Deccan Chargers beat Royal Challengers by 9 runs

Deccan Chargers defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore by nine runs in their Indian Premier League match today. Deccan Chargers: 132 for seven in 20 overs South African allrounder JP Duminy cracked a strokeful 53-ball 74 as Deccan Chargers recovered from shaky start to post a modest 132 for seven against RCB in IPL.

IPL preview: Mumbai Indians hope to seal playoff berth, RR to play for pride

Mumbai Indians would be looking to seal a playoffs berth and iron out minor flaws for the bigger battles ahead, while the Rajasthan Royals would play for pride when the two sides take on each other in their last league encounter of the IPL here tomorrow. Rajasthan Royals, who have not been consistent enough, bowed out of contention for the playoffs with a humiliating five wicket defeat against Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad. They must be ruing their close defeats against Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings but are left with no other options but to play for pride against the formidable Mumbai Indians. Skipper Rahul Dravid has already proved that he is not a spent force and that too in the shorter version of the game which has never been his forte. He, along with Australian Shane Watson, Shaun Tait, Ajinkya Rahane and others would like to prove a point with better performances. Mumbai are placed third with 18 points from 15 matches and Royal Challengers Bangalore have 17 points from 15 matches and they take on the lowly Deccan Chargers on Sunday in a day match. It will be a must-win situation for the visitors if RCB too wins. Mumbai Indians have a strong side featuring the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, South African Herschelle Gibbs, West Indian Kieron Pollard and Ambati Rayudu. Rohit is in good nick with a hundred under his belt but Tendulkar is yet to play a big knock in the competition.

Chennai and Mumbai in same Champions League group

The Chennai Super Kings, led by MS Dhoni, the India captain, have been grouped with Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians for the Champions League Twenty20 (T20) tournament.

The September 23 to October 9 competition, which will feature 10 of the world's top T20 sides, will be played in two groups of five with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals.

The tournament will be played in the southern Indian cities of Chennai and Bangalore, as well as Kolkata in the east.

Chennai will host the final and a semi-final, while Bangalore will host the other semi-final.

Seven teams from India, Australia and South Africa have earned given direct entries, while six others will play off for the remaining three spots in a qualifying tournament at Hyderabad from September 19-21.

The qualifying event will have two pools of three teams with the top side from both advancing, along with the next best qualifier.

The Kolkata Knight Riders, Trinidad and Tobago of the West Indies and the Auckland Aces of New Zealand will be joined by two teams from England and one from Sri Lanka in qualifying.

The Super Kings are the defending champions.

Batsman Tunes Out Troubles and Sets a Record

Sachin Tendulkar’s 50th score of 100 or more in five-day tests, achieved earlier this week in Centurion, South Africa, was more than just another personal landmark in a career already overflowing with them.

It was a significant moment for cricket as a whole. Cricket as a game thinks in fifties and hundreds and applauds when players reach those marks.

Until recently it was unthinkable that any one man might score as many as 50 centuries in tests. Tendulkar not only met the old record, 34, set by his Indian compatriot, Sunil Gavasker, he smashed it. One more and he’ll have exceeded the original mark by 50 percent.

It is not unthinkable that somebody may one day overtake Tendulkar, though his closest pursuers right now — Ricky Ponting (39) and Jacques Kallis (38) — are far behind in his wake.

It appears unlikely, barring some implausible explosion in the number of the matches or the emergence of an authentic Superman, that we will ever see the next step, somebody scoring 100 centuries in tests, and that makes Tendulkar’s mark of 50 a truly special moment.

For many of the Tendulkar’s millions of followers, he already is Superman. He is a rare sporting marvel, a child prodigy who not only fulfilled the awesome potential he first showed when he broke into India’s team at 16, but then showed the desire and durability that allowed him to maintain his top-level play later on in his career. It is as if Mozart had lived to be 70, composing fresh works of greatness all the while.

That Tendulkar, 37, retains his underlying genius was evident in the first innings at Centurion as India collapsed around him. Tendulkar was facing the most effective and aggressive pace pairing in world cricket — Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel of South Africa — in conditions that perfectly suited them. He did not merely cope, but scored more than a run a ball, producing a succession of breathtaking strokes.

In the second innings, when he reached his own landmark, he was battling for his team, desperately attempting to avert first defeat and then, when that became inevitable, the humiliation of losing by an innings.

