Sat, Nov 22, 2008 page19

• Sport Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■ CRICKET

  ‘All white’ slogan sparks row

  Embarrassed cricket bosses in the southern New Zealand city of Dunedin have apologized for promoting a Test against the West Indies with the slogan, “It’s all white here.” The West Indies are to play a Test against New Zealand in Dunedin next month and the regional Otago Cricket Association came up with the slogan in reference to the color of the players’ uniforms. “We just wanted a catchy phrase to help sell the game. It was all based around the association of the color with cricket,” the association’s chief executive Ross Dykes was quoted as saying by the Otago Daily Times newspaper yesterday. Dykes said he had contacted the West Indies team manager and the West Indies Cricket Board to explain the slogan, adding he would be “mortified” if anyone interpreted it as a racial slur.

  ■ FORMULA ONE

  Ecclestones set to divorce

  The wife of Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone filed for divorce on Thursday. Slavica Ecclestone, who has been married to Ecclestone for 24 years, will be represented by divorce lawyer Liz Vernon, who previously helped the wife of soccer player Ray Parlour win a third of the former England and Arsenal player’s earnings in a highly publicized case four years ago. The 77-year-old Ecclestone, who is 27 years older than his wife, is worth an estimated £2 billion (US$3 billion). He is the chief executive officer of Formula One Administration, which owns the commercial rights to F1. The couple have two daughters — Petra, 19, and Tamara, 24.

  ■ CRICKET

  India recall Tendulkar

  One-day cricket’s leading batsman Sachin Tendulkar was on Thursday included in the India squad for the next two matches against England, the cricket board said. Tendulkar, 35, was rested for the first three games at his own request following the four-Test series against world champions Australia which India won 2-0 to annexe the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Tendulkar, who has a world record 16,361 runs and 42 centuries to his name in 417 one-day internationals, last played limited-overs cricket for India in the tri-series in Australia in March. Tendulkar and all-rounder Irfan Pathan are the two changes in the 15-man squad which took a 3-0 lead in the seven-match series against England in Kanpur, India, on Thursday. The duo replace seamer Rudra Pratap Singh and uncapped opener Murali Vijay for the next two day-night matches in Bangalore tomorrow and Cuttack on Wednesday. The squad for the last two games in Guwahati and New Delhi will be named after the Cuttack match.

  ■ SUMO

  Hakuho, Ama stay tied

  Mongolians Ama and Hakuho both won yesterday to stay tied for the lead heading into the final two days of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in Fukuoka, Japan. Grand champion Hakuho overpowered Bulgarian Kotooshu in the day’s final bout at Fukuoka Kokusai Center to improve to 11-2 in the 15-day tournament. Ozeki Kotooshu fell to 6-7 and is struggling just for a winning record. Earlier, sekiwake Ama shoved out seventh-ranked maegashira Miyabiyama (9-4) to keep pace with Hakuho. Ama is bidding for his first Emperor’s Cup and also has a chance for promotion to sumo’s second-highest rank of ozeki riding on the outcome of this meeting. Hakuho is bidding for his ninth title and will face ozeki Chiyotaikai today, while Ama is to take on ozeki Kotomitsuki.

  ■ BASEBALL

  ‘Moose’ retires early

  Mike Mussina took a secret to the ballpark every day this season. Maybe that’s why he was so successful on the mound, so jovial in the clubhouse. From spring training, he knew this was his final year in Major League Baseball — even if it meant giving up bids for 300 wins, a World Series ring and a better shot at the Hall of Fame. The New York Yankees pitcher retired on Thursday after his only 20-win season, a month shy of his 40th birthday with a still-potent right arm. “Moose” became the first healthy pitcher to leave on his own accord following a 20-win season in more than a century. He was amazingly consistent — after going 4-5 as a rookie with Baltimore in 1991, he became the only American League pitcher to reach double figures in wins for 17 straight years. He was a five-time All-Star and won his seventh Gold Glove this month.

  ■ BASEBALL

  Yankees boss steps down

  George Steinbrenner’s 35-year reign as boss of the New York Yankees ended on Thursday when he passed control of the New York Yankees to his youngest son, Hal. The elder Steinbrenner has gradually withdrawn from the team’s day-to-day operations in recent years, and brothers Hal and Hank were appointed co-chairmen in April. Their father headed a group that bought the team in 1973, and he became perhaps the most high-profile owner in all of sports, spending lavishly on players and changing managers frequently during his first 22 years in charge. But the 78-year-old’s health has declined in recent years following a pair of falls. Baseball owners unanimously approved the change at a meeting on Thursday.

  ■ BASEBALL

  MLB may change rules

  Major League Baseball (MLB) wants to enact a rule that playoff games can never be shortened because of bad weather. There has never been a rain-shortened game in the playoffs, and MLB commissioner Bud Selig said on Thursday they want to make sure there never will be. “All postseason games, All-Star games and that, will be full-length affairs, and the rule will be so written,” Selig said following an owners’ meeting. Selig said the change also will apply to tiebreaker games that decide division titles and wild-card berths. “Any game that has significance for the postseason,” he said. “It will be very clear now. Everybody will know exactly.” Under MLB’s rules, games are official as soon as the trailing team has made 15 outs. Management lawyers will discuss the contemplated change with the players’ association. “I expect that we will be having discussions with the commissioner’s office about that rule in the weeks to come,” union general counsel Michael Weiner said. “I don’t want to prejudge it one way or the other.”

  ■ BOXING

  Abraham challenges Sturm

  Undefeated IBF middleweight champion Arthur Abraham has offered compatriot and WBA champ Felix Sturm a fight worth 2.5 million euros (US$3.14 million) to decide who is the best in Germany. Abraham, 28, was recently taunted by Sturm, who claimed an offer to meet in the ring was a mere publicity stunt, but Abraham says he is deadly serious. “The offer is on the table,” Arthur said. “It was officially submitted in writing. This is as serious as it gets.” A fortnight ago, Abraham stopped mandatory challenger Raul Marquez in the seventh round to retain his IBF belt and pick up his 28th win with 23 knock-outs. Sturm has 31 wins with 13 knock-outs plus two defeats to Oscar De La Hoya in 2004 and Javier Castillejo in 2006.
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