Bangladesh crush Zimbabwe to win series

Chittagong, Nov 3: Bangladesh won their five-match one-day international cricket series against fellow minnows Zimbabwe in style after beating the visitors by six wickets in the fourth match here today.

The visitors were shot out to one-day international cricket’s fifth lowest total, setting the hosts an easy target of 45 to seal the series 3-1 before Thursday’s final match.

In reply, Bangladesh overcame some moments of panic, losing four wickets in five runs after the openers added 33 runs in 6.3 overs, before cruising home to a well-deserved victory in front of 20,000 fans at Zohur Ahmed Chowdhury Stadium.

Stand-in Zimbabwean captain Hamilton Masakadza won the toss but came to rue his decision to bat first as Bangladesh opted for the same pace-spin opening attack that paid rich dividends on Saturday. “Obviously, we misread the wicket. It was slower than we thought,” Masakdza said, conceding that his batsmen also gave away wickets cheaply.

The visitors lost their four top batsmen for eight runs, due largely to some innocuous shots on a wicket that was forecast to be a batting paradise.

All-rounder Malcolm Waller (13) tried to build the innings with Stuart Matsikenyeri (11), but once he lofted a catch at cover-point off Bangladeshi captain Shakib Al Hasan, Zimbabwe’s innings folded up for just 44 in 24.5 overs.

Shakib, the world’s number one one-day allrounder and Wisden magazine’s international cricketer of the year, was the wrecker in-chief, picking up three wickets and conceding just eight runs in 6.5 overs.

“When we started playing, we thought it was a flat track but when our spinners came in it was doing a bit and they landed the ball in the right areas,” the 22-year-old captain said. Left-arm spinner Enamul Haque got three wickets, repeating his brilliant feat on Saturday.

But it was the pace-spin opening attack of Nazmul Hossain and Abdur Razzak which triggered the collapse, both grabbing two wickets each while giving away only 10 runs apiece. Nazmul was adjudged man of the match for picking the heavyweight wickets of Masakadza and Charles Coventry and the brilliant catch that sent back Waller.

“I just tried to bowl straighter and stump to stump,” said Nazmul. In reply, Tamim Iqbal played a quick-fire 22 in front of his home crowd. But once he was gone, trying to sweep Raymond Price, three more followed in some unnecessary panic that the hosts are known for. It needed the steady hands of Raqibul Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim to guide Bangladesh to one of their best victories in one-day cricket. Both sides play the fifth and final match at the same venue on Thursday. (PTI)

Beckham to return to AC Milan in Jan

Milan: England midfielder David Beckham will return to AC Milan on loan in January after the Italian club reached an agreement with Los Angeles Galaxy on Monday.

Beckham played for Milan for six months from January 2009, scoring two goals in 18 matches in a successful bid to win his place back in England's national squad.

"I had to give myself the best chance to play in the World Cup and playing on loan with Milan will help me do that," Beckham told Milan's Web site. "I enjoyed my last experience in Milan a lot and I can't wait to meet the team and the staff again.

"I have to thank (Los Angeles owner) Tim Leiweke and (Los Angeles coach) Bruce Arena for having given me this opportunity. I remain close to Los Angeles Galaxy and Major League Soccer and I care about football's development in the United States.

"Now I am completely concentrated on finishing this season in the best way with my club by winning the MLS Cup."

Negotiations for Beckham to return had been ongoing between Milan and the Galaxy for a number of weeks.

"We are delighted to see David Beckham back in the red-and-black shirt after his splendid experience last season," AC Milan vice president Adriano Galliani said on the club's Web site.

"We are sure that this period in Europe will help him make it to the next World Cup, and after that his career with Los Angeles Galaxy. We must thank them for agreeing to this deal." In March 2009 against Slovakia, during his time with Milan, Beckham became England's second most capped player when he broke Bobby Moore's record of 108 international appearances.

Currently, Beckham has played 115 internationals, with only former goalkeeper Peter Shilton ahead of him with 125.

It was England manager Fabio Capello who pushed Beckham to join a European club on loan in early 2009 to maintain his fitness during Major League Soccer's offseason.

Originally, it was scheduled to be a three-month agreement until the start of the MLS season. But such was his success that both Beckham and Milan sought to extend the loan period till the end of the European season.

Having helped Milan reach the Champions League, Beckham returned to the Galaxy to receive a hostile reaction from some supporters and criticism in print by teammate Landon Donovan.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder did little to smooth relations when he confronted some abusive fans after.

Soruce:http://www.financialexpress.com/news/beckham-to-return-to-ac-milan-in-jan/536622/

Gayle back as Windies for Australia tour

Bridgetown

Bridgetown (Barbados): Chris Gayle was reinstated as West Indies captain to lead a full-strength squad on a three-test tour of Australia later this month.

The 30-year-old Jamaican was appointed on Monday after he and other leading players had withdrawn from a home series against Bangladesh in July and the Champions Trophy in September due to a long-standing contract conflict with the West Indies Cricket Board.

Only four players that made themselves available during the strike action - allrounder Darren Sammy, batsman Travis Dowlin and fast bowlers Kemar Roach and Gavin Tonge – were selected to tour Australia from November 18.

Gayle, who has played 82 tests, will open the batting with 19-year-old Adrian Barath, the only player in the squad without international experience.

Barath, from Trinidad & Tobago, had been chosen in a 13-man squad for the test series against Bangladesh before the dispute between WICB and the West Indies Players' Association.

Jerome Taylor returns to lead the pace attack, and will be aided by Ravi Rampaul, Roach and Tonge.

Taylor's usual new ball partner, Fidel Edwards, has been forced to miss the series after injuring his knee while playing for Deccan Chargers during last month's Champions League in India.

Shivnarine Chanerpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and allrounder Dwayne Bravo are also back from strike action.

Australian-born Brendan Nash will return home for the first time as a West Indies player since making his debut 18 months ago.

The squad:

Chris Gayle (captain), Adrian Barath, Sulieman Benn, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine, Travis Dowlin, Brendan Nash, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Kemar Roach, Darren Sammy, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Jerome Taylor, Gavin Tonge.

Agassi doping case not a dead issue: WADA

World Anti-Doping Agency

New York: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) wants to investigate whether any charges can be brought against Andre Agassi following his admission that he lied after taking crystal meth in 1997 and failing a drugs test.

Agassi's revelations in extracts of his autobiography "Open", published last week in 'The Times' newspaper in Britain, stunned the tennis world and cast a shadow over the eight-times grand slam champion's glittering career.

"He took something from the banned list in 1997, we can't do much about that because it's outside the statute of limitations, the eight-year bar," WADA director general David Howman said on Sunday.

"Two things need a little bit more inquiry, if he's lied, and he's confessed he lied, so he's obviously lied and he lied under oath then I think that warrants further investigation to see whether there might be any other charges.

"We all know about Marion Jones, she lied to a tribunal, it can't just be one of those things you get away with," he added in reference to the American sprinter who served a six-month prison term for lying to federal prosecutors about her drug use.

"The second issue is, he had a lawyer represent him, does his lawyer know that he was lying?

"Maybe something can be done in relation to that."

After failing a drugs test, Agassi wrote a letter to the ATP asking for leniency because he had accidentally drunk a "spiked soda" belonging to his assistant.

Agassi received no punishment from the governing body of men's tennis.

WADA has an eight-year limit on punishment for doping offences but last week former Ukraine pole vaulter Sergei Bubka, a committee member on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Agassi should be penalised for taking banned substances.

"It may not be something the ATP has any jurisdiction over. It may be that some other agency has to look at it," Howman said. "We just don't rely on sport to sanction for doping offences.

"These things have to be pursued," Howman added. "You don't just take them at face value, that it's outside the eight-year limit so nothing can be done. You've got to say maybe something else can be done."