It was left to a South African, India coach Gary Kirsten, to shed light on what is perhaps the secret to Tendulkar’s extraordinary durability: practice.

He is, “the model of what an international cricketer should be, and has been for years,” Kirsten said. “I still reckon that I do more throw-downs to him every day than any other member of the squad.”

That comment brought to mind other great athletes who had nothing else to prove, yet still had the inner drive to take them to the next level.

Like the golfer Gary Player, who when complimented on his good fortune said, “And you know, the more I practice, the luckier I get.”

The baseball player Joe DiMaggio explained his dedication to performing well every day by pointing out, “there might be some kid watching who has never seen me play before.”

The 50th century is yet another addition to the monument being built by the man who, without a doubt, is the greatest living batsman. He plays in a batting order that also includes the world’s most explosively brilliant player, Virender Sehwag, and the man who most closely resembles the outcome should anyone ever succeed in constructing the ideal batsman from scratch, Rahul Dravid.

Yet none of them, not even Tendulkar, is India’s most valuable player, in the sense of being the man it can do least without. The match in Centurion left little doubt about who that is: the left-arm quick bowler Zaheer Khan.

While South Africa’s pacemen made the pitch there look lethal, India’s equivalents, shorn of their injured leader, were ineffective and allowed the Proteas to pile up 620 runs for four wickets. With Zaheer, India will just about pass muster in bowling, his presence taking the pressure off the other players. His teammates benefit from the pressure that his speed and movement place on opposing batsmen. Without him, India is way short of what a No. 1 team needs.

The Great Sachin Tendulkar

Full name Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar

Born April 24, 1973, Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra

Current age 36 years 307 days

Major teams India, Asia XI, Mumbai, Mumbai Indians, Yorkshire

Nickname Tendlya, Little Master

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm offbreak, Legbreak googly

Height 5 ft 5 in

Education Sharadashram Vidyamandir School





History rewritten by Little Master 200

Sachin Tendulkar hits first 200 in ODIs

Sachin Tendulkar became the first batsman to score a double century in One-Day Internationals, accomplishing the feat in the second one-dayer against South Africa in Gwalior on Wednesday.

The master batsman, who holds the record for most runs and centuries in Test (13,447) and one-day (17,398) cricket, scored 200 not out off 147 balls as India amassed 401-3 in 50 overs.

His previous best was an unbeaten 186 against New Zealand , at Hyderabad, in 1999.

Tendulkar, who registered his 46th ODI century in the process, got to 200 with a single off Charl Langeveldt in the final over of the game, having earlier broken the World record for the highest individual innings, of 194, jointly held by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe's Charles Coventry.

Anwar rattled up that total against India in May 1997 while Coventry hit 194 not out against Bangladesh last year.

Join us in congratulating the Indian ace on becoming the first man to breach the 200-run mark in 39 years of One-Day Internationals, since its inception in 1971.

British media hail 'sensational' Sachin

Sachin Tendulkar's stupendous feat of becoming the first cricketer to score a double century in One-dayers was on Thursday hailed by the British media, which described the little master as the "finest batsman" ever.

"Tendulkar underlined his sensational class with a double century in Gwalior. To have reached such a landmark, with a single in the final over, only serves to underline his class and add to the legacy that already surrounds arguably the finest batsman to have played the game," BBC Sports said.

"His innings, the 46th One-day century of his career, was typified by wristy strokes, trademark boundary shots and, above all, stamina as he batted through the entire innings," the report read.

Meanwhile, The Times tried to anticipate whether the Indian can complete a century of centuries in international cricket by the end of this year.

"All kneel down and praise whatever god you fancy for the mighty Sachin Tendulkar. This could just be turning into the greatest year of his international career, more than 20 years after it began," the report said.

"Tendulkar now has 93 hundreds in international cricket - 47 in Tests and 46 in ODIs - which is 25 more than the next best man, Ricky Ponting . At the age of 36 and in such great form, he could reach 100 hundreds by the end of the year," it added.

Tendulkar on Wednesday became the first batsman in the four-decade history of ODI to hammer a double ton as his 200 not out helped India pile up a mammoth 401 for three against South Africa and beat the visitors by 153 runs in the second One-dayer.

The Daily Mail also termed the innings as "sensational" in their report.

"Sensational Sachin Tendulkar smashes world record One-day innings and first ever double hundred for India," the headline goes.

In another report, the Guardian opined that the stormy knock has hit hard the notion that form of Tendulkar is on the wane.

