Australian national selector John Inverarity admits precocious quick Patrick Cummins’ heel injury could be more serious than first thought.

The teenager is taking longer than initially expected to recover from the injury he sustained three months ago during his sensational debut international series in South Africa.

Cummins continues to struggle to bowl at full pace in practice without developing soreness and as a result has been ruled out of the upcoming tour of the West Indies.

Inverarity maintained hope the 18-year-old would come into calculations for Australia’s five-match one-day series in England in June but said there was no timetable on his recovery and insisted there would be no pressure put on the youngster to overcome the nagging ailment.

“His heel is not progressing quite smoothly so … we would rather he got to full fitness in his own time without the pressure of having a deadline there,” Inverarity said on Wednesday.

“We look forward to him coming back as soon as possible … But we’re certainly not going to rush him.”

“He sort of fractured a bone in his heel and we want him to be 100 percent fit before we contemplate (selecting him) … It’s taking some time to heal.”

“He bowled at half pace and (was) building up and things were going well, but when he bowled towards the end of last week after that it became sore again so I just don’t know whether it’s a light, temporary setback or something a little bit more, we don’t know.”

Another man who won’t be joining the Australian squad for the Caribbean tour is Shaun Marsh after Inverarity officially put a line through his name for the three-match Test series after he was also left out of the one-day and Twenty20 squads on Wednesday.

The national selector said Marsh had to ‘rebuild’ himself after a ‘traumatic’ summer that saw him score just 17 runs and record four ducks in seven Test innings.

“Shaun, as we’re all aware, had a traumatic time … and he needs to rebuild himself and it’s not going to happen overnight,” Inverarity said.

“He had a really deep trough there and he needs to go back to interstate cricket and then during the winter months maybe the prospect of playing something in England.”

“We hope he comes back as good as ever in form but it’s not going to be just in the next month or two.”

In good injury news for Australia, gun pace bowler James Pattinson has declared his foot ’100 percent’ ahead of the final Commonwealth Bank Series round robin clash against Sri Lanka on Friday.

The 21-year-old says he hasn’t lost any rhythm since being laid off nearly two months ago and he can’t wait to hit the international stage again after stints in the Futures League and grade cricket.

“I don’t think I’ve lost a great lot of cricket, (I) missed two Test matches, but I still feel back bowling in the nets now like I haven’t really been out of cricket a long time,” Pattinson said.

“I haven’t had to sort of get back into my rhythm and worry about all that sort of stuff, it’s sort of come pretty natural for me.”

Pattinson said the bone stress injury was as a result of his body not adapting properly to his increased workload, but was confident of avoiding a recurrence anytime soon.

“Once I start playing some more cricket and my body gets hardened, I think that hopefully we can continue to stay together and stay on the park,” he said.

Source: http://sportal.com.au/news-display/cummins-heel-concern-163971

Arjen Robben’s late strike denied a young England side a draw as the Netherlands pinched victory at Wembley.

The Bayern Munich winger gave the 2010 World Cup finalists the lead in the second half before Klaas Jan Huntelaar nodded in two minutes later.

The Dutch looked like they would cruise to victory but a late Gary Cahill finish and an Ashley Young chip levelled matters in stoppage time.

But there was still time for Robben to win it when he curled into the corner.

Following a tame first half where Steven Gerrard was taking off as a precaution with a hamstring injury, the game was full of incident after the break.

Robben’s first goal came after he ran from his own half, while Huntelaar clashed heads with Chris Smalling as he scored the second, with both players being replaced with head injuries.

Cahill’s strike looked offside, but Young’s clever chip appeared to have earned an unlikely draw against a strong Dutch side on Stuart Pearce’s first outing as England boss.

There were only four minutes of injury time despite a lengthy stoppage for Smalling and Huntelaar’s collision, but that did not stop Robben having the final say.

More to follow.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/17167110

Kent’s James Tredwell believes he can force his way into the England Test side on the upcoming Sri Lanka tour.

Tredwell was one of four spinners selected for the tour

but is not content simply to make up the numbers.

The 29-year-old told

BBC Radio Kent:

“I’m going out there to get my name in that first XI.

“If I go out there thinking I’m just there as cover, then if I do get a chance, I will not be in the greatest frame of mind to put in a performance.”

When the squad was announced, national selector Geoff Miller said Tredwell would act as cover for fellow off-spinner Graeme Swann, with all-rounder Samit Patel the back up for slow left-armer Monty Panesar.

But the Ashford-born player, who took six wickets in his sole Test appearance in Bangladesh two years ago, feels he can challenge Panesar for the second spinner’s spot in the team.

“Ultimately, if I’m performing better than him in practice and warm-up games then I’ve got as good a chance as anyone else to be selected,” he said.

“I am there as cover but if conditions allow, you never know.”

Tredwell was aware he remained in the selectors’ thoughts following a phone call from head coach Andy Flower at the end of last summer.

“That sort of put me in the picture about where I stood and kept me driving on, kept me training over the winter,” he added.

“I had a thought in the back of my mind that my name might get picked out at some stage, but I had no idea it would be now.”

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/17205689

Lotus say they have resolved the chassis problem – confirmed as an issue with the mounting of the upper front wishbone rear arm – that caused them to abandon last week’s second pre-season test in Spain after only a few laps.

