We expect to beat any side at home: Strauss

Andrew Strauss is optimistic of a smooth transfer of power from Alastair Cook when he resumes the England captaincy next week for the npower Test series against India.

Since he led the side to a 1-0 Test series victory over Sri Lanka, Strauss has watched Stuart Broad lead the Twenty20 team and Cook supervise a 3-2 victory in the one-day series.

"I've seen a few of the lads over the last couple of weeks and it didn't feel particularly different," he said. "We never know how things will work out and it would be arrogant for me to assume that it will be exactly as it was. But, we're not doing radically different things. It should be a fairly smooth transition."

Strauss considers the upcoming series against India as tough as the historic Ashes but he is banking on home advantage to upstage the world's No. 1 side.

"This series against India is certainly up there with the Ashes. I think the one thing we have in our advantage over the Ashes is home advantage," said Strauss ahead of the series starting July 21 at the Lord's.

"We expect to beat any side at home � and so you should � because it is a substantial advantage. But you only have to look at what India have done in the last two years to know they will be incredibly confident," he added.

Tough it might be but Strauss said the prospect of facing the world's top side is also a huge motivation to do well.

"They have a lot of good players and are heavily motivated to win. We will have to be at our best if we want to compete with them. We're under no illusions on that, but that excites us.

"In international cricket, you always need challenges like this. I think we're better equipped than in 2007. We've had a lot of success recently and we're a more competent unit. We've been progressing every series we've played over the last couple of years," he said.

"Over the next four Test matches we're more than capable of winning. That motivation of playing against the best side in the world is just what we need at the moment," Strauss added.

Strauss's preparations for the Test series took in a session of high-speed driving at the Jaguar testing track in Warwickshire on Tuesday.       

The Times, London

Related Report: Page 14

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Corinthians: Tevez not more than �35m

Corinthians president Andres Sanchez has told Manchester City that his club will not increase their �35 million offer for Carlos Tevez.

City rejected the Brazilian club's offer on Tuesday and had hoped for a bid closer to their �50m valuation of the unsettled striker. But Sanchez said: "If City want �50m then he will stay in England," said Sanchez.

"Corinthians are not going to improve the offer. If we haven't closed the deal by Sunday, it won't happen this year.

"It would have to be a loan, we cannot buy him. That (�50m) is an absurd figure, unviable for the Brazilian football market." Sanchez said he had agreed personal terms with Tevez and the Argentine had agreed to take a pay cut "because it's his desire to come back".

Real Madrid may offer Tevez the chance to stay in Europe, but so far Corinthians are the only club to bid.

Tevez's agent Kia Joorabchian has talked up a switch to Real, saying that a move to Spain would solve most of Tevez's problems

Joorabchian said: "For Carlos, the main motivation for leaving City is not to go to another club in the Premier League, but to move to a city where his family can adapt.

"A move to Spain might solve that problem. It's about the language and the culture. In Spain, they speak the same language. You see a lot of Argentinian and Brazilian players live in Spain and they have adapted very easily."

Earlier, Joorabchian said, "Tevez has set his heart on a return to the club he left to join West Ham five years ago — the start of a turbulent spell in England which has also involved two seasons at both Manchester United and City.

"His dream and mine is to see him back with Corinthians," Joorabchian said. It is thought the massive transfer fee would be funded through sponsorship and money from TV rights.

Joorabchian had also claimed that Tevez was helping drive the Corinthians deal.

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Uruguay in last eight

14-time champions set up clash with Argentina

La Plata:Uruguay eliminated Mexico from the Copa America on Tuesday to set up a mouth-watering quarter-final clash with Argentina, while Chile finished top of Group C after a 1-0 win over Peru. Mexico lost 0-1.

Mexico, who were effectively fielding an under-22 side at the Copa, exit the competition after three consecutive losses.

Chile topped the group, with Uruguay in second place and Peru third. All three sides progress to the quarter finals, although Chile and Peru will have to wait to find out who they face next.

"I congratulate Chile, their coach Claudio Borghi and the players," Peru coach Sergio Markarian said afterwards. "In my opinion, and with all respect to all the other teams, Chile have played the best football in the competition over their three matches."