"The blazing innings comes 10 months after his 36th birthday and four years after he was booed off his home ground in Mumbai , with his career apparently in terminal decline.

"Somewhat improbably given today's innings, the abuse had been for slow scoring," the daily said.

It was not only Tendulkar's 46th ODI century but also the highest score in One-dayers, eclipsing the previous record of 194 which was held jointly by Pakistan's Saeed Anwar and Zimbabwe's Charles Conventry.

FIFA's got it right this time

Have you heard that Ruud van Nistelrooy wants to leave Real Madrid in the January transfer window? The bigger news is that the Dutchman wants to snub Arsenal who have shown an interest in the striker to join Rafael Benitez's Liverpool.

If true, it could be a great move for Ruud. He excels in the English league as we saw during his time at Manchester United. His familiarity with the conditions and style of play will help him adapt pretty easily. Besides, since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Kaka, Ruud hasn't featured in the starting line-up in Madrid and made brief appearance as a substitute.

Of course, after a knee surgery, Nistelrooy was out of the game for over six months last year and has been in and out since then.

Whether it will be a smart signing by Rafa, I am not too sure. Ruud will come in as a replacement for injured Spanish striker Fernando Torres. Ruud is 33 years old and nowhere near his best. His knee and ankle - both have been operated on - don't look strong enough to meet the demands of the physically challenging English game.

But that two top clubs -- Arsenal and Liverpool -- are interested in the player despite his trouble with injuries speaks volumes of the respect the Dutchman enjoys as a top striker. Yet, I don't think he is the answer for either clubs.

Another topic of discussion that has left me terribly amused is whether France should play a rematch of the World Cup 2010 qualifier against Ireland or not. Thierry Henry, the cheat, and Arsene Wenger, France's conscience-keeper, want the rematch.

To recap, the Irish were cheated out of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa by Thierry Henry's handball in the build-up to France's extra-time equaliser in the qualifier that ended 1-1. After the handball, unnoticed by the referee, Henry set up William Gallas who scored the decisive goal for France ensuring their passage to South Africa.

Of course it wasn't right. Henry cheated. Ireland deserved that berth in South Africa having outplayed France throughout the game. But does that call for a rematch? I don't think so. FIFA has ruled that the draw at the Stade de France cannot be changed and I am with the game's top body on this one.

There have been hundreds of instances where a team has won unfairly while the deserving has gotten cheated out. If one were to replay every match, there would be no end to it.
Handball is cheating, as is diving and may such offences. Sometimes the players get punished, sometimes such things go unnoticed. That's the nature of the game and part of what makes the sport so watchable. Else, Argentina shouldn't have been champions in 1986 nor Italy in 2006, who cheated out Australia in Germany.

Football is full of wonders, beauty, magic, skill, grit and flaws, cheats, pain, tragedy. It's all of it. Just like life. Ok, so Henry cheated. Just like 95 per cent other footballers, who have also cheated at some point or the other. End of story. No rematch please. Let's move on.

Cricket-South Africa 418 all out v England - innings

South Africa, who were sent in to bat, were all out for 418 shortly after tea on the second day of the first test against England at Centurion, South Africa on Thursday.

Scores: South Africa 418 (Jacques Kallis 120, JP Duminy 56; Graeme Swann 5-110) v England.

Confident Stuart Broad: We will make our rusty rivals pay

Stuart Broad believes South Africa's lack of Test cricket this year gives England a golden chance to take the first match of the series.

Just 48 hours before the teams meet in the opening Test at Centurion, the all-rounder urged his team to go for the throat against a side, whose last taste of the five-day game was back in March.

Although South Africa beat Australia, it was a hollow victory as the Proteas lost the series 3-1. By contrast, England enjoyed a golden summer, comfortably seeing off the West Indies before reclaiming the Ashes in a 2-1 triumph.

After practice here today, Broad said: "This is a big opportunity for us. South Africa are a bit rusty, they haven't played Test cricket for a while and we are feeling good as a team. We have to make sure we go into the first day at Centurion and hit them hard. We're pretty confident we can."

England are still deliberating over whether to go on the attack and play just four bowlers but Broad believes the squad are versatile enough to cope with anything.

"The beauty of this England side is that we have that option," he said. "Obviously if we go in with six batters it will put pressure on the bowlers, but Jimmy Anderson and I have been opening the bowling for quite a while and we are ready to step up and take responsibility.

