PCB gags players, officials

PCB has decided to restrain the people on its payroll from making controversial statements or appearing on television.

The PCB will issue a circular in next 24 hours to gag the players and officials and appoint a spokesperson in the wake of a spate of statements has created chaos and confusion in the cricket circles.
"We have taken notice of this growing trend of players and officials giving statements on a daily basis on every issue and causing more confusion. In the circular, we will make it clear they cant interact with the media without our clearance," Saleem Altaf, Chief Operating Officer of the Board, told PTI.
There has been plenty of confusion caused in the cricket circles with everyone who is anyone in the Board or Pakistan team giving statements on every issue and this has led to fears of a growing internal rift between the former players employed by the board in recent months.
No more differences please
It was noticed that PCB Chairman Ejaz Butt, Director General Javed Miandad, Chief Selector Abdul Qadir, Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam and captain Shoaib Malik have been differing statements on policy matters.
Altaf said after the circular was issued there would be one nominated official spokesman of the Board who would interact with the media.
The first victim of this new strict policy is PCB lawyer Tafazzul Rizvi, who has been asked to explain a statement on the issue of the Board delaying in submitting documents and DVDs with the Lahore High Court relating to the Shoaib Akhtar case.
Reason for explanation
Altaf said the decision to seek an explanation from Rizvi was taken as he had apparently violated the confidentiality agreement between lawyer and client. "Even if the client is wrong somewhere the lawyer is not supposed to go public with statements on this. He has to adhere to this confidentiality clause. Apparently Rizvi didn't do this while commenting on the Shoaib Akhtar case," he said.
Rizvi had said he was as surprised as everyone as to the delay in the Board submitting required documents and DVDs asked by the Lahore High court outlining the disciplinary record of Shoaib Akhtar.
Akhtar has submitted a writ petition with the LHC against the 18 months ban and seven million rupees fine imposed on him by an appellate tribunal of the board.
The court asked the Board to submit the relevant documents and DVDs to confirm Shoaibs past disciplinary record.
Altaf said the Board had also taken note of a statement by senior batsman Younis Khan criticising the pitches and facilities available for matches in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam trophy tournament.
"We are very clear that anyone who is on the payroll of the Board can't give statements when he feels like it or appear on television shows. We aim to regularize this system," Altaf said.
Rizvi has said he would respond to the Board notice within 24 hours time.

SLC to decide Pak itinerary by Friday

Sri Lanka Cricket will by Friday finalise the itinerary for its tour of Pakistan after the host country asked them to speed up.

"We had conveyed to them we just want to play maximum international cricket and they should finalise the itinerary soon," Altaf said.
"They have confirmed the tour but they say they would finalise the itinerary by Friday," Saleem Altaf, Chief Operating Officer of PCB told PTI.
Lanka keen to host India
There are indications the Sri Lankans, who are keen to host India for a one-day series in January or February, might first tour Pakistan for a one-day series and then come in late February for a Test series.
But it is obvious that their delay in finalising the itinerary for their Pakistan series has something to do with their desire to play India as well.
Altaf said Pakistan was not concerned with what plans Sri Lanka had about playing against India in the coming weeks. He said there was no doubt over the tour taking place and said so far the Sri Lankans had also not talked about splitting the tour into two parts in writing.
Pak keen for international cricket
"But if they come up with a suggestion we will look into it because our main purpose is to organise some international cricket at home," Altaf said. Meanwhile, India is waiting for an answer from New Zealand to add an extra Test to their confirmed two-Test series in March.
Altaf said Pakistan was prepared to host Sri Lanka and then Australia in the coming months but insisted they were keen that Sri Lanka finalised the itinerary as soon as possible.
"We need to get all logistical details into place for the one-day and Test matches," he added.
Pakistan invited Sri Lanka for a series after India had cancelled their scheduled Test tour to Pakistan from January 4 due to the strained relations between the two countries after the Mumbai terror attacks in late November.
Altaf said Pakistan Board was also working out more series in the coming months before the Twenty20 World Cup in England in summer.

