Manchester clubs shocked in Europa League

If the Manchester clubs expected things to come much easier after dropping out of the Champions League, they were in for a real shock on Thursday. England s two leading teams face a battle to reach the quarterfinals of the Europa League, the continent s second-tier club competition, after United was outclassed in a 3-2 home loss to Athletic Bilbao and City slumped to a 1-0 loss at Sporting Lisbon in the first legs of their last-16 matches. One of the dominant forces in European club football, England could yet have no representatives in the last eight of either the Champions League or the Europa League this season. Chelsea is its one remaining team left in the Champions League, but is 3-1 down to Napoli heading into the second leg of their last-16 match. United will be thankful it is still alive against Bilbao, which could have won by a bigger margin at Old Trafford after running the English champions ragged for large spells with its fluid movement and passing. After Wayne Rooney put United ahead with the first of his two goals, Fernando Llorente, Oscar de Marcos and Iker Muniain scored for Bilbao, which has been rejuvenated by veteran Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa and the emergence of a golden crop of youngsters. "We were well beaten. They were the better team," said United manager Alex Ferguson, who saw Rooney convert a stoppage-time penalty to give the team hope for the second leg at San Mames next Thursday. An impudent back-heeled goal by Brazilian defender Xandao consigned City to defeat in Lisbon, but the Premier League leaders at least have the return leg at home to come. It was a successful night for Spanish clubs with Valencia beating PSV Eindhoven 4-2 and Atletico Madrid winning 3-1 against Besiktas. But the night belonged to Bilbao, which gave United one of their most difficult evenings at home for years. Bilbao has climbed to fifth place in the Spanish league with its attractive, energetic style of play, yet no one could have expected it to dominate so heavily at Old Trafford. A handful in attack all night, Llorente stooped to head the equalizer in the 44th minute to cancel out Rooney s close-range opener. Bilbao poured forward with wave after wave of attacks, United goalkeeper David De Gea denying Llorente twice and then Muniain. De Marcos, however, finished a classy move full of one-touch passing by volleying home a scooped pass by Ander Herrera. Muniain capitalized on hesitant defending by Rafael to slam home the third from close range, sealing back-to-back home losses for United in Europe for the first time in 16 years. United was defeated 2-1 by Ajax in the last 32. "We can win the game over there," Ferguson said. "We ve shown we can create chances, but we will need to defend better." Like its fierce local rival, City also dropped into the Europa League after finishing third in its Champions league group. But having dispatched reigning champion FC Porto with ease in the last 32, City came unstuck against another Portuguese team. It took a moment of class to settle the game, Xandao pouncing in the 51st minute after City goalkeeper Joe Hart had failed to palm Matias Fernandez s free kick to safety. Mario Balotelli, on as a substitute, hit the crossbar with a header as City rallied late on. "I m not worried. We will go through," City manager Roberto Mancini said. City s misery was compounded by an injury to captain Vincent Kompany, who limped off with a calf injury after seven minutes. Fresh off a hat trick for Spain in a friendly against Venezuela last week, Roberto Soldado scored twice for Valencia. Victor Ruiz and Pablo Piatti helped put the Spaniards 4-0 up at the Mestalla. Goals in the final seven minutes by Ola Toivonen and Georginio Wijnaldum reduced the deficit for PSV, a former European champion. Atletico, winner of the competition in 2010, will take a healthy cushion into the second leg against Besiktas after a superb first-half showing at Vicente Calderon stadium. Argentina winger Eduardo Silvio scored in the 24th and 27th minutes, and Adrian Lopez made it 3-0 with a stunning individual effort eight minutes before halftime. Besiktas will take a glimmer of hope into the return leg thanks to a powerful strike by Portuguese winger Simao Sabrosa, who started the 2010 final for Atletico. Dutch side FC Twente beat 2011 Champions League semifinalist Schalke 1-0 from Luuk de Jong s second-half goal. David Fuster s 50th-minute goal earned Olympiakos a 1-0 win at Metalist Kharkiv, which had Edmar sent off eight minutes from time. Standard Liege drew 2-2 at home to Hannover and AZ Alkmaar scored two second-half goals to beat Udinese 2-0 at home.

