Nothing wrong if Pak cricketers play in IPL Latur: A day after Shiv Sena targetted co-owner of Kolkata Knight Riders Shah Rukh Khan for regretting the exclusion of Pakistan players from IPL season three,Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said there was nothing wrong if Pakistan players played in the event. IPL is a business and the franchisee holders are free to select players from any country,including Pakistan. The government has not set any condition for the inclusion of the players, said Deshmukh. It is not wrong to include players from Pakistan or any county in the IPL teams. It is a business. Shiv Sena has no issue left so it has taken up the issue of Shah Rukh Khan. Greatbatch named New Zealand coach Wellington: Former New Zealand Test batsman Mark Greatbatch was named New Zealands national cricket coach in a conservative appointment which seemed to preserve captain Daniel Vettoris powerful role within the team. Greatbatch previously coached the New Zealand province Central Districts and the English county Warwickshire and is currently a New Zealand selector. In announcing his appointment,New Zealand Cricket said Greatbatch would have particular responsibility for developing batting performance within the team. It added: Daniel Vettori will continue his high-level involvement in the selection of the team,team tactics and strategy. Tait named as cover for injured Siddle Perth: Australian pacer Shaun Tait was named as cover for injured Peter Siddle for Sundays fifth ODI against Pakistan. Tait will join the squad of 13 as Siddle,who is still suffering from a sore back,is in doubt for the match. Tait last played an ODI in February 2009 against New Zealand. Siddle is still being troubled by the back pain which kept him out of the third match in Adelaide, team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris said. Togo suspended for two years CAF has suspended Togo from the next two editions of the African Cup of Nations following their withdrawal from this months tournament. A CAF official said on Saturday that Togo were suspended because of political interference in the national federation,which was also fined $50,000. Togo pulled out of the African Cup after its team bus was attacked by gunmen and two members of their delegation were killed. The CAF official said the decision to pull out was made by politicians. Anand draws with Smeets Viswanathan Anand was back to splitting points as he played out a quick draw against Dutch Jan Smeets in the 11th round of the Corus Chess Tournament in Wijk Aan Zee. Anand took his tally to six points out of a possible 11. With just two rounds to go,Anands chances of a comeback are bleak unless he comes up with a winning performance against Russian Vladimir Kramnik in the penultimate round. In Group B,Parimarjan Negi got a slightly better endgame that petered out into a draw with Emil Sutovsky of Israel. Humpy,Sandipan,Gopal lead Indian Grandmasters Koneru Humpy,Sandipan Chanda and GN Gopal scored impressive victories to emerge joint leaders after the fourth round in the Gibtelecom Masters chess in Gibraltar. The Indian trio now share the lead with French GMs Etienne Bacrot,Laurent Fressinet and Romain Edouard,Michael Adams of England,Germans Daniel Fridman and Jan Gustafsson and Ruben Felgaer of Argentina. Three other Indians International Masters D Harika,Eesha Karavade and V Saravanan also won their respective games against lower-rated opponents. Randhawa stumbles on Day 3 Jyoti Randhawa turned in a four-over 76 to lie at the bottom of the heap,while Shiv Kapur was only slightly better off after a one-over 73 in the third round of the Qatar Masters in Doha. Kapurs three-day total stood at three-over 219,while Randhawa was three strokes adrift at six-over. Randhawa endured a nightmarish day as he dropped three bogeys and a double bogey against just one birdie. Mickelson in groove row The PGA Tour was embroiled in a controversy as Scott McCarron accused world No 2 Phil Mickelson of cheating for making use of a loophole in new rules governing grooves in clubs. Mickelson is one of several players at this weeks tournament at Torrey Pines using a Ping-Eye 2 wedge,manufactured two decades ago with square grooves. Those grooves are now banned on the PGA Tour,but the square-groove Ping wedges remain legal because of a lawsuit that was settled in 1990. Hewitt out for three months Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt will be out of action for at least three months after undergoing hip surgery following his exit from the Australian Open. The Australian world number 22 hopes to return in time to play some European clay court tournaments ahead of the French Open in late May. After I finished the Australian Open,I had to go in and have hip surgery on my right hip, the 28-year-old said.
