Melbourne, Mar 5: When it comes to producing elite female athletes, small towns excel in nurturing the best talent compared to big cities, says a new research.

In the Australian-Canadian study, involving American-born female athletes playing in the Ladies Professional Golf Association and the Women''s United Soccer Association, researchers looked at their place of birth.

They found about 57 pct of all adolescents were born in cities with a population less than 500,000.

Almost 85pct of professional female golfers and about 80pct of professional female soccer players were born in these less-dense communities.

Wellington, Mar 5: New Zealand vice captain Brendon McCullum is in doubt for the second one dayer against India, starting on Friday.

The Black Caps wicketkeeper and key batsman has injured his right thumb during the series opener in Napier on Tuesday night.

McCullum badly bruised right thumb when he gloved a ball from medium pacer Grant Elliott at McLean Park.

He had previously broken the thumb.

McCullum will bat in the nets today, but will not keep wickets. Northern Districts wicketkeeper Pater McGlashan will replace him behind the stumps.

Sydney, Mar 5: Cricket Australia has sent its officials to Dubai for a safety inspection for the one-day series next month against Pakistan, days after the Sri Lankan tean was fired upon in Lahore.

Cricket Australia officials, including Michael Brown and Australian Cricketers’ Association chief Paul Marsh are in Dubai for the pre-tour inspection, Australia captain Ricky Ponting said.

“Brute (team manager Steve Bernard) left us last night to go to Dubai to do the regular pre-tour visit,” Ponting said.

Sydney, Mar. 5: Former CEO of the International Cricket Council, Malcolm Speed, has said that Tuesday’s terrorist attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Lahore, has changed the way the sport is to be played forever and from Pakistan''s point of view, particularly so.

In an article for the Sydney Morning Herald, Speed described the shocking attack on the Sri Lankans as a cricket administrator''s worst nightmare, and said that such an incident should no longer been seen as an occupational hazard for elite sportsmen and women.

London  - Midfielder Cess Fabregas would consider his future at Arsenal if manager Arsene Wenger were to leave, according to newspaper reports on Thursday.

Wenger's contract expires in June 2010 and, while his Liverpool counterpart Rafa Benitez has been noisily agitating for a new deal, Wenger has remained silent.

Although he has never hinted he might be prepared to leave, there have been suggestions that he is unhappy with the turmoil engulfing the boardroom, and he has been linked with both Real Madrid and Manchester City.

Melbourne, Mar 5: Sri Lankan spin king and the highest wicket taker in the world, Muttiah Muralitharan, has cast doubts on his immediate playing future following Tuesday's traumatic attack in Pakistan.

Muralitharan thought his teammates were being slaughtered before his eyes.

He and Australian Cricketers' Association president Darren Lehmann last night demanded improved security arrangements for international teams after several Sri Lankans were injured in the Lahore attack.