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Tennis star Serena Williams has posed nude for the front cover of ESPN sports magazine. The Grand Slam champion’s steamy pics come at a time when she faces a possible ban from playing at the Australian Open 2010.The iconic player had made a shocking outburst on a linesman during US Open semi-finals this year. International Tennis Federation is investigating the case, while she faces a potential ban of up to two grand slams under the sport’s code of conduct.

Roger Federer is the king of tennis and has got lots of proud moments in his illustrious career. He recently was honored by the postal department of Austria. Austria’s postal services announced recently they will issue a stamp honoring Swiss ace Roger Federer as the world’s best tennis player. The 65-centime stamp shows Federer winning the French Open for the first time. Some 400,000 stamps of the 28-year-old world number one, who has won an all-time record 15 Grand Slam titles, will go on sale next February(2010).

Sebastian Vettel kept alive his bid for this year’s world championship when he, in recent times won the Japanese Grand Prix with an impeccable drive from pole position. He won comfortably ahead of veteran Italian Jarno Trulli and third-placed outgoing world champion Briton Lewis Hamilton. World championship leader Briton Jenson Button finished eighth, one place behind his Brawn GP team-mate Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, an outcome that did nothing to resolve this year’s title scrap. Button had required a five point’s advantage over Barrichello to lift the title, but in the end saw his lead trimmed again. With two races remaining this year, in Brazil and Abu Dhabi, Button has 85 points, Barrichello 71 and Vettel 69.

One of US based business magazine has disclosed that Tiger of golf club has become the billionaire athlete in history. Woods’ $10 million cheque for winning the FedEx Cup meant he cracked the 10-figure bracket. Woods had earned a cumulative $895 million going into 2009, from prize money, appearance fees, endorsements, bonuses and his golf course design business. Adding his $10.5 million in 2009 prize money, the FedEx bonus and his take so far this year from his more than $100 million in annual off-the-course earnings, Woods’ career earnings are now 10 figures. Business magazine also said that Woods’ only competitors are Michael Jordan and Formula One driver Michael Schumacher, and even they aren’t close. Jordan still rakes in $45 million annually, thanks mostly to his Nike deal, and is estimates to have made $800 million. Schumacher’s earning power peaked around 2003, and is estimated to have made $700 million.

Portugal star and highest paid footballer on the planet Cristiano Ronaldo is at the centre of a distasteful scuffle between sorcerers with one trying to ruin his career on behalf of a spurned lover and another to save him. A rich and famous unknown woman who was dumped by the Madrid star has paid a handsome amount to sorcerer to cast trouble on the famous football ace. Ronaldo is always known for his love for the beautiful ladies around the World. Sorcerer with the name Pepe was recently pictured holding a black doll and pic of the soccer star with his name scrawled across it. Another expert with magic powers was also hired by someone very close to Ronaldo to counter the black magic of this so-called Spanish sorcerer.

Spain’s two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso has joined Ferrari for three years, the Italian Grand Prix outfit said recently. The agreement covers three racing seasons starting in 2010, Ferrari said in a statement. Alonso, 28, will line up with Brazilian Felipe Massa with Giancarlo Fisichella in the role of reserve driver. Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen, who won the world crown in 2007 will leave the Scuderia at the end of the current season. The value of the three-year deal have estimated Alono’s salary at 25 million euros ($36 million) a season.

Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner had a “very lucky escape” when he recently crashed his Aston Martin into a tree. The 21-year-old Danish striker was driving along the A1 towards South Mimms when his car left the road and collided with the hard shoulder fence and a tree. It is understood that no other vehicle was involved in the incident. The East of England Ambulance Service said he had had a “very lucky escape”, suffering a pain in his shoulder and grazes on one of his knees. It is thought two members of training staff from the football club collected the player from the scene and took him to the ground, where he was checked over by a club medic. Fortunately there was no real long-term damage happened to the player.

Vijender Singh added one more feather to his cap. The Bhiwani-based boxer moved up to world No.1in the middleweight category in the latest AIBA rankings released recently. For the first time, Vijender has been ranked number one in his weight category. He had earlier become the first Indian boxer to win a medal in Olympics, when he claimed a bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games. He followed it up with India’s maiden medal at the World Championships in Milan. He won a bronze in Milan after going down to eventual champion Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan.Vijender leads the middleweight category with 2700 points.

India’s long wait for entry in World group of Davis Cup came to end when tennis stars from the sub-continent of late edge out African opponents by 4-1. Star of the show was Somdev Devvarman who beat Rik de Voest in the epic five setter match. Having lost first two set, Indian ace fought back brilliantly to overcome the challenge of his antagonist, winning next three set on the trot. Somdev Devvarman was instrumental in the score line of 3-6, 6-7, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 against Rik de Voest.

Yuki Bhambri made the win sweeter winning the dead rubber against Izak Van der Merwe on his Davis Cup debut. It was also the first time that India defeated South Africa in three meetings. Earlier Indian team looked in bit trouble surrendering their doubles tie after injured Bhupathi couldn’t carry on with the margin stuck at 2-1.

All the Results

Somdev Devvarman bt Izak van der Merwe 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-4

Rohan Bopanna bt Rik De Voest 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

Wesley Moodie/Jeff Coetzee bt Mahesh Bhupathi/Rohan Bopanna 6-3, 3-6, 4-0

Somdev Devvarman beat Rik De Voest 3-6, 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 6-4

Yuki Bhambri bt Izak van der Merwe 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

Star cueist Pankaj Advani recently completed a hat-trick of national snooker championship title, beating Saurav Kothari 6-3 in the final of the National Billiards and Snooker Championship. Advani lost the first frame 28-111 with Kothari scoring a break of 102 but won the next three frames 81-16, 78-1, 84-8 to lead by three frames to one. Kothari rallied to take the fifth frame 78-11 but Advani bounced back, winning the next two frames 102-35, 152(102)-00 to lead 5-2. Not throwing in the towel, Kothari reduced the lead to 5-3 winning the next 98-00 but Advani completed the tally, winning the ninth frame 98(75)-00.

The latest cricketer to have been bitten by the acting bug (after Sunil Gavaskar in Savli, Sandeep Patil in Kabhi Ajnabi the, Vinod Kambli in Anarth and Mohsin Khan in Batwara) is Rawalpindi Express Shoaib Akhtar. It has been reliably learnt that the Pakistani cricketer who had earlier been approached to play Shiney Ahuja’s role in Gangster, has started shooting for a ollywood film, Main Aur Meri Himmat with Hansika.The shooting for the film is already underway in a village in Punjab. The film is a story of a Pakistani cricketer who arrives in India on a tour and ends up falling in love with an Indian girl. As to what happens to their love story, forms the crux of the film.

Irfan Pathan, who is going through a lean patch in his cricketing career of late, had something to cheer about on Eid. Irfan, who has a penchant for cars, recently got the perfect gift he could have got - an expensive and elegant brand new Toyota SUV from his elder brother Yusuf Pathan. The car, costing about Rs 20 lakh, is perhaps the most expensive gift given by Yusuf to Irfan. “I have a penchant for cars, especially SUVs. Though we already have a luxurious car, I will now drive only this car as it’s very dear to me,” added Irfan. The lanky (Yusuf) hard-hitting batsman had selected white-coloured SUV well in advance and kept it a secret from his sibling in which family members were also involved.

Sachin once again has proved that he is the best ODI batsman in the world. Little master overcame the challenge of many greats of the game in the competition organized by ESPN website. Sixteen top players in the likes of Viv Richards, Hayden, Jayasuriya, Ganguly and many others were shorlisted to start with. They were paired against each other in a knockout draw. The one with the higher percentage of votes advanced to the next round. The process was repeated for the quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final. Sachin polled 53% of the votes in the showdown with Sanath Jayasuriya in the contest. The Indian star and the Sri Lankan hitter (Jayasuriya) beat Aravinda de Silva and Saurav Ganguly respectively in the semi-finals to set up the final date.

Former cricketer Vinod Kambli recently contested from the Vikhroli assembly constituency on a Third Front ticket in the assembly polls of Maharashtra. Earlier to this former Indian Test player Vinod Kambli filed his nomination from Vikhroli for the Vidhan Sabha seat. Kambli, 37, travelled on a local train along with his supporters to file his papers as a candidate for the Lok Bharti, a constituent of the Ramdas Athavale-led Republican Left Democratic front (RLDF). “I started my innings as a cricketer traveling by train. So, I wanted to begin my new innings (in politics) that way (traveling by train),” said former cricketer. Kambli, once one of India’s most promising cricketers, played 17 Tests and 104 ODIs for India.

The dispute between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and event management firm IMG on fees charged by IMG has finally been resolved. Both parties have re-negotiated the contract and IMG has reduced its annual fee to Rs 27 crore, from the earlier Rs 33 crore it was paid for the second season of the T20 tournament. For the first season, IMG was paid about Rs 43 crore. The new proposal was recently approved at BCCI’s 80th annual general meeting. BCCI will retain IMG’s services for another eight years. The agreement ends a stalemate that started on August 13 when BCCI secretary N Srinivasan wrote to IMG terminating its 10-year contract. Seven of the eight Indian Premier League’s franchises contested BCCI’s decision to terminate IMG’s contract.

