The game of Sachien

                                                               India's cricket greats have begun talking about a topic that was considered unthinkable a year ago - Sachin Tendulkar's retirement from the sport.                                                               

Or, at least, the need for the record-breaking batsman to quit one-day cricket to prolong his Test career, like former Australian captain RICKY POINTING did this week.

"Maybe his time has come," former World Cup-winning captain Kapildev said of the "Little Master" on the news channel. 

"Every player has his time. Age is not on his side as it was earlier." 

Tendulkar, who turns 39 in April, is not only the world's leading batsman in both the Test and one-day formats, but also the longest-serving international cricketer, having made his debut in 1989.

Fans have been left on tenterhooks as Tendulkar, who has scored a record 51 Test and 48 one-day centuries, struggles to reach the unprecedented milestone of 100 international hundreds.

Tendulkar, who turns 39 in April, is not only the world's leading batsman in both the Test and one-day formats, but also the longest-serving international cricketer, having made his debut in 1989.

Fans have been left on tenterhooks as Tendulkar, who has scored a record 51 Test and 48 one-day centuries, struggles to reach the unprecedented milestone of 100 international hundreds. 

"Sachin has to ask himself whether it's helping him as a one-day player or if it's helping the Indian team," Ganguly told a new channel.

 

"If Sachin can't get an answer to these questions, he has to go."

Tendulkar, who has played a record 458 one-day internationals, has turned out in just 18 ODI matches in the past two years, including nine in India's triumphant World Cup campaign in February-April 2011.

He still managed to record the first ever double-century in ODI- 200 not out against South Africa in February 2010 - and was the star performer in India's World Cup win with 482 runs, second only to Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan's 500.

"It affects everyone's form if Tendulkar keeps coming in and going out of one-day tournaments," Ganguly said. "I said after the World Cup that Sachin needed to look at his one-day career because he had achieved everything in one-day cricket."

Ganguly dismissed batting legend Sunil Gavaskar's suggestion that the selectors should talk to Tendulkar about his one-day future.

"I don't see any of the selectors stepping in," Ganguly said. "They are not going to stand in front of Sachien Tendulkar and say 'Listen little champ, you need to go'. That is never going to happen."

The Indian daily urged former players to lay off Tendulkar, saying the decision to quit or not should be left to him.

"A lot has been said - especially by former sportspersons who themselves stayed on well beyond their use-by date - about Tendulkar's ODI career," the paper wrote.

"Whatever the intentions, these gems of seemingly timely advice are clearly uncalled for. Sachin has served the country with exceptional pride and genius for far too long and he deserves the right to choose his own time of departure."

A poll published by the Times of India on Thursday revealed that 57 percent of 47,000 respondents wanted Tendulkar to quit one-day cricket and 41 percent urged him to continue.

Struggling India 'desperate', says Warner

After helping Australia secure their place in the finals of the one-day cricket series, opening batsman David Warner says he's surprised by how poorly India are playing given the talent in their side.

Warner found some form at the SCG to top score with 68 as Australia romped to a 87-run win over India on Sunday.

Yuvraj tweets good news in cancer fight

Yuvraj Singh's malignant lung tumour is almost out of his system following his first cycle of chemotherapy, the Indian cricketer said on Thursday.

"Got very good news from Dr Lawrence today! The tumour is almost way out of the system," said the 30-year-old on his Twitter account.

Yuvraj was told last year that he had a golf ball-sized non-malignant tumour but that diagnosis was changed this month to a cancerous condition called "mediastinal seminoma".

One of the cleanest strikers of a cricket ball, the middle-order batsman is not a regular member of India's test team but is an automatic choice in their limited-over sides.

Yuvraj was instrumental in India's 2007 World Twenty20 victory in South Africa and hit England fast bowler Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over in one match.

He was also named player of the tournament in India's successful 50-over World Cup campaign on home soil in February, March and April last year.

Last month Yuvraj said he was reading Lance Armstrong's 2000 autobiography 'It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life'.

