MELBOURNE: More than two-thirds of international players in a recent survey conducted by FICA believe that Indian cricket board exerts unfair influence on ICC decision-making but 40 per cent of them said they were willing to skip national duty for playing in the cash-rich IPL run by the BCCI.
Asked if ICC decision-making was influenced unfairly by the power of BCCI, 69 per cent said 'yes' while 31 per cent answered 'don't know'.
None of the respondents gave a definitive 'no' in the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations survey of 45 international players during the recent World Cup in the subcontinent.
No Indian player is a member of FICA. FICA chief executive Tim May, who released the survey results, said the findings raised important issues, with 46 per cent of the players saying the structure and composition of the ICC executive board should be reviewed.
"Players have highlighted that the governance of the game is a serious issue. FICA have continually advocated for a review of the game's governance. Its present structure is outdated, full of conflicts, cronyism and far from best practice," he said.
Interestingly, nearly a third of players polled said they would retire early from international cricket to play exclusively in Indian Premier League, citing fears over fixture clashes curbing their participation in IPL.
Around 40 per cent of players feel that given the magnitude of salaries being offered by the IPL, they could envisage a day where they would rank their obligations to IPL and other T20 events ahead of obligations to their home boards.
And, 94 per cent of the players believed that superior salaries offered by the IPL would motivate younger players to hone their skills principally to Twenty20.
Only six per cent of players polled believed that decisions at ICC board level were made "in the best interests of cricket", while 49 per cent felt decisions were made according to "party lines or best interests of the country that they are representing". The remaining players were "unsure".
"The Indian Premier League continues to be popular with the players, and its superior pay structures for the players, continue to challenge players' priority over international cricket," May said.
"When players are able to earn over 10 times their annual salary from their boards, for just seven weeks cricket in the IPL, it would be foolhardy of boards to continue to schedule international matches during IPL and expect players to remain loyal to the board and international cricket," he said.
He, however, said that the ICC day-to-day management has improved considerably and the world body's image was tarnished as a result of decisions of the ICC chief executive and board committees.
In another important finding, 77 per cent of respondents believed that the five-year bans handed to three Pakistani cricketers by the ICC for spot-fixing offences last year were too lenient.
An ICC tribunal found Salman Butt, Mohammad Aamer and Mohammad Asif guilty of orchestrating deliberate pre-planned no-balls during the Test against England last August, and they received bans ranging from five to ten years.
None of the 45 players surveyed believed the penalties were too harsh, while 23 per cent considered the bans "fair".
Notably, FICA is not affiliated with players from Pakistan, besides from India and Zimbabwe.
"The vast number of players want significant penalties to be invoked against those who are found guilty of serious corruption offences," May said.
"Whilst 100 percent of players say that they will report any corrupt approaches made to them, 20 percent of them do not have confidence in the ICC to treat this information confidentially," said May.
May said the majority of the 45 players polled were more comfortable reporting corruption approaches to their team manager, than to the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit.
An overwhelming majority of the players polled strongly supported the Umpire Decision Review System with 97 per cent of them saying that the DRS should be made compulsory in all Test matches. India has been a staunch critic of the DRS.
82 per cent said the DRS made for better decision-making from umpires at the World Cup. However, 74 per cent of the players surveyed felt the World Cup in the subcontinent was still too long while 72 per cent backed the decision to reduce the number of teams in the next World Cup to 10. 91 per cent felt the Associate nations should have a chance to qualify.
The survey also revealed strong support for 50-over cricket with only 24 per cent of the players polled favoured a change in the format of ODIs. 39 per cent felt the cricket boards scheduled too many ODIs, reducing the public interest in the format.
The FICA survey revealed some good news for the ICC, with 94 per cent of players rating the recent World Cup in the subcontinent as "good" or above, compared to only 11 per cent giving the 2007 tournament that level of support.
PORT OF SPAIN (TRINIDAD): A depleted Indian cricket captain, sans senior players Sachin Tendulkar and regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, arrived for a limited overs series against the West Indies, starting on Saturday.
Smartly dressed in a tee and trousers, the Indian players landed on Wednesday at the Piarco International Airport and were received by officials of Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) and sponsors Digicel.
The Suresh Raina-led Indian side looked tired and exhausted after their long flight from Mumbai via London and Barbados.
Stand-in skipper Raina's eyes were blood-shot for lack of sleep and a few team members looked dishevelled from the exertions of a long, trans-Atlantic flight.
Even though he looked tired and sleepless, Raina exuded confidence that his young team will do whatever it takes to win the lone Twenty game and the five-match ODI series against the Caribbeans.
"It's a young side. The players want to do well for the country and themselves. They are extremely motivated," said Raina after arriving last evening.
Vice-captain Harbhajan Singh too opined that the starless Indian team would not be short of motivation in the upcoming series, irrespective of their relentless cricket schedule.
"These are young boys who are looking to build a career for itself. I don't think tiredness or fatigue would be a factor," said the off-spinner.
Team manager Amitabh Chowdhary said that irrespective of the long flight, the side would attend its' practice sessions as scheduled.
India will play a Twenty20 match in Trinidad (June 4) and five ODIs on June 6 (Trinidad), June 8 (Trinidad), June 11 (Antigua), June 13 (Antigua) and June 16 (Jamaica).