Scott, Dufner share lead after opening round

Australia's Adam Scott and American Jason Dufner produced smart golf to share the lead at six-under after the first round of the WGC-Cadillac Championship on Thursday (March 8) while the big names struggled in windy conditions. Newly-crowned world number one Rory McIlroy struggled to a one-over-par 73 while Tiger Woods, who shot the best final-round of his life last Sunday, ended even-par after mixing four bogeys with three birdies and an eagle on his opening hole. Scott, who tied for second at last year s Masters, made four birdies on the back nine, where he started, before an eagle on the par-five first and a birdie on the second. His only blemish was a bogey on the sixth which allowed Dufner, who finished second at the PGA Championship last year, to grab a share of the lead with a birdie on his last hole - the par-three ninth for a 66. Denmark s Thomas Bjorn and Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa were both two shots off the pace after shooting four-under 68s. Spain s Sergio Garcia (75) had a bizarre round as he was five-under at turn after mixing six birdies with one bogey before falling apart on the back nine with a birdie, six bogeys and a triple-bogey on the 18th where he found the water twice.

No fixation to end Djokovic dominance, says Nadal

 Rafael Nadal has lost his last seven matches against world number one Novak Djokovic but the Spaniard denies that he has a burning obsession to beat the Serb. 

The pair last met in January's Australian Open final when Djokovic clinched the title for a third time with an epic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7, 7-5 victory that lasted almost six hours. 

While Nadal enjoys a 16-14 career advantage over the Serb, he has been beaten on all types of surfaces in their past seven encounters, all of them in finals. 

"I say it always the same, I want to improve for me," world number two Nadal told reporters on Thursday while preparing for the Indian Wells ATP tournament in the California desert. 

"I don't want to improve to beat Novak, to beat Roger (Federer) or to beat nobody. I try my best every day to improve my level of tennis, to be a better player year by year. 

"And if that's enough to beat Novak, fantastic. If not, I'm gonna keep working. When I wake up every morning and I go on court for practice, I don't think about Novak. I think about the things I need to keep improving, I think about myself." 

Nadal, a 10-time Grand Slam champion, said he had maintained the same strategy throughout his career, both before and after he eclipsed Federer as the game's top player. 

"It's worked well all this time, maybe now it's not working any more as well but hopefully yes," the Spanish left-hander added with a smile. "But that's my way and that's the way that my mind works. 

"I don't have the spirit of revenge, I don't have the spirit of obsession with another player. My spirit is to try and be a better player every day for myself. That's my satisfaction." 

CLOSEST RIVALS 

Asked whether he felt the sport's number one player would always lift the game of his closest rivals, Nadal replied: "To have somebody in front always helps to have a reference in what you have to improve. 

"When you are behind somebody, it is sometimes a little bit easier than when you are on the top. At the same time, I prefer to be in front." 

While Djokovic clinched his fifth Grand Slam title at Melbourne Park in January to continue his recent domination over the Spaniard, Nadal was largely happy with how he had performed against the Serb. 

"I accept very well the losses, I think I accept well the victories too," the Spaniard smiled. "I came back home very happy about my tournament in Australia, the way that I played, the way that I played lots of moments in the final. 

"I am not happy about my second and third sets but for the rest of the match, I am happy with how I did. In general, it was a very positive tournament for me. 

"I don't know if I want to be the one that will improve Djokovic. I am happy with how I did and I am going to keep working hard every day to try to keep having chances to compete against everybody with good chances of success. The periods of victories for everybody have an end and that's part of life." 

Nadal has spent the last month relaxing at home with his family and friends in Mallorca, and practicing "a little bit" for the first Masters Series event of the year. 

"It is important to have periods off to try to work on the things that you really need to improve," said the Spaniard, who will play either Colombian Alejandro Falla or Argentine Leonardo Mayer in the second round at Indian Wells after enjoying a first-round bye. 

"You can do a lot of things really well in practice but you need to adapt these things in the game later, and that needs time and matches. 

"This is the most important part of the season for me, from here until Wimbledon, and this year is an Olympic year too so that's the moment where I have to be ready for everything."

