Sharmin Akhter Ratna secured Bangladesh's third gold medal in the SA Games on Tuesday after winning the 10m air rifle women's individual event at the National Shooting Range Complex, according to SA Games media press release.

She scored 499.4 out of 500 to clinch the gold medal. Her compatriot Syeda Sadia Sultana bagged silver with a score of 498.3 while Mampi Das of India finished with 496.9 to collect a bronze

The 11th South Asian Games, the greatest sports extravaganza of the region, got underway in Dhaka on Friday.

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the 12-day event after three and a half hours' opening ceremony at Bangabandhu National Stadium (BNS) at 4:45pm.

The 11th South Asia Games, the greatest sports extravaganza of the region, gets underway in Bangladesh on Friday.

Nearly 1,800 athletes from eight countries are expected to take part in the Games dubbed 'The Olympics of South Asia'. They will compete in 23 disciplines, which offer 158 gold medals.

India would benefit from having a specialist bowling coach, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said on Friday. The Indian cricket board sacked Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh as bowling and fielding coaches in October after the country's early exit from the Twenty20 World Cup in England and the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

India climbed to the top of the test rankings for the first time in December but the team has struggled to establish supremacy in one-day international cricket.

England captain Andrew Strauss described his team's crushing innings victory over South Africa on Wednesday as one of the best away wins he had experienced.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann and paceman Stuart Broad bowled South Africa out for 133 to complete an innings and 98-run win and give England a 1-0 lead in the four-match series.

Former captain David Beckham will be in England's 2010 World Cup squad providing he is fit and playing regularly, manager Fabio Capello said on Monday.

The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder arrives in Italy later in the day for the start of a second loan spell at AC Milan after the conclusion of the Major League Soccer season.

Former cricketer and match referee Zahid Razzaq looks set to replace Naimur Rahman Durjoy on the Bangladesh Cricket Board selection committee.

His name was tabled at a BCB meeting, the cricket board's media wing chief Zalal Yunus told reporters on Saturday.

Gautam Gambhir cracked his seventh one-day century and Virat Kohli recorded his first to guide India to a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the fourth one-dayer on Thursday. India secured a 3-1 series victory with a game to spare.

Gambhir lashed a career-best 150 not out and Kohli, recalled in place of the injured Yuvraj Singh, scored 107. The third-wicket pair put on 224 as India chased down an imposing 316 for victory with 11 deliveries to spare in the day-night game.

Bangladesh Cricket Board has provisionally picked 'ex-rebels' Shahriar Nafees, Aftab Ahmed and Alok Kapali, banned last year from representing their country after joining the lucrative but unauthorised Indian Cricket League, for an upcoming tri-nation series.

It marks BCB's first selection of the top players, along with wicketkeeper Dhiman Ghosh, since the ban was lifted following their departure from the rebel ICL.

South Africa fast bowler Dale Steyn could miss the fifth and final one-dayer against England on Friday due to a hamstring injury.

Steyn was hurt in the third match and sat out the fourth game which England won by seven wickets to take a 2-1 series lead. The opening game was washed out by rain.

Iraqi authorities were not surprised soccer's world governing body decided to suspend the country from international competition and already have lawyers working on an appeal, officials said.

FIFA banned the Asian champions on Friday after the country's Olympic Committee disbanded the governing board of the Iraqi Football Association, the culmination of a feud over control of the sport that has lasted for at least a year.

Iraqi sports authorities were not surprised football's world governing body decided to suspend the country from international competition and already have lawyers working on an appeal, an official said.

FIFA banned the Asian champions on Friday after the country's Olympic Committee disbanded the governing board of the Iraqi Football Association, the culmination of a feud over control of the sport that has lasted for at least a year.

Final list of teams qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa after Wednesday's playoffs in Europe, Africa and South America.

EUROPE

Denmark

Germany......

Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has signed a contract to play for English county club Worcestershire in 2010, it was announced on Wednesday.

Shakib is the first Bangladesh player to be signed by a county. The Bangladesh captain will join the team in 2010 following the conclusion of the tour of England, subject to completion of visa arrangements.

Two new teams, four fielding substitutes instead of the lone 12th man, pink balls in practice matches and abolishing the Icon player status are some of the innovations which the Indian Premier League would embrace from its 2011 edition, reports PTI.

From next year onwards, IPL would also be played under the supervision of the ICC anti-corruption and security unit (ACSU), while players who skip the tournament despite not having any national assignment might have their contracts terminated, organisers of the event said in a statement.

England have arrived in South Africa for their two-and-a-half month tour with captain Andrew Strauss determined to build on his team's 2-1 victory in the Ashes during the summer, reports Cricinfo.

Strauss is especially keen for his team to stake its claim to the No 1 Test ranking, an honour that currently belongs to South Africa.

Tamim Iqbal scored a scintillating half-century as Bangladesh posted a four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the third one-day international at the Mirpur Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Saturday.

The Bangladesh opener hit 80 off 72 balls as hosts reached 198-6 in 40.4 overs to go 2-1 ahead in the five-match series.

Excessive cricket is not only a concern for players' burnout but is also creating spectators' fatigue, warned former Australian wicketkeeper batsman Adam Gilchrist, reports PTI.

He said the cricket administrators need to strike a right balance to keep the players as well as fans involved with the game.

New Zealand Cricket officials have taken the unusual step of reaffirming Andy Moles' position as national coach after local media reported his position was in jeopardy.

New Zealand Cricket chief executive Justin Vaughan responded to newspaper reports by releasing a statement on Thursday confirming Moles remained in charge of the team and was preparing them for their upcoming series against Pakistan.

The Pakistan Cricket Board have rejected captain Younus Khan's resignation and want him to lead the national team until the 2011 World Cup.

Younus tendered his resignation last week in protest at match-fixing allegations against the team. Sources close to Younus said he had told the board he would only withdraw his resignation if certain conditions were accepted, while the player himself said he had not closed the door on the captaincy.