Pietersen set to face Australia in 1st Ashes Test

Returning from a knee injury, Pietersen proved his form and fitness ahead of the series by scoring an undefeated 177 for Surrey last month.

Graham Onions is also in the squad and will be vying for the third seamer’s spot behind Stuart Broad and James Anderson.

Broad has recovered from a shoulder injury, which ruled him out of England’s warm-up match against Essex and is fit enough to play in the first Test.

Opening batsman Nick Compton, however, is left out. His exclusion was expected after England picked Joe Root to open alongside Alastair Cook against Essex, although it would be the first time Root has opened in a Test match after previously batting for England at No 5.

Spin bowler Graeme Swann is also selected despite an arm injury against Essex, which is not thought to be serious.

“We are satisfied with our preparations so far for the first Test, with both Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad recovering well from the injuries they picked up earlier this week,” England selector Geoff Miller said.

“This is an incredibly exciting period of cricket coming up against Australia, and we know we will need to play to our full potential throughout... if we are to retain the Ashes.”

Miller added that Compton could still play in the series. “I told him that we’ve not closed the door on him at all,” Miller said. If England wins the series, it will be its fourth Ashes victory out of the last five. The first of the five-match series starts on Wednesday at Trent Bridge in Nottingham.

Wasim Akram clean bowled by Melbourne beauty

 
Legendary Pakistan paceman Wasim Akram said Monday he will marry his Australian girlfriend, who has converted to Islam and will settle in his home country.
Australian media reported that Wasim proposed on bended knee to Shaniera Thompson in her living room.
"Yes, I will marry next year and I've known Shaniera for the last one-and-a-half years and she has converted to Islam," Wasim told AFP by telephone from England.
"I feel lucky that I have got a second chance in life."
The 47-year-old's first wife Huma died in 2009.
Wasim said Thompson, a former public relations consultant, will settle in Pakistan.
"She is close to my kids who are also excited and my in-laws (Huma's parents) also endorsed the decision after meeting her," said Wasim, who has two sons from his previous marriage.
"It will be a new life, a new beginning and I hope that we will settle down well with the best wishes of family and fans," he said.
Wasim played 104 Tests and 356 one-day internationals for Pakistan in a career lasting from 1984 to 2003.
He was regarded as one of the best left-arm fast bowlers to have played the game and remains a major celebrity in Pakistan.
Wasim was player of the tournament in the country's only triumph in the World Cup, in Australia in 1992. He captained Pakistan to a runners-up finish in the 1999 World Cup in England.

Nigeria throttle Ivory Coast in African Nations C’ship

JOHANNESBURG: Nigeria's Super Eagles defeated their Ivorian counterparts, the Elephants, 4-1 in the first leg of the African Nations Championship at the Ahmadu Bello Stadium in Kaduna on Saturday.
The game started on a bright note for Nigeria as Sunday Mba set the tone pulling the strings in the middle for Nigeria. It didn't take the Super Eagles long to settle as Ezekiel Mba tormented the Ivorian right side of defence.
Nigeria got a free kick in the fifth minute of the match when Coulibaly Topio upended Gomo Onduku, but Sunday Mba blasted wide.
The Ivorians gradually came into the game, as Fouyseni Coulibaly dragged his shot wide after a clean interchange of passes with Kassi Mathias.
Nigeria didn't wait long for the first goal to come as the Sunday Mba who had been working tirelessly in midfield set up Gambo Mohammed to slot home with a low drive in the 15th minute of play.
The Ivory Coast almost equalised when Kaba Mohamed's free kick went slightly over the bar with goalkeeper Chigozie Agbim stranded.
The Super Eagles got their second goal through Sunday Mba whose 20-yard scorcher rested in the back of goalkeeper Gbohouo Sylvain's net after some good work by Ezekiel Mba and Gomo Onduku in the 28th minute.
The Ivorians piled a lot of pressure on the Eagles and that resulted to a well crafted goal by Coulibaly Tiecoura at the tail end of the first half.
The second half started on a bright note for Nigeria with Sunday Mba gradually asserting himself in the game. His low shot in the 47th minute went wide but he made amends in the 51st minute when he converted a spot kick after a handball during a goalmouth melee in the Ivorian defence.
The Ivory Coast were reduced to nine men in quick succession as Roger Assale and Baresi Gloudeaou were red carded by the centre referee.
The Super Eagles piled on the pressure on the Ivorians with Sunday Mba missing narrowly from a chipped shot after goalkeeper Gbohouo rushed out of his goal area.
Azubuike Egwuekwe also placed a header wide as Nigeria continued to pile on the pressure against a tiring Ivorian side.
Nigeria went head in the 83rd minute through substitute Ifeanyi Ede, who turned his marker in and slotted into the net to give Nigeria a 4-1 lead.
The return leg will take place in a fortnight in Abidjan.

Pakistan secure 7th position in World Hockey League

JOHOR BAHRU: Pakistan defeated South Africa and secured seventh position in World Hockey League on Sunday, Geo News reported.

Pakistan won the match, played for seventh position, against South Africa by 6-2.

Vikings show off plans for new stadium

Adrian Peterson will be running wild in a new home beginning in 2016. The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority and the Minnesota Vikings unveiled plans for a new Vikings stadium, set to open in 2016, on Monday.

