Ponting backs Warner, Hughes for Ashes

Former Australia skipper Ricky Ponting on Tuesday backed dumped batsmen David Warner and Phil Hughes to make their mark in the Ashes series against England starting next month.

Ponting, who retired from international cricket last year after 168 Tests, believes both players warrant their places and feels Hughes, in particular, has been harshly treated.

The 24-year-old has already been axed three times and been shuffled up and down the order.

'He is clearly our best young batsman in the country,' Ponting told Australian Associated Press, referring to Hughes, on the current one-day tour of India but missing from the Test team since July.

'The guy knows how to bat. He knows how to score runs. And he's just the sort of character that you love to have around your team.

'He would be somebody that I would give a spot in the order and let him go about making that his own... if you give him a bit of love and a bit of stability around his game, I'm sure he'll come good.'

Ponting has previously been critical of selectors chopping and changing Australia's batting line-up and has urged them to 'pick and stick' with a top six.

He said wayward Warner, who has been in regular trouble and was axed for punching English opener Joe Root during the tour of England earlier this year, will have learned from his exclusion.

'To me, some of the things that have happened have just been almost tell-tale signs of someone just under extreme pressure,' Ponting said of Warner, who has been in fine form for his state side New South Wales after being overlooked for the India tour.

'The thing about Davey, he hasn't had a break from any cricket for about two years... and it's such a high-pressurised environment. You need to be able to get away and let a bit of steam off here and there.

'Whenever he has tried to do that, he has got himself in a little bit of trouble.

'He would have learned from that and it will make him a better person and hopefully a better cricketer.'

Australia, who have won only one of their 10 Tests this year, play five Tests against England starting at Brisbane's Gabba on November 21.

England are due to arrive in Perth late Friday.

Stenson in doubt for Shanghai Masters

Swede Henrik Stenson is in serious doubt for his return to golf at this week's BMW Masters in Shanghai.

FedEx Cup champion Stenson arrived in the Chinese business capital sporting blue 'spider' tape on a swollen right forearm, revealing he sustained the injury while practicing last week at the Lake Nona course in Orlando, Florida.

The current World No. 4, who is commencing a seven-event run to end his season, was to undergo an MRI scan on his forearm at a Shanghai hospital later Tuesday.

'I've had four weeks off since the Tour Championship but unfortunately I've got a bit of a problem with my right wrist and forearm,' he said.

'I am hoping to get it sorted over the next couple of days but at the moment I'm not in great shape and I'm not certain of playing this week here in Shanghai.

'I really don't know how it happened as I was practicing last week back in Florida but on Wednesday and Thursday I just felt it ache a little bit and it's just got progressively sore and a little swollen.

'Then on the flight over here it felt just worse and worse and I couldn't hit any golf balls yesterday and instead I had treatment on it, and was advised to have an MRI on it to make sure there is nothing major wrong.'

After winning both the season-ending Tour Championship and FedEx Cup on the PGA Tour, Stenson has returned to the European Tour season-ending four event Final Series looking to finish the year also as European Tour No. 1

Stenson currently leads the number two Race to Dubai placed Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland by 425,573 euros in this week's event carrying a first prize cheque of 852,660 euros.

'I'm no expert on wrist injuries but this spider-like tape on my arm is supposed to draw some fluids out and help lift the skin and make it easier for treatment,' he added.

'I'm on pain-killers, anti-inflammatories and I've been having regular icing and while it's quite painful I'm just hoping there is nothing serious.

'It's very worrying especially as this will be the first week of a seven tournament stretch for me, so it's not the best scenario to be having a wrist problem.

'But it is what it is and I will be guided by what the doctors inform me and, as I said, it won't be nothing too serious.

'I've had a problem before in my left wrist but this is the first time I've developed an injury in my right wrist.

'So if it's not feeling any better I will have to withdraw and hope it's better for next week's HSBC Champions here also in Shanghai.'

And fellow Swede Peter Hanson, who is this week's defending champion, is also hoping he will not suffer a recurrence of a long nagging back injury that forced him out of the recent Seve Trophy in France

Pakistan’s modest world snooker champion

Rising sports stars regularly spout the cliche about not letting success change them, but in the case of Mohammad Asif, Pakistan's sole current world champion, it seems to be true.

The 31-year-old was given a hero's welcome when he returned to Pakistan after winning the amateur world snooker championship a year ago, feted by politicians and media alike.

He still lives in the same modest house in a nondescript corner of Faisalabad, an industrial city in Punjab province, and still practises at the same grubby basement club.

