England's Pietersen hits maiden Twenty20 ton in IPL

Kevin Pietersen scored 103, his first Twenty20 century, as he led the Delhi Daredevils to victory over the Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League.

The England batsman hit his ninth six straight back down the wicket to score the winning runs and lift his side to the top of the IPL standings. 

Pietersen, 31, needed only 64 balls to bring up three figures.

"This is absolutely amazing, this is what dreams are made of," said Pietersen, whose previous best was 79.

"You come here as an England player and it's very, very intimidating but to come here and have all these fans cheering for you is very special."

The win sends Delhi above the Rajasthan Royals, having played a game fewer, while Deccan are rooted to the bottom.

Pietersen felt compelled to defend his decision to play in the IPLfollowing suggestions he should be resting before the international summer in England.

Andrew Strauss out for duck for Middlesex against Durham

England captain Andrew Strauss was dismissed for a second-ball duck as Middlesex's County Championship clash with Durham finally got under way.

Strauss was bowled through the gate by Graham Onions from only the second ball of the morning and the match.

The entire first day was washed out at Lord's, although Durham won the toss and put Middlesex in between showers.

Strauss has been freed up to play three Championship games before the first Test against West Indies in May.

He struggled with the bat during the winter and averaged only 26.4 during the five Tests against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

New Zealand's James Franklin joins Essex for T20

Essex have signed New Zealand all-rounder James Franklin as their second overseas player for this summer's FL t20 campaign.

The 31-year-old is currently appearing for Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League. 

He will join Australia paceman Peter Siddle at Essex for the start of the English Twenty20 competition in June.

"He is a genuine all-rounder in this format and adds further quality to the squad," said coach Paul Grayson.

Franklin, a left-handed batsman and seam bowler, has played previously for Glamorgan and Gloucestershire.

He has made made 66 runs in four innings in the current IPL tournament and averages 15 from 18 international Twenty20 innings, as well as taking 49 wickets at an average of 35.71.

"We are delighted to welcome James to the club. He obviously has huge county cricket experience having played here a few seasons," added Grayson.

"Franklin has shown his ability in the 20-over format of the game with his outstanding IPL record."

Force India miss Bahrain Grand Prix second practice run

Force India chose not to run their cars in the second practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix so they could return to their hotel before dark.

The decision came after four team mechanics narrowly avoided being hit by petrol bombs during a clash between protesters and police on Wednesday.

Team boss Bob Fernley said: "We have to ensure the crew are comfortable."

In a separate incident on Thursday, Sauber became the second team involved in a roadside incident.

A bus containing 12 Sauber mechanics took to the hard shoulder after encountering a burning bottle in the road and seeing masked men running towards their lane.

Sauber confirmed that nobody from the team was hurt and they did not regard it as an attack on their vehicle.

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone said he had offered Force India a police escort from the track following their incident on Wednesday.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Ecclestone said: "I said if they were the slightest bit concerned, whatever time they would normally leave the circuit, I will be here and travel in their vehicle back to the hotel, without any escort or police.

"If they want an escort, they can have police, I am happy to travel without. I don't think they have any need to be concerned."

Ecclestone and the Bahrain Grand Prix organisers have worked hard to present the Gulf state as safe.

The incident on Wednesday came as the Force India team members were returning from the track to their hotel at about 2000 local time on the main highway from the track to the capital, Manama.

Ecclestone said he did not want to comment on the incident because he was not there.

He insisted it was "absolutely 100%" the right decision to go to Bahrain, pointing to recent riots in Spain and crime in Brazil as examples that other countries had problems.

Asked if he felt Bahrain were blurring the boundaries between sport and politics by using a "UniF1ed" slogan to promote the grand prix, Ecclestone said it was "not for us to decide how somebody wants to use the race. We're not here to give an opinion on how this country should be run - or any other country".

Fernley told BBC Sport Force India fully supported the Bahrain Grand Prix but safety was paramount.