Aussie all-rounder Shane Watson is among the few players in the world who can change the course of a match at will. When he gets going it is a nightmare for the opposite numbers. But recently concluded Champions Trophy has put a black spot on his stats as far as duck column is concern. He is the leader of the board when it comes to Zero discourse. With his third consecutive duck, Watson is the first player to post four ducks in the ICC Champions Trophy. In this years event he was not able to register his name on the score sheet against West Indies and India.

The dispute between the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and event management firm IMG on fees charged by IMG has finally been resolved. Both parties have re-negotiated the contract and IMG has reduced its annual fee to Rs 27 crore, from the earlier Rs 33 crore it was paid for the second season of the T20 tournament. For the first season, IMG was paid about Rs 43 crore. The new proposal was recently approved at BCCI’s 80th annual general meeting. BCCI will retain IMG’s services for another eight years. The agreement ends a stalemate that started on August 13 when BCCI secretary N Srinivasan wrote to IMG terminating its 10-year contract. Seven of the eight Indian Premier League’s franchises contested BCCI’s decision to terminate IMG’s contract.

England’s injury-plagued all-rounder Andrew Flintoff fears his career would be over if his body breaks down one more time.”I think the next time I get injured that will be that. If the knee goes I will be gone as well,” Flintoff was quoted as saying.The 31-year-old, who rejected a England central contract to go freelance, is currently nursing a knee injury picked up during the Indian Premier League and is under rehabilitation in Dubai after going under the Knife .Flintoff said given his poor fitness record, he considers himself lucky to have played international cricket for so long. The talismanic player, who inspired England’s in two Ashes triumph, added he would look to make the most of what is left of his international career.

India’s prolific opener Gautam Gambhir has signed a three-year deal with the World Sports Group (WSG). Gambhir is now the second Indian Indian cricketer after Sachin Tendulkar to have signed the deal with the sports, marketing, media and events management company. ‘‘WSG supports a brand like Sachin Tendulkar, so it’s a great honor to be associated with them,” said Delhi southpaw. The signing amount was not revealed but the cricketer seemed quite happy with the deal. Earlier, Twenty-first Century Media used to manage Gambhir.

Stars from cricket sorority are well known for their love when it comes to celebrate festivals. Parthiv Patel, who is out of Indian team since a long time, was recently seen in a pleasant mood on the occasion of Garba night. Southpaw from Gujarat was accompanied by his wife with whom he tied knot a year ago.Parthiv made the full use of time by dancing with his partner at the celebration organized by Friends Cultural Group in Ahmedabad. Same joyful mood was in Kolkata where India’s best captain ever Sourav Ganguly in recent times celebrated Durga Pooja with the family. Prince of Kolkata on this holy event played dhak (drums) and danced during immersion of the Durga idol near his residence in full energy and lot of enthusiasm. He was the lightning spark amongst the huge gathering present on Durga Pooja.

England batsman Kevin Pietersen recently revealed that his wife was furious over a comment made by him last year, where he said that hitting 100 runs for the country was better than sex. Pietersen said that his wife, Jessica Taylor, “wasn’t happy” about his comment “Centuries don’t come round very often, whereas sex is on tap”. “But, she wasn’t pleased and I’ve since revised my view. For the record, my wife is much more important to me than any Test century,” said Pietersen.

Cricket legend Kapil Dev and good work are the Synonyms of each other, Where ever one goes other follows that direction. Recently our own Kapil Paji played one of the hosts at the event organized for the art lovers in Olive Bar and Kitchen. Motto was to raise funds from the sale of the art pieces for the NGO Khushii. Dev Saab was so involved in the noble cause that he went around asking guests if they had chosen a painting to bid for. He also gave a speech to keep electrifying environment going. Cricketer turned politician Azhar also made his presence felt by the side of the juncture.

Middle-order batsman Yuvraj Singh recently walked the ramp for renowned fashion designer Manish Malhotra in Mumbai.Singh walked the ramp at the fashion show organised during the launch of’The Collective’, a store that has clothes and accessories of several luxury brands under one roof. Singh, who dazzled in Malhotra’s collection, said that walking the ramp second time was better.”I had an idea. Since, it was not the first time. Manish Malhotra is an outstanding designer. I have worked with him earlier as well,” he said.

Indian Premier League Commissioner Lalit Modi’s controversy-ridden life has become the inspiration for a Bollywood movie, aptly titled ‘The Commissioner’. The former Rajasthan Cricket Association president, admired and criticised in equal measure for his style of functioning, has been approached by Percept with a story based on his life though Modi is yet to give his nod to the project. “They have been discussing it with me for the past few months. I have not agreed yet because I have not seen the script,” Modi said.

After that ‘dead skunk’ style, you might have thought Kevin Pietersen’s chances as a poster boy for hair care products were limited. But the England cricketer has become the new face of Brylcreem. Pietersen, 29, is only the fourth face of the British brand, following England cricketer and Arsenal winger Denis Compton (1940s-50s) and England footballers Johnny Haynes (1957-60s) and David Beckham (1997-99). He will appear in a series of print and online advertisements in a deal worth close to £2million. It was in the 2005 Ashes series that the South African-born batsman unveiled his most distinctive hairstyle. “I really wanted to be the new Brylcreem boy. It’s a real honor to be asked - just look at the roll-call of names,” said Pietersen.

Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty, recently accompanied by her boyfriend to All India Football Federation (AIFF), showing more than just passing interest in Indian football. Shilpa, who co-owns the IPL Rajasthan Royals team with her London-based businessman boyfriend, spent some time at the AIFF headquarters. Shilpa and Raj are keen followers of the game and are nursing an idea of raising a top level team for domestic competitions. Almost all of a sudden, Indian football seems to be getting its dose of glamour.

Kevin Pietersen’s wife Jessica and Stuart Broad’s girlfriend Kacey Barnfield recently went under the lens of camera for a bold photo shoot promoting different brands at different places. Kevin’s wife did a steamy photo shoot for supermarket giant Tesco’s new lingerie collection. The former Liberty X and Dancing On Ice star was happy with the shoot. “I adore the new collection. Every woman loves beautiful lingerie and feeling fabulous,” said Jessica.Stuart Broad’s girlfriend Kacey Barnfield too did a sweltering photo shoot. Kacey, who had starred in BBC kids’ soap Grange Hill for five years, said that she hated men who didn’t pay attention to their lovers. She said: “I hate men who don’t pay enough attention to their partners.

Ace cricketer Virender Sehwag recently visited the painting competition ‘PROSPEROUS INDIA’ organized by Zee News for the under privileged children’s of the society. He also joined the India First campaign under which painting contest was structured. He not only motivated the children but also pledged to contribute in his own way to make India First in all instances. By lighting up the candles, Virender spread the message across the citizens of the country to come forward and join the campaign. The campaign is aimed ‘To unite the nation to forget all the divisions by empowering human resources & make India first’, and is acting as a catalyst to make the nation stronger. Successfully running for over two month, the ‘India First’ campaign has also garnered support from noted personalities like Salman Khan, Prabhu Deva, Baichung Bhutia, Priyanka Chopra, Shahid Kapur, Suniel Shetty, Durand Cup Football Society, Supreme Court Lawyers association and many more.

Brett Lee recently insisted that he can reclaim his Test spot and become the first Australian bowler to snare 400 wickets in both major forms of international cricket. At a time when Australia’s team management admit they must carefully manage Lee’s workload, the 32-year-old paceman is aiming to be playing in his country’s next Test match and in the 2011 World Cup. “I’d like to be the first Australian ever to take 400 one-day and 400 Test wickets, that to me is a milestone that 10 or 12 years ago I would never even have dreamt about,’’ Lee said. Lee already has 321 one-day wickets and 310 Test wickets in his name.

The sports ministry recently reacted strongly to the controversial mobile SMS game 6UP, which is being promoted by former Australian skipper Steve Waugh. Waugh had earlier said that the game is fun and will not lead to match-fixing or betting.

Ministry insisted that this game is likely to lead to betting and is against the policy of the ministry. In fact, Steve Waugh had met the sports minister MS Gill earlier and Gill had clearly said no to him. The game had created a furore during the Indian Premier League-2 and was withdrawn after Gill protested. It was re-launched in just concluded ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa.

Shoaib Malik has recently invited trouble with his criticism of the team’s frequent batting reshuffle in the ICC Champions Trophy. The former Pakistan captain Malik drew the ire of captain Younis Khan and coach Intikhab Alam after blaming the team management for indulging in too much shuffling of the batting order in the Champions Trophy. Intikhab made it clear that any changes in the batting order were made because of the given situation while Younis also said that any one in the national team should be prepared to bat at any position if the team requires. Even PCB is reviewing Malik’s statement in which he said he would not bat as an opener or one-down batsman in future as it affected his batting.

