NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League has not honoured the contracts of some foreign stars and not paid them despite repeated reminders, the world players’ union said on Friday.

Simon Katich of Australia and Ramnaresh Sarwan of the West Indies were among “a number of players that are owed contract payments”, the Federation of International Cricketers Association (FICA) said in a statement.

“A number of players whose contracts were ‘subsidised’ by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have recently contacted FICA to assist in recovering the amounts,” FICA chief executive Tim May said.

“Despite numerous attempts by the players to recover these amounts, not only do the amounts still remain unpaid, but the IPL/BCCI have recently failed to respond to communications made by the players and their representatives.

“FICA last month wrote to the (then) IPL chairman Mr Chirayu Amin on behalf of the players to draw his attention to the matter, but to date neither we nor the players have received a response,” said May. (Agencies)

Karachi: The names of Dean Jones, Dermot Reeves and Aaqib Javed are already doing the rounds, but the Pakistan team is not likely to have a full-time coach when it takes on Sri lanka in the upcoming series in the UAE.

Former Pakistan captain Intikhab Alam has hinted that the PCB may appoint an interim coach for the Sri Lanka series.

Intikhab, who heads the special committee formed by PCB to shortlist the coach said. (PTI)

NEW DELHI: Field hockey’s world governing body has warned India it could miss the London Olympics even if it qualifies due to an ongoing tussle over who runs the sport in the country.

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) said it was not in favour of a settlement brokered by the Indian sports ministry that would see rival bodies Hockey India (HI) and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) jointly run the game.

In a letter to the sports ministry, FIH president Leandro Negre said his federation only recognised Hockey India as the governing body for the sport which had exclusive authority to enter national teams in international events.

The FIH wants the government of India to “advise HI and IHF not to proceed with the implementation of their broad arrangement,” Negre wrote in the letter dated September 27.

The FIH also wants the Indian government to settle the money owed to it for organising the World Cup in New Delhi in March last year.

“If the above is achieved… there will be no more concerns about the participation of Indian hockey team in FIH-sanctioned competitions such as London 2012 Olympic Games,” Negre wrote.

The FIH had earlier this month taken away the elite eight-nation Champions Trophy from India and awarded the hosting rights to New Zealand over the same governance issues.

Meanwhile, taking a serious note of FIH’s threat to stop India’s participation in London Olympics if issues relating to the game’s governance in the country were not resolved, the IOA has convened an urgent meeting of Hockey India and Indian Hockey Federation here on October 4.

The meeting will discuss issues raised by the FIH in its letter to Sports Secretary, Sindhusree Khullar and will try to find out an amicable solution to the satisfaction of all, IOA acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra said in a statement today.

“I am quiet hopeful that in the interest of the country and the game, the matter will be resolved,” he said.

“My optimism is based on my talks with FIH president Leandro Negre here last month, during which I made IOA’s stand very clear on the issues raised by him,” he said.

“IOA is totally committed to the IOC charter which clearly states only one association for one sports. I told Mr Negre in no uncertain terms that we do not approve of two federations for one game, be it hockey or any other discipline,” he added.

The IOA president, however, expressed surprise over FIH’s dependency on the government in resolving the dispute.

“The IOC charter, by which FIH also swears, clearly states that government should not intervene in the dispute of a federation where the NOC is looking into it.

“IOA is keenly monitoring the developments relating to hockey and recognises HI as the sole body for the game, so why FIH wants to involve the government?” Malhotra questioned.

“IOA is the supreme sports body in the country and all the national federations and associations function under it. No body can function without its approval and recognition so FIH’s fetish to insist on government intervention, which clearly goes against the IOC charter is surprising,” he added. The FIH letter, signed by president Leandro Negre, mentions seven issues, including the payment India owe to FIH with regard to hosting of the 2010 World Cup. It said that all lawsuits relating to the governance of hockey “must be finally resolved and terminated.” (Agencies)

MANCHESTER: Manchester United strikers Wayne Rooney and Javier Hernandez have recovered from injury and are available for Saturday’s Premier League game at home to Norwich City, manager Alex Ferguson said.

The pair missed Tuesday’s 3-3 home draw with Basel in the Champions League as Rooney was recovering from a hamstring problem and Hernandez from a dead leg. “Wayne and Javier Hernandez will be fit for tomorrow. They trained yesterday very well and I was pleased with that,” Ferguson told a news conference on Friday.

“Jonny Evans also comes back, hopefully that will help us in the defensive part as we’re certainly changing the back four at the moment.”

After Rooney was injured in training before the match against Stoke City last weekend, Ferguson said the England striker could be out “for a few weeks” but he has made a quicker than expected recovery as he bids to continue his fine start to the season which has brought nine goals so far. Although Rooney was also missing against Basel in the Champions League on Tuesday, Ferguson said a shaky defence rather than a weakness in attack was to blame as United threw away a two-goal lead to trail 3-2 before Ashley Young’s last-gasp equaliser.

