Regrouped Pakistan target win over South Africa

ABU DHABI: Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi hoped his beleaguered side is focused enough to counter a spirited South African team in the back-to-back Twenty20 matches starting here on Tuesday.
Pakistan's recent tour to England was rocked by spot-fixing allegations which prompted a Scotland Yard investigation and the suspension of three of their players by the International Cricket Council.
Test captain Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer were charged for violating various code of conduct during the Lord's Test against England in August, a controversy which Afridi said is a thing of the past.
“My players are professional and have put all the controversy behind them,” Afridi said at the launching ceremony of the series in which Pakistan will also play five one-day internationals and two Tests.
The series is Pakistan's home series shifted to United Arab Emirates over security fears.
Afridi said the team has ample talent to counter the South Africans.
“We know we are without two of our best bowlers in Aamer and Asif,” said Afridi of the two suspended bowlers. “But we still have ample talent to counter South Africa who are a very good side in the shorter form of the game.”
South African captain Johan Botha agreed Pakistan will miss the talent of Asif and Aamer.
“You always miss quality players and surely Pakistan will miss the two (suspended) bowlers, but we too have injury problems in the team and when such things happen other players step in,” said Botha.
Allrounder Jacques Kallis and fast bowlers Morne Morkel and Dale Styen were still recovering from various injuries and may not be able to play the first Twenty 20.
Botha hoped at least two of the three players will be available for the second Twenty 20, also to be played here on Wednesday.
“Playing Pakistan is always a great challenege and they knocked us out in two major Twenty20 matches,” said Botha of Pakistan's wins over South Africa in the second and third World Twenty20 in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
The two sides play the first two one-day in Abu Dhabi before the last three limited over matches in Dubai.
Dubai will also stage the first Test, while the second will be played in Abu Dhabi.
Squads:Pakistan (from): Shahid Afridi (capt), Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Shahzaib Hasan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Umar Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Fawad Alam, Abdul Razzaq, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal, Wahab Riaz, Abdur Rehman, Shoaib Akhtar, Tanvir Ahmed, Zulqarnain Haider
South Africa (from): Johan Botha (capt), Loots Bosman, AB de Villiers, Jean-Paul Duminy, Colin Ingram, Jacques Kallis, David Miller, Graeme Smith, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Dale Steyn, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe

FIFA widens probe into World Cup bids corruption

ZURICH: FIFA widened its probe into alleged World Cup bidding corruption on Monday after a former leading administrator reportedly claimed two candidates have colluded to trade votes.

FIFA said it has “immediately requested to receive all ... potential evidence,” from Britain's Sunday Times newspaper regarding its reporting of comments from Michel Zen-Ruffinen, who was general secretary of football's world governing body for four years until 2002.

Zen-Ruffinen was secretly filmed saying Spain-Portugal and Qatar have struck a deal giving each seven votes from the 24-man FIFA executive committee which is choosing World Cup hosts in December. Spain-Portugal want to host in 2018 and Qatar is a 2022 candidate. Both need 13 votes to guarantee victory under existing rules.

“So they start with seven (votes) which ... was not expected by the other candidates. And this is not just a rumor, that's fact,” Zen-Ruffinen was quoted as saying to undercover reporters who posed as lobbyists claiming to work on behalf of one bidder.

FIFA said it will refer the evidence to its ethics committee which last week officially launched an investigation into alleged illegal collusion between bidders, which it did not name. Officials from the Spain-Portugal and Qatar bids have not confirmed they are being investigated.

“FIFA has immediately requested to receive all the documents and potential evidence that the newspaper has in relation to this matter, and will in any case analyze the material available,” it said in a statement.

“FIFA and the ethics committee are committed to have zero tolerance for any breach of the Code of Ethics and the Bid Registration. FIFA and the ethics committee are determined to protect the integrity of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process.”

The ethics panel also is investigating two current and four former members of FIFA's ruling executive following Sunday Times allegations that the bidding process was shrouded by corruption.

Amos Adamu of Nigeria and Reynald Temarii from Tahiti were filmed seeming to offer their votes in exchange for funding for football projects. They were provisionally suspended from all football duty after appearing last Wednesday before FIFA's ethics court which used videos and transcripts provided by the newspaper.

Adamu and Temarii will miss a two-day meeting of FIFA's executive chaired by Sepp Blatter starting Thursday which is scheduled to finalize voting rules for the secret World Cup ballot on Dec. 2 in Zurich.

Zen-Ruffinen, who left FIFA after alleging financial mismanagement under Blatter's leadership, also was recorded suggesting FIFA voters could be bribed with offers of money or women.

