The New Nation - Internet Edition

Logo of B League unveiled: Dhaka Abahani to face Rahmatganj in opener

Sports Reporter

Dhaka Abahani Limited will face Rahmatganj MFS in the opening match of the Citycell B League scheduled to be held on September 13 at the Bangabandhu National Stadium.

A total of 11 teams wiil take part in the Prqfessional Football League (B League). They are : Defending champions Dhaka Abahani Limited, Dhaka Mohammedan Sporting Club, Muktijoddha Sangsad KC, Sheikh Russel KC, Brothers Union, Arambagh Krira Sangha, Rahmatganj MFS, Chittagong Abahani Limited, Khulna Abahani Limited, Farashganj Sporting Club, Chittagong Mohammedan Sporting Club.

Yesterday the logo of the B League was unveiled in a city hotel infront of a good number of members of Bangladesh Football Federation, sports journalists, sports personnel.

Sanior Vice-President of Bangladesh Football Federation and former legend footballer Abdus Salam Murshedi unveiled the logo of B League. Deputy General Manager of the Citycell Tanjim Haque, Deputy General Manager of the Citycell Atique Akbar were present, among others.

DCC hands over document of 15 kathas land to Squash Federation

UNB, Dhaka

Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) on Wednesday allotted 15 katha land to Bangladesh Squash Rackets Federation (BSRF) in Gulshan to construct squash court and federation building ahead of the 11th South Asian Games to be held in Dhaka next year.

DCC Chief Engineer Col Md Ashfakul Islam handed over the documents of the land located behind the Wonder Land Park in Gulshan to the Secretary General of Bangladesh Olympic Association (BOA) Kutubuddin Ahmed at a simple ceremony.

Later, BOA secretary general handed over the land document to the BSRF vice-president Lt Col (Retd) MA Latif. BOA Director-cum-CEO Col (retd) M Wali Ullah, Acting CEO of DCC Mohammad Alauddin and BSRF general secretary Sohel Hamid were also present on the occasion.

Kutubuddin expressed gratitude to BOA President General Moeen U Ahmed and DCC Mayor Sadek Hossain Khoka for their contribution.

Bangladesh Squash and Rackets Federation has already took initiatives to construct four squash courts and a federation building ahead of the 11th South Asian Games in Dhaka where squash was included in the games.

25 umpires named for 2nd CA-BCB Level-2 umpire course beginning Saturday

UNB, Dhaka

Bangladesh Cricket Board on Wednesday selected 25 local umpires to participate in the 2nd CA-BCB Level-2 Umpire Course'2008, beginning here on Saturday.

Four experts from Cricket Australia (CA) --Ross Turner, Darren Goodger, Graham Chudleigh and Nick Fowler -- will conduct the six-day umpire course.

Selected umpires have been asked to report to BCB Umpires Manager Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid Saikat at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Mirpur on Saturday at 08:30 am on Sept 13.

Selected umpires are ( according to their present grades) - Shawkatur Rahman Chinu, Mahbubur Rahman, Manzur Rahman, Syed Mahbubullah, Jahangir Alam (National Pool), Abdul Aziz Shikder, Md. Wahid, Abdul Awal, Ashiqur Rahman, Rafiqul Alam (Grade-A), SM Zakaria, Atiqur Rahman , Md. Rokonuzzaman, Masudur Rahman, Humayun Kabir Ahmed, Morshed Ali Khan Sumon, Mahbub Morshed (Grade-B), Md Reazul Islam, Hasan Shamim, Shahid Zongi, Md. Abdul Moktadir, Sharif Shamim Ahmed, Md. Saidur Rahman, Md. Sirazul Islam and Tanvir Mahmood (Grade-C).

Ponting, Hayden recovering fast for India tour

PTI, Melbourne

Australian think-tank heaved a sigh of relief with batting mainstays Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden recovering fast from injuries to reach India next month to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

The duo will have to play crucial roles if Australia are to beat India at their backyard, considered one of the toughest cricket assignments. With Ponting recovering fast from a wrist surgery and Hayden overcoming an achilles problem, coach Tim Nielsen said there was nothing to worry about the duo.

"Ricky saw (physio) Alex (Kountouris) in Sydney. The feedback was pretty solid, all good. He has just started batting again as well," Nielsen was quoted as saying by 'Herald Sun'.

On Hayden, he said, "Everything has been progressing exactly as we liked with Haydos."

Hayden has not played since last summer and both he and Ponting missed the O.D.I. series against Bangladesh in Darwin. With embattled all-rounder Andrew Symonds -- sent home due to what is perceived as his sagging commitment to the team -- likely to miss the India tour, the team management is worried that it might weaken Australia's batting strength.

