| Ernie Johnson replacing Chip Caray on TBS MLB playoffs TBS, which will air all of MLB's first-round playoff games as well as the American League Championship Series, Tuesday announced its postseason ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Pakistan leaps to Butt's defence • Under-fire PCB chairman Butt backed by Wajid Shamsul Hasan• Hasan insists fixing allegations will not have political impactPakistan's high commissioner has defended allegations made against England by the Pakistan Cricket Board chairman, Ijaz Butt, as "a very innocent argument".Butt caused outrage after relaying claims that England players may have thrown the third one-day international of the series in return for "enormous amounts of money".The claims prompted the England and Wales Cricket Board to threaten legal action against Butt, with the captain Andrew Strauss revealing the England team's "surprise, dismay and outrage" at the comments.But the country's high commissioner, Wajid Shamsul Hasan, said Butt's comments, including a claim of a conspiracy against Pakistan over the spot-fixing allegations, were reasonable.Mr Hasan told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "Mr Butt made a very innocent argument. He said it's very strange that, when Pakistan loses a match, people describe it as a spot-fixing or fixing of the match. When Pakistan win the match, the same allegations are levelled against it."While he was in India the bookies told him the matches are fixed in England. It's the responsibility of the ICC [International Cricket Council] to investigate allegations. This was an allegation made by a member of the ICC's board."But he said the row would not have a wider political impact. "Will this row sour our relationship? My answer is certainly no. This is a separate matter. Our relationship with the UK was not made overnight. It has its roots in the past. It is on solid ground."Of the claims against Pakistani players, he added: "I can tell you our boys are innocent. I still maintain [that] until proven guilty, they are innocent."The sports minister, Hugh Robertson, told Today he could understand the England players' reaction but declined to call for Pakistan to be thrown out of world cricket. "In terms of the wider British-Pakistan relationship, if we were seen to be playing a part in throwing them out of world cricket, that would have a very severe impact across the piece."Australia captain Ricky Ponting, meanwhile, said banning Pakistan "would not be wise", but insisted that "the ICC should thoroughly investigate the allegations."Pakistan cricket betting scandalPakistan cricket teamEngland cricket teamCricketguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Wozniacki defeats Dementieva to capture title in Tokyo Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki recovered from a slow start to beat Elena Dementieva 1-6, 6-2, 6-3 in Saturday's final of the Pan Pacific Open ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Points deduction may halt Liverpool sale • Administration and points deduction could deter buyers• Club could face relegation battle if courts deny BroughtonThe prospective new owners of Liverpool could be discouraged from buying the club if next week's court action fails to force the deal through and the club is then placed into administration, incurring a nine‑point penalty from the Premier League. Sources close to the Liverpool battle said the loss of nine points, which could sink the team into a genuine relegation battle, would mean "the economics of the club are devastated", and New England Sports Ventures might reconsider its position.It was previously thought that the Premier League would not deduct nine points, its penalty for clubs which go into administration, because the holding company would be in default, not the club. However it emerged yesterday that the league's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, believes that the holding company's administration cannot be entirely separated from the club, and the nine-point penalty would apply.NESV is not commenting on the Liverpool situation until it is resolved. However, it would be natural, when considering its position, for the consortium to take account of the dramatically changed circumstances Liverpool would be in if the club lost nine points.The penalty could be imposed next Friday and, with no further Premier League matches having been played, Liverpool would be bottom on minus three points, eight points behind the two clubs immediately above, Wolves and West Ham United, and nine points from safety.That would be a huge setback for a club still aspiring to be in the top four, not fourth from bottom, making it almost certain, at the very least, that they would not qualify for the Champions League for the second successive season. Financially, that would have a major impact, and relegation a catastrophic one, so new owners might have to contemplate spending more than they planned on new players in January to ensure Premier League survival.NESV, which owns the Boston Red Sox, has concluded a deal with the Liverpool chairman, Martin Broughton, to buy the club, a takeover which the Premier League approved in principle yesterday. However the consortium, and its majority shareholder, John W Henry, must wait to see whether a high court judge is prepared to declare that Broughton does have the right to sell the club, against the unwavering opposition of the current owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, who are fighting to get some money from their exit out of Liverpool.If Broughton's court action fails, the £237m owed to Royal Bank of Scotland by Hicks's and Gillett's