He says he has seen nothing of the $100,000 reward promised him by the government for his win, but his success has made him a superstar in the city once known as the 'Manchester of Pakistan' for its countless cotton mills.

'Wherever I go, thanks be to God, I get special love from the people, everybody is caring and praying for me,' he told AFP.

'Now everyone in the city recognises me, which gives me pleasure.'

The biggest change for Asif has been his wheels. Gone is his rickety old motorbike, replaced by a gleaming black Toyota Corolla emblazoned with 'M. Asif -- World Champion' -- a gift from Pakistan's richest man, property tycoon Malik Riaz.

Asif is only the second Pakistani to win the world title, after Mohammed Yousuf, nearly 20 years ago, but his campaign nearly ended before it began.

A shortage of funds meant the Pakistan Billiards and Snooker Federation (PBSF) had practically given up hope of sending players to last year's championship in Bulgaria until a slew of personal donations allowed Asif to board the plane.

The shy, softly spoken Asif repaid their generosity with a fairytale win, beating England's Gary Wilson 10-8 in the final.

Now he has his sights set on matching the achievement of his professional counterpart Ronnie O'Sullivan, who in May successfully defended the world crown he won in 2012.

'I am ready to defend my title and am confident I will win it again,' Asif said ahead of the tournament in Latvia starting on November 27.

Asif helped Pakistan to victory in last month's world team championship in Ireland and he said the experience has brought him added mental steel.

'The recent wins have boosted my morale and have matured my game. I have learnt how to handle the pressure, which is key in snooker,' he said.

All being well, Asif plans to turn professional next year thanks to a $20,000 sponsorship deal from entrepreneur Nadeem Omar.

Illustrious names like Jimmy White, James Wattana and Ken Doherty are all former amateur champions, with the Irishman being the only player so far to have held both the amateur and professional crowns.

Despite enjoying great popularity at amateur level around Pakistan, snooker struggles for funding and exposure in a country obsessed with cricket.

While cricket stars earn good livings with big-money sponsorship deals and endorsements for everything from banking to shampoo, snooker is left to struggle on thanks to the efforts of dedicated amateurs.

But for Asif, there is no comparison.

'This is the best game. Technically there is a lot of joy in it, you have to beat your opponent by yourself whereas in cricket you have to rely on your teammates,' he said, noting that the sport had a distinguished history in Pakistan.

'Our founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah also used to play this game.'

U2 unveil new track, Ordinary Love

U2 have unveiled their first new song in three years.
The Irish band's long-awaited comeback track, entitled 'Ordinary Love', features in the trailer for the new Nelson Mandela biopic, 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom'.
The song was written specifically for the film and is also rumoured to feature on the 'With or Without You' hitmakers' next album.
The anthem features lyrics such as 'The sea wants to kiss the golden shore / The sunlight wants our skin / All the beauty that's been lost before / Wants to find us again /
'We can't fall any further / If we can't feel ordinary love / We cannot reach any higher / If we can't feel ordinary love.'
U2 are currently working on their new album, speculatively titled '10 Reasons to Exist', which is scheduled for an early 2014 release.
Adam Clayton, the band's bassist, recently revealed they were trying to get the new tracks 'absolutely right' before Christmas.
He said: 'I think it's a bit of a return to U2 of old, but with the maturity, if you like, of the U2 of the last 10 years. It's a combination of those two things and it's a really interesting hybrid.
'We're in the studio. We're trying to get these 12 songs absolutely right and get them finished by the end of November, and then we can kind of enjoy Christmas.'

Celebrity photographer for Prince George’s christening?

A celebrity photographer will take the official pictures to mark Prince George's christening.
Jason Bell, 44, has an impressive portfolio which includes shoots for Vanity Fair and Vogue magazine, and is believed to be Duchess Catherine and Prince William's favoured choice for Wednesday's (23.10.13) ceremony. 
He will take a traditional picture of the Queen with the three future British monarchs - Prince Charles, Prince William and baby George.
Two other photographers including, 66-year-old John Swannell - who took the official portraits for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee last year - and Jill Edelstein - who has taken portraits of Nelson Mandela and supermodel Kate Moss - were interviewed for the highly sought after spot but were not selected.
John told The Sunday Times newspaper: 'I believe they have gone for someone younger and perhaps more modern.
'William is his own man and he makes his own choices. And actually that's a good thing for the country and the organisation he represents.'
The two-month-old prince's baptism will take place at the Chapel Royal at St James's Palace, instead of at traditionally used Buckingham Palace. 
The chapel is believed to be of significance to William as it is where he and his brother, Prince Harry, mourned the loss of their mother Princess Diana before her funeral in 1997.