World Cup semi-finalists Uruguay, having drawn their opening two matches, took the lead through Alvaro Pereira after 14 minutes, the midfielder taking advantage of a deflection from a Diego Forlan free kick to bury the loose ball from close range.

The Uruguayans dominated much of the match but failed to add to their score. Forlan hit the inside of the post with a low shot in the 30th minute and Luis Suarez missed by inches in the 36th.

Giovani Dos Santos had Mexico's best chance in the first half, forcing Fernando Muslera into a diving save in the 25th.

Uruguay pressed for an insurance goal in the second half, dominating most of the possession.

Forlan, who had not scored in his previous nine matches with the national team, was alone in front of the net in the 63rd but shot over the crossbar, and did so again in the 78th.

Uruguay had a half-dozen scoring chances in the second half and hit the post.

It was only in the final 20 minutes that Mexico turned up the heat. They appeared to have equalised in the 89th minute through Rafael Marquez but his effort was ruled out for offside.

It was a disappointing tournament for Mexico, which was the runner-up in 1993 and 2001.

However, the Uruguay-Argentina quarter final pits the two most successful teams in the Copa America against one another. Both teams have won South America's most prestigious competition 14 times.

Chile, looking to win the competition for the first time, needed a 92nd minute own goal from Andre Carillo to beat a stubborn Peruvian side in Mendoza.

Carillo inadvertently bundled the ball into his own net after a scramble in the six-yard box from a corner.

The result means Chile will play whoever finishes second in Group B in the quarter finals in San Juan next weekend. That could be Brazil, Paraguay or Venezuela.

Both Chile and Peru ended the match with 10 men, Chile's Jean Beausejour and Peru's Giancarlo Carmona sent off after an hour for their part in a melee that drew in all 22 players.

Meanwhile, Peru coach Sergio Markarian delivered an angry, rambling diatribe against journalists, coaches and referees following his side's defeat.

He said his defender Giancarlo Carmona had not deserved to be sent off against the Chileans and described the yellow card shown to another of his players, Aldo Corzo, as "laughable".

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In memory of Ballesteros

Sandwich:All the players at this week's Open Championship in Sandwich have signed a book of remembrance for the late Seve Ballesteros.

Three-time winner Ballesteros, the most charismatic European golfer in history, died in May at the age of just 54 after a two-and-a-half-year battle with a brain tumour.

A number of other tributes will be made during the week, with an article in the official programme and numerous photos of the Spaniard around the site, while his image will appear on the drawsheets each day, with the proceeds from those being donated to his charitable foundation.

R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said: "We placed a book of remembrance at the registration for all the players to sign, and all of them have done so, and some of them have chosen — in fact the majority — to write a message in that book.

"That book will be passed on to Seve's family as a memento of this year's championship, of course, but more particularly of Seve's connection with the Open."

"He was the guy they all watched when they were kids and so on, and that he was going to be greatly missed. That was the general thrust of what everyone had to say," Dawson said.

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Wind is likely to force changes

Sandwich:Strong winds currently hitting the Kent coast may prompt the British Open organisers to move some of the most challenging tees at Royal St George's forward for Thursday's opening round.

With a northerly wind gusting up to 30mph as players, including Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke, played their final practice round on Wednesday morning, R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said that the tees on the seventh and 11th holes could be brought forward. The seventh features a long carry over rough that, playing upwind, left some players struggling to reach the fairway on Tuesday, while the short par-three 11th is playing considerably longer than its 243 yards.

"We informed the players at the start of the week that we may move some tees forward, and if this wind remains as it is we will consider it," Dawson said.

"The back tee at the seventh was always going to be challenging given that it is 220 yards to reach the fairway, but on Tuesday some players were having great difficulty reaching it. The seventh and the 11th will be strong candidates to be moved forward if the wind remains as it is. I am a firm believer that players should be able to reach the fairways and the par threes."

Dawson said he was happy with the course set-up and believed that it provided a strategic test that the players would struggle to overcome. "I don't think we will get a lot of low-scoring this year, particularly if the wind remains strong."

