Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly today returned as the Kolkata Knight Riders' skipper for next year's Indian Premier League, replacing New Zealand's Brendon McCullum.

Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly today returned as the Kolkata Knight Riders' skipper for next year's Indian Premier League, replacing New Zealand's Brendon McCullum.

Abu Dhabi: Riding high on the win in the first game of the three match series against New Zealand, Pakistan captain Younis Khan has said that his team has the potential to crush the Black Caps in all the three games.

London: England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff has expressed his delight over a new three-year deal with English County cricket team Lancashire.

Mumbai: Sarfaraz Khan first surpassed Sachin Tendulkar's record to hit the headlines and the 12-year-old cricket prodigy now wants to meet the batting great in person to achieve his long-cherished dream.

Mumbai: At a school tournament which brought Sachin Tendulkar into the limelight 21 years ago, a 12-year- old boy smashed a record 439 runs in a marathon innings that included an astonishing 56 boundaries.

Karachi: Forced to sit out this year due to PCB's no to their participation, Pakistani cricketers are all set to return to the Indian Premier League next season as the Board has decided to give them the go ahead for competing in the cash-awash Twenty20 tourney.

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief, Ijaz Butt, has said that his meeting with Indian counterparts was held in a positive atmosphere and expressed hope that cricketing ties between both countries would resume in 2010.

Sydney: Australian vice-captain Michael Clarke’s back injury is healing slowly and there is a doubt over him taking his appointed place in the national squad for the first test against the West Indies, which starts from November 26.

Kolkata: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly today said Dav Whatmore will be the coach of Kolkata Knight Riders in the third edition of Indian Premier League.

Abu Dhabi companies Etihad Airways and Aldar Properties have been ordered to pay $4.7 million to Force India.

A new formula one espionage scandal is threatening to erupt.

TOKYO: Toyota Motor withdrew from Formula One on Wednesday, leaving Japan without a team in motorsport's premier series.

BEIJING: Michael Schumacher's abortive decision to return to Formula One last season as a replacement for the injured Felipe Massa was "emotional Michael Schumacher not rational", the seven-times world champion said on Tuesday.

LONDON: Lewis Hamilton will be pushing McLaren harder than ever over the next few months to make sure he does not have to endure another 'character-building' season like the one just finished.

F1's sole supplier of tyres on Monday announced its decision to pull out of the sport after the 2010 season.

ABU DHABI: Germany's Sebastian Vettel led Red Bull to a one-two finish at Abu Dhabi's stunning new circuit on Sunday to bring down the chequered flag on a Formula One season like no other.

Red Bull took it's third one-two finish of the season with a powerful victory in Abu Dhabi. Sebastian Vettel the race followed by team-mate Mark Webber in P2. World Champion Jenson Button finished Brawn GP's season with a podium by taking P3 after a spirited fight.

ABU DHABI: Lewis Hamilton placed his McLaren on pole position for the floodlit first Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Saturday to leave new champion Jenson Button and other rivals reeling in his wake.

It was 'Yes!' Marina for Hamilton with Red Bulls sniffing blood in the final Qualifying session of the Formula One 2009 season, which will certainly not go down as just-another-race after Button won the Championship as there was quite a bit of action on-track.

London: In recognition of his services to English football, the Royal Mint in the UK will issue a special medal in the name of former football manager Sir Bobby Robson.

London: Hooligans will face a tough time in South Africa during the 2010 World Cup, with long-distance trains transporting fans around the country being fitted with cells and a police station for those creating trouble.

London: England and Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney wants to finish his career at the club by emulating record appearance holder Ryan Giggs.

Madrid: Cristiano Ronaldo is set to be out of action for at least two more weeks due to an ankle injury, so he will miss the play-off round with Portugal en route to the 2010 World Cup.

London: Portuguese and Real Madrid winger Cristiano Ronaldo still believes his new club has a long way to go to win the Champions League.

LYON: Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez refused to be drawn about his own future after a 1-1 draw at Olympique Lyon left his side in danger of not surviving the Champions League group stage.

LONDON: Manchester United sit just two points behind Chelsea in the table but as they prepare to visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday there is a sense that something is not quite right with the Premier League champions.

LONDON: UEFA has charged Scottish champions Rangers with improper conduct by their fans in Wednesday's 1-1 Champions League draw with Unirea Urziceni in Romania.

MILAN: Tensions are rising at AS Roma and city rivals Lazio after difficult starts to the season, which are about to become even tougher with weekend matches against Inter and AC Milan.

BERLIN: Confident Schalke 04 are ready to repeat last season's victory in Munich against Bayern on Saturday and sink their opponents deeper into trouble.

Charlottesville (Virginia): Somdev Devvarman and Sanam Singh moved into the quarterfinals of the $50,000 Virginia National Bank ATP Challenger.

NEW YORK: Andre Agassi, mired in controversy after admitting to using crystal meth, pleaded for compassion from his critics in a television interview that will be broadcast on Sunday in the United States.

LONDON: Belgium player Yanina Wickmayer, a semi-finalist at this year's U.S. Open, was handed a one-year ban on Thursday for failing to comply with doping regulations, a report on the Belgium Tennis Federation's website said.

BASEL: World number three Novak Djokovic whitewashed hapless Czech Jan Hernych 6-0 6-0 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors.

BASEL: World number one Roger Federer eased into the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors, his home-town tournament, with an easy win over Italy's Andreas Seppi on Wednesday.

London: British tennis star Andy Murray believes his recent injury lay-off could help him break his Grand Slam duck.

Eckental(Germany): India's Rohan Bopanna and Australia's Rameez Junaid bowed out of the doubles first round of 30,000 euros Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) challenger.

VALENCIA, Spain (Reuters) - Fourth seed Fernando Verdasco advanced to the second round of the Valencia Open on Wednesday after Spanish compatriot Oscar Hernandez retired with back trouble.

London: British tennis star Andy Murray has signed a new deal with Adidas, the German clothing company.

PARIS: The French tennis federation (FFT) is considering to move the French Open out from Roland Garros if its extension project does not get the green light within a year.

Bangkok: The Indian women's hockey team edged past South Korea 3-2 to enter the final of the Asia Cup and also qualify for the 2010 World Cup in Argentina.

Kolkata: India won a bronze medal in the women's compound bow team event in the archery competition of the 3rd Asian Indoor Games at Hanoi.

HANOI: Four-time world champion MC Mary Kom staved off a stiff resistance from local pugilist Hoa Nguyen Thi to win the 46 kg title as India won Mary Kom two gold and as many silver medals in women's boxing of the third Asian Indoor Games.

LONDON: American Michelle Wie is scheduled to make her debut in the Dubai Ladies Masters at the Emirates Golf Club next month.

Bangkok: India stormed into the semifinals of the seventh women's Asia Cup hockey tournament after holding Malaysia to a 1-1 draw in their last Group A match at the Queen Sikirt Sports Centre here today.

London: Former World heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has ruled out a return to the ring, as he feels he has fallen out of love with the sport.

Ajaccio(France): World Champion Viswanathan Anand tamed former World Champion Anatoly Karpov of Russia in successive encounters to win the rapid four-game chess series 3.5-0.5 here.

LONDON: London 2012 chief Sebastian Coe described it as a symbolic moment when Britain's Queen Elizabeth toured the Olympic Park on Tuesday and planted the first of 4,000 trees that will landscape the site.

Mumbai: Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi today 'regretted' not bringing the Commonwealth Games to Mumbai.

LOS ANGELES: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has applauded the steps taken by golf to combat doping but believes more could be done to achieve full transparency in its policing.