He said: "We are doing the best we can to make sure the crew is safe. There will be protests, it was an unfortunate incident and when it happens to your team you have to deal with it in a proper manner.

"We were the only team affected. Sometimes emotions and logic don't add up."

Asked how he felt about the teams being told Bahrain was safe, Fernley said: "We all know there is a very slight risk with coming here."

Not all the teams are staying in central Manama - McLaren, Red Bull and Mercedes are all in a resort complex about 3km from the track.

Knicks Say Goodbye to New Jersey

NEWARK — The Knicks packed their jerseys and their high-tops, boarded a bus and crossed the Hudson River one final time Wednesday night, not to pay their last respects to the Nets of New Jersey, but to bury them, without sentiment or sympathy.

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Barton Silverman/The New York Times

Carmelo Anthony, who scored 33 points, shooting over the Nets’ Gerald Wallace, who scored 21.

In the semi-historic final meeting between teams labeled as “New Jersey” and “New York,” the Knicks did not even permit their putative rivals the courtesy of a home-court advantage.

The cheers, the chants and most of the points belonged to the Knicks, in a 104-95 victory that was never close or compelling. The Knicks sped to an early 21-point lead, survived a sloppy second half and rode Carmelo Anthony’s 33 points to the final buzzer.

And with that, an era of sorts came to an uninspiring end. The Knicks will not play another game in the Garden State. The Nets, after 35 years in New Jersey, are heading to Brooklyn next fall, where they will play in the new Barclays Center.

The Nets can only hope that a more supportive crowd awaits them across the East River. On Wednesday, the Prudential Center was filled with Knicks fans, who booed Kris Humphries, serenaded Anthony with “M.V.P.” chants and roared at every Knicks basket.

“I thought we were at the Garden for a minute,” J. R. Smith, a New Jersey native, said with a chuckle. “I was looking for Spike. The fans were unbelievable.”

Anthony again paced the Knicks, crossing the 30-point plateau for the fourth time in five games. Tyson Chandler added 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Smith had 15 points as the Knicks (33-29) moved four games over .500 for first time this season and secured their hold on seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

The Philadelphia 76ers kept the pressure on, improving to 32-30 with a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Knicks have a one-game lead, with four to play. They also put more distance between themselves and the Milwaukee Bucks (29-32), who lost to the Washington Wizards.

The lottery-bound Nets fell to 22-41, despite 21 points from Gerald Wallace and a stronger second half.

The Knicks played without Baron Davis, who was felled by a stomach virus, leaving Mike Bibby — their 33-year-old, third-string point guard — to run the offense. Bibby finished with 8 points and 8 assists.

Amar’e Stoudemire missed his 13th straight game, though it was probably his last as a spectator. The Knicks expect to have him back when they play in Cleveland on Friday — “I’m hoping,” Coach Mike Woodson said.

That would give Stoudemire four games to get reacclimated before the playoffs start. In Stoudemire’s four-week absence, Anthony has become the indisputable focal point of the Knicks, returning to the dominant form he showed for years in Denver.

“I expect him to continue to play that way,” Woodson said. “He’s not only playing well, but he’s making guys around him play better, too. That’s the sign of a great player in our league. I’m happy for Melo because there’s been a lot of heat on him, when he came to New York.”

There was no heat at the Prudential Center, only adoration. Anthony chuckled at the “M.V.P.” chants, though, saying: “It felt good. I’m not the M.V.P.” He threw his support instead to his friend LeBron James and also mentioned Kevin Durant and Tony Parker as candidates.

At times, this felt like a preseason game, full of makeshift lineups and (in the Nets’ case) obscure names. At one point in the second quarter, the Knicks’ lineup featured Toney Douglas, Josh Harrellson, Bill Walker and Steve Novak — a group that probably had not played together since early January.

Sundiata Gaines and Jordan Williams started for the Nets, in place of the injured stars Deron Williams and Brook Lopez. The Nets’ injured list ran five deep, with three players (Lopez, Jordan Farmar and Damion James) out for the rest of the season.