Meanwhile, Paul Lawrie, the 1999 champion in atrocious conditions at Carnoustie, feels the wind will help the home-grown players and ensure that he loses his mantle as the last British player to win the Open.

Lawrie has another 65 years or so to go before he has held that unwanted tag as long as Fred Perry has at Wimbledon, but the Scot feels that another British win is not far away. "If it's windy, that would be brilliant," he said. "All our guys have been brought up in the wind.

"It's quite windy out there and quite bouncy," he added. "You are going to have to run the ball in quite a lot as opposed to flying it. On a few of the holes, such as the 6th, you are going to hit it to the back of green no matter how well you hit it."

He tipped the Irish contingent, particularly Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, to do well and said that Luke Donald is in the best form, but was not sure what his record is in windy conditions after playing so much of his golf in the United States.

"Surely with the talent we've got in Britain, all those people in the world rankings, you would expect that it wouldn't be long before we have another winner," he said.

Martin Laird, the world No 26, is the highest ranked Scot although, like Donald, he has played most of his golf in the US and he struggled in the poor weather at the Scottish Open last week, coming 62nd. Lawrie is confident that he can play in the wind, though. "He was born and brought up in Scotland [Glasgow]," he said. "You don't lose that knowledge."

He also praised Scott Jamieson, who qualified for the British Open last week. "Two years ago, he was playing EuroPro [the third-tier Tour]," he said. "His achievement is fantastic. To finish birdie-birdie last week to get an Open spot says a lot about him."

Lawrie has missed seven cuts at the Open since 1999, but says that he has "a wee chance", adding "the draw is a huge part at the Open. Get stuffed by the draw and it is hard to get in contention."

He played with Tom Watson on Tuesday, the five-time British Open champion, and admits to being a little starstruck. "I just love to watch him," he said. "He takes all the spin off the driver and keeps the ball down low. I took a video of his swing on my phone on the seventh and will try to copy it on the range. "It's a brilliant swing, he's a legend," he said.

The Daily Telegraph

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Narain and Karun hit back

London:Karun Chandhok and Narain Karthikeyan defended their achievements in Formula One on Wednesday after dismissing recent comments by Force India team owner Vijay Mallya.

"I think it's a bit sad that in one breath the chairman of our Indian ASN (National Sporting Authority) is talking about how much he has done for Indian drivers and then in the next breath he is criticising India's only two Formula One drivers," Chandhok said on Wednesday. "Having never tested either Narain or myself in one of his cars, he doesn't have the facts."

Karthikeyan said, "Against all the odds, both of us have made it to Formula one."

(Reuters)

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PCB takes apex body to task for PTT report

Lahore:The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has rejected most of the recommendations and suggestions of the International Cricket Council's task force on Pakistan cricket and described its report as "faulty, superfluous and full of factual errors".

In a hard hitting response to the report, the PCB said that it appeared to be more of a scholarly exercise than being Pakistan specific.

"The entire report has been prepared without the task force ever visiting Pakistan (except for a brief chat of a few hours that David Richardson had with a few ex-players during his visit to Karachi, in January 2011, or perhaps some input to the task force from Ramiz Raza)," the PCB response said.

"This raises serious questions on the observations given in the report," it added.

The special task force was constituted by the ICC after the Sri Lankan team was attacked by militants in Lahore in March, 2009.

Initially, it was supposed to review only the security situation in Pakistan and suggest ways for international teams to resume touring Pakistan but later its mandate was increased to include other cricket-related issues in the country.

Reacting to Pakistan criticism, Haroon Lorgat, the ICC chief executive on the other hand said that it was not mandatory for the PCB to implement the recommendations and observations made by the special task force.

Lorgat said from Dubai that the task force report was meant to suggest to the PCB ways and means to improve their cricket structure.

"It is not binding on the PCB to implement all recommendations or observations of the task force. But we are hopeful that they will study it and their governing body would see the importance of implementing some, if not all, recommendations and observations of the task force," Lorgat said.

"As far as the factual errors are concerned, yes, there might be some… But at the same time, we had shown a draft copy of the report to the chief operating officer of the PCB Subhan Ahmad to check it out before we gave it a final shape and submitted it," Lorgat added.

