Shah Rukh Khan quizzed in IPL investigation

Dhaka, Nov 9 —Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, also an owner of Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), has been questioned by the Indian Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the ongoing investigation in IPL season two, local media say.

Quoting sources in ED, The Hindustan Times said on Tuesday that Khan was questioned on investments in KKR, the share holding pattern, buying of players, money spent on advertisements for promotion of the team, and profit and loss.

Sources told The Hindustan Times that Khan was asked to explain the source of money used for various expenses.

He was quizzed at the agency's Nariman Point office for about six hours on Saturday, The Hindustan Times quoted sources.

The ED along with the income tax department is investigating investments into IPL teams by various franchises and share holders, and also the awarding of contracts pertaining to various rights of IPL season two.

The directorate is working on information that some franchises received parts of investments by routing funds through tax haven countries.

The ED had filed a case in April last year under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) against sacked IPL commissioner Lalit Modi.

bdnews24.com

Bishoo spins Tigers to defeat

Dhaka, Nov 2 - Spinner Davendra Bishoo completed his maiden five-wicket haul as Bangladesh collapsed either side of lunch on the fifth day of the second Test to succumb to a 229-run defeat to the West Indies on Wednesday.

Resuming after the interval on 263 for six, Bangladesh lost their last four wickets for just 15 runs in a little over seven overs to be dismissed for 278 as the tourists secured a 1-0 victory in the two-match series.

Bishoo claimed two wickets in the first over after the break when he trapped Nasir Hossain lbw for three before Suhrawadi Shuvo offered up a catch to skipper Darren Sammy at slip without scoring a couple of deliveries later.

Naeem Islam (three) soon fell to Bishoo to give the leg-spinner his fifth wicket, before Kemar Roach bowled last man Rubel Hossain (also for three) to complete an easy victory that had appeared to be drifting away from the tourists earlier on.

West Indies were largely frustrated in the morning session before they removed home skipper Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan in a three-over span before lunch after the duo frustrated had them with a dogged 88-run fifth-wicket stand.

Sammy claimed the wicket of Shakib, who managed to spoil all of his good work by mistiming an improvised shot that took a leading edge to Shivnarine Chanderpaul at slip for 55.

Rahim soon followed when Bishoo bowled him for 69 to expose the tail and the spinner eventually finished with Test-best figures of 5-90 as Bangladesh lost their last six wickets for 22 runs in less than 12 overs.

RAHIM DISAPPOINTED

"It's really good to win," Sammy told reporters.

"We left home hoping to come out here and play well. After playing and working hard, it's good. We all knew that Bangladesh would put up a fight.

"The captain, Shakib and Tamim (Iqbal) posed challenges but we believed in our bowling unit that showed that we could achieve things."

Bangladesh captain Rahim rued an inability among his batsmen to apply themselves to the task at hand.

"Our top order batsmen could not play big innings which was really important to save the match," he said.

"Getting out when we looked set is our main problem. We lack in temperament, we need to develop the habit of playing big innings and spending longer at the crease."

Chasing a world record target of 508, Bangladesh resumed on 164-3 and suffered a major blow in just the third over of the morning when the third umpire ruled that opener Tamim Iqbal was caught by Sammy off Bishoo for 83.

The on-field official was unable to determine if the fuller delivery was a bump ball but the third umpire clarified the delivery had hit the ground before the bat and gave Tamim out after he had added a single to his overnight total.

The rain-hit first Test was drawn in Chittagong last week.
From:bdnews24.com

Spain dominate World Player of the Year shortlist

Berne, Nov 1 (bdnews24.com/Reuters) - World and European champions Spain dominated the shortlist for the Player of the Year award announced on Tuesday with seven players among the 23 nominees.

Argentina's Lionel Messi will attempt to win the award for the third year in a row, having surprisingly beaten his Barcelona team mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta last year.

The trio were among eight Barcelona players to make the shortlist for this year while Barca's arch-rivals Real Madrid have five.

Frenchman Eric Abidal, who had surgery to remove a liver tumour earlier this year before making a triumphant return to lift the Champions League trophy with Barcelona, was also among the nominees.

Daniel Alves and Neymar were the only Brazilians named while Sergio Aguero was the only other Argentine apart from Messi.

Uruguay strikers Luis Suaraz and Diego Forlan were nominated after helping their team win the Copa America in July and Oscar Tabarez was on the 10-man shortlist for the Coach of the Year award.

Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o was the only African player to be included. The list will be whittled down to three on December 5 with the winner being announced in Zurich on January 9.

The award is organised jointly by Fifa and France Football magazine, the two having merged their previously separate awards last year.

NOMINEES:

Eric Abidal (Barcelona, France)

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City, Argentina)

Karim Benzema (Real Madrid, France)

Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, Spain)

Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid, Portugal)

Daniel Alves (Barcelona, Brazil)

Samuel Eto'o (Anzhi Makhachkala, Cameroon)

Cesc Fabregas (Barcelona, Spain)

Diego Forlan (Inter Milan, Uruguay)

Andres Iniesta (Barcelona, Spain)

Lionel Messi (Barcelona, Argentina)

Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich, Germany)

Nani (Manchester United, Portugal)

Neymar (Santos, Brazil)

Mesut Ozil (Real Madrid, Germany)

Gerard Pique (Barcelona, Spain)

Wayne Rooney (Manchester United, England)

Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich, Germany)

Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan, Netherlands)

Luis Suarez (Liverpool, Uruguay)

David Villa (Barcelona, Spain)

Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid, Spain)

Xavi (Barcelona, Spain)

From:bdnews24.com

Kvitova basks in WTA glory

Istanbul, Oct 30 - Petra Kvitova provided further proof that she is the rising force in women's tennis by beating Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 to win the WTA Championships on Sunday.

The 21-year-old Czech, who shot to fame by winning Wimbledon this year, produced a display of power and skill to overpower the gritty Azarenka and claim the $1.75 million jackpot after remaining undefeated at the year-ending event featuring the world's top eight players.

Victory also confirmed Kvitova at a career-high second in the WTA rankings after ending 2010 in 34th spot and she will enter the New Year with No 1 Caroline Wozniacki in her sights.

Left-handed Kvitova's free-flowing game took her into a 5-0 lead in the opening set inside the Sinan Erdem Dome but she lost the next five games as the errors began to stack up.

She finally edged the opening set on a fifth set point but Azarenka, who could also have taken the number two ranking with victory, refused to be cowed by her opponent's superior firepower and kept her nose front to win the second set.

Belarusian Azarenka had three break points at the start of the third set but could not convert any of them and it was to prove a pivotal moment as Kvitova regained control to take the title on her debut at the showpiece tournament.

She is the first Czech to win the Championships since Jana Novotna in 1997 and can still put the icing on the cake of a dream season when she leads her country in the Fed Cup final against Russia next week.

Just as was the case against Australia's Samantha Stosur in the semi-finals, Kvitova's play veered between unplayable and erratic but her high-risk style proved to the liking of the 13,600 crowd who produced a great atmosphere to cap an encouraging debut for Istanbul as host city.

CAUGHT COLD

She has won her last 19 matches indoors and during an explosive start it was easy to see why as the pace of her forehand and serving accuracy caught Azarenka cold.

After opening the match with a confident service game, Kvitova broke the Azarenka serve straight away with the help of one of the numerous drops shots she employed throughout the match to great effect.

A searing forehand sealed the early break and she struck again two games later when a flustered Azarenka missed the line with a straightforward forehand at 30-30.

Some meaty Kvitova serving made it 5-0 but Azarenka finally got on the scoreboard in the next game with a rolled forehand winner that signalled a complete shift in momentum.

Suddenly she began to miss the lines by inches and Azarenka chipped away at the lead, saving two set points on serve in the eighth game and twice breaking Kvitova to love.

Kvitova steadied herself to hold serve at 5-5 and all Azarenka's hard work proved in vain as she dropped serve in the next game to put Kvitova a set to the good.

However, it was Azarenka who emerged from a flurry of early service breaks with the advantage in the second set and she kept her nose in front to level the match with a forehand that landed flush on the sideline.

Kvitova called her coach David Kotyza on to court for a chat before the start of the decider but the Czech found herself under more pressure as Azarenka engineered three break points but failed to take any of them.

It was to prove a pivotal moment as Kvitova, who celebrates important points with a gut-wrenching screech, took command when Azarenka blazed a forehand long to drop serve.