But then, the Nets’ season ended long ago, amid a torrent of defeats and the failure to make a trade for Dwight Howard — the superstar center they so badly need to complement Williams and keep him happy.

It remains unclear whether Williams will make the pilgrimage to Brooklyn, or what the Nets will look like when they get there. But when these teams meet again, it will be in a New York City borough, as true crosstown rivals.

“I’m sure there’s enough people throughout New York, Manhattan, all through the boroughs, that can support them,” Woodson said with a smile. “I’d like to think that we’re still the best team, the Knicks, and I think we’ll continue to get our support as well.”

REBOUNDS

Jared Jeffries was held out of the game because of a flare-up in his right knee. Jeffries has been bothered by chronic soreness in the knee for more than two months and has already missed 12 games because of it. He has been playing under a 15-minute limit. ... Baron Davis played Tuesday night in the Knicks’ victory over the Boston Celtics despite nausea and what he described as migraine headaches and joked afterward, “I thought I was going to die.” Davis also aggravated his left hamstring injury in that game and had his leg heavily taped afterward. But Mike Woodson said it was the illness, not the hamstring, that kept him out Wednesday.

Only one statistic matters for Chelsea: One chance, one goal

Chelsea fans taunted their Barcelona counterparts with chants of “Jose Mourinho” as they made their way out of Stamford Bridge only 90 minutes away from the Champions League final.

This added insult to the injuries felt by those clad in Catalan colours, who cheered the sight of the defeated Mourinho as images from Real Madrid’s loss against Bayern Munich in the other semi-final flashed on to big screens before kick-off.

Barcelona’s long game was to face Mourinho in the final in Munich next month – and inflict painful defeat on the man who has been a past nemesis. But Chelsea threw those plans into doubt.

Not only do Mourinho’s Real now face a fight to reach their destination, Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola is in a similarly hazardous position after Didier Drogba gave Chelsea a 1-0 lead to take to the Nou Camp on Tuesday.

Thumbs-up: Didier Drogba scored the only goal as Chelsea defeated Barcelona at Stamford Bridge. Picture: Getty

For all the mentions of Mourinho, this was a night of triumph for Chelsea’s caretaker manager Roberto di Matteo - complete with a nod to the past in their resilience, determination, discipline and downright defiance of the odds.

If Mourinho had presided over this performance rather than Di Matteo, it would no doubt have been lauded as a defensive masterclass and a result fashioned around meticulous preparation.

Barcelona enjoyed a 72% share of possession. Chelsea’s Juan Mata received the ball nine times in his 76 minutes on the pitch compared with Xavi’s 133 times in 87 minutes. Barcelona had 24 attempts on goal and Chelsea had only one shot on target throughout a long evening of attrition.

And for all the small details and fine margins that will always shape games at this stage of the Champions League, this was the only statistic that mattered. One shot. One goal. Now there may be one last tilt at glory in a tournament that has made a habit of inflicting pain on this particular Chelsea side.

Guardiola may be a purist with Barcelona’s principles in his DNA but he is also a realist as he swept aside statistical analysis to state: “The game is about putting the football in the goal. It is the most difficult thing in the game.”

Chelsea took their one chance, providing the platform for the possibility of reaching asecond Champions League final after the return in Barcelona.

Guardiola insists Chelsea are now favourites and statistically - that word again - they are, because they hold an advantage and have not conceded an away goal. Barcelona, however, will still have real confidence that this defeat will be a passable obstacle en route to Munich.

The easy option is to suggest Chelsea simply rode their luck, hung on and will meet the full force of European football’s artists in the Nou Camp. Some of this is true but any side that beats Barcelona should not see their achievement downgraded. Plenty have tried and failed - many miserably.

Guardiola was swift to point out that the second game is no easy task for Barcelona. He hinted at a greater sense of adventure and risk-taking, words that may just encourage Chelsea as they know the value of an away goal in Spain.