Liverpool holding company, Kop, falls due next Friday, 15 October. Hicks and Gillett, under financial pressure in the US, are expected to fail to pay, and RBS is currently believed likely to put the club into administration, although the scale of the damage that could do to Liverpool might cause the bank to reassess."Going into administration needs to be avoided at all costs, as the negative impact would be catastrophic," Broughton said. "Setting aside the nine-point deduction, it would have an impact on Liverpool's value and be wide open to predators, whereas we have what we believe is the right new owners to take the club forward."The whole prospect of NESV reconsidering its position dramatically increases the importance for Liverpool of Broughton succeeding with next week's court action. He will ask the judge, crucially, to declare that as the chairman, he had the sole right to appoint and remove directors, so keeping his majority on the board, with the managing director Christian Purslow and commercial director Ian Ayre. On Tuesday, Hicks attempted to sack those two and replace them with his son, Mack, and Mack's assistant, Lori Kay McCutcheon.Broughton will also ask for a declaration that Hicks and Gillett cannot block the deal because of undertakings they gave RBS not to obstruct a "reasonable" sale. Hicks argues the deal, which will pay him and Gillett nothing, "dramatically undervalues" Liverpool, so he is fighting to hold out for another deal offering more money.If Hicks succeeds, Liverpool are expected to be put into administration on Friday, then for RBS to sell the club to NESV for £200m. Yet that would be up for negotiation, and a nine-point penalty could severely affect the outcome.LiverpoolJohn W HenryDavid ConnMatt Scottguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Joseph Ebuya and Grace Momyani secure Kenyan double in Great South Run • Scott Overall tops UK rankings after running 47:37• GB's Freya Murray second behind Grace MoyamiThe world cross-country champion Joseph Ebuya eased to a UK Allcomers' 10 miles record at the Great South Run in Portsmouth today. Ebuya took advantage of perfect weather conditions around the flat and fast course to knock 40 seconds from the long-standing time of 45min 56sec, achieved by Benson Masya 15 years previously.The Kenyan demolished Saif Saeed Shaheen and Vincent Yator, who finished in 46min 37sec and 47:28 respectively.Ebuya's time of 45min 16sec, on his debut over the distance, is the quickest in the world this year and was exceptional considering he ran the last six miles on his own.He said: "I think with pacemakers I could probably have run closer to 45 minutes but it doesn't matter – this is an important win. The conditions were right for fast running and, although Shaheen and Yator looked good in the early stages, they had no answer when I pulled clear between three and four miles."The 23-year-old, who burst on to the global scene when he won the world cross-country title in March, was full of praise for the support he received en route: "I didn't feel as if I was in an empty space when alone. The support from the spectators all of the way was unbelievable. I've never seen so many watching a race. They were spilling into the streets."Scott Overall went to the top of the UK rankings after winning a close domestic battle with the Scot Andy Lemoncello by four seconds, in a time of 47:37.Grace Momyani, who won 10,000m gold at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, made it the first Kenyan double for three years, taking the women's title in 52:03. Momyani, who missed her personal best by 12 seconds, said: "I feel OK, I wasn't certain how I would perform as I had little time to prepare after competing in Delhi."Freya Murray, in her first 10-mile event, became the UK's fifth fastest performer in a time of 52:27. Murray was fifth behind Momyani in their track encounter in Delhi and surpassed the hopes of her US-based coach Steve Jones – the British marathon record holder. She beat off the challenge of more fancied rivals such as Hungary's No1 Aniko Kalovics, who placed third in 53:01."I couldn't believe it, I didn't know what to expect in my first race at the distance," said Murray after being advised to run by Jones after a tough training session on Wednesday night. "I spoke with Steve on the telephone and he told me to get out there and mix it, give it my best shot."Murray is now Scotland's second fastest runner, behind only Liz McColgan's time of exactly 52 minutes in the 1997 Great South Run.She added: "When Grace broke away Kalovics was still running strongly and I was determined to stay with her. I just kept telling myself go, go, go – and it paid off when I got clear at halfway and that made me more determined to stay in front. I'm amazed to have run so quickly as I was tired after Delhi. But it was something new and has certainly told me a lot about myself and longer distances."Her fellow Scot Stephanie Twell, the Commonwealth 1,500m bronze medallist, was happy with sixth place. Twell, who plans ultimately to take to the roads in the footsteps of the world marathon record holder, Paula Radcliffe, clocked 53:52.She said: "I ran a conservative race as all my training this summer has been based around 1,500m – which is not exactly the best preparations for this distance. But I did feel comfortable throughout and it was something new for me to do. Yes, I will move up eventually to longer distances but not for the moment."The 2012 London Olympic Games are a major target for Twell, who added: "Before I do I want to run a really fast 1,500m."Athleticsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |