Pakistan v New Zealand 2009/10 / Scorecard

Pakistan v New Zealand

Pakistan won by 138 runs

• ODI no. 2921 | 2009/10 season
• Played at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (neutral venue)
• 3 November 2009 - day/night (50-over match)

	Pakistan innings (50 overs maximum)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
	Salman Butt	c †BB McCullum b Bond	0	4	0	0	0.00
	0.4 Salman Butt's comeback doesn't quite last long. Bondy has struck. It was a back-of-length delivery that moved away from the stumps and Butt was almost squared-up as he pushed at it and edged it behind. Fine delivery. 0/1
	Khalid Latif	b Vettori	64	112	2	0	57.14
	41.1 cleaned him up with the vicious arm-ball. It skidded on from the leg and middle, Latif was looking for the cut but only managed to stab it to the leg stump. Patient innings, whose value will probably only be known after New Zealand bat, comes to an end. Did he play too slowly? Or did he play a very good knock on this pitch? We just have to wait for the chase to find out. 184/6
	Younis Khan*	c †BB McCullum b Bond	0	3	0	0	0.00
	2.1 Bondy! Full delivery outside off stump, curves away, Younis chased it, going for a flamboyant square drive but only succeeded in edging it behind 0/2
	Mohammad Yousuf	run out (Guptill)	30	49	4	0	61.22
	16.6 from Oram, Yousuf is run out. It was pushed towards cover point and they run across for the single. Guptill does a superb job, moving to his left , picks up the ball and fires in a direct hit at the non-strikers' end/. Gone! 57/3
	Umar Akmal	b Vettori	9	18	0	0	50.00
	23.3 what a lovely delivery. It was a tad quicker, landed on a length around the middle stump line, Umar tried to drive but the ball dipped on him before spinning past the blade to hit the off stump. 75/4
	Shahid Afridi	c Butler b Oram	70	50	4	3	140.00
	38.2 Oh boy what has happened here. He moved outside off stump, fetched the full toss from well outside off and paddled it straight to short fine-leg fielder. But what an entertaining, yet responsible knock. Lovely mix of fun and work. 176/5
	Kamran Akmal†	not out	67	43	5	4	155.81
	Abdul Razzaq	c Styris b Butler	26	20	1	2	130.00
	48.2 fullish delivery, in the slot, Razzaq goes for the big hit down the ground but skies it straight up towards cover. More elevation than distance. Styris came under the ball, juggled it a bit before holding on. Fine cameo from Razzaq. 270/7
	Umar Gul	run out (Vettori/Butler)	0	1	0	0	0.00
	48.4 from Butler, Umar Gul is run out. It was pushed to cover and Akmal called him for a single but Gul couldn't get across in time to beat the throw 271/8
	Mohammad Aamer	c †BB McCullum b Southee	0	1	0	0	0.00
	49.1 short of length delivery, bounces to catch the edge and a simple catch to Baz 277/9
	Saeed Ajmal	not out	0	1	0	0	0.00
	Extras	(lb 8, w 11, nb 2)	21
	Total	(9 wickets; 50 overs)	287	(5.74 runs per over)

Fall of wickets1-0 (Salman Butt, 0.4 ov), 2-0 (Younis Khan, 2.1 ov), 3-57 (Mohammad Yousuf, 16.6 ov), 4-75 (Umar Akmal, 23.3 ov), 5-176 (Shahid Afridi, 38.2 ov), 6-184 (Khalid Latif, 41.1 ov), 7-270 (Abdul Razzaq, 48.2 ov), 8-271 (Umar Gul, 48.4 ov), 9-277 (Mohammad Aamer, 49.1 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	SE Bond	10	2	61	2	6.10	(3w)
	0.4 to Salman Butt, Salman Butt's comeback doesn't quite last long. Bondy has struck. It was a back-of-length delivery that moved away from the stumps and Butt was almost squared-up as he pushed at it and edged it behind. Fine delivery. 0/1 2.1 to Younis Khan, Bondy! Full delivery outside off stump, curves away, Younis chased it, going for a flamboyant square drive but only succeeded in edging it behind 0/2
	TG Southee	10	2	54	1	5.40
	49.1 to Mohammad Aamer, short of length delivery, bounces to catch the edge and a simple catch to Baz 277/9
	IG Butler	7	0	54	1	7.71	(2nb, 2w)
	48.2 to Abdul Razzaq, fullish delivery, in the slot, Razzaq goes for the big hit down the ground but skies it straight up towards cover. More elevation than distance. Styris came under the ball, juggled it a bit before holding on. Fine cameo from Razzaq. 270/7
	JDP Oram	10	0	47	1	4.70	(1w)
	38.2 to Shahid Afridi, Oh boy what has happened here. He moved outside off stump, fetched the full toss from well outside off and paddled it straight to short fine-leg fielder. But what an entertaining, yet responsible knock. Lovely mix of fun and work. 176/5
	DL Vettori	10	1	34	2	3.40
	23.3 to Umar Akmal, what a lovely delivery. It was a tad quicker, landed on a length around the middle stump line, Umar tried to drive but the ball dipped on him before spinning past the blade to hit the off stump. 75/4 41.1 to Khalid Latif, cleaned him up with the vicious arm-ball. It skidded on from the leg and middle, Latif was looking for the cut but only managed to stab it to the leg stump. Patient innings, whose value will probably only be known after New Zealand bat, comes to an end. Did he play too slowly? Or did he play a very good knock on this pitch? We just have to wait for the chase to find out. 184/6
	NL McCullum	3	0	29	0	9.66