Chelsea will have to produce all they did at Stamford Bridge and more besides – but at least they travel to Catalonia with a precious lead to protect, presumably in the same manner they did on Wednesday.

Of course Chelsea enjoyed good fortune as Alexis Sanchez hit the bar early on and Pedro struck the base of a post in the closing seconds. Former Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas also wasted a perfect opportunity to mark his return to London with a goal and saw another shot cleared off the line by Ashley Cole.

These are facts of life when facing Barcelona. They will dominate possession, create chances and exert physical and mental stress on you with such sustained force that the chances are you will break.

At these pressure points, as Chelsea demonstrated, the key is not to panic, not to make that vital mistake – then take the opportunity when it presents itself.

Chelsea did this, which makes it such a victory to be cherished. No-one should underestimate a win against Barcelona by any side and certainly not one in a Champions League semi-final.

Di Matteo demanded two “perfect” performances to reach the final. This was not perfect but it contained enough of the old Chelsea steel to get the job done.

And while the smart money remains on Barcelona to win through, Chelsea showed they have a template that will serve them well when the sides meet again. They also have a result that will give them genuine hope of getting through.

Di Matteo acknowledged that Barcelona present a unique challenge with their tiki-taka passing game and the world-class talents of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta. He agreed they needed to be patient, disciplined and clinical in all parts of the pitch.

Chelsea also had their individual heroes, especially in defence. Goalkeeper Petr Cech was equal to all Barcelona’s best efforts, Ashley Cole and John Terry were simply outstanding, while Gary Cahill can take his self-belief and confidence to a new level when he reflects on the maturity of his performance.

In midfield, once again proving he is a bargain among the more expensive pieces, Chelsea found a stabilising influence in the ever-reliable Ramires. The Brazilian is moving away from his status as an unsung hero, rightly winning the plaudits of Stamford Bridge after doing so much more than set up Drogba’s winner.

And then there is Drogba himself. Part-drama queen – some of his theatrics bordered on high farce – and part attacking monster, ready and willing to rough up any defence. Yes, he embarrassed himself and irritated Barcelona with the trademark amateur dramatics, but he is still a force to be reckoned with and justified Di Matteo’s key decision to prefer him to Fernando Torres.

Di Matteo can also take huge credit. He got his tactics and choices spot on, his game plan backed by the organisation, especially in defence, that fashioned this win. Chelsea now need to do it all again on Tuesday – but suddenly the weight of pressure has switched to Barcelona.

Bryan Robson fears Man Utd's Ashley Young could get 'diver' tag

Former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson fears Ashley Young could develop a reputation as "a diver".

Young was criticised for going down too easily to win penalties in recent victories over QPR and Aston Villa.

Robson told BBC Radio Manchester: "He's going to have to be careful because people are scrutinising it now.

"The thing is, it could be in a really important game where there's a blatant penalty and he'll not get it because he gets a reputation for the diving." The 55-year-old, who spent 13 years with United and is now an ambassador at Old Trafford, continued: "He's a sensible lad and he'll stand there, look in the mirror and think 'I've got to be a bit more careful and stay on my feet a little bit'."

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admitted he thought Young "overdid" his fall to earn a spot-kick against Villa on Sunday, although he said referee Mark Halsey was correct to award a penalty.

That incident came exactly a week after QPR captain Shaun Derry was sent off by Lee Mason for a challenge on Young inside the box, a decision criticised by Derry and his manager Mark Hughes in the aftermath of Rangers' 2-0 defeat.

Meanwhile, former United goalkeeper Alex Stepney believes diving will remain part of football, unless the authorities clamp down on offenders.

"There are players in every team that do it," Stepney, who played more than 500 times for the Red Devils between 1966 and 1978, told BBC Radio Manchester's Red Wednesday programme.

"The only people that can stop it are the referee, the Premier League and the FA.

