Sports News – Newsletter for January 10, 2011

Paine ready to grab opportunity thrown up by Oz big boys’ Ashes failure

SYDNEY – Australian wicket-keeper Tim Paine reckons that the national team’s recent Test form had opened up opportunities for the next generation, and said that he will be ready, whatever that opportunity may be.

“I showed in (the 2010 tour of) India that … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Paine ready to grab opportunity thrown up by Oz big boys’ Ashes failure.

Spot-fixing case: Afridi, Waqar, Najam “favoured” suspended Pak trio, says Butt’s father

PUNE – The statements given by Pakistan ODI skipper Shahid Afridi, coach Waqar Younis and the then former security manager, Major (retd) Khawaja Najam Javed, to the ICC’s Code of Conduct Commission are ‘not in the opposition’ of the suspended trio, Salman Butt’s father Zulfiqar Ali Butt has claimed.

Afridi, Waqar and Najam recorded their statements … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Spot-fixing case: Afridi, Waqar, Najam “favoured” suspended Pak trio, says Butt’s father.

England aims to ‘continue the momentum’ gained after Ashes win: Collingwood

MELBOURNE – England batsman Paul Collingwood is confident that his team will thrash Australia in the upcoming seven-match ODI series to ‘continue the momentum’ to the 50-over World Cup in the Indian subcontinent.

“It’s huge for us because we want to continue the momentum that we have gained. We’ve got a group of lads who … Read this article on Gaea Times at : England aims to ‘continue the momentum’ gained after Ashes win: Collingwood.

Ashes-winning England’s biggest test will come against India: Vaughan

LONDON – The Andrew Strauss-led England team is still on a high after thrashing Australia in the Ashes series, but there is work to be done, according to former captain Michael Vaughan.

“Winning the Ashes is great and creates a lot of jubilation and back-page headlines, but the real benchmark for this England side will be …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Ashes-winning England’s biggest test will come against India: Vaughan.

Ntini retires from international cricket

DURBAN – South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini retired from international cricket at the end of the Twenty20 match played between India and South Africa in Durban on Sunday.

Ntini finished with figures of 0-46 from four overs and also came out to bat in front of a sell-out crowd of 50 000 fans, the biggest …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Ntini retires from international cricket.

Lee eyeing bowling coach role if not selected in Oz World Cup squad

MELBOURNE – Australian fast bowler Brett Lee has said that he wants to lead the national team’s pace attack in the 50-over World Cup in the Indian subcontinent, but hinted that if he was overlooked by the selectors he would consider a coaching role.

Lee will make his return to international cricket in Wednesday’s Twenty20 match … Read the original article on Gaea Times at : Lee eyeing bowling coach role if not selected in Oz World Cup squad.

Collingwood says England is world’s No.1 Twenty20 team

MELBOURNE – England Twenty20 captain Paul Collingwood reckons that his 2010 Twenty20 World Cup-winning squad is the shortest form of the game’s world No.1 team.

England will be looking to stretch its world record-winning streak in Twenty20’s to eight matches when they face Australia in the opening match at the Adelaide Oval on Wednesday.

“I’d be … Original article on : Collingwood says England is world’s No.1 Twenty20 team.

Spot-fixing case: Pak players went out of way to entertain bookie Mazhar, reveals Najam

ISLAMABAD – Khawaja Javed Najam, former security manager of the Pakistan cricket team, has revealed the details of how suspended Test captain Salman Butt and wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal violated the team regulations to entertain bookmaker Mazhar Majeed in their hotel room during the England tour in August 2010.

On the fourth day of the spot-fixing …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Sourav Ganguly In IPL 2011: Will He Play?

KOLKATA, INDIA (GaeaTimes.com)- This weekend of Indian Premier League (IPL) 20-20 tournament 2011 auction witnessed money raining down on the cricketers as the owners of the respective teams chose the best possible player for them. However, to the shock of the Bengalis, veteran cricketer Sourav Ganguly failed to get any bid this year. A … Read more : Sourav Ganguly In IPL 2011: Will He Play?.

Tottenham Hotspur still has chances of signing Beckham: Redknapp

LONDON – England midfielder David Beckham’s on-off three-month loan move to Tottenham Hotspur is back on again, according to manager Harry Redknapp.