However, last year the ICC had even threatened to penalise the PCB if it failed to implement some of the reforms suggested by it in its initial findings.

The final report, submitted at the ICC executive council meeting, had particularly hit out at the involvement of the President of Pakistan in cricket matters and the unilateral powers enjoyed by the chairman of the Board.

It also made recommendations on other issues including selection matters, appointment of managers and central contracts — something that didn't go down well with the PCB.

"The circumstances in Pakistan are unique and cricket administration requires and deserves government support without which international cricket may not be able to return to Pakistan. Keeping in view the extraordinary security situation in the country, having the President as the patron of PCB adds tremendous value and comfort," the PCB said.

"…This system is in place since the PCB became a full-member of ICC and it should be appreciated that a system which has propelled Pakistan to the top of the cricket world has been in place for approximately 60 years and cannot certainly be labelled as 'faulty,'" it added.

The PCB also noted that a number of recommendations in the report are incorrect, superfluous or redundant.

"For instance the number of contracted players mentioned in task force's report is incorrect and the observation that PCB does not have a Public Comment Policy is also not true."

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River Rule upsets

River Rule, a friendless runner from trainer Rakesh Singh's yard, scored a fluent victory over the course-favourite, Ohiyesa, in the 1,400m Anekal Plate, the main event in the Mysore race card, on Wednesday. Apprentice S. Mubarak, who partnered the winner, rode a well-judged race on the five-year-old mare, by Royal Kingdom out of House Of The Hill.RESULTS

(With inter-state dividends)

1. Magadi Plate1,400m: (4-1-5)Azita (Stephane) 1, Always On Top 2, Galaxy 3. Won by:5-3/4, 9; (1-28.48). Tote:Win Rs 17; Place: 10, 10, 19; Quinella: 14; Shp:19; Tanala: 60. Fav:Azita (4).

2. Doddaballapura Plate1,200m: (7-6-5)Killer Foot (Melvyn) 1, Pokemon Master 2, Supreme Strength 3. Not run:Catapult (4). Won by:1-1/2, Lnk; (1-15.45). Tote:Win Rs 31; Place: 13, 32, 19; Quinella: 153; Shp: 122; Tanala: 2,059. Fav:Killer Foot (7).

3. Konark Plate1,600m: (8-10-2)Alchesaye (Harish) 1, Mister Trooper 2, Haggler 3. Won by:1/2, 2-1/4; (1-41.41). Tote:Win Rs 30; Place: 15, 55, 31; Quinella: 491; Shp: 197; Tanala: 5,654. Fav:Alchesaye (8).

4. Grey Gaston Cup1,600m: (9-8-11)Mr Genious (Steyn) 1, Hidalgo 2, Gentle Legend 3. Won by:3/4, 3/4; (1-43.97). Tote:Win Rs 214; Place: 49, 17, 48; Quinella: 318; Shp: 70; Tanala: 14,634. Fav:Hidalgo (8).

5. Anekal Plate1,400m: (4-2-6)River Rule (Mubarak) 1, Ohiyesa 2, Classical Dancer 3. Won by:1-1/2, 5-1/2; (1-25.45). Tote:Win Rs 156; Place: 26, 12, 32; Quinella: 104; Shp: 31; Tanala: 3,495. Fav:Ohiyesa (2).

6. Davanagere Plate1,400m: (4-2-6)All For Cash (Stephane) 1, Chief De Mission 2, Cationic 3. Not run:Swept Away (9). Won by:1-1/4, 1-1/2; (1-27.38). Tote:Win Rs 29; Place: 16, 18, 15; Quinella: 75; Shp: 59; Tanala: 236. Fav:All For Cash (4).

Jackpot:Rs 88,130 (Carried over).

Treble:(i) Rs 124; (ii) Rs 41,969.

For live action from the turf, log on to

www.telegraphindia.com/race

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Fitness worries Clarke

Brisbane:Australia captain Michael Clarke was forced to retire hurt following a recurrence of a chronic back problem while batting in a practice match against a Queensland XI, here, on Wednesday.

That's bad news for the Aussies ahead of their busy season which includes series against Sri Lanka, India and South Africa.

