A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Pakistan bowler Asif appeals ban
CRICKET: Former Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Asif has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against his seven-year ban for spot-fixing. The jailed seamer's lawyers confirmed they have also filed an appeal against his criminal conviction to the Court of Appeal.
The ICC suspension was handed down last February relating to no-balls bowled in the Lord’s Test against England in August 2010.
Asif’s solicitors claim they have solid grounds for appeal.
CRICKET: All-rounder Albie Morkel has been called up to South Africa's one-day squad as an injury replacement for the five-match series against Sri Lanka. Morkel replaces uncapped all-rounder Dean Elgar in the 14-man squad after he pulled out with a knee injury. Morkel (30) has scored 679 runs in his 51 ODIs and last played in an ODI against Pakistan in November 2010. The first game against Sri Lanka takes place in Paarl on Wednesday with the final match on January 22nd in Johannesburg.
Lancaster set to ring the changes
RUGBY: Mike Tindall and other senior players will be left out in the cold by England despite a mounting injury list for next month's Six Nations.
England’s interim head coach, Stuart Lancaster, names the 32-strong squad on Wednesday and will have to find an outhalf to replace Toby Flood, who is out for up to six weeks, and centre Manu Tuilagi, who is not expected to return until next month.
Both players will be selected, with Lancaster saying that only players who had long-term injuries would be ruled out.
“If anyone needs replacing in the short term, players from the Saxons squad will be promoted,” he said.
Lancaster’s squad will have an emphasis on youth with as many as 16 changes from the 32 named in the elite player squad chosen last July possible.
Rankin gives England a hard time
CRICKET: Ireland international Boyd Rankin impressed England over the opening two days of their match against an ICC Associate XI in Dubai, writes Emmet Riordan.
The 6ft 8in opening bowler from Derry has been called up to the second-string England Lions for their tour of Bangladesh. but he showed their first team that he can be hard to handle.
After making his highest first-class score of 43 as the invitational side battled to 281 in their first innings, Rankin then took the key wickets of Kevin Pietersen (15) and Ian Bell (3) in England’s 185 for eight declared.
The Irish opening pair of skipper William Porterfield and Paul Stirling both fell for ducks in the second innings to compete a miserable match as they reached 90 for five at stumps, a lead of 186 runs.
Irish left-arm spinner George Dockrell will play the final day after Afghanistan’s Hamid Hassan picked up an injury.
Three days shaved off circumnavigation
SAILING:A British sailor told yesterday of his jubilation after he broke the world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the world in any type of yacht.
Brian Thompson said he was “quite emotional” about his achievement and is considering writing a book about his adventure.
He was the only British crew member on board the Banque Populaire V, which completed the journey after 45 days, 13 hours, 42 minutes and 53 seconds.
The 14-strong crew of the 40m maxi-trimaran crossed the Jules Verne Trophy finish line at Brest, France, at 10.14pm on Friday, smashing the existing record of 48 days, seven hours, 44 minutes and 52 seconds by nearly three days.
Thompson (49), who is based in Southampton, chronicled the trip on a blog on his mobile phone, attracting thousands of followers on Twitter.
Seymour races to title number 18
CYCLING: Dominating the race and finishing almost two minutes clear, Team WORC rider Robin Seymour extended his record of national cyclo cross titles to a staggering 18 in St Anne's Park in Raheny on Saturday.
The 40-year-old Wicklowman pulled clear of double champion Roger Aiken on the second of nine laps, getting a gap when the latter’s chain dropped off. Aiken conceded 15 seconds and chased hard for several laps, but Seymour held his advantage with consistent racing.
The pursuer then dropped his chain once again, losing all chance of winning the race. “There were sections where I had pulled out a gap and he would close it back in on another section,” said Seymour. “You’d be like ‘oh, keep your head down, keep pushing’. Then he had another problem and that was it.”
Aiken crossed the line one minute 42 seconds behind, with his Banbridge team-mate Matthew Adair a further 65 seconds back.
Khan may get rematch as 'mystery man' revealed
BOXING:Amir Khan's trainer Freddy Roach says he knows the "mystery man" seen at ringside during the British fighters controversial defeat to Lamont Peterson last month – and does not believe he is an International Boxing Federation (IBF) official.
Khan posted images of the man on Twitter on Thursday to draw attention to his movements around the judges’ table during the December fight in Washington, where Peterson won Khan’s IBF and WBA titles after a disputed points decision.
Richard Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions, said the man had been identified as Mustafa Ameen, an IBF official who was given accreditation for the fight despite not being directly involved.
Roach says he personally knows Ameen and that he had no need to be ringside. Schaefer said yesterday the WBA had offered Khan a rematch with the American, and urged the IBF to follow suit.
Roach agrees that, because of the possible interference, a rematch should be held.