Nicole Kidman to star in Strangerland

Nicole Kidman has signed up to star in 'Strangerland'.
The Oscar-winning actress will return to her native Australia, along with Guy Pearce and Hugo Weaving, for a new mystery drama about a couple whose teenage children disappear into the Aussie outback.
The movie will be directed by Kim Farrant based on a script written by Fiona Seres and Michael Kinirons.
'Strangerland' is being produced by Naomi Wenck and Macdara Kelleher, representing Dragonfly Pictures and Fastnet Films.
The role marks the latest homecoming for Kidman, who previously starred with Hugh Jackman in Baz Luhrmann's epic historical film 'Australia' in 2008.
Last week, the actress signed on to star in a psychological thriller, 'The Silent Wife', based on A.S.A. Harrison's best-selling novel.
Kidman will next be seen playing Hollywood icon-turned-princess Grace Kelly in new biopic, 'Grace of Monaco', which was recently pushed back from its December release date to spring 2014.
The film's director Olivier Dahan has slammed studio boss Harvey Weinstein, who produced the film, over his decision to delay the film and re-edit it, and he has thus far refused to sign off on Weinstein's version of the movie.
He said: 'It's right to struggle, but when you confront an American distributor like Weinstein, not to name names, there is not much you can do. Either you say, 'Go figure it out with your pile of s**t' or you brace yourself so the blackmail isn't as violent ... If I don't sign, that's where the out-and-out blackmail starts, but I could go that far. There are two versions of the film for now: mine and his ... which I find catastrophic.'

Not Sure If champions or Spain vs. Italy and Germany vs. England!

Posted by : Ahmed Foad

Well, let’s recap the next matches in the Champions league rounds, actually there are four epic clashes which makes me feel that this round is marked by Spain vs. Italy and Germany vs. England.

Now, let’s start with Spain versus Italy, this round of champions league will feature Fc Barcelona versus A.C Milan and Real Madrid versus Juventus. For the first Match it will take place in San Siro and for the last 3 year Barcelona vs. Milan was typical classic match in the champions league and Barca had the winner kick Milan out of the competition, last year was a 2-0 loss in the San Siro and an epic comeback from Barca to take the winner 4-0 in the Camp nou. For Barca, the winning streak reached an end of 8 games as a draw in last game, but still Barca on the top of the league; however, the Rossoneri is the 8th falling 13 point behind, as Roma is still wining the last game against Udinese. Let us not forgot that the best player in the world is back; Aka Leo Messi and his two awesome goals in last year camp nou match was a real game changer.

Real Madrid versus Juventus will take place in Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday at 8:45, Real Madrid will enter the match confident enough as they are the leaders of the group with 6 points after two awesome performances in the last 2 matches in group stage as well as the comeback of the 100 Million Player, of course I’m talking about the one and only, Gareth Bale. Moreover, the previous week in Spanish league was good for Madrid; the blugrana draw and Atlético Madrid lost marks that cause Real Madrid to strongly be back in the league for Juventus. a team which won 2 consecutive Seria A and still perform poorly at the champions league with 2 draws and 2 points and for the league team's poor performance still there, as they let a two-goal lead slip against not such a strong team to lose 4-2 at Fiorentina. And, falling 5 points behind AS Roma so will (Antonio Conte) contain the loss of The “Old Lady” and perform well in one of the European stronghold, AKA The Santiago Bernabeu.

Germany V.s England on Tuesday 8:45 we have The Gunners (Arsenal) versus Borussia Dortmund in the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal on the top of the premier league with awesome performance thanks to the most successful transfer this season the dangerous MesutÖzil winning 4-1 last game in the league and the champions league no difference top of the group 2 wins 6 points thanks to Ozil once more assisting and scoring one of the best CL goals this season confidently going against last year runner up The Black and Yellows and second in the group with a win over Marseille and lose to Napoli and good performance in the Bundesliga as they are the second in with 22 points after the Bavarian team Bayern. I am quite confident that this match will be full of energy as both teams depend on the young players with lots of energy.

Finally, in Germany vs. England FC Schalke 04 vs. Chelsea F.C. in the Veltins-Arena, Schalke a respectful competitor in the champions and top of the group with 2 win and 6 points will face Chelsea who has a single win and one loss to be the 2nd in the group with 3 points, Chelsea entering the game confident with 4-1 win over Cardiff City in the premier league and being the 2nd in the premier league with only 1 point lower than the other team from long “The Gunners” Also, the returning coach José Mourinho always stuns the football fans with his champions league performance and again I’m confident this match will be no exception.