J.R. Smith and Knicks agree to a new contract

Smith's agent, Leon Rose, confirmed that the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, signed a maximum deal allowable which will pay Smith approximately $25 million over the next four years.

 

J.R. Smith has about $25 million reasons to smile as Knicks and shooting guard agree to new deal.

J.R. Smith and the Knicks agreed to a new contract early Thursday, the Daily News has learned.
Smith's agent, Leon Rose, confirmed that the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year, signed a maximum deal allowable which will pay Smith approximately $25 million over the next four years. The new deal reportedly includes a player option after the third year.

Ron Antonelli

J.R. Smith averages a career-best 18 points per game last year coming off the bench.

Smith, who will turn 28 in September, averaged a career-best 18 points per game last season while being named Sixth Man of the year.
Smith’s best season, however, ended on a down note. He slumped in the playoffs, averaging 14.3 points and shooting 27% on three-pointers. The Knicks’ postseason took an ugly turn when Smith was suspended one game for elbowing then-Celtic Jason Terry at the end of the Game 3 of their first-round series. Although the Knicks went on to defeat Boston in six games and capture their first playoff series win in 13 years, they went 3-6 in their last nine playoff games starting with Game 4 against the Celtics.
The signing assures the Knicks of having their top five players under contract next season - Smith, Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert, Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler. Also, according to a basketball site in Argentina, the Knicks have offered Pablo Prigioni a two-year contract extension.

Alex Rodriguez rehab slump continues with another 0-for-2 outing for Charleston RiverDogs

In Rodriguez' first at-bat Wednesday night, he went after the first pitch and hit a high bouncer to first base. Later, he hit a 1-and-2 pitch for a high bouncer to second and was easily retired again.

Alex Rodriguez has yet to find his swings in two minor league rehab games.

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Alex Rodriguez has something to prove – to himself and to others – as he mounts a return from his second hip surgery. So do the minor league players he’s going against.
On the first pitch of his rehab assignment with the Class A Charleston RiverDogs on Tuesday, the Yankees third baseman had to make a charging bare-handed play on a bunt, which went for a hit. On Wednesday the first pitch he saw from Rome Braves righthander Mauricio Cabrera clocked in at 101 mph. He hit it for a groundout, first baseman Casey Kalenkosky flipping to the covering Cabrera.
“They said the first pitch he threw me was 101 and I couldn’t believe it; 101 – that’s gas,” Rodriguez said after going 0-for-2 and starting a double play in the field while playing three innings. “I mean what’s going on? First the bunt yesterday and now 101.

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Alex Rodriguez heads back to the dugout after grounding out in the 1st inning.

“The good news for me is I didn’t hit 101 before either hip surgery. . . . . It’s not very often you see 101, even at our level.”
Rodriguez is 0-for-4 now two games into the 20-day stint before he returns to the Yankees. While there still are no hits, there are some positives to hold on to.
Rodriguez called the double play “tricky” because he had to wait for the second baseman to reach the base, but he fielded it cleanly and executed it well. On his second at-bat – a groundout to second – he flashed some speed down the baseline. And, most important to him, he is feeling physically strong; that was the main concern of Joe Girardi when the two exchanged text messages Wednesday morning.

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Alex Rodriguez flashes some leather and turns a 5-4-3 double play.

“It’s going to probably take me half a dozen games at least to start even thinking about any type of results (at the plate). I’m most interested to see how my body reacts from back-to-back games,” Rodriguez said. “As I get into 6-7 games into my games I want to start driving the ball and seeing the ball come off the bat a little bit.”
“I don’t mind if I save all my hits for New York,” he added with a smile.
Rodriguez will work out in Charleston on Thursday before flying to Tampa. On Friday he will play his third rehab game with the Class-A Tampa Yankees at Lakeland. He said he could end up with the Tampa team for a few games depending on forecasts and that he will begin playing longer stretches than three innings at a time soon.

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Alex Rodriguez still looks rusty at the plate and goes 0-for-2 for the second straight night with the RiverDogs.

As the Daily News reported, one end-game for Rodriguez could be retiring because he is medically unable to perform any more, allowing him to collect of the remaining four years of his contract. Whether for show or not, he didn’t make it sound like that was part of his plan.
“I have a responsibility and I have a job to do. I don’t believe in giving up,” Rodriguez said. “That’s the way I am wired. I love competition. I love the game. Obviously there’s going to be a tremendous amount of nay-sayers out there (but) I am looking forward to going out and contributing to help my team win. It’s what I’ve done since I was 3 years old.”
Yanks infielder Eduardo Nunez also is on rehab assignment with the RiverDogs and played six innings at shortstop, going 0-for-2 with a walk and a run scored. He will play with Double-A Trenton starting Friday. Barring a second setback from his strained left oblique, he should return to the Bombers well before Rodriguez, who is on pace to return to the Yanks on July 22 in Texas.
“I felt good. That’s what, for me, is the barometer I am looking for: to come back off back-to-back days even though it’s three innings,” Rodriguez said. “We’ll start ramping up.
“It’s only three innings but that’s the first time in over eight months I’ve gone out back-to-back to play defense. That’s the one part of the simulation games you can’t (replicate). It’s the defense.”