The one-day series would be followed by a three-match Test-rubber in Jamaica (June 20-June 24), Barbados (June 28-Jul 2) and Dominica (Jul 6-Jul 10).
The tickets for the one-off T20 match between India and West Indies has already been sold out and the ticket sales for the first two ODIs are also going on at a brisk pace.
Interestingly, the hectic response for the matches is a welcome surprise as both the sides are bereft of star value.
The Indian squad for the ODIs and the lone Twenty20 is without nine players who were part of the World Cup winning team under Dhoni.
The players missing out include the rested trio of Dhoni, Tendulkar, Zaheer Khan, the injured troika of Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Ashish Nehra and an unwell Yuvraj Singh.
S Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla have been dropped. Dhoni and Zaheer will, however, join the team for the Test matches along with VVS Laxman, Murali Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Rahul Dravid, and Sreesanth.
The Caribbeans, meanwhile, are without explosive Chris Gayle and pace duo of Jerome Taylor and Kemar Roach.
When India last toured the Caribbean Islands in 2006 under Rahul Dravid, the side scripted history by beating the home team (1-0 in a four match rubber) in a Test series for the first time in 35 years.
However, the team will certainly look to change the 1-4 thrashing it got in the five-match ODI series then.
KARACHI: Pakistan cricket coach Waqar Younis does not harbour a grudge against Shahid Afridi and said he was sad to hear the former captain had decided to retire.
Afridi announced his retirement from international cricket this week after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) removed him as captain for the one-day series against Ireland.
The PCB were unhappy about Afridi's comments concerning perceived interference in his role during the tour of West Indies, where a dispute with Waqar came to a head.
"I am sad that he decided to retire," Waqar told reporters at Lahore airport after returning with the national team from Ireland. "I don't know why he took such a decision. But I have no personal grudge with him.
"I have only seen all this stuff in the media. I will be meeting with the board chairman to discuss the tour reports.
"But whatever has happened is not good for Pakistan cricket, which is progressing well despite us getting no international cricket at home."
Pakistan won the ODI series against West Indies with Afridi at the helm and drew the Test series under senior batsman Misbah-ul-Haq. They also beat Ireland in two ODIs with Misbah as captain.
Afridi faces disciplinary action for violating the PCB's code of conduct and they have terminated his contract.
PARIS: Sania Mirza stormed into her first Grand Slam doubles final as she and her Russian partner Elena Vesnina defeated American duo of Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond in a thrilling three-setter in the semifinals of the French Open on Wednesday.
French Open 2011
Seeded seventh in the tournament, Sania and Vesnina beat their fourth seeded opponents 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in 105 minute semifinal contest at the Roland Garros.
In the final, the Indo-Russian combo will face the unseeded Czech duo of Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka who beat third seeded pair of Vania King of United States and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan 6-3, 6-3 in another semifinal.
This is Sania's third Grand Slam final appearance in her career - the first two being in the mixed doubles in the Australian Open.
Sania and ace compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi had won the Australian Open mixed doubles in 2009 while they were the losing finalists in the same Grand Slam tournament in 2008.
Sania, who paired up with Vesnina only in February, had a strap around just below her left knee but did not show any apparent problem as she played some superb winning shots across the net.
Sania and Vesnina broke their opponents early in the first set to race to 4-1 ahead before pocketing it 6-3 in 30 minutes.
The second set was a longer affair with both sides breaking serves though Sania and Vesnina were broken thrice in their serves to lose it 2-6 in 38 minutes. In the deciding set, Sania and Vesnina broke their opponents' serve in the first game itself and held theirs to take a 2-0 lead.
BOSTON: Shaquille O'Neal, one of the most dominating big men in NBA history in his prime, announced his retirement Wednesday after a 19-year career that saw him win four NBA titles.
"Shaq" was at his finest from 2000 through 2002 when he combined with star guard Kobe Bryant to guide the Los Angeles Lakers to three NBA crowns, and he added another in 2006 with Miami, two years after being traded to the Heat.
"im retiring," O'Neal posted on his Twitter microblogging website, which also included a video link in which he thanked his followers on the social media site.
O'Neal, 39, was nagged by injuries in the later seasons of his career, including failed stints to help bring titles to Phoenix, Cleveland alongside LeBron James and the Boston Celtics this season.
A nagging right Achilles tendon injury proved more than "Shaq" could overcome and said that he considered making a comeback but did not want to disappoint Celtics fans.
"I really thought about coming back but this Achilles is very damaged and if I had it done the recovery would be so long we'd have the same outcome as this last year - everyone sitting around and waiting for me," O'Neal said.
"I didn't want to let people down two years in a row. I didn't want to hold Boston hostage again.
"I'm letting everybody know now so ... the organization can try to get younger talent. I would love to come back, but they say once the Achilles is damaged it's never the same. I don't want to take that chance."
O'Neal, a 15-time NBA All-Star, ranks fifth on the all-time NBA scoring list with 28,596 points and his three NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Awards trail only Michael Jordan on the all-time list.
