SYDNEY: Cricket Australia said Friday it would not renominate former Australian prime minister John Howard to take over the leadership of the sport`s international governing body.CA said Howard was its best available candidate and had decided not to consider suggesting any other names,

COLOMBO: A new cricket stadium being built for next year`s World Cup will be named after the world`s most successful bowler Muttiah Muralitharan, a report said on Friday.The 22,000-capacity stadium, being constructed in Pallekele in Muralitharan`s home district of Kandy, is due to host

NOTTINGHAM: Eoin Morgan led England to 190 for four at tea after Pakistan took two wickets in quick succession on the first day of the first Test at Trent Bridge here on Thursday.England, who won the toss, were in trouble at 118 for four shortly after lunch, with Kevin Pietersen out for

MADRID: Barcelona`s Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has put an end to speculation that he is leaving the Spanish champions, saying Thursday that he is staying put at the club."I am a Barcelona player and I will continue to be one," the 28-year-old was quoted by Barcelona`s website as

LONDON: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini is ready to make peace with Robinho if the Brazil forward is willing to raise his game for the Premier League club.Mancini sent Robinho on loan to Santos for the second half of last season after growing tired of the former Real Madrid star`s

MOSCOW: Russian investigators are probing 12 cases of corruption at the Vancouver Olympics after a report exposed lavish spending by sports officials, the head of the federal audit chamber said Thursday."We are talking about a number of contracts and improper use of funds, allocated to

NOTTINGHAM: Eoin Morgan`s maiden Test hundred was key to England`s revival against Pakistan as they made 331 for four by stumps on the first day of their series opener at Trent Bridge on Thursday.Former Ireland left-hander Morgan was 125 not out, having never even made a fifty in his

GENEVA: Jamaican and US sprint teams are set to face off at next month`s athletics meet in Zurich, with the teams led by Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay lining up to challenge world records, organisers said Thursday."The Usain Bolt-anchored Jamaican team with Mario Forsythe, Yohan Blake, and

NEW DELHI: Record-breaking Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and retired Indian legend Anil Kumble plan to join hands to set up a spin academy for youngsters, the players were quoted as saying on Thursday.Muralitharan, who quit Test cricket last week after a final match against

NOTTINGHAM: Pakistan captain Salman Butt hopes some of the magic of Imran Khan, his cricket hero, will rub off when he leads the team in the first Test against England here on Thursday.Butt`s captaincy debut went better than even the most fervent Pakistan supporter could have hoped with a

NOTTINGHAM: Pakistan captain Salman Butt hopes some of the magic of Imran Khan, his cricket hero, will rub off when he leads the team in the first Test against England here on Thursday.Butt`s captaincy debut went better than even the most fervent Pakistan supporter could have hoped with a

COLOMBO: Star batsman Sachin Tendulkar hit 203 and debutant Suresh Raina made 120 as India bettered Sri Lanka`s run-spree in the high-scoring second cricket Test on Thursday.India, kept on the field for the first two days during Sri Lanka`s massive 642-4 declared, responded by piling up

NOTTINGHAM: Paul Collingwood is adamant there is no reason why he or his fellow England batsmen should feel daunted by the challenge of facing Pakistan`s bowlers here at Trent Bridge.Pakistan go into the first of four-Test series starting Thursday on the back of a dramatic three-wicket

COLOMBO: Sachin Tendulkar hit his 48th Test century to lead India`s fightback in the second Test on Wednesday after Sri Lanka`s new-look bowling attack ran through the top order.The world`s leading international run-scorer was unbeaten on 108 as India, replying to Sri Lanka`s 642-4

KARACHI: Cricket teams from Afghanistan and Hong Kong are to appear in a club-level event in Pakistan, in a tentative step towards reviving the sport in the violence-hit country, an official said Wednesday.Pakistan has not hosted any international cricket since Islamist militants attacked

KARACHI: Shakoor Rana, the Pakistani umpire who became famous for his furious row with England captain Mike Gatting during a test in Faisalabad, later regretted the incident, his son said."My father was a very jovial and temperamental person and he gained a lot of fame and attention after

BERLIN: Lothar Matthaeus was a footballing legend, captaining West Germany to their 1990 World Cup triumph and much more besides. But the 49-year-old`s personal life has not always been so glorious.On Wednesday the latest installment in his roller coaster love life was that his

BERLIN: Real Madrid`s talismanic striker Raul, forced out of the Bernabeu after 16 record-breaking seasons, has signed for Schalke at the age of 33, the Bundesliga club said on Wednesday.Raul, who scored 323 times in 741 games for Real, notched 66 Champions League goals and is Spain`s

NOTTINGHAM: Mushtaq Ahmed has urged Pakistan to persist with the combination of captain Salman Butt and coach Waqar Younis.Former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq, now England`s spin bowling coach, will find himself on the opposite side to his compatriots when a four-Test series gets underway

SINGAPORE: Qatar is optimistic on its chances of hosting the 2022 World Cup, the bid`s chief executive said Wednesday in the countdown to a decision by football`s governing body FIFA on December 2.Hassan Al Thawadi said he expected tough competition but believed the Gulf state had made