The team were using their second E20 car for the first time and after driver Romain Grosjean reported a problem their initial suspicion was a manufacturing fault specific to that chassis. However, subsequent investigations showed that changes were required to both chassis.

“It’s been an intense few days, but I have to say that everybody has completed their tasks in tremendous fashion,” technical director James Allison told the team’s website ahead of this week’s final pre-season test, which starts in Barcelona on Thursday.

“On the first day back at the factory, I spoke to the entire Enstone personnel and clearly explained what happened. Everybody understood that the situation was unfortunate, but under control. We designed the new parts, manufactured them, and fitted them to the chassis. We then completed the necessary tests satisfactorily and the chassis left for Spain.”

As a result of the changes, the E20 is now slightly heavier than before, but Allison insisted the weight gain is not an issue and the chassis does not need to be crash tested again. Perhaps more significant is the track time that Lotus lost because of the problem.

“We’re only talking about 1kg, which is manageable,” he added. “It won’t have any significant impact on handling or performance. Of course, missing four days of testing is not ideal. We need mileage at this stage of the year, as does any other team.

“That said, there are reasons to remain optimistic. First of all, we completed many trouble-free laps in Jerez and gained a good understanding of the car. Also, some of the small issues we identified in Jerez needed to be fixed, and the parts were not available last week. On Thursday, the car will run with all the required redesigned parts. We’re looking forward to being back on track.”

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Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2012/2/13057.html

Lee Westwood says he is relishing his ongoing rivalry with Rory McIlroy as he prepares to partner Tiger Woods at the Honda Classic in Florida.

Westwood lost to McIlroy in the

WGC Match Play semi-finals on Sunday

as both chased Luke Donald’s world number one spot.

“If I’m going to have a rivalry, I would like it to be with Rory,” said world number three Westwood.

“He’s arguably the hottest player on the planet right now.”

Continue reading the main story

“I figure if I’m going to keep playing well and getting in contention for tournaments, Rory’s pretty much going to be in a similar position”

Lee Westwood

US Open champion McIlroy, 22,

lost to American Hunter Mahan in the Match Play final

to remain at number two, but with Donald absent this week, McIlroy can head the rankings if he wins at Palm Beach Gardens on Sunday.

Owing to the number of world ranking points on offer, Westwood will have to wait until next week’s WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami for his next opportunity to regain the top spot he relinquished to Donald at the PGA Championship at Wentworth last May.

“I’ve been around a long time now and there’s been various rivalries thrown at me during my career,” added Westwood, who will play alongside former world number one Woods and fellow Englishman Ian Poulter in the first two rounds.

“You learn through playing golf for a long time that the only thing you can control is your own game. That’s all I try to do.

“One of us will get the better of the other, as I did in Dubai two weeks ago and then Rory did last week. That’s just the way it is.

“I figure if I’m going to keep playing well and getting into contention for tournaments, Rory’s pretty much going to be in a similar position, so we’re going to be playing together a lot.”

Continue reading the main story

“This game has a funny way of showing hard work sometimes, but it’s showing. Trust me, I will deliver like I promised in the Ryder Cup and like I always do”

Ian Poulter

Woods, who is now 21st in the world, is still trying to get his pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’s record of 18 major titles back on track.

The 14-times major champion conceded in Florida that his goal “would take a whole career” to accomplish and revealed he had been working hard on his short game as part of his ongoing swing reconstruction under coach Sean Foley.

But Woods’ former coach Hank Haney has caused a stir with extracts from his new book “The Big Miss”.

Haney claims Woods’ desire to pass Nicklaus’s record was taking its toll during their six-year partnership, which ended in May 2010, and that at one stage Woods was seriously considering joining the US Navy Seals.

Woods refused to be drawn on the book at his news conference in Florida.

Poulter, meanwhile, has also had to fend off criticism from Sir Nick Faldo who claimed he was preoccupied with social media site Twitter and promoting his clothing range.

The 36-year-old took time out to await the birth of his fourth child, but managed only 45th and 50th in his first two events back and then was beaten by Korean Bae Sang-moon in the first round at Dove Mountain.

The Englishman said on Twitter: “I’m honoured that people are talking that I’m not working hard enough on my game.

“I have to answer that question, though. I have never worked harder than I am right now – not only on my game, but on my health and fitness.

“There are areas of my game which we have looked at and are making big improvements on. It’s just a case of them coming together.

“This game has a funny way of showing hard work sometimes, but it’s showing. Trust me, I will deliver like I promised in the Ryder Cup and like I always do.”

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/17209344

Andy Murray stepped up a gear from his first-round match to reach the Dubai Championships quarter-final by beating Swiss qualifier Marco Chiudinelli.

The British number one needed one hour and 23 minutes to win 6-3 6-4 against the world number 185.

He will play
Tomas Berdych

in the quarter-finals after the fifth seed beat Lukas Lacko 6-1 6-2.

World number one
Novak Djokovic

progressed with a 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win over Ukraine’s Sergiy Stakhovsky.

Second seed
Roger Federer

is also through after beating Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 7-5 6-3.

“Conditions in Miami are hotter than this. I find the conditions here almost perfect”

Andy Murray

Murray had laboured to

overcome German qualifier Michael Berrer in the first round

on Tuesday, his first match since

losing to Djokovic at the Australian Open.

The Scot, 24, has struggled in the last two years to get over defeats in Australia, but there were encouraging signs in his routine dismissal of 30-year-old Chiudinelli.