"I'm sure it will motivate me and pull me through," the Indian added.

American cyclist Armstrong is one of sport's best-known cancer survivors.

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Post-record January, auto sales may fall for the 1st instance in 9 years

NEW DELHI: traveler car sales in the country may drop for the first time in nine years this economic in spite of reporting evidence journal sales in January, an industry association said.

Domestic traveler car sales declined 1.19% in the 10 months of April-January to 15.74 lakh units next to 15.93 lakh car sold throughout the similar period last year, according to Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

"If sales don't get better in the next two months, the Indian car market is probable to post its initial fall as 2002-03," its manager general Vishnu Mathur told journalists on Wednesday.

Last month, high reduction offers along with steady interest tax on loans helped sales add to 7.6% to all-time high 196,013 cars, recording the third straight journal increase.

Mathur said sales will require producing at least 12% in the last two months to get the association's newest aim of a 2% growth.
SIAM downgraded its filled economic forecast from 16%-18% in April to 10%-12% in July and to 0%-2% in January.

Foremost the drop is the country's main car maker Maruti Suzuki, which expects to shut the year with a 10-11% refuse in sales, according to Mayank Pareek, organization executive officer for sales and marketing at Maruti Suzuki. "We are pregnant to shut the year on unenthusiastic sales," he said.
   

If selectors want I will step down as captain: MS Dhoni

Following India's abysmal performance Down Under, India captain MS Dhoni has been said he is ready to stop down if a suitable replacement is found.

"Captaincy is an additional responsibility that I enjoy. If the selectors feel the need to replace me then I will be happy to step aside," Dhoni was quoted saying by NDTV ahead of India T20 game against Australia.

Under his captaincy, India lost seven consecutive Tests on foreign soil, four of them by an innings and the rest by margins of 196, 319 and 122 runs.

"The need is to find a new captain from beneath the wreckage. Dhoni is no longer the answer in Test cricket," former Australian skipper Ian Chappell had written in one of his columns for a national daily a week ago.

"He has failed dismally to rally the troops in two disastrous overseas campaigns and his own form, not just with the gloves but also with the bat, no longer warrants a guaranteed place in the Test side."

Dhoni made 220 runs in four Tests in England last year at an average of 31.40 and managed just 102 runs in three matches in Australia at 20.40.

Sunil Gavaskar supported Dhoni's retention as Test captain -- but only because there is no suitable replacement.

"At the moment, I can't think of anyone who is good enough to take over from Dhoni,"

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Pakistan vs. England: Jonathan Agnew feature

There are three important values to batting in Test cricket: you require regulation, endurance and method. Unluckily, England's peak order did not relate any of them in the heavy first Test beat against Pakistan.

They just botched to study from their mistakes in the first innings and batted very much the similar way second time round and when your top six batsmen achieve 143 runs between them in a match, the odds are you are leaving to misplace unless the conditions are really hard.

Andrew Strauss's notice for a leg fleeting look to the wicketkeeper may have been contentious, given that replays did not demonstrate obvious contact between bat and ball, but whether he was out or not, it just does not clarify the unfortunate blast assortment that followed.

Kevin Pietersen's caress was terrible and was indicative of England's move toward throughout. It was just a short ball, intentionally bowled, with a man out at bottomless square leg and he hit it directly down his throat.

Alastair Cook's blast was not any better, Ian Bell hasn't got a sign how to play Saeed Ajmal, and though Jonathan Trott played healthy for 49, he then played a very poor stroke to get out.The only three batsmen who played well in this match - Mohammad Hafeez, Misbah-ul-Haq and Matt Prior - did it the similar way, by knuckling down, playing directly, playing tolerantly and picking off the runs as and when they could.

You don't play champagne cricket on these pitches, they need a small piece of work to get in, but this has not been a hard pitch.

That would at least allow them to field a second spinner and transport in the option of receiving more lbw decisions through the Decision Review System.

