SOCCER
Kaka wants a break
AC Milan midfielder Kaka does not want to play for Brazil in the Copa America next month due to tiredness. Kaka said he needed a holiday, the Brazilian Soccer Confederation said on its Web site on Friday night. The tournament starts in Venezuela on June 26. In a letter to the confederation, the Brazilian playmaker said he had played three seasons without a proper break. “I won’t have the psychological or physical conditions to perform the role expected of me in an international competition,” Kaka said. Brazil coach Dunga is to announce the roster on Thursday.
SOCCER
Olympiakos deny claim
Greek champions Olympiakos said on Saturday that they had offered their star midfielder Rivaldo a renewal of his contract for one year with the same pay as this season, only to have it rejected by the Brazilian. The team made the announcement shortly after a bitter Rivaldo held a press conference to announce that he was leaving Olympiakos after three seasons, saying the club did not keep its promises to him. Rivaldo had claimed in the press conference that Olympiakos had asked him to stay on a fourth year with the team, but with a 50 percent reduction in his pay.
CRICKET
Bangladesh change five
Bangladesh selectors have made five changes for the two-match Test series against India beginning on Friday following defeat in the one-day series. Rajin Saleh, Tushar Imran, Khaled Mashud, Enamul Haque and Mehrab Hossain have been drafted into the 14-member Test squad in place of Aftab Ahmed, Tamim Iqbal, Abdur Razzak, Mushfiqur Rahim and Fahad Reza, a Bangladesh Cricket Board press release said. India, who clinched a three-match one-day series last week with an unassailable 2-0 lead, play the last one-dayer in Chittagong on May 15. The first Test will be played in Chittagong while the second would be hosted by Dhaka.
CRICKET
Vaughan may miss first Test
Injured England captain Michael Vaughan is set to miss the first Test against the West Indies, according to Darren Gough, his skipper at Yorkshire. The selectors, who were due to announce their squad yesterday for the opening match of a four-Test series, due to start on Thursday at Lord’s, have said they will give batsman Vaughan as much time as they can to recover from having his finger broken facing Hampshire’s Australia pace bowler Stuart Clark last week. But former England fast bowler Gough reckoned Vaughan was struggling although he thought he might be fit for the second Test.
Golf
Lee Westwood leads
Lee Westwood takes a one-shot lead into the final round of the Andalucia Open in Marbella, Spain, after a 7-under 65 in the third round on Saturday. “I was pleased with the way I played. I didn’t hit the ball as well as I would have liked but it was nice to hole a few putts for a change,” said Westwood, who is 15-under par with a total score of 201. Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain is second with 202. Westwood’s third round ended disappointingly with bogeys at the last two holes — one day after the Englishman set a course record 8-under. “On the last two holes I short-sided myself and it’s just one of those things you have to accept,” Westwood said. “I was trying to make birdie, not bogey, but I’m not particularly bothered. These things happen.”
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