The New Nation - Internet Edition

Sports Reporter

Jirabo SC and Tongi KC won their respective matches of the Third Division Football League on Wednesday.

At the Kamalapur Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa National Stadium, Jirabo SC came from behind and earned a 2-1 victory over Dhaka Junior SC.

The winners trailled the first half 0-1.

Masum of Dhaka Junior SC put his team ahead in the 24th minute of the first half.

After the lemon-break Butel of Jirabo SC equalished the margin in the 70th minute of the play.

Butel made it 2-1 in the 78th minute of the game.

At the Paltan Maidan, Tongi KC beat The Muslim Institute by 2-1 goals.

Tongi KC led the first half 2-0.

Shafique of Tongi KC gave his team early lead in the 5th minute of the first half.

Shahadat made it 2-0 in the 15th minute of the first half.

Faruque of the Muslim Institute scored the consolation in the 68th minute of the clash.

AFP, Karachi

Pakistan deployed dozens of police officers including elite commandos as the South African cricket team arrived here Wednesday for a month-long tour of the country.

South Africa are due to play two Tests and five one-day internationals in the violence-hit Islamic republic. They open the tour with a warm-up three-day match in Karachi from Thursday.

Tight security was seen at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport with policemen surrounding Graeme Smith's men as they left the terminal building in the teeming city of 12 million people.

"We deployed 100 policemen, police commandos and military commandos to create a tight security blanket," senior Karachi police officer Rana Pervez told AFP.

The South African squad, consisting of 14 players and 13 officials including three security officers, were then whisked to their hotel in a heavily guarded convoy.

They are due to hold a press conference later.

It is the first time South Africa have visited the troubled city since playing the quarter-final of the 1996 World Cup. They refused to play here over security fears on their tours in 1997 and 2003.

Security fears have surged in Pakistan after a spate of Islamic militant violence that has left around 270 people dead following the storming of an Al-Qaeda-linked mosque in Islamabad in July.

The nuclear-armed country's military ruler, President Pervez Musharraf, is also seeking re-election on October 6 in a biterly contested poll.

Karachi itself was rocked by clashes between pro- and anti- Musharraf activists in May that left more than 40 people dead.

Earlier this month Pakistani officials assured a visiting two-member delegation from Cricket South Africa that they would provide full security for the tour.

The Pakistan Cricket Board has excluded Rawalpindi and Peshawar from the original itinerary but it insisted the decision was not over security fears but due to a lack of facilities at the two venues.

South Africa will now play Tests in Karachi from October 1 to 5 and Lahore from October 8 to 12.

Four years ago South African cancelled a tour following a bomb blast in Karachi. They only agreed to a shortened version after Pakistan threatened to sue them and agreed to provide them security normally reserved for state heads.

Australia's A team toured Pakistan earlier this month without any problems.

But security fears and political instability forced the International Hockey Federation to move the annual Champions Trophy tournament from Lahore where it was due to be held in December.

Left-handed batsman Jean-Paul Duminy is the only uncapped player in an otherwise experienced squad while Smith, Mark Boucher, Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock are the seven survivors of the Proteas' last tour here four years ago.

South Africa's squad for five one-day internationals following the Test series will be announced later.

Squad: Graeme Smith (captain), Hashim Amla, Mark Boucher, AB de Villiers, Jean- Paul Duminy, Herschelle Gibbs, Paul Harris, Jacques Kallis, Morne Morkel, Andre Nel, Makhaya Ntini, Shaun Pollock, Ashwell Prince, Dale Steyn.

Itinerary:

Sep 27 - Three-day match in Karachi

Oct 1-5 - 1st Test in Karachi

Oct 8-12 - 2nd Test in Lahore

Oct 18 - 1st one-day international in Lahore

Oct 20 - 2nd one-day international in Lahore

Oct 23 - 3rd one-day international in Faisalabad

Oct 26 - 4th one-day international in Multan

Oct 29 - 5th one-day international in Karachi

AFP, Mumbai

Police batled to contain surging crowds wildly celebrating the return home Wednesday of the Indian team after lifting the inaugural Twenty20 world title against Pakistan.

Thousands braved monsoon rain to greet the cricketers off a flight from South Africa which landed in the western city of Mumbai on Wednesday morning.

Private security guards were also drafted in to cope with the crush as new captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni led his side out of Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport to huge cheers.

Many children joined the throng, dancing to drum beats as the team boarded an open-top bus which inched its way through a sea of supporters waving Indian flags and pictures of Dhoni.

With players taking turns to hold aloft the trophy, the bus set off on a 30- kilometre (20- mile) drive to south Mumbai's seafront Wankhede cricket stadium for a giant welcome home party.

Fans lit firecrackers, sang songs-"Chak de India" or "Come on India" from a Bollywood hit movie on women's hockey-and waved placards as the exuberant players danced and hugged each other.

Policemen joined in the celebrations as rose and marigold petals were thrown in the air.

India, restricted to 157-5 with the bat, fought back to bowl out Pakistan for 152 in a thrilling final on Monday in Johannesburg.