Azarenka, who will end the year at No.3 after winning three titles, resisted bravely to hold serve at 2-5 but Kvitova sealed victory in the next game when her opponent netted a simple backhand volley after a superb point.
From:bdnews24.com

WI 27 for 1

Dhaka, Oct 31 – West Indies has scored 27 runs for the loss of one wicket in the second innings on the third day of the second and final test against Bangladesh, being played at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, Mirpur.

Kirk Edwards (14) and Kieran Powell (12) are guarding the wickets with 14 overs already bowled.

KC Brathwaite (0) was run out on the second ball of the innings, by a direct throw from Naeem Islam.

Earlier on the day, Devendra Bishoo snared two wickets as the West Indies took 17 overs to finish off Bangladesh's first innings and take a 124-run lead in the second Test.

Bangladesh were dismissed for 231 on Day Three after after resuming at 204 for seven.

The hosts lost three wickets - Nasir Hossain (42), Sohrawardi Shuvo (15) and Shahadat Hossain (4) - in the session.

Bishoo returned 3-62 for the innings and Marlon Samuels took one wicket on the third morning.

Fidel Edwards was the main destroyer for the West Indies, returning 5-63 in the innings. Shakib Al Hasan led the Bangladesh batting with 73 runs.
From:bdnews24.com

Barca hat-trick for Messi, Real go top

Madrid, Oct 30- Lionel Messi rattled in a 17-minute hat-trick as Barcelona swept aside Real Mallorca 5-0 on Saturday while Real Madrid went top of La Liga with a 1-0 win at Real Sociedad.

World Player of the Year Messi has not been at his best in recent games, failing to score in three outings, but quashed any debate over his form with a first-half treble at the Nou Camp that took his league tally this season to 13.

Barca youngster Isaac Cuenca and Dani Alves wrapped up the scoring in the second half to leave the champions second with 24 points from 10 games, one behind leaders Real.

Gonzalo Higuain gave Jose Mourinho's in-form Real Madrid a ninth-minute lead in San Sebastian but the team that netted 28 times in their previous seven matches were denied another hefty win by the battling Basques.

Levante, who have dropped to third with 23 points, can reclaim top spot with an eighth consecutive victory at Osasuna on Sunday.

Barca coach Pep Guardiola left four World Cup winners on the bench, with a fifth (Xavi) resting in the stands, but they were not missed at the Nou Camp.

The hosts won a penalty for hand-ball in the 13th minute and Messi, who had a last-minute spot kick saved last weekend, blasted the ball high into the net.

Adriano's cross-cum-shot was turned in by the Argentine in the 21st and Messi then volleyed the third from an Alves cross in the 30th.

Barca youth team forward Cuenca notched the fourth on his home debut in the 50th minute, rounding the keeper from Thiago Alcantara's defence-splitting pass, before Alves crashed in a fifth from distance at the end.

MESSI MADNESS

"It was madness when they said I was in crisis after three games," Messi told Spanish television.

"It doesn't bother me. I score when I can and when I don't the important thing is the team win."

Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes kept a clean sheet for an eighth game in a row and edged towards a club record.

The Spanish international last conceded 787 minutes ago, in a 2-2 draw at Valencia last month, and is only 37 minutes short of the mark held by Miguel Reina, father of Liverpool keeper Pepe, from the 1972-73 season.

Higuain ran on to Fabio Coentrao's pass and dinked the ball over Claudio Bravo for the only goal at Socieded but Real Madrid were unable to turn their first-half dominance into a bigger lead.

Sociedad hit back after the break, forcing Iker Casillas into a couple of top-class saves.

Earlier, Villarreal dragged themselves out of the bottom three with a 2-0 victory at home to Rayo Vallecano, easing the pressure on coach Juan Carlos Garrido.

Bruno Soriano headed in at a free kick after 20 minutes and captain Marcos Senna had a penalty saved just before the break.

Borja Valero settled nerves at the Madrigal with a solo effort in the 67th minute, earning Villarreal their second league win of the season.

The victory came at a cost, however, with Argentine striker Marco Ruben limping off to join first-choice forwards Nilmar and Giuseppe Rossi on the injury list.

Villarreal climbed to 13th with 10 points.

Elsewhere, fourth-placed Valencia (21 points) were 3-1 winners at home to Getafe.

Valencia midfielder Sofiane Feghouli scored his first league goals for the club in the first half, either side of a Diego Castro strike for Getafe.

Aritz Aduriz wrapped up the points from a superb pass by Ever Banega in the 76th minute.
From:www.bdnews24.com