Kaptaan [A Film On Imran Khan]

Ronaldo in the limelight as Real seek consolidation

Even more attention than usual will be focused on Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo when the La Liga leaders play at Real Mallorca on Saturday after his petulant reaction to whistling from disgruntled fans last weekend. The Portuguese refused to celebrate his goal at the Bernabeu, Real’s fifth in a 5-1 thrashing of Granada and his 21st of the campaign, after a section of the home support again expressed their frustration with his performance. There appears to be a perception among some of the Real faithful that the world’s most expensive player can be too selfish and that he is more concerned with personal success than collective triumph. Coach Jose Mourinho and his team mates have rallied behind Ronaldo and he was given a resounding vote of confidence by honorary Real president Alfredo Di Stefano in the 85-year-old’s latest newspaper column published on Thursday. “We should support him because he could not put in any more effort, he gives everything to the team,” Di Stefano wrote in sports daily Marca. “The Portuguese is an example to follow and his success is the result of a great deal of work,” added the former Real player and coach. Real can stretch their lead over second-placed Barcelona to eight points with a win in Mallorca, with the champions, who drew 1-1 at local rivals Espanyol last weekend, not playing at home against Real Betis until Sunday. Barca’s form at their Nou Camp arena has been almost impeccable, winning eight and drawing one of their nine games and scoring 39 goals without reply, but they have taken only 13 points from a possible 24 away from home. Coach Pep Guardiola, whose side are chasing a fourth consecutive La Liga title, said on Wednesday the team’s patchy performances on their travels could cost them the league. “Away from home we don’t have the numbers to be champions and we must be more ambitious,” he told a news conference ahead of Barca’s King’s Cup last-16, second leg at Osasuna later on Thursday.“The reliability we have at home is harder to achieve away but we’re ready to fight for the remaining 63 points.” Valencia, four points behind Barca in third, host struggling Real Sociedad on Saturday. While fourth-placed Levante, the season’s surprise package, play at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday.

Proteas beat Sri Lanka by 258 runs in 1st ODI

Sri Lanka crashed to 43 all out to equal the fourth lowest total in one-day international history on Wednesday and lose by a huge 258-run margin to South Africa in the opening game of their five-match series. Morne Morkel took 4-10 and Lonwabo Tsotsobe 3-19 to rip through Sri Lanka s lineup as South Africa won by the third biggest victory margin by runs in ODIs after having made 301-8 batting first. Sri Lanka lost Upul Tharanga off the second ball of the innings and opening partner Tillakaratne Dilshan off the eighth both for ducks in a terrible start for the tourists on the way to their lowest-ever ODI score. Wickets tumbled rapidly with Dinesh Chandimal out in the fourth over. Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews fell within three balls in the fifth, and Mahela Jayawardene flashed a cut shot straight to Faf du Plessis at point in the eighth as the tourists fell to 13-6. Kosala Kulasekara top-scored with 19 in just his second ODI and was the only player to reach double figures for Sri Lanka. The ninth-wicket pair of Kosala and Nuwan Kulasekara were needed to drag Sri Lanka past the lowest-ever total of 35, set when Sri Lanka bowled out Zimbabwe in 2004. But left-arm spinner Robin Peterson picked up two late wickets to take 2-5 and end the Sri Lankan innings in just 20.1 overs. Earlier, Hashim Amla s 112 drove South Africa to its big total, despite Sri Lanka fast bowler Lasith Malinga claiming 5-53. Amla shared a 144-run partnership with Jacques Kallis (72) and a 91-run stand with AB de Villiers (52) after Malinga struck in the third over to remove Graeme Smith. Amla hit eight fours for 112 off 128 deliveries his ninth ODI hundred and De Villiers made a rapid half-century off just 40 balls in his first game as ODI skipper. But Malinga returned with a typically devastating spell near the end to remove Amla, Albie Morkel (25), Du Plessis and Dale Steyn to slow South Africa s scoring. Malinga dismissed Du Plessis and Steyn in the final over for his fifth five-wicket ODI haul as South Africa faded from 244-3 when De Villiers went. But the captain still led South Africa to its second-biggest win ever after batting first in a one-day international.

UEFA, Interpol team up to tackle fixing, violence

International police liaison agency Interpol has agreed to work with UEFA by sending support teams to police the 2012 European Championship in Poland and Ukraine. UEFA says its president Michel Platini met with Interpol secretary general Ronald Noble on Wednesday, and will soon sign a memorandum of understanding to formalize the working partnership. Interpol has previously committed to help football bodies prevent match-fixing worldwide. It signed a 10-year agreement with FIFA last year to create an education center in Singapore teaching players, referees and officials how to resist and report offers to corrupt matches.