"What's good about this England team is that there are players ready to step up in all situations. We just have to make sure we get off to a good start on Wednesday. That's so important in a four-match series."

Broad also explained why he has decided to opt out of the Indian Premier League for another season.

Struggling with a shoulder injury earlier in the tour, he said: "It's been a tough schedule. We've got four Tests over the next five weeks and then there's the Bangladesh tour.

"You have to listen to your body. I'm not ruling out the IPL in the future but for now England comes first. It was always my boyhood dream to play for my country and that is my priority. I've done a lot of thinking and a lot of talking. I have to think about my body."

Anderson will also miss the IPL, citing his desire to be fresh for next winter's Ashes defence.

He said: "Taking on Australia will be a huge challenge and one that I am fully committed to.

“I want to be an integral part of the first England cricket team to retain the Ashes since 1972 and I'll be giving myself the best possible chance of doing that by not playing in the IPL
“The England cricket team have a busy schedule in 2010 and I'd like to be playing for England as much as possible.”

Wicketkeeper Matt Prior says that England should adopt a squad‑rotation policy so players avoid burn-out.

Prior, whose own position has been called into question, accepts changing the team gives a rival player a chance to impress but says England should learn from Australia.

Prior told the January issue of The Wisden Cricketer magazine: “Ultimately players are going to have to be rested. They have to be told — not asked. No one will say they want a break but there is nothing wrong in the England management saying: You are our No1 but we want you to rest to be fit for an important series.

“You don't want to give a rival half a chance to take your job but Australia think nothing of resting their players without placing the dropped player's future at risk. Ricky Ponting was in the form of his life when returning from a rest period after the Ashes.”

A wicket with character . . . about time

FOR almost all my international career, Perth had been a fortress for Australia.

I made my Test debut there in December 1995, when we comfortably beat Sri Lanka, was dropped when the West Indies won there the following season, and went the next 10 years never experiencing defeat at the WACA Ground.

The pace and bounce of Perth was usually too much for the opposition. Six of our victories there in my time were by more than an innings, one by seven wickets, another by almost 500 runs and another by more than 200 runs.

With very rare exceptions, Perth and Brisbane were the two places we felt most confident of victory because of the extra bounce in the pitch.

Yet as batsmen we loved playing there. The pitches played with great consistency and the ball came on to the bat so you had the confidence to play your shots, making for entertaining cricket.

I am looking forward to playing on that type of Perth pitch again in the third Test against the West Indies, beginning tomorrow. .

It had become lower and slower in recent seasons, continuing the trend of pitches around the world that are losing, or have lost, their character.

This season there have been good reports coming out of Perth, with NSW beating Western Australia inside three days thanks to an excellent bowling performance from Doug Bollinger on a lively pitch. If the Test pitch is something similar that is great news for players, and great news for the fans, who will see plenty of lively cricket.

The pitch being prepared for this Test does have a good cover of grass but we'll wait until today before having a close look at it.

Certainly all the signs are encouraging because for most of my career Perth has been one of the great places to play cricket.

Cricket needs more pitches like the WACA Ground of old, a wonderful contrast to the type of slow, low wickets you find in so many places now.

This reduces one of the great joys of Test cricket, to be challenged on unique surfaces, something which Australia could once boast about. Each of its major cricket grounds had a distinctly different surface.

If you could learn to cope with a variety of difference surfaces around the country and around the world, whether you were a batsman or a bowler, you were considered the complete Test cricketer.

That challenge is now going out of Test cricket as pitches around the globe develop a sameness. Low, slow pitches can make for bland, one-sided cricket where bat dominates ball and results can be difficult to achieve.

This is my concern for Test cricket on the subcontinent in particular, where there can be some real batathons.

It was no surprise to us that the West Indies batted well in Adelaide. The slow, low pitch was always going to suit their style of play. However, if the WACA Ground pitch is anything like the Perth of my younger days, I think they'll struggle like they struggled in Brisbane during the first Test.

There has been talk that their impressive young fast bowler Kemar Roach could be a handful for us in Perth.

He can certainly be quick but we played him well on the helpful Brisbane pitch and I believe we can do the same again during this Test. Likewise, we've got some impressive young quicks of our own who will enjoy any assistance at least as much as the West Indian fast bowlers.

Statistics suggest that off-spinners struggle in Perth but I don't believe they tell the full story.