The Swiss lawyer later told the newspaper he exaggerated his claims to help gain a consultancy fee and had only offered to assist reporters contacting FIFA officials.
Zen-Ruffinen's claims will heap more work on to the FIFA ethics committee which is scheduled to deliver verdicts on its separate investigations _ into officials and bidders _ at a meeting in mid-November, less than three weeks before polling day. He could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday.

The four former executive committee members also provisionally suspended are Tunisian lawyer Slim Aloulou, Amadou Diakite of Mali, Botswana's Ismail Bhamjee and Ahongalu Fusimalohi from Tonga.

The 2018 contest is between England, Russia and the joint bids of Belgium-Holland and Spain-Portugal.

The 2022 race involves the United States, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Qatar. -A

Rajasthan Royals take BCCI to court over IPL ouster

NEW DELHI: The Rajasthan Royals have filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against the national cricket board’s decision to expel the franchise from the Indian Premier League.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India removed the Royals earlier this month following charges that it had broken shareholding and ownership rules. King’s XI Punjab was also ousted on similar charges.

The Royals issued a statement on Monday saying: “We have tried to meet with the BCCI to understand the basis for the termination, which was received without notice.

“We do not understand what we have done wrong, and it is therefore our duty to the fans of the IPL, our employees, our players and our partners to pursue the matter.”

The team expect their case to be heard by the court on Wednesday. —A

Two would-be suicide bombers arrested in Karachi

KARACHI: Two suspected suicide bombers were apprehended from Karachi’s Sohrab Goth area on Monday, television reports said.
Police confirmed they had recovered suicide jackets and bombs from the suspects.
Moreover, the Interior Ministry has requested leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to take caution during their movements due to threats against them.
The ministry’s report sent to the MQM said that there were threats against the top leaders of the party, including Farooq Sattar, Babar Ghauri, Haider Abbas Rizvi, Mustafa Kamal and Faisal Sabzwari, television reports quoted sources as saying.

Tony Blair's sister-in-law converts to Islam

LONDON: The sister-in-law of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has converted to Islam following a visit to Iran, claiming she is a “proud member” of the Muslim community.
Lauren Booth has given up alcohol and pork, prays five times a day and has not ruled out wearing a burqa in the future, she told The Mail on Sunday newspaper.
The 43-year-old journalist and reality television contestant underwent the religious conversion on her return to Britain following a visit to the holy Iranian city of Qom six weeks ago.
She said that when she was in Iran, “I sat down and felt this shot of spiritual morphine, just absolute bliss and joy.”Speaking to the newspaper after a multi-faith Global Peace and Unity Event in London on Saturday, Booth said: “What I wanted to share with you today is that I am Lauren Booth and I am a Muslim.
“I always felt that the Ummah (Muslim community) is a very loving, peaceful place and I am proud to be a member of it.”Booth, who works for the English language Iranian news channel Press TV, has frequently criticised her brother-in-law, accusing the former leader of being biased towards Israel and the United States in his role as Middle East peace envoy.
She wrote a scathing open letter in last month's far-left newspaper Morning Star.
“Personally I've never understood this fear of 'political Islam',” she wrote. “It seems to me that religious people should always be educated on world events rather than kept in ignorance. Like, say, Midwest Christian Zionists in the US.”After attending a rally in Iran to mourn Palestinian deaths in cities including Rafah and Nablus, Booth wrote: “Do you recognise these place names, Tony?
“As Middle East envoy, you really should. Israel has massacred children in all of these cities. Didn't you know?”She was refused entry to Israel and Egypt after travelling from Cyprus to Gaza on an activist ship which was protesting the blockade of Palestinian territory.
Religious enlightenment is not unknown in the family with brother-in-law Tony converting to Catholicism in December 2007.Booth is the half-sister of Blair's wife Cherie, who is a human rights lawyer. – AFP

Karzai admits receiving 'bags of money' from Iran

KABUL: Afghan president Hamid Karzai admitted Monday that his chief of staff had received “bags of money” from Iran but insisted the payment was transparent and a form of aid from a friendly country.
Cash payments “are done by various friendly countries to help the presidential office and to help the expenses...” said Karzai at a press conference in Kabul.
The New York Times reported Saturday that Karzai's chief of staff, Umar Daudzai, has been receiving regular cash payments from Iran, which is trying to expand its influence in the presidential palace in Kabul.
“The government of Iran has been assisting us with five or six or seven hundred thousand euros once or twice every year, that is an official aid,” said Karzai.
“He (Daudzai) is receiving the money on my instructions,” he added.
The newspaper, citing unnamed Afghan officials said the payments total millions of dollars and go into a secret fund that Daudzai and Karzai have used to pay Afghan lawmakers, tribal elders and even Taliban commanders to secure their loyalty.
“It's basically a presidential slush fund,” one Western official is quoted by the paper as saying. “Daudzai's mission is to advance Iranian interests.” – AFP