BCCI unlikely to move against senior players

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), though disturbed by the back-to-back setbacks in England and Australia, will refrain from taking a call on the careers of under-performing senior players.

"Whether the seniors should retire or be dropped is something to be decided by the selectors or the players themselves. The board can’t interfere in this matter,” said BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale.

Asked if the Indian Premier League (IPL) was the reason for India not finding youngsters good enough for Test cricket, he said everything can’t be blamed on the IPL. “It has its positives and negatives.”

Admitting that India’s overseas showing has been horrendous of late, he said every team going through a transitional phase has endured such setbacks, including the mighty Australia and England.

“It’s impossible to produce cricketers of the calibre of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. So, these things will happen,” he said, implying that Indians fans should prepare themselves for more agony.

He said some plans to resurrect the plunging fortunes of Indian cricket were on the anvil.

“First and foremost, we are focussing on restructuring domestic cricket  - infrastructure, playing conditions and especially wickets. You can’t expect youngsters who have grown up on Indian wickets to perform on bouncy and seaming wickets all at once. It’s important to prepare good wickets, and the knockouts in the Ranji Trophy this year were played on difficult wickets,” said Jagdale.

“We are waiting for Sourav Ganguly, chairman of the BCCI’s technical committee. We will sit down with him and discuss how to refurbish our domestic cricket,” he said.

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Sports Minister Aluthgamage: Sri Lanka cricket squad is in a disaster

Sri Lanka's sports education minister annoying the nationwide cricket team's current performances, saying the side was riven by politics and in "disaster".Mahindananda Aluthgamage vowed to bring a severe speech to the players when they go back later on this month from their tour of South Africa, where they last week misplaced the Test series 2-1.

"The Sri Lanka cricket team is in a disaster condition. It is very unlucky," Aluthgamage told journalists in Colombo. "The players are not clicking together off-field and it has shown in the consequences on the meadow."

“Once the players return, I plan to convene them," Aluthgamage said. "I sense there is a set of interior politics within the players that is spilling over to the cricket field."

Since the departure of bowling star Muttiah Muralitharan in July 2010, Sri Lanka has won only one Test match, although they did arrive at the last of the one-day World Cup previous year.

Sri Lanka will at present play five one-day internationals in South Africa preliminary on Wednesday, before heading to a tri-series contest in Australia which also includes India.

The government has frequently been accused of interfering in the game and new unconcealed elections for the cricket slat were caught up in allegations of interference.Aluthgamage's commentary came after Sri Lanka captain Tillakaratne Dilshan answerable his side's conflicting outcome on the island's feeble domestic prospect.

It is very hard to discover good cricketers. We have to accurate our domestic structure. Coming from our club cricket to global cricket is a enormous dissimilarity," he said after behind the Test series.

Sydney Cricket land to get USD 191 million alteration

The iconic Sydney Cricket land is all find to get a major facelift in front of the 2014 Ashes sequence for an enormous USD 191 million. As per the renewal plan, three viewer stands will be demolished for an enormous state-of-the-art impress. 

Prime Minister Julia Gillard and NSW (New South Wales) Prime Minister Barry O'Farrell have announced USD 191 million for the upgradation of the Bradman, Noble and courier stands on the time of SCG's 100th Test match on Tuesday.

The rebuilding work at SCG will start in March and is expected to be complete in occasion for the Ashes sequence next to England in near the beginning 2014.The SCG renowned its 100th Test match today when India and Australia squared off in the second Test of the four-match series and Prime Minister Gillard chose the time to admiration the significant land by announcing the overhaul tactics.

"This is a thrilling project, not only for Sydneysiders but for all Australians, who have full-grown up surveillance the New Year's Test and relishing in the history and custom of the land," Gillard said in a declaration.

The refurbished SCG will have a rooftop patio with views of the city skyline, 700-person dining space and protected player influx area.The upgradation will also improve the ability of the land, which also hosts Australian system football and National Rugby League games, from 45,000 to approximately 48,000.