	New Zealand innings (target: 288 runs from 50 overs)		R	B	4s	6s	SR
	BB McCullum†	b Umar Gul	21	27	4	0	77.77
	7.4 And there we go. The first wicket has fallen. It was slightly short in length straightening outside off, McCullum tried to fetch it from there with a pull shot but dragged the ball on to the stumps. 30/1
	AJ Redmond	lbw b Saeed Ajmal	52	91	6	0	57.14
	29.3 Finally, Ajmal gets an lbw verdict in his favour. It was quicker, on the off stump line, skidding on straight, and Redmond missed the sweep and was hit on the off stump line. It would have crashed into the stumps. 119/5
	MJ Guptill	b Umar Gul	4	9	0	0	44.44
	9.2 Another fatal inside edge. It was a short of length delivery that skids on straight, Guptill was looking to defend but is late in getting the bat down, pushes it outside the line and it collides with the inside and ... timber! 34/2
	LRPL Taylor	c †Kamran Akmal b Mohammad Aamer	0	5	0	0	0.00
	10.2 the thickest of edges and he's gone! He fires it in outside off and angles it across the right-hander, Taylor chases it and shapes to carve it over extra cover but he gets a thick edge which thuds into Kamran's gloves 35/3
	SB Styris	c sub (Imran Farhat) b Abdul Razzaq	5	17	0	0	29.41
	15.1 Styris fan club would be disappointed. It was short in length and Styris pulled it high towards deep square-leg where Farhat (substitute) rushes to his left to pluck off a good catch 50/4
	DL Vettori*	b Shahid Afridi	38	41	1	0	92.68
	34.5 Afridi has broken through. It skidded away from Vettori who tried to sweep it but edges it back to the stumps 139/6
	JDP Oram	b Abdul Razzaq	9	23	1	0	39.13
	35.3 Yet another fatal inside edge from a New Zealand batsman. It was angling away from Oram who tries to force it on the up through covers but gets the big fat edge 139/8
	NL McCullum	lbw b Shahid Afridi	0	1	0	0	0.00
	34.6 Afridi .. whaddaplayaaa .. he did it with the bat and now doing the job with the ball. The slider this time, on the middle, looks to defend and is hit on the pad. The Hawk eye shows it missing leg and it might well be but when it struck him on the pad, it looked pretty ugly. you can understand why the ump gave that out 139/7
	IG Butler	run out (Umar Gul)	4	7	1	0	57.14
	37.2 from Abdul Razzaq, Butler is run out. Direct hit from Umar Gul. Good bye sir. It was pushed to left of mid-on where Gul swooped in on the ball and fires in a lovely throw. It has been referee upstairs and the verdict is out 144/9
	SE Bond	not out	4	9	0	0	44.44
	TG Southee	lbw b Saeed Ajmal	1	7	0	0	14.28
	39.2 All over. . It was the quicker one, skidding on rapidly towards the middle, moves past the attempted waft and nails him in front. . Pakistan won by 138 runs. Fine comprehensive win. 149/10
	Extras	(lb 8, w 2, nb 1)	11
	Total	(all out; 39.2 overs)	149	(3.78 runs per over)

Fall of wickets1-30 (BB McCullum, 7.4 ov), 2-34 (Guptill, 9.2 ov), 3-35 (Taylor, 10.2 ov), 4-50 (Styris, 15.1 ov), 5-119 (Redmond, 29.3 ov), 6-139 (Vettori, 34.5 ov), 7-139 (NL McCullum, 34.6 ov), 8-139 (Oram, 35.3 ov), 9-144 (Butler, 37.2 ov), 10-149 (Southee, 39.2 ov)

	Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ
	Mohammad Aamer	7	1	15	1	2.14
	10.2 to Taylor, the thickest of edges and he's gone! He fires it in outside off and angles it across the right-hander, Taylor chases it and shapes to carve it over extra cover but he gets a thick edge which thuds into Kamran's gloves 35/3
	Umar Gul	6	3	24	2	4.00	(1nb)
	7.4 to BB McCullum, And there we go. The first wicket has fallen. It was slightly short in length straightening outside off, McCullum tried to fetch it from there with a pull shot but dragged the ball on to the stumps. 30/1 9.2 to Guptill, Another fatal inside edge. It was a short of length delivery that skids on straight, Guptill was looking to defend but is late in getting the bat down, pushes it outside the line and it collides with the inside and ... timber! 34/2
	Abdul Razzaq	9	1	38	2	4.22
	15.1 to Styris, Styris fan club would be disappointed. It was short in length and Styris pulled it high towards deep square-leg where Farhat (substitute) rushes to his left to pluck off a good catch 50/4 35.3 to Oram, Yet another fatal inside edge from a New Zealand batsman. It was angling away from Oram who tries to force it on the up through covers but gets the big fat edge 139/8
	Shahid Afridi	10	0	46	2	4.60	(2w)
	34.5 to Vettori, Afridi has broken through. It skidded away from Vettori who tried to sweep it but edges it back to the stumps 139/6 34.6 to NL McCullum, Afridi .. whaddaplayaaa .. he did it with the bat and now doing the job with the ball. The slider this time, on the middle, looks to defend and is hit on the pad. The Hawk eye shows it missing leg and it might well be but when it struck him on the pad, it looked pretty ugly. you can understand why the ump gave that out 139/7
	Saeed Ajmal	7.2	0	18	2	2.45
	29.3 to Redmond, Finally, Ajmal gets an lbw verdict in his favour. It was quicker, on the off stump line, skidding on straight, and Redmond missed the sweep and was hit on the off stump line. It would have crashed into the stumps. 119/5 39.2 to Southee, All over. . It was the quicker one, skidding on rapidly towards the middle, moves past the attempted waft and nails him in front. . Pakistan won by 138 runs. Fine comprehensive win. 149/10

Match details

Toss Pakistan, who chose to bat Series Pakistan led the 3-match series 1-0

Player of the match Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)

Umpires Asad Rauf (Pakistan) and BNJ Oxenford (Australia) TV umpire Zameer Haider (Pakistan) Match referee AJ Pycroft (Zimbabwe) Reserve umpire Nadeem Ghauri (Pakistan)

Match notes

Pakistan innings Power Play 2: Overs 10.1 - 15.0 Drinks: Pakistan - 48/2 in 15.0 overs (Khalid Latif 21, Mohammad Yousuf 22) Pakistan: 50 runs in 16.3 overs (102 balls), Extras 5 3rd Wicket: 50 runs in 89 balls (Khalid Latif 22, Mohammad Yousuf 26, Ex 5) Pakistan: 100 runs in 28.5 overs (177 balls), Extras 6 5th Wicket: 50 runs in 45 balls (Khalid Latif 15, Shahid Afridi 34, Ex 1) Khalid Latif: 50 off 93 balls (2 x 4) Shahid Afridi: 50 off 36 balls (2 x 4, 3 x 6) Pakistan: 150 runs in 34.4 overs (212 balls), Extras 6 Drinks: Pakistan - 150/4 in 35.0 overs (Khalid Latif 54, Shahid Afridi 51) 5th Wicket: 100 runs in 90 balls (Khalid Latif 29, Shahid Afridi 70, Ex 2) Power Play 3: Overs 42.1 - 47.0 Pakistan: 200 runs in 43.1 overs (264 balls), Extras 7 7th Wicket: 50 runs in 33 balls (Kamran Akmal 32, Abdul Razzaq 12, Ex 8) Pakistan: 250 runs in 47.3 overs (292 balls), Extras 15 Kamran Akmal: 50 off 35 balls (5 x 4, 2 x 6) Innings Break: Pakistan - 287/9 in 50.0 overs (Kamran Akmal 67, Saeed Ajmal 0) New Zealand innings Power Play 2: Overs 10.1 - 15.0 New Zealand: 50 runs in 14.6 overs (91 balls), Extras 4 Drinks: New Zealand - 50/3 in 15.0 overs (AJ Redmond 16, SB Styris 5) New Zealand: 100 runs in 23.5 overs (145 balls), Extras 7 5th Wicket: 50 runs in 53 balls (AJ Redmond 26, DL Vettori 21, Ex 3) AJ Redmond: 50 off 82 balls (6 x 4) Power Play 3: Overs 39.1 - 44.0

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Aisam ul haq beat roger federer in double match

KARACHI: Pakistan’s tennis ace Aisamul Haq Qureshi and his Swiss doubles partner James Cerritani brushed aside tennis great and world number one, Roger Federer and his Swiss compatriot Marco Chiudinelli in straight sets at the Basel Open in the Swiss city on Tuesday.

