Dubai: The International Cricket Council's controversial Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) which is being opposed by the BCCI, will go into operation tomorrow with the start of the Test series between New Zealand and Pakistan Test in Dunedin.

Melbourne: Australian spin great Shane Warne has given a reality check to cricket authorities around the world saying that Test cricket needs a fresh lease of life.

Riding on his match-saving hundred against Sri Lanka in the opening Test, senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar rose a rung to joint 15th but opener Gautam Gambhir slipped one place to third in the latest ICC Rankings issued.

New Delhi: Congress Rajya Sabha MP and BCCI's Finance Committee chairman Rajeev Shukla on Sunday ridiculed Shiv Sena's latest verbal attack on senior batsman Sachin Tendulkar, saying the party was only harming its own image by criticising the revered cricketer.

CENTURION: Paul Collingwood marked his record 171st one-day appearance with an unbeaten century to lead England to a commanding seven-wicket victory over South Africa in the second match of the series on Sunday.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana Sunday hit out at cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar once again, saying he plays for the Indian cricket board, not Maharashtra.

The 48-year-old Mumbai-born Pandit played five Tests and 36 ODIs between 1986 and 1992 and is currently the director of the Mumbai Cricket Association's Indoor Academy.

New Delhi: The Indian Cricket Board is under pressure from the Congress party to revoke the life ban on former skipper Mohd Azharuddin for his alleged involvement in the 2000 match-fixing scandal.

Once hailed for his stylish batting and wristy elegance, Mohammed Azharuddin was disgraced when his name surfaced in the match-fixing scandal which rocked international cricket in early 2000. The former Indian captain confessed he had fixed three one-day internationals and was therefore handed a life ban from cricket by the BCCI. The once tarnished cricketer is now a MP of the Congress party and is seeking to revoke his life ban. MSN India churns up a fact file on Mohammed Azharuddin.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ejaz Butt has got verbal assurances from the government that it would have no objections regarding the national players travelling to India for the Indian Premier League next year.

Speculation that Michael Schumacher is planning a full return to Formula One is continuing to build.

LONDON: Mercedes have played down, without completely dismissing, media speculation that seven times Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher could come out of retirement as Jenson Button's replacement.

Experts and pundits are questioning the wisdom of Jenson Button's reportedly likely move from Brawn/Mercedes to McLaren for 2010.

Jenson Button made a final farewell visit to Brawn's Brackley headquarters this week, prompting "sadness and anger", according to the Daily Telegraph.

LONDON: Jenson Button will partner Lewis Hamilton at McLaren next season in an all-British line-up of champions, the Formula One team said on Wednesday.

London: Two-time champion Fernando Alonso is already dreaming of winning the Formula One world title with Ferrari.

LONDON: Formula One champions Brawn will compete as Mercedes Grand Prix next season after the German carmaker announced a takeover on Monday along with the sale of their stake in McLaren.

LONDON: Twice Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso made his first public appearance with his new Ferrari team at an event in Valencia, Spain on Sunday.

London: Formula One champion Jenson Button has met McLaren officials, sparking off fresh rumours about McLaren having an all-British team alongside Lewis Hamilton.

LONDON: India's Karun Chandhok says he has a real chance of racing in Formula One next year after talks with all the new teams due to enter.

Budapest: Five-time winners Liverpool were knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday despite a 1-0 victory over Debrecen in Group E.

Madrid: Fernando Gago and Ruud Van Nistelrooy are both considering leaving Real Madrid in January, according to reports in the Spanish media Tuesday.

Rome: His motto quoted from his own website, states that he would play at AC Milan even as a goalkeeper.

Paris: Thierry Henry considered ending his France career over the uproar that surrounded the striker's blatant handball in last week's World Cup playoff victory over Ireland.

London: Wigan Athletic's players have agreed to refund the club's travelling fans after Sunday's humiliating 9-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

London: David Beckham has suffered from a mild form of asthma since childhood, the England midfielder's spokesman was quoted as saying in British newspapers on Tuesday.