O'Neal, who ranks 12th on the NBA all-time rebound list with 13,099, played only 37 games for the Celtics this season, only three of those appearances coming in the last 2 1/2 months of the season.
Among NBA players with at least 2,000 baskets, O'Neal ranks second in shooting percentage with a 58.2 percent accuracy rate.
"Shaq" made the most of outside opportunities his NBA career offered, playing a genie in the 1996 movie "Kazaam" and the 1994 film "Blue Chips" where he played a young basketball star.
O'Neal also made rap albums, notably talking about growing up with his mother and stepfather in the song "Biological Didn't Bother".
The Orlando Magic made O'Neal the fist pick in the 1992 NBA Draft and "Shaq" was the NBA's 1993 Rookie of the Year.
He won the NBA scoring title in 1995 when he helped Orlando reach the NBA Finals, only to be swept by Houston, and in 2000, when the Lakers beat Indiana for O'Neal's first NBA title.
O'Neal famously announced his joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 at the Atlanta Olympics, where he was a member of the US Olympic "Dream Team III" that captured a gold medal.
Bryant and O'Neal grew into a formidable combination but the two grew apart and after the Lakers lost the 2004 finals to Detroit, O'Neal was traded to Miami, where he and Dwyane Wade proved a formidable pairing, bringing a title to the Heat five years ago.
That was the last glory day for O'Neal, whose penchant for nicknames such as "The Big Aristotle" led him to dub himself "The Big Shaqtus" in Phoenix and "The Big Shamrock" in Boston.
His final season was his worst after losing a week in November to a bruised right knee, a week in December to a calf injury and a week in January with a sore right hip before the Achilles problems. He averaged only 9.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 37 games.
O'Neal sported a Superman logo tattoo on one arm and another that featured a giant hand looming behind the Earth with the abbrevation TWISM, which stood for "The World Is Mine".
A Boston Celtics spokesman said the club had not received official notification of O'Neal's plan to end his career.
SYDNEY: Five-year bans handed to three Pakistani cricketers for spot-fixing offences were too lenient, according to a survey of international players released on Thursday.
Over three-quarters of respondents to the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) players' survey, said the bans meted out to Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were inadequate.
The trio, accused by Britain's News of the World of conspiring to deliberately bowl no-balls as part of a 'spot-fixing' betting scam last year, were banned by the International Cricket Council (ICC).
All deny wrongdoing and are appealing the verdicts at the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
"The vast number of players want significant penalties to be invoked against those who are found guilty of serious corruption offences," said FICA chief executive Tim May.
"Whilst 100 percent of players say that they will report any corrupt approaches made to them, 20 percent of them do not have confidence in the ICC to treat this information confidentially."
May said the vast majority of the 45 players polled were more comfortable reporting corruption approaches to their team manager, than to the ICC Anti Corruption Unit.
Meanwhile, nearly a third of players said they would retire early from international cricket to play exclusively in the Indian Premier League, citing fears over fixture clashes curbing their participation in the money-spinning event.
"The Indian Premier League continues to be popular with the players, and its superior pay structures for the players, continue to challenge players' priority over international cricket," May said.
"When players are able to earn over ten times their annual salary from their Boards, for just seven weeks cricket in the IPL, it would be foolhardy of Boards to continue to schedule international matches during IPL and expect players to remain loyal to the Board and international cricket," he said.
The survey also found that 54 percent of the players would retire from one or more formats of the game because of too much international cricket.
Players cited the major issues facing the game as governance, corruption and an overkill of international cricket, while only a single-figure percentage said decisions made at ICC Board level were in the wider interests of the game.
SOFIA: Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has no plans to leave the club despite the huge disappointment of being left out of the squad for the Champions League final against Barcelona on Saturday.
The 30-year-old former Bulgaria captain has been strongly linked with a move away from Old Trafford but he said he was determined to fight to regain his place.
"I'm a Manchester United player and I'll be glad to fulfil my contract," Berbatov told Bulgarian 24 Chasa daily.
"Everyone is going through some difficulties but I've always been fighting for a regular place and I'll continue fighting for it. I never gave up in my life.
"On July 4 everything begins all over again, the battle for the cups, the battle for the regular places."
Berbatov revealed that he watched the Champions League final on TV in the dressing room.
"I was disappointed," said Berbatov. "I was ashamed that I was left out of the squad.
"And that's why I didn't want people to see how sad I was... because I can't hide my emotions.
"I preferred to stay on my own in the dressing room. Berbatov joined United from Tottenham Hotspur in 2008 for a club record fee of 30.75 million pounds ($50.44 million) but soon came under fire from British media and United supporters after failing to reproduce his scoring form.
"I had many happy moments with United," said Berbatov. "We won the 19th title and I became the league's top scorer.
"I'm very proud of it. I came to England from a little country and I know that during every training session, during every game I have to be better that the others because I'm a foreigner.
"To be the top scorer in England is just fantastic. "They're all precious," Berbatov replied when asked about his most valuable goal of the season.
"But, of course, I can't skip the Liverpool hat-trick. To score three goals against Liverpool is a great achievement and the fans always remind me about it, so I just can't forget this one."
Michael Owen signed a contract extension and Berbatov knows it will be another tough season for him.
"Manchester United is the biggest step for me," he said. "Everything beyond United is a step back.
