Global Sport

Lankan players accused of too much partying
COLOMBO: A leading Sri Lankan newspaper today blamed too much partying for the country8217;s cricket failure in South Africa. The Island newspaper, in a report from South Africa, said unnamed players were spending too much time with women and at bars.

8220;We have great faith in our boys and we never had any report of such behaviour in the past, so I am inclined to say that the report is not correct,8221; Thilanga Sumathipala, President of the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka, said.

Akram denies bribery allegations
LONDON: Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has vehemently denied allegations that he was bribed to influence the results of one-day internationals. Under Akram, Pakistan lost to England and West Indies in the Sharjah one-day tournament last December. In an extract from his autobiography published in today8217;s Daily Mail, Akram said he had played poorly in Sharjah. 8220;When we got back to Pakistan, the temperature hadreally risen,8221; he wrote. 8220;I have never attempted to throw a match and have never even considered such a thing for a second. This is a slur that just won8217;t go away.8221;