World Sports Information Thursday

BFF, BOA eye SA Games gold
Foreign coach to arrive in November
Raihan Mahmood

Bangladesh Football Federation and Bangladesh Olympic Association expressed their strong determination to win the football gold in the next SA Games and both the parties pledged to work together to achieve that goal.
BOA secretary general Kutubuddin Ahmed along with some high officials visited the BFF office on Wednesday and they discussed various options for adding pace to the football arena. The issue of who will run the football leagues in the districts – the newly-formed District Football Associations or the government-led District Sports Associations – was top on the agenda.
However, Kutubuddin was confident of finding a solution. ‘I don’t think it is a very big problem, there are ways to settle the issue, both DFAs and DSAs will be able to run their competitions, the National Sports Council president General Moeen U Ahmed has instructed to organise football at the district level regularly and it’s the responsibility of all the concerned quarters, we have to find out a way and we will do it very soon,’ said the BOA secretary general.
Kutubuddin said they have already found some solutions but need some time before making a final decision. ‘The NSC, BFF and BOA will sit together on July 14 to discuss the issue. The BOA will take all possible steps as a mediator,’ he said.
The BFF presented all their future plans and programmes to the BOA secretary general who responded positively. ‘We have listened to the plans of the BFF and we are very glad to announce that from now on the BOA and the BFF will work together for the development of football,’ said Kutubuddin.
However, at the end of the meeting Kutubuddin asked Salahuddin to take necessary steps to win the gold medal in the SA Games scheduled to take place in December, 2009.
Salahuddin said that he would be able to bring a foreign coach in November and would like to start the training camp after his arrival. Kutubuddin assured of financial assistance for the training of the football team. ‘Naturally football gets some privileges and we will contribute a large part of the training funds for preparing the football team,’ assured Kutubuddin.
BFF president Quazi Salahuddin hoped for the best. ‘I am very happy to get a positive response from the BOA secretary general, I hope football will regain its lost glory,’ said Salahuddin.
BOA vice-president Mizanur Rahman Manu and CEO Col (retd) M Waliullah were also present on the occasion.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A new window opens for Bangladesh
Staff Correspondent
The Twnety20 international tournament which Bangladesh are going to play in Canada next month will be an annual event and Bangladesh have a fair chance to get an invitation every year, said a top organiser of the event.
‘We are committed to organise the event annually and take as many Test-playing nations as possible there,’ Haroon Rashid, the chief executive officer of the event management company Sports International Marketing, told New Age.
Rashid is now in Dhaka to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Bangladesh Cricket Board for participation in the four-nation Twenty20 event in Toronto from August 14 to 17.
‘We understand that Bangladesh cricket team has millions of followers at home and abroad. So we will try to accommodate them in the fixture. Next year we will also try to involve India,’ he said.
Rashid, a citizen of Pakistan, is also negotiating with the Bangladesh Television to sell the local terrestrial rights of the event, which will be participated by Pakistan, West Indies and Canada besides Bangladesh.
Ten Sports has already bought the global television rights of the event, he said.
The Pakistani national said the prize money of the tournament will not be much high, but every team will get a handsome amount as participation money. For Bangladesh it is nearly double than what had been budgeted initially, said Rashid without disclosing the amount.
Bangladesh have shortened their next month’s Australia tour by dropping a four-day warm-up match after agreeing to play in the tournament.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vaughan ready for acid test
England-South Africa 1st Test from today
Agence France-Presse . London