"They have got to put strong punishments for diving and the only way you can do that at the time is by video.

"The way they're doing it is not riding the tackle. They're throwing their feet into the other player to get the penalty.

"If any player did that in our day, they would have got seen to."

Meanwhile, Stepney is pleased Ferguson has kept faith with young goalkeeper David De Gea.

The 21-year-old endured a shaky start to his career at Old Trafford following his £18.9m move from Atletico Madrid last June. Anders Lindegaard was preferred to De Gea at the turn of the year, but after a month out of the first team, the Spaniard returned to the starting line-up and has been in sparkling form.

He has kept five clean sheets in his last six appearances for United and has helped the club build a five-point lead over rivals City at the top of the Premier League.

"The game in Spain is a completely different game to the Premier League," said Stepney, who was part of the United side that won the European Cup in 1968.

"Let's be honest, we all know what happened after Peter Schmeichel finished and the amount of goalkeepers that were given a chance.

"When Edwin (van der Sar) had to retire, the media were going to jump on it. That's the way life is today.

"If United go on to win the title, that will help him. In my first season, we won the title and it gave me more confidence. That's why I stayed at the club for 12 years."

Manchester United still the world's richest football club - Forbes

 Manchester United remain the world's most valuable football club, according to Forbes magazine.

The study estimates the Premier League champions are worth £1.4bn, which puts them top of the list for the eighth year in a row.

Real Madrid are ranked second, valued at £1.17bn, while Barcelona are third with an estimated value of £816m.

"Manchester United's global fan base of 330m helps make them the most valuable team in any sport," said Forbes.com. 

Bayern Munich and Arsenal make up the top five in the rankings, with Chelsea and Liverpool ranked seventh and eighth respectively.

Tottenham Hotspur are just outside the top 10 in 11th place, with Manchester City up to 13th in the list.

Forbes also revealed Manchester United are worth more than both Major League Baseball's New York Yankees and the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League, while the club's run to last year's Champions League final, where they lost to Barcelona, commanded a £50m payout from Uefa.

The research added: "The top teams on the pitch are going to continue to get richer. This year's Champions League payout will be higher than 2011 for the 32 tournament teams."

Pat Summitt’s Signature: Success and Dignity

It was at once a moment expected and inevitable and yet one with no way to prepare. As Tennessee’s women’s basketball season marched on, it became clear Pat Summitt could not sustain her role as head coach much longer as she battled early onset Alzheimer’s and it became one long goodbye party, but one no one could acknowledge. And when the goodbye was finally uttered on Wednesday, with Summitt abdicating the throne she occupied for 38 years, the reality washed over everyone who is in some degree in her debt. And that would be everyone in the sport.

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Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

Pat Summitt after Tennessee defeated DePaul in the second round of the N.C.A.A. tournament in March.

Summitt’s announcement on Wednesday that she was stepping aside, taking on the title of head coach emeritus while her longtime assistant Holly Warlick became head coach, was as soft a landing as she could muster, her former assistant Mickie DeMoss described it. Summitt found a way to do it with dignity and class, David Climer writes in The Tennessean, as she always has. John Adams writes in The Knoxville News-Sentinel that Summitt always made the right choices to stick by her program, so this made total sense. She will turn her star power now on the fight against Alzheimer’s, writesDan Wetzel on Yahoo.com and if Summitt showed anything in her farewell season, it’s that she can teach people how to fight, Ann Killion writes on SI.com.

The task quickly becomes how to quantify Summitt’s legend, which isn’t as easy as counting victories (1,098) or national championships (eight), writes Gene Wojciechowski on ESPN.com. She changed the sport so profoundly and became such an icon that reaction to her stepping down drew reactions from people ranging from Peyton Manning to LeBron James. She was as much a force of nature as anything, an example of all the right ways to handle success and failure and everything in between, writes Gary Parrish on CBSSports.com.