When Redknapp arrived at White Hart Lane on Sunday, he had virtually given up all hope of signing Beckham when he revealed: “It’s 99 per cent that he won’t be joining us.”

However, after a [..] Read the original article: here.

Vettori says IPL auction didn’t distract Kiwis during Hamilton Test defeat to Pakistan

HAMILTON – New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori insists that the Indian Premier League (IPL) auction did not play on the minds of his team during the humiliating 10-wicket defeat to Pakistan in the first Test held in Hamilton.

Vettori, Ross Taylor, Jesse Ryder and Brendon McCullum were among the players who went under the hammer in …. Read the original article  : here.

Oz all-rounder Christian stunned by 900,000 dollar IPL contract

SYDNEY – Australian all-rounder Dan Christian has said that his new 900,000 dollar contract with Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Deccan Chargers has come as a surprise to him.

The 27-year-old, who has just three Twenty20 games of international experience, was snapped up for a price 18 times that of his base price of 50,000 dollars … Read this article on Gaea Times at : Oz all-rounder Christian stunned by 900,000 dollar IPL contract.

Former Windies batsman Joey Carew passes away

SYDNEY – Former West Indies opening batsman and chairman of selectors Joey Carew died on Saturday at the age of 73.

Carew had played 19 Tests from 1963 to 1972, during which his sole century came against New Zealand at Eden Park in 1969.

He went on to serve as a selector for the West Indies Cricket …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Collingwood demands intensity as England’s focus turns to World Cup

ADELAIDE – Having secured the Ashes series Down Under by three games to one, England are now hoping to nail the Australians in both the Twenty20s and the one-day series, and set themselves up as World Cup favourites.

Twenty20 skipper Paul Collingwood has called on his fellow players to put the celebrations on the backburner, and …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Collingwood demands intensity as England’s focus turns to World Cup.

IPL owners ignore Anderson, seven other England Ashes heroes

LONDON – Indian Premier League (IPL) owners have ignored fast bowler James Anderson and seven other Ashes winning England players in the two-day auction for the fourth edition of the event.

Of the eight members of the team that beat Australia in Melbourne in Sydney who put themselves up for auction, only two – Kevin Pietersen … Read more »»».

Dropped for Oz-England 20-20s, Haddin says decision odd and confusing

SYDNEY – Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin has joined the rest of nation in trying to understand the decisions made by the National Selection Panel (NSP) before and during the Ashes series that has just concluded Down Under.

Haddin has become the first player to echo the thoughts of cricket fans around the country branding selection chairman …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Ashes series loss: Ponting welcomes thorough review

SYDNEY – Australian cricket captain Ricky Ponting wants Australia’s failure to continue producing high-quality Test cricketers probed as part of a wide-ranging review into the dreadful Ashes campaign.

Questioning the strength of state cricket, Ponting also called for greater scrutiny of club and junior cricket, and added that he knew that vice-captain Michael Clarke and …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Ashes series loss: Ponting welcomes thorough review.

Ashes victory: The five best jokes at Australia’s expense

MELBOURNE – The Australian cricket teams endured a humiliating defeat against England in the Ashes series, and naturally have been subjected to both ridicule and jokes.

Here, according to the Telegraph, are five best jokes.

1) What do you call an Australian with 100 by his name? A bowler.

2) Why can’t Aussies open bottles? Because they don’t have … Original source on Gaea Times at : Ashes victory: The five best jokes at Australia’s expense.

Coach Flower prepared to pull England players out of IPL

SYDNEY – Coach Andy Flower has said he would pull England players out of the Indian Premier League in order to keep them fresh for national duty.

“I don’t blame any of the players for wanting to go and play. But it is tricky because the schedules are so heavy. Rest is sometimes as important as …. Source  : Gaea News Network.

Saudi Arabia sack Peseiro after first game at Asian Cup

DOHA – Saudi Arabian football officials Sunday fired coach Jose Peseiro after the team was stunned 2-1 by Syria in their Asian Cup Group B opener earlier in the evening.

The Saudi news agency SPA said that the Portuguese Peseiro had been releaved of his duties with immediate effect and that Nasser Al-Johar would coach …. Read the original article  : Saudi Arabia sack Peseiro after first game at Asian Cup.