Qureshi was at his serve-and-volleying best in the round-of-32 match as he and Swiss Cerritani cruised to victory against the world number one Federer and Chidudinelli in two sets, 6-4, 6-3 to book their place in the quarter-finals of the 2.6 million-dollar ATP tournament.

Playing in the world number one’s hometown, the Pakistani player and his partner were in control of the match from the first game and although Federer and his old friend Chiudinelli produced moments of brilliance, the grit and powerful serve-and-volley game of Qureshi and Cerritani proved too much in the end.

The Pak-Swiss pair will now play tournament first seeds Daniel Nestor (Canada) and Nenad Zimonjic (Serbia) in the round of 16.

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2003 Ferrari Enzo

General Info
Price:	$643,330
Miles Per Gallon:	--- mpg
Curb Weight:	2767 lbs
Layout:	Mid-Engine/RWD
Transmission:	6-Speed Semi-Automatic
Engine
Type:	V12
Displacement:	5998 cc
Horsepower:	660 bhp @ 7800 rpm
Torque:	472 lb-ft @ 4700 rpm
Redline:	8200 rpm
Performance
0-60 mph:	3.6 sec
0-100 mph:	6.3 sec
Quarter Mile:	11 sec @ 130 mph
Skidpad:	---
Top Speed:	217 mph
Braking, 60-0 mph:	--- ft
Slalom Speed:	--- mph

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The Most Expensive Sports

One of the great things about sports is that anyone with at least a modicum of talent and a heart full of desire can participate competently at something regardless of the size of their bank account.

That's right: Despite what the marketing wizzes at Nike (nyse: NKE - news - people ) might lead you to believe, it doesn't take a $200 pair of Air Jordans to play a decent game of pick-up basketball, any more than it requires a $2,000 driver to land a lucky hole-in-one on No. 7 at Pebble Beach, or nearly a $100,000 Holland & Holland side-by-side to plug a partridge in mid-flight.

And yet, as anyone who has ever dabbled seriously at such pursuits knows, throwing money around can have a positive effect on your game. From boosting your confidence, comfort and ability levels, to inspiring awe--or, even better, intimidation--in your opponents, highest-end training and equipment can be a worthy investment.

Nowhere does this hold truer than in sports that are expensive by their very nature. An auto racer behind the wheel of the finest sports car money can buy, a racing yacht crewed by high-salaried and seasoned sailors, or a mountaineer trained by experts and outfitted in premium gear are all forces to be reckoned with, regardless of their opponents'--or mountain's--will to stop them.

"The benefit of expensive sporting assets is almost incalculable on the field of play," notes Rege Ludwig, former coach of the U.S. Polo Team, who now runs first-rate polo clinics from his base in Palm Springs, Calif. Ludwig illustrates his point with the tale of a high-goal professional polo player with a stable full of horses, including a favorite named Chessy. "Every time he was on Chessy, he would score two goals, no matter what. His skills were basically the same, but the way he used them were different, and he would try stuff on Chessy he wouldn't try on other horses. Opponents got so nervous when they saw the two together, they'd start worrying and stop playing their game."

The result? The owner of an opposing team offered £225,000 (about $405,000) for Chessy--not to ride him, but to keep the two apart. In the end, the player realized Chessy's value went well beyond money and refused to sell.

Of course, as anyone who wants to sink his change into expensive sports will quickly learn, high-priced assets are only part of the price. There's also the cost of maintaining those assets, as well as of moving them around from one event to the next. A vintage Ferrari or Bentley not only has to get to the track and back each weekend, but must also be maintained before, during and after every race. A cycling team may ride like the wind, but only if it has transportation capable of hauling both bikes and riders to the starting line. And nobody can compete in anything without the necessary membership fees, licenses, and insurance to qualify them in the first place. How fast can such costs add up? You'd be amazed.

To give you a good idea of what you're getting yourself into as you pursue high-priced excellence on the field, we've compiled some of the world's most expensive sports and the anticipated costs should you bankroll them yourself. Presented on a "give-or-take" basis, they reflect actual prices and authoritative estimates. Just remember--no matter how much money you throw at a sport, it still takes heart to win.

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Florida Gators, inspired by basketball coach Billy Donovan, rout Georgia Bulldogs in football 41-17

JACKSONVILLE — Three months into the season, Florida football players have tired of hearing head coach Urban Meyer speak about sticking together and overcoming adversity.

So to help get the Gators out of their recent funk, Meyer turned Thursday to a man who knows about defending a national title: UF men's basketball coach Billy Donovan, whose teams won it all in 2006 and 2007. He talked with the team's leaders about 6and not letting outsiders ruin the Gators' season.

"He was very inspiring," Florida quarterback Tim Tebow said. "It was very motivating for a lot of us."

Inspired by Donovan's message, the Gators defeated arch-rival Georgia 41-17 on Saturday in their most complete victory of the season.

"One of the best team wins we've had at Florida," said Meyer, who gave Donovan credit for the win.

"To have a resource like that an eighth of a mile from my office, it's kind of cool," Meyer said.

After sloppy victories over Arkansas and Mississippi State, the Gators finally held on to the ball (zero turnovers), scored from inside the Red Zone (2-of-3 opportunities) and expertly executed the offensive game plan.

The Gators improved to 17-3 over Georgia over the past 20 years, and Meyer improved to 14-1 in rivalry games against Georgia, Tennessee, Florida State and Miami. And with Tennessee beating South Carolina 31-13 Saturday night, the Gators (8-0, 6-0 SEC) clinched the SEC East division title with two conference games to play.

Meyer and offensive coordinator Steve Addazio devised a game plan that allowed Florida's offense to gain 374 yards and score 34 points. Meyer also challenged the players during practice this week to start performing like the No. 1 team in the country, capped by an emotional speech to the team Friday night.

"We weren't living up to our potential or executing as well as we should have been," Tebow said.

Tebow had a memorable performance playing in front of his hometown crowd for the final time in his college career. He completed 15 of 21 passes for two touchdowns and rushed for 85 yards and another two touchdowns, his first multiple-touchdown game since Sept. 26 against Kentucky. More importantly, he didn't turn the ball over and took only two sacks.

Tebow's first rushing touchdown, a 23-yarder late in the first half, gave him 50 for his career, breaking Herschel Walker's official SEC record. Walker, however, scored five touchdowns in bowl games that SEC officials do not count, so technically, Tebow's 51 career touchdowns are still three short of Walker's career total.

"Just to be mentioned in the same breath as Herschel Walker, it's extremely humbling," Tebow said.

Florida may finally have clicked on offense, but the defense once again stole the show. The Gators held Georgia to 286 yards of offense and intercepted four Bulldogs passes. Linebacker A.J. Jones took two away, while linebackers Ryan Stamper and Brandon Spikes snagged one each.