Afridi hit himself after T20 WC loss

The 2007 T20 World Cup final loss to India hurt him so badly that Shahid Afridi hit himself with his own bat in frustration.

The Pakistani all-rounder said that his biggest regrets in his life were seeing Pakistan lose the 1999 World Cup final to Australia and the Twenty20 World Cup final to India in 2007.
"Believe me these two moments still haunt me. After the T20 final I hit myself on the foot with my bat so hard in utter frustration at the way I got out that I couldn't walk properly for two days," he said.
Afridi said he wants to be a part of a Pakistan team that wins a World Cup.
"People say I have two or three years of cricket left in me. I would love to be a member of a team that either wins the T20 World Cup or the 2011 World Cup," Afridi said in TV interview.
"I like to play my natural game and that is my strength. I want people to enjoy my game," he added.
On captaincy, Afridi said he enjoyed leading the Sindh and Karachi teams in domestic cricket but wouldn't like to comment on getting the national team's rein.
"That is not my job that is for the board to decide. I am just happy to be part of the Pakistan team," he said.

F1 teams agree to cut costs

The FIA, in conjunction with the Formula One teams have announced a raft of proposals in a bid to cut escalating costs.

Following a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Monte Carlo, the key components of the changes will see savings on engine costs, a ban on in-season testing outside GP weekends and a reduction in staff numbers.
Engines will be available to the independent teams from 2010 for less than US$6.7million (£4.5million) per team per season, supplied by an independent supplier or a manufacturer backed by guarantees of continuity.
There will be no in-season testing from next year except during a race weekend and during scheduled practice.
The teams have also agreed manpower will be reduced by means of a number of measures, including sharing information on tyres and fuel to eliminate the need for 'spotters'.
The FIA estimate the list of changes for 2009 will save the manufacturer teams approximately 30% of their budgets compared to 2008, with the savings for independent teams even greater.

Alonso's agent rejects accident talk

Fernando Alonso's agent has denied reports that the Formula One star was involved in a minor plane accident on Sunday.

There had been suggestions the two-time world champion was flying back from a holiday in Kenya with his wife when the light aircraft he was travelling in brushed a building on take-off, damaging a wing.
But the agent for the Renault driver insisted it was not as serious as reported.
"It seems that the plane took a blow while they were parking it," said Luis Garcia Abad. "Fernando wasn't even inside the aircraft.
"We didn't give it the slightest importance and because of that this commotion surprises us. It doesn't even qualify as an accident."

Inter to get Eboue for free?

Arsenal’s Emmanuel Eboue may walk in the steps of former team-mate Mathieu Flamini and move to Italy on a free transfer.

AC Milan managed to secure the services of Flamini from Arsenal a year ago, as the Frechman's deal with the Gunners expired last summer. It was considered a steal for the Rossoneri, and Gunners boss Arsene Wenger was left fuming.
It could be a case of déjà vu as another Gunner could be heading to Inter soon, the player being rightback Emmanuel Eboue, whose current deal ends in the summer, and is said to be on the lookout for a change in scenery.
The Nerazzurri have no backup for current rightback Maicon and this is precisely the reason Eboue is being looked at.
Estudiantes defender Marcos Angeleri has also been linked to a winter move to the reigning Italian champions, but the Arsenal man may be seen as a more appealing signing due to his versatility, and to top it all off, he has a EU passport thanks to his part-Belgian nationality.

Man City locked on hitman Trez?

Manchester City could be in line for a surprise swoop for Juventus striker David Trezeguet, according to recent reports.