Euro 2012 managers tip Spain, Germany

Fellow managers on Friday tipped defending European champions Spain and Euro 2008 second-placers Germany as hot favorites to win this year’s tournament. After wrapping up a two-day meeting of all 16 Euro 2012 qualifier nations in tournament co-hosts Poland, managers were pressed by reporters to give their forecasts for the final outcome. “I think everyone knows who the favorites are. For me, they are Germany and Spain,” Poland manager Franciszek Smuda said. Even Germany boss Joachim Loew said the 2008 victors were the team to beat. “It’s Spain, in any event. The other nations come in their wake,” Loew said, adding: “Our own minimum target is to clear the first round. Then we will see. Our group is very difficult of course, with Portugal, the Netherlands and Denmark. “Of course we can have the confidence to say that our aim is to go to the quarter-finals.” France’s Laurent Blanc, meanwhile, said his favourites were Spain, Germany and Holland. Ireland’s Italian manager, Giovanni Trappatoni, also agreed that the Spanish were top of the tree but warned that surprises could not be ruled out. “There’s a team that’s very strong, a famous team, and that is Spain, but then also England, Holland, Germany. Usually these four. But I remember when Greece won (Euro 2004). So in football, all is possible,” Trappatoni said. “I think every manager, every country, has the possibility to dream,” he added. Croatia’s Slaven Bilic echoed Trappatoni that Spain were the favourites. “But in my view, there’s also Germany, Holland and other countries with a big tradition, such as Italy or England,” he said. “Every team has a chance and we’re hoping, too, that with a little luck and if we play well, we can do well too.”

“The little hand of God”

Lionel Messi gave a new meaning to the phrase ‘Hand of God’ when he netted a Champions League record five goals in Barcelona’s 7-1 demolition of Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday. The Argentina forward has always had to endure comparisons with his compatriot Diego Maradona, who coined the famous phrase after using his fist to score a goal that helped knock England out of the 1986 World Cup. “La manita de Dios” (the little hand of God) was the front page headline on sports dailies Marca and Mundo Deportivo on Thursday, as local media scrambled to find new ways to describe the 24-year-old’s latest goal-scoring feat. World Player of the Year Messi netted five and youth team winger Tello added two more as the holders crushed the German side 10-2 on aggregate to sweep into their fifth consecutive Champions League quarter-final. At the end of the match at the Nou Camp, Barca fans waved one hand aloft, open with all the fingers spread wide, in the sign of ‘la manita’ while they chanted his name. “The 75,632 spectators that saw it live will be able to say ‘I was there’,” sports daily AS wrote. “Like when Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points in a (NBA) game, when Muhammad Ali beat Sonny Liston, or when Bob Beamon flew (in the long jump) at the Mexico Olympics.” Speaking at the Global Sports Forum in Barcelona on Thursday, former France and Manchester United striker Eric Cantona was asked about Messi’s performance. “I have always thought that Barca’s play was incredible but Messi is exceptional,” Cantona said. “He retains an almost childlike enthusiasm for the game and you can see that when he is playing in front of thousands of people there are moments when he feels like a great star. “The great players are those who retain the ingenuity of the child.” Both coaches, Barca’s Pep Guardiola and Leverkusen’s Robin Dutt showered praise on Messi’s display as did his team mates. “It’s not only that he scored goals, but they weren’t easy either. They were fantastic goals and that’s what makes it even more special,” Spain and Barca midfielder Cesc Fabregas told reporters. On Twitter, Atletico Madrid’s Columbia striker Radamel Falcao said: “Was it a Champions League game or one on Playstation? If he scored six would he get two match balls?” England and Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney wrote: “Messi is a joke. For me the best ever.”

Djokovic, Wozniacki defend Indian Wells crowns

 World No.1 Novak Djokovic and fourth-ranked Caroline Wozniacki will defend their titles at the $11 million Indian Wells ATP and WTA hardcourt event that begins on Wednesday. 

The record prize purse for ATP-WTA events outside majors includes $1 million for both the men's and women's singles champion. Women's main draw matches begin on Wednesday. The men open Thursday. High seeds have first-round byes. 

Serbian star Djokovic captured Indian Wells as part of a stunning 2011 start of 41 match wins in a row. Djokovic began 2012 by winning the Australian Open crown but he lost to Britain's Andy Murray in last week's Dubai Open semifinals. 

"Last year was amazing, definitely the best year of my career," Djokovic said. 

"If you ask me if I can repeat it, I don't know. It's going to be very, very hard obviously. It's a new year for me. I look forward to Indian Wells. Events coming up are really important and I need to get ready." 

Djokovic, a five-time Grand Slam champion who could claim his fourth Slam title in a row by winning the French Open in June, beat Spanish World No. 2 Rafael Nadal in the 2011 Indian Wells final and also took the trophy in 2008. 

Nadal, the 2007 and 2009 Indian Wells champion, will threaten again, as will three-time Indian Wells winner Roger Federer, the Swiss legend who has won 33 of his past 35 matches and five titles, and Murray. 

World No. 3 Federer, who has won a record 16 Grand Slam titles, beat World No. 4 Murray in last week's Dubai Open final and hopes to bring that momentum to the California desert. 

"It's nice to win a tournament outdoors now," Federer said. "That gives me hope that I can carry it over to Indian Wells and Miami." 

Murray hopes slower courts at US events in March at Indian Wells and Miami will give him an edge. 

"Conditions over in Indian Wells and Miami are going to be very, very different," Murray said. "Much slower courts, which hopefully will suit my game a little bit better." 

Denmark's Wozniacki has lost her World No. 1 ranking and defends full points at Indian Wells, but is more concerned about form than jumping back up the list and said she does not feel extra pressure defending the crown. 

"Everyone has things to defend or not to defend. It's just about playing," she said. "You will have more points at some tournaments, a little bit less at some, so it evens out in the end." 

Venus and Serena Williams will be absent as usual. They have skipped Indian Wells since 2001, when fans booed the US sisters after an injured Venus pulled out of a scheduled final against Serena with tendinitis. 

Four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters of Belgium will miss the event with a left ankle injury suffered at the Australian Open. 

Reigning Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka of Belarus was forced out of last year's Indian Wells quarterfinal against Wozniacki with an injury and the World No. 1 withdrew from last month's Dubai Open. 

"Health is the most important thing," Azarenka said. "If I'm healthy I can produce good tennis." 

World No. 2 Maria Sharapova, a three-time Grand Slam champion coming off a runner-up effort at the Australian Open, won the 2006 Indian Wells title and reached last year's semifinals before falling to Wozniacki. Other contenders include reigning Wimbledon champion and World No. 3 Petra Kvitova, a Czech left-hander; sixth-ranked reigning US Open champion Samantha Stosur of Australia and China's eighth-ranked Li Na, the 2011 French Open winner.

Winning solves everything, says Federer

At his post-championship media conference, following his artful performance in the final of the Dubai Duty Free ATP Tour tennis tournament, Roger Federer was asked why he had refused to play an exhibition match against rival Rafael Nadal in Spain later in the summer. Federer didn't like the question, not for its sticky content, but for the message it conveyed to fans, particularly those in Spain. 

The world no. 3, who had stopped Briton Andy Murray in the title clash only half-an-hour earlier, shook his head and was ready to tee-off even before the reporter could complete his question. "I didn't refuse," he snapped, "Don't put words in my mouth. I don't want that going around Spain. I was excited about the idea, I mentioned dates I could do it. It was difficult to find the right dates. I don't know the latest. It might or might not happen. They were looking at a date between Wimbledon and the Olympics. I just felt it was a tough date and it was the only one he gave me. It still might or might not happen." 

The 30-year-old Swiss, winner of a record sixteen Grand Slam singles titles, is aware of the power that comes with the position he holds in a sport where he is both genius and great. 

The former world no. 1, who won his fifth title in Dubai on Saturday, is taking it one week at a time, looking at Masters events in Indian Wells and Miami rather than the summer of tests, which begins with the French Open in May and is followed by Wimbledon, the Olympic Games and finally the US Open in late August. 