Spikes returned his interception 5 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown to punctuate the blowout and send the Georgia half of the stadium home early.

For Meyer and his players, it was the perfect ending to a tough week.

"There's only one way to have fun around here," Meyer said, "and that's singing the fight song after the game."

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College basketball countdown: No. 9 Villanova

As a youngster growing up in Herndon, Va., Villanova senior Scottie Reynolds rooted for the Maryland Terrapins, so naturally his favorite buzzer-beater was Drew Nicholas' fadeaway 3-pointer that beat UNC Wilmington in an NCAA first-round game in 2003.

Now Reynolds has a new No. 1 buzzer-beater: his own shining moment in the NCAA Tournament. Reynolds' thrilling length-of-the-court-drive through the Pitt defense last season sent the Wildcats to the Final Four for the first time since 1985.

"It's a lot different around here now," said Reynolds of life on the Villanova campus. "Everyone has embraced us like we won the national championship. The buzz is still that strong."

Villanova is among the favorites to make a return trip to the Final Four this season, and Reynolds is a big reason why. The 6-2 guard decided to come back for a senior season after withdrawing his name from the NBA draft in June. There were a lot of reasons Reynolds wanted to return to school, and one of them was the chance to make another Final Four and have a chance to win the national championship that eluded him last season when the Wildcats were knocked off by North Carolina in a national semifinal.

"I love this group of guys," Reynolds said. "(Last season's seniors) Dante Cunningham and Dwayne Anderson and Shane Clark motivated me to lead the team and wanting that challenge. We want to keep this thing at a high level. We want this team to reach its potential."

And Villanova has plenty of potential. Coach Jay Wright returns four players with starting experience and has added three of the top 30 freshmen in the country.

Reynolds (15.2 ppg) is the undisputed leader. He scored 20 points or more in nine games last year and led the team with 3.4 assists per game. He's a three-year starter and on pace to score 2,000 points for his career.

Junior guard Corey Fisher (10.8 ppg) earned the Big East's Sixth Man of the Year after assuming a reserve role midway through the season. He was the team's third-leading scorer and reached double figures 23 times in 38 games.

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Basketball becomes bat-sketball as player swats Halloween night invader

It was with an uncanny sense of timing that a bat chose Halloween to disrupt the NBA tie between San Antonio Spurs and the Sacramento Kings. What, perhaps, the creature did not count on were the quick hands of the Spurs' Manu Ginobili who, not content with scoring 13 points in his side's 113-94 win, swatted it from the air as it swooped across the court.

The bat had already sent players to the sidelines twice in the first quarter. The officials stopped the game as it circled then flew across the AT&T Center's court. First they called for a towel to catch it, then a net. But Ginobili took matters, literally, into his own hands. When the bat returned he simply smacked it to the ground before calmly carrying it off court to thunderous applause.

After a brief squirt of disinfectant from a trainer, and with the theme from Batman ringing in his ears over the venue's PA, the Argentinian player carried on much as if nothing had happened. "When you can't dunk anymore, you have to find a way to make it into the news," he said afterwards. "So that's what I did. I grabbed a bat. I didn't think it was a big deal. Then the whole arena started chanting my name."

It was his team-mate, Tony Parker, who led the Spurs' victory with 24 points and seven assists, however it was Ginobili's bat-slapping exploits that grabbed the attention. "That was amazing," said Parker. "The legend continues with Manu. Unbelievable. He's always doing crazy stuff."

It was something his coach, Gregg Popovich confirmed: "The drummer that he marches to sometimes is a little bit different. He never ceases to amaze me and he just did it again. The legend grows. It's incredible on Halloween night. You would call someone a liar if they told you that story."

"I guess in Argentina, bat hunting is part of everyday life," the Kings centre Spencer Hawes said. "Somebody had to do it, and it wasn't going to be me."

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Federer disappointed by Agassi drug admission

ZURICH — World number one Roger Federer on Thursday voiced disappointment at Andre Agassi's bombshell admission that he had taken drugs in 1997 and then lied to the ATP to avoid a ban.

"It was a shock when I heard the news. I am disappointed and I hope there are no more such cases in future," Federer said at a sponsors meeting at Kilchberg near Zurich.

But Federer also noted that Agassi "has done a lot for tennis, both as a player and as a human being".

"Today, he raises millions of dollars for his foundation for disadvantaged children," the Swiss commented.

Agassi, one of just six men to have won all four Grand Slam titles and widely regarded as one of the sport's finest players, stunned tennis this week by revealing he'd taken the highly-addictive drug crystal methamphetamine in 1997.

The American, now 39, also admitted that he lied to the governing body of the ATP to escape a ban.

Federer noted that today, players must make themselves available for dope tests between 20 and 30 times a year.

"Our sport must stay clean," he stressed.

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How tennis world reacted to Andre Agassi’s admission of taking crystal meth

Andre Agassi’s autobiography, ‘Open’, has been the talk of tennis since extracts were published in which he admitted to using crystal meth, with Roger Federer, Rafa Nadal, Boris Becker, Andy Roddick and many others having an opinion.

Rafa Nadal:

“If the ATP covered for Agassi then I think that’s dreadful. If they covered for the player and punished others for doing the same kind of thing then that would seem to me to be a lack of respect for all sportsmen.”

Roger Federer:

“It was a shock when I heard the news. I am disappointed and I hope there are no more such cases in future.”

Darren Cahill (Agassi’s last professional coach):

“[Agassi is] extremely proud of the book and I’m proud of him for giving such an honest and revealing look at his life”.

Boris Becker:

“I’m the last person to throw stones, as there have been some difficult times in my own life, but to hear that he took crystal meth, that certainly puts a whole new light on Andre and it’s not a beautiful light.

“I’m struggling to get my head around why Andre would want to confess to something so damaging as taking drugs and then getting away with it? Why would he want to be so brutally honest?

“I’m really surprised that he would want to discuss such a private part of his life, to talk about such a bad period in his life. I’m sure this will help to sell his book. He doesn’t need the money, though. He’s a rich man.”

Andy Roddick:

“Andre is and always will be my idol. I will judge him on how he has treated me and how he has changed the world for the better.

“If anything we (the top players) are subjected to way more testing and attention. That’s just a fact. And, to be fair, when Andre wrote the reported letter (which deceived the authorities), he was well outside the top 100 and widely viewed as on the way out.”

Venus Williams:

“I’m sure his book will sell. But I can’t say anything about Andre Agassi’s life.”

Serena Williams:

“I don’t know what crystal meth is, that’s my reaction,” said the newly-crowned year-end world number one. I haven’t read anything about his book.”

Martina Navratilova:

“Shocking. Not as much shock that he did it as shock he lied about it and didn’t own up to it.

“Andre lied and got away with it. You can’t correct that now. Do you take away a title he wouldn’t have won if he had been suspended? He beat some people when he should have been suspended.”