Cricketers are often criticized for their inclination towards glamour world. Few sections of society are always in a search to catch hold cricket stars for their life style too. But one should not forget that most of the cricketers are more often involve in social activities. They should get full marks for their achievements and contributions in the communal arena. Recently, Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi attended an event to encourage people to donate their eyes. “If we all take a pledge, then we could wipe away blindness from the world,” he said. On the other hand, Gautam Gambhir spent a morning with children suffering from Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). He said, “It’s the innocent smile on the faces of these children that makes me want to be a part of such social events.”

Only the third batsman to amass 12,000 runs in one-day cricket, Australia skipper Ricky Ponting recently said he is only chasing benchmarks set by Sachin Tendulkar.”The number of innings of his I have been able to sit back and watch, I think, he is an amazing player. Look at his stats and records and it’s quite incredible for someone to have stayed in the game for 20 years,” said Ponting.”He has set benchmarks for guys like me to chase him and get as close as we can. If I had to last 20 years, I would probably be batting in a wheelchair,” he quipped.Ponting is the first Australian, and the third overall, after Tendulkar and Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya, to score 12,000 runs in one-dayers.Tendulkar and Ponting, in fact, are the two biggest achievers in batting in contemporary cricket.

Sachin Tendulkar was lucky to escape with two cuts on his face after a dizzy spell knocked him out recently in his hotel room. He was in South Africa to participate in lately completed Champions Trophy. It was the case of plain food poisoning which also troubled four other players apart from master blaster.Tendulkar said that he lost consciousness and hurt himself when he fell down on the table in his room after returning from dinner at an Indian restaurant. It is believed that Indian players had fish after which problem started. A cut near his nose and another one below the left eye as a result of the fall was some indication of the impact of his face hitting the table. Team Management has decided to lodge a complaint if at all players agrees upon it.

Michael Clarke and his fiancée Lara Bingle recently posed for their first joint project, promoting a no-carbs, no-sugar energy drink. The vice-captain of the Australian cricket team was seen wearing only black jeans as he lounged with the model, who was wrapped in an oversize underwear and cropped T-shirt for the ad. The 28-year-old (Clarke) shot down regular comparisons drawn between them and UK showbiz royalty, Victoria and David Beckham. He said: “We don’t see ourselves like that at all. I guess the similarity is that I play sport and David plays sport, but they represent a different market – an international market.”

Former India skipper Anil Kumble feels Team India’s priority now ought to be to make use of the best players for major events. “There are about 40 contracted players and that is good bench strength. It was unfortunate that India missed out a few players due to injuries in the last couple of months. Key players like Zaheer Khan and Virender Sehwag were obviously part of the Champions Trophy plans and the injury to Yuvraj Singh didn’t help either. But, in my opinion, for a big event, you should have all your key players to be 100 per cent,” said Kumble. “Just because you have bench strength doesn’t mean that you have to rotate the players. Every game and tournament is important. Getting your best players for a major tournament is the priority and a challenge for the team management,” added master spinner.

South Africa’s failure to progress beyond the group stage of the Champions Trophy is set to come under the spotlight when the country’s cricket bosses meets. The Proteas, who were beaten in two out of three games in Group B by Sri Lanka and England, have only once won an event under the International Cricket Council

banner, which came more than 10 years ago at the inaugural Champions Trophy in Bangladesh. A joint statement between Arthur and chief executive officer Gerald Majola read: “There will be a brutally honest analysis of the Proteas’ early demise in the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy and other failures of this nature in knock-out competitions to ensure that it does not happen again.”If mistakes have been made, then they must be acknowledged and remedied before the next World Cup. Their next assignment for the Proteas will begin in November when England arrives for a near three-month tour.

Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the highest earning cricketer in the world at the moment, will be poorer by Rs 100 when he visits his home town Ranchi next.Jharkhand’s state transport department has recently decided to impose a fine on the star cricketer for his failure to get his new sports utility vehicle, Hummer H2, registered in the state. A transport official said one had to get a new vehicle registered in the state within seven days of its purchase, otherwise the buyer would have to shell out additional Rs 100 in fine.That’s not all. If Dhoni is found taking a joyride in his ‘prized possession’ without getting proper registration papers, he will have to pay another fine of Rs 4,500 as per the rules. This is, however, not the first time when Dhoni has been fined in his adopted home state.In 2006; a traffic constable had fined him for driving a car with tinted window panes, which is banned in Jharkhand.

Ricky Ponting has lost Ashes to England. His career might be hanging in loop but punter still has other career options in his kitty. Punter could take up football business as career option some day. He recently received 500 shares in Altrincham FC (England low division club) in thanks for his contribution to fundraising at the club. The non-league side’s chairman, Geoff Goodwin, gave the shares to Ponting “Ricky has become a very good friend and I am proud he’s with us,” Goodwin said about the Australian captain. Ponting facing heat from all the corners of the cricketing fraternity for the flop Ashes show could take up football as the next best career option available to him.

Indian cricket stars have marked the beginning of new season with new brands on their bat. Sachin and Gambhir have parted their ways from brands like MRF and Reebok. Sachin who was using MRF bat since 1996 has decided to use custom-made adidas bat.The bat, which will have specific input in shape and weight, will be made in India. “I have had a fantastic partnership with adidas for 11 years. I have been using their clothing and shoes. Now, I will use the bat and pads too,” said Tendulkar at the launch of the adidas range of bats and other cricket equipment. Another Indian cricket sensation Gauti was appointed as the brand ambassador of MRF recently. His bat will represent MRF logo in the entire upcoming tourneys. “It’s a great honor,” said Gambhir. He also added that taking over MRF reins from Sachin would give him more confidence rather then pressure.

ICC Elite Panel umpires Simon Taufel, Steve Davis (Australia) and Billy Bowden (New Zealand) - will not officiate in the inaugural Twenty20 Champions League from October 8 to 23.According to sources, the Champions League committee will not shortlist their names as Taufel and Co. wanted to involve an umpires’ union to finalize their participation in the league. ”Top umpires will officiate in the league. The organizing committee refused to entertain any union of the umpires. We don’t recognize such unions,” said top BCCI official. Organizing committee also refused the claims of monetary differences behind the decision. “All the umpires are paid the similar amount, like the way they are in ICC’s matches. Some of the other members of the Elite Panel have given their consent to take part and they are at par with Taufel and Bowden.” 

Indian Cricket League (ICL) organizers have put on hold the outstanding payments of its Pakistani recruits after learning about the involvement of a former Test player in fixing the matches of the unauthorized league. The player was sidelined after the organizers learnt about his contacts with Indian bookmakers and the ICL is now further investigating the matter. Incidentally, match fixing has always been a concern since the launch of the ICL and now uncertainty looms over the future of the league.

Australian captain Ricky Ponting and talismanic England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff may be seen in the new role of a commentator in the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 cricket tournament.Both the star players have been approached by the Champions League organizers to be expert commentators during the tournament to be held at three different venues in India from October 8-23.”We have approached Flintoff and Ponting to be commentators during the tournament. As great cricketers themselves, they will certainly add a lot of value,” Champions League source said.Flintoff, who recently retired from Test cricket and has undergone a keyhole surgery on his knee, has not yet confirmed whether he can take up the assignment.

Ricky Ponting finally decided to call it off from the shortest format of the cricket. Ricky Ponting announced his retirement from T20 cricket recently, citing his desire to keep playing Test and 50-over internationals as the main reason. Cricket Australia revealed he will remain the captain of the Australian Test and one-day sides but will step away from the international T20 scene.A formal decision regarding Ponting’s replacement as captain of the Twenty20 side will be made later in the year. “After much thought and careful consideration I have advised Cricket Australia of my decision to retire from international Twenty20 cricket,” said Ponting.However he intended to play the shortest form of the game for Tasmania in the KFC Big Bash team and the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.

After giving away their Ashes crown to England, Aussie Skipper and Coach has come under severe bearing from the cricket fraternity. Greats of the Game from down under are asking for strict action against the two power house (Ponting&Nielsen) of the team. Australia’s best coach ever John Buchanan has called for a review of his successor Tim Nielsen’s position. “The coaching position needs to be looked at, whether we need a restructure of the position and the personnel,” said Buchanan. Much like Buchanan former Australian coach former stumper Steve Rixon believes Australia has lost their ruthless cutting edge. He wants to see a change in the leadership department. According to him, Ponting, despite being a magnificent batsman, has never been a great captain. He wants Simon Katich to take over the Test captaincy reins. “If we’re going to look at change, I’d be looking at Simon Katich. Simon is a tenacious leader,” Rixon added.

Andrew Flintoff has confirmed that he will become a freelance cricketer by rejecting the offer of an incremental contract from the ECB. Having retired from Test cricket at the end of the Ashes series, Flintoff has said that he remains “fully committed” to playing one-day and Twenty20 cricket for England, but he will not be taking up the one-year deal offered by the ECB, worth about £30,000. “I was flattered to receive the offer from the ECB,” Flintoff said recently. “But at this stage of my career I don’t think I need to be told when to play and when to rest. “He is presently on the rehabilitation after going under knife to recover from Knee problem.

