Names In The News

Banned former cricketer SALMAN BUTT "has reportedly admitted his role in the 2010 Lord’s spot-fixing scandal" to Pakistan Cricket Board Chair SHEHARYAR KHAN in a bid to make an early return to domestic cricket. Butt -- who is currently serving a 10-year suspension from cricket, the last five years of which are suspended -- had "expressed his complete regret and was willing to cooperate totally with the ICC" during the meeting with Khan on Tuesday (London GUARDIAN, 2/18). ... DAVID BECKHAM "backed his former team-mate" LUÍS FIGO’s bid to become the next FIFA president. Figo "announced last month that he would stand against" FIFA Pesident SEPP BLATTER. Beckham said he was pleased to hear his old Real Madrid teammate was standing for the position, saying world football’s governing body needed candidates “passionate about the game” (PA, 2/18). ... Former South African cricketer BARRY RICHARDS on Wednesday "called on authorities to legalise ball tampering as a way to redress what he believes is unfair imbalance between bat and ball in the modern game." Richards: "All I want is a 50-50 contest, which it is not now. If it continues the way it is, kids will only want to bat. There will be no bowlers and the game will decline" (IANS, 2/18). ... Northern Ireland’s DARREN CLARKE will captain Europe in the 2016 Ryder Cup match against the U.S. at Hazeltine, Minnesota. Clarke was appointed to succeed 2014 skipper PAUL MCGINLEY after a “five-man selection panel met at the tour's headquarters on the outskirts of London.” Clarke was one of three candidates for the role, along with Spain's MIGUEL ANGEL JIMENEZ and THOMAS BJORN of Denmark (REUTERS, 2/18). ... Filipino boxer MANNY PACQUIAO said a “much-anticipated fight” with unbeaten American FLOYD MAYWEATHER was "near" after he agreed to a “key demand to undergo drug testing.” The eight-division world champion said negotiations were “nearly complete after he dropped his opposition to drugs screening” -- and even suggested a $5M fine if he tests positive. Pacquiao: “(The fight) is near. The negotiations are nearly finished” (AFP, 2/17).

IPL AUCTION: Indian cricketer YUVRAJ SINGH "set a new record as he emerged as the costliest ever buy in the Indian Premier League by going for a whopping" Rs 16 crore ($2.6M). In a "relatively low key" auction, Yuvraj "triggered an unexpected bidding war" with four teams vying for the cricketer's services. Wicketkeeper-batsman DINESH KARTHIK "was another player, who commanded a massive price," going to Royal Challengers Bangalore for Rs 10.5 crore ($1.7M). Sri Lankan captain ANGELO MATHEW [Rs 7.5 crore ($1.2M) to Delhi Daredevils], New Zealand pacer TRENT BOULT [Rs 3.8 crore ($612,000) to Sunrisers Hyderabad], Indian leg-spinner AMIT MISHRA [Rs 3.5 crore ($564,000) to Delhi Daredevils] and Australian opener AARON FINCH [Rs 3.2 crore ($516,000) to Mumbai Indians] "were among those who fetched a good price at the auction" (PTI, 2/16).