Wed, May 05, 2010 page19

• Sports Briefs

  • AGENCIES
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  ■CRICKET

  Ashraful back for tour

  Bangladesh have recalled former captain Mohammad Ashraful for a two-Test series in England starting later this month. The 25-year-old batsman was dropped from the home Test series against England in March. Ashraful has so far scored 2,256 runs in 53 Tests with five hundreds and seven half-centuries. Fast bowler Robiul Islam is the only newcomer in a 15-man squad to be led by all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. The 23-year-old Robiul has bagged 102 wickets in 30 first-class matches. “Robiul brings in a lot of energy and has brisk pace,” chief selector Rafiqul Alam said. “He is strong and aggressive and we feel he can be a handy option in English conditions.”

  ■RUGBY UNION

  Catt announces retirement

  England and London Irish star Mike Catt has revealed he will retire after Saturday’s Premiership clash against Northampton. Catt, who helped England win the World Cup in 2003, has opted to hang up his boots in order to focus on his coaching career with the Exiles. The 38-year-old won 75 England caps, played in the 2003 and 2007 World Cup finals and also featured for the British and Irish Lions. “I’ve been fortunate to have had an enjoyable and successful career as a player at club and international level,” Catt said. “London Irish has given me the opportunity to make the transition from playing to coaching, and the time is right for me to focus full-time on that role. I hope to help the club maintain the progress it has made in recent seasons.” Catt, who was born in South Africa, made his England debut in 1994.

  ■CYCLING

  Pellizotti banned from Giro

  Franco Pellizotti was banned from the Giro d’Italia on Monday because his irregular blood levels suggested he resorted to doping. Italian cycling federation president Renato Di Rocco said Pellizotti — a climbing specialist who won the King of the Mountains’ polka dot jersey at last year’s Tour de France — failed the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) biological passport program. Pellizotti was one of three riders named by the UCI on Monday as having suspicious blood profiles in the pioneering program to catch drug cheats. The others are Tadej Valjavec from Slovenia and Spain’s Jesus Rosendo. Pellizotti was expected to be a strong contender in the this year’s Giro, which starts on Saturday. The Gazzetta dello Sport reported that the 32-year-old rider’s case related to a drug test just before last year’s Tour de France. More than 850 riders have given a series of blood and urine samples allowing laboratories to create individual body chemistry profiles. Researchers can then detect the effects of doping rather than test for each banned drug. Suspicious profiles are presented to a panel of independent experts who advise the UCI if the evidence is strong enough to pursue a case.

  ■TENNIS

  Karlovic wins in Belgrade

  Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and Russia’s Igor Andreev were straight-sets winners of first-round matches at the Serbia Open on Monday. The fifth-seeded Karlovic was given a tough match by Serbian wild card Dusan Lajovic but edged through 7-6 (4), 6-4. Karlovic grabbed the key break in the second set in the ninth game and then served out for the match. Andreev eased past Slovenia’s Blaz Kavcic, 6-3, 6-2. Sixth-seeded Serbian Viktor Troicki defeated Spain’s Ivan Navarro 6-4, 6-0. The tournament is organized by the family of second-ranked Novak Djokovic. “This tournament means a lot to me because I play in my native country, my hometown,” he said.
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