Mourinho set to haunt Barca in semi-finals again

The league title is all but wrapped up for Barcelona

MADRID: Jose Mourinho is ready to haunt Barcelona in the Champions League semi-finals again on Wednesday, this time with Real Madrid.

The Portuguese coach has always managed to rile Barca, where he spent some of his formative years as an assistant to Bobby Robson in the 1990s, and guided Inter Milan to victory against them in the semis last year on the way to Champions League glory.

Mourinho also crossed swords with Barca three times during his spell at Chelsea, twice bettering them over a ‘two-match series’.

His ability to ruffle the Catalan team’s feathers knows no end and he has outwitted them so far in the unprecedented ‘four-match series’ between the world’s two richest clubs.

A 1-1 league draw, when Real came back to level with 10 men on April 16, was followed by last Wednesday’s 1-0 extra-time victory in the King’s Cup final, Mourinho’s first trophy as coach of the Madrid side.

The league title is all but wrapped up for Barcelona but the tantalising prospect of a 10th European Cup triumph lies ahead for Real, and a third for Mourinho all with different teams.

Barca defender Gerard Pique refused to be drawn on the hot topics of debate after the first two ‘Clasicos’ such as the quality of the refereeing, the length of the grass at the Bernabeu and Real’s aggressive, ‘negative’ approach.

“The grass is long but I’m not going to cry about it,” the Spanish World Cup winner told daily El Pais of the pitch at Wednesday’s Bernabeu venue.

“It’s normal for them to take particular care over their defence and that they try to stop our passing game. Mourinho will use everything available to him.

POWERFUL TEAM

“At the end of the day they are a powerful team with very good forwards,” added Pique.

Breaking coach Pep Guardiola’s record of five consecutive ‘Clasico’ wins, including a 5-0 demolition of Mourinho’s team at the Nou Camp in November, and then winning the King’s Cup has dented Barca’s aura of invincibility.

Real have proved they can match their rivals with ultra-aggressive tactics that have not been to everyone’s liking, with the Madrid club having had a player sent off in the last three meetings between the sides.

The two clubs are the competition’s top scorers with 24 goals each but the previous two ‘Clasicos’ have been tense tussles with few sights of goal.

Madrid have packed the centre of the pitch with three holding players led by centre-back turned midfield-enforcer Pepe, ruthlessly denying Barca’s playmakers time and space while looking to break quickly.

Sami Khedira’s injury means Lassana Diarra will probably replace him in midfield while Mourinho may opt to play without a recognised number nine again as he did in the King’s Cup final.

At the back Ricardo Carvalho is suspended but Real’s defensive problems are not as acute as Barca’s.

The absence of Eric Abidal, Adriano Correia and Maxwell mean the returning Carles Puyol could be asked to fill in at left back while midfielder Javier Mascherano could play in defence again.

Any change in Barca’s standard 4-3-3 formation would probably be read as an acknowledgement that Real have worked out the way to play against Guardiola’s three magicians – Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi.

Probable teams:

Real Madrid: 1-Iker Casillas, 17-Alvaro Arbeloa, 4-Sergio Ramos, 18-Raul Albiol, 12-Marcelo; 10-Lassana Diarra, 3-Pepe, 14-Xabi Alonso; 22-Angel Di Maria, 9-Cristiano Ronaldo, 23-Mesut Ozil

Barcelona: 1-Victor Valdes; 2-Dani Alves, 14-Javier Mascherano, 3-Gerard Pique, 5-Carles Puyol; 8-Andres Iniesta, 16-Sergio Busquets, 6-Xavi; 17-Pedro, 10-Lionel Messi, 7-David Villa.

Alves own-goal pushes Almeria closer to drop

Both teams went into the game on the back of poor runs but the situation was more worrying for bottom side Almeria who had lost their last four games

MADRID: An own goal by keeper Diego Alves gave Real Zaragoza a 1-0 win over Almeria on Monday which moved them out of the relegation zone but left their opponents firmly rooted to the foot of La Liga.

Both teams went into the game on the back of poor runs but the situation was more worrying for bottom side Almeria who had lost their last four games.

Zaragoza were creating the better openings but in-form keeper Alves was blocking everything that came at him.

Braulio Rodriguez and Ander Herrera had several good chances saved by the Brazilian shot stopper.

Angel Lafita then shot weakly with just the keeper to beat and Nicolas Bertolo was denied by the post.

Eventually Zaragoza found the back of the net in the 70th minute but it was thanks to a dose of misfortune that Alves did not deserve.

A Gabi Fernandez shot came back off the woodwork and hit the shoulder of the keeper before going in.

Almeria almost equalised but Carlos Garcia hit the post and the result means they are now 10 points from safety with five games to go.

“It was a typical match between two teams which were fighting for their future. We struggled more than we should have done and strangely enough after we scored was when we suffered most,” said Zaragoza coach Javier Aguirre.

Almeria coach Roberto Olabe admitted that his team just had to keep going.

“We have to be professional, honest and be loyal to those who have believed in us,” he said.

“In the first few minutes of the game we were alright but our own desire and the pressure ended up working against us. We didn’t take our time and rushed things.”

Barcelona and Real Madrid are fully focused on their Champions League semi-final after both sides won at the weekend to maintain the Catalan side’s eight-point lead at the top of the table.

David Villa got the opener for Barcelona against Osasuna to end an eleven-match goal drought while Lionel Messi became the first player to hit 50 goals in a Spanish season when he scored the other in a 2-0 win.

WI beat Pakistan

GROS ISLET (St Lucia), April 21: West Indies beat Pakistan by seven runs in the one-off Twenty20 International here on Thursday.

Scores: West Indies 150 for 7; Pakistan 143 for 9.

The hosts recovered from an early setback to a total of 150 from their 20 overs thanks to a stroke-filled 65 from Lendl Simmons, who struck seven fours and two sixes from 44 deliveries. Simmons and Darren Bravo (42 off 33 balls) added 99 for the second wicket to put West Indies back on track after spinner Abdul Rehman had made the breakthrough in his first over when he trapped Andre Fletcher lbw for one.

No other batsman passed 20.

Madrid celebrates

Madrid beat Barcelona 1-0 after extra time on Wednesday, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s header giving the club its first domestic cup since 1993 and its first trophy of any kind in three years.

Only hours after the victory, Madrid defender Sergio Ramos let the 15-kilogram (33-pound) cup fall from the top of the team bus during the celebration in early Thursday morning in the capital. ”The whole thing about the cup was a misunderstanding, it didn’t fall … it jumped off when it reached Cibeles (the fountain in Madrid where the team celebrates its titles) and saw so many Madrid fans,” Ramos tweeted.

Real Madrid's captain Iker Casillas kisses the trophy.

Pakistan Women Cricket Team Beats Sri Lankatwo-wicket win over Sri Lanka

Javeria Khan’s unbeaten half-century guided Pakistan Women’s two-wicket win in the one-day international against Sri Lankan Women on Thursday.

The one-off ODI, being played at Colombo’s Sinhalese Sports Club, was a low-scoring encounter, as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 153 runs with Sadaf Yousuf and Qanita Jalil taking three wickets each.

Javeria carried the bat and held the Pakistan chase together as wickets fell around her at regular intervals. She opened the innings with Nida Dar but was soon joined by Nahida Khan, as Nida was dismissed in the second over by Eshani Kaushalya. Nahida (5) and two-down batswoman Bismah Mahroof (7) were medium-pacer Kaushalya’s next two victims are she reduced Pakistan to 21-3 in six overs.

Captain Sana Mir then held her innings together for 43 balls as she scored 20 runs in the 41-run partnership with Javeria. She was, however, bowled out by her counterpart Shashikala Siriwardene in the 20th over. Marina Iqbal, who replaced Sana, could only survive three deliveries from Siriwardene before being given out leg-before. At this stage, Pakistan needed another 91 runs off 30 overs with five wickets in hand.

Javeria then shared a 53-run stand with Asmavia Iqbal, who scored 25 runs, to take Pakistan closer to the total. While Sri Lanka staged a late comeback to reduce Pakistan to 137-8, the visitors were anchored home by their resilient opener with 10 balls to spare.

Earlier, Qanita gave Pakkistan the perfect start when she bowled out Chamari Jayangani on the first ball of the innings. The medium-pacer then dismissed Suwini de Alwis in the third over to reduce the hosts to 8-2.

None of the middle-order batters could get into double figures as wickets continued to fall through the early overs. Captain Shashikala Siriwardene fell to left-arm medium-pacer Masooma Junaid after scoring four runs, and was soon followed by Sandamali Dolawatta and Dilani Surangika, both of whom were dismissed by left-arm spinner Sadia Yousuf.

At 48-6, the hosts’ chances of crossing the 100-run mark appeared slim when Deepika Rasangika and Eshani Kaushalya started building a partnership. The two lower-order batters were able to resurrect the Lankan innings to some extent with their 62-run partnership that came in 14 overs.

Pakistan captain Sana Mir then brought herself into the attack and managed to break the partnership in the 35th over when she had Rasangika edge a ball to wicketkeeper Batool Fatima after scoring 31 runs. Kaushalya’s 52-ball vigil also ended soon when she became Qanita’s third victim. The all-rounder top-scored for the hosts with 35 runs, which included two fours.

Sri Lanka saw a late flurry from Udeshika Pabodhani, who hit three fours in her 33-ball 19 as the hosts finished their innings on 153 runs, with one ball to spare.

The one-off ODI will be followed by a quadrangular series, which also includes Netherlands and Ireland. Pakistan play their first match of the series against Netherlands on Saturday.