If the nature of the injury is serious enough to sideline Clarke, the doors of captaincy will open for all-rounder Shane Watson.

Watson led the Australians in the practice match while Clarke joined Ricky Ponting, who missed the fixture due to calf soreness, at the sidelines.

Tim Nielsen, Australia's coach, said Clarke and Ponting were being cautiously managed.

Back problems have always troubled Clarke through his career.

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Unique Star for feature

Mysore:Dinesh Pujar-trained Unique Star (Melvyn Maseyk-up), is fancied to lift the upper divsion of the 1,200m Indraprastha Cup, here, on Thursday.

SELECTIONS

2.15pm:High Treason 1.Visual Element 2. Nicoletta 3.

2.45pm:Refuse To Bend 1. Nishi Girl 2. Aahana 3.

3.15pm:Maratha Conqueror 1. Crackerjack 2. Good Companion 3.

3.45pm:Noble Sacrifice 1. Kingdom Of Love 2. A Run To Remember 3.

4.15pm:Unique Star 1. Swiss Queen 2. Hurry Anna 3.

4.45pm:Sugar Gold 1. Nice Guy 2. Chamcha In Chief 3.

5.15pm:Behram 1. Bold Police 2. Hampton Court 3.

Day's Best:Unique Star Double:Noble Sacrifice & Sugar Gold.

BANGALORE DERBYCalcutta: The dispute with syces having been resolved, the Bangalore Derby weekend races will be held as per the new schedule, on Saturday and Sunday, according to a Bangalore Turf Club notification.

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Pollard wishes to 'test' himself

Depending on your viewpoint, Kieron Pollard is the most exciting cricketer in the world today or a symbol of everything that is wrong with the modern game. A peerless entertainer or a guileless slugger; a thrilling maverick or a craven mercenary.

In an age when the rewards for cricketers are greater than ever, Pollard towers above the field. Here is a man who has become a millionaire despite never having played a Test match, who has made his fortune on the basis of being able to strike a ball harder and cleaner than anyone else in the world.

Pollard is not oblivious to this criticism. On the field, he may be a violent, brutal man. But he is also an intelligent man. And he has his own side of the story to tell.

Pollard's own story began in Trinidad, where he was raised by a single mother in a poor home with his two sisters. "It was a place where there are a lot of criminal activities, and stuff like that. Coming from a family background with a single mother, being the eldest, I was the one who had to go to school in order to have a better life."

It is these instincts that still guide the 24 year-old, more so now that he has Kaiden, a 17-month-old son of his own.

"People have said a lot of things: 'T20 freelancer', 'it's only about the money'. But my instinct is to provide and to play cricket. My two sisters are still at school, my mum is still at home, and I provide for every one of them. I told my mum that she doesn't have to work now."

But with his financial future now secure, the priorities are changing.

"Test cricket is always going to be the ultimate. My ambition is to play in all three formats. I decided not to go to the T20 tournament in South Africa because I wanted to play first-class cricket in the Caribbean.."

You sense that nothing Pollard says will sway his most ardent critics. But for a man accused of destroying Test cricket, he holds a suspiciously strong desire to play it. For someone castigated as a pariah, a philistine, a soldier of fortune, he is in reality something far simpler: just a cricketer. Just a family man, striving to earn a living.

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Mudgal begins probe

New Delhi:Justice Mukul Mudgal on Wednesday began his enquiry into the athletics doping fiasco by meeting three tainted athletes, officials and Ukrainian sprint coach Yuri Ogorodinik, at National Institute of Sports (NIS) in Patiala.

While the three athletes, according to sources, handed over Justice Mudgal a handwritten note from one of the coaches recommending questionable food supplements, a suspended doctor at the NIS alleged he was forcibly stopped from meeting Mudgal.

"Justice Mudgal visited the NIS in the morning and stayed for a couple of hours," said a source adding international medal winners Mandeep Kaur and Sini Jose presented their cases in front of the one-member committee, appointed by the sports ministry.

"To prove that all food supplements taken by them were recommended by the coaches, the athletes also produced a handwritten note from one of the coaches. The note is believed to have names of some food supplements bought from outside the national camp," an official said.