The highest-scoring foreign striker for the Old Lady has spent the majority of the current campaign in the stands due to multiple injuries.
The Frenchman went under the knife in September after sustaining a knee tendon injury in Juve's first game in the Champions League this season, a 1-0 win over Zenit St. Petersburg.
Trezeguet also have both knees operated on earlier in the season, when he struggled in pre-season and the early rounds of the Serie A competition. The French striker is slated for a return this month.
The hitman has just resumed training recently, and is reported to be making strides as he closes in on a comeback.
However, rumours have it that his return could be in a sky blue jersey as it is alleged that Manchester City has the intention of making a US$30 million bid for the player to ply his trade in the Barclays Premier League.
The Eastlands club are monitoring the situation at the Stadio Olimpico as Trezeguet may have a hard time finding his place in the Juve attacking rotation, as he has to battle Alessandro Del Piero, Amauri, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Sebastian Giovinco for a starting berth.
The English side are optimistic about landing the French striker, even though they are currently in the wrong half of the BPL table.
Reports of the deal remain rumours at this stage, and unless there are any formal discussions or statements made, it is highly unlikely that a player, who has scored an incredible 130 times in just over 200 appearances, would walk away from the Old Lady.

Eagles emerges from the haze

Burnley midfielder Chris Eagles can see Wembley on the horizon after being left in a haze when he made his debut.

As he prepared to face Tottenham in the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final tonight, the 23-year-old cast his mind back to the opening day of the season.
Eagles was looking forward to making a good impression in the first game of the league campaign against Sheffield Wednesday after arriving from Manchester United in the summer.
Instead Burnley were thrashed 4-1 and he was left stunned by the experience.
He said: "I just could not believe the pace of the game. I was tired within an hour, I never thought I was going to last.
"But it is weird because your fitness breaks and you get into a stride. You train to play.
"So when you are playing Saturday then midweek it is the best feeling ever.
"You get niggles and knocks but after about 10 minutes you are so concentrated you forget about them. I love it when the games are coming thick and fast."
That is why he shipped out of Old Trafford, although there was no pressure on him to do so.
Eagles - a former season ticket holder at Spurs - has made 20 starts this season compared to only three at United in the last campaign and scored five goals in the process.
He is making good progress and so are Burnley. They are now pushing for the play-offs after a poor start, not to mention cup glory.
Eagles said: "At United it is all about training to win. Being a big part of this Burnley team there is nothing I want more than to be successful.
"I am just learning to enjoy the moment and being on the big stage. Before it was different. I used to get nervous and was never able to take it in my stride."
The match is being billed in Burnley as 'Capital Punishment IV' with hopes high that Tottenham will be banished just as Fulham, Chelsea and Arsenal were before them in the competition.
Striker Robbie Blake has promised to unveil his famous red underpants with the message 'Bad Beat Bob' on them if they score.
The words are associated with poker and Blake said: "The pants are going to have to come down if we get a goal.
"We are here on merit and have the players to cause them problems. Perhaps we should take encouragement from Cardiff who reached the FA Cup final last season.
"Hopefully we can keep it tight and hang in there, then bring them back to Turf Moor. Our fans deserve a bit of success."

Defoe in line for Wembley redemption

Jermain Defoe could put last season's Wembley misery behind him if he moves back to Tottenham from Portsmouth.