Murray broke serve for the first time in game four with a sharp backhand to Chiudinelli’s feet and saw out the set comfortably, winning over 80% of the points behind both first and second serves.

There was a slight dip in that area of his game early in the second set but he maintained the pressure on Chiudinelli’s serve, going close to a break in the first and seventh games before making the decisive move at 4-4.

Forehand and backhand winners helped Murray to the break and he closed out victory with little fuss to become the first man through to the last eight.

“I played well throughout,” said Murray. “I played a little bit better, so that’s progress. Now I just need to keep that going.”

Asked about the rising temperature in Dubai, the Briton said that training in Florida with coach Ivan Lendl had helped him in that regard.

“Conditions in Miami are hotter than this,” he said. “I find the conditions here almost perfect.

Match stats

“I’d been practising my serve quite a lot there and I think that went well today.”

Federer

remains on course to win the title for a fifth time after making short work of left-hander Lopez.

He broke the 15th seed in the final game to settle a tight opening set before breaking the Spaniard again to lead 5-3 in the second set, closing out the match with a winning volley from the net.

“It was difficult,” said Federer.

“I’ve obviously played Feliciano many, many times way back and now on tour as well, but I’ve never played him when he was ranked so high and potentially so confident.

“Those are the kind of matches you need early on in a tournament to feel good about how you’re handling those tough moments.”

The former world number one, who now faces Mikhail Youzhny after the Russian beat out-of-form American Mardy Fish 6-2 7-6 (7-0), was beaten in the Dubai final last year by Djokovic.

Number one seed
Djokovic

will now face Janko Tipsarevic, who battled past Italy’s Flavio Cipolla 6-7 6-1 6-1.

“Janko’s very solid from the baseline,” said the Serb.

“When he has time and he steps into the court, he’s very dangerous. I need to try to be aggressive.

“I need to try to stay close to the line. That’s all. He doesn’t have many weaknesses in his game.”

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/tennis/17204163

Centre Jamie Roberts is “touch and go” to be fit for Wales’ home Six Nations clash with Italy on 10 March as they step up their Grand Slam bid.

Roberts limped off with a knee injury at half-time in Saturday’s

Triple Crown triumph against England

, but hooker Matthew Rees is back in full training.

Rees has been suffering with a calf injury, while fellow hooker Huw Bennett is still in ‘rehab’ with calf trouble.

“We’re waiting to find out about Jamie,” said skills coach Neil Jenkins.

“He’ll be touch and go for the Italy game but is rehabilitating really well so, fingers crossed, he’ll make that game.”

The Italians visit the Millennium Stadium on Saturday week hoping to earn their first Six Nations win in Cardiff, but Wales are now seriously scenting a third Grand Slam in eight seasons.

Warren Gatland’s side then host France in Cardiff the following Saturday, on 17 March, in what could be a potential Grand Slam decider.

But Gatland’s team are boosted by the likely return of former captain Rees the week before, for the Italy game.

“Hopefully he will be back and available for selection,” added Jenkins.

James Hook missed Saturday’s victory at Twickenham because of a bout of chickenpox, but the versatile back hopes to prove his fitness by playing for his club side Perpignan in their Top 14 game at Agen this Saturday.

If Cardiff Blues and Lions star Roberts misses the Italy game, Scott Williams, who scored the decisive try against England, is set to replace him and line up alongside Scarlets team-mate Jonathan Davies in the Wales midfield.

Wales lock Luke Charteris is returning to fitness after

surgery on a broken wrist

and has been named in the Dragons squad to face Munster in the Pro12 on Saturday but Charteris feels the Italy game is “too soon” for the 28-year-old.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/17167450

Bradford Bulls scrum-half Luke Gale faces up to eight weeks on the sidelines to undergo ankle surgery.

Gale, signed from Harlequins last July, suffered the injury in

the crushing home defeat by Wigan on 19 February.

Bulls football manager Stuart Duffy said: 

“It’s better he has the operation now to give him the earliest chance of returning to the side.”

Bradford are currently eighth in Super League, with two wins and two defeats from their opening four matches.

Gale sustained the ankle ligament injury just nine minutes into his side’s 54-16 loss to Wigan. But, after waiting over a week for the swelling to go down, a specialist has now recommended that he should undergo surgery.

The former Leeds Academy player is the third major injury blow Bradford have suffered already this season.

Australian centre Adrian Purtell is sidelined for six weeks because of a chest problem, while back row forward James Donaldson faces six months on the sidelines after rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament in the 20-12 win at Castleford on 12 February.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-league/17208888

The fast bowler Pat Cummins will not play for Australia until the one-day tour of England in June at the earliest, after suffering a setback in his recovery from a foot injury. Cummins has been ruled out of Australia’s Test tour of the West Indies and Shaun Marsh has also been told by the selectors he won’t be considered for the Test squad due to his ongoing form slump.

Cummins, 18, made an outstanding start to his Test career in November, when he took seven wickets and was Man of the Match on debut in Australia’s victory over South Africa in Johannesburg. However, he hasn’t played a match since then and was ruled out of Australia’s entire home summer of internationals due to a bone stress heel injury.

He was thought to be making progress in his recovery and had been bowling in the nets but suffered a recurrence of the soreness last week. Australia’s national selector John Inverarity said the selection panel had originally hoped to name Cummins in the limited-overs squad for the Caribbean tour, which was announced on Wednesday, but they were not willing to play him until he was 100% fit.