Dhoni in Times 100 list of Powerful People

NEW YORK: Previously unknown newsmakers from Egypt and Japan joined pop stars and politicians on Time magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in the world released on Thursday.

The list includes pop culture giants such as Justin Bieber and Oprah Winfrey plus the lesser known Wael Ghonim, an Egyptian Internet activist who helped topple President Hosni Mubarak, and Takeshi Kanno, a Japanese doctor who refused to leave behind victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

“We’ve always, always tried to tell stories through people…. We discovered it was a fantastic way to get people to think about what’s going on all over the world,” said Time DeputyManaging Editor Michael Elliott.

The complete list can be seen on http://www.time.com.

World leaders such as British Prime Minister David Cameron, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff populate the list for how they have wielded power.

“The first time I met David Cameron, I knew we were political soul mates,” actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote in a profile for Time, calling him “a centrist who avoids the gutters of politics.”

Others include Gabrielle Giffords, the American congresswoman who survived a bullet wound to the head during a gunman’s rampage in Arizona, and Michele Bachmann, the Republican congresswoman from Minnesota who has energized the anti-tax, anti-spending Tea Party movement.

Jailed Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was honored for his “bravery and artistic skill,” Elliott said.

From the world of sport, Argentina soccer phenomenon Lionel Messi was joined by Indian cricket star Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose charisma and leadership united an ethnically diverse team that won the World Cup.

South Korean pop star Rain won The People’s Choice vote for the third straight year. Time editors chose the names on the list except for The People’s Choice, selected by online voters.

“He has very determined fans,” Elliott said.

Europe’s “big four” leagues already looking settled

Barcelona are also eight clear after their 1-1 draw with second-placed Real Madrid.

LONDON: Winter has only just given way to spring in Europe yet the league titles of the continent’s major leagues already appear done and dusted with around half a dozen games still to be played.

After their main challengers all slipped up, Barcelona, Manchester United, AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund would need to slip up spectacularly in the next few weeks to miss out on their respective championships, leaving France and the Netherlands to provide some excitement in May.

Dortmund, seeking their first title in nine years, are likely to be the first to close out the race among the “big four” leagues after they beat Freiburg 3-0 at the weekend to open an eight-point lead with four games remaining.

Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen lost ground in spectacular style when they were thrashed 5-1 at Bayern Munich and Dortmund can secure the title next weekend by beating Borussia Moenchengladbach if Leverkusen fail to take all three points against Hoffenheim.

Barcelona are also eight clear after their 1-1 draw with second-placed Real Madrid. Even with the distraction of a Champions League semi-final and King’s Cup final against their big rivals to come, it would be a huge surprise if they allowed themselves to be reeled in over the remaining six games.

United spent the weekend being knocked out of the FA Cup in the semi-finals by Manchester City but after Arsenal were held 1-1 at home by Liverpool, Alex Ferguson’s team are six clear with six to play.

The top two still have to meet at the Emirates and United also have to host last season’s champions Chelsea but it still looks a formidable gap, particularly as Arsenal seem to have completely lost their form in recent weeks, drawing four and winning one of their last five league games.

Both sides are in action when a United win at Newcastle United combined with a defeat for Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur would end any remaining debate.

AC Milan have a six-point lead after Napoli lost 2-1 at Udinese on Sunday to probably end their hopes of winning the league for the first time since Diego Maradona led them to glory 21 years ago.

Milan, 3-0 winners over Sampdoria, are on course to win the league for the first time in seven years – a success made all the sweeter as it will end Inter Milan’s five-year hold on the trophy.

Although Porto wrapped up the Portuguese title two weeks ago there are still some interesting battles to be found elsewhere in Europe.

With seven games to go in France, Lille’s tilt at a first championship in 57 years seems to be getting to them.

Their lead is down to a point after they drew with Girondins Bordeux and Olympique Marseille beat Montpellier.

Lyon are a further five points back after they lost 1-0 at Paris St Germain but they also remain in the mix.

It is even tighter in the Netherlands where PSV Eindhoven and Twente Enschede both have 65 points and Ajax Amsterdam 64 with three games to go.

Arsenal will fight to the finish, vows Wenger

Wenger's team had to settle for a point as Dirk Kuyt's penalty, with the last action of the game at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, cancelled out Robin van Persie's stoppage-time spot-kick.

LONDON: Arsene Wenger has asked his Arsenal players to fight until the end in the Premier League title race after suffering a huge blow to their hopes during a controversial 1-1 draw against Liverpool.

Wenger’s team had to settle for a point as Dirk Kuyt’s penalty, with the last action of the game at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, cancelled out Robin van Persie’s stoppage-time spot-kick.

It leaves Arsenal six points behind Manchester United with just six games to play this season and time running out to catch Sir Alex Ferguson’s league leaders.

“We have to give everything until the last game of the season and see if it is our year or not,” Wenger said.

“It’s about us winning our games. We are on a 15-game unbeaten run in the league but we have not taken enough points recently. The players are very disappointed. Who wouldn’t be?

“We have to continue to play and fight until the last moment. We have players who are ambitious and want to do as well as they can.

“We’ve had disappointments before and bounced back. That is what we have to do.”

Wenger was furious with referee Andre Marriner for awarding a penalty 11 minutes into stoppage-time for Emmanuel Eboue’s clumsy barge on Lucas Leiva, who appeared to wait for contact before falling to the turf.

“We conceded a penalty after 11 minutes when the referee said there was eight minutes of injury time,” Wenger said.

“I don’t see where those three minutes came from and it was no penalty. Lucas stopped in front of Eboue.”

It led to a furious protest from Wenger, although Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish appeared to dismiss his complaints during a touchline confrontation.

“I said to Dalglish it was not a penalty. That was all. You can check it on the TV,” Wenger said.

“We have been badly done by in the two games here. Against Sunderland we scored a regular goal and were not given a penalty that was 100 percent.

“Against Liverpool we got caught like that. It’s a period where we have not the biggest luck, that’s for sure.”

Van Persie’s goal came after Martin Skrtel tripped Cesc Fabregas, although Dalglish felt defeat would have been harsh on his players.

The result worked in the favour of Liverpool’s bitter rivals at Old Trafford but Dalglish added: “We never handed anything to anyone. In fact, we beat them (United) 3-1 at Anfield so I don’t know how we handed them anything if we beat them.

“We’ll look after ourselves and if anyone gets any advantage from our results then so be it. We can only look after ourselves and that’s what we always do.”

United could overtake Liverpool’s shared record of 18 league titles this season, but Dalglish added: “In my eyes we’re still the best club in English football, if not world football. So I’m not very sad at that.

“The surprise is that we have not won the title for a long time, that is the surprise but it’s not sadness. It’s just a fact of life.

“They never acquired enough points in any season since then to win it. They came close a couple of years ago when Rafa (Benitez) went close, had a fantastic record against the so-called top four but just couldn’t get it over the line.”

Ferdinand gives evidence in ‘stalker’ trial

Ferdinand, 32, said he had felt unsettled when Ibru appeared outside his home for the first time in the early hours of February 21.

LONDON: Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand on Monday gave evidence in the trial of a woman accused of harassing him and his family by turning up at his home on several occasions.

Susanne Ibru, 38, was allegedly seen outside Ferdinand’s home in Cheshire, northwest England, three times between February and June last year, Macclesfield Magistrates’ Court heard. She denies the charges.

Ferdinand, 32, said he had felt unsettled when Ibru appeared outside his home for the first time in the early hours of February 21.

“At first I was angry and upset but then disturbed, really, because I have got a young family and this was not the time or the place to be coming to speak to me,” said Ferdinand.

Ferdinand called United’s security staff, who alerted the police, before watching Ibru walk away on his CCTV system.

The woman returned to the premises twice, on June 16 and June 18.

On the first occasion, having just returned from training, Ferdinand called the police and then tried to prevent Ibru from leaving by engaging her in conversation.

“My main concern was to keep her there until the police arrived,” he said.

“I asked why she had come to my house and she told me ‘Things needed to be resolved’, and that they couldn’t be resolved until we spoke.

“I told her I would speak to her then but she said it would take a couple of hours.”

Ibru was given a formal warning by police to leave Ferdinand and his wife, Rebecca, alone, but she turned up at his house again only two days later, once again in the early hours of the morning.

Ferdinand called police and Ibru was arrested.

“The safety of my family is as huge to me as it is to anyone,” said the England international.

“Then you have people at your door talking about things that don’t make sense. You want to be left alone with your family.”

West Indies rope in Haynes for Pakistan series

The West Indies Cricket Board announced on Monday that Haynes will work with Darren Sammy's side for the duration of the home series against Pakistan and India before it undertakes a search for a long-term batting coach.

ST JOHN’S: West Indies have been able to persuade Desmond Haynes, one of their legends, to become a batting consultant for the current side.

The West Indies Cricket Board announced on Monday that Haynes will work with Darren Sammy’s side for the duration of the home series against Pakistan and India before it undertakes a search for a long-term batting coach.

Haynes’ arrival comes on the heels of a disappointing World Cup, following which coach Ottis Gibson placed heavy blame on the senior batsmen in particular, and made an urgent request for such expertise to be brought on board.

“I have always said I wanted to be involved in West Indies cricket, and help in any way I could,” said Haynes in a WICB media release announcing his appointment.

“This is a chance to help the young players with their development. I just want to see the players get better as we aim for improvement at all levels in West Indies cricket and get the team back to the halcyon days.”

Haynes’ appointment is timely, since there are several unproven batsmen in the line-up to face Pakistan in the opening exchanges of a home series during the next week.