After getting nod from India coach Gary Kirsten, Sachin Tendulkar’s idea of splitting the One-dayers into four innings of 25 overs each to revive the format, recently got a new boost from ICC general manager Dave Richardson. He said the governing body might soon conduct a trial. “I quite like that idea, I believe South Africa may trial something along those lines,” Richardson said. “This might work in day/night cricket where one team has to bat in day and the other at night. It provides something different and reduces the effects on the team who loses the toss and has to bat first on a damp wicket, for example,” he added. He, however, made it clear that such an experiment should be conducted at the domestic level before pushing it into international cricket.

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, who had retired from international cricket last year, may play for Bengal in the upcoming Ranji Trophy season. The 37-year-old cricketer, who has decided to play for his state side in domestic one-dayers in order to tune up for Indian Premier League, also contemplating a return to the four-day format. However, the left-hander is yet to convey his desire to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). “As of now, I have just thought about this and have not spoken to anybody. But I will definitely convey this to the selectors,” Ganguly said.

Bollywood stars Salman Khan, Ajay Devgan and Sanjay Dutt are keep on buying IPL teams when auctions go up for the two new lineups. Indian Premier League will be comprised of ten outfits from 2011 onwards. Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt seem to be more serious of the lot to get their hands on one of the new upcoming franchisee. Salman and Sanjay who have enthralled movie lovers with their superb acting and dance moves recently met IPL chairman Lalit Modi separately and showed interest to buy a team. With news of Salman, Sanjay and Ajay entering IPL, it will pave the way for other Bollywood stars with IPL team. Leading actors Preity Zinta, Shilpa Shetty and Shahrukh are already in the business. However Salman’s brother Sohail Khan revealed that his brother is yet to make up his mind, on owning a side in the Twenty20 league.

Force India Chairman Vijay Mallya says his team’s maiden podium finish in the Belgian Grand Prix ranks alongside Royal Challengers Bangalore’s final appearance in the Indian Premier League II as two of his best sporting moments. There is an uncanny similarity between Force India and BRC, both owned by the liquor baron, as both the outfits pulled off huge surprises in their fairytale second season to silence critics. “I think the podium finish and getting into the final of the IPL cricket are two sporting moments that I will never forget,” an elated Mallya said, drawing a comparison between the two achievements. While Force India had the back marker’s tag hanging around its neck after failing to score a single point in 2008, RCB were the laggards of the inaugural IPL, finishing second last.

Before going to Srilanka Indian cricketers were on two months break fulfilling their commercial commitments. Some went for the ad shoots other were seen on ramp. Najafgarh Ka Nawab is injured but is not leaving any chance to showcase his talent on ramp. Indian opener Virender Sehwag recently walked on the ramp at the Kolkata Fashion Week (KFW)-II, sending the audience into raptures. Wearing a hand-woven sherwani suit; Sehwag exuded oodles of confidence as he walked the ramp for designer Rocky S. “Sehwag was perfectly chilled out in the attire. He was a showstopper,” said Rocky S.Kolkata Fashion Week has already got the services of Indian Skipper MS Dhoni as the brand ambassador of the event for three years. Of late cricketers like Praveen Kumar and Virat Kohli were at their best when they walked on the ramp for Gitanjali 15 Years celebrations.

Cricketers are the best selling commodities where ever they go. Same mantra has been adopted by reality show Dus Ka Dum( Second Season).In one of the episode Kapil Dev the living legend along with Navjot Singh Sidhu turned the show in laughter arena. Salman’s (host) affection for the real life stars was note worthy. Few months back also Irfan Pathan and Shilpa Shetty were the special invitees at Salman’s paradise. Dus Ka Dum in its first season saw two special cricketers Bhajji and Yuvi taking on each other.

Brit actress Kacey Barnfield has for a long time been known as a former child star of TV’s Grange Hill, but now at the age of 21 she is turning out to be one of the sport’s hottest WAGs. Barnfield is currently dating England cricket ace Stuart Broad. Barnfield’s priority is acting but she is keen to pursue modelling opportunities too. Meanwhile, Broad was in recent times named man of the match in the decider as England clinched The Ashes beating Australia 2-1 in the series.

After the craze for owning a Twenty 20 team, now the game’s T-10 format, called Gully Cricket, has started attracting celebrities. Actress Divya Dutta has become the first proud owner of the Ludhiana team.Divya bought the Ludhiana Gully Cricket team recently for season two that will kick start in third week of September and end in a grand finale at Kanpur on Nov 20th. Divya, who is from Ludhiana, will patronise the team and be responsible for marketing and promoting it nationally. She will also be involved in activities like grooming the players, cheering them and sponsorships for the team. Another bollywood star Riteish Deshmukh is the brand ambassador of the event. T-10 format is not officially sanctioned by the Indian cricket board.

Behind every successful man there’s a woman, and Tillekeratne Dilshan is no exception. The dashing Sri Lankan strokeplayer’s career has turned completely around following his marriage to Manjula Thilini during the inaugural IPL in New Delhi.  Dilshan looks a contented man these days and his wife Manjula played a huge part in it. ‘‘Yeah, she did. Marriages have really helped me gain that inner peace which one needs to perform at the highest level,’’ he said.

Referral system is about to launch its opener in month’s time but talk has already stared about the dos and don’ts of the system. Umpires are seen divided about the new step in Test cricket. Former Test umpire Peter Willey has expressed fears that the referral system will harm umpires more than it aids them. The system will be introduced in the longer version of the game soon.Willey, current chairman of the first-class umpires’ association in England; said increasing reliance on technology will only blunt the power of judgment. But ICC Elite Panel umpire Simon Taufel is on the other side of the coin .According to him technology should be used to improve the standard of match officials. “For me technology is about to induct balance in the game and making sure we use the best of what is available,” said Taufel.

It’s raining of cricketers on Farah Khan’s chat show “Tere Mere Beech Mein”.Latest was Yuvraj Singh, who was at his best when it comes to humor. His IPL team mate has also been on the show of late facing googly’s from the show host. Like them two cricketer brothers Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan recently disclosed their special bond on the show. The brothers opened up and shared some funny stories about their world. Speaking on their female fan following, Irfan told about their mother’s reaction. “Once when I went home mom was with all smiles in the kitchen. On asking her what the occasion was, Mom replied beaming- Everyday we get loads of letters from girls for you. But today one came for Yusuf,” says Irfan in between peals of laughter. It was all fun for the duo on the chat show.

Dhoni, who did not appear for his B.Com examination was declared ‘failed’ by the college authorities. The mistake has been rectified. The second semester results of B.Com were announced recently by the Ranchi University. The list, which appeared in the St Xavier College, had ‘fail’ before Dhoni’s name. The family members and fans of the cricketer were shocked at the news and the issue was brought to the notice of the college administration. “It was a mistake and the list has been revised,” said principal of St Xavier College. Dhoni has already cleared the first semester and now he has to clear five more semesters in four years. Dhoni took admission in St Xavier College last year under sports quota. He was exempted from attending classes.

India opener Gautam Gambhir recently edged out teammate Virender Sehwag to be named the Castrol Cricketer of the Year 2008.Gambhir, who was declared fit to travel to South Africa with the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy after missing the previously held triangular series in Sri Lanka, received Rs five lakh and a trophy.The left-hander, who scored over 1000 runs in Tests and ODIs in 2008, also won the best batsman of the year award while feisty off-spinner Harbhajan Singh won the best bowler of the year honors, worth a trophy and Rs two lakh each. Swashbuckling batsman Sehwag and India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni were declared the Test and One-Day cricketers of the same year.

Prolific Australian player Michael Clarke has recently withdrawn his name from the upcoming Champions League T20 tournament sighting playing overload as the reason for his decision. Clarke is a member of the Oz domestic T20 competition champions New South Wales. However, despite Clarke’s withdrawal, NSW have still managed to announce a team for the Champions League featuring 10 international cricketers including Simon Katich (Captain), Stuart Clark, Doug Bollinger, Brett Lee, Nathan Hauritz and Nathan Bracken. Other noted names in the squad include Phillip Hughes, David Warner and young Moises Henriques. Brad Haddin, who was named in the squad, is yet to recover from an injury.

Shane Warne appears to have proven his love to former wife Simone Callahan, who left him after a series of embarrassing revelations about his extra-marital affairs. The couple is reportedly setting up a love nest in the house worth $3.35 million. The purchase is being viewed as a renewed commitment by the off-again, on-again couple to work on their marriage. The relationship has been rocked by numerous scandals, including allegations that Shane Warne romanced several women on different continents via text message. The couple, who revived their romance late last year (December 2008), is yet to publicly comment on their reunion.

Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) announced that it will give pension to all the former cricketers, who have represented the state in the Ranji Trophy. The decision was taken at UPCA’’s annual general body meeting in Jhansi recently D Pathak, a UPCA official, said the amount of the monthly pension would be decided at soon to be convened UPCA’s meeting and they will start giving pensions by the end of this year. The amount is likely to be Rs 5000 per month.Pathak said that any cricketer, who has played in Ranji even in one match will be entitled to the pension and can approach them.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has decided to extend Coach Gary Kirsten’s contract till the 2011 World Cup.BCCI is satisfied with the way that Kirsten has performed his job and is keen on giving him more time to continue the good work. Kirsten’s contract will soon be ratified. The South African’s two-year contract was to end next March (2010).Earlier, BCCI had hinted at extending Kirsten’s contract. The matter hasn’t been discussed as yet but there is every possibility of him getting extended contract from the board.

Pakistan captain Younis Khan has successfully faced the fastest bowlers on the cricket field, but he was left battered after being attacked by a swarm of honey bees recently. Younis was attacked by the viscous insects as he was taking his car out of the garage at his Karachi home .The incident left the experienced batsman with a badly swollen face and he was forced to miss a media conference .’’My face is swollen, so I can’t speak freely”,

Younis said.’’I should be okay in a couple of days. I don’t think this incident will have any effect on my preparation for the coming Champions Trophy,’’ he added.

India’s premier off-spinner Harbhajan recently got the taste of law hammer. Traffic police slapped him with a penalty of Rs.3,000 for traffic rule violations. The Chandigarh traffic police handed over a ‘challan’ to Bhajji’s representative for driving the vehicle without a registration number. Superintendent of Police (traffic) H.S. Doon said: “We got this complaint against Harbhajan Singh that he was driving a Hummer without any number plate in Chandigarh. The law is same for anyone and it does not permit us to ignore any celebrity or a cricketer. Therefore, after thorough investigation, our officials handed over a challan slip of Rs.3,000 to Harbhajan aide,” added H.S. Doon.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has joined the ever-growing list of political heavyweights to take to cricket administration. He was handed the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA) reins during an annual general meeting (AGM) at the Motera Stadium recently. The announcement may have been unexpected but the move should not be a surprise. The GCA is one of the richest state cricket associations in the country and a prospective Indian Premier League (IPL) centre, with Ahmedabad likely to be auctioned as a franchise for the 2011 edition of the T20 league..

English Premier League in its 18th season has surprised everyone with the vengeance of bottom half teams. At the time of writing worlds most awaited tourney has completed its one month or five rounds of the hard fought competition. This time around possibility of super ‘4′ (Man U, Chelsea, Liverpool Arsenal) dominance seems to die out in the first month of the league itself. It would be for the first time since 2003 that EPL might see the overhaul of league table to a great extent.

London is city of dreams and when it comes to football their stake is always high in all the departments. Since winning the EPL trophy in 2005-2006 season with Chelsea, London has seen the drought of success since then. Chelsea (London) has started on expected notes under new manager Carlo Ancelotti by knocking out five out of five against the lineup of Burnley (3-0), Hull (2-1), Sunderland (3-1), Fulham (2-0) and Stoke City (2-1). Their challenge speaks the volume of effort they had put in so far. Chelsea has already posed a serious threat to United’s beloved crown. But most importantly surprise packages of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur are on everyone’s mind and lips with the display of attacking football. Title holder of EPL trophy since three consecutive years, Manchester United campaign is back on track after shock loss (1-0) to new kids (Burnley) of the league in the second encounter of the season but they have a chink in their armor when it comes to construct partnership between midfield and forwards of the team on few occasions after Ronaldo’s exit. By their on going in the opening phase, prospect of losing out on the conquer status can’t be ruled out at the hands of Chelsea .Strong outfits like Liverpool and Arsenal are looking traumatic on the football grounds in the midst of the poor display. All in All EPL new season has reached to maximum intensity level with the word go.

Revival of less fancied outfits

When Mark Hughes went to summer transfer window riding high on tons of cash, nobody would have expected the turn around which is clearly seen today. After spending over £100 million of new owner Sheikh Mansour’s, the blues are flying high on success ladder. City boss has proven the myth wrong which says that money can’t buy success. They are unbeaten in four tourneys of the present encounter and are looking sure of top four finish in the league. Breath taking attack with good defensive ploy has been the nurture of city’s success. Signing of Gareth Barry, Roque Santa Cruz, Kolo Touré, Emmanuel Adebayor, Carlos Tévez and Joleon Lescott has done the trick on opposite numbers. Most emphatic has been the performance against Arsenal which saw city heroes dumping gunners by 4-2 margin. Clearly the rival of Adebayor (City’s top scorer) holds the key for Manchester ranks.

Unlike City Hotspur accomplishment is the result of sheer hard work with intelligent tactics of several months.Tottenham Hotspur, resurgence in the cut to cut demand for achievement has shocked many. Though they have been beaten in the latest encounter by Man United 3-1 but still have their grasp on the fourth spot of the standings. Performance of White Hart Lane contingent in five warfare is more then acceptable, winning four matches. Giants of premier league Liverpool (2-1) and teams like Hull City (5-1), West Ham (2-1) and Birmingham (2-1) were at the receiving hand of the Hotspur assault in consecutive four outings. Manager Harry Redknapp along with Jermain Defoe, Robbie Keane, Aaron Lennon, Luka Modri and Roman Pavlyuchenko has formed deadly combo which saw North London team performing at their best since 1962.

Big ‘2′ shunts down

From the 2005-06 season onwards, the “Big Four” (Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United) have dominated the top four spots but on going battle has given the smell for big change. Arsenal and Liverpool has already lost two matches a piece and their chances of striking top four finish look filthy. Mangers of these two teams are finding excuses to cover up the losses. In particular Gunners boss Arsene Wenger is on the roll of experimenting new excuses when ever team slips up. Latest was when he accused Man United of applying anti football tactics in 2-1 loss to Old Trafford team. North London outfit has not got their hands on Premiership in view of the fact that they have good players at their realm. To make things worse, Arsenal is sitting at ninth position after 4-2 humiliation from Manchester City.

Liverpool on the other hand has got their combination napping after losing to Aston Villa 3-1in eight years. More vulnerable was to loose at Anfield. Rafa Benitez after Alonso exit to Real Madrid has tried to find out suitable partner for Gerrard in the midfield but results are taking time to come by. It was proved in the season’s opener loss to Tottenham by 2-1.Liverpool was much better in previous season which resulted in second spot finish. Another slip up could attest the mark of loss opportunity not only in terms of trophy in 17 years (Liverpool has never won EPL) but also on going out of top four zone.

Half way contest

Fight among the lower half of the table is also getting interesting. Teams are not leaving any chance to tumble each other. Premiership units in the form of Aston Villa, Sunderland and Stoke are fighting for the dominance in the midst of table. Shocking has been the failure of Everton which stands in relegation zone after fourth loss in five outings. David Moyes side which finished fifth last season was hammered by Arsenal (6-1), Burnley (1-0), and Fulham (2-1) in the continuing season. No new signings to speak of and departures of few good ones have equal their worst start to a season under boss David Moyes. Same goes for other relegation zones team Bolton and Portsmouth which finished 13th and 14th in 2008-2009 season.

Controversy at its peak

Chelsea brilliant run could be halted by the latest controversy. London team is looking like the team to beat this season but it could be over in coming days. What would Chelsea do if stars like Lampard, Terry, Drogba, Anelka and Cech get injured? Roman Abramovich (Owner) side is been slapped a stunning transfer ban by FIFA which will prevent the club signing any new players until January 2011.The London club have been found guilty of inducing French teenager Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with previous side Lens.So Chelsea have no chance of replacement if someone goes knocking. Chelsea has pledged to launch the strongest possible appeal but what goes in future can’t be predicted. One thing is sure London Dreams depend upon the verdict of upcoming appeal.

Michael Jordan, maybe the greatest of them all, has taken his place alongside basketball’s other greats. Jordan was enshrined in the Hall of Fame of late, a final honor that followed all the championship rings and MVP trophies he collected during his career. “It’s a privilege, but I would never give myself that type of accolade because I never competed against everybody in this Hall of Fame,” he said. Jordan won six championship rings (1991, 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 1998), five Most Valuable Awards (1988, 1991, 1992, 1996, 1998), 14 NBA All-Star nominations (1985-1993, 1996-1998, 2002-2003) and was elected NBA Finals MVP six times (1991-1993, 1996-1998) in his illustrious career.

Nehru Cup once again marked huge success for the Indian team when they outclass the mighty Syrian’s in the epic final of the tourney. After the legal allotted time both teams were locked at one a piece. Match went to penalty shoot out where Subroto Paul heroics came in to savior team India. Defending champions India beat Syria 5-4 in the penalty shootouts to lift their second successive Nehru Cup title at the Ambedkar Stadium. It was second time (Finals) in a row that Indian football team came on top of their highly ranked opponents. Two years ago (2007) also at the Ambedkar Stadium, the home team had beaten the Syrians to win their maiden Nehru Cup title. Both the sides made sure that the match, which had started on a high note, ended the same way. The highly contested match was watched by bollywood star Salman Khan( Brand Ambassador of AIFF), AIFF acting president and Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports M S Gill.

