Fergie Warns Young

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has spoken with Ashley Young about his recent penalty-winning antics and claims the winger 'understands where we are coming from'.

Young has found himself at the centre of a diving controversy in recent weeks, with theatrical tumbles against Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa earning debateable spot-kicks.

He has been widely criticised for going to ground too easily and has been warned that he faces earning an unwanted reputation.

United are aware of the need to avoid such a situation, with Old Trafford legend Bryan Robson concerned that decisions may start to go against Young.

Ferguson has sought to address the issue behind closed doors and hopes a quick chat with his England international will see the matter brought to a close.

"I have had a word with Ashley," the Red Devils boss said ahead of a home date with Everton on Sunday.http://sportsloversclub.blogspot.com/
 Difference
"He understands where we are coming from. Hopefully it makes a difference."
While making an effort to speak with Young, Ferguson believes simulation is an issue modern football needs to address as a whole.
"Last week, if the player doesn't bring Ashley down he is going to score," he added.
"It was a clear goalscoring opportunity.
"He caught him and he did overdo the attempt to get a penalty. I am not sure he tried to get the penalty but he certainly went down quickly.
"But people have reacted because it is Manchester United.
Ridiculous
"I watched Real Madrid and Bayern Munich the other night and it was absolutely ridiculous, players were diving and rolling about, nothing like what Young has been accused of.
"Then you see the other night in the Chelsea game, we are in an age where you expect it now."
Ferguson insists such decisions tend to even themselves out over the course of a season
"We didn't get one against Wigan during the week. We didn't scream from the rooftops about it. It happens," he said.
"We got one given against us for Newcastle, we didn't scream about that either.
"You get bad decisions and good ones. Believe me, it does even itself out."Via Skysports

Bangladesh Tour postponed after court order

Bangladesh has postponed its tour of Pakistan following a court order that set a four-week embargo on the national team's plans. The decision, communicated on Thursday to the PCB by the BCB's acting CEO Nizamuddin Chowdhury, is the latest twist to a long-running saga that began last December; the tour itself, comprising two limited-overs games, had been finalised last weekend to take place in Lahore at the end of April.

The order came on a day when Pakistan said it had sent a 70-page security plan for the tour to the ICC and announced details of match tickets that were to have gone on sale next week. The events that followed will have added to doubts over whether the tour will indeed go ahead at all.

The PCB reacted sharply to the news. "It is astonishing to note that a matter lacking any legal issue has been dragged in the court by petitioners who appear to have vested interest and want to jeopardise Pakistan-Bangladesh cricketing relations," the statement said.

"It is extremely disturbing to note for the PCB and Pakistan cricket fans and world cricketing nations that such an adverse order has been passed to block a bilateral cricket series."

The court order, delivered by Justices Farid Ahmed and Sheikh Hasan Arif on Thursday afternoon, was in response to a writ petition filed in the morning by a university teacher and a Supreme Court lawyer who, citing concerns over security, challenged the BCB's decision to send the team at the end of April for a three-day tour.

It also said that in the interim period the sports secretary, the National Sports Council chief and BCB chief Mustafa Kamal justify the decision for the tour.

Azim, one of the lawyers for the petitioners, said: "The ICC asked for a security plan from PCB. They have still not given it. Pakistan is not safe for any foreign teams now. Their own media says so. For that reason, no country agrees to play there. Under the same circumstances, we should not go there also."

The petition echoes the prevailing public sentiment surrounding the tour since it was first announced. The mood against the tour - which has been called short-sighted and opportunistic, at the cost of players' safety - grew following the confirmation of dates on Sunday. The tour, of immense importance to Pakistan, is widely seen as a quid pro quo for Kamal getting the Pakistan-Bangladesh joint nomination for the ICC vice-presidency; with the latter in almost certain cold storage, the tour has become an even more complex issue. Kamal's own flip-flops on issues relating to the tour have added to the confusion.

Adding to the complexity is the security angle. The ICC's stated stand is that it has no role in clearing tour; its remit extends to checking to see whether its officials can be deployed. It has, however, scripted its own escape clause by introducing a "special dispensation" that would allow non-neutral officials where the situation did not allow for neutrals.

The security issue prompted the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) to issue a strongly worded statement against the tour.

"This decision of whether Bangladesh should tour Pakistan needed to be a concise and transparent process," FICA CEO Tim May said. "Unfortunately all we have witnessed is seemingly a complete lack of any process and a series of indecisive and contradictory comments, particularly coming from Mustafa Kamal.