Ferguson said his team had been rather “cavalier” in their approach and needed to tighten up.

“People say our performance was careless and we under-estimated our opponents and maybe there’s an element of truth in that,” he said.

“I certainly wasn’t happy, even in the first half I could sense we were too relaxed and could have lost three goals in the first half.

“We could have scored goals as well but were too cavalier. We’re attacking in the way we’re playing at the moment and people can enjoy it but we have to do better defensively.”

Unbeaten United have scored 22 goals in six league games so far and are top of the table on goal difference from City. (Agencies)

Madrid: Spanish football coach Vicente del Bosque has resisted the chance to make wholesale changes to his squad that will play the European Championship qualifying matches against the Czech Republic and Scotland Oct 7 and 11.

Spain have already assured their place in the final stage of the competition as group winners, but Del Bosque has only called one new face into his squad for the two matches, Xinhua reported.

Valencia left back Jordi Alba receives his first call up after a series of impressive displays at the start of this season. Spain are struggling to find a specialist left back since Joan Capdevila left the side and Alba will get his chance in one of the two matches.

Del Bosque has, however, resisted the temptation to call Alba’ s team-mate, in form striker Roberto Soldado into the squad, keeping the faith in Fernando Torres.

Torres did not make the matchday squad for Spain’s previous match and his place was under threat from inform Soldado, who has scored six goals this season.

The World Cup winning coach has also recalled Barcelona captain Carles Puyol who will make his first international appearance in over a year, after missing the end of last season with a knee problem. Gerard Pique also returns after injury kept him out of the last internationals, which were against Chile and Liechtenstein.

Squad:

Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas (Real Madrid), Victor Valdes (Barcelona), Pepe Reina (Liverpool).

Defenders: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Raul Albiol (Real Madrid), Alvaro Arbeloa (Real Madrid), Jordi Alba (Valencia).

Midfielders: Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid), Javi Martinez (Athletic) Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona), Cesc Fabrigas (Barcelona), David Silva (Manchester City), Thiago Alcantara (Barcelona), Santi Cazorla (Malaga), Sergio Busquets (Barcelona), Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona), Juan Mata (Chelsea).

Strikers: Fernando Torres (Chelsea), David Villa (Barcelona), Alvaro Negredo (Sevilla), Fernando Llorente (Athletic Madrid). (IANS)

LONDON: English Premier League soccer club Arsenal reported a decline in full-year operating profit as increased wage costs offset a rise in commercial revenue.

The London club, which has endured a poor start to the Premier League season, said underlying operating profit fell to 45.8 million pounds ($71.8 million) in the year to end May from 56.8 million pounds the year before.

Arsenal, who have been criticised by fans for lagging behind rivals such as Manchester City and Manchester United in investment on the playing front, said player wages increased to 124.4 million pounds from 110.7 million pounds the year before.

That represented 55.2 percent of total football revenues, a sharp increase on the 49.7 percent level seen the previous year. Despite the increased investment, the club lost top players Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri during the close season and currently languish in 13th place in the Premier League after six games. (Reuters)

MANCHESTER: Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini ignored the elephant in the room on Friday as he avoided questions on suspended Carlos Tevez and denied this had been a difficult week.

While Alex Ferguson praised his rival for his “strength of character” in dealing with Tevez, who Mancini has said refused to come on in Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at Bayern Munich, the subject was off limits at a City news conference.

The club took the unusual step of reading out a statement beforehand to say that any questions relating directly or indirectly to Tevez would spell the end of proceedings.

“This decision has been made to protect the interests of all parties and safeguard the integrity of the investigation that is currently taking place,” the statement read by chief communications officer Vicky Kloss said.

Mancini, who entered the room joking “Champions League final?” as he clocked the larger than usual press contingent, was happy to discuss the wonderful weather, his bike ride to work and Saturday’s Premier League trip to Blackburn Rovers.

The Italian’s only real reference to a week where he has vowed that Tevez is “finished” at the club while he is in charge, was to deny that this had been the hardest week of his managerial career.

“No, no, absolutely no. Why is it difficult? Some situations can happen in football, in your job,” he said. “It’s important that the past is finished.

“I don’t have any complications. The only complication that we had two days ago is that we lost against Bayern Munich, only this. We started very well, we can do a fantastic season, I don’t have this problem. City have banned Tevez, who has denied refusing to play, for up to two weeks pending an investigation into his conduct which has triggered widespread condemnation.

While there was silence at City, there were plenty of Premier League managers making their views on Tevez known. “The sooner he leaves the country the better,” said Queens Park Rangers boss Neil Warnock, who was manager of Sheffield United when they sued Tevez’s ex-club West Ham United for the cost of relegation as the London side had broken rules on third-party agreements when signing the Argentine.

Manchester United boss Ferguson complimented Mancini on his handling of the matter. “There is nobody more important than the manager at a football club.” (Agencies)