It was hard not to appreciate how rare that is in sports, particularly with the maelstrom of everything else. Up in Wisconsin, Coach Bo Ryan was showing the ugly side of college sports’ control over its unpaid players, throwing every road block in his power in front of transferring player Jared Uthoff, as Jeff Goodman writes on CBSSports.com. Southern Methodist, meanwhile, was continuing its out-of-this-world crazy courtship of coaching vagabond Larry Brown, Pat Forde writes on Yahoo.com.

And if you’re looking for dignity and class, please don’t even pause at the N.H.L. these days. Yes, its three playoff games transpired without any players being hospitalized (after all, Gary Bettman wants us to think positively!! :) ), but the matter of how punitive a suspension the league will hand Phoenix head-hunter Raffi Torres for his brutal hit on Chicago’s MarianHossa still hangs in the air. It sounds good that he’s suspended indefinitely until you realize it’s just because they haven’t announced it yet, having pushed back his hearing until Friday. Yes, Torres will miss at least one game waiting for his hearing, and it won’t be a tough decision to throw a shelf-full of a books at him, but the N.H.L. usually falls on its face in such matters, so it’s best not to presume anything. Dave Shoalts of The Toronto Globe and Mailreminds us that this butchered set of offseason discipline is the product of a shiny new system of justice that produces the same old rusty results.

If you are looking for progress, Game 4 between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh produced a pebble of it. The referees decided to regain control by calling everything including crosswise glances which made the penalty box look like a mall parking lot on Christmas Eve. That didn’t prevent all boneheadedness — the Flyers’ Zac Rinaldo upheld that fine tradition with a vicious crosscheck, writes Adrian Dater on SI.com — but at least the ambulances weren’t necessary. The only alarms going off were in the heads of the Flyers, who responded to their chance to sweep the Penguins with a goalie meltdown of epic proportions, writes Phil Sheridan in The Philadelphia Inquirer. A 10-3 loss served to highlight the flailing of the Flyers goalies, writes Scott Burnside on ESPN.com, and sparked the debate whether this is a momentary lapse or the start of a momentous collapse, writes Greg Wyshynski on Yahoo.com. What we do know is, Sidney Crosby responded to everything by shutting his mouth and playing, a definite improvement writes Ron Cook in The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and that we are going to find out a few things about the Flyers now, writes Rich Hofmann in The Philadelphia Daily News.

We found out a few more things Wednesday night in the Rangers-Senators game, namely that the Rangers let an overmatched opponent back in the series with an inexplicable lapse, writes Allan Muir on SI.com. We discovered that Vancouver’s off-the-mat victory over the Kings has probably settled the Canucks’ goaltending question in favor of Cory Schneider once and for all, writes Iain MacIntyre in The Vancouver Sun.

But what we mostly discovered on Wednesday was what we already knew about Pat Summitt, that the end of her reign was near and that the goodbye would be done well.

Fabrice Muamba might play again - Bolton boss Owen Coyle

Bolton manager Owen Coyle says it would not surprise him if Fabrice Muamba played football again, but stressed the midfielder will need time.

Muamba was discharged from hospital on Monday having collapsed during an FA Cup tie with Spurs on 17 March.

"Knowing Fabrice and how much of a battler he is, it wouldn't surprise me if he comes back," said Coyle.

"God willing, if he ever comes back to play then of course, that will be a huge boost to everybody."

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“I understand, because of the interest in Fabrice, that everybody thinks he's released from hospital so that's it, he's singing and dancing down the street”

Owen CoyleBolton manager

The 24-year-old collapsed after 41 minutes of the FA Cup quarter-final tie and was given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and 15 defibrillator shocks before he arrived at the intensive care unit of the London Chest Hospital.

He is now spending time at home with his fiance and son as he continues his recovery, but Dr Richard Cooke, a consultant cardiologist at London Bridge Hospital, told the Manchester Evening News  Muamba might be back within six months.

"It would seem highly likely that he would have had a defibrillator put in," Cooke said.

