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Atherton cleared for fourth Test after injury scareLONDON: England's prospects in the fourth cricket Test against South Africa at Trent B...

Atherton cleared for fourth Test after injury scare
LONDON: England’s prospects in the fourth cricket Test against South Africa at Trent Bridge improved dramatically today when former skipper Mike Atherton was cleared to play.

Atherton, one of only two English batsmen showing consistent form in the series against South Africa, was in doubt after sustaining a hand injury playing for Lancashire last night just hours before joining the England squad preparing for the Test starting on Thursday.

However, England team physiotherapist Wayne Morton cleared Atherton to play and he trained with the rest of the squad. "He’s fine. The (hand) injury is not a problem," he said.

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Andrew Flintoff, the 20-year-old Lancashire all-rounder selected in England’s 13-man squad for the Test, is still likely to be named in the starting side.

Klusener to undergo surgery
DERBY: Lance Klusener was ruled out of the rest of South Africa’s tour of England yesterday after he was told he needs surgery to cure aninflamed tendon above his left ankle.

The 26-year-old all-rounder was sent home for diagnosis and fitness checks having sustained the injury by constantly landing in the deep bowlers’ footholes at Old Trafford in the drawn third Test. After bowling 20 deliveries at Centurion Park, Klusener broke down again and surgery was arranged for today once an X-ray revealed that the tendon was badly inflamed.

Klusener is expected to be in plaster for up to a month, which rules him out of the last two Tests, the triangular one-day series against England and Sri Lanka and South Africa’s squad for the Commonwealth Games at Kuala Lumpur in September.

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Zoff tipped to be Italy’s coach
ROME: Cesare Maldini will be sacked as Italy soccer coach this week and replaced by former captain and goalkeeper Dino Zoff, Ansa News Agency has reported.

It said Luciano Nizzoli, president of the Italian Football Federation, met Maldini for secret talks in Turin yesterday and would return to Rome today where he would meetZoff. A decision would probably be announced before meetings of the Italian Olympic Committee Coni and the football league, both of which are scheduled for Thursday, Ansa said.

No successor yet to Jacquet
PARIS: France’s soccer federation said today it has again delayed the appointment of a successor to Aime Jacquet, who resigned as French coach after winning the World Cup.

Having met over the weekend, the French Football Federation (FFF) officials decided they need more time and will likely make the appointment today, said FFF spokesman Romain Laisne.

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Roger Lemerre, who has been Jacquet’s assistant since the start of this year, remains the favourite for the post. But Lemerre has limited management experience at the top level, and some favour a higher-profile figure such as Jean Tigana, who has won the French Championship and enjoyed European success in charge of AS Monaco, or Guy Roux, manager of Auxerre.