This follows the omissions of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle, and Ramnaresh Sarwan for the inaugural Twenty20 against the Pakistanis on Thursday at the Beausejour Cricket Ground in St. Lucia, as well as the first two One-day Internationals at the same venue.

Haynes was part of the team’s brief training camp at the West Indies High Performance Centre last week in Barbados before travelling with the side to St. Lucia.

“I am happy to be part of the team management unit, headed by Ottis Gibson, and I believe I can also help the players with the mental aspect of their game and the way they go about their cricket in general,” he said.

“This is a chance to make a contribution, and I’m pleased to be given the opportunity to be involved in West Indies cricket once more.”

Haynes was one half of the famous opening pair, along with compatriot Gordon Greenidge, which served West Indies successfully during the glory years between the late 1970s and the 1980s.

He played 116 Tests, making 7,487 runs at an average of 42.29, and contested 238 ODIs, scoring a West Indies record of 8,648 runs at an average of 42.37 until Brian Lara passed him.

Haynes continued his involvement with the game, coaching in his native Barbados and around the World, working with players like the South African pair of Jacques Kallis and Herschelle Gibbs, among others, since his acrimonious retirement from the game almost two decades ago.

He has also worked in various administrative roles, including becoming a director of the WICB, and the first vice-president of the Barbados Cricket Association.

Haynes is the second West Indies great to be attached to the side, following the appointment of Richie Richardson, another former captain, to the post of manager last year ahead of the tour to Sri Lanka.

The WICB’s success in convincing Haynes to work with their side comes following the Pakistan Cricket Board’s failure to influence batting great Javed Miandad to join their side on this tour in a similar capacity.

Muhammad Hafeez leads Pakistan to tour-match win

Mohammad Hafeez hit 10 fours and two sixes in his 93-ball 101.

Mohammad Hafeez carried on with his impressive World Cup form as he led Pakistan to a 68-run win over University of West Indies Vice-chancellor’s XI on Monday.

Hafeez (retired hurt on 101) and Abdur Rehman (four wickets) were the stars for Pakistan as they played their first tour match at the Mindoo Phillip Park Stadium in Castries, St. Lucia.

Pakistan made 287 runs from their quota of 50 overs, with handy contributions from most batsmen including, Taufeeq Umar (44), Ahmed Shehzad (49) and Umar Akmal (57). However, it was Hafeez’s 93-ball knock that did the most damage, after the West Indian university side dropped the stand-in Pakistan captain in the first over. The opener then went on to plunder 10 fours and two sixes before retiring out to give his teammates a chance to gain batting practice.

Umar Akmal was also impressive with the bat as he hit eight fours and a six in his 57-run stint.

For the hosts, pacer Carlos Brathwaite was the most successful bowler, with three wickets off his 10 overs and Nkruma Bonner also chipped in with two wickets from his four overs of leg-spin bowling. West Indies international Fidel Edwards could only manage one wicket from his eight overs, while star all-rounder Dwayne Bravo was expensive on his return from injury as he gave away 69 runs from his right overs.

The hosts’ captain and opener Omar Phillips could only score nine runs before being bowled out by medium-pacer Tanvir Ahmed, who returns to the Pakistan side after missing out on the World Cup.

Miles Bascombe was dismissed for 26 by left-arm seamer Junaid Khan, and the opener was soon followed back to the pavilion by Kyle Corbin, who was caught off the bolwing of Wahab Riaz.

Bravo then combined with Bonner for the hosts’ biggest partnership (48 runs) and resurrected the chase. Bonner was dismissed by left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman for 43 runs. Bravo, true to his reputation as a big-hitter, scored 63 runs from 70 balls, hitting eight fours and two sixes to become Rehman’s second victim.

Rehman took two more wickets to finish with figures of four wickets for 27 runs off his 10 overs. The hosts were eight wickets down and 68 runs behind the target when they finished up their quota of 50 overs, to finish at 219-8.

Pakistan’s limited-overs captain Shahid Afridi opted to sit out, along with Misbah-ul-Haq, Saeed Ajmal and Sadaf Hussain.

Pakistan meet West Indies on Thursday, in the one-off Twenty20 match before the one-day international series gets underway on Saturday (April 23).

Pakistanis: Mohammad Hafeez (captain), Taufeeq Umar, Ahmed Shehzad, Asad Shafiq, Umar Akmal, Hammad Azam, Usman Salahuddin, Mohammad Salman (wicketkeeper), Tanvir Ahmed, Wahab Riaz, Junaid Khan, Abdur Rehman

University of West Indies Vice-chancellor’s XI: Omar Phillips (captain), Miles Bascombe, Kyle Corbin, Nkruma Bonner, Dwayne Bravo, Kjorn Ottley, Chadwick Walton, Carlos Brathwaite, Kevin McClean, Keron Cottoy, Fidel Edwards, Gilford Moore

Ban spinners who don`t spin, says Swann

LONDON, April 18: Graeme Swann has a simple solution for the age-old problem of English spinners who, to adapt the biblical parable of the lilies of the field, toil but do not spin.

“They should be banished from the first-class game. It winds me up, if you are a spinner, spin the ball,” Swann said in an interview at a Kinect Sports Superstars event.

“I have never, ever seen the point of bowling without trying to spin the ball. It`s been my bugbear that I have seen some young spinners come up who have got lovely control and land it nicely but don`t try to turn it.”

Swann has climbed to number two in the world Test rankings by giving the ball a fierce tweak from a vigorous body action.

“I really like watching the ball fizzing down,” he said. “That`s why I always like watching Shane Warne bowl, [Muttiah] Muralitharan bowl, these guys who really try and spin it, these are the guys I really try to emulate.”

“I`m certainly 10 times the bowler I was 10 years ago. The longer you play the game your body just gets used to it. Your rhythm comes naturally compared to when you were a kid when you have as many bad days as you do good,” he said.

“I`m certainly bowling better than I was 10 years ago but hopefully there is more to come.

“Sydney was famous for turning but it doesn`t anymore. You need footholes to make the ball go. In Melbourne it was almost going the other way.

“Michael Hussey got after me in the first game in Brisbane but that was because I was bowling badly.”

All-rounder to lead in all formats: Dilshan appointed new Sri Lanka skipper

COLOMBO, April 18: Sri Lanka`s cricket authorities on Monday named big-hitting all-rounder Tillekeratne Dilshan as captain for the upcoming tour of England.

Dilshan will lead the side in all three formats of the game — Tests, One-day Internationals and Twenty20s — on the tour, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) said in a statement.

The 34-year-old, renowned for an over-the-head scoop shot dubbed the “Dilscoop”, replaces Kumar Sangakkara, who stepped down after Sri Lanka lost the World Cup final to India earlier this month.

Fitness worries meant the five-member national selection panel headed by Duleep Mendis, a former Sri Lanka skipper, did not name a vice-captain.

“The prospective candidates are nursing injuries and their availability for the forthcoming tour is still in question,” the statement added.

All-rounder Angelo Mathews, 23, has been tipped for the role, but he is nursing a side strain suffered during the World Cup semi-final.

Dilshan, a right-handed batsman currently playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL), is expected to travel to Colombo this week to meet the selectors and pick the squad for England.

The tour runs from May to July and includes three Tests, five one-day games and a Twenty20 match.

The son of a police officer, Dilshan is the 11th full-time Sri Lankan skipper. He made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in 1999 and hit an unbeaten 163 in his second Test match in Harare.

His career took off in 2009 when he volunteered to open in all three forms of the game in Pakistan, exploiting attacking fields and amassing huge scores in all formats.

He scored 11 international hundreds in the year and won the World Twenty20 Player of the Series prize.

Dilshan also had an excellent World Cup, where he was the tournament`s highest scorer with 500 runs.

His appointment is expected to be a short-term move because he is not expected to be a candidate for the 2015 World Cup to be played in Australia and New Zealand.

McCullum stars in Kochi victory

Kochi Tuskers Kerala batsman Brad Hodge watched by Chennai Super Kings wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as he plays a shot

KOCHI: Brendon McCullum smashed a rapidfire 47 to power Kochi Tuskers Kerala to a seven-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League match on Monday.

The New Zealander hit three sixes and four boundaries in his 33-ball knock as Kochi achieved a rain-revised target of 135 with two overs to spare in a match reduced to 17-overs-a-side.

It was Kochi’s second win and Chennai’s second defeat in four matches.

McCullum, who hit two sixes off South African paceman Albie Morkel early in his innings, added 51 off just six overs for the second wicket with Parthiv Patel, who scored a 26-ball 34.

The New Zealander eventually fell attempting a big shot as he was caught at long-off by Morkel off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who also dismissed skipper Mahela Jayawardene (16) to finish with 2-31.

Australian Brad Hodge (19 not out) and Ravindra Jadeja (16 not out) completed the victory with a 25-run stand for the unfinished fourth wicket off just two overs.

Chennai’s Suresh Raina earlier cracked a brisk 40-ball 50 with the help of one six and five fours to prop up the innings after the early dismissal of Australian Michael Hussey (eight).

Hussey was caught behind off paceman Rudra Pratap Singh, but Raina steadied the innings with two useful stands as he added 37 for the second wicket with Murali Vijay (28) and 48 for the next with Subramaniam Badrinath (19).

Opener Vijay hit six fours in his 18-ball knock before skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni made a 13-ball 14 not out, including a six off the last ball of the innings.

Brief scores:
Chennai Super Kings 131-4 in 17 overs (S. Raina 50, M. Vijay 28) lost to Kochi Tuskers Kerala 135-3 in 15 overs (B. McCullum 47, P. Patel 34; R. Ashwin 2-31) by seven wickets (D/L method).