Left-arm finger spinners Daniel Vettori from New Zealand and South Africa's Paul Harris have had success against us at the WACA Ground in recent seasons.

And many touring sides chose not to play their off-spinners in Perth, with India leaving out Harbhajan Singh just two years ago.

Off-spinners have had success at state level drifting the ball away from the right-handed batsmen in the breeze. I had a chat to Nathan Hauritz after the Adelaide Test and he admitted he didn't bowl as well as he would have liked, but I believe that with the prevailing Fremantle Doctor aiding his drift and a bit of extra bounce, he could bowl well.

One thing we have talked about since we arrived in Perth is our batting.

We have played consistently well, making 8(dec)-480 in Brisbane and 439 during the first innings in Adelaide.

During that time nine players have made 50 or more, and two have made it to the 90s, but no one has scored a century.

This contrasts with the West Indies, who have made three hundreds and yet are 1-0 down in the series. Those sorts of statistics are starting to have an Ashes feel about them.

It's important that players who get starts do press on and get big scores, but by the same token you don't want to make a big deal about it.

The more you talk about it, the harder it can become.

Last summer we talked about losing wickets around the breaks and it kept happening. It was like a self-fulfilling prophecy.


by Ricky Ponting

Courtesy : http://www.theaustralian.com.au

Cricket: History counting against Black Caps

Shane Bond being invalided out of a series is not the only recurring nightmare preying on the minds of New Zealand's cricketers as they approach today's second test against Pakistan at the Basin Reserve.

An injured Bond's unavailability represents a potentially serious setback to a team that has a worrying history when leading a three-match series 1-0.

On three occasions New Zealand has let an advantage slip - on the cannabis-gate tour of South Africa in 1994, in Sri Lanka four years later and most recently when hosting England in March/April last year.

Captain Daniel Vettori hardly needed reminding of the English series when ruling out complacency as a potential pitfall when Pakistan attempts to become the fourth team to regroup and prosper after dropping the first test.

New Zealand dominated the first match of the English series in Hamilton, winning by 189 runs before being soundly beaten at the Basin Reserve (126 runs) and Napier (121 runs).

Despite being justifiably pleased after securing a tense 32-run triumph in Dunedin last weekend, Vettori has warned his teammates a series victory - what would be only the third in 19 attempts against Pakistan - was far from certain.

"I think the guys are feeling good about themselves but there's a need not to get caught up in that, and a need for improvement," he said.

"It was a good test performance but there's a series that needs to be won.

"We've done it in the past against England where we've gone 1-0 up and in a lot of ways rested on our laurels. We lost the next two test matches.

"There was a real desire within the team to have celebrated in Dunedin - and also to make sure it's not the end of the summer."

New Zealand's batting unit will likely have a significant influence on whether the year ends on a high note considering a traditionally bouncy wicket should be spiced up by spending the best part of four days under cover as rain lashed the capital.

The home side's batting frailties are well documented and with Mohammad Aamer, Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul all in the zone at University Oval, the trio can expect to cause more angst among a fragile top and middle order.

Of the specialists, only Ross Taylor produced a notable double last week with 94 and 59.

Henry considered quitting international football

Thierry Henry says the outcry over his hand ball in France’s World Cup playoff against Ireland pushed him to the brink of international retirement.

French sports daily L’Equipe quoted the Barcelona striker in an interview as saying he felt abandoned and deeply upset by the virulent criticism he received from former players and politicians.

Henry’s hand ball before passing for defender William Gallas to score helped give France a 1-1 draw with Ireland and a 2-1 win on aggregate, advancing the team to next year’s tournament in South Africa.

“The day after the match and the next day, I felt alone, really alone,” said Henry, adding that he gave serious thought about quitting the French team. “Oh, yes I did. Friday, when everything had gone too far, I was very worked up.”

After receiving criticism from former players such as former Ireland and Marseille striker Tony Cascarino and French Sports Minister Roselyne Bachelot, Henry said it was his friends and family who talked him out of retiring from international football.

“Despite everything that happened, the fact I felt abandoned, I will not drop my country,” he said. “I asked myself the question. Without the support of my loved ones, maybe I wouldn’t have thought the same way. Now, I’ve decided - I’ll always fight until the end.

“It’s been very hard, everything started from something that happens in a game and it went too far. I heard some people giving lectures about this, when I said I was sorry, on the pitch and off it.”

Henry received criticism for wildly celebrating Gallas’ goal in front of dejected Irish players.