Top Honors:

Man of the Tournament: Bhaichung Bhutia (India)

Man of the Match: Subroto Paul (India)

Shuttlers Jwala Gutta and V Diju in recent times created history by becoming the first Indian mixed doubles pair to win a Grand Prix Gold in Chinese Taipei. In the hard-fought final of the Chinese Taipei Grand Prix Gold tournament, the world number seven Indian pair prevailed over the Indonesian duo of Hendra Aprida Gunawan and Vita Marissa 23-21, 21-18 to achieve the feat in the Chinese Taipei city. Jwala-Diju had become the first India mixed doubles pair to reach the quarterfinal of the World Badminton Championship in Hyderabad recently. They had also won the Bitburger Open and Bulgarian Open last year.

Wayne Rooney has reportedly ordered a custom made 50,000-pound diamond-encrusted watch to gift to his wife Coleen when they welcome their first child together next month (October).The footie ace was said to have also asked New York jewellers Jacob & Co, who made the pair’s 1 million pound wedding rings, to engrave a personal message. Wayne has spent weeks making sure it looks just right. The couple is expecting their child on October 24, when Rooney celebrates his birthday.

Tiger Woods cruised to an eight-shot victory in the BMW Championship to move to the top of top of the FedEx Cup standings. The American’s victory at Cog Hill was the 71st of his illustrious career. The win was sixth of the season for Woods, came courtesy of a round of 68 today to finish 19-under-par overall, eight clear of compatriot Jim Furyk and Australian Marc Leishman.

Vijender Kumar may not have made it to the finals of the middle weight boxing competition, but he united a cricket crazy nation to a different sport all together. Vijender will be remembered as one of India’s greatest boxer ever. Though boxing champ lost his semi-final bout 3-7 to Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan but he had already booked the first ever bronze medal for India at the World boxing championships.

Earlier World number two Vijender defeated Ukrainian Sergiy Derevyanchenko 12-4 to become the first Indian to make the last four stage of the prestigious World Championships. The 23-year-old, who was awarded the Khel Ratna last month, is the first Indian to receive a medal at the prestigious event.

Karun Chandhok can kiss his Force India ambitions good-bye, at least for the time being, after chairman of the resurgent outfit Vijay Mallya said he doesn’t consider any Indian driver good enough for Formula One. Emboldened after the team’s stunning show in the last two races, Mallya was amused by the populist demand that Karun should be handed a race seat at the team even though the Chennai driver did not have an F1 super license. “My job is to make sure that the team is successful. Whichever driver I need, that is completely my decision. The fact remains, right now no Indian driver is good enough for Formula One,” said Mallya.

Barcelona has won their fifth title of the year, with a goal from Pedro in extra time enough to give them victory in Monaco against Shakhtar Donetsk in the European Super Cup. Pedro was on the ball after a grand pass from Messi in the 115th minute, and had come onto the pitch as a substitute. However it was generally an uninspiring game on a pitch which suffered the pounding from the players who struggled to create chances. Their other four titles of the Catalan brigade are the domestic Super Cup, La Liga, the King’s Cup and the Champions League. No other team in the world has won all five titles in the five tournaments.

The roadway along which the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt crashed his car a few months ago will be renamed in his honor. The road connects the capital of Kingston in the east with Montego Bay in the far west of the country. Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding told Parliament recently that Highway 2000 would be called the Usain Bolt Highway.He also said Bolt’s “endearing personality, charisma and passion for his country make him a superb ambassador of Jamaica. “He also announced that the country’s fourth highest honor — the Order of Jamaica, will be conferred on the 23-year-old sprinter. Bolt will become the youngest person to receive such award. In April (2009), Bolt suffered minor injuries in a car smash on Highway 2000.

Top football flights are often known for its best pay structure to the football stars. Talent on the field in return is awarded with buckets of cash to footballers. With the passage of time salary structure popularly known as weekly wages has shoot up to the maximum stratum. Spanish La Liga and English Premier League clubs are the influential force when it comes to money making for the star players. Trio of Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Samuel Eto’o have started new campaign with new outfits but it could not stop them from earning the highest weekly wages in football dynasty.

Top Ten Weekly Earners

Ronaldo- £219,000 (Portugal, Real Madrid)

Eto’o-£186,000(Cameroon, Inter Milan)

Kaka-£175,000(Brazil, Real Madrid)

Messi-£170,000(Argentina, Barcelona)

Ibrahimovic-£160,000(Sweden, Barcelona)

Robinho-£160,000(Brazil, Manchester City)

Terry-£150,000(England, Chelsea)

Lampard-£141,000(England, Chelsea)

Gerrard-£130,000(England, Liverpool)

Adebayor-£130,000(Togo, Manchester City)

Former Wimbledon tennis champion Richard Krajicek recently made a surprise appearance on the professional golf circuit as a caddie for Wil Besseling.The 37-year-old, who retired from the ATP Tour in 2003, has managed Besseling for the past two seasons.He took up his fellow Dutchman’s bag for the final round of the Dutch Futures event of the European Challenge Tour of late. “I help him in terms of the mental side and handling the pressure,” he said. It’s not the first time a sporting professional has changed codes to impart their expertise. England’s World-Cup winning rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward dipped his toes in football at Southampton before taking on the role of chief performance director for the British Olympic Association.

Pankaj Advani became the latest sensation to make India proud by winning the World Professional Billiards Championship (2009).He defeated defending champion Mark Russel 2030-1253. Advani became the second Indian to win the title in its 139th years of history; Geet Sethi was the first Indian to win the title in 1992. Earlier, Advani notched up a thrilling win over compatriot Dhruv Sitwala in the semi-final to set up the title clash. Geet Sethi crashed out of the World professional billiards championship in a league match. In a must-win last league match for both players, the Indian lost to compatriot and IBSF World billiards champion Pankaj Advani 482-818.

Ponting advocates window for IPL
The Australian captain Ricky Ponting has urged to create a window for the IPL. The veteran batsman feels that the lucrative IPL might have adverse impact on the game as the international players can opt to play in the IPL over their national duty. “I think it’s vital that we have a six-week period carved out of every international team’s program because the money being thrown around becomes very appealing to young kids coming into the game.

Australia tour to Pakistan in 2009 clash with IPL
In what could be breather for the Pakistan Cricket Board, Australia has agreed to tour Pakistan twice in two years, a joint statement from both boards said. As expected, the five one-dayers and a Twenty20 will be played in the first leg, 2009 and the next phase tour will fall in August 2010 to play three Tests. Australia hasn’t toured Pakistan since 1998-99 and their scheduled tour in March 2008 was postponed owing to security threats. However the dates announced clash with the lucrative IPL scheduled next year. The ODIs next year are scheduled from mid-April to early May next year, coinciding with the second edition of the IPL slotted from April 10-May 29.

Akram urges to change ODIs rule
Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram believes that rising T 20 popularity is a threat to the ODIs. The former all rounder said that the ICC must bring some changes in one-day cricket to survive in the wake of T 20 and make it more exciting and watchable. “Twenty20 cricket is gaining popularity because it is exciting and is aimed at the younger generation who want to watch high class sport in three to four hours,” Akram said. “Twenty20 cricket is good for the future of the game, but at the same time it is not quality cricket. It is simply entertainment. And to protect the real competition like one-dayers or Test matches, the ICC needs to think about revolutionary rule changes.”

Controversy forces Cheerleaders to get a cover-up!
If you thought that our politicians are opposed to only nuclear deal and price rise, better watch out for. The new furore have made headlines over the skimpy outfits of the cheerleaders. Cheerleaders have been hired for the jigs that mark sixers and boundaries during the matches. The issue came over for discussion in the Maharashtra assembly while West Bengal Sports Minister Subhas Chakra-borty also raised the issue. The debate became so volatile that the organizers have now “covered up” to ensure that there are no more controversies. The new outfits have been designed leaving no room for complaints and probably much to the delight of Rakhi Sawant.

Kolkata Knight Riders rope in Brad Hodge for five weeks
In a significant development Shahrukh Khan owned Kolkata Knight Riders team have signed Brad Hodge, the Australian batsman for five weeks. Hodge is currently with the Lancashire and is flattered by the offer to be a part of the first edition of IPL. He is the leading scorer in Twenty20 cricket worldwide with 1649 runs at 42 and a strike-rate of 139 from 47 matches. The Kolkata Knight Riders must be elated to have the right-hander batsman as the star batsman Brendon McCullum and Ricky Ponting are leaving for their national duty.

WB Govt forms probe panel to probe lapses at the Eden Garden
The Eden Garden fiasco involving power snag had left the franchise owner red faced. Flood Lights went off during the Kolkata Knight Riders and Deccan Chargers match. After facing wrath over the incident the West Bengal government has formed a three-member committee to probe the lapses. Meanwhile allegations and counter allegations have begun. Sports Minister Subhas Chakraborty said that the three-member committee would look into the 31-minute power disruption, the non-functional scoreboard and the poor state of toilets at the ground during the game between Kolkata Knight Riders and Deccan Chargers. The committee is likely to submit its report to the West Bengal government before April 29.