The Swiss superstar, with artistic footwork and enviable range, has won five of the last seven ATP events he played in, the last of those titles coming in an week where he didn't drop a set, and where eight of the top-ten players made the starting line-up. "In a way," Federer said laughing, "winning solves everything. There is no substitute to confidence. I've played great. It's not just that I've taken my chances. I really thought I played a good tournament here (in Dubai). I played a great tournament in Rotterdam (the week before)."

Barcelona, Valencia to alternate F1 races from 2013

Barcelona and Valencia have agreed in principle to alternate their Grand Prix races so there is only one event in Spain each year from 2013, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has said. 

The world economic crisis has bitten hard in Spain, where local administrations are under pressure to make deep budget cuts as part of a new central government austerity drive. 

"Barcelona and Valencia have agreed that the best thing is to alternate and now we are trying to decide on the dates," Ecclestone told Spanish radio station Cadena Ser. 

"It's simply a way for us to try and help Valencia and if by alternating with Barcelona it helps them, then it's a good solution. 

"Obviously, the year Valencia does not host the event it would not have to pay anything." 

Local media reported Valencia had been the most reluctant to agree the changes and Vicente Aguilera, the president of Barcelona's Montmelo circuit, said negotiations were ongoing. 

"We are negotiating and we have a positive attitude," he told sports daily Marca. 

"In part because Bernie thinks it is a good idea, and also because we have to find something that is sustainable for the country. 

"At this moment nothing is agreed. We are negotiating and there has to be a three-way agreement." 

Ecclestone assured that this year's Spanish Grand Prix on May 13 in Barcelona and Valencia's European Grand Prix on June 24th would go ahead as scheduled. 

Chelsea v Stoke City: Roberto Di Matteo confident of dealing with pressure of owner Roman Abramovich

Roberto Di Matteo insists he can cope with the pressure of managing Chelsea under the gaze of owner Roman Abramovich.

Di Matteo, who took over as Chelsea interim boss when Andre Villas-Boas was sacked last weekend, is the eighth manager at Stamford Bridge since Abramovich took over in 2004.

But as he looked forward to Saturday's match against Stoke when captain John Terry is likely to return to the starting line-up following knee surgery, Di Matteo said: "How am I going to cope? I will still get up in the morning. Have a coffee. Still have my lunch, my dinner, and get on with my life as normal.

"At any club, there's pressure to achieve certain targets. It's always there. Even if you're working at another club. If you can't handle it, don't want it, you shouldn't be in this job.

"We are in a results driven business. It's very simple. At any club where you work, you'll have targets and the pressure is there. Everywhere. That's the common aspect for any manager, in League One, League Two, Championship or Premier League."

Chelsea beat Birmingham to progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals in midweek and Di Matteo revealed he had held talks with the big characters in Chelsea's dressing room, some of whom had a strained relationship with Villas-Boas.

Di Matteo was confident there was a winning mood among the squad.

He said: "I feel I have everyone on-side. I have spoken individually to all of them now over the five days. It's a team effort and we needed to get everybody pulling in the right direction.

"We've spoken now and everyone is together. They all know what the task is for the last two months of the season. They're all on board. You saw that in the reaction on Tuesday. We have to just carry this on until the end of the season.

"It's a collective responsibility when things are not going well. It touches everybody: management, players, everyone who works at the club."

Di Matteo insisted he would stick by Fernando Torres, the striker who has not scored for five months and 25 matches.

"He's a tremendous player, a fantastic guy too," Di Matteo said. "A team player who we value very much. He plays hard and tries hard; he had a great game on Tuesday and the only thing missing was a goal, but I don't really care about that. As long as the team win.

"It will come (for him). I'm sure you've had some bad moments in your life when things didn't go the way you wanted. It's part of life. He's fine."

Terry's return will bring solidity to the defence and Ashley Cole has also recovered from the heel injury he suffered against West Brom. In fact, Di Matteo reported a full squad available, which is paramount with the midweek Champions League second leg tie against Napoli coming up at Stamford Bridge.