Though Symonds has got in touch with sports psychologist Phil Jauncey to help him come out of the crisis, the team management is not taking chance and seemed to have found a logical replacement in Shane Watson.

"Until we have finalised everything with Roy (Symonds) and made those decisions, we're probably not really willing to talk about it, to be honest," Nielsen said.

Shamsur Rahman hits century: BCB Academy scores 315/5 against Sri Lanka

UNB, Dhaka

Visiting GP-BCB National Cricket Academy team scored comfortable 315 runs for five wickets in 81 overs against Sri Lanka Development XI at stumps on the opening day of 1st four-day match at Dambulla in Sri Lanka on Wednesday.

Shamsur Rahman scored 125 runs and Marshal Ayub made 78, according to message received here tonight.

Earlier on Sunday, the two-day warm up match between the touring side and Sri Lanka Academy team ended in a draw.

Jayawardene calls for single Twenty20 tournament

AP, Colombo

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene is urging competing national cricket boards to support a single Twenty20 world tournament to ensure the continuing viability of test cricket.

"I've said this from the beginning and I believe it even now, international Twenty20 is not the way forward," Jayawardene said in an article to be published in next month's edition of The Wisden Cricketer magazine.

"The way forward would be to have one big Twenty20 tournament, whether that's IPL (Indian Premier League), EPL (English Premier League) or (the West Indies') Stanford, and it will accommodate everyone's interests," he said. "The best players will play over a short period and the income generated can be shared."

Jayawardene, who has been short-listed for the international player of the year and the test player of the year awards, said having a unified T20 competition would ensure the survival of limited-overs and test match cricket.

But it would rely on the cooperation of the various national cricket boards, Jayawardene said. The Board of Control for Cricket in India launched the lucrative IPL last season, selling franchises in the competition and TV rights to amass unprecedented revenue for a domestic series. That sparked a spate of subsequent series, all with heavy financial backing and incentives for the elite players.

"The BCCI also needs to understand that we can't be playing four Twenty20 tournaments in a year. What happens to other cricket around the world then?" Jayawardene said. "Everyone's being driven by the money but you have to compromise and start sharing the pot."

Jayawardene, who is contracted to Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, and his fellow senior Sri Lanka players are in dispute with Sri Lanka Cricket over next year's tour of England and the financial terms of the tour because it clashes with the IPL.

"There's no compromise when it comes to playing for our country.

We put everything on the line but, regardless of how well we play against England or Australia, we'll still get paid what we get right now," Jayawardene said.

"But when we're given an opportunity like the IPL, it's a chance to play six weeks of cricket and make the sort of money that the rest of the world makes just by playing for their countries."

The 31-year-old Jayawardene, who averages 52.4 in 98 test matches, said players from nations such as England and Australia were much better paid than players from Sri Lanka.

"That's what the dialogue with the authorities is about. If we were paid what other international players are, there would be no issue. Then we wouldn't have to go and play IPL or EPL," he said.

Jayawardene would like to see Sri Lanka commit to playing more test cricket and give itself a chance to rise up the International Cricket Council rankings.

"How can you rank Sri Lanka?" he asked. "I think we have only 10 tests in the next three years. Out of that, we're playing Bangladesh home and away. So where's our opportunity to climb up the ladder?

"Are we getting equal opportunities to play against Australia, South Africa and England? When others play 20 tests or more in the same period, how are we going to get the points to move towards the top?"

West Ham ready to seal Zola deal

BBC Online

West Ham want Gianfranco Zola to be their new manager and expect to agree a deal with the ex-Chelsea forward by Thursday, BBC Sport understands.

The Hammers board were unanimous in agreeing Zola was the man they wanted.

Zola was on a shortlist with Roberto Donadoni, who has decided to withdraw his application, and John Collins.

A senior club source told BBC Sport: "We are now negotiating with Gianfranco, although a final decision will be subject to board approval."

He added: "We were very comfortable with the three options we had - Zola, Donadoni and Collins - but Gianfranco was the first choice.

"The board gave (chief executive) Scott Duxbury authorisation to approach him and will meet Gianfranco before any contract is signed."

Zola, the assistant coach of the Italy Under-21s, has given the Hammers encouragement that he is keen to move to Upton Park.

West Ham interviewed Zola last week and Duxbury then travelled to Rome to talk to him on Sunday.

The 42-year-old is currently preparing Italy to face Croatia on Tuesday in their final qualifier for the European Under-21 Championship.

They need to avoid defeat in order to qualify for the tournament in Sweden.

West Ham believe the Italian, who played for Chelsea from 1996 to 2003, has the attributes to be a big success at Upton Park.

"It's true that he has no experience of managing a club side, but he knows the Premier League very well," the source added.

