Lahore, Apr. 9 : Pakistani ICL players may have been thinking of making a comeback to the national squad after they announced their readiness to terminate their contracts with the league, but it could take a year or six months of a `cooling period' before it could really happen.

Ipoh, Apr 8 : Indian hockey t

Prague - Coach Petr Rada was sacked and six players banned on Wednesday by the Czech Republic football association, a week after the team lost a key World Cup qualifier to Slovakia.

The association fired Rada, 50, over disappointing results during team's World Cup qualifying campaign, with last week's 2-1 home defeat against Slovakia the final nail in the coffin.

The players were banned for disciplinary reasons over a restaurant visit after the lost game on April 1 which was slammed by the country's tabloids and football officials.

Bloemfontein (South Africa), Apr. 8 : Former Australian cricket team coach John Buchanan believes that the openers are the weak link in the ongoing one-day series against the South Africans.

The Kolkata Knight Riders coach is in Bloemfontein preparing for the second edition of the Indian Premier League that gets underway from April 18.

Buchanan believes the team owed its dominance of several years to the opening partnership of Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden.

Wellington, Apr. 8 : New Zealand cricket team coach Andy Moles has admitted that one of the most annoying aspects of his first summer as New Zealand coach was the side''s inability to make solid starts at the crease.

The former opening batsman said the opening partnership remains a prime concern.

Seven tests into his reign an opening combination are yet to produce a stand of 50 runs. The discarded duo of Jamie How and Aaron Redmond came closest against Australia in Adelaide when they put on 46 in the first innings.

London, Apr. 8 : Coach Rafa Benitez is of the view that Manchester United's Alex Ferguson is scared of his club Liverpool FC.

The Anfield chief said: "He is worried about us and the challenge Liverpool can make. He likes to talk too much about other teams but I don't think it's mind games - I just think he's a little bit scared."

"I want to concentrate on my games but clearly you can see that Manchester United are not playing well so they are feeling the pressure," The Sun quoted him, as saying.