But Spurs have to do their part against Burnley first.
Harry Redknapp's men face their Coca-Cola Championship opponents tonight in the Carling Cup semi-final first leg, the trophy Spurs won less than a month after Defoe left them for Fratton Park.
The 26-year-old striker, who also missed out on another medal when he was cup-tied for the FA Cup final in May, did not feature in Pompey's Carling Cup defeat to Liverpool earlier in the season and would be able to play in the competition if he rejoins Spurs and they get through their last-four clash.
Spurs chairman Daniel Levy and Pompey chief executive Peter Storrie are negotiating a deal, with Redknapp insisting he has not unsettled Defoe or any other player.
"It's their choice to say he is not for sale," Redknapp said. "I wouldn't have sold him if I was manager at Portsmouth and Tottenham came back in, I'd be keeping him."
Another Redknapp target who wants to leave his current club is winger Stewart Downing, who has had a transfer request rejected by Middlesbrough.
"It's the same (with Downing), I wouldn't sell him if I didn't want to," Redknapp said.
"If they want to leave, they have their reasons. If Defoe has got reasons why he wants to come back to Tottenham, fine."
Redknapp is closer to signing Stephen Appiah, who is training with Spurs this week.
Appiah, who has been a free agent since the summer following a dispute with Turkish side Fenerbahce, looks set to be offered a deal until the end of the season.
The 28-year-old has suffered knee injuries in the past, but Redknapp is confident that will not be a problem and is hoping to arrange a deal.
"I watched him an awful lot for Ghana - about six times - but I ended up taking Sulley Muntari because Juventus were asking £14million for Appiah," said Redknapp.
Against Burnley, Spurs want to avoid being the Championship side's third top-flight scalp. The other teams have also been from London.
"They've done well," Redknapp said. "I watched them on Saturday against QPR and they are well organised and have experienced players.
"They've had a fantastic run - Chelsea, Fulham and Arsenal - so we won't be underestimating them."
Midfielder Hossam Ghaly is in contention for a place in the squad, despite the reaction from Spurs fans when he stripped off to come on as a substitute in the FA Cup win over Wigan. Redknapp was forced to bring on a different player instead.
Supporters remembered when he threw his shirt angrily to the ground in his last appearance two seasons ago, after being brought off the bench and getting replaced again.
"If you've got a smile on your face then you're in the wrong game," Redknapp said. "People should forgive and forget - let's move on."

Destiny Carling for Fergie

It is safe to say the League Cup has not been Sir Alex Ferguson's top priority in his 22 years at Old Trafford.
He has won it just twice. That's one less than Leicester City and the same as Norwich.
Yet he will take his Manchester United side to Pride Park tomorrow for a semi-final first leg against Derby County with a tingle of anticipation for another Wembley appearance in March.
No, he will not risk his top stars. There is not likely to be a Cristiano Ronaldo or a Wayne Rooney in the starting line-up.
Why would he? There is a Premier League match against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday which could be a defining psychological moment in the title race.
And a Derby side, still without a manager and who struggled to dispatch Forest Green Rovers in the FA Cup on Saturday, pose no serious threat to United's reserves.
Not that Ferguson will allow even a hint of complacency.
The great thing about Ferguson is that at 67 he is still infected with the bug for winning football matches.
It spills over at times, as it did last weekend when he questioned the fairness of the Premier League's fixture list, which he claimed had militated against United in a first half of the season in which they had played more tough away matches than their rivals.
Or when he began his famous mind games earlier than usual with a dig at league leaders Liverpool, saying they will get nervous in the title run-in.
That is all part of Ferguson's non-negotiable approach to gaining an edge in every competition his team enter.
Make no mistake, Britain's greatest-ever football manager believes he can win the lot this season and eclipse the heady treble of 1999.
The Club World Cup trophy is already in the bag. They must be favourites for the League Cup. The FA Cup is down to the lottery of luck and a favourable draw but they have as good a chance as any. And the big two, the Premier League and the Champions League, are also within United's reach.
Now that would be an extraordinary quintuplet.
Could it happen? Almost certainly not, but it is possible because while Ferguson might not have the biggest squad in England, he does have the most effective.
A squad which is richly balanced with youth and the experience of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville. A squad bursting with game-breakers such as Ronaldo, Rooney, Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez. One, too, which is benefiting from the blossoming of Michael Carrick in midfield and the dynamic running of Nani and Anderson.
Those are the reasons United have the edge, even if the title race comes down to the wire with Liverpool in what would be a compelling clash of English football's heavyweights.
That is for the future. But back to the Carling Cup and a confusing competition which does itself no favours.
What is the point of a competition playing single knockout games up until the semi-finals and suddenly changing to a two-legged format before returning to a one-match final?
Is the football programme not congested enough without the English game's least-attractive major competition serving up matches which are surplus to requirements?
The reason, of course, is money and with Derby and Burnley reaching the latter stages this year at least the organisers can argue that the financial windfall from television rights and ticket income from two matches will benefit clubs from outside the top tier.
The main prize, meanwhile, remains Ferguson's for the taking.

