| BofA names sports-marketing exec Bank of America Corp. last week named a new leader of its sports marketing division, promoting an internal candidate who will be charged with redefining the bank’s sponsorship strategy. feeds.bizjournals.com |
Pakistan team manager Saeed resigns • Tour manager asked to be relieved of his duties• No decision made on availability of Butt, Amir and AsifYawar Saeed has stepped down as the manager of Pakistan's cricket team following the team's controversial tour of England, the Pakistan Cricket Board said today.The PCB confirmed Saeed had asked the board chairman, Ijaz Butt, to relieve him of his duties. "Yawar Saeed met the chairman today who has accepted his request, the board will announce a new manager in due course," the board's media manager, Nadeem Sarwar, said.Saeed, 75, who played for Somerset in the 1950s, has come in for severe criticism for his handling of team affairs on the tour of England which was marred by spot-fixing allegations. Saeed, when contacted, declined to comment on the specific reasons for his departure but said he had done his duty as the tourists' manager in England and that his agreement with the board was on a series to series basis."I have had a long discussion with the chairman and he understood my point of view," Saeed said.Saeed, who has come under fire for his handling of the allegations about spot-fixing that were made by the News of the World, had indicated that he wanted to step down as manager after the tour as he was unable to handle the pressures of the job.Sources in Pakistan said that in all probability the board would now promote Shafqat Rana, who was the team's associate manager in England, in place of Saeed.The board refused to elaborate on the other main item on the agenda, the meeting the chairman had with the national selection committee. Although the selectors had met to pick the Pakistan A squad for a tour of the West Indies and the teams for the Asian Games, a source said the selectors discussed the availability of the suspended trio of Salman Butt, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif for the forthcoming series against South Africa."Butt told the selectors that they should, for the time being, hold back announcing the senior team for the South Africa series as the board was expecting Scotland Yard and the prosecutor's office to come out with a decision on the suspended trio this week," the source said."The board is expecting the prosecutor's office to decide this week if there is enough evidence provided by Scotland Yard to press charges against the three players who are alleged to have done spot- fixing in the fourth Test against England at Lord's in late August."Pakistan cricket teamCricketPakistan cricket betting scandalguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Hughes fights on in jockeys' title battle • Vanguard Dream helps rider with victory at Newbury• Irishman adds to tally with winner at WolverhamptonRichard Hughes pledged to continue his fight to become champion jockey after his chances were dealt a huge blow when he was unsuccessful in an appeal against a six-day riding ban this morning and that determination was clear for all to see here with an unlikely victory on Vanguard Dream, who had looked booked for second for most of the race.Hughes then went on to Wolverhampton's evening meeting and rode Azlaa for victory No170 to leave him only nine adrift of the long-time leader, Paul Hanagan."I'm a positive person," said Hughes, who clearly does not know when he is beaten, and though Hanagan is now a 1-8 chance to win the title his rival will consider himself in the hunt until he simply runs out of races.Deliberation was kept to a minimum when Hughes's appeal was heard at the British Horseracing Authority's offices in central London. It took little more than an hour for the case to be heard, but barely 20 minutes for the three-strong panel to decide that the ban imposed by the stewards at Wolverhampton on Saturday night for careless riding should stand.The title race, one of the few in recent seasons that seemed sure to go to the final week, was not mentioned once. Had it not been for his championship challenge, though, it seems unlikely that Hughes would have been at Dunstall Park on the night before the Arc in the first place.The same all-out commitment persuaded him to edge across from a wide draw a few strides earlier than he should, causing interference to five opponents, and he was always fighting a losing battle to get the suspension either overturned or reduced.Hughes will miss a total of seven days – having also picked up a one-day whip ban – including Champions' Day at Newmarket a week on Saturday. He is likely to miss at least the last two days of the domestic season in order to travel to the Breeders' Cup meeting in Kentucky on 6 November. Hughes was represented at the hearing by Andrew Chalk, his solicitor, who was disappointed that the panel had not downgraded the seriousness of Hughes's offence from causing "considerable" interference to "increased" interference, which is one rung above "minimal"."I thought that they could have stuck it into 'increased' and knocked a couple of days off," Chalk said, "and that would have been a good result."I thought they could have given him a bit more credit as well [because] he did actually look [to his inside]. You see races often where nobody looks at all and there's carnage on the inside. He tried to do the right thing, but he just cocked it up, frankly."We all make mistakes and errors of judgment, but to get a six-day ban for it at this stage of the season, and this season in particular, is obviously a bitter pill for Richard to swallow."Hanagan was only riding at Wolverhampton today and Hughes emerged from the weighing room in jacket and tie less than five minutes after climbing off Vanguard Dream to go there."What's happened has happened, and I can't change it," he said. "I've just got to get on with it and ride as many winners as I can before the ban starts. Anything could happen." And as if to prove that he is still serious about the title, he ran all the way to his helicopter.Horse racingPaul HanaganGreg Woodguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Halftime report is in on college football season By RALPH D. RUSSO 2010-10-14T15:37:17ZIf there was still any doubt that being a so-called traditional power in college football isn't what it used to be, consider the AP Top 25 halfway through the 2010 season.... hosted.ap.org |
Sebastian Vettel secures pole for Korean Grand Prix Sebastian Vettel will start from pole position for the Korean Grand Prix after Red Bull earned its second straight 1-2 qualifying performance. ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |