The New Nation - Internet Edition

Storm as Twenty20 Cup tie called off over ineligible player

AFP, London

Controversy reigned Monday after the England and Wales Cricket Board called off the English Twenty20 Cup quarter-final match between Durham and Yorkshire over an ineligible player.

The ECB acted after determining that Yorkshire had failed to register Azeem Rafiq as a first-class player for an earlier decisive group match against Nottinghamshire.

Fans were furious as the match was called off just minutes before it was due to begin and they were left to make their way home following a pointless journey.

The ECB's disciplinary commission will meet Thursday to determine what action should be taken against Yorkshire.

Chief executive David Collier insisted the ECB said they could not have taken any other course of action other than postpone the match.

"I don't think we could have done any more than what we've been doing today," he told Sky Sports 1 television.

"It has been a mad rush. The worst would have been to just ignore it and act as though nothing had happened and let the game go ahead with the knowledge that the game may well have to be replayed."

Rafiq, 17, has captained England Under-15s - yet there are also question marks against his British nationality.

Yorkshire's director of cricket Martyn Moxon suggested the ECB knew of the issue within days of their June 27 match against Notts, when the mix-up occurred.

"I can only apologise to everybody concerned - the players from both teams are absolutely devastated with what's gone on today," Moxon told the BBC.

Rafiq is understood to have been eligible to play for Yorkshire at every level below the first team - but he bowled two overs against Notts.

First 3-dayer heading for draw

UNB, Dhaka

The first three-day match between visiting Bangladesh A and hosts England Under-19 team was heading towards a draw when this report came in on the 3rd and final day Tuesday at the Hazelgrave Ground, Loughborough.

Replying to Bangladesh A's first innings total of 195/7 (declared), the England Under-19 were trailing by 133 runs with seven wickets in hand. They scored 62 runs for 3 wickets in 22.1 overs when the report was filed.

After the departure of opener Taylor (26 runs) and number three Westley (14), middle order Redfern and Hales were batting on 16 and 4 runs respectively for the junior English side.

Pacer Mahbubul Alam Robin grabbed two wickets for 30 runs, while Nazmul took the other wicket.

Earlier, resuming with overnight 115 for 4 in 38 overs, Bangladesh A declared their 1st innings at 195 for 7 in 63 overs.

After a nice 62 from opener Imrul Kayes on Monday, another two mediocre innings from Nayeem Islam and wicket keeper Dhiman Ghosh enabled the tourists to take the total near the 200-mark.

Nayeem, batting on 7 Monday, added another 33 runs to contribute 40 off 72 balls with five fours and a six, while the other overnight batsman Dhiman made 29 off 47 balls with six boundaries. Rubel Hossain scored 10 runs.

BW Sanderson was the pick of the England Under-19 bowlers claiming four wickets for 52 runs in 17 overs, while Harris, Fletcher and Saxelby took one wicket apiece.

Bangladesh A team will play the 2nd three-day match against Warwickshire on July 11-13, the 3rd against Leicestershire July 16-18, the 4th against Derbyshire July 21-23 and the 5th three-day match against a South African selection on July 25-27.

After the three-dayers, Bangladesh A will play three one-day matches against Lancashire on July 30, Marylebone Cricket Club on August 1 and Durham on August 3.

The Bangladesh A side is expected to return home on August 4.

10th School Chess begins

UNB, Dhaka

The Standard Chartered 10th School Chess Tournament, organized by Bangladesh Chess Federation, began here on Tuesday at the hall room of Bangladesh Chess Federation.

Some 240 school boys and girls, including 16 from India and two from Nepal, are taking part in the nine-round Swiss League system competition in three groups -- Group A (KG to class V), Group B (Class V1 to X) and Group C (Girls group).

On the opening day today, 27 players earned full points in Group A, 48 players in Group B and 13 players in girls Group C, by winning the first round matches.

Mohona of Motijheel Govt High beat Shiny Das of India in the girls' group.

Sixty two players are taking part in Group A, 120 players in Group B while 32 girls in Group C.

Tournament Sponsor Standard Chartered Bank provided Tk 6 lakh to run the meet, while Tk 1 lakh will be given in prize money.

The competitors of Group B will receive Tk 28,000, Group A Tk 40,000 and Group C Tk 30,000 in prize money apart from trophies.