"His English is very good and he can talk about football with English players and inspire them. "He has a record of developing young footballers, which is very important to us, and was obviously a world-class player.

"Experienced players like to have a manager they can respect as a footballer."

And Chelsea and England captain John Terry suggested Zola would one day go on to manager the Blues.

"I'm sure one day he'll be back at Chelsea working with us," said Terry, speaking in Zagreb, ahead of England's World Cup qualifier against Croatia.

"He's got a little bit more experience after managing Italy's Under-21 side so it'd be great for him to get more experience at West Ham and hopefully one day be Chelsea manager."

The Hammers have moved impressively quickly to recruit a manager since Curbishley resigned last Wednesday.

They had been eager to interview Croatia coach Slaven Bilic, but discounted the former West Ham defender because he wanted to continue coaching his country part-time until the end of the year.

And Getafe boss Michael Laudrup joined Spartak Moscow before the Hammers were able to speak to him.

Collins, who has managed Hibernian, also impressed in interviews, while former Italy boss Donadoni had been among the front runners before withdrawing his application on Tuesday.

"I would like to thank West Ham United Football Club for approaching and speaking with me," said Donadoni.

"I welcomed the opportunity of speaking with such a prominent Premier League club and of course, the opportunity of coming to the English Premier League.

"However, it does appear that the board have not yet, after some time, come to an agreement and a conclusion on who the successful candidate should be.

"It is important for me to feel that I have the full support of the club and I have therefore taken the decision to withdraw myself from the candidate shortlist for the club."

Pakistan one-day series in doubt

BBC Online

Pakistan are unlikely to go ahead with their planned one-day series with Sri Lanka later this month because of a lack of sponsor interest.

The five-match limited-overs series was arranged to fill a scheduling gap after the Champions Trophy was postponed.

But a Pakistan Cricket Board spokesman said: "Efforts to organise matches with Sri Lanka encountered difficulties.

"The way things stand at the moment, it is highly unlikely that the series will be played."

A final decision on the series is expected to be made by the PCB this week.

The eight-team Champions Trophy was scheduled to take place in Pakistan from 12-28 September but the International Cricket Council postponed the tournament until October 2009 because of security concerns.

Pakistan, who have not played a Test match in 2008, attempted to organise a tour of South Africa instead but that fell through when the South Africa Cricket Board said its players were exhausted.

Paraguay beats Venezuela 2-0 in WCup qualifier

AP, Asuncion

Christian Riveros and Nelson Haedo Valdez scored in the first half as Paraguay dispatched Venezuela 2-0 to extend its lead in South American qualifying for the World Cup on Tuesday.

Paraguay has 17 points, followed by Brazil and Argentina with 12 each and Uruguay on 11.

Venezuela, loser of a third consecutive qualifier, was eighth in the 10-team standings with 7.

Riveros knocked a center pass into the lower right corner of the net, beyond the reach of Venezuela goalkeeper Renny Vega in the 28th minute.

Off a pass from Roque Santa Cruz, Valdez split Venezuela's porous defense to score into an open net a minute before halftime.

Santa Cruz, back after an ankle injury made him unavailable for last Saturday's 1-1 draw with Argentina, directed Paraguay's powerful offense, while Venezuela - faced with a tough defense - failed to create offensive opportunities at Defensores del Chaco Stadium in the Paraguayan capital.

Venezuela has yet to score in five World Cup qualifiers - all losses - in Asuncion.

Paraguay next plays Colombia on Oct. 11. Venezuela hosts Brazil the same day.

On Wednesday, its Chile vs. Colombia, Uruguay vs. Ecuador, Brazil vs. Bolivia, and Peru vs. Argentina.

Results of Second Division Football League

Sports Reporter

Uttar Baridhara Club beat East End Club by a solitary goal in the Second Division Football League at the Banani Bangladesh Army Stadium on Wednesday,

Hasan of Uttar Baridhara scored the match-winning goal.

In the day's other match at the same venue, Little Friends Club ease past Dhanmondi Club 1-0 riding on Shahinoor's all-important goal.

At the Kamalapur Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium, BG Press S&RC made a goalless draw with Bangladesh Police AC.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh Boys Club drew 1-1 with Karwan Bazar Progoti Sangha at the same venue on the same day.

Momin of Karwan Bazar gave his team early lead in the ninth minute.

After the lemon-break Alom of Bangladesh Boys Club equalised the margin in the 7oth minute of the play.

Today's matches :

Prantik KC vs Kadamtala Sangsad

T&T Clur of Motijheel vs Bassabo Tarun Sangha

Venue :Kamalapur Bir Sreshtha Shaheed Sepoy Mohammad Mostafa Stadium.