PARIS: Maria Sharapova moved to within two wins of a career Grand Slam on Wednesday when she defeated Germany's Andrea Petkovic 6-0, 6-3 to reach her second French Open semifinal.
French Open 2011
The seventh seed, who next faces Li Na, the Chinese sixth seed, for a place in the final, also ended Petkovic's hopes of becoming the first German in the last four in Paris since Steffi Graf in 1999.
Sharapova, a semifinalist in 2007, was in unstoppable form in the first set, breaking in the first, third and fifth games before taking the opener 6-0 with the Russian allowing the German just seven points on her serve.
The Russian star, who needs a French Open title to become just the 10th woman to complete a career Grand Slam, hit deep, pinpoint winners off both flanks.
Petkovic, who had defeated Sharapova to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in Australia in January, was quickly 0-2 down in the second set before she stopped the rot, finally getting on the scoreboard after 51 minutes.
The 23-year-old then levelled at 2-2 with her first break of the match but Sharapova, playing with a rare freedom of movement on a surface which has caused her numerous problems in the past, clawed back the break for a 3-2 lead.
Petkovic then broke for 3-3 after a lengthy sixth game, but former world number one Sharapova, who had been a set and 1-4 down against French teenager Caroline Garcia in the second round, once again summoned her famed fighting spirit.
She retrieved the break to lead 4-3 and held for 5-3.
Sharapova went to two match points in the ninth game with another booming forehand and claimed victory when Petkovic dumped a tired forehand into the net.
MUMBAI: Stand-in India captain Suresh Raina feels that the absence of senior cricketers during the ODI series in the Caribbean will be an ideal opportunity for those who did well in domestic cricket to show their performance at the international level.
"It's a great opportunity for the youngsters who have done well in domestic cricket. I hope they will do well," said the 25-year-old Raina at the pre-departure media conference of the team on Tuesday sitting alongside newly-appointed chief coach Duncan Fletcher.
The Indian team will be playing in the ODIs without Gautam Gambhir, prolific opener Virender Sehwag, man-of-the-tournament in the World Cup Yuvraj Singh--- all of whom are out with injuries. Regular skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and senior pacer Zaheer Khan have been rested keeping in mind the gruelling two and a half month tour of England that starts in July.
"I am really honoured to be leading the side. I am happy with the side as we have some very good batsmen in Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, S Badrinath, Shikhar Dhawan all of whom have done well in first-class cricket.
"Badrinath especially has done well in first-class cricket and deserves to be in the team. I hope we will do well in the West Indies," said Raina who will hand over the reins to Dhoni when he returns for the three-Test series to be held after the conclusion of the five ODIs.
The Indians start the tour with a lone T20 international at Port of Spain on June 4.
Coach Fletcher said he had followed the rotation system when he was the England coach and received criticism from the authorities.
The burly Zimbabwean wants to go slow about this supposed rotation policy.
"While I was in England, I started the rotation policy resting senior guys. I was heavily criticised by the English authorities. It's important to do that considering the heavy schedule. We need to look into the matter as we go into the future," said the Zimbabwe-born Fletcher for whom it will be his first assignment as the Indian team's coach after taking over from his protégé Gary Kirsten after the World Cup.
"There is a lot of talent in India and my job is to prepare these youngsters. It's a pleasure to blood them in ODIs," said Fletcher.
Asked about the club-versus-country debate, Fletcher said it's not specific to cricket.
"That's the way it is in modern day sports. We have to ensure that all the players are fit enough," he said.
Raina said the Indian team had done very well over the last three years, having climbed to the top among Test nations and winning the World Cup after 28 years.
"There's always pressure and we have done well under pressure. We have done well over the last three years and have won the World Cup. It's for us as players to execute the plans of the coach well. We have to play our natural game," he said.
Fletcher did not see the trip as an easy outing though the West Indies are not the same force they were in 70's and 80's.
"Any team playing at home is difficult to beat. We should not be complacent," said the new coach who said he intended not to look too far ahead in his job.
Fletcher admitted that beating England and Australia in their den will be the biggest challenge but as of now the focus is on the Caribbean tour.
"Yes, we would like to beat England in England and Australia in Australia. But the first job is the tour of West Indies. It's very important not to look too far down the road. India have a plan to stay at the top. The young players have the potential and this tour will show the depth of talent we have," he said.
Raina said the West Indies had some good all-rounders in Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo.
Asked about the likely return of Chris Gayle after the first two ODIs for which he had been left out, the southpaw said his team has Ravichandran Ashwin to counter the threat from the West Indian opener.
"We have Ashwin. It's a good challenge for us," said Raina about his Chennai Super Kings teammate's success-rate in the just-concluded IPL against Gayle.
He credited Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Dhoni for learning the ropes of captaincy.
"I learnt a lot about captaincy from Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Dhoni. They have captained with a lot of honesty," he said.