Results of Open Squash Tournament

Sports Reporter

Towhid Feroze, Omar, Mohit Chowhan and Jagadish Chowhan moved into the semifinals of the A-Division of the Delta Life Open Squash Tournament on Tuesday.

In the day's A-Division matches, Omar of Gulshan Club, Mamun of Dhaka Club, Jagadish Chowhan of BUET Club won their respective matches at the squash court of Dhaka Club.

In the B-Division matches, Johny Ram of Chittagong Club, Sumon Lal of Dhaka Club, Shahid of Gulshan Club and Commander Jamil got wins at the same venue on the same day.

Amal, Iqbal, Imon, Shaheen reached the semifinals of the Under-18 Division.

In the Under-18 Division matches, Tamim of Dhaka Army Club, Imon of Gulshan Club registered wins at the same venue.

Today Sadaf of Gulshan Club will face Talha of Dhaka Army Club in the final of the C-Division.

National Age Group Swimming Competition to be held on July 20, 21 & 22

Sports Reporter

The three-day-long 24th National Age Group Swimming Competition will be held at the Mirpur National Swimming Complex on July 20, 21 and 22. Bangladesh Swimming Federation will arrange the swimming meet.

Interested swimmers of districts, associations, clubs which are affiliated to Swimming Federation have been requested to send their entries at the office room of Bangladesh Swimming. Federation by July 10. The swimmers also are requested to report at the swimming complex at 5.00 PM on July 18. The medical test of the swimmers will be started at 8.00 AM on July 19 at the complex.

Torres withdraws from 100m freestyle

AFP, Nebraska

American Dara Torres, who is the oldest member of the US Olympic swim team, has dropped the 100-metre freestyle from the events she will compete in at the Beijing Olympics.

The 41-year-old Torres was the surprise of the US Olympic swimming trials when she qualified for her fifth Olympics by winning the 50m and 100m free.

On Monday, she decided to skip the 100m, opting to swim in the 400m freestyle relay and 400m medley relay.

With Torres' defection, Lacey Nymeyer, who finished third in the 100m free, moves up to the second slot.

Dhoni opts out of Sri Lanka Tests

AFP, Mumbai

India's Mahendra Singh Dhoni took the rare step of pulling out of a Test tour because of fatigue on Tuesday, saying he wanted to miss the upcoming series against Sri Lanka.

The wicketkeeper-batsman told officials he was not available for the three Tests starting in Colombo on July 23, but would be open for selection for the subsequent five-match one-day series.

"Dhoni has informed us he is tired and wants to sit out of the Sri Lanka Test series," Indian cricket board chief administrative official Ratnakar Shetty told reporters here.

"We respect his decision and encourage players to opt out if they are tired because of the non-stop cricket these days."

The selectors will meet later on Tuesday to pick the Test squad for their first full tour of Sri Lanka since 2001.

While Anil Kumble captains India in Tests, Dhoni, who turned 27 on Monday, is the limited-overs skipper and has been a regular in the national side in all three forms of the game.

Since January 2007, Dhoni has played 14 Tests, 56 one-day internationals and nine Twenty20 matches across the world as well as taking part in a domestic competition earlier this year.

The supremely-fit Dhoni had complained of a hectic schedule during the recent Asia Cup in Pakistan after India played their first three games in four days in stifling heat and humidity.

India went on to reach Sunday's final in Karachi where they lost to Sri Lanka.

Indian board official Rajiv Shukla had reacted to Dhoni's Asia Cup comment by saying players were free to opt out of a series if they did not want to play.

Leading players' associations have warned of burn-out due to the backbreaking modern schedules, but the International Cricket Council said it will not alter the Future Tours Programme before 2012.

Cheerleaders prep for Beijing Games

AFP, Jingdong

Sporting skimpy outfits and glistening smiles, the Chinese women dancing here could be cheerleaders for any US sports team. Only the colourful fans and "nunchakus" chain sticks give them away.

One month before the Beijing Olympics, hundreds of Chinese women are flocking to a gym in the suburbs of the capital to learn how to jump, flip and cheer for the tens of thousands of spectators who will attend the Summer Games.

Cheerleading is a quintessentially American tradition but has become more and more popular here, thanks in large part to the phenomenal success of US basketball among China's youth, who are not shocked by scantily-clad dancers.

