Category: Sports

DOHA, Nov 7, 2006 (AFP) – The ball used in this year’s World Cup final between Italy and France has sold at auction for a staggering 2.4 million dollars. Signed by the Italian team which beat France on penalties, it was snapped up by Qatar’s emir-in-waiting Sheikh Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, who will display it […]

LONDON, Nov 7, 2006 (AFP) – As England get set for the defence of the Ashes in Australia later this month, it’s worth recalling that one of the oldest prizes in sport was actually born out of a satirical newspaper article.Cricket’s oldest rivals had been playing one another for five years before there was any […]

Nov 6, 2006 (AFP) – Mahela Jayawardene will lead Sri Lanka at the World Cup in the Caribbean next March, chairman of selectors Asantha de Mel told AFP on Monday.“Mahela has done a decent job since taking over from Marvan Atapattu and he will continue till the World Cup,” De Mel said. “We’ve been working […]

COLOMBO, Nov 5 (AFP) – Sri Lankan cricket legend Arjuna Ranatunga Sunday welcomed the International Cricket Council’s decision to remove Australian umpire Darrell Hair from its elite panel.“This should have happened long ago, but I am happy with the way the ICC handled the Pakistani complaint,” said Ranatunga, who led his team to an epic […]

MUMBAI, India, Nov 4 (AFP) – The International Cricket Council confirmed on Saturday it had removed controversial Australian umpire Darrell Hair from the elite world panel following a ball-tampering row with Pakistan.Hair, a veteran of 76 Tests, first stood in first-class cricket in 1988-1989, having previously been a fast bowler for North Sydney and Mosman […]

Oct 31, 2006 (AFP) – The Sri Lanka Cricketers’ Association (SLCA) on Tuesday announced an awards scheme for the country’s leading domestic and international players.“A lot of countries have such awards.This is something that we’ve been thinking of seriously and want to initiate,” Pramodaya Wickaramasinghe, president of the SLCA, told AFP. “Domestic cricket has been […]

MOHALI, India, Oct 30, 2006 (AFP) – The failure of the four Asian teams to make the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy indicated trouble lay in store at the World Cup, experts said Monday. India joined Pakistan and Sri Lanka on the sidelines after being thrashed by world champions Australia by six wickets here Sunday […]

TOKYO, Oct 27, 2006 (AFP) – The International Rugby Board has axed Colombo as the venue of the final Asian qualifying round for next year’s World Cup due to security problems, the Japan Rugby Football Union said Friday. The IRB will decide a new host city for the November 19-25 qualifying round for the finals […]

COLOMBO, Oct 27, 2006 (AFP) – Sri Lankan rugby authorities Friday said they were disappointed after Colombo was scrapped as a venue for next year’s World Cup qualifiers, due to security concerns. The IRB decision had come in spite of assurances from the Sri Lankan foreign and defence ministries to all participating nations on the […]

MUMBAI, Oct 22 (AFP) – Pakistani paceman Mohammad Asif has been shortlisted for an ICC award despite testing positive for a banned substance, it was announced here on Sunday. “Asif is eligible for the award as the period under consideration was before the doping offence,” said Malcolm Speed, chief executive of the International Cricket Council […]

MUMBAI, Oct 12, 2006 (AFP) – India’s battle against the International Cricket Council turned nasty Thursday with the world governing body of the game accused of snooty, avaricious neo-colonialism.The ICC did no immediately comment on Modi’s comments.“The avaricious and snooty officials are behaving more as masters and less as paid executives,” raged Lalit Modi, vice-president […]

Sept 27, 2006 (AFP) – Two Sri Lankan boxers taking part in the world military championships in Germany have fled their hotel after eluding security, officials said here on Wednesday.The duo identified as W.R.G.G. Weligalla and P.W.R.D. Fernando of the Sri Lanka army were part of a seven-member squad at the World Military Boxing Championships […]