■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.
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
More than 180 years of horse racing came to an end in Singapore on Saturday, as the Singapore Turf Club hosted its final race day before its track is handed back to the Singaporean government to provide land for new homes. Under an overcast sky, the air-conditioned VIP boxes were full of enthusiasts, socialites and expats, while the grounds and betting halls below hosted mostly older-generation punters. The sun broke through for the last race, the last-ever Grand Singapore Gold Cup. The winner, South African jockey Muzi Yeni, echoed a feeling of loss shared by many on the day. “I’d
PREDICTION: Last week, when Yu’s father made a wrong turn to the former champions’ parking lot, he said that his son could park there after this year With back-to-back birdies on the 18th hole, Kevin Yu fulfilled his driving range-owning dad’s prediction that he would win the Sanderson Farms Championship and become Taiwan’s third golfer to claim a US PGA Tour title. The Taoyuan-born 26-year-old, who represented Taiwan in the Olympic golf at Paris, saw off Californian Beau Hossler in a playoff at the Country Club of Jackson, Mississippi, on Sunday. Having drained a 15-foot putt to claw his way into the playoff, Yu rolled in from five feet on the first extra hole, ensuring he joined Chen Tze-chung (LA Open in 1987) and Pan Cheng-tsung (RBC
LeBron James and eldest son Bronny James claimed a piece of NBA history on Sunday after making their long-awaited first appearance alongside each other for the Los Angeles Lakers. The duo appeared together at the start of the second quarter in the Lakers’ 118-114 preseason defeat to the Phoenix Suns in Palm Desert, east of Los Angeles. While LeBron James impressed with 19 points in just 16 minutes and 20 seconds on court before sitting out the second half, Bronny found the going harder with zero points in just over 13 minutes on court. The younger James attempted just one
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