Olympic organisers, working hard to make these Games the best ever, have embraced the dance teams as a colourful way to keep spectators happy during breaks in play in basketball, beach volleyball and some of the other sports.

Some of the women are professional dancers, while others come from dance schools around the country.

Training sessions will run until July 27, but last week, the women working out in Jingdong, an hour's drive from Beijing, learned from some of the best-the cheerleaders for the Super Bowl runners-up, the New England Patriots.

"They're a lot like Americans-they use pompoms, they do flips," says 20-year-old Patriot dancer Corie Mae Callaluca, every bit the picture of the stereotypical cheerleader with long blonde hair and blue eyes.

When the Patriot squad launches into one high-energy routine after another during a demonstration, their Chinese students watch with wide-eyed admiration and envy.

For 22-year-old recent university graduate Pei Qiyu, working out with Callaluca and her team-mates was a great pre-Olympic confidence builder.

"We're quickly learning this new skill. Our sessions with foreign cheerleaders this year have really been a great way to learn. We like their style, and what we're learning from them," Pei said.

"Cheerleaders are not yet a big deal in China-it's just starting to catch on," she added.

Pei is one of 600 Chinese cheerleaders who have been training for months, many of whom have also honed their skills during the "Good Luck Beijing" Olympic test events in Beijing over the past year.

Organisers are hoping that the "laladui", as they are known in Mandarin, will enchant spectators with their signature Chinese style, mixing elements from traditional Peking opera into more typical hip-hop US routines.

ICC to invest US$300 million to develop cricket

AP, Dubai

The International Cricket Council will invest US$300 million (euro190 million) to develop the sport in countries that are not full members of the council.

"(It's) the biggest investment in global development by any sport outside football," Haroon Lorgat, the CEO of cricket's governing body, said in an ICC statement Tuesday.

Lorgat wants "to see results that challenge world cricket's existing order."

The ICC has 10 full member nations and 104 other member countries. It also has 34 associates and 60 affiliates around the world.

7 players leave for London today

UNB, Dhaka

Seven players, including six who accompanied the national team in the just concluded Asia Cup, leave here for London Wednesday to play for the Bangladesh A team in the remaining three-day and one-day matches against their English counterparts.

These players will replace seven players of the visiting A team, who will return home on completion of the 1st three-dayer between Bangladesh A and England Under-19.

The players to be replaced are Imrul Kayes, Shahagir Hossain, Nadif Chowdhury, Suhrawardi Shuvo, Mahbubul Alam, Arafat Sunny and Farhad Hossain.

Meanwhile, all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who withdrew himself from the Kitply Cup and also from the Asia Cup due to HSC examinations, will leave here for London on July 11.

After the first three-dayer, the second string Bangladesh side will play the 2nd three-day match against Warwickshire on July 11-13, the 3rd three-day match against Leicestershire July 16-18, the 4th three-day match against Derbyshire July 21-23 and the 5th three-day match against a South African selection on July 25-27.

After the three-dayers, Bangladesh A will play three one-day matches -- against Lancashire on July 30, Marylebone Cricket Club on August 1 and Durham on August 3.

The Bangladesh A side is expected to return home on August 4.

American Young advances at Newport tennis

AFP, Rhode Island

American Donald Young got off to a rousing start at the 385,0000 dollar Hall of Fame Tennis Championship by registering an opening round win on Monday.

Young, 18, was bounced in the first round of Wimbledon and was looking to make it into the second round of a tournament for the first time since the Tunica Resorts clay event on May 8.

The sixth seed, who was the only seeded player in action on Monday, posted a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 victory over South Korean Woong-Sun Jun.

With the third set tied at 3-3, Young broke Jun after the South Korean double faulted and held serve until the end of the match.

Young will face Alexander Peya in the next round. The unseeded Austrian was a three-set winner over Phillip Petzschner on Monday.

Other unseeded winners included Mikhail Ledovskikh, Brendan Evans, Vincent Spadea and Rohan Bopanna.

The top four seeds all received byes in the grass event, which includes top seed Mardy Fish and second seed Fabrice Santoro, who is the defending champion here.

Santoro had defeated Nicolas Mahut, who is seeded third, in straight sets last year.