London: Manchester United defender Gary Neville has criticized Premier League's millionaire stars for wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds a year on agents.

Handling the ball is a "Touch-me-not" rule in the game of football. But as Thierry Henry showed in the World Cup qualifier against Ireland, rules can be 'handed' the Red Card if the referee isn't looking. Take a look at images of two other footballers who have done it before.

Real Madrid are the new leaders of La Liga after they beat Racing Santander 1-0 at home on Saturday, and Barcelona were held 1-1 at Athletic Bilbao.

MILAN: AC Milan were imperious in attack but woeful defensively in an enthralling 4-3 home win over Cagliari on Sunday which summed up their topsy-turvy season.

London: Robin Soderling returned to haunt Rafael Nadal with a 6-4 6-4 victory in their opening Group B round-robin clash at the ATP World Tour finals.

Don't forget to put it in the Washing Machine!

London: Novak Djokovic claimed his 11th victory in a row with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 comeback over Nikolay Davydenko to start the ATP World Tour Finals.

London: World number one Roger Federer started slowly but finished like an express train on Sunday as he beat Fernando Verdasco 4-6 7-5 6-1 in his opening match at the ATP World Tour Finals.

London: Andy Murray marked the beginning of London's five-year hosting of the ATP Tour Finals with a 6-3 3-6 6-2 win over U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in front of 17,500 fans inside the spectacular o2 Arena on Sunday.

LONDON: Andy Murray was left in the shade by Juan Martin del Potro this year as the gangly Argentine made his grand slam breakthrough although the Briton is confident his time will arrive soon.

Happy Birthday Boris!

London Dreams!

London: British tennis player Andy Murray has said he is looking forward to utilizing the huge home advantage at the O2 Arena for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

London: World number one Roger Federer will face his U.S. Open conqueror Juan Martin del Potro in the round-robin stage of the ATP Tour finals after getting the rough end of Wednesday's draw for the season finale.

Monte Carlo: Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt who became one of the world's most recognised athletes and American women's 400 metres world champion Sanya Richards were named IAAF world athletes of the year.

Hyderabad: Ace cueist Geet Sethi squandered crucial chances to suffer a shock 3-4 defeat against unheralded Costas Konnaris of Cyprus in the Masters category quarterfinals to put an end to India's challenge in the World Snooker Championship here.

Jeetay Raho! Germany's Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy perform during the closing gala of the Skate Canada figure skating competition in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.

Hyderabad: Kamal Chawla, the 30-year-old from Bhopal, emerged India's unlikeliest hero as he qualified for the quarter-finals in the ONGC-IBSF World Snooker championship here Sunday that witnessed the ouster of Pankaj Advani along with other home hopes Manan Chandra and Aditya Mehta besides Yasin Merchant.

New Delhi: Unfazed by the speculation on his rift with some players, Indian hockey coach Jose Brasa today said he is aiming for nothing less than the title at the Champions Challenge-I tournament in Argentina next month.

New Delhi: The controversy surrounding Sandeep Singh's fitness has finally been put at rest. The drag flicker has now been ruled out with a back problem from the Champions Challenge hockey tournament, thus confirming the fears of coach Jose Brasa, whose announcement about Sandeep's fitness raised a storm.

From Thackeray's comments on Sachin Tendulkar to Theirry Henry's controversial confession. MSN India presents the seven best quotes from the week gone by.

Hyderabad: Ace Indian cueist Geet Sethi pulled off a stunning win over Chuchart Trairattanapradit of Thailand to enter the quarterfinals of ONGC-IBSF World Snooker Championship here today.

Hyderabad: Pankaj Advani and Geet Sethi hardly broke a sweat but compatriot Yasin Merchant had to toil for his win in the IBSF World Snooker Championship.

New Delhi: The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) has said that it will take strong disciplinary action against the dope tainted Indian federation for the repeated offences of its lifters.