Nadal beats Ferrer for seventh Monte Carlo crown

Rafael Nadal of Spain reacts after defeating David Ferrer of Spain in the final match of the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters tournament in Monaco.

MONACO: Rafa Nadal continued his extraordinary love affair with the Monte Carlo Masters by sealing his seventh straight title on the Monaco clay after a 6-4 7-5 win over fellow Spaniard David Ferrer on Sunday.

The top seed, whose victory here last year made him the first man in the professional era to triumph in the same tournament six times in a row, showed few signs of letting his grip on the trophy loosen despite a generally scrappy display.

“King of Clay” Nadal first broke in the third game when his compatriot netted but Ferrer struck back immediately with his own break of serve thanks to an exquisite drop shot in the final of the first claycourt event of the European season.

However, Ferrer’s joy was short-lived with Nadal breaking next game and winning the first set before seizing the initiative in the second with a superb passing shot only to be broken in the eighth game and then hitting back for 6-5.

He leapt into the air with delight when Ferrer hit the net to seal his victory in one of the world’s most glamorous spots.

“It’s perhaps the best tournament in the world,” Nadal beamed after picking up a trophy he virtually owns.

“I congratulate David on his good start to the year and wish him well. For me today is very special, to win here seven times is much more than a dream. I could never have imagined it.”

TOO STRONG

Ferrer defeated an injured Nadal in the last eight of January’s Australian Open but this time the world number one, who beat Fernando Verdasco in the principality last year in another all-Spanish final, was too strong on his forehand.

Nadal won every claycourt event he entered last year and few would bet against him repeating the feat this season with the defence of his French Open title due next month after trips to Barcelona and the Masters events in Madrid and Rome.

The 24-year-old has arguably not been at his very best this week at the beachside event, and was pushed hard by Andy Murray in Saturday’s semi-final, but even the odd problem with his serve or failure to kill off a point have not cost him.

Novak Djokovic beat Nadal in his previous two finals on hardcourts this year but he pulled out of this tournament with a knee injury, robbing fans of the chance to see whether the Serb could threaten the Spaniard on his favoured clay surface.

Roger Federer lost in the quarter-finals when the Swiss had seemed on a collision course towards the final with his great rival Nadal, but fourth seed Ferrer put up a decent fight instead with his family watching from the sun-kissed galleries.

Other notable spectators at the Monte Carlo Country Club were Prince Albert of Monaco, who had a knockup on the courts before play, and U2 singer Bono, while a super yacht was anchored in the bay just below one of tennis’s most idyllic venues.

“Generally I’m happy, I’m happy with my game,” Ferrer told reporters. “I was a bit sad about certain moments.

Mumbai lose despite Tendulkar century

Kochi Tuskers Kerala's Brendon McCullum looks back to see himself being bowled out by Mumbai Indians' Lasith Malinga.

MUMBAI: Brendon McCullum and Mahela Jayawardene hit robust half-centuries as Kochi Tuskers Kerala posted an eight-wicket win over Sachin Tendulkar’s Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Friday.

Skipper Tendulkar hammered an unbeaten 100 off just 66 balls for his maiden IPL hundred to help his side reach 182-2 before Kochi achieved the stiff target with six balls to spare for their first win in three matches.

New Zealander McCullum cracked a 60-ball 81 while Sri Lankan Mahela Jayawardene hit 56 off 36 balls before being yorked by compatriot Lasith Malinga, but not before the pair had put on 128 for the opening wicket.

McCullum hit two sixes and 10 fours and Jayawardene nine fours.

Ravindra Jadeja (25 not out) finished the match with two successive sixes off left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza as Mumbai suffered their first defeat in three games.

Tendulkar, needing 10 runs off the last four deliveries of the innings to complete the century on his home ground in Mumbai, hit two fours and took two singles off seamer Vinay Kumar.

The Mumbai captain, who smashed three sixes and 12 fours, added 116 for the second wicket with Ambati Rayudu, who hit four sixes in a 33-ball 53.

Brief scores:
Mumbai Indians 182-2 in 20 overs (S. Tendulkar 100 not out, A. Rayudu 53) lost to Kochi Tuskers Kerala 184-2 in 19 overs (B. McCullum 81, M. Jayawardene 56, R. Jadeja 25 not out; L. Malinga 2-42) by eight wickets.

Murali slams SLC for calling back players from IPL

Pune warriors Mohnish Mishra shakes hand with Kochi Tuskers Kerala cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan.

NEW DELHI: Retired spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan slammed Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for asking its players to return home midway through the Indian Premier League (IPL) for a tour to England, saying the No Objection Certificate had permitted them to play till May 20.

“I think the board (SLC) has given them permission till May 20. I don’t know what happened suddenly. The players were told to come on May 5. It is the fault of SLC because they signed the NOC till May 20 so if they change it to May 5 it is something wrong,” Muralitharan, who quit international cricket after Sri Lanka’s defeat to India in the World Cup final early this month, said.

“Players will get demoralised because if they go back on May 5 they play half of the IPL and they are going to miss a lot.

SLC should have informed the players earlier, then the IPL franchises would understand and everyone would understand,” he said. Muralitharan said that the incident could spark “friction” between cricket boards of the two countries and SLC would lose a lot financially if it antagonises the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI).

“There’ll be a little bit of friction between the board (SLC) and the players and even the Indian Cricket Board. If the SLC is not going to support they are going to miss a lot from India, because when India tours Sri Lanka it is very important and if we are not playing in the Champions League Twenty20 we are going to lose some money. Friendship between India and Sri Lanka will be negative,” he said.

“We have $25 million of debt after World Cup. You don’t have to antagonise India because when India comes only we make money and survive, so I don’t know what’s going to happen.

“It might get sorted. These things happen between countries but in the end financially we depend on India, whatever said and done. SLC will have to be careful,” he told a news channel.

Meanwhile, Deccan Chargers captain Kumar Sangakkara said on Friday he will not rush back home immediately and will be continued playing in the the IPL till first week of May.

“Yes, we have been informed about the call but it is not going to happen immediately. I am not going back, at least not before May 5,” Sangakara says.

While things are finally beginning to look upbeat on the IPL front, one cannot ignore the call of duty,” he admits.

“See, it is up to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to decide when they want us to be in Sri Lanka. All I know is that the England tour involving Tests and ODIs are in the end of May, so we are not needed anytime soon. But we will have to go as and when they ask us to.”

Popularly called Sledgehammer Kumar for his power-packed knocks, Sangakara’s absence might create a vacuum in the team. Who is the next one capable of filling his shoes?

“Well, this is T20 cricket and there are so many capable and young players. Anybody can take on my responsibility, I don’t see the need to name one,” the captain modestly said.

The fact that the Sri Lankan players are called back has created the need to make some last-minute changes in Team Bagalore too. And captain Daniel Vettori doesn’t deny the fact.

When asked if he is looking for a replacement for Tillakaratne Dilshan, he says, “It is difficult to replace Dilshan as he is one of the finest batsmen we have. But with Sri Lankans being recalled back, we have to look for a replacement, which we are doing.”

Aisam ul Haq-Bopanna score impressive win over second seeds

Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna broke their opponents' serve nine times and served three aces in the match.

Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan and his Indian partner Rohan Bopanna continued their impressive run at the Monte Carlo Masters with a straight-sets drubbing of second seeds Daniel Nestor and Max Mirny on Friday.

In their second consecutive match of the tournament, Qureshi and Bopanna scored a 6-1, 7-5 win over the grand-slam winning pair of Nestor and Mirny.

In the first set, the IndoPak Express breezed through to a formidable lead after breaking their opponents’ serve twice. At 2-1, it was Nestor who gave them the first break of serve and the South Asians held their own to make it 4-1. When it was Mirny’s turn to serve, Qureshi and Bopanna broke again to serve for the set in the next game and Qureshi duly obliged by closing the set 6-1 in 21 minutes.

Former world number one pair, Nestor and Mirny, came back into the match in the second set despite having been broken to go 1-2 down. Qureshi-Bopanna were broken next to make the score level and the set swayed between the two pairs, with serves being broken at regular intervals.

The IndoPak Express were soon serving for the match at 5-4 but the Canadian-Belarusian pair fought their way back to gain a break of serve only to get their own serve broken and concede a 5-6 lead. When Qureshi and Bopanna were serving for the match at 6-5, they faltered to go 30-0 down, but regained their composure and closed out the set and the match at 7-5.

While they are eighth in the ATP doubles rankings, Qureshi and Bopanna are playing their first clay-court Masters series and will hope to hone their skills on the surface before next month’s French Open.

They face the South American pair of Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) and Bruno Soares (Brazil) in the semi-final.

Kolkata ease to nine-wicket win over Rajasthan

Gautam Gambhir cracked one six and 11 fours, including four boundaries in an over from seamer Amit Singh

JAIPUR: Jacques Kallis and Gautam Gambhir hit impressive half-centuries to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to a nine-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League on Friday.

South African Kallis top-scored with a 65-ball 80 not out while skipper Gambhir made an unbeaten 75 off just 44 balls as Kolkata achieved a 160-run target with nine deliveries to spare for their second win in three matches.

The pair added 152 for the unfinished second-wicket stand to ensure an easy victory for their team.

Left-handed Gambhir, caught off a no-ball when on 66, cracked one six and 11 fours, including four boundaries in an over from seamer Amit Singh. Kallis hit two sixes and seven fours in his third successive half-century.

It was the first defeat in three matches for Rajasthan, led by former Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.

Kolkata spinners Yusuf Pathan (2-4) and Shakib Al Hasan (2-31) earlier shared four wickets to restrict Rajasthan despite a 25-ball 35 not out by New Zealander Ross Taylor.