"The actions and words of Kamal certainly give the impression of confirming rumors that there has been a deal reached between the PCB and Kamal … What has resulted since has been a series of actions and comments that rather than reassure everyone of the safety of such a tour, only have created heightened apprehensions and doubts amongst players re the safety of the tour and the motives of those involved in the decision."

* The entry initially said four months. It has been corrected to four weeks

The 2nd Test between Ausies and West Indies drawn due to rain

As it had threatened to do the weather had the final say in Port-of-Spain and end the prospect of a fascinating finish after both captains took up each other's challenge to force a positive result. Michael Clarke declared to leave West Indies a target of 215 in 61 overs then Darren Sammy promoted himself to No. 3 as the hosts reached 53 for 2 when they were forced off which meant Australia retained the Frank Worrell Trophy.

The initial asking rate for West Indies of 3.52 was considerably more than had been managed for a sustained period at any stage of the game. However, Sammy's attacking mindset put his team ahead of the rate as he took on Australia's bowlers, especially Ben Hilfenhaus who he hit for 14 off three deliveries.

Hilfenhaus, though, had also given Australia their opening with a strong new-ball spell. He trapped Kieran Powell lbw, after he had been promoted to open, with a delivery that swung back (for the second time in the game Powell made the wrong decision over a review) then removed Adrian Barath with one that climbed from a length and took the edge to first slip.

But from 13 for 2 Sammy responded with two early boundaries off Shane Watson to show his mind was not turning towards the draw although some of his earlier fielding settings had suggested otherwise. Darren Bravo, who could have provided an anchor to the innings, was content to play quietly alongside his captain before the clouds rolled in.

Smart stats Kemar Roach became the first West Indian since Curtly Ambrose and the fifth West Indian overall to pick up a ten-wicket match haul against Australia. Ambrose had done so in Adelaide (1993) when West Indies won by one run. Roach also became the fourth West Indian and the 11th bowler overall to pick up a ten-wicket haul in Trinidad. The last West Indian to achieve the feat was Ambrose in 1994 when West Indies bowled England out for 46. It is also the 17th occasion that a West Indies bowler has had twin five-wicket hauls in a Test. Kenny Benjamin was the previous bowler to do in Nottingham in 1995. Roach's 5for 41 is fifth on the list of best bowling performances by a West Indian bowler against Australia in Trinidad. The best is Vanburn Holder's 6 for 28 in 1978. Australia declared their third innings on 160 for 8. It is only the third time that Australia have declared at a total below 200 with seven or more wickets lost. However, on the previous two occasions they won the match. There were ten leg-before dismissals in the match. It is the seventh time in a West Indian-Australia Test that there have been ten or more lbw dismissals. Australia's run-rate in the match (2.39) is the second-lowest for them in a Test against West Indies since 1990 (min 1000 balls bowled). The lowest (2.30) in the same period also came in Trinidad in 1991.

Australia had signalled their intent immediately after lunch when Michael Hussey lofted the first ball of the second session over long-off against Narsingh Deonarine then slog-swept another boundary to signal the intent. Sammy immediately set his field deep as Hussey and Matthew Wade started to play tip-and-run cricket.

Hussey dragged Kemar Roach into his stumps, as he tried to glide the ball to third man, and three balls later Hilfenhaus had his off stump pegged back as Roach became the first West Indies bowler since Curtly Ambrose in 1993 to take ten in a match against Australia.

The visitors had found progress hard going during the morning session and after losing Clarke and Ricky Ponting in quick succession had to guard against a more damaging collapse. Australia's first boundary did not come until the 10th over of the day when Ponting flicked Fidel Edwards to fine leg and two balls later Ponting hooked a well-directed bouncer straight to deep square-leg.

It was due reward for Edwards, who had toiled without luck during this match while Roach picked up the wickets, and meant Ponting did not covert his hard work. His 41 was more than he had made in his previous eight international innings combined but the mode of dismissal was likely to start more debate.

Two overs later West Indies' morning got even better thanks to spark of fielding brilliance from Sammy. Clarke pushed fractionally early at a delivery that may have stopped in the surface, sending the ball back down the pitch but fair distance to Sammy's right in his follow through. However, Sammy stuck out his hand and with the ball almost past him clung onto the catch before a nonchalant celebration.

It left the intriguing situation of Australia being 149 ahead with 82 overs left in match and also having an injured James Pattinson in the dressing room. Shillingford began his latest exacting spell of the match as he teased and tested Hussey and Wade. The ball beat the outside edge and took the inside edge but nothing quite went to hand for West Indies.

Shortly before Australia started to release some of the pressure as Wade pulled Sammy for a boundary and Hussey swept Shillingford and that was sign of things to come but in the end the efforts of both sides were futile. 

Via Cricinfo