The SCG, commonly known as the "grand lady", in progress as an armed cricket land in the 1850s and hosted its first Test match in 1882 between Australia and England.

Strauss's England is a large hit in an unbelievable time for cricket

It has been an unbelievable time for cricket and England will begin 2012 on pinnacle of the world in the Test and Twenty20 formats.We asked our board of experts, past England captain, Sportsmail writer and Sky Sports critic Nasser Hussain, past England coach,Sportsmail columnist and Sky pundit David Lloyd and Wisden editor Lawrence Booth. Cricket Correspondent Paul Newman was in the chair...

Paul Newman: Gentlemen, there have been very little improved days than 2011 for the England team. What are your highlights?

David Lloyd: Let's go correct reverse to the begin and the fifth take a look at in Sydney. Jimmy Anderson and Tim Bresnan's magnificent bowling and the power of England with lots of form Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Matt earlier. They fully overwhelmed Australia.

Nasser Hussain: We've knotted up at Sydney with the Ashes extended left down the times and to learn the SCG twisted into little Britain on the last day, with hardly an Australian follower within the place, was extraordinarily pleasing for all people. it absolutely was huge to find out England shut them off in such approach.

Lawrence Booth: It has been a fantastic day for England at check level throughout. India here within the summer because the world's No one and England simply blew them away with a restricted name of cricket that Andy Flower has them enjoying. The fineness of  England completes up for the disappointment India’s performances.

Newman: Let's converse about the one spot on England's scenery. Why have they not been clever to break in excess of cricket? It's secrecy.

Hussain: A set of England's victory has return from grinding down the resistance and staying within the game. They never enable up and in more than 5 days have proved themselves the highest about. However it's all about vogue in fifty over’s and perhaps they solely need to keep in mind to envision ball, hit ball. Check up on Virender Sehwag drumming a twice hundred against West Indies. He did not seem as if he'd make two hundred runs if he had batted all year in England, however place him on a level taking part in field in India in a very 50-over game and watch him go. Suresh Raina is that the same.

Newman: On that memo let's finish by hopeful that the very busy cricketing year of 2012 is a very happy one!

F1 gone cricket at the back in fame stakes

The year 2011 saw extra and extra Indian sports education rising out of the shade of cricket. Method one and pro boxing were the first offs the chunk to bend a lot of eyeballs and the multimillion-dollar planet sequence Hockey looks high-quality for snatching its split.

It is cricket that showed them the technique to imprison the marketplace split by productively piloting the Indian Premier League (IPL) and worldwide games administrators are looking at India as a chief target to marketplace their game. A rationally optimistic wealth and a billion people are heartening enough for them to imagine that they can advertise their activity here.

Formula One grabbed the primary chance and its opening Grand Prix at Buddh International Circuit (BIC) at superior Noida was a large strike, erasing the tart reminiscences of a tainted Commonwealth Games a year ago.

Fascinatingly, earlier that week there were a few takers for India's ODI cricket series. The contest was one of the most watched fair actions in the world.Accolades poured in for contest promoters Jaypee Sports International which pulled off the show without a main disagreement over that weekend.

Boxing, too, complete a wet in a big way. For long, the world body was preparation an IPL-style event in the circle and it led to the birth of the World Series Boxing (WSB). India is represented in the global city-based association by Mumbai Fighters, owned by TransStadia, a games and activity corporation.

The start of the World Series Hockey (WSH) ran into disagreement as it clashed with the training of the state team for the Olympic requirement contest. After weeks of haggling, it is put off to February. The promised cost to group of actors was so beautiful that even those who have retired are rear on the grass.

Cricket must admiration fans: Dravid

Cricket risks killing the goose that lays the fair-haired egg if it disrespect fans by forecast too several worthless worldwide matches, ex India Captain Rahul Dravid has said.