“No he won’t [be in the Test squad either],” Inverarity said. “For a fast bowler to be fit for a Test match there are workload issues, so you can’t go into a Test match unless you’ve had the proper build-up of workloads, and he’s not going to make it.

“In his Test debut he was outstanding and he’s 18 years of age. We look forward to him coming back as soon as possible, whether it’s the ODIs in England – and we’re hopeful of that – but we’re certainly not going to rush him. He fractured a bone in his heel and we want him to be 100% fit before we contemplate him. That’s why we’re not taking him to the West Indies, to give him full time to become 100% fit and not rush him at all.”

The cautious approach to player fitness echoes how the selectors handled the vice-captain Shane Watson during the home summer. Watson was initially ruled out with a hamstring injury and then picked up a calf problem, and Inverarity was not willing to risk him in the Tests against India or the early stages of the Commonwealth Bank Series.

Australia’s fast-bowling stocks showed enough depth during the clean-sweep over India that the absence of Cummins should not be a major issue in the West Indies. Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Pattinson and Ryan Harris are expected to form the core of the pace attack, while Mitchell Starc could also be named in the Test squad.

The selectors must also decide on at least one backup batsman after the decision to rule a line through Marsh’s name following his awful series against India. Peter Forrest and George Bailey are the front-runners, having enjoyed productive Sheffield Shield campaigns and gained selection in Australia’s limited-overs squads for the tour.

Marsh has been told to start from scratch after he made scores of 0, 3, 0, 11, 3 and 0 against India, and he has managed only one half-century in five innings for Western Australia since his axing. Inverarity said Marsh might benefit from some time in county cricket over the winter, but whatever he decides to do, he won’t be in Australia’s plans in the immediate future.

“I’ve had that conversation with Shaun and said he won’t come in contention for the tour of the West Indies,” Inverarity said. “Shaun, as we’re all aware, has had rather a traumatic time. I was speaking to Shaun just the other day and he needs to rebuild himself. It’s not going to happen overnight. He had a really deep trough there.

“He needs to go back to interstate cricket and during the winter months maybe the prospect of playing something in England. But it’s not an overnight rebuild with Shaun. We hope he comes back as good as ever, in form, but it’s not going to be in the next month or two.”

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies-v-australia-2012/content/story/555644.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

Celtic defender Daniel Majstorovic has vowed not to let a ruptured cruciate ligament end his career as well as his treble and Euro 2012 dreams.

The Swede suffered the injury to his left knee in a training-ground collision ahead of his country’s friendly against Croatia and is likely to be out for at least six months.

“I will do all I can to get back as quickly as possible,” he told the Swedish FA’s official website.

With Celtic on a 20-match winning run in domestic football and aiming for three trophies, and Sweden facing England, France and Ukraine in the European Championship in June, the injury could not have come at a worse time in any player’s career.

But with Majstorovic turning 35 in April and out of contract at Celtic Park at the end of the season, the timing is doubly bad. The former Basel and AEK Athens defender will undergo surgery in his homeland but he has already vowed to return to top-level football.

He added: “I still feel I have a lot to offer on the football pitch and I won’t give up on my career just for this.

“At the same time I fully understand how serious this is and the work I need to put in to get back.”

Celtic manager Neil Lennon said in early December it would be difficult not to offer Majstorovic a new deal if he maintained his form.

Majstorovic soon said there was “no panic” over a new deal as he concentrated on Celtic’s season and Euro 2012, but he then suffered a fractured eye socket against St Johnstone on December 18, which kept him out for almost eight weeks.

Majstorovic has been on the bench in recent weeks with Thomas Rogne and Kelvin Wilson returning to fitness and form in central defence. Charlie Mulgrew has also played there recently, while Glenn Loovens is pushing for a comeback after more than two months out injured.

Source: http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/majstorovic-ill-be-back-53755/

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is convinced rising star Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will make England’s Euro 2012 squad if he continues his current impressive form.

Despite being just 18 years old, Oxlade-Chamberlain has made a big impression since he joined the north London club last summer from Southampton.

“You cannot take him out of the team, you have to keep him there,” Wenger said on Arsenal’s website. “Until the end of the season there is no problem and if he continues to play like this I am convinced he will go to Euro 2012.”

Wenger had intended to integrate Oxlade-Chamberlain slowly in to the Gunners side but the pacy winger has made already 16 appearances this season, scoring four goals.

The Frenchman is cautious about giving Oxlade-Chamberlain too much game time as he feels it may hamper the youngster’s physical development, but he also admits he is finding it hard to resist fielding the player after his recent displays.

Oxlade-Chamberlain was omitted from Stuart Pearce’s England squad for the friendly against Holland at Wembley, but Wenger believes the youngster is destined to make the cut for this summer’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine.

“Physically we have to monitor him because after every game he can have a little problem,” Wenger added.

“We know now that a large percentage of players who play a lot of games between the ages of 18 and 21 have bony stress responses. I never expected the number to be so high.

“[It happens] because your skeleton is not completely finished and the bones are not completely developed to absorb the kinds of shocks you get in the Premier League.

“We have to be cautious about that. But you are always in a trap when the player is as good as he is, like Jack Wilshere is too.”