Off-spinner Pathan bowled former India captain Rahul Dravid (35) and then held a return catch to account for Ashok Menaria (27) in the same over to put pressure on Rajasthan.

Bangladesh left-arm spinner Shakib struck with his third delivery when he had opener Amit Paunikar (nine) caught by Kallis.

He then got a big wicket when he bowled Australian all-rounder Shane Watson for 22, which came off just 13 balls with the help of two sixes.

Watson recently smashed a record 15 sixes in his career-best 185 not out in the second one-day international against Bangladesh in Dhaka.

Battling Tiger still number one in Asia

Woods gestures as he meet students of Beijing Sports University in Beijing April 13, 2011.

CHUNCHEON, South Korea: Embarrassing revelations about Tiger Woods’s personal life and the golfer’s subsequent decline in form have done little to quell Asia’s adulation for the former world number one, Nike’s head of golf has told Reuters.

After finishing tied for third at the US Masters, Woods travelled to China and South Korea to promote the global apparel giant’s products and enjoyed ‘rock star’ receptions at golf clinics and meet-and-greets.

With clamouring crowds following the 14-times major champion at every appearance, Nike Golf President Cindy Davis told Reuters in an interview on Thursday the company’s decision to stick with Woods despite his fall from grace had been vindicated.

“I think our decision was absolutely right and there was not even a hesitation in being with Tiger,” Davis said from the golf course northeast of Seoul via an Internet video call.

“He’s been a part of what we do and making the very best product and to have an athlete of that calibre to give us feedback and perspective and be part of the team … Tiger does that in spades in developing the innovations we bring to the market.”

Woods’s ability to influence consumers dropped from 96th to 2,586th after a sex scandal at the end of 2009, according to the Davie Brown Index, and he finished the 2010 PGA Tour season without a title for the first time since he turned professional.

While several sponsors deserted him, resulting in lost millions in endorsement incomes, Nike believed his appeal was more than the sum of tournament wins and public image.

SECOND CHANCE

Woods hopes to be given a second chance by the public and sponsors and has mounted a charm offensive of sorts by opening up a new Twitter account and boosting his media appearances in a bid to connect to fans.

In China and South Korea at least, few appeared to need convincing about his appeal as Woods was greeted by throngs of fans at a Nike shop opening at Shenzhen’s Mission Hills golf complex and cheered at a packed assembly hall where he addressed Beijing sports students with Chinese Olympic track gold medallist Liu Xiang.

“If the last three days have been any indication — it has been a mob-scene,” said Davis.

“People really appreciate his athleticism … I think there’s a lot of good, thrilling Tiger Woods golf ahead and I think crowds are hungry for it.”

At Chuncheon’s Jade Palace Golf Club near Seoul, where Woods held a golf clinic on Thursday, fans were happy just to catch a glimpse of him.

“I like Tiger Woods very much,” said 51-year-old Song Jae-yeon. “I really wanted to be here.

“I could not be close to him, but it was also nice to watch him from long distance. I could not sleep properly for three days before coming here,” she added.

One of Nike’s aims in bringing Woods to Asia was to inspire the younger generation to take up the sport and failing that, develop an interest in the apparel, Davis said.

“(Asia) represents about 40 percent of the global golf market and growing,” she added, citing the rapidly expanding middle classes in Asian economies and golf’s entry into the 2016 Rio Olympics as reasons for optimism.

“And you can’t say necessarily that in lots of other parts of the world that golf is growing.”

A return to the winners’ circle would help Woods with his long rehabilitation and the golfer took heart from his strong performance at the Masters.

“You know, I’ve got better each and every week this year,” he told reporters at the Chuncheon golf club.

“I think overall, Augusta was nice. Of course, I didn’t win, but it’s progressing. Things that (swing coach) Sean Foley and I are working on are getting better.”

Striving Kenyans want Indo-Pak players in their league

Former international and cricket administrator Jasmer Singh Grewal called for the revival of the old league competition in Kenya, where clubs played each other on communal basis, and with the participation of two or three contracted overseas players from India and Pakistan, the competition was very fierce, of high standards and attracted large crowds.

NAIROBI: Stung by the poor performance in the 2011 World Cup, the Kenya cricket community has turned the heat on its leaders for the woes facing the once-promising cricket nation.

Former administrators, players and analysts believe Cricket Kenya (CK) has failed to raise the standards and provide leadership to a fast-changing sport and called for management changes to save the game from collapsing.

“The buck stops with the administration,” said former Kenya Cricket Association (KCA) chairman Jimmy Rayani.

“Things have gone from bad to worse in the last three years. These officials know very well the problems, but have decided to sweep things under the carpet.”

Much of the anger and frustration has centred on the absence of plans to form a structured national domestic league and an integrated youth development programme to provide opportunities for the future.

Plans for the re-launching of a new league, which formed the backbone of Kenyan cricket for the past 40 years are already under way, but many cricket observers have cast doubts whether the competition would inspire quality.

However lack of sponsorship and the falling interests in attendance during past competitions have seen several top clubs disbanded.

“The local clubs have got to be more involved and the league structure properly organised so that it is more competitive,” said former international and cricket administrator Jasmer Singh Grewal.

The new league consisting of eight teams will be launched in the three major towns of Nairobi, Mombasa and Nakuru and will involve players from the national team and professionals from the Asian sub-continent.

However senior players and administrators said the formation of such a big-teams league would not be viable given that there are very few national team players to be distributed among the eight teams.

“CK wants to have eight teams so that they can keep everybody happy,” said former opener Kennedy Obuya, adding: “I think they should make the league to be composed of only four teams to make it competitive for the players to fight for their places. You need people to fight for less positions, and it will make the league more interesting.”

Grewal called for the revival of the old league competition, where clubs played each other on communal basis, and with the participation of two or three contracted overseas players from India and Pakistan, the competition was very fierce, of high standards and attracted large crowds.

Another matter of concern is the absence of a youth development programme, to tap and nurture talent in schools.

As most of the senior players, including those who participated in the 2011 World Cup, having reached retirement, the absence of young skilled players to take over from them may be a big setback to the sport in Kenya.

With no cricket academies in place, the Kenyan cricket board finds itself short of talented players to join the national team.

“Steve Tikolo has just retired from the national team and we may not get his replacement soon. As we speak we have yet to get a replacement for Maurice Odumbe in the national side,” said cricket journalist Richard Mwangi.

Obuya, who together with his cricketing brothers, Collins and David, run the privately-owned Obuya cricket academy to cater for children between the ages of eight to 17, said Kenya needed more than five such facilities to develop skills.

Obuya, however blamed the board from preventing the former players from participating in the development of the game.

UAE government lifts ban on Mohammad Asif

Mohammad Asif was banned after he was found to be in possession of illegal drugs.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani fast bowler Mohammed Asif, who was banned from entering the UAE due to possessing illegal drugs, has been cleared after three years.

The UAE government has informed the pacer through the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) that he has been cleared to enter the UAE states after the PCB filed an appeal.

Mohammed Asif was arrested for possessing illegal drugs in 2008 at Dubai international airport by Airport Security Force (ASF). Asif was on his way back to Pakistan after playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in India, a private news channel reported.

The government deported Asif from Dubai after keeping him imprisoned and placed a ban on his entry for a lifetime in all states of the UAE.

As soon as he is acquitted from the spot-fixing case, he is allowed to play in Dubai, after PCB formally conveys the clearance to the cricketer.

Djokovic’s shadow hangs over subdued Nadal

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

MONACO: In-form Novak Djokovic is not even competing at this week’s Monte Carlo Masters yet Rafael Nadal can still sense the Serb lurking in the shadows as the clay court season begins in stifling sunshine.

For a man who won every clay tournament he entered last year and who at Monte Carlo is bidding to be the first player in the open era to win the same event seven times in a row, the Spanish world number one was remarkably subdued on Monday.

Two straight final defeats to Djokovic on the hard courts at Indian Wells and Miami have left their mark despite the switch to clay and the Serb’s absence from Monte Carlo to rest a knee injury.

“I feel very beatable when I go on court. The last six years on clay, I could never have imagined what I did. It’s almost impossible to repeat a season like last year,” Nadal told reporters at the Country Club, perched above the shimmering sea.

“It’s almost a year since I’ve played on clay. As usual, I try to watch videos (of myself) to remember what I have to do.

Last year I started to play and felt fantastic from the beginning. Every year is different. You need matches.”

World number two Djokovic, whose injury is expected to clear up in the next few days, has won 24 straight matches in 2011 and nine-times Grand Slam champion Nadal reckons that form can be transferred onto clay despite the Serb skipping this week.

“I’m sure on clay he’s going to be good,” Nadal said, muscles bulging out of his shirt sleeves.

“This year Novak has a lot of advantages. He is in a perfect situation to be number one. I’m sure he’ll be number one next month. He started the season playing unbelievably. In my opinion he didn’t even play his top level in Indian Wells and Miami.”

Nadal, who fought to keep the glamorous but small scale Monte Carlo tournament a Masters event, has such an attachment to Monaco that he had a special audience with Prince Albert on Sunday.

“I played my best tennis ever on clay I think here last year,” added Nadal, due to play his first match on Wednesday.

“This place is one of my favourites in the world.”

World number three Roger Federer was keen to point out he is no mug on clay as the build up to next month’s French Open begins.

“I feel very strong on the surface. It’s the surface I grew up on. Everybody knows that by now. I can make a huge step forward,” the Swiss said.

If Federer’s recent form is patchy, Andy Murray’s has been downright dreadful since his Australian Open final defeat to Djokovic and the Briton is no nearer to finding a new coach.