NEW DELHI: The National
Basketball Association (NBA) of the US and Times Internet Limited (TIL), a subsidiary of the Times Group, have announced a digital partnership, under which the Times of India website has launched the first-ever dedicated NBA section. The NBA becomes the second sports league after the IPL (Indian Premier League) to partner with the Times Group in India, highlighting the growing popularity of basketball and the NBA in India. The new dedicated NBA section features on the Times of India website, with a reach of over 12 million users per month (comScore, April 2011). The NBA section provides fans with comprehensive daily updates on the latest NBA news, scores and original columns from Times Group journalists. Daily video highlights, photo galleries and articles from NBA analysts will also be offered, as well as in-depth features on the league and its players. Furthermore, journalists from the Times Group will travel to the 2011 NBA Finals to provide on-site and behind-the-scenes coverage for fans in India. "We are proud to be associated with one of the most recognized sporting leagues in the World," said Rishi Khiani, CEO, Times Internet Limited. "The NBA is the premier men's professional basketball league in North America. With the growing popularity of Basketball globally and more recently in India we plan to leverage our audience to help popularize the sport further and drive newer audiences to the game." "The Times Group has unrivalled reach in India and they are an ideal partner to help showcase our game and engage more NBA fans throughout the country," said Heidi Ueberroth, president, NBA International. "We are in the midst of one of our most exciting playoffs in recent memory and the innovative, in-depth sports coverage provided by the Times Group allows us to bring fans in India closer to the game." The NBA is committed to growing popularity of basketball in India and is currently in the second season of the Mahindra NBA Challenge - the largest multi-city, community-based basketball league in India. The NBA has marketing partnerships in India with adidas, Coca-Cola, EA SPORTS, HP, Mahindra, Nike, Reebok, and Spalding; has record television coverage this season on Ten Sports and Sony Pix; and recently launched the widest assortment of jerseys and merchandise ever in India in 200 adidas stores. Additionally, in partnership with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the NBA is promoting the sport at all levels. NBA Cares, the league's global social responsibility programme, has hosted numerous youth and coaching clinics over the past year. Basketball courts are being refurbished to facilitate access to the game and promote participation among youth. Around 15 NBA or WNBA players have travelled to India to conduct clinics and raise awareness of the game. The NBA is also working closely with the BFI to identify coaches for India's National Team.
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board chairman says he accepts Shahid Afridi's decision to quit international cricket and has given the World Cup captain a week to respond to a code of conduct charge. Ijaz Butt says on Tuesday that Afridi "is welcome if he does not want to play." Afridi, who has represented Pakistan since 1996, announced his retirement from international cricket on Monday in protest at the PCB setup. He added he could reverse his decision if the setup is changed. Butt removed Afridi as Pakistan's one-day captain after the enigmatic all-rounder criticized the team management on his return home from West Indies. Afridi was selected for the two recent ODIs against Ireland but pulled out due to his father being ill.
SINGAPORE: Mohamed bin Hammam is "still the president" of Asian football, his Chinese deputy Zhang Jilong insisted Tuesday despite being confirmed as acting chief while the Qatari faces a corruption probe.
Zhang said FIFA had "no right" to suspend bin Hammam from Asian Football Confederation (AFC) duties while it investigates allegations the former candidate tried to buy votes for the world body's presidential election.
"FIFA suspended bin Hammam but he is still the president of the AFC. FIFA has no right to prevent him from acting (in) his role in the AFC," Zhang said, according to the China Daily.
FIFA said bin Hammam was barred from all football activities worldwide when it announced its ruling on Sunday. And despite Zhang's comments, the AFC confirmed the vice president had taken over as temporary leader.
"We, the members of the AFC executive committee, express our deepest concern at the latest developments within FIFA and that involves the AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam," an AFC statement said.
"We will be following the investigation as it takes its course. We hope the outcome of the investigation will be in the best interests of football in Asia and beyond."
On Monday, bin Hammam said he would appeal against the ban, which is in force while FIFA probes allegations that $40,000 cash bribes were offered to delegates in return for their votes.
Bin Hammam was suspended just hours after unexpectedly pulling out of the race to unseat Sepp Blatter, FIFA leader for the past 13 years, in Wednesday's presidential election.
Peter Velappan, the AFC's former general secretary and a known opponent of bin Hammam, said late Monday that Zhang's appointment was automatic under AFC rules.
"In the absence of a president, the deputy president will become the acting president. Bin Hammam cannot oppose this development," Velappan told AFP.
"This is the best thing for Asian football," he added.
Most Asian football bodies refused to comment on Monday when contacted by AFP, but heavyweights South Korea said they were maintaining their support for the Qatari.
Sri Lanka's Manilal Fernando, a bin Hammam ally who beat Zhang to a seat on FIFA's executive committee in January, also remained firmly behind the embattled president.
" Sri Lanka still supports bin Hammam and he is still the best," Fernando told AFP in an email.
Zhang's appointment follows an unprecedented crisis for global football with senior officials facing a welter of corruption claims, many stemming from Qatar's shock nomination as 2022 World Cup host.
MANCHESTER: Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes retired on Tuesday, with the 36-year-old opting to stay at the Premier League champions in a coaching role rather than extend his playing days.
"This was not a decision that I have taken lightly but I feel now is the right time for me to stop playing," Scholes said on the club website (www.manutd.com).
"To have been part of the team that helped the club reach that 19th (league) title is a great privilege."