Nick Bollettieri (Agassi’s former coach):

“I don’t condone what he did – I’ve made mistakes too, but I’ve done more good than bad.

“Let’s look at what Andre has done, he funds a school for 400 kids from the inner-city. I know underneath he’s a hell of guy.”

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Serena Williams withdraws from next week's Fed Cup Finals

Serena Williams has withdrawn from the U.S. vs. Italy Fed Cup by BNP Paribas World Group Final set to take place November 7-8 in Reggio Calabria, Italy. Williams will be replaced by Vania King. King will be making her sixth appearance on the U.S. Fed Cup team.

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Hussey guides Aussies to 229-5 against India

Sunday, November 01, 2009
NEW DELHI: Michael Hussey top-scored with an unbeaten 81 as Australia posted 229-5 in the third One-day International against India here on Saturday.

Hussey, 34, hit his third half-century of the series and shared 56 runs with captain Ricky Ponting (59) after the world champions won the toss and elected to bat on a slow track at the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium.

Opener Shane Watson made up for his disappointing batting in the first two matches, making a fine 41 off 59 balls with five fours in the day-night encounter.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja impressed the most among the bowlers on the tricky track, picking 2-41 off nine overs.

The seven-match series is tied 1-1 after India won the second match at Nagpur by 99 runs. Australia had clinched the opener at Vadodara by four runs.

The visitors were off to a steady start with Ponting — opening the innings in the absence of the injured Tim Paine — putting on 72 runs with Watson off 98 balls.

The Australian captain, taking the opener’s role for only the second time in his 327-match one-day cricket career, completed his 72nd one-day half-century off 74 balls before falling to Jadeja.

Ponting tried to clip the spinner across the line but the ball hit the base of the pads right in front of the stumps. He hit four fours in his measured 92-ball knock.

Hussey, who scored 73 at Vadodara and followed it up with a 53-run knock at Nagpur, accumulated his runs through some hard running between the wickets. He hit just three fours and one six, that too in the 50th over.

India need to score at 4.6 runs an over if they are to win the match and go 2-1 up in the series.

Australia, the top-ranked one-day team, brought in Doug Bollinger and Moises Henriques in place of Ben Hilfenhaus and Shaun Marsh.

India named an unchanged side.

Score board

Australia won toss

Australia

S R Watson st Dhoni b Yuvraj Singh 41

*R T Ponting lbw b Jadeja 59

M E K Hussey not out 81

C L White c Dhoni b Raina 0

A C Voges c Kumar b Harbhajan Singh 17

M C Henriques b Jadeja 12

M G Johnson not out 9

Extras (b4, lb3, w3) 10

Total (5 wickets, 50 overs) 229

To bat: †G A Manou, N M Hauritz, P M Siddle, D E Bollinger

Fall: 1-72, 2-128, 3-129, 4-172, 5-200

Bowling: Kumar 5-1-16-0; Nehra 9-0-51-0 (1w); Sharma 5-0-24-0; Jadeja 9-1-41-2; Harbhajan Singh 10-0-37-1 (2w); Yuvraj Singh 8-0-30-1; Raina 4-0-23-1

ODI debuts: M C Henriques and G A Manou (Australia)

Series: 7-ODI series level 1-1

Umpires: S S Hazare and A M Saheba. TV umpire: S K Tarapore. Match referee: B C Broad (England)

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PFF yet to confirm AFC decision

Sunday, November 01, 2009
By our correspondent

KARACHI: Pakistan football authorities are yet to confirm about the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) decision to move the Under-19 Championship Group D Qualifiers from Lahore to any other country due to security reasons.

“I came to know through a message on the AFC website and tried to contact the secretary of the continental football governing body but he was busy in a meeting,” the secretary of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Col Ahmad Yar Khan Lodhi told ‘The News’ on Saturday.

“It will be confirmed in the next two days,” he said. AFC has invited other participating member associations to host the five-team tournament, penciled in for December 8 to 16, it said. Pakistan was going all out to host the five-nation event in which apart from Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Turkmenistan and Lebanon were to feature.

“It is yet to be confirmed, but if it has really happened then it is unfortunate as we were preparing with full force,” the PFF Director Operations Pervez Saeed Mir told.

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I am available: Younis Khan

Sunday, November 01, 2009
DUBAI: Pakistan skipper Younis Khan is ready to come out of his retirement from Twenty20 cricket and play in two Twenty20 matches in Dubai on November 12 and 13.

“If team needs me and since matches are to be held in Dubai, it will be nice to play here,” he remarked Saturday in Dubai.

Younis retired from Twenty20 cricket after leading Pakistan to victory in T20 World Cup in June in England. He is not named in Twenty20 squad for Dubai that is being led by Shahid Afridi.

Asked what prompted him to return to T20 cricket, he said: “A lot of people especially many youngsters told me it is important that I continue playing T20 cricket too. If they still want and if my country still needs my service for this form of game, then I am ready. I will do anything for my country and for my teammates. So you may see me in T20 cricket again.”

He had quit as captain following match fixing allegations during Champions Trophy but Pakistan Cricket Board refused to accept his resignation. Younis said about incident: “I have just come out of a huge controversy. This time my whole nation was behind me. I am happy each and every one in Pakistan backed me in the incident. Today my mind is free and I can concentrate on my captaincy and on my form as well as the team.”

He feels New Zealand will not be an easy team to beat despite absence of many of their top players due to injury. “The positive factor about New Zealand is that they play as a team. They do not depend on only one player and that is why they reached final of Champions Trophy despite injuries to their top players. It will be tough competition here,” he said.

It was New Zealand that upset Pakistan’s chances of reaching the final of Champions Trophy by beating them in the semifinal.

On whether this series would be a revenge series for Pakistan, Younis said: “It will not be a revenge series but we have desire in our mind to defeat them. We cannot easily forget defeat to New Zealand in the semifinal.”

On New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori’s remark that Pakistan pacer Mohammad Aamer will be most dangerous man in team, he said: “We have many match winners and not just Mohammed Aamer alone.”

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Ronaldo wants Rooney at Madrid

Sunday, November 01, 2009
MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo believes his former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney should follow him to Real Madrid.

Ronaldo left Old Trafford in the summer for a record £80million fee to complete a dream move to the Spanish giants and, while admitting Rooney is unlikely to leave England any time soon, he thinks the striker would fit in at the Bernabeu.

“Wayne would be a sensation out here. I think we could do with Rooney to help us out,” Ronaldo told The Sun. “He would be brilliant if he came. This is the ideal place for the world’s best players and there’s little doubt he is one of them.”

He added: “Wayne has all the skill and determination you need to make a fine career here.

“He has shown just how good he is over the last few years in England.

“And there’s no doubt he would be the same sort of player in Spain. It would be lovely to see him here one day at Real Madrid.

“I realise it would take a lot for him to move from England. “He loves the country, he loves Manchester and he is a Liverpool boy. And United is a good club for him. But you never know what could happen in the future.”