"There are some footballers who do play with them and have had a similar history, so as long as he makes a full neurological recovery, from a heart perspective there is no reason why he couldn't resume his professional football career.

"I understand he has made a surprisingly good recovery and all being well, I would not be surprised if he was back playing football in six months."

The Bolton boss spoke to Muamba on the phone after training on Thursday.

"You can always tell from the sound of somebody's voice and he sounded in a good place," said Coyle. "It was great to hear from him and he sounded terrific.

"That's a huge boost given where he's come from - we've all seen the sad events in Italy," he added, in reference to the death of 25-year-old Livorno midfielder Piermario Morosini from a heart attack while playing at Pescara on 14 April.

But the Trotters boss was keen to stress that the Bolton midfielder would need time.

"I understand, because of the interest, that everybody thinks he's released from hospital so that's it, he's singing and dancing down the street. But people have got to understand there's room for continued improvement.

"His little lad hadn't been able to see him for a period so it's important we give them that time to be together."

Coyle also said he would leave it to Muamba to decide whether he wanted to visit his Bolton team-mates before the end of the season, as they fight to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

"That would be Fabrice and his family's decision. He'll not come under any pressure from us," Coyle said.

"Once he feels he's up to it then all good and well. If it's next season, great."

Bangladesh postpone Pakistan tour over security concerns

Pakistan officials are "surprised" and "disappointed" by a court decision to postpone Bangladesh's planned tour of their country by at least four weeks.

The Bangladesh High Court made the ruling because of security concerns.

Bangladesh's MK Rahman, additional attorney general, told the BBC: "The team cannot travel unless there is another order from the Supreme Court."

Pakistan Cricket Board's Zaka Ashraf said: "Everything was being put into place as far as security is concerned."

The court's decision has put in jeopardy the two-match tour which was set to be the first by a Test-playing team in Pakistan since the attack on the Sri Lanka team bus in Lahore in 2009.

PCB chief Subhan Ahmed told the Reuters news agency that if the four-week delay was enforced, Pakistan would not be able to host Bangladesh because of other commitments.

PCB chairman Ashraf added: "We are surprised that a purely cricketing matter has been dragged into the courts.

"We are deeply disappointed and sad that Bangladesh is not coming after confirming the tour.

"It is a big setback for Pakistan cricket and Pakistani cricket fans who were ready to welcome the Bangladesh team."

The latest court order followed a petition by a lawyer and a university teacher against the tour.

A statement from the PCB added: "It is astonishing to note that a matter lacking any legal issue has been dragged in the court by petitioners who appear to have vested interest and want to jeopardise Pakistan-Bangladesh cricketing relations."

The Bangladesh court has given its country's cricket authorities four weeks to explain why the tour was planned despite its existing concerns.

Bangladesh had been scheduled to play a one-day international and a Twenty20 match in Pakistan later this month.

The UAE has served as Pakistan's temporary home, and played host to England earlier this year, while Lord's and Headingley were the venues for two Tests against Australia in 2010.

Bharat Chetri To Lead Hockey Team In 21st Azlan Shah Cup

Goalkeeper Bharat Chetri will lead an 18-member Indian hockey team in the 21st Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Tournament to be held at Ipoh, Malaysia from the 24th of next month. Star midfielder Sardar Singh will be Bharat Chetri's deputy in the squad. The team was announced by Hockey India after conducting selection trials. The seven-nation tournament will feature Argentina, Great Britain, India, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand and Pakistan. All the participating teams in the Azlan Shah Cup would also be seen in action in the London Olympic Games in July this year. India will open their campaign on May 24 when they play against New Zealand. India has won the Azlan Shah Cup title on five earlier occasions.

Cricketer Yuvraj Singh Returns Home

Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has returned home on 9th April 2012 to a rousing reception from adoring fans in the capital. Yuvraj Singh comes back after undergoing three cycles of chemotherapy in United States for a rare germ cell cancer between his lungs.