“I’m not any closer. I’m trying to concentrate on playing,” the world number four said.

“I feel better this year, I just haven’t been playing well in the matches. I’m sure this week there will be a few upsets.”

Schalke and Real eye semi-final spots

Real Madrid in training.

BERLIN: Schalke 04 will be in buoyant mood when they aim to complete a stunning Champions League upset against holders Inter Milan on Wednesday.

New coach Ralf Rangnick has injected a winning mentality since taking over, masterminding a sensational 5-2 victory in the San Siro and erasing the club’s Bundesliga relegation fears with a win against VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday.

“We have taken a lot of confidence with our win against Wolfsburg,” defender Benedikt Hoewedes said after the win against the club managed by former coach Felix Magath.

“Now we have the necessary calm for the game against Inter.”

However, he warned that there was still work to do before they could book their place in the semi-final against either Manchester United or Chelsea.

“Inter will most certainly try to reverse the result somehow and their front line is outstanding, that is no secret,” said Hoewedes, who is again expected to be partnered in central defence by Joel Matip instead of Christoph Metzelder.

Schalke have now won all three games since Rangnick replaced Magath late last month.

Rangnick will likely use 19-year-old defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos in a holding midfield role just as he has done in the past two matches, while Brazilian Edu, who scored twice in the first leg, should again partner Raul up front.

Inter restored some pride after an awful week by beating Chievo 2-0 in Serie A on Saturday but the holders know they have an almost impossible task in overturning Schalke’s first leg advantage when they travel to Gelsenkirchen.

Striker Samuel Eto’o has not given up hope though, according to coach Leonardo.

“Inside I believe that anything is possible,” the manager told reporters. “I believe it and the players believe it too.

Eto’o perhaps believes it more than anyone.

“He has plenty of comeback tales and he has played a part in lots of them. He told us all about them and they were great to hear.”

Leonardo had previously said it was “unrealistic” to expect his side to turn things around but Inter still plan to go and hold their heads up high as they all but certainly wave goodbye to their cherished trophy which took 45 years to regain.

Inter’s Argentina defender Walter Samuel has been included in their squad after missing the last five months because of a cruciate ligament injury.

Doctors had expected the centre back to be out for the season after reconstructive surgery but the 33-year-old, who suffered a similar problem in 2007, has quickly recovered having collapsed to the ground in agony against Brescia in November.

Playmaker Wesley Sneijder was included in the squad despite a bout of flu while Cristian Chivu, sent off in the 3-0 derby loss to AC Milan earlier this month which looks to have cost Inter a sixth consecutive scudetto, is banned following his red card in the first leg but Lucio is available after serving a European suspension.

Real Madrid should complete the formality of eliminating Tottenham Hotspur from the Champions League on Wednesday to set up a probable semi-final against arch-rivals Barcelona.

Real travel to White Hart Lane brimming with confidence after demolishing Spurs 4-0 in the first leg of their quarter-final last week, while Barca go to Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine 5-1 up.

Barring the most unlikely of events, Real and Barca will meet each other in European competition for the first time since 2002.

Real coach Jose Mourinho, publicly at least, has paid Spurs and English soccer the greatest respect by saying only an English team could overturn a four-goal deficit.

If that is true, then that club are Spurs, who have dazzled in their debut season in the Champions League with some stunning fightbacks and re-kindled a flickering light from the past.

After Manchester United, Spurs were English soccer’s trailblazers in Europe in the early 1960s when they became the first British side to win a European trophy, beating Atletico Madrid 5-1 in the European Cup Winners’ Cup final in 1963.

A year earlier Spurs reached the semi-finals of the European Cup when their manager Bill Nicholson, paying his respects to the all-conquering Real team of Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas, decided his team should change to an all-white kit for European games.

Real, some years later, became the first away team in 24 years ever to win a European tie at White Hart Lane when they beat holders Spurs 1-0 in the UEFA Cup in 1985 – and are easily equipped to score another win on Wednesday.

However, although Spurs are almost certain to go out, they will not go down without showing the spirit that has been a feature of their Champions League adventure which ended almost before it started back in August.

Spurs were 3-0 down after 28 minutes of the first leg of their qualifying playoff against Young Boys in Berne before losing 3-2 and then qualifying for the group stage with a 4-0 win in the second leg in London.

In the group stage they were losing 4-0 at halftime to holders Inter Milan before a Gareth Bale hat-trick in the second half pulled the score back to 4-3. Spurs then beat Inter 3-1 in the return in London.

Spurs manager Harry Redknapp said: “It has been a great experience so far and I am sure it will be a great experience on Wednesday. We will give it our best shot and see what happens.”

They will have to do that without striker Peter Crouch, sent off last week, while Real Madrid will be without the suspended Pepe.

Mourinho, though, can also call on Karim Benzema in attack after his recovery from an injury he suffered playing for France, and he could replace Emmanuel Adebayor, whose two headers last week set Real on their way to their emphatic win.

Ankle injury to put Clijsters out of French Open

Kim Clijsters is currently ranked number two in the world.

BRUSSELS: World number two Kim Clijsters is a major doubt for the French Open next month after injuring her ankle at her cousin’s wedding.

The Belgian, twice a finalist at Roland Garros, was already facing four weeks out due to a painful shoulder and wrist.

“Kim has injured her ankle. She won’t be able to compete for four to six weeks. Her participation in the French Open is no longer certain,” a statement said on her website (www.kimclijsters.be) on Sunday.

“At the wedding party of her cousin Tim, Kim injured her ankle severely. The consequences are rather dire. Kim’s ankle is now completely immobilised and she can not use her foot for a few days.”

The French Open, which starts in six weeks, is already without former world number one and 13-times grand slam champion Serena Williams after she also suffered serious injury off the court last July.

American Williams has been sidelined since cutting her foot on broken glass at a restaurant in Germany. She has had two operations on her foot and recently suffered a pulmonary embolism.

Tiger brings roars but victory proves elusive

Tiger Woods was greeted by applause at the 12th tee but departed the 12th green shaking his head after a bogey.

AUGUSTA: Tiger Woods can still put on a shot-making show that stirs roars from spectators that echo through the towering pine trees at Augusta National.

Whether or not he still has what it takes to win the Masters, or any other tournament, remains to be seen.

Woods fired a five-under par 67 on Sunday and briefly grabbed a share of the Masters lead on the front and back nines but settled for a share of fourth for the second year in a row, finishing 72 holes on 10-under 278.

The 14-time major champion has not won in 22 starts since his infamous sex scandal erupted in November of 2009, having spent much of the time working on charges to his swing motion that ease damage on his surgically repaired knees.

“I had to be committed to my spots and I did that all week,” Woods said.

“This entire weekend I hit it good so that was a nice feeling.”

Woods, chasing the record of 18 major titles won by Jack Nicklaus, has not finished better than he did Sunday since his comeback began last April at Augusta National.

He has not won a Masters since 2005 and not won a major title since the 2008 US Open, but was a winner in 2009 at a US PGA Tour event at Congressional Country Club, where the next major, the US Open, will be played in June.

Woods fired a 66 on Friday to lift himself from flirting with the cut to contention, but consistency was missing as it has been during his win drought> He failed to follow up with a strong round, soaring to a 74 on Saturday.

That left Woods seven off the pace of Rory McIlroy and sharing ninth to start the final round. Woods blistered the front nine for a 31, serving notice he would not easily surrender to young leaders who were inspired by him.

Birdies at six and seven and an eagle at eight pushed him to 10-under and after a long par save at nine was just behind McIlroy.

“When you are playing with Tiger on Sunday and he’s making a charge up the leaderboard, it doesn’t get much better,” said Scotsman Martin Laird, who played alongside Woods on Sunday.

“It was a lot of fun. His golf swing, hitting shots, he hit some of the best shots you’ll ever see today.”

Woods, 35, was greeted by applause at the 12th tee but departed the 12th green shaking his head after a bogey.

While he pulled back the stroke with a birdie at 15 that tied him for the lead, he could not make a back-nine charge to turn contention into a fifth career Masters green jacket.

“I got off to a nice start there and posted 31 and then on the back nine could have capitalized some more,” Woods said.

“I still stayed (patient). It was just shot for shot. You can get aggressive. You can lose it. This course baits you into doing that.”

I will play for as long as people can bear with me: Afridi

“When we lost the World Cup semi-final my dad called me right away. He made sure I wasn't going to make any emotional decisions.”

In his most candid interview since the World Cup, Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi quashed rumours about his possible return to test match cricket, reiterating that he lacked the temperament for the five-day game.

Speaking to a private TV channel, Afridi discussed everything from retirement to political figures, even Aleem Dar’s golden run and handled himself quite diplomatically at times.

Test return: There are quite a few youngsters on the domestic circuit with better technique and temperament. They can do justice to the slot and it will be beneficial for the future. The team is performing really well right now…each and every individual looks hungry for success and so keeping that in my mind also I would not like to unsettle the camp by this talk of returning to test cricket,” he added.

Fan support: We’ve been overwhelmed by the support we have received since coming back from the World Cup. There are a large number of people standing outside my house everyday for autographs, it’s like we’ve won the Cup. But I’ve been making an extra effort to meet everyone, welcome fans to my house and also meeting the press because the support means a lot to us.

Kamran Akmal: He is obviously having a disastrous run at the moment but let me tell you he is one of the most talented cricketers I’ve ever seen. I particularly enjoy his batting and as far keeping is concerned, he is one of the hardest working players in the team. Hopefully, it will pay off soon.