Source: http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/wenger-backing-oxlade-chamberlain-08414/

Brad Haddin could be squeezed out of Australia’s Test side if Matthew Wade has an outstanding limited-overs campaign in the West Indies next month, according to the national selector John Inverarity. However, Inverarity said for the time being Haddin remained Australia’s first-choice Test wicketkeeper after an encouraging finish to the recent series against India.

Wade and Haddin have both been named in the squad for Australia’s five ODIs in the Caribbean and they will both be part of the group that stays on for the three Tests that follow, although that squad is yet to be confirmed. Wade has overtaken Haddin as Australia’s preferred one-day gloveman thanks to his impressive form in the tri-series and he is also the incumbent in T20s.

That gives Wade seven matches in the West Indies, where Haddin will be the backup one-day wicketkeeper, before the longer version begins. Australia’s first Test begins in Barbados on April 7 and Inverarity did not rule out the possibility that Wade could have jumped ahead of Haddin in all forms of the game by then.

“There’s the possibility there,” Inverarity said. “At the moment Brad Haddin played in the last Test and we beat India 4-0. Brad had slight fluctuations of form but finished on a high note. At this moment Brad is our Test wicketkeeper. If Matthew does extraordinarily well, of course he comes in to contention there. There’s rivalry in any touring party … there’s nothing new there.”

Inverarity said he had been pleased with Haddin’s glovework during his recent Sheffield Shield appearance for New South Wales against Western Australia in Perth, although he made a pair with the bat. And although Wade has become the No.1 in the 50-over format, Inverarity said Haddin was clearly second in line and was needed in the one-day squad in the Caribbean due to the difficulty of sending a replacement from Australia if Wade was injured.

“If Matthew Wade had broken a finger, say in ODI four [in the Commonwealth Bank Series], Brad Haddin would have come back into the side,” Inverarity said. “I think they’re both looking forward to and we’re looking forward to it. In competitive sport friendly rivalry pushes each other to greater heights. I think they’ll do that in the West Indies and I think they’re both looking forward to working together.”

Wade, 24, said he was looking forward to using the tour to learn from Haddin, who made his international debut 11 years ago. He said there was no reason for either man to feel uncomfortable at the prospect of competing for a spot, and he had enjoyed the opportunities he had already had to ask Haddin about keeping at international level.

“I think we can definitely work well together,” Wade said. “I know Brad reasonably well. I spoke to him at the AB Medal at length and he gave me a call when I got picked for the one-dayers. He’s been really giving. Hopefully we can both work well together. I can’t see there being any problem. I’m just starting international cricket and he’s been playing a long time. I’m just going to be looking to learn off him. I’d be stupid not to.

“At the moment I’m keeping in the one-dayers and the Twenty20s so most of my attention is going towards that. I haven’t really even thought that far down the track [the West Indies Test series]. I’m involved in a pretty big series here at the moment so I haven’t thought too far down the track. Every time I go out on the cricket pitch I’m looking to play my best.”

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/west-indies-v-australia-2012/content/story/555660.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

Rangers defender Sasa Papac feels all the players are under threat of losing their jobs as administrators look to cut costs.

And Papac admits his time at Ibrox is nearing an end even if he survives after an anticipated decision on staffing levels this week. The 32-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and expects to leave whether it is immediately or in several months’ time.

The Bosnia defender said in the Scottish Sun: “We have to see what will be done by the administrators. They are the ones who have all the power and we must wait to see what happens. Their job is to clear Rangers’ financial debts, which means we could lose a lot of players.

Papac added: “The players are well paid – in fact they are paid too well for the situation Rangers finds itself in.

“Any one of the players could go now and I have no chance of getting another contract, at least not one at my existing level.”

An announcement on any possible jobs cuts is not expected on Wednesday and it remains unclear whether one will be made on Thursday.

Like Papac, players such as Steven Davis, Allan McGregor, Ross Perry and Gregg Wylde are away on international duty.

Source: http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/players-under-threat---papac-15654/

A major new protest is to be staged by Blackburn fans against the club’s hierarchy ahead of Saturday’s Barclays Premier League home match against Aston Villa, it has been announced.

A section of Rovers supporters called BRFC Action Group have released a statement outlining plans for three marches that will set off simultaneously around an hour before the 3pm kick-off and then join together at Ewood Park – described as “the largest and most attended demonstration in the history of our club.”

Throughout the season – during which the team have struggled near the bottom of the league table – Blackburn’s owners, Indian-based poultry and pharmaceutical firm Venky’s, have been the target of protests and manager Steve Kean has endured calls for him to be sacked.

Rovers fans have launched a new share investment scheme in a bid to buy the club from the current owners and the statement said the marches this weekend would “symbolise a vote of ‘no confidence’ in Venky’s…and will carry the message ‘Venky’s sell the club’.”

Meanwhile, Venky’s have dismissed reports they are set to sell more key players following defender Christopher Samba’s move last week to Russian outfit Anzhi Makhachkala.

“There are no plans like that there, that is ridiculous,” said Venky’s representative and Blackburn director Vineeth Rao, quoted in the Lancashire Telegraph.

“There are no plans to sell any more key players, why would there be? Our immediate focus is on staying up in the Premier League. We hope Chris Samba will be the last key departure. There are no plans to sell any more key players because we want to improve the squad.”