Dravid, the primary Indian to offer the annual Sir Donald Bradman Oration, said the game required to search out a balance between the three formats of the sport and should think about taking part in check matches, the “gold standard” of the sport, at night.“It should level down this mad merry-go-round that groups and players realize themselves in: keeping off for two-test tours and seven-match ODI series with a couple of Twenty20s thrown in,” the 38-year-old said in his speech late on Wednesday.

“Test cricket deserves to be protected; it is what the world best recognizes they're going to be judged by. Where I come back from, nation versus nation is what got people fascinated by cricket within the   first place.

“When I hear the news that a rustic is enjoying without a number of its best players, I perpetually surprise, what do their fans think?“We should actively fight to induce as several (fans) as we can, to form a test match setting that the players and the fans feed off. Something however the sight of tests played on empty grounds.

Fans merit respect

Dravid said that might have an effect on the worth of TV rights.“If that happens, it is laborious to find out rights around cricket being as asked for as they need perpetually been within the last fifteen years. “Everything that has given cricket its power and influence within the world of sports has started from that fan within the stadium,” he added.

“They deserve our respect and allow us to not take them without any consideration. Disrespecting fans is disrespecting the sport.”Dravid said the largest dangers facing the game were spot-fixing and players being tempted to get involved with the betting business. Players ought to be ready to offer up a “little bit of freedom of movement and privacy” to battle those scourges and endure lie detector tests if necessary, he said.

Excerpts from Dravid’s words at the Bradman address

Thank you for inviting me to deliver the Bradman Oration; the respect and therefore the regard that came with the invite to talk tonight, is deeply appreciated.

I realize a really distinguished list of gentlemen have preceded me within the 10 years that the Bradman Oration has been held.  I do know that this Oration is held each year to understand the life and career of Sir Don Bradman, an excellent Australian and an excellent cricketer. I perceive that I am alleged to talk about cricket and problems within the game — and I will.

The individuals of each our countries are usually told that cricket is that the one issue that brings Indians and Australians along. That cricket is our single common denominator.

India’s first test series as a free country was played against Australia in November 1947, 3 months once our independence. it is however, incongruous, that I, an Indian, happen to be the primary cricketer from outside Australia, invited to deliver the Bradman Oration. I don’t say that solely as a result of Sir Don once scored 100 before lunch at Lord’s and my a hundred at Lord’s this year took virtually a whole day.

What we have to do is use the simplest way to confirm that test matches work into twenty-first century life, through timing, environments and the held in. there's a proposal doing the rounds on scrapping the 50-over game fully. I am undecided I trust that —actually recognize that the 50-over game helped us innovate strokes in our batting that we tend to were then able to take into test matches. The future lie in taking part in one-day internationals targeted around ICC events, like the Champions Trophy and the World Cups.

Rooney ban provides Fabio Capello worry

Capello's worst fears were realized when UEFA handed Wayne Rooney a three match prohibit that will see him miss all of England's Euro 2012 group games.

Rooney's kick at Montenegro's Miodrag Dzudovoic last Friday was judged "an assault" by UEFA's control and disciplinary board, who stuck to the letter of the rule in handing out the punishment in spite of a plea for leniency from the FA.

It means Fabio Capello now has to judge whether to take Rooney as part of his squad to Poland and Ukraine, and trust that he can make an impact if England makes it through to the quarter finals.

The Football Association will wait for the full reasons behind the conclusion before deciding whether to appeal. The ban could even be increased by an appeal panel, but that would be doubtful and it looks odds on that the FA will attempt to have the suspension reduced.

The Manchester United striker is understood to be very disappointed in the result but will follow the FA's recommendation about any appeal.

Former England striker Alan Shearer described the ban as "a vast blow" to England's opportunities in the European Championships, and called the kick "a silly mistake".

Shearer told BBC Radio 5 Live: "It's a vast blow. It's not only a enormous blow to the team, to the fans and to football followers but to Wayne himself because he realizes he's made a stupid fault.

"I still think whoever replaces Rooney in the team, England still should have plenty to get through the three games without him."

Phil Neville, Rooney's former team mate for United and England, labeled the decision "a joke".