Chelsea poised to get their man

Chelsea are expected to finalise the signing of Bolton Wanderers defender Gary Cahill later today. Chelsea agreed a fee with Bolton last month, but have yet to conclude personal terms to bring the England international to Stamford Bridge.

Blues boss Andre Villas-Boas previously revealed that the two parties were 'miles apart' and that had prompted speculation Cahill was reconsidering the chance to move to West London. Reports also suggested that Premier League champions Manchester United were ready to make a late bid to hijack the deal, while Tottenham Hotspur have held a long-term interest in Cahill.

However, the centre-half is now poised to finalise his departure from the Reebok Stadium, where he is out of contract at the end of the season. Cahill's expected arrival at Chelsea will boost Villas-Boas' options at the back after Brazil international Alex handed in a transfer request at the start of December.

Villas-Boas is also weighing up whether to add one further player to his squad during the January transfer window after allowing Nicolas Anelka to move to China.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa remain optimistic Los Angeles Galaxy striker Robbie Keane will join them on loan. The Republic of Ireland captain is poised to join Villa for two months and is already training with the midlands club.

The eight-hour time difference between Birmingham and Los Angeles means any announcement will probably happen later today after the expected completion of the paperwork. Villa boss Alex McLeish would like Keane to be available for Saturday’s home Premier League clash with Everton.

Sources close to the club are confident a temporary deal for Keane will still go through. Keane has indicated he wants to join Villa and is conscious of retaining his match sharpness before rejoining Galaxy in March with the Euro 2012 finals in June.

Keane’s expected arrival is well timed with fellow striker Emile Heskey sidelined for up to a month with an Achilles injury.

Ipswich have agreed a deal with Leicester for Irish centre-back Sean St Ledger and are now waiting for a decision from the 27-yea-old as he weighs up a couple of other options. The 27-year-old has failed to have the desired impact at the King Power Stadium, making just eight league starts over the first half of the season.

Ba camp claims Man Utd interest

Demba Ba's representatives claim the Newcastle star is attracting interest from Manchester United, but have stressed there have been no offers.

Senegal international Ba, who is currently on Africa Cup of Nations duty, has enjoyed a stunning impact since joining Newcastle on a free transfer from West Ham United last summer.

He has scored 15 goals in the Premier League this season and has netted in both of the Magpies' games against reigning champions United.

Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and Paris Saint-Germain have also been linked with the 26-year-old amid reports Ba has a release clause that could allow him to leave St James' Park for under £10million.

Armand Doorn, who is a member of Ba's management team headed by the player's brother, confirmed there is interest in the forward, but there is 'nothing concrete' to report.

"A lot of clubs are calling for Demba. At this moment, we are doing it [transfer negotiations] with his brother, before we did it alone and now we do it with his brother," Doorn told the IBTimes UK.

"Obviously he is doing very well at Newcastle, he's not injured and a lot of clubs are showing interest, but there is nothing concrete at this moment.

"It is true Manchester United, it's true, but nothing concrete.

"No manager [has] called me and said, 'Armand, can we sit down' and everybody is asking how much his release clause is, but nothing concrete.

"There is a clause, but it is not simple. Newcastle knew when they signed him that it was in his last [contract].

"PSG did show some interest, maybe more concrete too, but this is because I know there are a lot of new people on the board there and a lot of people know Demba already, since he was young.

"So it is easier for them to talk to the brother, to the family and yes there is a possibility, but again, there is nothing concrete. We haven't sat down with anybody yet."

Cook stars after another England batting wobble

PCB XI 23 for 0 trail England 269 for 9 dec (Cook 133, Shah 5 for 76) by 246 runs

Alastair Cook carried his form of last year into 2012 

 with the first century of England's UAE tour. Cook's 133 was a vital knock as five wickets for Yasir Shah restricted England on the opening day of their final warm-up match in Dubai.

Shah's legspin removed England's middle order as Ian Bell and Eoin Morgan recorded further low scores. England were reduced to 121 for 5 before Matt Prior made 46 from 57 balls. Graeme Swann's 24 also helped England to a competitive total.

