The New Nation - Internet Edition

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh National Football team left here Wednesday afternoon for Bangkok en route Tajikistan with a high hope to win the away match of the 2010 World Cup Pre-Qualifiers against the hosts in Dushanbe.

The team comprises 18 booters and two officials.

The match will be held in the Tajik capital on Oct 28.

After reaching the Thai capital, the national side will leave for Uzbek capital Tashkent by another Thai Airways flight.

Later, Bangladesh team will travel to Dushanbe by road, expecting to reach the destination on Thursday.

On the eve of the team's departure, veteran defender Hasan Al Mamun said: "Tajikistan is a strong side and they will be playing at home. But our main target will be to win."

Mamun also gave indication of stiff challenge saying: "We will snatch points from them in the way they snatched points from us in the home match."

Earlier, in the home match on Oct 8, Bangladesh held strong Tajikistan to a 1-1 draw at the Bangabandhu National Stadium here.

Midfielder Zumratul Hossain Mithu, who scored the lone goal for Bangladesh in the home match said: "Our target will be to win the match, no matter who scores the goal. Win is much needed for us for the sake of country's football."

Veteran coach Syed Nayeemuddin also seemed pretty confident about his side as he thinks he has the best possible side at the moment.

Asked about dependable defender Nazrul Islam, who is not accompanying the team, the coach said: "Nazrul could not come in the squad because of some problems."

Earlier, Bangladesh played four matches against Tajikistan where they managed only one draw in the last home match.

The Bangladesh team suffered an identical 0-2 goals defeat in the prior home and away basis Pre World Cup qualifier matches and 1-6 in the AFC Challenge Cup here last year.

Bangladesh team: Players - Biplob Battachariya, Mazharul Islam Himel, Wali Faisal, Rajani Kanta Barman, Hasan Al Mamun, Ariful Islam, Mahmudul Hasan, Amit Khan Shuvro, Arman Aziz, Abul Hossain, Zumratul Hossain Mithu, Zahid Hossain, Enamul Haque Sharif, Mohammad Robin, Zahid Hossain Emily and Saifur Rahman Moni.

Officials - Amirul Islam Babu (coordinator) and Syed Nayeemuddin (coach).

Sports Reporter

The Ispahani Mirzapur Tea 9th National Cricket League resumes tomorrow after two days recess. Dhaka Division team will take on Sylhet Division team in a four-dayer match which begins tomorrow at the Bogra Shaheed Chandu Sadium while Barisal Division will face Rajshahi.

Division in a four-dayer match which begins tomorrow at the Rajshahi Divisional Stadium and Khulna Division will meet Chittagong Division in a four-dayes match which begins tomorrow at the Bir Sreshtha Motiur Rahman Stadium in Khulna.

Later, three one-dayer matches will be held on October 30.

Dhaka Division will take on Sylhet Division while Barisal Division will play against Rajshahi Division and Khulna Division will face Chittagong Division in their respective one-dayer matches.

Sports Reporter

Tokai Stadium team made an auspicious start in the Orient Bread Tokai Kabaddi Competition when they defeated Tokai Paltan team by 82-23 points with six lonas in the inaugural match at the Kabaddi Stadium on Wednesday.

In the day's other match, Tokai Mirpur Team beat Tokai Saidabad Terminal team by 50-30 points amid four lones at the same venue.

Earlier, Director and CEO of Bangladesh Olympic Association Colonel (Retd) Md Wali Ullah inaugurated the Kabaddi meet as the chief guest while Managing Director of Orient Bread Mahbubuzzaman was along with him as the special guest. Eminent actor Md Farid Ali, General Secretary of Bangladesh Kabaddi Federation Md Nazrul Islam, Chairman of the Tournament Committee Md Shah Alam were present at the time.

A good number of spectators watched the Kabaddi competition for Tokais.

UNB, Dhaka

Raihan scalped seven wickets for 16 runs as Golden Age Club outplayed Winsum Cricket Academy by 146 runs in the 3rd Division Qualifying Cricket League at the Gulshan Youth Club Ground here Wednesday.

Sent into bat first, Golden Age Club posted 237 for 8 in 45 overs with Rajib contributing 48 runs.

In reply, Winsum Cricket Academy were bundled out for 91 runs.

In another match at the Dhaka University Ground, Masud scored a brilliant 111 runs off 93 balls, guiding Thunder Cats (264/10) to a 50-run victory over Eastern Sporting Club (214/10).

In the day's other matches, SDC Udioman Cricket Academy (208/10) outclassed Battalion Boys Club (30/10) by 178 runs at the City Club Ground, Dakkhin Khan Naba Uayan Sangha (212/10) beat Dhanmondi United Sporting Club (110/10) by 102 runs at the Dhanmondi Club Ground while Baghpara Cricket Club (183/9) defeated Young Talent Cricketers Academy (130/10) by 53 runs at the Uttara Cricket Ground.

AFP, Sydney

Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan arrived on Wednesday for his first full Australia Test tour in 12 years braced for a chilly reception from fans as he bids to break Shane Warne's wickets record.

Muralitharan, who has refused to tour Australia in the past because of crowds taunting his unusual bowling action, wants to show why he is one of the best bowlers in the world, skipper Mahela Jayawardene said.

"He hasn't played here for 10 years in a Test match and he's pretty geared up I think. He feels Australia is one of the places that he has to challenge himself," Jayawardene said.

"This is probably a place where he has to prove he's one of the top bowlers in the world, so I think he's looking forward to the challenge."

'Murali' needs just nine wickets to overhaul Warne's 708 Test scalps in the Test matches in Brisbane and Hobart starting on November 8 and 16.