Yuvraj Singh,who was received by his mother Shabnam at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the capital,came on a British Airways flight this morning after spending some days in London to recuperate from the after-effects of the chemotherapy.

The cricketer Yuvraj Singh flashed a victory sign and a smile on his arrival, making his way through hordes of fans and waiting media personnel after coming out from back gate of the airport.

A friend who accompanied him London during the treatment said, the cancer is completely out of his system and Yuvraj Singh is better now. The Man of the Tournament from last year's World Cup, which India won after 28 years, had gone to the United States for treatment in January.

Boxer Vijender Singh Qualifies For London Olympics

 In boxing, The Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Vijender Singh has qualified for the London Olympics in the 75 kg category. In the Asian Olympic qualifier, at Astana in Kajakhstan, Vijender Singh has reached the semifinals after defeating Chuluntumur Tumurkhuyag of Mangolia in the quarterfinals. The semifinal clash between Vijender Singh and Nusrat Pajiyev of Turkamenistan will take place later.

Vijender singh is the first Indian boxer to qualify for the Olympics for the third time in succession. Besides Vijender singh,four other Indian boxers, L. Debendra Singh, Vikash Krishna, Manoj Kumar and Jaibhagwan, have so far qualified for the London Olympics.

The first four quota places came in the qualification competition in October at the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.

MP LAD Funds Can Be Used For Sports

Members of Parliament now can use their MP LAD fund for the betterment of sports and development of sports infrastructure ,Sports Minister Ajay Maken said this in New Delhi.

Ajay Maken added that the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has allowed convergence of MP LAD fund fund with Panchyat Yuva sports scheme and the Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme of Sports Ministry. He said the move to use MP LAD fund for sports will help to create sports infrastructure in remote areas of the country.

N Korea Wins AFC Challenge Cup 2012 Football

North Korea has won the AFC Challenge Cup 2012 Football Championships. North Korea defeated Turkmenistan 2-1 in the final at Kathmandu’s Dashrath Stadium this evening . In the AFC Challenge Cup final , Turkmenistan scored their goal in the third minute of the game but the defending Champions came back and equaled the score before the first half and again scored in the 83 rd minute of the game.

With this AFC Challenge Cup win North Korea is through to the Asia Cup 2015 to be held in Australia. The third place was secured by Philippines who defeated Palestine 4-3. The fair play team also went to North Korea while, the most goal scorer went to Philippines striker Philip Younghusband who scored six goals in the championship.

IPL 2012 – Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment!

The mother of all cricket leagues in the world – Indian Premier League – is back and this time it promises to keep you entertained for nearly 2 months. Pakistan’s premier sports channel Geo Super will be bringing you all the action of the event, up till the final on May 27th.

On the whole, 9 teams are participating in the event and will play 16 matches, with the total number of matches being 76. For a change, teams have transferred players during the off season with most of the big players either switching teams of missing out. The winning captain of the first edition of IPL – Shane Warne of Rajasthan Royals – will miss this edition because of his retirement from the game. Same is the case with Andrew Symonds whereas Yuvraj Singh will not feature in the event as he is recovering from cancer. Also joining the injury list are India’s Ishant Sharma, South Africa’s Graeme Smith and Australia’s James Hopes.

While there were no Pakistanis in IPL since the second edition, former all-rounder Azhar Mahmood gets to play in the fifth edition due to his British nationality. He will be seen in action for King’s XI Punjab and might be eager to show his skills just the way he did in the Bangladesh Premier League. On the other hand, Wasim Akram, the legendary Pakistani fast bowler could be seen in the dug out of Kolkata Knight Riders as he is their bowling coach.

Where there is IPL, there is Bollywood celebrities. In the opening ceremony of the event, Bollywood stars Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Prabhudeva as well as Pop artist Katy Perry performed to enthrall the audience. The closing ceremony in late May will also match the opening ceremony, but during that, viewers all over the world will be glued to the matches on the field, watching their favourite cricketers in action, against the best in the world.