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Moment of truth for Pak as World Cup qualifiers begin

KARACHI: The moment of truth for Pakistan hockey arrives in Lille, France, on Saturday when the seventh-ranked team faces the 26th-ranked Italy at the Metropole Club in the first encounter of the World Cup qualifiers.

The national hockey team is featuring in the six-nation tournament as a consequence of losing the Asia Cup final by 0-1 to Korea in May.

The qualifiers, beginning Saturday, will conclude on Nov 8 and Pakistan have to beat all the other participating teams in order to play in the 2010 World Cup to be played in New Delhi, India, from Feb 28 to March 13.

They play their second match against 23rd-ranked Russia (Nov 1), third against 17th-ranked France (Nov 3), fourth against 14th-ranked Japan (Nov 5) and fifth against 22nd-ranked Poland (Nov 7) while the final will be played on the concluding day (Nov 8).

The team that has met several challenges in the form of dropping an important member due to fears of doping, injuries to players and visa hassles since the start of the preparatory camp for this tournament, finally reached its destination on Oct 25 to be informed by the event’s organisers that the pitch where the matches were to be played would not be ready until Oct 29.

Therefore, they had to carry out their training sessions as well as play the practice games with local clubs at an alternate venue.

Playing friendly matches with the competing teams was out anyway due to shortage of time.

The team had earlier planned to leave for Europe on Sept 24 to play three Tests with hosts France on the 27th, 28th and 30th that were to be followed by two Tests against Poland (Oct 3 and 4) and three against Belgium (Oct 6, 7 and 8).

But unable to acquire Schengen visas enabling them to freely tour through Europe, on time, they had to reschedule their programme twice. Later, they dropped Belgium to play in Poland and France alone and then it was decided that they fly directly to France.

Pakistan have never missed playing in a hockey World Cup since its inaugural tournament in Spain in 1971. Winning that title, they went on to win three more — in Argentina in 1978, in India in 1982 and in Australia in 1994.

Zeeshan Ashraf’s men may be in a do-or-die situation at the moment but they are also the favourites, according to the experts of the game.

Flying Horse Samiullah believes that the national side has a much better chance against the other competing teams who are all much lower down in world rankings.

‘There should be nothing stopping the team from winning the event provided the players play responsibly,’ he said.

Chief Coach Shahid Ali Khan said before leaving for France that they better win or they return as zeroes instead of heroes. ‘We have practiced very hard and are hoping for the best results. The boys, too, are in first-class shape. But winning is all that matters otherwise everything adds up to zero,’ he had announced.

Meanwhile, showing confidence in his boys, skipper and fullback Zeeshan Ashraf had said that they still shouldn’t underestimate the other seemingly-mediocre sides.

The team is a good combination of new talent and experience. Centre-half Wasim Ahmed, forward Rehan Butt, and goalkeeper Salman Akbar joined the team directly in France while the remaining 15 left from Lahore last Sunday.

Besides the World Cup qualifiers in France, two other qualifiers are also scheduled to take place — in New Zealand (Nov 7-15) featuring China, Malaysia, Austria, Scotland and Wales besides the hosts, and in Argentina (Nov 17-22) featuring Belgium, Ireland, USA, Czech Republic and Italy besides the hosts.

The nine teams that have already qualified for the World Cup comprise hosts India, Canada (Pan American Cup champions), Korea (Asia Cup champions), Australia (Oceania Cup champions), South Africa (Africa Cup champions), England (Euro Hockey Nations’ champions), Germany (silver medallist of Euro Hockey Nations’ Cup), Netherlands (bronze medallist of Euro Hockey Nations’ Cup) and Spain (fourth-ranked team of Euro Hockey Nations’ Cup).

Team

Goalkeepers: Salman Akbar and Nasir Ahmad.

Fullbacks: Zeeshan Ashraf (captain), Sohail Abbas and Mohammad Imran.

Halves: Mohammad Irfan, Wasim Ahmad, Sajjad Anwar, Fareed Ahmad and Mohammad Rashid.

Forwards: Rehan Butt, Shakeel Abbasi, Haseem Khan, Abbas Haider, Akhtar Ali, Waqas Sharif, Shafqat Rasool and Mohammad Zubair.

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Pakistan begin WC qualifier campaign in style

KARACHI: Penalty-corner specialist fullback Sohail Abbas lived up to expectations as Pakistan thrashed Italy 5-0 in their first match of the hockey World Cup qualifiers, played at the Metropole Club in Lille, France on Saturday.

According to the information received here, the match saw as many as three goals being scored on penalty-corners with Sohail converting two in the 31st and 47th minutes. The third was scored by fullback Mohammad Imran in the 43rd minute.

The first half score was 1-0 in favour of the favourites with four goals coming in the second half. The last two goals were both successful field attempts by forwards Mohammad Zubair and Haseem Khan in the 52nd and and 68th minutes, respectively.

Pakistan play their second match on Sunday against Russia, who beat Japan 4-0 in the first match.

Pakistan - Italy 5:0 (1:0)
PAK 31mn Sohail ABBAS (PC) 1:0
PAK 43mn Muhammad IMRAN (PC) 2:0
PAK 47mn Sohail ABBAS (PC) 3:0
PAK 52mn Muhammad ZUBAIR (FG) 4:0
PAK 68mn Abdul Haseem KHAN (FG) 5:0

Standings:

Pakistan 3pts
Japan 3pts
France 1pt
Poland 1pt
Russia 0pt
Italy 0pt

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All Set For ICC Champions Trophy 2009

Champions Trophy 2009 held to begin from the 22 September to 5 October at Wanderers Stadium and Centurion Park in Johannesberg in South Africa. Two teams from two group of four will form the semi finals with the final played on 5 October.

Last year tournament was supposed to be happen in Pakistan but was postponed until October 2009 due to security concerns after the attack on Sri Lankan teams. Group A consists of Australia, India, Pakistan and West Indies Group B consists of England, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and New Zealand. Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen stars of England team will not play for ICC Champions. Australia defeated England in the recent 50 over series and England became the first team to lose a series by 7-0. After the beginning of Twenty20, the popularity of 50 over game has declin

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Davide Grassi Injury Knocks Aberdeen

Davide Grassi has been discarded for three months from Aberdeen after experiencing a triple cheekbone fracture. This accident happened when Co-Operative Insurance Cup defeated Dundee, his head clashed with defender David Cowan.

As a substitute to Sone Aluko on the left of midfield, Grassi was signed for this match. Sone Aluko will not play match for another month as he is in Nigeria squad for the Under-20 World Cup held in Egypt. This tournament will last for until the 16 October. Davide Grassi had signed a one-year contract with Aberdeen in the month of August. This injury happened just five minutes into the loss of 3-2 to the first division side.

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Salomon Kalau Signs A New Deal With Chelsea

Salomon Kalau Chelsea striker signed a new three-year contract with the Stamford Bridge club, which should keep him in west London until 2012. Carlo Ancelotti Blues Manager told at an official website that Salomon an important player for the club and he is pleased that Salomon has signed a new contract.