"These kids have proved themselves, they have the capacity to take us to greater heights," former chief selector Kiran More told reporters.

Ashwin Deshpande, a bank manager in Mumbai said India needed the victory. "Despite being a cricket crazy country, we had not won anything substantial for over two decades," he said.

"We can now say, the boys have delivered, even though this is baseball-type cricket"

Mumbai resident Ivan told Times Now news channel that the city had never witnessed celebrations of this scale before.

"People in this city, usually focused on making money, are stopping to acknowledge the team. It's amazing," he said.

India media reported that the team had partied through the night in South Africa.

"We just went crazy," star fast bowler Irfan Pathan said.

"Unlike other Indian teams this team celebrates in style."

Skipper Dhoni however was keen to temper the celebrations.

"Just live in the present, keep your feet on the ground, enjoy your success but don't get carried away," he told his teammates.

The surprise win by India, who were widely criticised at home earlier this year after being knocked out of the 50-overs World Cup tournament at the first stage, prompted the government and others to rain gifts on the players.

Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel announced free round- the-world air tickets for players and their families.

The private Sahara India trading group gave each player a new house, while the Board of Cricket Control in India promised huge rewards for the team and support staff.

Among the bigger prizes was a Porsche car for all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, who hit six sixes in one over.

AFP, Hangzhou

A confident United States pit their wits against flamboyant Brazil for a place in the World Cup final on Thursday, with both sides predicting a physical and exciting game.

The top-ranked US, riding a 51-game unbeaten streak, are aiming for a third title and spirits are sky-high after a ruthless 3-0 thumping of England in the quarter-finals.

The Samba Girls also have belief in themselves after turning on the style to beat Australia 3-2 and reach only their second ever semi-final.

The statistics favour the US, who have won 18 of their 22 previous meetings, including a 2-0 victory at home in June when veteran Kristine Lilly and her rampaging strike partner Abby Wambach found the net

Lilly and Wambach will again spearhead the American atack here, while Brazil will look for more magic from 2006 World Player of the Year Marta and the brilliant Cristiane.

US coach Greg Ryan, who described the June meeting between the two sides as "very dirty," is all too aware of the danger Marta poses and will try to mark her out of the match.

"I expect this game to be very physical like our game in June," he said.

"Marta wasn't there then but she is one of the most talented players in the world. Her presence on the field will make them a much more dangerous team atacking-wise.

"We're going to put all 11 players right around her," he added with a laugh.

Tireless midfielder Leslie Osborne, who limited the influence of both Sweden captain Victoria Svensson and England's atacking inspiration Kelly Smith in earlier matches, will be given the job of subduing Marta.

She knows it won't be easy against Marta, dubbed "Pele in a skirt," who is the tournament's joint top-scorer with five goals.

"Brazil are good," said the lively 24-year-old. "They throw a lot of numbers forward, they are very good individually and they all try to make things happen.

AFP, Karachi

Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik said on Wednesday that his young team can transform their Twenty20 form into success in the forthcoming Test series against South Africa.

Pakistan finished runners-up to arch-rivals India in the inaugural Twenty20 tournament in South Africa on Monday, marking a comeback after their disastrous 50-over World Cup campaign earlier this year.

"We have performed very well and since the boys are in good form I am confident that we will carry this form into our Test series against South Africa," Malik told reporters on his return from Johannesburg.

South Africa arrived in Pakistan on Wednesday for a month- long tour that includes two Tests and five-one day internationals. The first Test starts in Karachi on Monday.

Malik arrived on the same flight as Graeme Smith's South African squad. The Proteas were welcomed by strict security after doubts were raised over their tour due to unstable conditions in Pakistan.

The 25-year-old said it would be a challenge to face the South Africans.

"South Africa are a very good team so we have to be at our best to beat them. But I am confident that we have some good players who can transform their Twenty20 form into Test cricket," said Malik.

This will be Malik's first Test series as skipper since he was handed the job in the wake of Pakistan's first-round exit from the World Cup in the West Indies in March.

The flop forced then captain Inzamam-ul Haq to quit the captaincy, but the burly master batsman has said he is still willing to play Test cricket subject to his selection.

Malik however denied that Pakistan missed senior players such as Inzamam and Mohammad Yousuf in the Twenty20 World Cup.

"Twenty20 cricket is different, so a player can come good at one time and can fail in the next, so all the available players made the team stronger," said Malik.

Malik also rejected suggestions that the pressure of playing biter rivals India led to their defeat in the final.

"No, it's not that we were playing against India, There was no such pressure. We bated poorly and India defended a getable target of 158," he said.

"But all in all it was a good final and a very good tournament for Pakistan."

Malik said he thought the troubled Pakistan side had made a fresh start in international cricket after months of controversies, including the 2006 forfeiture of the Oval Test against England and a drugs scandal.

"The players are very commited and that was proved by their performances," he said.

"We don't think about what happened in the past, our focus is on the future, especially on the series against South Africa, then the tour of India and finally on the series against Australia."

Pakistan tour India in November-December to play three Tests and five one-day internationals before hosting Australia for the same number of matches in March-April next year.