England are set to find out just how good a Test match side they are during their series with South Africa according to captain Michael Vaughan, who announced an unchanged team here Wednesday.
In the latest edition of the International Cricket Council Test rankings the Proteas, who have won six out of their last seven series, leapfrogged England into second place.
Vaughan, speaking at Lord’s, a day before the first of a four-match series is due to start at the ‘home of cricket’ said South Africa would represent a huge step up in class from New Zealand, who England beat 2-0 last month.
‘South Africa are obviously a different proposition in terms of their bowling attack. They are a lot more pacey and come at you from different angles,’ Vaughan explained.
‘They have had a wonderful year. They are a settled team with a good mix of experience and youth,’ added Vaughan, who singled out Dale Steyn, the in-form Proteas quick.
‘Dale Steyn is No 2 in the world and will be a big threat. In terms of their batting, that’s going to challenge all our bowlers. But we swing the ball and it should swing here over the next few days.’
England, late injuries permitting, are now set to field an unchanged side for a world Test record sixth successive occasion.
‘Everyone’s fit, we’ll be playing the same team as Trent Bridge (where England won by an innings and nine runs), ‘ Vaughan confirmed. ‘Hopefully it will be a similar performance.’
Since the Proteas re-admission into world cricket following their apartheid-enforced exile, Test series between England and South Africa have been tough affairs and Vaughan expects this one to be no different.
‘They’ve always been hard fought contests. They are up there with the Ashes and over the next five weeks we will find out whether we have developed into a good Test team,’ said Vaughan whose side are at home to arch-rivals Australia next year.
However, Vaughan said the worth of England’s pace attack should not be under-estimated. ‘This is a series we can win. We have a set of bowlers who are skilful. Ryan Sidebottom’s caused every batsman he’s bowled against problems and Jimmy Anderson got better and better against New Zealand while Stuart Broad bowled beyond his years.’
Vaughan’s longstanding right knee problem flared up during a county match for Yorkshire against Durham but the top-order batsman insisted his own fitness wasn’t an issue. ‘It’s fine. It was just a little bit of aggravation.’
England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is on the brink of a return after more than a year out of Test cricket because of ankle and side injuries. South Africa coach Mickey Arthur reckons that Flintoff’s anticipate comeback in next week’s second Test at Headingley could put pressure on the likes of struggling batsmen Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood in particular.
Flintoff, who took three wickets and struck a quick fifty during Lancashire’s Twenty20 Cup defeat in London on Tuesday against Middlesex, joined up with England for a practice session at Lord’s on Wednesday.
‘In international sport there is always pressure on you. Andrew Flintoff is an exceptional circumstance and we want him back in the team,’ said Vaughan.
The star all-rounder is due to play for Lancashire in a Championship match and Vaughan added: ‘As soon as he bowls three overs it’s ‘get him back in the England team’ but this way he will be getting more overs under his belt and a little bit more time in the middle.
‘Hopefully he’ll have a good game, we’ll have a good game and the selectors will have a tough decision. It’s a long summer and to rush him back would have been the wrong thing to do.’


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
South Africa leapfrog
England in rankings
Agence France-Presse . London
South Africa have moved above England in the International Cricket Council Test Championship standings on the eve of their four-match series.
Graeme Smith’s men will head into Thursday’s opener at Lord’s in second place in the Reliance Mobile table with England, who had been third, now in fourth place. India have dropped one place from second to third.
The annual update discards series concluded before August 1 2005 and that benefits South Africa because their recent fine form is included while losing series against Sri Lanka, India and England no longer have an effect.
This latest table also takes account of the recent decision to change England’s win by forfeit against Pakistan at The Oval in 2006 into a draw.
South Africa remain 23 points behind clear leaders Australia and a drawn series or better against England would see them stay in second spot.
A 4-0 whitewash for England would see them go second with India third and South Africa fourth.
Were Michael Vaughan’s team to win 2-0, 3-1 or 3-0, that would leave India second, but see England go third, with South Africa fourth.
England and South Africa are closely matched in the player rankings, reflecting the tight nature of their contest since the Proteas’ return to international cricket in the 1990s.
Both teams have two batsmen inside the top 20 with Jacques Kallis (sixth) and Smith (12th) keeping company with England’s Kevin Pietersen (10th) and Andrew Strauss (16th).
It is a similar story just beyond the elite where England are represented by Alastair Cook (21st), Paul Collingwood (24th) and captain Michael Vaughan (30th) while AB de Villiers (25th) Hashim Amla (26th) and Neil McKenzie (32nd) are South Africa’s three next best batsmen.
In the bowling stakes, England have four men in the rankings but South Africa have the best ranked players of the two sides.
South Africa quick Dale Steyn is close to toppling Muttiah Muralitharan at the head of the bowling standings. He starts the England series just five points behind the extraordinary Sri Lanka off-spinner.
And in fifth place is Makhaya Ntini, another member of South Africa’s pace attack. Ntini, who has 344 Test wickets, is currently 16th in the list of all-time Test wicket-takers with Australia pace great Dennis Lillee’s 355 wickets now in his sights.
England have four bowlers inside the top twenty - Ryan Sidebottom is sixth, spinner Monty Panesar 11th and Matthew Hoggard - out of the side since being dropped after the first Test away to New Zealand in 16th position.
All-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who hasn’t played Test cricket in over a year because of ankle and side injuries but who could feature in the second match of the South Africa series at Headingley next week, is still in 19th spot.
Kallis has retained his place as the world’s leading all-rounder with Flintoff third. New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori is in second place.