Samba, who joined Blackburn in 2007 and had become their captain, handed in a transfer request last month. It was initially rejected, but he eventually signed for Anzhi on Friday, having not played for Rovers since January 2.

Kean has said the 27-year-old Congo international’s desire to leave played a big part in the deal, and Rao insists Venky’s had wanted Samba to stay.

“It was not even our intention to sell Chris Samba,” Rao said. “We did not want to sell him. We wanted him on the pitch because he has been a big player but in the end we had to respect his wishes because he wanted to leave.”

Source: http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/new-protest-planned-73879/

Everton midfielders Leon Osman and Jack Rodwell are in contention for a return from injury in Saturday’s Barclays Premier League clash with QPR.

Neither man has played for the first team since the 2-1 defeat by Bolton on January 4, with Osman ruled out by a knee problem while Rodwell has been sidelined by a hamstring injury.

But both featured in Tuesday’s reserve match against Bolton, with Osman playing for 45 minutes and scoring in the 2-2 draw while Rodwell managed an hour.

Reserve team manager Alan Stubbs told www.evertonfc.com: “Ossie was very good from the off and got 45 minutes under his belt, which should put him in contention for Saturday.

“He should have scored twice and I told him that at half-time, but he was our chief instigator in the first half – he was at the heart of everything.

“He showed some fantastic first touches and is just a very, very intelligent footballer so it is great for the manager to have him back in contention. Jack also played 60 minutes and that is great for him and also is another player back for the manager.”

Source: http://www.itv.com/sport/football/news/duo-set-for-toffees-return-87422/

South Australia v Tasmania
Scorecard

The first day of South Australia’s Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania in Adelaide was washed out without a ball being bowled. The match is especially important for the Tigers, who sit third on the points table and need to gain ground on Western Australia and Queensland in order to make the final.

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/story/555667.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

MIAMI (AP) — Insisting he meant no harm, Dwyane Wade revealed Tuesday that he has apologized to Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant multiple times for a blood-drawing, nose-breaking foul during the All-Star game.

The first of those apologies, Wade said, came during the game when he saw Bryant’s face had been bloodied. Wade also said he sent the Lakers’ star a message after the game in Orlando, Fla. on Sunday night.

Wade said critics who questioned why he never offered an apology for the play – the likes of which seemed to be something not typical in an All-Star game setting – simply made incorrect assumptions.

“I don’t care what I’m portrayed as,” Wade said after Miami’s first practice following the league’s All-Star break. “It’s unfortunate, obviously. I don’t want to ever hurt anybody in this game, especially on a freak play like that. It’s unfortunate. I send my apologies. But it’s not intentional. If it’s something I did intentionally, it’d be a different story.”

A week ago, the Heat could make jokes about how they were out of the NBA spotlight, bumped by the meteoric rise of Jeremy Lin in New York.

Now it’s a different story.

Two plays seem to be generating the most attention from the All-Star game – Wade’s hard foul against Bryant and LeBron James’ ill-advised pass at the end of what became a three-point loss for the Eastern Conference.

“It’s an All-Star game. I mean, come on,” said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, who couldn’t answer a question about what he thought of James’ play in the final seconds because he said he didn’t watch the game or see any replays of it since. “It’s a continuation of the theater of the absurd. I don’t even know if it’s going to motivate me to actually even look at it. I haven’t seen it.

“There’s nothing we can do about it, about the extreme exaggeration about everything that happens with our team,” Spoelstra continued. “All we can focus on is us. And at the end of the season, hopefully it ends the right way, and that’ll ultimately be the only way we can shut people up.”

The Heat enter the second half of the season tied with Oklahoma City for the league’s best record at 27-7. Miami starts a three-game road trip Thursday night in Portland, followed by a game at Utah – and then, in a nationally televised game that probably got a whole lot more interesting, at the Lakers on Sunday afternoon.

Bryant stayed in after the Wade hit, and the Lakers said Tuesday that he also got a concussion in the All-Star Game. Bryant is listed as day-to-day by the Lakers, who play host to Minnesota on Wednesday night.

“D-Wade didn’t, at all, go for a hard foul,” James said. “He went to wrap his arms up and accidentally hit him in the nose. … He meant to foul him but he didn’t mean to hard-foul him like that.”

Wade acknowledged that he did try to foul Bryant, and said he did so to stop the clock so he could approach a nearby referee to complain about fouls that he felt were committed against him and went uncalled.

So not long after a Pro Bowl that was deemed by NFL fans and even Commissioner Roger Goodell as lacking any real sense of competition, the NBA’s version of a star-studded exhibition got too fiery down the stretch by some standards.

“Hey, what do you want?” Heat forward Chris Bosh said. “It was all about the game. It came down to the last possession. It was all for the fans. That’s what they want. You get competitors out there, it may go a certain particular way for a limited amount a time, but after a while guys, they’re really going to get after it. And those make the best games.

“That’s what people want to see.”

At the end, James found himself in the spotlight.

The East trailed by two points when James got the ball with about five seconds left near midcourt. Guarded by Bryant, James dribbled right, then tried slinging a one-handed diagonal pass back to his left. The pass was stolen by Blake Griffin, who made one free throw to close the scoring in the West’s 152-149 win.

It was reported Sunday that Bryant told James to shoot the ball in that situation, and James said afterwards he let his team down. But it didn’t end there.

That play has been questioned since.

“Is that something new?” James asked, rhetorically on Tuesday.

