of the starting XI.

"When I play for England, when I'm not captain, I still approach it exactly the same as if I am captain and I try and go out there and lead by example, so I can help my team-mates and do the right thing," he told FIFA.com.

"So, although it is nice to be captain and it's a privilege, you approach the game exactly the same with an armband on or off."

The captaincy issue has been a disruption to England's preparations for the World Cup in South Africa in the summer.