Scholes will take up a coaching role at the club he spent his entire career and he will make one final appearance in a United shirt for a testimonial in August.
The combative midfielder made 676 appearances for United, picking up 10 Premier League winners' medals as well as helping his club to three FA Cups and two Champions League titles.
"I am not a man of many words but I can honestly say that playing football is all I have ever wanted to do and to have had such a long and successful career at Manchester United has been a real honour," Scholes added.
Manager Alex Ferguson had spoken previously about hoping to persuade Scholes to follow in the footsteps of 37-year-old midfielder Ryan Giggs in signing on for another year.
Instead, Scholes follows goalkeeper Edwin Van der Sar into retirement and presents Ferguson with another big hole to fill.
"We are going to miss a truly unbelievable player," Ferguson said.
"Paul has always been fully committed to this club and I am delighted he will be joining the coaching staff from next season.
"Paul has always been inspirational to players of all ages and we know that will continue in his new role."
DUBAI: England's stunning victory against Sri Lanka in the first Test in Cardiff has kept them on course to reclaim second position on the ICC Test Championship table for the first time in more than three years. Although the Test Championship table will be updated only at the end of the series, a 3-0 series win will put England one ratings point ahead of South Africa. England last occupied the second position in November 2007. England players Chris Tremlett, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell, who engineered the stunning an innings and 14-run victory over Sri Lanka, also achieved their career-best rankings in the list released on Tuesday. Swann, who bagged 4/16 in the second innings to finish with figures of 7/94, has strengthened his second position on the ICC Player Rankings for Test bowlers, which is still headed by Dale Steyn of South Africa. Tremlett, who claimed 4/40 in the second innings to earn match figures of 5/121, has gained seven places and is now on a career-best ranking of 27th. Among the Test batsmen, man of the match Jonathan Trott, who scored 203, has moved up one place to join former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara in third position. Ian Bell was also rewarded for his innings of 103 not out with a jump of three places to the 18th position for the first time in his career. Skipper Alastair Cook also earned 15 ratings points for his innings of 133 which has put him on 818 ratings points and just 38 points behind the pair of Trott and Sangakkara. Sri Lanka opener Tharanga Paranavithana and wicketkeeper Prasanna Jayawardena moved up one place to 44th spot and six places to 51st position respectively.
LONDON: British politicians, media and fans united on Tuesday in calls for Sepp Blatter to be kicked out as FIFA president, saying his credibility was shot and he could not lead essential reform of the sport's governing body.
Blatter, 75, is set to be re-elected unopposed as president on Wednesday, having brushed off allegations of corruption which has concerned some leading sponsors of the organisation he has run since 1998.
His rejection of criticism and any suggestion of a crisis has prompted widespread anger and derision in Britain, where many people are still smarting from England's humiliating failed bid to stage the 2018 World Cup.
"Rotten does not even come close to describing FIFA -- football's governing body is mired in allegations of corruption, bribery and sleaze," The Daily Mirror newspaper said in its editorial under the headline "Give the boot to Blatter".
"If Blatter had an ounce of dignity he would have resigned months ago. Sadly, the beautiful game has been brought low by the ugly actions of its leaders."
The mass-selling Sun tabloid described Blatter as "shifty, arrogant, evasive".
"How shameful for world football that Sepp Blatter is likely to be re-elected unopposed as its head," it said. "FIFA must be cleaned up. It cannot happen with him at its helm."
The British media has long been hostile to FIFA and has particularly targeted the organisation since England's campaign for the 2018 tournament attracted just two votes, despite the involvement of Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince William.
Newspaper and TV reports have since claimed a number of senior FIFA officials had taken bribes in return for votes.
Two senior figures, the head of Asian soccer Mohamed bin Hammam and CONCACAF chief Jack Warner, have now been suspended over bribery allegations which they both deny.
BRIBERY PROBE
Both the English and the Scottish Football Associations have called for the FIFA presidential election to be postponed, and with the issue dominating the news agenda, the issue has attracted increasing political attention.
Britain's Department of Culture, Media and Sport said it backed the FA, calling for a full probe of the bribery claims.
"FIFA has to undergo massive reform and become much more transparent and accountable," a spokeswoman said.
Ivan Lewis, the spokesman on sport for the opposition Labour Party, said Blatter's credibility had "gone".
"Football does not belong to a small elite. It belongs to the millions of fans from remotest Africa, to the beaches of Brazil, the great cities of Madrid, Paris and London, and they deserve better leadership than this," he told Sky News.
British parliamentarian Damian Collins, who is involved with "ChangeFifa", a recently launched international parliamentary coalition, said that governments, football associations and FIFA sponsors needed to unite to force change.
"This is a real crisis and I don't think Sepp Blatter addressed that at all in his remarks yesterday," he said.
Meanwhile, ordinary fans expressed disillusionment. "If this wasn't so serious it would be something out of Gilbert and Sullivan. It's a farce," Malcolm Clarke, chairman of the Football Supporters Federation, said.
"I don't think you'll find a single football fan in this country who believes that everything at FIFA in terms of both the World Cup bid and other things is clean and above board.
"Things cannot go on. It's self-evident I think that this organisation cannot continue in its present state."