Eight top ranking Indian athletes have been put under suspension after they failed dope tests for taking performance-enhancing drugs. The list includes Ashwini Akkunji, Mandeep Kaur, Sini Jose and Juana Murmu.

While Mudgal met the athletes and officials and questioned Ogorodinik, suspended medical officer Dr Sanjib Nandi alleged he was beaten up by security personnel when he wanted to meet Justice Mudgal.

"I have some vital information on how systematic doping is done in Indian sports. I wanted to meet Mudgal but I was thrown out of the NIS complex and was beaten up by the guards there," he alleged.

NIS officials, however, denied Dr Nandi's claim and said Justice Mudgal was only meeting people he wanted to. "Dr. Nandi was only asked to leave the premises," he said.

A senior sports ministry official told The Telegraphthat Dr Nandi has been asked to come to the capital.

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Sachin's flamboyance is back, feels Nasser

Former captains warn England of the Tendulkar threat

London:Former England captains Michael Vaughan, Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton and Graham Gooch have warned that even at the twilight of his international career, Sachin Tendulkar would be the biggest threat to England when they take on India in a Test series starting here on July 21.

"Sachin's a different player now from 2007; the best players in the world change little things about themselves to keep themselves in the game. In the last two years he's become more aggressive, he's gone back to his old way of trying to score when for a period he tried to survive," Vaughan told a cricket-based magazine.

"Chris Tremlett bowled well against him in 2007 and he's a miles better bowler now. But Sachin doesn't have any weakness although every batsman is vulnerable on and around the off stump early on. England might go aggressive at him, test him with a few short balls � I've seen people do that over the last two years and it hasn't affected him," he added.

Hussain said Tendulkar has rediscovered his aggressive instincts in recent years.

"Technically and mentally Sachin has changed little over the years but he has changed his game plan. He began as a flamboyant, extravagant stroke-maker, who had all the shots and simply loved the game.

"Once the records and the hundreds started to be racked up, he turned into a run-machine. His priority was his wicket. Once Sehwag arrived, he was happy to let him tee off. In the last couple of years he has rediscovered his flamboyance and is playing shots again," he added.

Atherton recalled how disastrous it can be to give Tendulkar a life when he is not settled.

"I dropped him in the gully at Trent Bridge (in 1996) and he went on to get a big hundred. He's not a man you want to put down early on. He was calm at the crease, difficult to get out of his bubble. There weren't any flaws. He was just a very solid, orthodox player.

"One of the most remarkable things is that he has hardly changed at all � exactly the same set-up, very few changes to his method. He's trusted in his technique and power all this time. He's stayed true to his game," he said.

Gooch went down memory lane to recall the young Tendulkar.

"No one had ever seen him in 1990. As a 17-year-old it was evident that the lad had great skill, great balance, great timing, an eye for the ball. You could see he had all the attributes to make a top player.

"For one so young he had a poise and composure about his batting. You don't often get that in young players; you get the talent and the stroke-making but poise, authority and composure normally come," he said.

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Shivnarine owes it to Courtney and Curtly

Calcutta:The India-West Indies third Test, in Roseau, not only made Shivnarine Chanderpaul the most-capped West Indian, but also once again highlighted the fact that he is still one of the most reliable batsmen of his team.

Chanderpaul ended with an unbeaten 116 — an innings he rates among his "best because of the situation".

Reflecting on his solid knock, Chanderpaul said: "I would say this was one my best because of the situation of the team when I went in to bat and the way the game was going. To be batting on a fifth day pitch and the way the ball was bouncing and turning — some would grip and bounce and you weren't always sure which way the ball would go. You had to be very patient and very watchful and careful."

Speaking about his experience with the West Indies team, he said: "I gained a lot of knowledge by sitting and listening to other people who I played with over the years.

"I used to listen to Courtney (Walsh) and Curtly (Ambrose). I would sit in the middle of them and they would pass information and I would just be happy to hear their views on cricket. I'm a batsman and I got to understand the way the bowlers would think and that is how I learned a lot — just by listening and learning. I want to help the others in this team get better as individuals and for all of us to get better as a team," he said.