Wade apparently was ready to put the All-Star game behind him and said he was done discussing the issue after Tuesday. However, it’s almost certain to come up again when the Heat head out to face Bryant and the Lakers over the weekend.

“When I saw the blood in his nose, I was like, `Obviously, I wasn’t trying to do that, man,”‘ Wade said. “I don’t know if anybody wants me to get down on my knees in front of the world and do it. I don’t have to do that. … I send my apologies to Kobe and I move on from it.”

Source: http://www.nba.com/2012/news/02/28/wade-bryant-apology.ap/index.html?rss=true

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Brett Myers, who started 66 of the 67 games in which he played during his first two seasons with the Houston Astros, will be the team’s closer this year.

“I know I’m going to enjoy it,” said Myers, Houston’s opening day starter last year. “It’s something that I’ve done before. I want to give it another shot, see if I can.”

The 31-year-old right-hander has 94 wins in 249 career starts, including a 7-14 record with a 4.46 ERA for the Astros last season. He saved 21 games for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2007 after starting that season in the rotation.

“I look at it as a challenge for me. I like challenges,” he said. “They asked me about it and … I’ve always wanted to do it. I didn’t like getting taken out of the role in ’07, but we won the World Series the next year so it worked out for us.”

The move came out of necessity for the Astros, who lost 106 games in 2011. New general manager Jeff Luhnow came up with the idea about three weeks ago.

“We have a lot of options in the rotation to replace his innings,” Luhnow said, “and I really felt like our options in that role weren’t good, with (Brandon) Lyon coming back from his injury and young guys who haven’t done that role yet. I really wanted to make sure that we don’t put extra pressure on the team, not being able to close out games.”

Mark Melancon, who replaced Lyon as the closer last year, was traded to Boston in December. Lyon had surgery to repair tears in his right rotator cuff and labrum, plus a problem with the biceps tendon, and he says his recovery is ahead of schedule.

The Astros lost 28 games by one run last year and saved only 25 of 50 opportunities, the lowest total and worst percentage in the major leagues.

Myers

“This is going to put us in a situation to maybe win some of those games,” said manager Brad Mills. “The more you think about it, it really helps the rest of the bullpen slot up, and an extra starting position is going to open up.”

Wandy Rodriguez, Bud Norris and J.A. Happ are in Houston’s rotation and 37-year-old Livan Hernandez, a non-roster invitee, has the inside track to a fourth spot. Jordan Lyles, Lucas Harrell, Henry Sosa, Kyle Weiland and non-roster Zach Duke are among the pitchers competing for the fifth spot.

“They told me it was probably the best decision for the team if I did close, and I’m all for that,” Myers said. “It’s going to be good to come out of spring training and know that’s my role. I’ll be able to start out as a closer instead of stretching my arm out to be a starter.”

Notes

Hernandez will start the Astros’ exhibition opener against Washington on Saturday, and Happ will start Sunday against Atlanta … Catcher Jason Castro, recovering from off-season knee and foot surgeries, can play in the exhibitions, Mills said, but will be limited to three innings in the early games.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

Source: http://espn.go.com/mlb/spring2012/story/_/id/7624293/2012-spring-training-brett-myers-houston-astros-closer

The president of the Guyana Cricket Board, Ramsay Ali, has resigned after police and court officials raided his home, and the homes of other board officials. The raids were the latest development in an ongoing impasse between the GCB and the Guyana government.

Ali said the court officials seized financial documents and other papers from his office and home, and from the homes of board secretary Anand Senasie, former president Chetram Singh, and another trustee, Lionel Jaikarran.

Guyana’s assistant police commissioner Seelall Persaud confirmed the raids had occurred on Monday, February 27. “Police were there only to ensure peace was kept,” he told AP.

The conflict between the GCB and the Guyana government began when the Guyanese government dissolved the GCB due to a dispute over its July 2011 elections. The elections, in which Ali became president, were boycotted by some of the board’s constituent members, one of which, the Berbice Cricket Board, took the GCB to court, claiming the new administration was not properly established. The Chief Justice recommended that “there may be immediate need for the minister responsible for sports to impose his executive will in the national interest.”

Following that ruling, Guyanese sports minister Dr Frank Anthony appointed an Interim Management Committee, headed by ex-West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, to run cricket in Guyana. The WICB, however, refused to acknowledge the IMC, in keeping with the ICC’s stance against government intervention in cricket administration, and said the only authority it would recognise was the GCB. The impasse has led to several problems, including Guyana nearly missing the Caribbean T20, the shifting of a West Indies-Australia Test from Providence to Dominica and the resignation of Lloyd as a non-member director of the WICB.

The officials of the GCB have had to endure being locked out of their offices, in January this year, and having now had their homes invaded, the president has decided to resign.

Edited by Dustin Silgardo

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/content/story/555673.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

BOSTON – Robin Lehner stopped 32 shots for his first NHL shutout and defenceman Erik Karlsson scored the lone goal, lifting surging Ottawa to a 1-0 win over Boston on Tuesday night.

It was the Senators’ first victory in five games against the Bruins this season.

The Senators moved one point behind the Northeast Division-leading Bruins, who have played four fewer games. Ottawa won for the sixth time in seven games and sent the Bruins to their fourth loss in six.