PARIS: British fourth seed Andy Murray clawed his way into the French Open quarterfinals on Tuesday with a courageous 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 defeat of Serbian 15th seed Victor Troicki. Murray's participation in the match, held over from Monday, had been threatened by an ankle injury, but he battled back from 5-2 down in the deciding set to set up a last-eight clash with unseeded Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela. "It was an incredible comeback," said Murray, who went over on his right ankle in his third-round match with Germany's Michael Berrer. "I didn't know how my ankle would react. I had to battle. Things fell in my favour, so I'm happy. "I had to attack from the start to turn things around today. I was a bit too hesitant at the start. Then I started to go for my shots a bit more and he got a bit nervous." Victory keeps Murray on course for a semifinal meeting with top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal, as he bids to go beyond the last eight at Roland Garros for the first time in his career. The three-time Grand Slam runner-up has a 6-1 record against Chela, the world number 34, and beat him at Roland Garros in both 2009 and 2010. Resuming at two sets all after fading light stopped play on Monday evening, Troicki had to produced some pummelling groundstrokes to save break points in each of his opening two service games. Troicki was denied a 0-15 lead on Murray's serve in game six when a ball boy inadvertently ran on to the court while he was mid-smash, but recovered to break for a 4-2 lead when Murray netted a forehand from the back of the court. The Scot threatened to break back in the next game but Troicki saved his third break point of the set before finishing a taut rally with a skidding backhand winner to move 5-2 ahead. Having fought back from two sets and a break down to level the match on Monday, Murray found himself requiring another improbable escape act. Despite holding for 5-3, he looked destined for the exit at 0-30 down on Troicki's serve, but fought back to 40-30 up and secured the break back when the Serbian patted a tame attempted drop shot into the net. Troicki, who won Serbia's crucial point in the 2010 Davis Cup final win over France, appeared to lose faith thereafter and conceded a break to give Murray a 6-5 lead when he found the net with a backhand. Murray spurned three match points in the next game before finally prevailing with a sensational crosscourt backhand winner from well behind the baseline to seal victory in a time of three hours and 56 minutes.
MIAMI: After all the assists, steals, 3-pointers and triple-doubles, Jason Kidd has an easier path to his next entry in the NBA record book.
All he has to do is show up.
Kidd will become the oldest guard to start a game in an NBA Finals when the Dallas Mavericks face the Miami Heat on Tuesday night.
While Dirk Nowitzki calls him a "fossil," and Shawn Marion described him as being "almost 50," Kidd is a few months past 38. That's two years older than Ron Harper was when he started for the Lakers in 2000.
Of course, Kidd would prefer the title of oldest starting guard to win a championship. That also was set by Harper in 2000.
Winning it all is among the few things Kidd hasn't done in his 17-year career. He came close in 2002 and '03, reaching the finals with the New Jersey Nets, but they were swept by the Lakers then fell to the Spurs.
"I thought we were going to go on a roll in Jersey and make it three or four in a row," Kidd said. "But, now we're here. And hopefully we can find a way to win a championship."
If so, Kidd likely will be the one leading the way.
He still starts most fast breaks and controls the halfcourt offense. Leave him open and he'll hit a 3-pointer; he made six in the first-round opener and buried another in the final minute of overtime to win Game 4 of the conference finals.
Defense is where he's really excelled this postseason. Late in close games, coach Rick Carlisle has assigned Kidd to cover Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Carlisle has said Kidd will be among those asked to slow LeBron James in this series.
So much for taking it easy on the old man.
The only concessions to age Kidd seems to have made are playing less minutes and tolerating the flecks of gray in his beard.
"He's playing at a high level, keeping up with a lot of these young guys," said Miami's Juwan Howard, who was drafted a few spots after Kidd in 1994-95 and is the only player older than Kidd in this series. "Normally when you're our age, people count you out. They say you don't have anything left in the tank. But as you get older in this league, you get wiser."
Wisdom is a big part of Kidd's game.
After 1,267 regular-season games, and another 136 in the playoffs, he's pretty much seen it all. He knows what risks are worth taking and when to take them.
"We're always a better basketball team when he's our facilitator on the court, and he's getting guys in different positions and leading the offense, and helping us in our flow game," Carlisle said. "When we've got to call plays, I'll call them once in a while, but he's great at that, too. The more he can do it, the better our team plays."
Nowitzki sure likes having him around, and that's reason enough to value Kidd.
Nowitzki pushed for Dallas to acquire Kidd at the trade deadline in 2008, even though it meant giving up young, improving Devin Harris. It wasn't clear who got the better of that deal as the Mavs won a single playoff series in Kidd's first three postseasons.
This run to the finals should end that debate.
"It just took a while to really come into his own here," Nowitzki said.
Kidd is under contract for one more season. However, with a lockout looming, there might not be a 2011-12 season. Thus, there's a chance this series could be it for his career.
He sure hopes that's not the case - not after the way the last two months have gone, and as big of a role as he's had in that success.
"I would love to continue to keep playing if I feel the way I do now," he said. "I feel great. I know I'm not going to be playing 35 minutes a night. I still have a lot to give back to the game. ... I love the competition no matter at what age. And I'm a big fan of the game. Seeing these young guys play at the level that they are, I just wish I was 22, 23 years old so I can handle the game the way they do."