“I shouldn’t have done that. But honestly, it was uncontrollable ... Yes, I regret that,” he said.

However, Henry dodged the issue of whether he should have immediately told referee Martin Hansson he had handled the ball.

“I was in a no-win situation,” he said, adding that the incident will not overshadow his whole career. “I don’t think that everything I’ve achieved can be tarnished.”

Argentina book last hockey World Cup berth

Argentina earned the last spot available for next year's Hero Honda FIH Hockey World Cup to be staged here from February 28 to March 13, when they beat Belgium 4-3 in the final of the last qualifying tournament in Quilmes.

The hosts put up an attacking brand of game and rallied from behind to edge past Belgium in the keenly-contested summit clash of BDO Hockey World Cup Qualifier yesterday.

With the victory of the Latin American country, all the 12 participating nations of the megaevent are now confirmed.

Besides host India and Argentina, other countries to have qualified for the World Cup are Canada, Korea, South Africa, Australia, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Pakistan, and New Zealand.

Cricket fraternity praises Tendulkar

India's cricket fraternity today lavished praise on country's batting icon Sachin Tendulkar for becoming the first player in the game's history to cross the 17,000-run mark.

Sachin Tendulkar, who was chasing the milestone from the onset of the series against Australia, achieved the feat when he, requiring seven runs coming into today's match, played an on-drive to fetch three off pacer Ben Hilfenhaus during the fifth one-dayer in Hyderabad.

"It's really a remarkable achievement. He is one of the best cricketers of the world cricket. I have had some good memories with him, having partnering him for years in one-day cricket," said former India skipper Sourav Ganguly. The southpaw also wished the little master for the 2011 World Cup, to be co-hosted by India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"I wish he scores another 2000 runs by 2011 World Cup. Sachin knows best how to accumulate runs. Once he gets going he becomes unstoppable," Ganguly said. Meanwhile, Mumbai batsman Wasim Jaffer hoped that Tendulkar would also achieve 20,000-run mark.

He has achieved several records. I hope that he reached 20,000-run mark. Whatever he has achieved, it is nearly impossible to achieve for anyone else. I just wish that he keeps on going and gets more and more runs for India," Jaffer said.

Sachin Tendulkar reached the new ODI milestone in his 435th match and 66th tie against the World Cup holders. "It's a great achievement. Anyone playing for 21 years is not an easy job, we are proud of him," said India all-rounder Rohit Sharma. "Sachin has played for 20 odd years and I think, it's wonderful task by a man who has achieved so much. I congratulate him," South Africa cricketer Herchelle Gibbs said.

Sachin Tendulkar made a 141-ball 175 in front of the 35,000 strong packed crowd which erupted in joy when Tendulkar reached the magic figure in company of opening partner Virender Sehwag.

2010 World Cup head calls for African Olympics

A successful World Cup in South Africa will increase the pressure on the IOC to bring the Olympics to the continent for the first time, the chief organiser of next year''s soccer showpiece said on Sunday.

Danny Jordaan, chief executive of South Africa''s World Cuporganising committee, said the decision to award the 2016 Olympics to Brazil "opens the way to the African continent in 2020".

Rio de Janeiro became the first South American city to be awarded an Olympics when it won the race to host the 2016 Games last month.

Jordaan, speaking in a Reuters interview, said the selection of Rio de Janeiro left one glaring omission for the International Olympic Committee to address.

"I think that 2020 must be Africa''s turn," Jordaan said. "The fact that the Olympics now has gone to Rio and to South America leaves Africa the only continent since 1896 still waiting."

He said the choice of Rio over Chicago and other cities "indicates also that there is a shift in the thinking of the IOC that developing countries must be considered".

Jordaan added: "So I think that the IOC will be under pressure to seriously consider an African bid and part of that of course is a highly successful 2010 FIFA World Cup that will increase that pressure.

"We understand the importance of a successful World Cup in our country." He said South Africa, the biggest economy in Africa, would have a strong case if it decided to bid for the Olympics because existing infrastructure was a key factor in winning the Games.

South Africa is still dealing with concerns about security, transport and accommodation for the World Cup, which runs from June 11-July 11 next year.

Organisers are expecting 450,000 foreign visitors for the first African World Cup, which is being held in a country with one of the world''s highest rates of violent crime.