The Everton midfielder said on Twitter: "Rooney prohibited for three games what a joke but it was a Dutch Italian German Spanish player they wouldn't even get 1 game #fact."

Rooney was shown a straight red by German referee Wolfgang Stark for kicking Dzudovoic England boss Capello confessed it was a "silly error" by the 25-year old, who instantly put himself in danger of receiving the 3 match ban.

UEFA's disciplinary rules state that a player will receive a "suspension for three competition matches or for a particular period for assaulting another player or other person there at the match".

A UEFA report said: "Today's decision was taken in relation to the red card shown to Rooney for assault after 74 minutes of England's final Group G game, the 2-2 draw with Montenegro in Podgorica.

"The striker will at the present be suspended from playing in his country's next three UEFA national competition matches for which he would be entitled."

The FA have three days to make a decision whether to appeal, and they said in a declaration: "Further to UEFA's decision to enforce a three-match suspension on Wayne Rooney following his sending-off against Montenegro, the FA wait for the full reasons from the disciplinary committee, and will give full consideration to the decision internally, before deciding on any response to UEFA or making any further public remark."

The FA had taken some expect from a previous case involving Andrey Arshavin, who was given a two match ban and missed Russia's first two games of Euro 2008 after being sent-off against Andorra. But in that case television proof was less clear cut than in Rooney's.

In 2004, Chelsea's Marcel Desailly was initially gave a three-match ban for elbowing Monaco's Fernando Morientes but that was reduced on plea to two games after UEFA said the act was not purposeful.

World Anti-Doping Agency drops case against FIFA

The World Anti-Doping Agency dropped its dispute to FIFA's decision not to permit five Mexican footballers who tested positive for clenbuterol.

Mexico suspended five players of their Gold Cup squad Edgar Duenas, Christian Bermudez, Francisco Javier Rodriguez, Antonio Naelson and Guillermo Ochoa after they all failed a test at a pre-Gold Cup training camp in May.

An inquiry by the Mexican Football Association's disciplinary committee found the positive outcome were a consequence of eating impure meat and their choice to hand out no further punishments was backed by FIFA.

WADA dispute the decision, lodging a plea to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but withdrew their objection after reviewing proof gathered by FIFA.

A WADA report read: WADA has subsequently received convincing evidence from a FIFA study at the U17 World Cup in Mexico that point a serious health problem in Mexico with regards to meat polluted with clenbuterol.

This is a public health matter that is now being addressed immediately by the Mexican Government.

The government of Mexico which has legislation forbidding the use of steroids with livestock accepts that it has a consequence with infected meat and is actively looking to resolve the problem state by state.

Already several arrests have been made pursuant to these laws and huge amounts of clenbuterol seized. Investigations are to go on.

"WADA acclaim FIFA for the more research it has initiated, while WADA, the Mexican Football Federation and the Mexican Govt have decided to help with the study which will continue as a joint project."

FIFA welcomed WADA's decision in a declaration, which read: "This statement by WADA confirms the initial verdict taken by the Mexican Football Association's disciplinary committee to apparent the players of any wrongdoing, which FIFA entirely agreed with and supported after carefully looking at the case.

FIFA would also like to thank WADA for positively considering the studies and research conducted by FIFA in this issue, including compelling proof from a FIFA study at the U-17 World Cup in Mexico that shows a serious health problem in Mexico with regard to meat contaminated with clenbuterol.

FIFA is pleased that these studies have served not only to solve this case, but also to help the Mexican authorities in their fight to tackle this public health matter, which is now being desperately addressed by the Mexican government.

FIFA will continue to play a foremost role in this issue and will work together with the various authorities, including WADA, the Mexican Football Association and the Mexican government on this study, which in future will be carry on as a joint project.

WADA added that clenbuterol remains on their list of prohibited substances, and that they would judge further positive tests on a case by case source.

Andy Roddick survives frighten in Shanghai

Andy Roddick

Roddick survived a second set wobble against qualifier Yen-Hsun Lu to move ahead to the second round of the Shanghai Masters on Monday.