Smith out of Sydney Test

Graeme Smith has confirmed that he will play no further part in the third Test against Australia at the SCG.
Smith, who played entered the match despite suffering the effects of a debilitating elbow complaint, was struck on the hand by a Mitchell Johnson deliver on day two which reared off a good length to abruptly end his tour.
The 27-year-old is renowned for his bravery but says he will not continue to tempt fate by taking to the crease on day five.
"I seriously doubt it, it's not worth it," Smith told Channel nine today.
Smith eyeing whitewash
Smith now faces a six-week stint on the sidelines but remains hopeful of taking his place in the return series in South Africa beginning on February 26.
"It's been a process of sort of keeping myself on the field and it's been going really well but I think god just said 'take a rest now' and I've got six weeks off on the sidelines," said Smith, who sported a large plaster cast on his left arm.
The Proteas have been set an imposing 376 for victory after Ricky Ponting declared at 257 for four shortly after tea on day four.
Despite the lofty target and his own absence, the skipper refused to discount his side's chances of achieving a series clean sweep.
"I think we've still got opportunities that lie ahead of us and that's the way we've got to look at it," Smith said.
"We probably let a few of those opportunities slip in the early part of the Test match and this is why we're in this position."
"But we certainly have the character and we've shown that, that we can come through so it would be nice to see it again from the boys."

"SA signed pact to succeed in Oz"

South Africa coach Micky Arthur said an official document was signed by the Proteas guaranteeing success against Australia.

Arthur revealed that besides meticulous planning that did the trick against Ricky Ponting's men, Graeme Smith and his boys dipped the ink as well.
South Africa clinched the Test series after winning the first two matches and Arthur today said that he had given ultimatum to the boys to either perform or perish.
As part of the brainstorming session that took place before the team left for Down Under, the top six batsman were made to sign a pact wherein they pledged to put up at least 300 runs between them in every innings and the bowlers likewise signed another document promising to take 20 wickets in each Test.
Smith fractures hand
"The top six batsmen needed to know they were responsible for the runs. If they cocked up, we were bowled out for 120," Arthur said.
"We got them in together as a group and made them responsible for scoring 300 runs. They made that pledge themselves and actually signed off on a document to that effect," he was quoted as saying in 'The Daily Telegraph'.
Arthur also said that he wanted South Africa to fight fire with fire.
"We wanted batters walking out to the middle, hitting the ball and playing, challenging the opposition. We wanted to give the guys the freedom to know that when they're facing Nathan Hauritz in his debut Test, they can go down the wicket and hit him over the top and they are not going to get into trouble."

Proteas set stiff target for final day

South Africa will enter the final day of the third Test against Australia needing 314 more runs to pull off an improbable win.
Set an imposing victory target of 376 from a minimum 116 overs, the Proteas were 62 for one at stumps on day four.Stand-in skipper Neil McKenzie (25) and Hashim Amla (30) will resume the fight for a history-making last-day win - and a series clean sweep - with at least 90 overs to be bowled.Past run chases at the SCG suggest victory will elude the Proteas on a wearing wicket.
Smith out of Test
Australia's fourth-innings total of 288 for two in the 2005/06 season against South Africa is the highest winning total in a Sydney Test.The tourists' task is made more difficult by the absence of skipper Graeme Smith who is nursing a broken finger and is highly unlikely to take any further part in proceedings.After Australia declared their seconds innings at 257 for four, Doug Bollinger (one for 11) made the early breakthrough, picking up his first Test wicket after makeshift opener Morne Morkel (0) chipped a catch to Mitchell Johnson at mid on.
Is this the last we have seen of Hayden?
Amla survived a close call on five, edging Peter Siddle past a diving Brad Haddin.Ricky Ponting closed his side's innings after Michael Clarke (41) was caught in the deep going after quick runs.Michael Hussey remained not out on 45.