Sports

Cricket Australia chairman Jack Clarke has said that chief selector Andrew Hilditch and captain Ricky Ponting have been unfairly criticised.

Clarke chose to draw on Australia’s past success as World Cup winners and Test cricket’s top ranking in his attempt to defend Hilditch and Ponting, whose field settings and bowling tactics have been questioned, The Herald Sun reported.

“Both men have been crucial to the Australian men’s team’s success during this period, and I believe that they have recently received unfair criticism,” Clarke said in a statement released on Saturday.

Sydney Cricket Ground is set to witness a ‘Pink Test’ match in a bid to raise funds for McGrath foundation, a charitable organisation dedicated to Breast Care Nurses in Australia.

Jane McGrath, who was known for her tremendous efforts as a cancer support campaigner, lost her battle with the deadly disease on June 22, 2008, leaving behind hubby Glenn and their two kids.

Aussie vice-captain Michael Clarke and fiancé Lara Bingle showed their support for the cause by posing for pictures to promote her legacy - Sydney''s "pink Test", The Daily Telegraph reports.

The fate of the proposed Sri Lanka tour to Pakistan will be decided on Saturday, December 27 as the officials of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLCB) will meet here to take the final decision.

“The PCB officials will meet the Sri Lankan cricket officials on the occasion of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting at Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, December 27” the chief operating officer of PCB Saleem Altaf said.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has said that Pakistan would provide best security to everyone involved in the forthcoming series against Sri Lanka.

"From the ICC''s perspective, what would be required is that the match officials are afforded the same level of security as any or everyone else involved in the series and the ICC would expect that to be the case in the forthcoming series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka," The News quoted an ICC spokesman, as saying.

Spin legend Shane Warne has advised under pressure Brett Lee to go into the Boxing Day Test and just let all hell break loose.

Lee was well below his match-winning potential in Australia’s record loss to South Africa in Perth, and Warne through hi column in the Daily Telegraph, is the latest player to give Lee a vote of confidence ahead of the second Test.

Doubts over Sri Lanka’s planned tour of Pakistan have emerged, as Sri Lanka wants to invite Indian team to visit their country.

It appears that the international cricket would remain apathetic to Pakistan even on the advent of next year, The News reported.

Sri Lankan sports ministry in tandem with the dissolution of Cricket Board’s Ad hoc Committee has changed its stance, as Minister of Sports, Gamini Lokuge said he was not interested in sending his team to Pakistan and instead he wanted to invite the Indian team to tour Sri Lanka.

The umpiring referral system is under the spotlight again after a senseless decision resulted in the dismissal of Brendon McCullum on Tuesday, killing off New Zealand’s daring bid for a test victory over the West Indies.

McCullum had breezed through to 19 and had New Zealand promisingly placed needing 109 from the final 16 overs with six wickets in hand when a seemingly futile appeal for caught behind was successfully upheld by umpire Rudi Koertzen, Stuff.co.nz reported.

Ace footballer Robinho will no longer need the bus pass his cheeky team-mates have given him, for he has purchased a 200mph Lamborghini.

Man City stars joined forces to get the 590-pound annual pass after they read that Robinho went shopping on public transport.

However, the 24-year-old bought a brand-new Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4.

According to reports, the white colour motor cost him 170,000 pounds.

Robinho spent six pounds on taking his girlfriend shopping by bus last month.

Allen Stanford has insisted that he is not going to withdraw from his multimillion-pound investment in English cricket.

The billionaire is conducting a full review of his involvement with the sport but he said its focus will be on the future of his work in the West Indies and will not affect his commitments with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Stanford''s comments contradicted remarks made earlier in the day by his own spokespeople that a complete pull out from the sport was "being evaluated", The Guardian reported.

English midfielder David Beckham''s short-term loan move to Italian club AC Milan has been questioned by the player he replaces.

Italy midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, sidelined after knee ligament surgery, said: "It seems a strange thing to me."

"Maybe it would more beautiful and right if he stayed the whole year, if he signed a contract. A month and a half or two months is strange," The Sun quoted Gattuso, as saying.

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti said Beckham, 33, who usually plays on the right, can help fill in for Gattuso in a central midfield role. But Gattuso dismissed the scheme.