PCB cautions its players during IPL
Though the Pakistani cricketers are excited to play in the lucrative IPL but the PCB has advised them to be careful about the company they keep, following inquiries by ICC’s Anti-corruption unit this month. The warning comes midst reports that Younis Khan, Umar Gul and Danish Kaneria were questioned by the ACU over their relations with an Indian. The PCB has cautioned these players to avoid any parties or function when they play in the IPL matches. Kamran Akmal. Younis Khan, Sohail Tanvir, and Mohammad Hafeez are playing for various teams in the IPL.

IPL to go global, Lord’s and The Oval may host IPL games
Indian Premier League popularity is soaring not only back home but among other cricket playing countries as well. It is learnt that two of England’s leading international grounds, Lord’s and The Oval, are considering offers to stage exhibition games involving teams from the Indian Premier League. The venues for the IPL have already been allocated India but the organizers are prepared to promote the tournament through holding matches at the international venues.

Spin wizard Murali and Kumble plans to coach together
Cricket can not ask for better as two living spin wizard are set to come together.  Sri Lanka off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan has plans to work alongside Anil Kumble to coach subcontinent players in spin bowling after his retirement. Murali said that they would figure out which country needs help. Hailing Kumble achievements he referred him as one of the greatest bowlers. The venture seems fascinating for the art of spin bowling.

ECB and Stanford to revive cricket in the Caribbean
The England & Wales Cricket Board is keen to help revive cricket in the Caribbean after moving ever closer to a lucrative tie-in with the Texan billionaire, Allen Stanford. Stanford multimillion-dollar Twenty20 tournament has reinvigorated interest in cricket in the West Indies, has reportedly offered up to $100 million for a series of five 20-over matches between England and a West Indies All-star XI, the first of which could be played as early as November this year.
Yousuf finally signs with Lancashire
Mohammad Yousuf must be itching on having lost out to the lucrative IPL. Pakistan prolific batsman has finally signed with the Lancashire. He comes in as the replacement of Brad Hodge who signed with the Kolkata Knight Riders team. Yusuf hearing was expected on Wednesday over signing with the IPL but the ICL has postponed his hearing indefinitely, leaving him with little option but to play county cricket, though for a much smaller purse.

Dubai to host ICC annual conference
The 99-year association with Lord’s will come to an end as Dubai is all set to host the ICC annual conference this June. The decision was taken by the majority of the ICC executive board at the opening of the IPL in Bangalore.  The decision comes in the wake of reports that Peter Chingoka attempts to obtain a visa to enter the UK had been blocked. The annual ICC conference has been held at Lord’s since the first meeting in 1909. The decision to relocate this year casts a shadow over plans to centre the ICC’s centenary celebrations on Lord’s.

PCB keen to launch Pakistan Premier League
With so much media hype and attention attached to the IPL, Pakistan Cricket Board will launch a new version of Twenty20 domestic tournament next year on the lines of the Indian Premier League. PCB will offer the franchisees city-based teams to sponsors and companies. The Twenty20 national championship will be expanded to allocate the foreign players. According to reports PCB will follow the similar guidelines as per the IPL. PCB’s marketing department has already started the groundwork for a Pakistan Premier League but everything would depend on the response from sponsors and companies.

ICL and IPL flatter England players
The lucrative IPL seems to have robbed the cricket world of its feet. With so much of money pouring in, the layers are finding it difficult to resist their temptations to be the part of quick money. In shocking revelation by the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) 18% of first-class cricketers in England would risk incurring a year-long county ban by the ECB to play in the next Indian Cricket League (ICL), and 35% would consider retiring from international cricket prematurely. The later believed that it would give them more time to spend with their family while 18 % believe that a day will arrive where they see tournaments such as the IPL and ICL ranking ahead of obligations to their country.

The future of Cricket might be pink
If everything goes well the cricket ball might be replaced with the pink ball. The first trial of a pink cricket ball took place at Lord’s with MCC taking on Scotland in a 50-over friendly match, as the lawmakers of the game investigate ways to find a more durable ball than the existing white one used in limited-overs cricket. The experiments are being driven by MCC to produce a more durable alternative. The players have often complained difficulties in sighting the white ball once its shine goes off. The new experiment is under way but only time will determine its success.

Shoaib’s career hangs in limbo as the five-year ban is upheld
In a dramatic fold of incidents the appellate tribunal set up to hear Shoaib Akhtar appeal against a five-year ban upheld the ban, but only temporarily, deciding instead to revisit the appeal in June. The decision given is even strange as it allows Shoaib to play outside Pakistan and his availability for Pakistan has virtually come to an end. Justice (retd) Aftab Farrukh, the head of the three-man tribunal, said the main hearing into Shoaib’s appeal against the ban would now take place in June and that the ban on playing in or for Pakistan would stay in place until then. “We have seen Shoaib’s track record and believe that he has not learnt any lesson. He flouted discipline of the board, he harmed the chairman of the board and fellow cricketers and above all sentiments of the nation,” Farrukh said. Meanwhile Shoaib is unlikely to feature in the IPL as the IPL has made it clear that they would play Shoaib until the ban is lifted from him.

Sutherland susceptible to IPL’s future
Well some might find it hard to digest but if you go by James Sutherland, the Cricket Australia chief executive has different perception all together about the IPL.  Sutherland believes that Twenty20 isn’t good for the game and now comes with another dozier questioning the sustainability of the lucrative IPL. He said that the tournament was good for the players but was critical about the return for the owners or the franchises. Sutherland said that the IPL would be under financial pressure. It is important to note that the second edition of IPL is scheduled next year when Australia tours Pakistan and one could see Australian players skip the tournament.

Harbhajan slap cost 11 IPL games
The off spinner Harbhajan Singh would not have imagined in his wildest dreams that his slap could prove out to be his worst cricketing nightmare. His on the field fiasco with Sreesanth has virtually forced him out of the IPL. The moody bowler has been banned for 11-match following his altercation with Sreesanth at the end of Mumbai Indians’ match against Kings XI Punjab. The ban is not all that he gets, Harbhajan also faces separate action from the Indian board as Sudhir Nanavati has been appointed to conduct a “preliminary inquiry” and submit a report “within 15 days” to Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, who will refer the findings to the board’s disciplinary committee for possible action. Harbhajan has been fined 100% of his match fee for Friday’s game

No technique required in T20: Zaheer Abbas
The former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas is blown away by the hype and attention IPL has managed to create so far. He said that the IPL will be a big hit and boost for the game of cricket. Zaheer, however, felt that it’s a batsmen game and they would gain nothing from Twenty20 cricket. He said that the bowlers can do nothing, as the batsman is willing to take risk all the time. The administrators needed to seriously assess the popularity of Twenty20 cricket because of its short duration, he pointed out.

Injury forces Gayle out of IPL
In a big blow to the Kolkata Knight Riders Chris Gayle has been ruled out of the Indian Premier League after suffering a hairline fracture in his groin. According to reports Gayle, the West Indies captain was taken to a private hospital in the city by the physio Andrew Leipus and has been advised surgery. The aggressive left-hander missed all three opening games as he picked up the injury during the third ODI in St Lucia against Sri Lanka earlier this month. The West Indies team will miss his services in the forthcoming home series against Australia next month.

Ganguly takes a dig at Warne’s comments over the spirit of game
The encounter between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals team witnessed games two veterans taking on each other. Sourav Ganguly, captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders came down heavily on Shane Warne’s criticism of his on-field behavior, questioning his moral right to comment about the spirit of the game. “We just need to look at Warne’s career to understand that he has no moral right to teach what the spirit of the game is. I just want to laugh at what Warne is saying. He should not be talking about the spirit of the game. Warne had said that Ganguly took more than stipulated time to come out to bat and then criticized his attitude questioning a catch taken by Graeme Smith.

Hair days again, set to stand at Old Trafford
The controversial umpire Darrell Hair will make his return to top-level international umpiring in the second Test between England and New Zealand at Old Trafford on May 23. Hair has not been officiating any matches since the 2006 match between England and Pakistan at The Oval. The Test match went on to become the first game in history to be forfeited after Pakistan refused to take the field following Hair’s ruling that they had tampered with the ball. Hair dragged ICC to court claiming racial discrimination but soon he withdrew his claims. Meanwhile he was never removed from the elite panel and will stand along with Simon Taufel in the Second Test match between England and New Zealand on 23 may. However Pakistan Cricket Board has said that they don’t want him standing in any of their matches.

Umpire Saheba faces BCCI wrath over Sreesanth remarks
It’s not only the off spinner Harbhajan Singh who is facing the BCCI music. The BCCI has sought an explanation from umpire Amiesh Saheba for his remarks, over Sreesanth behavior. The governing council of the Indian Premier League has withdrawn Saheba from his next two matches, one of the on-field umpires during the match in Mohali after which Harbhajan Singh slapped Sreesanth. Saheba in an interview to a tabloid said that he and his fellow umpire Aleem Dar had warned Sreesanth for his constant sledging.  He further went on to say that the fast bowler was “disliked in the Indian dressing room”. He also used the term schoolboy for Sreesanth behavior. The remarks have not gone well with the BCCI officials.