Dropping Sachin Tendulkar: The words that came to my mind cannot be repeated on air (laughs). But it’s quite obvious when you drop a batsman let alone the Indian master, he will make you pay.

Batting form: I have to improve my batting because it has been pretty bad for quite some time. Even my daughter has started calling me ‘Baba Boom Boom out’ because of my poor batting performance.

Umpire Decision Review System: I’ve always backed the system. It’s good for the game. Even during ‘that’ series in England we could’ve won had it not been for some of the decisions going against us. I think it’s great the ICC is bringing this into the game because one poor decision changes everything. Saeed Ajmal was pretty confident about his shout against Tendulkar during the World Cup semi-final and kept discussing it even at the airport. But in the end the replays showed a lot of deviation.

Rehman Malik: He said things in his own way but I’m sure he meant no harm. He called me a few times to apologise and I think that was really good of him. I think the timing of what he said was just not right.

Cricket diplomacy: Prime Minister Gilani called me and asked me what the preparation for the match was like. He told me that he would be coming to see the match along with a group of other people from Pakistan. For us, it actually helped with the confidence that they were coming. Every match has its pressure, playing against India after so long, so there were a lot of expectations. But it’s good that the two countries are meeting at the highest level again.

Aleem Dar: Wow! What a talent! He was amazing during the World Cup and has done Pakistan proud.

Junaid Khan: He performed really well against England in the warm-up match and he definitely has a bright future. It was a big game for someone like him and he has shown that he is quite capable.

Young stars: I think Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq and Wahab Riaz are definitely the ones to look out for. I love the way Umar takes on a pressure situation and Asad is the solid batsman we always been looking for.

Fielding: A lot of former cricketers criticise us but the fact is that we been pretty average for the past 60 years. It’s pretty simple; if you don’t enjoy fielding you won’t be good at it. We’ve worked really hard on our fielding in the past few months and surely it will show soon.

Wicket-keeper Mohammad Salman: Right now it is a tussle between Mohammad Salman and Sarfaraz Ahmed for the keeping spot just like in the past when Rashid Latif and Moin Khan used to fight it out. Salman has been picked on the back of his domestic performance. He has been preferred because he’s been good with the bat as well. But Sarfaraz is highly talented and will surely come through. A lot of youngsters have been earmarked for the West Indies and Zimbabwe tour and the selectors will be giving them a good run.

Opening: I think right now we have quite a few talented openers in the ranks so there is no need for me to go up the order.

Mohammad Hafeez: He always has something to say…has a lot of free advice to offer and is very knowledgeable, hence his nickname ‘professor’. In fact sometimes there is so much advice that I forget what I had plan during a game. But jokes apart, he is a big help on the field.

Tour of the West Indies: I think right now we have a pretty balanced test side so we can probably achieve what we haven’t in the past. The conditions are pretty similar to the subcontinent unlike the past. I really enjoy playing over there because after a hard day’s game you can unwind on the beach. If we play to our potential, the results will surely be good.

Umar Gul: Gul was brilliant throughout the World Cup…he just had an off day against India. Waqar Younis worked really hard with him and he showed everyone that he is as good with the new ball as he is with the old one. He’ll surely be back in rhythm.

Retirement: When we lost the semi-final World Cup my dad called me right away. He made sure I wasn’t going to make any emotional decisions. I have no plans of retirement at the moment and I will play on for as long as people can bear with me. The 2015 World Cup is a long way away but the 2012 World Twenty20 is definitely something that I’m thinking about.

Future captains: I think that for the PCB and the selectors to decide…I can’t say much on it. At the moment there is no I can earmark particularly but there are quite a few young players who can lead the team. When Imran Khan left everyone was wondering where the next leader would come from but as we all know there were quite a few capable people who followed.

Help from the outside: I would particularly like to thank Imran Khan for his support. Wasim Akram, Ramiz Raja, Saeed Anwar, Moin Khan and Rashid Latif were all a big help. In this country when you are down, people try to bury you even further and you have to lift yourself up. But without the help of these guys it would have been impossible.

Aussie: Watson hits record sixes

Shane Watson smashes a world-record 15 sixes on his way to recording the highest individual one-day innings by an Australian as Bangladesh are crushed by nine wickets."

Manchester United surging toward 19th title after Fulham win

Fulham's French player Gael Kakuta (2nd L) vies with Manchester United's Brazilian midfielder Anderson (2nd R).

LONDON: Manchester United enjoyed a stroll in the spring sunshine on Saturday as they eased to a 2-0 home win over Fulham to open a 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

United, who host Chelsea in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday, rested several first-choice players and had just the sort of undemanding afternoon they wanted as first-half goals by Dimitar Berbatov and Antonio Valencia proved decisive at Old Trafford.

United have 69 points with Arsenal, who visit Blackpool on Sunday, second on 59 with two games in hand.

Chelsea moved up to third on 58 points after a 67th-minute Florent Malouda goal was enough to beat bottom club Wigan Athletic 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester City, who visit Liverpool on Monday, have 56 points, three clear of Tottenham Hotspur who beat Stoke City 3-2.

With Wayne Rooney suspended, United manager Alex Ferguson still felt able to make seven other changes from the team who won 1-0 at Chelsea in the Champions League last week.

Fulham had won one away game all season while United went into the match with 14 wins and a draw from 15 at home and those numbers proved a reliable form guide.

United went ahead after 12 minutes when Nani slid a cross into the path of Berbatov, who slotted his 22nd of the season.

Nani was the provider again after 32 minutes when his shot was deflected towards Valencia who had a simple header.

“It was an important win and at this stage of the season that’s the name of the game,” Ferguson told Sky Sports.

“We didn’t play well, we were a bit wasteful with our possession in the second half. We had great opportunities to add to the goals but we didn’t take them and we had to hang on a little bit at the end.”

A year ago it was Chelsea charging and they went on to wrap up the title in style with an 8-0 thrashing of Wigan.

OBVIOUS GULF

They beat them 6-0 away earlier in the season too but there was not such an obvious gulf in class on Saturday. The champions were always on top but huffed and puffed for long periods.

With Fernando Torres starting on the bench it was Didier Drogba and Malouda who carried the most danger but goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi was equal to their best efforts.

However, he was at fault for the goal when he flapped at a David Luiz header from a corner and Malouda tapped in.

“They put a lot of pressure on us and we were not able to play our football and the first half was not so good,” said Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti.

“The game was between the (Champions League) quarter-final so it was difficult to stay in focus but the second half was better. Wigan lost a bit of energy and we won a difficult and a very important game.”

Peter Crouch, whose early red card on Tuesday played a big part on Tottenham’s 4-0 Champions League defeat at Real Madrid, did his best to get the fans back onside with two early goals as Spurs led Stoke 3-2 at halftime and that was the final result.

Wolverhampton Wanderers remain second-last after losing 3-0 at home to Everton with West Ham United third-bottom after going down by the same score at Bolton Wanderers.

West Ham’s Mark Noble was lucky to escape punishment for shoving his own goalkeeper Rob Green after Bolton’s opening goal.

Gerrard to miss the rest of season

LONDON: Liverpool’s hopes of securing European football have been dealt a blow after captain Steven Gerrard was ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a recurrence of a groin injury, the club said on Friday.

The midfielder, who last played for the club in their 3-1 victory over Manchester United on March 6, underwent surgery last month but suffered a setback after returning to training last week.

“We still don’t know definitively what the problem is, so we will wait until we get a precise answer from the people he has been to see. But he will not be involved again this season, boss Kenny Dalglish told a news conference.

“Without being disrespectful to the players who are injured, the most important ones are the ones who are fit because they’re the ones who can be chosen. At this particular moment in time, I’m as good a player as Steven.”

Liverpool are in the middle of a mini injury crisis with Gerrard joining first choice defenders Daniel Agger, Glen Johnson and Martin Kelly on the sidelines.

Agger has been ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a knee tendon injury while Kelly and Johnson both have hamstring problems.

Gerrard had already missed six weeks of the season after tearing his hamstring playing for England against France in November.

His latest injury comes at a poor time for his club who have dragged themselves back into contention for a European place after an appalling start to the season.

After dropping into the relegation zone under former manager Roy Hodgson, they have enjoyed a revival under new boss Dalglish and are now sixth in the standings, five points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fifth — the only guaranteed Europa League berth.

Barca labour past Almeria, Real keep up chase

Messi added his league-best 29th goal_ one more than Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo_ in injury time.

MADRID: Lionel Messi ensured Barcelona maintained their eight-point lead over Real Madrid ahead of next weekend’s Clasico, scoring twice as the leaders came back to beat basement side Almeria 3-1 in La Liga on Saturday.

The World Player of the Year equalised with a penalty and settled the match in the last minute with his 29th league goal of the campaign, after Thiago Alcantara had put Barca 2-1 up in a nervous display at the Nou Camp.

Real had put them under pressure by easing through a match that had been expected to be far tougher, when Kaka scored two penalties and set up Cristiano Ronaldo for a third at sixth-placed Bilbao.

Leaders Barca moved on to 84 points with seven games left to play. Sevilla climbed to fifth with 46, one ahead of Bilbao, after Ivan Rakitic scored a 68th-minute equaliser for a 2-2 draw at Real Mallorca.

“Madrid are going to fight for this league until the end, until it is mathematically impossible because this is the way we have been educated,” Real captain Iker Casillas told reporters.

Both sides rested players ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second legs next week, when Barca visit Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday with a 5-1 advantage and Real travel to play Tottenham Hotspur with a 4-0 lead.

On top of that, Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola will have been preparing for the first of four possible meetings between the Spanish giants in 18 days starting with next Saturday’s league encounter.