Di Matteo said: "It's great for the team if he's (Terry) available because he's our leader, our skipper, and a very important player. Going forward with these very important games coming up, it's important I have everyone available. It's great news."

Asked whether he had ambitions to take the role on full-time, Di Matteo said: "I know you're going to ask me this question every time, but it's not important. The club will make their decision when the right time is for them. That's fine.

"There's a lot of speculation and it's not for me to comment on what's going to happen in the future. I have to win the game against Stoke.

"I have enough on my plate thinking about tomorrow. I want to try and keep it as simple as possible, trying to win the next game."

Di Matteo refused to comment on the exit of Villas-Boas and the reasons for Chelsea's struggling season. They lie fifth, three points behind Arsenal.

He said: "I don't want to spend time on that. I want to look to the future. I have two months here to achieve our aim and that's what I'm going to put my energy in. We can't change the past.

"I have to make sure the players are in the right frame of mind. That's what I have to do. We know we are fifth and we've made mistakes, but we're strong, we have a good team, and we want to show we are better than where we are at the moment."

Bilbao’s victory over Man Utd highlights La Liga’s rising stock

La Liga replaces Premier League as the world’s best league

Manchester United’s loss to Athletic Bilbao on Thursday is just another symptom of the swing in superiority among the European leagues with La Liga replacing the Premier League as the outright best.

It has been shifting for a couple of years now, but English teams and fans have consoled themselves that Barcelona and Real were the standout two, the aberrations.

This is clearly not the case.

Athletic Bilbao are a good team and a mainstay in La Liga, currently sitting fifth, but they are not one of the real power houses.

United put out a strong team but were played off the pitch by a club that only selects players with Basque ancestry or heritage.

Whether it’s coaching, tactics, technique or fitness that is the difference, English clubs now have a tough task to close the gap, as do United in the second leg.

Blackburn Rovers boss Steve Kean deserves praise

Massive credit must be given to Steve Kean. The Blackburn Rovers manager has weathered a storm of criticism and vitriol from Blackburn fans and football writers, with even Jack Straw MP calling for his head.

Yet despite the abuse, disgusting chants and protests from fans to get him out, he remains the man in charge of saving Blackburn from relegation.

His reign has seen dramatic highs – including beating United at Old Trafford and Arsenal at Ewood Park – as well as many punishing lows.

Whenever Blackburn have suffered big defeats or come under pressure, Kean has always managed to lift them and get a result in the next game.

Take the recent 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal, which was then followed by a crucial 3-2 victory against relegation rivals Queens Park Rangers.

Blackburn face another huge clash on Saturday away to fellow strugglers Wolves, in what is the absolute definition of a six-pointer.

If Blackburn can win, then survival is more than a realistic possibility.

Whether Kean is a good manager is still questionable, but the way he has handled the tricky situation at Blackburn has been undeniably admirable.

Alex McLeish’s dismal reign at Aston Villa

Alex McLeish is on the brink at Aston Villa with the club’s recent results doing little to reverse the tide of anti-feeling towards the ex-Birmingham City manager.

As Harry Redknapp found at Southampton – after controversially arriving from arch rivals Portsmouth – fans need to be won over very, very quickly.

McLeish has been in charge for over eight months at Villa, yet the fans refuse to accept him – and poor team performances have only piled more pressure on the Scot.

Villa have been dire for most of the season, lacking any of the attacking threat they showed back when Martin O’Neill was in charge.

Only three players have scored for McLeish’s side in 2012, and one of those – Robbie Keane – has returned to America after his loan deal ended.

In contrast, Villa’s weekend opponents, Fulham, rattled five goals past Wolverhampton Wanderers at the weekend and are on a three-game winning streak.

While Villa are currently eight points clear of the relegation zone, failure to get a result at home to an impressive Fulham side on Saturday could see McLeish handed his P45.