Ivory Coast star £8m signing from Feyenoord in 2006 was set to become a free agent next summer. Chelsea was currently appealing against a transfer ban imposed by Fifa, which prevents them from registering new players until January 2011. Later punishment was cancelled after the club was found guilty of suggesting Gael Kakuta to breach his contract with Lens in 2007. Kalou follows Didier Drogba, Ashley Cole and John Terry in vowing his future with the Premier League outfit and banned from signing any new players for the next two transfers window. Kalau was often used as a substitute since his move to west London with five of his 10 appearances this season coming off the bench. In total, he has made 93 starts, 66 substitute appearances for Chelsea and scored 31 goals. Ancelotti added saying Salomon is very well motivated and work hard for his game and he is sure of Salomon becoming an important player in future. Kalou is likely to play at next summer’s World Cup finals after Ivory Coast sealed their qualification with a 1-1 draw against Malawi.

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Confident Pakistan leaves to face New Zealand

LAHORE: Pakistan's 16-man cricket squad left for Dubai early Friday with coach Intikhab Alam confident his team can beat New Zealand in the limited-over series.

Pakistan will play three one-day internationals on November 3, 6, 9 in Abu Dhabi and two Twenty20 internationals on November 12 and 13 in Dubai, in a series relocated to the United Arab Emirates over security fears.

'Confidence is high and if we play to our potential we can win the series,' Alam told reporters at Lahore airport.

'We have been doing well in one-day cricket and I hope the good work will continue.'

Younus Khan leads the one-day squad, while all-rounder Shahid Afridi will take over for the Twenty20 internationals.

Also leaving the squad after the one-day matches will be opener Salman Butt, Mohammad Yousuf and Wahab Riaz. Imran Nazir, Fawad Alam and Sohail Tanveer will join the 15-man Twenty20 squad.

After the UAE series, Pakistan will fly to New Zealand for three Tests. The series was also originally scheduled to be held in Pakistan but relocated after their rivals refused to tour owing to the security fears.

Younus will return to lead the Test squad.

One-day squad: Younus Khan (capt), Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Khalid Latif, Mohammad Yousuf, Shoaib Malik, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq, Umer Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Gul, Mohammad Aamir, Rao Iftikhar, Wahab Riaz.

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NEW YORK: Andre Agassi used crystal meth periodically for ‘a year or so,’ the eight-time Grand Slam champion revealed in an interview with People maga

In his upcoming autobiography, Agassi admits he used crystal meth in 1997 and failed a drug test _ a result he says was thrown out after he lied by saying he ‘unwittingly’ took the substance.

‘If you're going to tell your story, you owe it to yourself to tell it honestly,’ Agassi told the magazine in its latest issue.

‘Especially if you're going to call it 'Open.’'

New excerpts published on Friday reveal Agassi wore a hairpiece that nearly fell off at the 1990 French Open, became jealous during ex-wife Brooke Shields' appearance on ‘Friends,’ and how Shields put a photo of Steffi Graf _ now married to Agassi _ on the fridge for motivation to get in better shape before their wedding.

‘It's a photo of the perfect woman, she says,’ Agassi wrote. ‘The perfect woman with the perfect legs _ the legs Brooke wants.’

Agassi also explains how he and Shields begin dating shortly after Christmas 1993 and connected by sharing their experiences with pushy parents. He also reveals that he stormed off the set of ‘Friends,’ becoming jealous when Shields had to lick actor Matt LeBlanc's hand.

‘Have some more hand. I'm out of here,’ wrote Agassi, who said he consulted Shields on the book.

‘A lot of our recollections were the same, but not the interpretations,’ Agassi told the magazine. ‘I tried to turn a harder lens on myself than on anyone else.’

And it was the camera lens that haunted Agassi.

The tennis star's brother was sent running around Paris to find bobby pins to keep Agassi's disintegrating spiked-mullet weave from coming off his head before a match in the 1990 French Open.

‘Of course I could play without my hairpiece. But after months of derision, criticism, mockery, I'm too self-conscious,’ he wrote.

‘Image Is Everything? What would they say if they knew? Win or lose, they wouldn't talk about my game. They'd only talk about my hair. I can close my eyes and almost hear it. And I know I can't take it.

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Brady starting to look comfortable again

Forget who the Patriots’ opponents were – Tom Brady has looked great the past two weeks.

For the first five weeks of the 2009 season, Brady looked an awfully lot like a player that had major reconstructive surgery a year ago. He looked uncomfortable in the pocket, wasn’t accurate and was getting flustered by how he was playing.

But in New England’s 59-0 win over Tennessee and its 35-7 rout of Tampa Bay in London, England today, Brady looks like the old Tom Brady again. He has thrown nine touchdowns in his last two games but more importantly than the numbers, he finally looks comfortable again.

Earlier this season, Brady got into a bad habit of throwing off his back foot. But against the Bucs, he showed the ability to step into his throws and while he did throw two interceptions, he played with a ton of confidence and his receivers did an excellent job picking up yardage after the catch.

The Pats head into their bye in great shape at 5-2. They have an important stretch of games after their off week, including two against the Dolphins and one against the Colts, Jets and Saints. If Brady continues to play with confidence, the Pats will be dangerous in the second half.

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Bill Simmons lists the 33 most intriguing people of the 2009-10 NBA season

On the Blazers' acquisition of Andre Miller...

21. Andre Miller
We knew Miller was a bad fit when the Blazers signed him. It just didn't feel right. He's a moody loner; they had great chemistry last season. He needs the ball in his hands; so does Brandon Roy. He likes freelancing; Nate McMillan is hands on. But Portland felt obligated to spend its extra cap money, and nobody else was pursuing Miller, so what transpired was the equivalent of two single wedding guests going through the motions on the dance floor.

I could use someone, and you could use someone. Unfortunately, I hate bald guys and I have a tiny butt; you're bald and you love bubble butts. We have no spark and are destined to fail. But crap, there's nobody better. Screw it, would you like to come back to my room?

I get Portland's thinking: It wanted to turn that cap space into an asset. And I get Miller's thinking: He wanted to get paid and hoped things would work out. But now we're here. Incredibly, Portland plans on bringing Miller off the bench. He's already miserable. (And available, by the way. Make Kevin Pritchard an offer. Seriously, call him right now.) So what did we learn? Just because you have cap space doesn't mean you HAVE to use it.

On Shaq joining the Cavs...

