Smith asks team to show consistency

can south Africa prove it.............

Younus khan said wth conversaion with media

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan winning the World Cup would help convince other teams to again play cricket in the country following a deadly attack in 2008, according to coach Waqar Younis.

Messi On Fire

 Lionel Messi hit a hat-trick as Barcelona made history on Saturday by winning a record 16th successive Spanish League match to beat the previous best of Alfredo Di Stefano’s 1960-1961 Real Madrid. Messi scored all the goals in the 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou as the defending champions opened up a 10-point lead over Real Madrid who face Real Sociedad on Sunday. Argentine magician Messi waltzed through the Atletico defence to give Barcelona the lead in the 17th minute and, after wasting a further chance, he pounced again in the 28th minute. Atletico came out of their shell at the start of the second half but it was Barcelona who had the cutting edge with Messi scoring again from close range 11 minutes from time.

Golf

DUBAI: The battle for world golf supremacy will be contested at the Dubai Desert Classic this week with the top three in the rankings - Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer and Tiger Woods - in the same group for the first two rounds. It is a rare sight to see the planet’s leading trio playing together competitively and it will make for compelling viewing on Thursday and Friday. Top draw Woods cannot regain his world number one spot from Lee Westwood, who ended his 281-week long reign on October 31, although a win could put him back above Kaymer into second spot. The young German prodigy, who won his first Major at the USPGA last August, harbours hopes of emulating Bernhard Langer as a German world number one if he wins and Westwood finishes lower than second.

Dhoni Says,

    BANGALORE, India: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Thursday his team is well-equipped to handle the pressure of playing in a World Cup in front of home crowds.

‘Razzaq up there with the best’

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram has tipped all-rounder Abdul Razzaq to steal the show at the World Cup if he shows more mental toughness.

Canada eye World Cup quarters

DHAKA: Canada captain Ashish Bagai said on Thursday his team was aiming for an upset win to boost their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup quarter-finals.

Afridi wants to meet India in World Cup final

LAHORE: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said Thursday he hoped to meet India in the World Cup final, saying the match would boost international cricket and draw billions of viewers.

ARSENAL

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AFP/File – Real Madrid are preparing a 60-million-euro offer for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, seen here in 2010, …

Real Madrid are preparing a 60-million-euro offer for Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas, a deal that could also see the transfer of France striker Karim Benzema to the Gunners, a Spanish sports newspaper said Friday.

Fabregas, who has been in the sights of Real as well as rivals Barcelona for some time, is now the Madrid club's "number one objective" for next season, the daily Marca said.

The 60-million-euro fee that the big-spending club is proposing is more than that offered by Barca for the 23-year-old midfielder, the paper said.

The out-of-favour Benzema could be transferred to the London club as part of the deal.

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger won a battle to stop Fabregas joining Barcelona last year close-season even though the Gunners' skipper had made it clear he wanted to return to the club where he started his career.

"I am a Barca supporters. I am a member (of a club) like my grandfather, my uncle, my cousin... I am Catalan," he said last year.