PCB hits back at FICA for 'rigid views'

The Bangladesh delegation, led by board president Mustafa Kamal (right), gave the nod to the security arrangements in Pakistan

The Pakistan Cricket Board has criticised the Federation of International Cricketers' Association for its "rigid views" even as the board attempts to revive international cricket in the country. Tim May, the chief executive of FICA, the players' representative body, had questioned the ICC's plan to allow Bangladesh's proposed tour of Pakistan to go ahead despite the governing body not willing to send its own match officials to the country on advice that it was unsafe to visit."FICA always has rigid views sitting thousands of miles away," Subhan Ahmed, the PCB's chief operating officer. "This is one of the reasons why we don't recognise and endorse FICA at any level. They [FICA] should restrict their comments to those countries they represent."" The FICA represents players' associations from Australia, Bangladesh, England, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka and West Indies but not from Pakistan.The ICC's plan involves countries having to seek a "special dispensation" which allows them to host bilateral series with "non-neutral match officials". This means that even if the ICC deems a series to be "unsafe" for its own officials, the tour will proceed since the final call rests with the participating countries.Pakistan hasn't hosted international cricket since the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore three years ago. The PCB, under its new chairman Zaka Ashraf, is working hard towards bringing international cricket back to Pakistan and are hoping a short limited-overs series with Bangladesh will end the drought. Last week, a nine-member Bangladesh delegation, led by board president Mustafa Kamal, gave the nod to the security arrangements at various venues after a two-day visit."We have made a significant attempt to satisfy Bangladesh's security delegation and obviously our first priority is to provide a safe atmosphere for the ICC officials and for the Bangladesh team," Ahmed said. "But in any case if the ICC allows non-neutral officials for the proposed series, which ultimately goes in the record book as an official series, we have no issue at all."We are seeking one chance to host an international series and prove that we have the infrastructure and the capability to host a safe series. This could help us to change the perception about Pakistan. The Bangladesh series will be a stepping stone for us and the series will be a success."