Lillee takes over as bowling consultant for Delhi Daredevils
Dennis Lillee, the former Australian fast bowler has taken over as the bowling consultant for Delhi Daredevils team. Lillee joins his colleague TA Sekar of MRF academy. Lillee will continue to be involved with the MRF pace academy, where he is the main consultant and works on a tri-annual basis. With the Daredevils, his expertise will mainly be used after the end of the tournament’s first edition, to sustain and improve upon the their preparations. Lillee will work in collaboration with fellow Australian Greg Shipperd, who took over as coach, having previously worked with Victoria in the 2007-08 domestic season in Australia

IPL mania grips Azhar, Miandad likely to play in Twenty20 event in USA
The IPL is taking everybody by surprise. No players want to give it a miss.  Twenty20 with no boundaries is set to make inroads into one of the sport’s most elusive frontiers, the United States. Mohammad Azharuddin, Javed Miandad and Richie Richardson have agreed to take part in a privately-run, All-Star weekend in southern Florida in late May. The MAQ T20 International Cricket Tournament will combine three days of matches with ethnic musical concerts during the Memorial Day long weekend, May 23rd to 25th. It aims to attract 30,000 fans over three days to Central Broward Regional Park, a new cricket stadium, near Fort Lauderdale. Cricket Council USA (CCUSA), a non-sanctioned organisation with no affiliation to the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA), will fund the event. Four teams will compete for $75,000 in prize money.

Face off with Mali  cost dearly to Speed
The ICC Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed was removed from the post after his showdown with Board members of the game’s world governing body. Speed has been CEO since 2001, would be on paid leave till July 4 when his contract comes to an end. The ICC President Ray Mali and Chief Executive Officer Malcolm Speed have agreed as the later will be on paid leave from April 30, 2008 until the end of his contract term on July 4, 2008. Speed had differences over a variety of issues that include Zimbabwe. ICC General Manager David Richardson will serve as the interim CEO until Speed’s replacement Haroon Lorgat of South Africa assumes the role at ICC’s Annual General Council at the beginning of July. Speed recently made headlines when he said that ICL request for ICC approval would be looked in to, which did not go well with the BCCI top brass.

Let umpires use Hawk-Eye - Boycott
If everything goes well, cricket is likely to be more organized and one could see less umpire error on the field.  Umpires access to Hawk-Eye to help their decision-making has won support with Geoff Boycott insisting the ICC make the move as soon as possible. Boycott believes at the very least the game’s governing body must allow umpires to see basic information such as whether the ball pitched in line with the stumps. The ICC is set to discuss Hawk-Eye at its Cricket Committee meeting in Dubai Boycott member of the MCC World Cricket Committee said that as a player one likes to see as many as accurate decisions as possible and the last thing you want is to be given out when you are not.

Setback for ECB as ICL trio wins appeal against ban
In a significant development, Andrew Hall, Justin Kemp and Johan van der Wath have won their appeals against an ECB block on them being registered to play in England this summer. The three South Africans had initially been refused registration after competing in the unauthorised Indian Cricket League. Hall and van der Wath can play immediately for Northamptonshire while Kemp is available for Kent. The decision can spell trouble for the BCCI as the board has banned the players participating in the ICL.

Canada to host Twenty20
After so much hype and IPL grand success, there are a number of countries that are wiling to organize the T 20 matches as cricket is going global.  Canada have joined the Twenty20 bandwagon and will host their first tournament in Toronto on May 17 and 18. Eight teams from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia will compete. According to the board’s CEO Atul Ahuja the Indian franchises have promised to send their teams to Canada.

Kallis hails ICL and IPL as  beneficial for Indian cricket
The South African all rounder Jacques Kallis has all praise for the IPL an ICL. He said that it will ultimately benefit the game in the country. Playing for Bangalore Royal Challengers he went on to say that both the leagues provide a learning base for the domestic players who get a chance to share the dressing room with some of the international stars.Kallis feels that the shortest version of the game is the ideal format to make cricket a global sport.

Dravid rubs off being a Test squad in T20 guise
Bangalore Royal Challengers team has come under sharp criticism over their fourth defeat in five matches. The team has been leveled as Test team with the presence of Wasim Jaffer, Kallis and Dravid himself, but skipper Rahul Dravid vehemently dismissed suggestions saying, “I don’t think so. Twenty20 fates are decided in an over or two. Luck, rub of the green are factors here”. He felt that his team is missing the x-factor. Royal Challengers veterans are yet to fire for the team.

After Eden Garden fiasco, Power snag delays start of Delhi match
The IPL organizers are having tough time to set things right as the start of match between Delhi Daredevils and Bangalore Royal Challengers was delayed by 10 minutes due to a power snag at the Feroze Shah Kotla Stadium. The power breakdown following a short circuit at the temporary studio built in the Club House of the stadium prompted a delayed start of the match by 10 minutes. The live telecast of the match was not possible initially, but it was resumed after 40 minutes of play.

Top Football flights will be on their way in the month of August. World is anxiously waiting for the ultimate attack, defense, tackle and skills on the football field. We bring you the predictions, teams and players to watch out for in the top three leagues of the World.
English Premier League (15th Aug - 9th May)
It is the most watch out league in the world. EPL is known for its sheer pace and it is a home to many super stars of the football world. If reports to be believe, Premier League is also the richest football showdown on the planet. EPL have been a dominant force in European football also. Since last three to four seasons, Champions League (Top European Honor) has witness the much more English teams in the Semi-Finals and Finals. Current (2009-2010) campaign of Premier League would take the intensity to a new level with Twenty teams fighting for the top honor.
Predictions
Manchester United will be the force to reckon with. Current champions might have lost the charisma of Ronaldo but they have enough power in their belly to be the champs once again. Chelsea with the new manager (Carlo Ancelotti) and Liverpool with their star players could tumble the title race. Last years fourth finisher Arsenal might go down further in the league with the departure of Adebayor and Toure. Manchester City relishing under new owner and players could be the surprise package of the current season. Rest of the positions would see up and down of many teams.
Probable Top Four Finishers
1. Manchester United
2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. Manchester City, Aston Villa or Arsenal
Players to watch out for
Forwards: Rooney ( Man U), Drogba ( Chelsea), Torres (Liverpool), Vanpersie ( Arsenal), Robinho ( Man City), Owen( Man U), Adebayor ( Man City), Tvez ( Man City).
Mid-Fielders: Lampard ( Chelsea), Gerrad ( Liverpool), Fabregas ( Arsenal), Nani( Man U), Mascherano (Liverpool), Benayoun(Liverpool), Barry( Man City), Arshavin( Arsenal).
Defenders: Terry (Chelsea), Toure( Man City), Ferdinand( Man U), Carragher( Liverpool), Agger( Liverpool), Dunne( Man City), Bridge( Man City), Silvestre ( Arsenal).
Goalkeepers: Cech( Chelsea), Reina( Liverpool), Howard( Everton), Van Der Sar( Man U), Robinson(Blackburn Rovers), Almunia( Arsenal), Given( Man City).

Roger Federer claimed his third Cincinnati Masters title with a 6-1 7-5 victory over Novak Djokovic in the final.Federer, who beat defending champion Andy Murray 6-2 7-6 (10/8) in the semi-finals, confirmed his status as heavy favorite for the US Open with an outstanding performance. It was his 16th Masters Series title - his first as a father - and apart from Djokovic’s fight back early in the second set he was never troubled. The world number one and defending Wimbledon, French and US Open champion took his total career prize money to US dollars 50million with this triumph.

Usain Bolt created yet another piece of athletics history when Jamaica won the men’s 4×100 metres relay title. It was his third gold at the World Championship. He also set up a sensational win in the 200 metres at the World event in Berlin. After winning the 100m with a new world record of 9.58 seconds in recent times, Bolt completed another landmark by smashing his own world record in the 200m for good measure. Bolt stormed to victory in the Olympic Stadium in 19.19 seconds, slashing 0.11secs off the time set in Beijing last year, with Panama’s Alonso Edward claiming silver in 19.81 and American Wallace Spearmon the bronze in 19.85.Bolt 23, becomes the first man to hold the 100 and 200m world and Olympic titles at the same time following his triumph in last year’s Olympics. 

Olympic champion Lin Dan became the first shuttler to clinch three successive World Championship titles. He beat second seed compatriot Jin Chen in the summit clash.Dan, seeded fifth in the event, defeated his higher-ranked countryman 21-18, 21-16 a 46-minute contest. But his girlfriend Xie Xingfang faltered at the final hurdle and lost 23-21, 21-12 to Lu Lan at the BWF World Championships on Sunday. Incidentally, Lin Dan is the first shuttler to clinch three world titles. In another all-China final, eighth-seeded women’s doubles pair of Zhang Yawen and Zhao Tingting defeated second seeds Cheng Shu and Zhao Yunlei 17-21, 21-17, 21-16. All England champions Cai Yun and Hu Haifeng of China won a thrilling men’s doubles final over Jung Jae Sung and Lee Yong Dae of Korea 21-18, 16-21, 28-26. In all China won four out of the five golds on offer.