The American, seeded 10th, lost his way midway through an enjoyable clash but recovered to register a 6-2 3-6 6-2 triumph in one hour and 52 minutes.

"He plays so high risk," said Roddick. "You know, In general I thought it was pretty good, save four games perhaps."

Andy Roddick will meet Grigor Dimitrov next after the Bulgarian saw off Turkish qualifier Marsel Ilhan 2-6 6-1 6-4.

Bernard Tomic move on courtesy of a 7-6 (7/5) 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 win against Kevin Anderson and will now meet fifth seed Mardy Fish.

"I'm happy I won against a player like Anderson since he can beat so many world class players on his day," said Australian Tomic.

"I'm happy I won that third set because his serve was too good the entire game. To enter tournaments like this, play main draws, is a way to make your ranking up even faster. It's actually tough to get there. I'm lucky I did it at a young age.

"I've acquire a long way to go, and a lot of things in front of me."

Spaniard Fernando Verdasco was also strong for Chinese wild card Zhe Li, winning 6-2 6-2, Nalbandian beat Ernests Gulbis 7-5 6-4 and former world no.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero edged out Mikhail Youzhny 7-6 (7/4) 6-2.

“Marsh aim for Lanka's 1st win”

Geoff Marsh

Sri Lanka coach Geoff Marsh is aiming for first Test victory in the post Muralitharan era when they face Pakistan in a Test series next month.

"I am aiming to take Sri Lanka to a new level," Marsh, the former Australian opening batsman, told reporters.

"Evidently, looking for the Test victory against Pakistan is the propose."

Sri Lanka travels to United Arab Emirates, Pakistan's offshore place, in October, to play a three match Test series.

Sri Lanka has gone during a phase of nine Test matches without a win since Muralitharan retired following the first Test against India at Galle in 2010.

Marsh said Tom Moody, the fellow Australian and a former Sri Lanka coach, and Marsh's two sons, Shaun and Mitchell, pressed him to take up the obligation.

"My boys said go along there and take up the job (coaching Sri Lanka)," Marsh, who witnessed Shaun scoring his debut Test century in Sri Lanka early on this month, said.

"Sri Lanka is in just the same position as Australia," Marsh said, adding that both nations are going through transition phase.

He said he was expecting to the challenge of "coming up against my own boys," referring to the view of Shaun and Mitchell Marsh playing for Australia when Sri Lanka tours there next year.

He said that even though his current contract was limited to two years, he would like to coach Sri Lanka to the next World Cup to be played in Australia in 2015.

Kingfisher East Bengal face Salgaocar SC in the Final

Khan Thang Paita's 82nd minute hit helped Kingfisher East Bengal beat Prayag United SC 2-1 in the second semifinal of the Federation Cup in Kolkata.

It was Red and Gold brigade’s third consecutive entry in the Federation Cup Final. Alan Gow in the 37th minute and Paita in 82nd minute scored for the East Bengal while Snehasish Datta scored for Prayag in 16TH minute.

The high voltage match between the two Kolkata sides saw attacking postures by both the sides since the very first minute. Prayag’s Joshimar Dasilva Martins pierced through the Red and Gold defense giving the initial jim-jams; in return East Bengal retaliated furiously within seconds when Tolgay Ozbey missed the net by whiskers.

But eventually it was Prayag who took the early lead in the 16th minute when Snehasish Datta buldged the net to put his team in the lead. Just minutes after going one down, East Bengal made a counter attack but Alan Gow waste a chance to slot the ball into the open nets.

Though determined attack gave them result in 37th minute when Alan Gow equalised through a penalty when he was let down in the penalty area by Prayag’s Bello Razzaq.

The second half got off to a slow start with both the team on defensive approach, in the 67th minute, Tolgay Ozbey and was replaced by Orji Pennn Ikechukwu.