Dravid walks off, sad but proud

On Friday, Rahul Dravid retired after 16 years in international cricket

Rahul Dravid's retirement from international cricket was announced at his home ground, the Chinnaswamy Stadium, in a function room filled with more than 200 people. Family, team-mates, friends, KSCA members, officials and journalists had gathered - as did fans watching a live broadcast on national television - to mark the end of a remarkable career and a "reassuring presence" in the Indian team. Dravid, the second-highest run-getter in the history of Test cricket, possibly the last of India's classical Test batsmen, was a cricketer who successfully straddled the old school with the new age, becoming a pivotal figure in the growth of India's Test team in the 21st century.The press conference began on schedule and, within three-quarters of an hour, Dravid left the room and international cricket as he had walked in. Swift, smooth, business-like, and, on Friday, to the sound-and-light burst of camera flashbulbs. The significance of Friday's announcement will be understood only six months down the line, when India play Test cricket for the first time in 16 years without the most reliable one-drop in their history.The decision to retire was not sudden, he said; the period of contemplation had lasted over a year as he assessed his game series after series. The disappointment of the Australia tour had not given him any 'eureka' moment around his decision to leave the game. "I didn't take the decision based on one series… these decisions are based on a lot of other things, it's the culmination of a lot of things. I don't think it's based on what happened in the last series. For each one it comes differently, for me it's come with a bit of contemplation, a bit of thought, with friends and family."On his return from Australia, Dravid spent a month, taking out the "emotion" from the overall result in order to "look at things dispassionately," he said. At the end he said, "I came to this decision and when I came to it, I was very clear in my mind." It had, he said, been easy as it was difficult, that he had known "deep down in his heart" that it was time for the "next generation of the young Indian cricketer" to take over.It was tough to leave "the life I have lived for 16 years and, before that, five years of first class cricket. It [cricket] is all I have known all my grown life … it wasn't a difficult decision for me because I just knew in my heart that the time was right, and I was very happy and comfortable in what I had achieved and what I had done. You just know deep down that it is time to move on and let the next generation take over… "Dravid entered the function room straight into a scrum of photographers, looking almost apologetic at having caused such a fuss. He was dressed in his India blazer and seated on the podium next to BCCI president N Srinivasan and his former team-mate, captain and now KSCA president, Anil Kumble. The walls around him were lined with portraits of Karnataka's Test players, in the front row of the audience were members of his family, team-mates and the cricket community of the city.He began by reading out his statement, his voice steady as he listed the people who'd played a part in every stage of his career - coaches, selectors, trainers, physios, officials, team-mates, family, even the media. He ended with the Indian cricket fan. "The game is lucky to have you and I have been lucky to play before you… My approach to cricket has been reasonably simple: it was about giving everything to the team, it was about playing with dignity and it was about upholding the spirit of the game. I hope I have done some of that. I have failed at times, but I have never stopped trying. It is why I leave with sadness but also with pride."With the statement ended and applause breaking out, Dravid looked at his wife in the first row. There was both relief and calm on his face and something other than television lights reflecting in his eyes. After the contemplation and the deliberation, the conversations with people he trusted, it was over.Dravid became the first of India's senior-most cricketers - Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman being the others - to quit the game after a season of speculation surrounding their future. His decision follows a poor tour of Australia but he enjoyed a prolific run through 2011, scoring five centuries - including four in the Caribbean and England. However, he is set to captain Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming IPL season.The biggest surprise of the afternoon, however - far more unexpected than even the finality of Dravid's retirement - was to follow. It came from BCCI president N Srinivasan: a man famous for an undemonstrative, glacial public face made an emotional and heartfelt speech. He spoke extempore of an "irreplaceable" cricketer, his voice wavering more than once. Srinivasan recalled having watched Dravid "grow from the days he played club cricket in Chennai, from the Ranji Trophy days … to the time he captained India". Dravid, he said, was an "ambassador for the sport, for the Indian team and for India"."None of us really want to see such great players go away, we like to think they are permanent," Srinivasan said. "I think that deciding when to retire is possibly the hardest decision Rahul has ever faced. It is not easy to say adieu…"Kumble called Dravid one of Karnataka's "finest cricketing sons" and spoke of his "reassuring presence" for India in the dressing room and on the field. It was Kumble who got Dravid to eventually crack his first smile of the afternoon, when he said the KSCA would now "expect to see you often in the association wearing the administrative hat." There were also a few tips on life after retirement, Kumble telling Dravid that apart from being busier "with exceptional demands made on your time, your ability to say no will be challenged like never before".Sitting in the audience was Dravid's former team-mate Javagal Srinath, the current KSCA secretary, who had walked into the room before the event to check if the arrangements were in order. Dravid's immediate future includes six weeks of the IPL and he offered no clues as to whether he would take up a post-retirement life as coach, administrator or commentator. "I truly believe that some time away from the game will be good for me, I've played the game for 20 years I've lived in a cocoon, in a surreal world, this world has been away from reality in some ways." He did say though that because he loved routines, his return to the real world could include his new routines that involve dropping his sons off at school and shopping for groceries.Among Dravid's contemporaries, both Kumble and Sourav Ganguly retired just after Test matches and Dravid was asked whether he had not wanted to end his career that way, walking off a field of play. "Just to keep playing for the sake of playing just one Test match, I didn't think was right." He needed to play, "for the right reasons - to win Test matches for India. I've done that for 16 years and I feel the time was right, I've had a great run. I have given this some thought … at the end of the day when a player has to go, he knows he has to go and I didn't feel the need to drag it on longer [in order to have a farewell Test]." Dravid was replying to questions in three of the four languages he speaks, taking particular pride in receiving special applause from the back of the room for working his way through a fairly long answer in Kannada.Along with his wife, sons and brother, Dravid had walked onto the Chinnaswamy field for a short while just before he came in to speak to the media. The stadium was his finishing school before his graduation to Test cricket, and the adjacent NCA nets turned into a trusted training ground over the past decade where Dravid had always showed up early to work on his game.Now retired, he will finally be free of the 7am gym and nets sessions. But what about the pure love of just batting? Of striking the ball with bat? Wouldn't he want to steal into the nets just for a hit or two? Dravid paused for a moment, smiled and then said: "Probably in the quiet. I'll come very late at night."On the day he left the international game, this became the perfect final image of Rahul Dravid. Not that of the obdurate competitor in the arclights of cricket's 'surreal' centre. But of the "reassuring presence", of the craftsman in the quiet of dusk, of the man who never stopped trying.