The 20-year old Lehner was playing in just his 11th NHL game. He started because regular goalie Craig Anderson is sidelined indefinitely after cutting his hand last week in a kitchen accident.

Tim Thomas made 37 saves for the Bruins, but lost to a divisional opponent for just the second time in 14 games.

COYOTES 2, CANUCKS 1, SO

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Mike Smith stopped 39 shots, Ray Whitney scored in the third period and during the shootout, and Phoenix extended its point streak to 12 games by beating NHL-leading Vancouver.

Smith allowed a goal on a carom in the first period, but nothing else. He stopped Alexander Edler and Mason Raymond in the shootout to extend his career-best and franchise-record winning streak to 11 games. Whitney scored in the third period to tie it and Mikkel Boedker sealed Phoenix’s sixth straight win with a nifty move to beat Cory Schneider in the shootout. The Pacific Division-leading Coyotes have won seven straight home games.

Edler scored in the first period, and Schneider stopped 34 shots, but allowed goals on two of three shots in the shootout.

RED WINGS 5, BLUE JACKETS 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Henrik Zetterberg scored the go-ahead goal and added an assist, and Joey MacDonald had 28 saves to help Detroit end a three-game slide by beating Columbus.

Johan Franzen had a goal and two assists, Niklas Kronwall and Valtteri Filppula both added a goal and assist, and Jan Mursak also scored for the Red Wings, who are 26-3-2 at home but only 16-16-1 on the road.

MacDonald, 7-1-1 this season playing behind No. 1 goalie Jimmy Howard, made a big stop on Ryan Russell’s short-handed breakaway to keep the game tied at 2 in the third period.

Blue Jackets captain Rick Nash, who was on the block but not traded before Monday’s NHL deadline, scored his 22nd goal. Derek MacKenzie added a short-handed goal for Columbus.

The Red Wings netted four goals in just over 10 minutes of the third period after falling behind on MacKenzie’s goal.

CAPITALS 3, ISLANDERS 2, OT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Alex Ovechkin scored at 1:35 of overtime after Troy Brouwer tallied twice in the final 3 1/2 minutes of regulation, giving Washington an improbable win over the New York Islanders.

Blanked by Evgeni Nabokov for 56 minutes, the Capitals mounted a stunning rally to win their third straight — their longest streak since an identical run in mid-January.

Brouwer cut the deficit to 2-1 with 3:29 left in regulation, and then, after Capitals coach Dale Hunter pulled goalie Michal Neuvirth, Brouwer deflected a shot by Brooks Laich past Nabokov to tie it with 25.5 seconds to play.

It was the fourth straight road loss for the Islanders, who were 13-1-5 when leading after two periods. Nabokov fell to 10-2 against the Capitals, who were 0-3 against the Islanders, the only Eastern Conference team they failed to defeat this season.

Josh Bailey and Matt Moulson scored for New York.

HURRICANES 4, PREDATORS 3

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Bryan Allen scored his first goal of the season on a breakaway coming out of the penalty box, and Carolina held on to beat Nashville.

Nashville’s Gabriel Bourque scored less than a minute later — at 2:16 of the third period — to cut Carolina’s lead to 4-3, but the Predators couldn’t tie it.

Eric Staal and Tim Brent scored power-plays goals in the second period, and Jamie McBain had Carolina’s first goal earlier in the frame.

Craig Smith and Colin Wilson also scored for Nashville, which had its two-game winning streak snapped. The Predators lost in regulation for just the sixth time since Dec. 28.

LIGHTNING 2, CANADIENS 1

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Steven Stamkos scored his NHL-leading 44th goal, and Tampa Bay beat slumping Montreal.

Adam Hall also scored for the Lightning, who are 11th in the Eastern Conference and trail eighth-place Washington by five points. Mathieu Garon finished with 23 saves.

David Desharnais scored for the Canadiens, who have lost five in a row and been outscored 16-5 in that stretch.

Tampa Bay went ahead 2-1 when Hall ended his 45-game goal drought, dating to the season opener against Carolina.

Desharnais had tied it with 3:58 left in the first.

PANTHERS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 3

TORONTO (AP) — Mike Santorelli scored twice for Florida in a road win over Toronto.

Loud chants of “Fire Wilson!” directed at coach Ron Wilson were heard twice during the third period as the Leafs lost for the ninth time in 10 games, including all four on a homestand. Toronto is four points out of a playoff position in the Eastern Conference.

Marcel Goc, Jason Garrison and Stephen Weiss also scored for Florida, which leads the Southeast Division with 72 points. Jose Theodore added 28 saves.

Phil Kessel, Nikolai Kulemin and Joffrey Lupul had goals for the Maple Leafs.

It was the fifth straight game in which Toronto fell behind 2-0.

KINGS 4, WILD 0

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Backup goalie Jonathan Bernier stopped 25 shots for his fifth NHL shutout, and Anze Kopitar scored and added in Los Angeles’ rout of Minnesota.

Justin Williams, Dwight King and Jordan Nolan added goals for Los Angeles, which entered the game having won only one of six. The Kings moved into a tie with Dallas and Colorado for the eighth place in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles scored four goals on only 15 shots.

Bernier secured his first victory since Jan. 9 and didn’t give up a goal for the first time since shutting out Edmonton last March.

Minnesota, which had won three of four, remained five points below the post-season cutoff.

Note to readers: KILLS

Source: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/tuesdays-nhl-capsules-050849326.html