BRAD Hodge is delighted to be back in the Australian Twenty20 squad, but doubtful the selectors’ will again favour him when they name a team for the limited overs international tri-series to follow.
The 33-year-old Victorian batsman is yet to represent Australia this summer, after hurting his back while putting on his pants in the dressing room minutes before he was to play in last month’s Twenty20 clash with New Zealand at the WACA.
Reports to InsideIllini.com tell us that 2009 big man Jack Cooley has received a scholarship offer from Bruce Weber. Read here for a brief update on Cooley.
The FIFA ranking system has kept Iraqi Nashat Akram from playing in the English Premier League for Manchester City. Akram, who last July lead his national team to a shock win in the Asian Cup, was denied a work permit by the UK’s Home Office because Iraq is not in the top 70 of FIFA’s rankings. The current ranking used by the Home Office: 72.
How insulting is this ruling? First, a big part of the reason their ranking is only 72 is their in ability to play matches regularly due to the on going war in Iraq. The team cannot train or play in country due to fears of violence and even the process of getting the team our of Iraq for such events is grueling, yet when they do play, they normally do well.
A repeat defeat.Abedayor led the charge again and the final score was Arsenal 3 Newcastle 0.
Andy Roddick
Vienna, Austria (Sports Network) – The reigning champion United States will head into next week’s first-round Davis Cup tie against host Austria with the same team that captured the 2007 title.
Andy Roddick and James Blake will play singles for the U.S., while the twin Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, are expected to compete in the doubles for captain Patrick McEnroe. The Austrians, skippered by Gilbert Schaller, will counter with Stefan Koubek, Jurgen Melzer, Werner Eschauer and Julian Knowle on an indoor red clay surface atFerry Dusika Hallenstadion. Koubek and Melzer are expected to play singles for the hosts from February 8-10 in Vienna.
Warren Gatland has named 13 Ospreys players in his first starting line-up for Wales’ Six Nations opener against England at Twickenham on Saturday.
Scrum-half Mike Phillips replaces the injured Dwayne Peel and James Hook is favoured over Peel’s Scarlets team-mate Stephen Jones at outside-half.
Detroit Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg, out since Jan. 21 because of back spasms, is expected to play Wednesday against the visiting Phoenix Coyotes.
Zetterberg, who missed the last two games of last week’s road trip to the West Coast, along with Sunday’s All-Star Game, practiced with the team Monday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena. He stayed out west instead of flying back to Detroit immediately after the road trip, and got a weekend’s rest.
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AN elated Stathi Katsidis believes Gold Edition will be handed a “free Group I” this weekend after the tough grey mare lit up the track at Flemington.
Gold Edition heads an all-star cast in the Lightning Stakes, which will feature fellow multi-million-dollar earners Miss Finland and Apache Cat as well as the globetrotting Magnus.
Katsidis guided Gold Edition in an 800m jumpout at first light and said the ironhorse would be almost unstoppable after she stormed to a 15-length win.
AUSTRALIA’S national football team has never made it to Wembley but the country’s rugby team will play there in December.
And ironically, arrangements for the Wallabies’ match at the spiritual home of English football are being negotiated by former Football Federation Australia chief executive John O’Neill, now back at the helm of Australian rugby.
O’Neill revealed that British 2012 Olympic officials had requested the Wallabies extend their November campaign by an extra week to allow them to schedule a match against England at Wembley on December 6 to commemorate the centenary of Australia’s gold medal win in rugby at the original London Olympics in 1908.
After watching two of his potential future college teams go head to head Sunday night at Comcast Center, Montrose Christian junior star Terrell Vinson was asked by his father, James Gilyard, whether the up-close look had given him a stronger feeling about Duke or Maryland.