Jedinak named Australia´s World Cup captain

SYDNEY: Crystal Palace midfielder Mile Jedinak was Wednesday named captain of Australia´s World Cup squad following the axing of Lucas Neill.He will be backed by vice-captains Tim Cahill and Mark Bresciano.

"It is a privileged position and an accolade he richly deserves after the incredible job he has done at Crystal Palace in the toughest club competition in world football -- the English Premier League," coach Ange Postecoglou said.

"Mile Jedinak embodies everything that is great about Australian football and Australia as a nation.

"He has risen to the top of world football and done it the hard way from humble beginnings where he has battled and believed in himself to overcome the odds with an enormous work ethic and passion for what he does.

"I have no doubt he will lead the team with distinction in Brazil and we will have two of our greatest-ever football players in Tim Cahill and Mark Bresciano giving the team what I believe is strong leadership."

His promotion comes after Neill, who played for Australia 96 times and captained the side on 60 occasions, was dumped from the squad with Postecoglou saying the 36-year-old did not have the form or fitness to justify going to Brazil.

Australia are taking an inexperienced group to the tournament following the recent international retirements of goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, forward Harry Kewell and midfielders Brett Emerton and Brett Holman.

Their provisional 30-man squad features 10 locally based players, two uncapped, 19 with 10 caps or fewer and with an average age of just 25.5 as Australia face world champions Spain, runners-up Holland and Chile in Group B.

Jedinak, who is struggling with a groin strain he picked up in Crystal Palace´s final game of the season, said he was honoured to be made captain.

"To be handed the responsibility of captaining my country at the World Cup is humbling, yet incredibly exciting," he said. "Just pulling the Socceroo shirt on fills me with pride but to be leading out my country and these players at the World Cup on behalf of all Australians is special."

He follows Peter Wilson (1974), Mark Viduka (2006) and Neill (2010) as Australians who have captained the Socceroos at the world´s biggest football tournament. (AFP)

Waqar likely to be named head coach

LAHORE: Former captain and legendary fast bowler Waqar younis seems to be the front-runner for the post of head coach for the Pakistan cricket team, which will be announced on the May 6.

Pakistan cricket board (PCB) is looking to appoint a coaching staff for the national cricket team for which the last date for applications is May 5.

According to sources the applications received so for the position of head coach, Waqar Younis seems to be the strongest candidate.

According to a top official of PCB, the committee formed by the board to review the applications for various posts including head coach will finalize the names for these posts after reviewing all the applications on May 6.

It has also been revealed that this committee has the right to contact, if needed, the right candidate for fielding and strength and conditioning coach.

Basit Ali named PCB Junior chief selector

 

KARACHI: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Monday named former Test batsman Basit Ali as the head of a four-member Junior Selection Committee.

Former Test opener Ali Naqvi, former Test left-arm spinner Farrukh Zaman and Ali Zia of National Cricket Academy Lahore are the members of the selection committee.

Talking to reporters at the National Stadium before supervising Karachi Region Under-19 trials, he said it was a big responsibility and challenge for him.

Basit thanked PCB Chairman Najam Sethi for appointing him as junior chief selector and expressed the hope that he will try to fulfill his job to best of his abilities.

He said cricket had always been his love and priority and he was looking forward to give the country best junior talent available. Spotting talent and pure merit will be his main focus, he commented. (APP)

Noah named Defensive Player of the Year

CHICAGO: Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah, the mainstay of a team that kept foes to a league-low 91.8 points a game, was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.

The son of French tennis legend Yannick Noah and former Miss Sweden Cecilia Rodhe averaged 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocked shots and 1.2 steals a game for the Bulls this season.

Noah, 29, became the first Bulls player to win the award since Michael Jordan in 1988. "This is very humbling to be in this situation right now," Noah said. "I never thought I would be in this positoion right now. I just kept working."

The Bulls are in the first round of the NBA playoffs, having lost their opener to the Washington Wizards, and Noah stressed he owes the honor to the work of his team-mates as well as himself.

When the Bulls lost star playmaker Derrick Rose to injury early in the season after he missed all of last season and later traded away British star Luol Deng, Chicago stressed defensive work and Noah set the tone for the team.

Noah said he owes much of his work ethic to his father and watching his determination on the tennis court.

"I watched the way my father worked as a tennis player and subconsciously it taught me work ethic," Noah said. "There are so many distractions out there. You just have to stay focused on your craft. You have to stay focused on your belief in yourself."

Noah received 555 of a possible 1,125 points, including 100 first-place votes from a media panel, to defeat runner-up Roy Hibbert of Indiana, who had 166 points and eight first-place votes. The Los Angeles Clippers´ DeAndre Jordan was third on 121 points with eight first-place votes. (AFP)

Noah named Defensive Player of the Year

CHICAGO: Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah, the mainstay of a team that kept foes to a league-low 91.8 points a game, was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday.

The son of French tennis legend Yannick Noah and former Miss Sweden Cecilia Rodhe averaged 12.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.5 blocked shots and 1.2 steals a game for the Bulls this season.

Noah, 29, became the first Bulls player to win the award since Michael Jordan in 1988. "This is very humbling to be in this situation right now," Noah said. "I never thought I would be in this positoion right now. I just kept working."

The Bulls are in the first round of the NBA playoffs, having lost their opener to the Washington Wizards, and Noah stressed he owes the honor to the work of his team-mates as well as himself.

When the Bulls lost star playmaker Derrick Rose to injury early in the season after he missed all of last season and later traded away British star Luol Deng, Chicago stressed defensive work and Noah set the tone for the team.

Noah said he owes much of his work ethic to his father and watching his determination on the tennis court.

"I watched the way my father worked as a tennis player and subconsciously it taught me work ethic," Noah said. "There are so many distractions out there. You just have to stay focused on your craft. You have to stay focused on your belief in yourself."

Noah received 555 of a possible 1,125 points, including 100 first-place votes from a media panel, to defeat runner-up Roy Hibbert of Indiana, who had 166 points and eight first-place votes. The Los Angeles Clippers´ DeAndre Jordan was third on 121 points with eight first-place votes. (AFP)

 

Zaheer Abbas named principal advisor to Chairman PCB

LAHORE: Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has appointed former Test cricketer Zaheer Abbas as the Principle Advisor to PCB Chairman and Moin Khan as Chief Selector and Manager of national cricket team.

Zaheer Abbas is a member of the Management Committee of the PCB and his new assignment of Principal Advisor is honorary, said a spokesman of the PCB here on Monday.

Moin has previously served as Manager & Coach of Pakistan cricket team. He will be on deputation from PIA to PCB. (APP)

Manuel Valls named new French Prime Minister

President Francois Hollande named former Interior Minister Manuel Valls as France’s new Prime Minister on Monday, just 24 hours after his Socialists suffered heavy losses in nationwide municipal elections.

Mr. Valls, who is consistently voted France’s most popular Socialist in opinion polls and replaces Jean-Marc Ayrault, is considered part of the right-wing of the party.

In a pre-recorded televised speech, Mr. Hollande said it was time for a France to enter a “new phase” and pledged Mr. Valls would lead a “combative government.”

Mr. Valls is the Socialists’ hardliner on immigration and security and has held very controversial stances while serving as Interior Minister.