ICC Test rankings
Test Championship - for series completed up to August 1
(rank, previous, team, rating, previous)
1 (1) Australia 138 (141)
2 (4) South Africa 115 (109)
3 (2) India 113 (111)
4 (3) England 106 (110)
5 (5) Sri Lanka 103 (106)
6 (5) Pakistan 100 ( 94)
7 (7) New Zealand 83 ( 88)
8 (8) West Indies 81 ( 77)
9 (9) Bangladesh 0 ( 1)
Notes:
Figures in brackets denote positions and ratings of teams prior to the annual update.
Zimbabwe have a rating of 19 but have not played sufficient Tests over the period covered to be ranked on the main table.
This table takes into account the alteration of the result of the 2006 Oval Test match from an England win to a draw with Pakistan.

ICC Test player rankings
Latest edition of the International Cricket Council Test player rankings issued Tuesday (rankings as at June 17):

Leading batsmen
(rank, player, team, rating, average, highest rating)
1 Kumar Sangakkara (SL) 893 55.19 938 v ENG at Kandy 2007
2 Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) 890 49.08 890 v AUS at Bridgetown 2008
3 Mike Hussey (AUS) 882 68.38 921 v WIS at Kingston 2008
4 = Ricky Ponting (AUS) 880 58.37 942 v ENG at Adelaide 2006
4 = Mohammad Yousuf (PAK) 880 55.49 933 v WIS at Karachi 2006
6 Jacques Kallis (RSA) 877 57.14 935 v NZL at Centurion 2007
7 Matthew Hayden (AUS) 834 53.51 935 v ENG at Brisbane 2002
8 Mahela Jayawardene (SRI) 810 51.93 844 v WIS at Guyana 2008
9 Younis Khan (PAK) 799 49.14 856 v ENG at Headingley 2006
10 Kevin Pietersen (ENG) 795 49.55 909 v WIS at Headingley 2007
Leading bowlers
(rank, player, team, rating, average, highest rating)
1 Muttiah Muralitharan (SRI) 897 21.95 920 v BAN at Kandy 2007
2 Dale Steyn (RSA) 892 21.60 897 v IND at Ahmedabad 2008
3 Stuart Clark (AUS) 863* 21.46 863 v WIS at Bridgetown 2008
4 Brett Lee (AUS) 794 29.58 811 v WIS at Antigua 2008
5 Makhaya Ntini (RSA) 777 27.85 863 v IND at Durban 2006
6 Ryan Sidebottom (ENG) 748* 25.11 748 v NZL at Trent Bridge 2008
7 Chaminda Vaas (SL) 709 29.09 800 v IND at Chennai 2005
8 Anil Kumble (IND) 708 29.06 859 v SRI at Bangalore 1994
9 Shoaib Akhtar (PAK) 684 25.69 855 v NZL at Wellington 2003
10 Shane Bond (NZ) 668* 22.39 778 v WIS at Auckland 2006
Note: * = provisional rating: a bowler qualifies for a full rating when he reaches 100 Test wickets.

Leading Test all-rounders
(rank, change, player, team, rating, highest rating)
1 (- ) Jacques Kallis (RSA) 495 616 v PAK at Durban 2002
2 (- ) Daniel Vettori (NZ) 324 360 v ENG at Lord’s 2008
3 (- ) Andrew Flintoff (ENG) 302 501 v PAK at Multan 2005
4 (+2) Dwayne Bravo (WI) 295 295 v AUS at Bridgetown 2008
5 (-1) Chaminda Vaas (SL) 294 300 v WIS at Guyana 2008

Note: * = provisional rating: a batsman qualifies for a full rating after playing 40 Test innings; a bowler qualifies for a full rating when he reaches 100 Test wickets.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------