8. Shaquille O'Neal
Red flag No. 1: He's 835 pounds. Red flag No. 2: He has never successfully pulled off the whole "sidekick" thing; even to the bitter end, he was playing the big brother/little brother routine with Dwyane Wade. Red flag No. 3: He's splitting time with Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who might be a better fit for this particular team because of his outside shooting. Red flag No. 4: He has never, ever, ever, not in his entire life, played for a coach as offensively challenged as Mike Brown. Red flag No. 5: He doesn't have the luxury of Phoenix's training staff anymore. Red flag No. 6: He's so fat that it's like looking at one of those TVs where the HD is screwed up so it makes everyone seem wider. Red flag No. 7: The Suns traded him for two guys who they immediately bought out for a combined $14 million. Red flag No. 8: The Cavs are better off if he's playing 15-20 minutes a game and that's it. Red flag No. 9: He's so fat that it's possible Delonte West was packing three guns because he got confused and thought Shaq wanted to eat him. Red flag No. 10: He's awfully close to some records, which will make it awkward if Cleveland tries to reduce his playing time.

That's 10 red flags. Ten. (To be fair, Shaq doesn't look THAT fat. He just looks a little, um, heavy. Maybe it's the uniform that makes him look doughy for some reason. I just know that, when I saw the cover of Sports Illustrated this week, I couldn't figure out why Aretha Franklin shaved her head. Then I realized it was Shaq.) And that's before we get into the whole, "Shaq seems like a great guy, but if he's a great guy, then why did he leave four teams on really bad terms" thing. Be prepared for him to do more harm than good in Cleveland. One difference: If he crosses LeBron like he crossed Nash, he'll be getting the Braylon Edwards 48-hour ticket out of town.

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Is it time for the Chiefs to dump Johnson?

Following the Chiefs’ embarrassing loss to the Chargers on Sunday, running back Larry Johnson took a couple verbal swipes at head coach Todd Haley via his Twitter page, then proceeded to use a homophobic slur to degrade another Twitter user.

Here are LJ’s tweets

• “my father got more creditentials than most of these pro coaches. … google my father!!!!!!!”

• “My father played for the coach from “rememeber the titans”. Our coach played golf. My father played for redskins briefley. Our coach. Nuthn”

Following those messages, an exchange appeared between Johnson’s account and another Twitter user, in which the other user made a reference to an incident in which Johnson pled guilty to disturbing the peace after allegedly spitting into the face of a female patron at a nightclub. A message on Johnson’s account referred to the other Twitter user’s profile picture with a homophobic slur, calling it a “[expletive] pic” and called the user a “Christopher street boy.” Christopher Street is a well-known New York City street which became famous as a symbol for the city’s gay-pride movement.

The message posted in Johnson’s account containing the homophobic slur read:

• “think bout a clever diss then that wit ur [expletive] pic. Christopher street boy. Is what us east coast cats call u.”

The final message of the night on Johnson’s account read:

• “Make me regret it. Lmao. U don’t stop my checks. Lmao. So “tweet” away.”

Johnson’s agent tried to put out the fire claiming that Johnson was just trying to pump his father up and didn’t mean to degrade Haley. But it’s pretty clear by Johnson’s tweets that he was taking a shot at his head coach.

This isn’t the first time that Johnson has gotten into a controversial situation off the field. He has had four arrests for various degrees of battery since the Chiefs drafted him in 2003, including an incident in which he spat in the face of a female at a nightclub. That incident cost him a one-game suspension.

Outside of a potential cap hit (which would be in excess of over $8 million), what’s stopping GM Scott Pioli from dumping Johnson now? LJ turns 30 in November, is averaging a career-worst 2.7 yards per carry and he continues to be a distraction. I realize he has been on his best behavior under the new regime up until this point, but this Twitter situation seems like another one of his attempts to get traded. The Chiefs are trying to move in a new direction under Haley and Pioli and they can’t do it if everyone isn’t on the same page.

If Johnson doesn’t fit into their long-term plans, then KC should cut bait and move on. Every year teams find running back gems in the draft and Pioli is one of the best player evaluators in the NFL. They could easily find a more productive running back and one that has less baggage.

Again, the cap hit would be tough for the Chiefs to swallow, but Johnson hasn’t done squat since he signed his new contract a couple years ago. The positives of cutting LJ seem to outweigh the negatives.

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PCB denies match-fixing allegations

Dasti told that Pakistan deliberately lost the game to Australia which ensured India were knocked out of the tournament.

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Younis wants captaincy guarantee from PCB: report

emand of captaining the side until World Cup 2011 if the PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) wants him to take back the resignation

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Earpieces and trivia are spoiling the Champions League's great cricket

Please let me watch the cricket and let Harper concentrate on his job in the middle. Remember again this is supposed to be a life and death struggle.

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Flintoff speaks out about injuries

AP Andrew Flintoff says the injuries that hastened his retirement from Test cricket were so painful, he often needed his wife to put on his socks and shoes.

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Comment: Cricket Copies Football; Why Can't It Be Vice Versa As Well?

At a time where you see the who's who of cricket find their inspiration from the people's game, it's time that those in the Indian FA learn a thing or two.

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Franklin puts hand up as Oram's replacement

6 role in New Zealand's lineup after Jacob Oram's retirement from test cricket. Franklin has returned to the capital after a long season with English county.

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Times Online Resignation submitted by Pakistan cricket captain

Times Online

Resignation submitted by Pakistan cricket captain over query into ...‎ - 1 hour ago Pakistan cricket captain Younis Khan has tendered his resignation in protest against a meeting called to investigate the team's defeats by Australia and Newzealand.

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Wayamba won by 15 runs

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Windies knock England out of T20

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Second chance

Ex-champ Jermain Taylor could be on track to punch his ticket back to the top.

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Major flop

Michael Vick's stint with the Eagles has been a gigantic dud.

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For Danica, NASCAR doesn't make sense

Danica Patrick continues to flirt with NASCAR, but she'd be better served staying in the IRL.

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shahid afridi has a strong contender for captain

shahid afridi will become the captain of paki team after younis has gave resign to captaincy.

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younis declare his retirement from captaincy

pak captain younis khan gave his resignation letter to p.c.b

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ICC clears Pakistan players of bookie contact

CHENNAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has cleared Pakistan players of coming in contact with bookmakers on their recent tour of Sri Lanka.

The ICC said in a statement on Monday it was satisfied "no evidence of any such contacts exists" after its Anti-Corruption and Security Unit held an investigation following media reports that the visitors had been approached.

"I am pleased those investigations have indicated nothing untoward has taken place on this occasion but it is a reminder that all of us... must maintain our vigilance to ensure we remain on top of the issue of corruption," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat said in a statement.

The Pakistan Cricket Board informed ICC that it suspected bookmakers were staying on the same floor as their players in the team hotel in Colombo after the tourists lost the test series 2-0 and had lost the first three games of their five-match, one-day series.

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Vice captain should be dropped from team: Younis

COLOMBU: Captain Pakistan cricket team Younis Khan said he is not completely authorized for players’ selection adding that vice captain should not remain in team but it is hard to drop him.

Talking to Atiqur Rehman during Geo television program Captain’s Corner, Younis Khan said players must enhance their performance.

It is worth mentioning that the batting line-up of Pakistan cricket team totally failed in second one day international match against Sri Lanka as Lankans made it look very easy to achieve target of 169 runs, taking lead 2-0 in the series.

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