Sports Bar

Clark wants to play Ashes

Melbourne: Dropped from the Australian squad for the first Test against the West Indies,paceman Stuart Clark wants to be a part of the next Ashes campaign in 2010-11. Clark was the only casualty from Australia’s Ashes defeat earlier this year. He said age was not a deterrent and he just needs to keep taking wickets to earn his place back in the national team. “I think it is pretty simple,take some wickets and hopefully a spot becomes available,” Clark said.

Arunkumar calls its quits

Bangalore: Former Karnataka captain J Arunkumar retired from first-class cricket on Monday. The 34-year-old qualified Level 2 coach also played for Assam and Goa. He played alongside an illustrious peer group of Rahul Dravid,Anil Kumble,Venkatesh Prasad and Javagal Srinath. Arun donned the India under-19 colours against England and Australia.

Karthik returns to Ranji team

Kanpur: Dinesh Karthik,who was flown in as a last-minute back-up for injured MS Dhoni,was on Monday asked to return to play Ranji Trophy after the India skipper declared himself fit for the second Test against Sri Lanka. “Yes,Dinesh was called in because I was having some problems. But now he,along with a few others,will go back to play Ranji,” Dhoni said.

Warne’s warning to ICC

Melbourne: Shane Warne feels Test cricket will be history if the ICC and major cricketing boards fail to take proactive steps to promote the game. “Test cricket to me and to a lot of other ex-players and public is a great form of the game,the best. It has to remain the ultimate,we need to promote it,push it and play an attacking style of cricket. It’s where you’re judged,earn your respect and get to show what makes you tick,” Warne wrote in The Daily Telegraph.

Agencies boycott CA

Brisbane: The Associated Press will suspend coverage of cricket in Australia for the second consecutive international season because of a dispute over conditions for accreditation imposed by Cricket Australia,along with Reuters and Agence France Presse. The three are part of a global news coalition which will not be covering the three-Test series against the West Indies.

‘Saqlain’s presence not a worry’

Karachi: Pakistan coach Intikhab Alam has said that the presence of former off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq as New Zealand’s bowling coach will not affect his team in the Test series beginning Tuesday. “Cricket is a global sport and being a professional coach,one is expected to give his best on the assignment he is working on. I am happy that our former players are getting high profile jobs like this,” he said.

Wigan players offer refund

The Wigan players beaten 9-1 by Tottenham agreed on Monday to refund the cost of match tickets for their fans. Wigan conceded a Premier League record-equaling number of goals at White Hart Lane on Sunday,with Jermain Defoe scoring five of Tottenham’s eight in the second half.Wigan declined to say how many of its fans were at the game but said the amount the players would pay out would be “a five-figure sum.”

Sasikiran in round two

Grandmaster Krishnan Sasikiran scored a clinical victory over Erwin L’Ami of Holland in the first round of Rapid tie-break games to cruise into the second round of the World Chess Cup in Khanty Mansiysk,Russia,along with Surya Shekhar Ganguly and Sandipan Chanda. Parimarjan Negi,Abhijeet Gupta,Abhijit Kunte and Sriram Jha will return home after losing their first round tie-break games.

Sethi out,Indian challenge ends

Geet Sethi suffered a shock 3-4 defeat against unheralded Costas Konnaris of Cyprus in the Masters’ category quarter-finals as the Indian challenge ended in the World Snooker Championship on Monday. Kamal Chawla also ended his impressive run in the tournament with a 1-6 thrashing at the hands of Igor Figueiredo of Brazil in men’s quarters. Chawla lost 21-86,6-85,2-79,6-72,58-61,52-28,20-69.

Rosberg joins Mercedes

The Mercedes Formula One team named Nico Rosberg as one of their 2010 drivers on Monday while failing to kill off speculation that retired champion Michael Schumacher could partner him. Rosberg will be the first German to race for a factory Mercedes team since Karl Kling and Hans Herrmann competed for the old ‘Silver Arrows’ in 1955.

Review system for hockey

The International Hockey Federation has decided to put the umpire review on trial in the forthcoming Champions Trophy to be held in Melbourne from November 28-December 5. The teams will be allowed one referral per match on goals,penalty corners and penalty strokes. The captain would be authorised to request for a review.

Argentina book World Cup berth

Argentina bagged the last spot available for next year’s Hockey World Cup by beating Belgium 4-3 in the final of the last qualifying tournament in Quilmes. India,Argentina,Canada,Korea,South Africa,Australia,England,Germany,Netherlands,Spain,Pakistan and New Zealand will play in the event.

Sporting sign Japanese defender

Sporting Clube de Goa have signed Japanese defender Kenji Arai from Singapore Armed Forces for the next round of I-league,commencing from January. 31-year-old Kenji has played for Albirex Nigata in the J-League.

Da Ros banned for 20 years

Cyclist Gianni da Ros was banned for 20 years on Monday for doping in one of the heaviest sanctions ever imposed by the Italian Olympic Committee. CONI also banned two other cyclists for doping — Davide Lucato received an eight-year sentence and Albino Corazzin was suspended for two years.