Jordaan said that security questions were being taken extremely seriously and he pointed to the lack of major problems associated with recent high profile sporting events in the country, including the Confederations Cup, the British and Irish Lions rugby tour and Indian Premier League cricket.

"We have 9.5 million tourists every year to South Africa -- surely we would not have seen a one million year-on-year growth in tourism if it was not a destination where people can come on vacation and be safe," Jordaan said. "(Security) is a matter that we take very, very seriously."

Jordaan said winning the right to stage the World Cup was an event as important for South Africa as the release of Nelson Mandela from jail and the end of apartheid in 1994.

"When the envelope was opened and it was South Africa, I think it was almost a second liberation for us," Jordaan said. "It was a huge moment of joy."

He said it was crucial for South Africa''s national team -- who have suffered a string of recent defeats -- to do well in the World Cup if all races in the country were to "get connected".

"It is a very important issue," he said.

Pakistan qualify for 2010 hockey World Cup in India

Pakistan booked a place at next year's World Cup in India by winning a qualifying tournament in France at the weekend.

Former Olympic champions Pakistan beat Japan 3-1 in the final in Lille on Sunday to secure of one of three qualifying slots in the 12-nation tournament, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) said on its website (www.fihockey.org).

The other two places will go to the winner of the second qualifying tournament currently in progress in New Zealand, and the final qualifier starting in Argentina next week.

England, Olympic and world champions Germany, Netherlands and Spain qualified from Europe and join Pan American champions Canada, African champions South Africa, Oceania Cup champions Australia and Asia Cup champions South Korea at the event.

India qualify as hosts of the Feb. 28 to March 13 event in New Delhi.

Footballers kick off World Cup anti-malaria fight

Footballers are teaming up with governments, companies and international health campaigners to push for action against malaria ahead of next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

The 'United Against Malaria' campaign, which will start next month and run until the end of the World Cup, has won the backing of singer Bono, actress Ashley Judd and philanthropist Melinda Gates, wife of Microsoft founder Bill.

Players such as US captain Landon Donovan and the Ivory Coast team have already said they are behind the campaign, while other prominent footballers backing the movement will be revealed when the campaign is officially launched.

Malaria, which spreads through the bites from infected mosquitoes, kills nearly one million people a year, almost all in Africa where a child dies from the disease every 30 seconds.

The United Nations is trying to get universal access to diagnostic tests, mosquito nets and malaria medicine as part of its bid to cut the number of deaths to zero by 2015.

"Malaria is a disease that you have at household level. You use football to bring messages on prevention measures or how to treat people," Awa Marie Coll-Seck, executive director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, told Reuters on Saturday.

"This will reach them as they will watch everything on football and if messages are linked to that it will be a very important vehicle for information for us," she said on the sidelines of FIFA's medical conference in Zurich.

The Roll Back Malaria Partnership comprises UN agencies, the World Bank, leading drug makers and aid experts.

Coll-Seck, who was in Zurich to present the campaign to representatives of countries from across the world, said that through football it was possible to gather more support from people in developed countries who could act as donors.

Malaria affects 247 million people each year, with 86% of cases in Africa.

Coll-Seck said there was a slight risk players could get malaria when they are in South Africa next summer but this could be reduced by informing people about the disease.

"It's not a part of Africa that has too many cases, but it can happen and people need to be careful," she said.

"We will make it clear why malaria matters. If you look at malaria, at least 40 percent of the world's population is at risk of this disease," Coll-Seck said.

"At the same time, it's a disease which affects particularly children and pregnant women and they are the vulnerable ones in our society. Malaria also has an impact on the economies of countries, on the education of people, on poverty," she said.

"It is also a disease that people can defeat because its treatable and preventable and if you have all this why not use all means, including football, to fight this disease," she said.

FIFA has recently introduced 'The 11 for Health' programme to teach the youth of Africa about the main diseases affecting the continent within the parameters of football and one of its messages includes using treated bed nets.

My dream rests in Hands of God

Phew, what a week that was! One of the most emotional ones of my life. There were more changes than I could handle, including moving cities and leaving behind too many friends. If that wasn't enough, dealing with worries about the qualification of Ivory Coast and Argentina for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa saw me at my emotional worst.

I've had to pack my bags and move thousands of kilometers north. Mumbai can be one of the hardest cities to leave. It was intimidating when I first came here six years back. But today, I feel more at home in its squalid lanes than anywhere else in the world.
In Mumbai, I grew to care about Indian football. Before that, the game was all about the Premier League, Jose Mourinho and Brazil.