Four days later, they have the King’s Cup final in Valencia and they look likely to meet again in the two-legged Champions League semi-finals.

BARCA STRUGGLE

Barca struggled to create clear openings against a side they hammered 8-0 earlier in the season, despite their almost complete domination of possession.

They were caught out after 50 minutes when Almeria broke and Corona beat Juan Manuel Pinto in a one-on-one to silence the Nou Camp, but Barca quickly levelled.

David Villa, who came on for the injured Bojan Krkic in the first half, was brought down by the slightest of touches from goalkeeper Diego Alves as he raced into the area, and Messi netted from the spot.

Thiago headed in from a corner after 64 minutes and with Guardiola nervously prowling the touchline the tireless Messi pounced on an error to settle the match with almost the last kick.

“It was difficult because at this stage of the championship everyone is fighting for something,” Barca midfielder Javier Mascherano told Spanish television.

“Almeria are fighting for survival, but we remained calm and quickly equalised after their goal. The important thing is to keep winning games and to keep our pursuers eight points behind us.”

KAKA IMPRESSIVE

Real fielded an unfamiliar looking side at San Mames with the likes of Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil, Xabi Alonso and Ricardo Carvalho on the bench and Pepe playing in midfield.

“You could have had doubts seeing the starting XI but you can see Madrid has a good squad,” Aitor Karanka two told a news conference as Mourinho once again left his number two to face the media.

“Pepe played a great game in midfield and Kaka was really impressive.”

Bilbao mounted a typical aerial bombardment of the visitors’ area but for all their pressure they created few chances and left themselves vulnerable to counter-attacks.

One such break led to goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz upending Argentina winger Angel Di Maria in the area, and Kaka slotted away from the spot in the 14th minute.

Di Maria went down easily for a penalty after 54 minutes and Kaka outwitted Iraizoz again from the spot, before releasing substitute Ronaldo with a ball over the top.

The Portuguese cut back inside his marker with style to end local hopes of a comeback in the 70th minute, bagging his 28th league goal of the season.

Foreign batting coach may be considered: Afridi

KARACHI: Pakistan Cricket Team captain Shahid Afridi on Sunday said that the possibility of bringing in a foreign batting coach would be considered if Javed Miandad was unavailable to fill the role for the national team.

Giving the inauguration speech at Karachi’s Boom Boom Cricket Stadium, Afridi said that he will try to learn from his previous mistakes in order, improve and try to give the team some stability.

He said the team picked for the West Indies tour consists of fresh players and it will present a great opportunity to Pakistan to assess its future prospects.

Afridi said that the team would try its best to achieve a good result, but admitted that a lot of hark work was needed to improve the team’s fielding.

Pakistan-India series will strengthen hockey: Bajwa

“We want to play hockey because it is direly needed in this part of the world. Hockey contests between India and Pakistan will strengthen the base of hockey besides further popularising the sport.”

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Indian hockey federations are discussing modalities for playing bilateral series in both countries this year and are looking for a window for the said contests, Dawn learnt on Saturday.

“We are in discussions with our counterparts since the resumption of talks between Pakistan and India…we hope to play a series with India any time this year,” secretary of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Asif Bajwa told Dawn .

Both Pakistan and India have not played against each other in hockey (in India or Pakistan) for the last two years after the November 2008 terror attack on Mumbai which led to dip in relations between the nuclear-armed countries.

“Our discussions with India started after Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani made a successful visit to India recently,” Bajwa said.

Last month, Gilani went to India on the invitation of his counterpart Manmohan Singh, to witness the cricket World Cup semi-final between Pakistan and India in Mohali.

“We want to play hockey because it is direly needed in this part of the world. Hockey contests between India and Pakistan will strengthen the base of hockey besides further popularising the sport,” claimed former Olympian Bajwa.

The PHF secretary said Pakistan team had a very busy international schedule this year, adding “in case they find a suitable window during the next six months they would definitely like to play against India.”

The greenshirts would be seen in action against the arch-rivals on both sides of the border between India and Pakistan, the PHF official stated.

“Pakistan will be playing in India and India will be playing in Pakistan; this is the focus of our discussions with the Indian hockey officials, mainly to give good sports entertainment to fans on both sides of the border,” he said.

Commenting on the financial benefit attached with the Pakistan-India series, the PHF secretary said: “There are better financial prospects attached with this initiative because competitions between Pakistan and India are always thrilling.”

Stuart Law to be given trial run: Sri Lanka Cricket

Sri Lankan cricket team's former coach Australia's Trevor Bayliss talks about his four-year stint with the national team during an interview in Colombo. -

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka will not name a successor to head coach Trevor Bayliss until after the tour of England which starts next month.

Sri Lanka Cricket interim committee chairman DS de Silva said because of the time factor they had appointed Stuart Law as interim coach for the England tour.

Law was assistant to Bayliss, who quit as head coach after four years at the end of the World Cup, where the Sri Lankans lost to hosts India in a dramatic final earlier this month.

Law, a former Australian cricketer, is one of four coaches short-listed by Sri Lanka Cricket to succeed Bayliss.

“We’ve given Law a chance to handle the team on the England tour and see whether he is going to fit into the scene,” said De Silva.

The other three coaches in the running for the top job are former coach Tom Moody, former assistant coach Trevor Penney and Mathew Maynard, the former England cricketer presently director of cricket at Glamorgan.

“We knew about two months ago that Trevor Bayliss was leaving so we advertised in the web and papers as well both internationally and locally. Nine responded from which we shortlisted five persons,” said De Silva.

“Everybody showed interest to undertake the head coach position. We already interviewed two of them on the phone. One of the nine was (former Australian coach) John Buchanan.

“We wrote to Buchanan and he gave his terms but we cannot afford it. We have dropped him from the list,” he added.

“Moody is due to come back to us. When he was here we had a long chat with him and he showed some interest in the job.”

De Silva said that Penney and Maynard would be invited shortly to come to Sri Lanka and make a presentation.

Former Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu has also been approached by Sri Lanka to become the national team’s batting coach.

“We’ll take a decision on Monday whether to appoint Marvan as the batting coach for the England tour,” said De Silva.

Sri Lanka play a series of three tests and five one-day internationals on the tour of England.

Super Vettel maintains perfect start with Malaysian win

Sebastian Vettel of Germany celebrates as he drives past his team on pit wall after winning the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia. -

SEPANG, Malaysia: World champion Sebastien Vettel dominated the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday with a brilliant drive which maintained his perfect start to the season.

The 23-year-old German steered his Red Bull car from pole position to the chequered flag to win ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button, the 2009 champion, and Nick Heidfeld who finished third for Renault.

“In the heat, we kept our heads cool,” the jubilant Vettel told the Red Bull crew on his victory lap.

Vettel’s second start-to-finish win in two outings this year came despite further problems with Red Bull’s faulty Kinetic Energy Regeneration System (KERS) which gave his team-mate Mark Webber a nightmare start.

The Australian dropped from third to 10th before storming back to finish fourth ahead of the Ferraris of Brazilian Felipe Massa and two-time champion Fernando Alonso.

Alonso suffered damage to his car in a late charge for the podium when he collided with the rear of Briton Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren, suffering a broken front wing that required a pit stop.

Hamilton, the 2008 champion, looked set for a podium spot but finished seventh after a slow pit stop and a struggle with worn tyres in the closing stages.

“It was tough, one of those days for me,” said the downcast Briton.

“But I have to take it on the chin and get on with it.”

Vettel has now won the season’s first two races in Australia and Malaysia — and five of the last six — to take charge of the 19-stop championship and establish himself as the outstanding driver of the moment.

Sunday’s victory was hard-won in the soaring heat and humidity of Sepang International Circuit, and after Vettel lost the KERS overdrive system mid-way through the 56-lap race.

“It was a lot closer this time than it was in the first race, but we are still just in front,” Vettel said.

“So we know we have to a lot of work now to stay there.”

He said the loss of KERS after 29 laps was “not according to plan” but was relieved his equipment had worked at the start.

“It would have been a completely different race otherwise,” Vettel admitted.

The German came home 3.2 seconds ahead of Button and 25 seconds clear of Heidfeld, who is deputising for the injured Robert Kubica after a rallying crash and claimed his first podium in two years.

Heidfeld enjoyed a dazzling start when he shot from sixth in the grid into provisional second place behind Vettel.

Japan’s Kamui Kobayashi of Sauber was eighth ahead of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, who was ninth for Mercedes. Tenth-placed British rookie Paul Di Resta who scored another point for Force India in only his second start.

On a typically steamy day in Malaysia, the track temperature was 31 degrees (88 fahrenheit) at the start in 83 percent humidity.

Vettel made a smooth start, pulling clear of the pack as Hamilton, on the dirtier side of the circuit, struggled to retain second place and, running into turns one and two, was passed on the outside by Heidfeld.

At the same time, Webber was beset by problems as his car suffered a pre-race KERS failure and cost him seven places at the start.

“It was a tough race,” said Webber.

“You get killed on the long runs without KERS and it’s tough to clear people.”

Vettel moves to 50 points in the drivers’ championship with Button second on 26, Hamilton on 24 and Webber on 22.

In the constructors’ standings, Red Bull lead with 72 points ahead of McLaren on 50, ahead of the next race in a week’s time in China.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner paid tribute to a nerveless performance from Vettel, who is still only 23.

“I think Sebastian was the coolest guy out there — his composure, the way he controlled the race, the way he looked after his tyres,” Horner said.

“We had options to do three or four stops, and he gave us those options — it was a really mature drive.

“We forget he’s just 23 years old — he can only just rent a hire car! He’s gaining more experience and just continues to get better.”