Perhaps. But none of those kids are doing what they do in the NBA Finals, at least not this year.
PARIS: Indian Davis Cupper Rohan Bopanna and his Pakistani partner Aisam-ul-haq Qureshi advanced to the French Open men's doubles quarterfinals with a straight-set win over Andrey Golubev of Kazakhstan and Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan.
French Open 2011
The fifth seed Indo-Pak pair recorded a 6-3, 7-5 win over their unseeded rivals in the third round in one hour and nine minutes.
It will be the third quarterfinal appearance in the last four Grand Slams for Bopanna and Qureshi.
They will now clash with top seeded American twins Mike and Bob Bryan, who defeated Russia's Teymuraz Gabashvili and Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 7-6 (6), 7-5 in their pre-quarterfinal round.
Bopanna and Qureshi had lost to Bryan brothers in the US Open final last year.
Bopanna is the only Indian surviving in the men's doubles as Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi made a shock second round exit.
Later in the day, seventh seeds Sania Mirza and Russian Elena Vesnina will take on top seeds Gisela Dulko of Argentina and Flavia Pennetta of Italy in the women's doubles quarterfinals.
Another contest of Indian interest would be the mixed doubles quarterfinal between Indo-Czech pair of Paes and Iveta Benesova and the top seeded combination of Slovakian Katarina Srebotnik and Serbian Nenad Zimonjic.
COLOMBO: Opening batsman Upul Tharanga has become the first Sri Lankan international to fail a dope test after a random check during the cricket World Cup, the country's sports ministry said on Monday.
The left-handed player was informed by the International Cricket Council (ICC) that he tested positive for a banned steroid, ministry spokesman Harsha Abeykoon said, adding that a national inquiry would also be held.
"The sports minister (Mahindananda Aluthgamage) named a three-member panel to launch a domestic investigation and as a first step they will record a statement from Tharanga at the earliest," Abeykoon said.
He said Sri Lanka Cricket ( SLC), the country's governing body for the sport, had not yet been formally informed by the ICC.
He was tested in Colombo during Sri Lanka's World Cup match against New Zealand, a cricket source said, adding that the ICC had taken a urine sample from him although other players had been subjected to blood tests.
Sri Lanka won the match against New Zealand by five wickets, with Tharanga scoring 30 runs off 30 balls. If confirmed guilty of violating ICC's anti-doping code, the 26-year-old faces a minimum two-year suspension.
Under ICC rules, Tharanga can seek a test of his "B" sample.
Two medical doctors with extensive experience of sports medicine were included in the panel headed by sports ministry secretary Udaya Seneviratne to probe Tharanga's case, Abeykoon said.
Cricket officials in Colombo said no Sri Lankan player had ever failed a dope test before, but current skipper and Tharanga's opening partner, Tillakaratne Dilshan, has been subject to allegations in the media.
Dilshan said in a statement in March that unidentified sources were trying to distract him from his game with allegations of doping.
The embarrassing development of Tharanga failing the dope test comes amid allegations by a former skipper that Sri Lankan players have been responsible for match fixing since 1992.
Sri Lanka says the allegations of match-fixing are still under investigation.
A press report on Sunday said Tharanga had already retained a lawyer to defend himself at an upcoming ICC inquiry into his doping results.
It said Tharanga has claimed that he was given a steroid by a faith healer in Colombo who also treated other international players.
There was no immediate comment Monday from the ICC's anti-doping committee, but ICC spokesman James Fitzgerald said on Sunday that he had "nothing to say."
There was also no comment from Tharanga. He is not part of the Sri Lankan side currently on tour in England, but opened against England in their World Cup semifinal and went onto score an unbeaten century.
Sri Lanka won the match by 10 wickets, but lost the final to India.
QINGDAO: The Badminton World Federation has indefinitely suspended a controversial regulation that would have required women to wear skirts or dresses in competitive matches, a move that many female athletes considered sexist.
The BWF said in a statement posted on its website Monday that it accepted a recommendation from the Women In Badminton Committee to further study the general clothing regulations. The mandatory ruling was initially set to be implemented on May 1, but had been deferred until June 1 after criticism of the plan.
The Women In Badminton Committee, headed by former world champion Nora Perry of England, said the recommendation was also based on feedback from the sport's Athletes Commission.
Some players had accused the game's administrators of sexism, but badminton officials said they were trying to improve the profile of the women's game and help attract more sponsorship. In the past, women had been allowed to wear either skirts or shorts, with players opinions' differing on which were more comfortable.
"There (has) been various feedback from many quarters and after taking into account all these comments, especially those from the Athletes Commission, it is our recommendation to council to do further study before implementing new clothing regulations," Perry said in a statement after the group met at Qingdao during the Sudirman Cup competition.
"It is still our intention to focus on a better presentation of the game, but we will like to broaden the scope to include both men and women, and the feedback will also include views from various stakeholders such as the clothing manufacturers."
The BWF statement said the clothing regulation was one of the steps being taken to raise the profile of women in badminton.
The statement said other initiatives already in place are offering equal prize money for men and women, standardized 21-point rally system for men and women and equal male and female participation across the events offered in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