Prayag received a jolt in quick succession when Joshimar Dasilva Martins in 77th and Deepak Mondal in 81st minute were shown red cards dropping Prayag to just nine men.

Taking advantage, East Bengal started placing more pressure through the flanks which ultimately gave them result in 82nd minute when Khan Thang Paite on a cross from Orgi Penn slot in second goal to give his team critical lead.

Prayag failed to find a reaction till the final whistle as East Bengal held on to reaches the final of the Federation Cup.

Kingfisher East Bengal will now face Salgaocar SC in the final which was plan on September 29th.

The kickoff is schedule for 6pm and the match would be telecast live on DD Sports and News Time.

Maria Kirilenko makes semifinals in Guangzhou

Maria Kirilenko

Top seed Maria eased into the semifinals of the Guangzhou International Open in China with straight-sets win over Tetiana Luzhanska.

The 6-1 7-5 triumph took Kirilenko, the world number 28 from Russia, one step nearer to her sixth WTA title and fourth on Asian soil.

China's Zheng Jie defeated Croatia's Petra Martic in three sets as she fought back to beat the fourth-seed 1-6 6-4 6-3.

South Africa's Chanelle Scheepers also took three sets to defeat Poland's Urszula Radwanska, finally winning 4-6 7-6 (8/6) 6-3 in a tough match.

In the final match, second seeded Australian Jarmila Gajdosova was beaten 6-4 6-3 by Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova.

Kirilenko will currently play Scheepers as Zheng will face Rybarikova.

"Woods won't succeed another major"

Tiger Woods

Greg Norman conceives Tiger Woods no longer has the focusing needed to win another major championship.

Norman said in an interview that will be published in the November subject of Golf Magazine that Woods has too much distraction now and lacks the "street smarts" needed to add to his 14 majors.

His previous major win came at the 2008 US Open and he has not won a tournament since the full gory facts of his sex scandal broke in November 2009.

"Woods, when he dominated, had a single shot approach," Norman said.

"It was merely about the golf.

"Now there are so a lot of distractions and people are looking things that are wrong with Tiger now, so he's got to deal with that on a day-to-day basis, like every other mortal has to do, right?

Greg Norman

"In our lives, in our business, we all have to be answerable for our actions. It's very hard for him to have that focusing. And the more he shuts people off, the worse it gets."

"He feels everything's OK because his world is so cocooned," he said.

Norman added: "Well, merely look at [Woods'] body language."

"He doesn't hold his head up anymore, he's got his eyes down, and he’s trying to keep his eyes away from the camera, right?"

Norman, a former world no.1 and holder of two major titles, will captain the international team at the Presidents Cup in Australia this November.

Hard times for Somdev in Davis Cup

Somdev has a heavy workload to shoulder as India take on hosts Japan in their bid to re-enter the elite Davis Cup World Group, beginning Friday.

India had lost 1-4 to top seeded Serbia in the first round to once again face the play offs, while Japan scored a influential 4-1 win over Uzbekistan to give themselves a opportunity to make the 16-nation World Group for the first time since 1985.

Back spasms have forced Paes to miss the flight to Tokyo and in his absence, the doubles rubber on the second day of the tie has now turn into a complicated issue.

Surprisingly, India has decided to field Somdev, or else of Rohan Bopanna, along with Mahesh Bhupathi in the doubles rubber against the home pair of Kei Nishikori and Go Soeda.

It means that 64th ranked Somdev will have to play on all three days, beginning with the opening singles of the tie against 174th ranked Yuichi Sugita on Friday and then the reverse singles against Nishikori on Sunday.

Seemingly, India's non-playing captain S P Misra wants Bopanna, another enormous doubles player, to concentrate on just singles.

Bopanna has done tremendously well in the singles in the Davis Cup and his real challenge will be against world number 55 Nishikori.

Somdev will start as favorite against Sugita and if Bopanna can turn the tables on Nishikori, India's job would turn easy.

Nishikori is coming into the tie following a hip and back injury, which he endured at the US Open.