The Sri Lanka tour follows Australia's return home after a bitter series against India marred by the racial taunting of the team's only black player, Andrew Symonds, who was subjected to monkey noises and gestures.

There are fears that Muralitharan could receive unsportsmanlike treatment in Australia, where he has been called for 'throwing' on two previous tours and subjected to constant crowd calls of "no ball."

Sri Lanka coach Trevor Bayliss said there were "always idiots in every crowd" and it was near impossible to control the behaviour of fans.

"I don't know whether you're going to stop that 100 percent," he said.

"But I think the majority of people realise it's the wrong thing to do and don't get involved, there's just one or two idiots in every crowd."

Jayawardene said his team would challenge Australia but not get so carried away as to be involved in the antics seen in India.

"We have to be very aggressive with Australia, but to a certain extent sometimes if you go overboard you lose your own concentration as well, and we certainly don't want that to happen," he told a press conference.

"We will be aggressive, but not to the extent that we would get involved with silly incidents."

Australia captain Ricky Ponting said a little heckling from the crowd was to be expected.

"But when it gets a bit out of control like it did in the series just gone in India it becomes pretty disappointing and I think pretty embarrassing for the home team," he said.

Muralitharan's ultra-flexible bowling action has come under its heaviest scrutiny in Australia, where he has been called for throwing on two tours and has not played a full Test match since late 1995.

He boycotted Sri Lanka's 2004 visit after Australian Prime Minister John Howard labelled him a "chucker."

However, he returned for a one-off Test for the Rest of the World in 2005 and a one-day series in 2006, when he was unofficially reprimanded for making a one-fingered gesture to taunting spectators in Perth.

Sri Lanka will play a warm-up match in Adelaide starting Saturday.

Sports Reporter

The eight-member Bangladesh Cricket team will leave the city today for Hong Kong to take part in the six-a-side cricket tournament scheduled to be held in Hong Kong from October 27 to October 28. The selected seven players will miss the Ispahani Mirzapur Tea 9th National Cricket League's four-days matches of the second round (26-29 October).

The players, who have been selected, are: Mohammad Ashraful, Aftab Ahmed, Abdur Razzak, Dollar Mahmud, Mahmudullah Riyad, Nazmul Hossain Milon and Zunaed Siddiqui.

The official is: Lieutenant Colonel (Retd) MA Latif Khan (Manager).

A total of 10 teams splitting into three groups will take part in the tournament.

Bangladesh, South Africa, Australia, All-Stars have been pencilled in Sobers Group while Pakistan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka have been billed in Cowdrey Group and India, New Zealand, England have been placed in Bradman Group.

Bangladesh Cricket team will return home on October 29.

AFP, Basel

Roger Federer shifted his impeccable tennis back on course after a weekend finals loss, but had to survive a scare from a German giant to reach the second round of the Swiss Indoors on Tuesday.

Michael Berrer, a hulking 100kg and 1.90 metres, threatened to re-write the script of Federer's 2007 Basel tennis homecoming, winning a set before finally falling 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 after nearly 90 minutes.

Federer needed all of his powers of concentration to put aside his three-set Madrid Masters disappointment against David Nalbandian just 48 hours earlier.

Second seed and 2005 winner Fernando Gonzalez also advanced as he subdued a challenge from France's Jereme Haehnel 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.

Federer missed a chance to lift his seventh trophy of the season in Spain but is fine- tuning this week and next for the season-ending Masters Cup from November 11 in Shanghai.

The Swiss again leads the eight-man field, with up to 20 contenders struggling for the last three places.

Against Berrer, Federer ran out a pair of love games to start and concluded the rapid-fire opening set in 21 minutes with a clean forehand into the corner.

But that was where the tide turned, with Berrer finding a surprise 4-0 lead in the second set with Federer able to break back only once, in the fifth game.

The Swiss dropped the set and began looking worryingly close to his first back-to- back losses on the ATP since losing in Hamburg to Mark Philippoussis followed 11 days later at Roland Garros when he went out against Luis Horna nearly four and a half years ago.

"I'm through to the second round and I have a day off on Wednesday," said the Swiss, wondering what all the fuss was about. "It couldn't be better."

The world number one stepped up a gear in the third, securing the 4-2 break on a Berrer double-fault.

Berrer made a last stand as he saved a match point three games later before Federer fired over a service winner to close out the great escape.

"I'm having to explain any I lost a set," said Federer with bemusement.

Spain's third-seeded David Ferrer was derailed for the second straight week in a tournament opening round as his qualification for the Masters Cup remained elusive.

Berrer lost to Argentine Agustin Calleri 6-4, 7-6 (7/3) to complicate the qualifying scenario for the eight-man season warm- up event in China.

Berrer, who started October in storming form by lifting the Tokyo title, has fallen mightily, withdrawing from Stockholm and losing last week at home in Madrid to Feliciano Lopez.

The world number six stands next in the queue to take the empty sixth position. But his early Swiss loss delays the final selection process.

Trailing him are four other rivals headed by Basel second seed and former champion Fernando Gonzalez (provisional seventh), German Tommy Haas, who withdrew ill from Lyon, provisional ninth Tommy Robredo and American James Blake.

Robredo was beaten in Lyon while Blake has yet to play in Basel. With point values lower this week, the positions are more than likely to be decided at next week's Paris Masters, the last tournament of the regular ATP season.

Another seed was eliminated at the St Jakobshalle as number seven Juan Chela of Argentina lost 6-3, 6-4 to Austrian Stefan Koubek.

Number eight Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu defeated Canadian Frank Dancevic 6- 3, 6-1.