It was at the Cooperage football ground that I first heard the thump of Baichung Bhutia's boots meeting the ball. The sound of the perfect kick can be as sweet as the ball meeting the middle of Sachin Tendulkar's bat.

It was in Mumbai that I realised Indian footballers don't just dream of a financially secure future but believe that great things are possible. They live in hope, not in desperation. And some of them, I honestly believe, are good enough to compete at the world level.

It wasn't just the goodbyes that were painful. Maradona really played havoc with my nerves and it was Didier Drogba who calmed them. Some months back, dear reader, I got lucky with the World Cup tickets for South Africa. I had applied for the T7 series, which gives the tickets of the team of your choice from the group stages onwards to the final. If your team loses in between, then you get the match ticket of the team that's beaten them.

I had applied for the T7 tickets of Ivory Coast, because of the love I have for Drogba and also because, in the first round, my application for Brazil and Argentina tickets was rejected. The validity of my tickets was subject to Ivory Coast's qualification for the tournament. And Drogba didn't let me down.

Ivory Coast qualified top of Group E in the African qualification after a 1-1 draw against Malawi. Drogba came off the bench to score the equaliser just two minutes after his introduction and helped secure my nerves and a second successive World Cup trip for the West Africans.

Maradona's appointment as Argentina coach was another reason I couldn't have missed this World Cup. However, their trip to South Africa almost got cancelled after losses to Brazil (1-3) and Paraguay (0-1).

But they've come through with wins over Peru (2-1) and Uruguay (1-0). Yet, Maradona's future as coach doesn't look secure. It's highly unlikely that the Argentina football association will trust the eccentric genius to lead the team in South Africa after the qualification fiasco. What can I say! My dream now rests in the Hands of God.

England escape one-day whitewash

England avoided a 7-0 one-day series whitewash with a four-wicket win over Australia at the Riverside.

Graeme Swann was England's star performer, taking 5-28 as Australia were dismissed for 176 despite an innings of 53 by Ricky Ponting.

Andrew Strauss (46) and Joe Denly (53) gave England a solid platform with a 106-run opening partnership.

A middle-order collapse gave Australia hope but Paul Collingwood and Tim Bresnan saw England home on 177-6.

Although the victory ensured England escaped an unprecedented 7-0 series drubbing, another sub-standard batting performance - Strauss and Denly excepted - gave them little cause for optimism ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy, which starts on Tuesday.

After an impressive bowling display, when Swann became only the fifth England spin bowler to take five wickets in a one-day innings, the hosts almost contrived to throw away a match which was there for the taking.

From 106-0, when an injudicious reverse sweep cost Strauss his wicket, England slumped to 141-5 and although they reached their target with 10 overs to spare, it was somehow fitting that they should finally stumble over the line courtesy of a no-ball.

Despite the disappointment of missing out on a series whitewash, and dropping to third in the one-day rankings as a consequence, Australia will travel to South Africa for the Champions Trophy confident of repeating their 2006 victory.

With the sun belting down on a glorious morning in Chester-le-Street, Ponting once again lost the toss - his sixth from seven - as Strauss opted to utilise the favourable overhead conditions and bowl first.

The hosts welcomed back Collingwood from a three-game hiatus and gave another local favourite, Graham Onions, his one-day debut at the ground where he recently helped Durham win the County Championship for the second successive year.

On a track offering assistance for both seamers and spinners, England bowled with the control and aggression so often missing in their previous six performances in the series.

Anderson reaped instant success as Shane Watson edged a simple catch to Swann at first slip and Tim Paine, fresh from a maiden one-day ton at Trent Bridge in the previous match, followed suit to give Onions his first one-day wicket for England.

With Australia teetering for the first time in the series at 17-2, the experience of Ponting and Clarke steered the tourists away from immediate danger.

Ponting, in particular, was cutting, pulling and driving with consummate ease and a booming front-foot drive saw the Tasmanian surpass Inzamam-ul-Haq and move to third in the all-time leading one-day run scorers, with only Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar now in front of him.

But soon after reaching his 68th one-day half century, Ponting was beaten in the flight by Swann and looped a catch to Collingwood, who was stationed at mid-on, a dismissal which sparked a seven-wicket collapse for just 80 runs.

The breakthrough provided fresh impetus for England and Clarke followed soon after for 38, run out by a smart piece of fielding from Eoin Morgan.