But England were indebted to Cook's 36th first-class hundred. In 2011 he scored 927 Test runs at 84.27 and, after 76 in the first-innings against an ICC Combined XI, he continued in that vein, marshalling England after Mohammad Talha had reduced them to 14 for 2. Captain Andrew Strauss was caught behind for 3 before Jonathan Trott fell leg before for a third-ball duck. Ian Bell was also dismissed for a duck - part of Shah's haul of 5 for 76.

The legspin of Shah removed England's middle order. Kevin Pietersen, who took 10 balls to get off the mark, had got England moving with five fours in his 38 but he was bowled in the first over after lunch having shared a stand of 83 with Cook. Bell was then trapped leg before second ball and Shah also removed Morgan, whose 11 was his third failure of the tour after 1 and 3 against the ICC XI.

With England in trouble, Prior got a partnership going with Cook and the pair added 90. Cook went past 50 from 92 balls while Prior was his breezy self, striking seven fours before Tahla returned to have him caught behind.

Swann, who underwent a scan on his quadriceps after the first warm-up match, played a useful part in making 24 as he and Cook put on 46. But when Swann fell caught behind off Shah, England's innings came swiftly to an end. Shah completed his five-for by having Graham Onions caught for 1 before Cook was caught behind off Tahla and England declared.

There was time for eight overs of the PCB XI innings and Onions, playing the first time for England since January 2010 against South Africa, took the new ball. He conceded 13 in his three overs. Chris Tremlett, having recovered from his eye infection, sent down two overs and there was also time for a brief appearance from Swann and Monty Panesar.

Amla ton pushes South Africa to 301

50 overs South Africa 301 for 8 (Amla 112, Kallis 72, de Villiers 52, Malinga 5-53) v Sri Lanka

South Africa's batsmen enjoyed themselves in Paarl despite the scorching heat as they ran up 301 on an easy-paced track. Hashim Amla highlighted why he's the world's top-ranked ODI batsman with his ninth century, and his two big partnerships with Jacques Kallis and new captain AB de Villiers powered South Africa on a pitch where both seam and spin proved elusive. Lasith Malinga then underscored his value to Sri Lanka, with a five-for that reined in South Africa towards the end of the innings.

It was Kallis who provided the impetus early on, as Amla searched for his customary fluency. Amla had several outside edges and mistimed pulls, but Kallis had few of those problems. A 15-ball spell that yielded only two runs was broken by an imperious Kallis six over long-on.

The pressure on Amla was also eased by Dilhara Fernando's wayward first over - after Lasith Malinga and Nuwan Kulasekara had kept South Africa to 25 for 1 in six overs. Fernando sprayed a delivery for five leg-side wides and then presented a short ball, which Amla slashed to the point boundary in an over which cost 15.

Both batsmen used the steer to third man and the clip to square leg efficiently to keep the singles coming. They had sauntered to 69 for 1 in 15 overs before opening up in the bowling Powerplay, off which they took 37 runs. Ajantha Mendis proved ineffective as Amla, shaking off the early edginess, lashed him for three boundaries in two overs.

With Amla starting to unleash his trademark crisp drives through the off side, and Kallis carrying on from his double-century in the third Test, South Africa opted for the batting Powerplay unconventionally early. Kallis took consecutive cover-driven boundaries off Malinga to suggest a glut of runs while the fielding restrictions were on, but Kallis was run out soon after by a direct hit from Mahela Jayawardene at cover. There had been a similarly dangerous single attempted a few overs earlier as well, but on that occasion Amla survived as Tillakaratne Dilshan missed from point.

There was hardly a lull after Kallis' exit. Amla and de Villiers put together a 19-ball streak of singles before de Villiers became more enterprising, powering South Africa ahead with a series of lofted shots over cover and extra cover for fours. On a surface where the new batsmen needed time to get in, de Villiers raced to 50 off just 36 deliveries. Amla, meanwhile, calmly moved on to his century, celebrating the achievement with a gentle wave of the bat and helmet.

At 241 for 2 after 40 overs, South Africa seemed headed for at least 320. A Kulasekara yorker, though, removed the rampant de Villiers, before Malinga worked his magic to rip through the lower middle order. Albie Morkel's cameo, which included a stunning pull for six off Fernando, was halted at 25, Amla edged to the keeper and Faf du Plessis was bowled as the final six overs produced only 34 runs.

It still presented Sri Lanka's experienced batting a huge challenge, especially as the track was expected to slow down in the evening. There had also been concerns over the quality of floodlights at Boland Stadium, which could be another factor working against Sri Lanka.