PCB fear Champs Trophy blow

The PCB fear they could lose the right to stage the Champions Trophy following recent bombings in Karachi and Islamabad.

The tournament is scheduled to be held in the nation from September 11, but several players from Australia and New Zealand have revealed plans to boycott the tournament because of security concerns.

PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf appears confident the event will pass without incident, telling The Dawn: "If terrorists think they can target cricket or stadiums in the country, they are wrong."

However, an unnamed official told The News the PCB believe the tournament could be shifted and are mentally gearing up to "swallow the bitter pill".

He said: "It would be a huge setback for Pakistan cricket and I'm sure the ICC is aware of it.

"We didn't leave a stone unturned.

"We promised foolproof security, involved the government at the highest level, used diplomacy, upgraded our facilities.

"But if they still take away the Champions Trophy from here then it would be very unfair."

Sri Lanka are possible alternative hosts for the tournament, but South Africa too would be prepared to hold the event.

"If requested by the ICC, and we agree on the terms and conditions of hosting the tournament, we will," Gerald Majola, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa, told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"ICC host agreements are very onerous, so you don't want to accept certain terms if you don't have time to do everything they ask for. We have to sit down with them and go through everything, and negotiate new terms," he added.

The ICC are expected to make a decision after they receive an independent security report next week.

Federer rocked by 'hardest loss'

Roger Federer admitted losing his Wimbledon crown to Rafael Nadal was the toughest defeat of his career.

John McEnroe said Nadal's 6-4 6-4 6-7 6-7 9-7 victory was the best match he had ever seen and that included his 1980 final against Bjorn Borg, which entranced tennis fans across the globe.

"It's up to the fans to judge whether it was the best ever. I'm happy we put in a great effort," said Federer.

"It was a fair battle, which was tough with the rain delays. There were some great points and I think we both stayed tough until the very end.

"In tennis unfortunately there have to be winners and losers, there are no draws. But it was probably my hardest loss by far. It doesn't get much harder than this."

The match was the longest ever Wimbledon final at four hours and 48 minutes with the action ending at 9.16pm in the gloaming after a truly gladiatorial battle, which saw Federer claw his way back from two sets down to win two tense tie-breaks in a match punctuated by two rain breaks that only added to the suspense.

The Wimbledon scoreboard was shining brightly in the gloom when Nadal finally broke the Federer serve in the 15th game of the final set and then served out for a victory that shifts the balance of power in world tennis.

Of his victory Nadal said: "I am very happy to have a title here at Wimbledon. When I was a kid I dreamed of playing here but to win here is unbelievable. The Spanish do not have a lot of titles here.

"I don't want to compare the grand slams but Wimbledon is special for everybody. It is more of a surprise for me to win here than the French.

"For me it is emotional and probably the best match (I have played). It was the final of Wimbledon and I had to fight all the time."

Both players believed the match would have been halted in the fading light if it had gone to one more game.

Nadal said: "In the last game I could see nothing. It was unbelievable."

Meanwhile, Federer said: "I would have said something if I'd broken back to eight-all. It would have been brutal for the fans and us to come back but it was rough on me to lose the biggest tournament in the world because of the light.

"It was not a whole lot of fun, but that's the way it is. It's over, what's the point in arguing about it?"

The five-times champion will now find his number one ranking under threat, and he added: "I wasn't able to break him in the last three sets but still I managed to push him right to the edge.

"Probably later on in life I'll go 'That was a great match.' I'm happy the way I fought. That's all I could really do."

Plum draw for rising stars

England's Ross Fisher and new Spanish star Pablo Larrazabal have been rewarded with fantastic draws at the Scottish Open.

The last two winners on the European Tour have been rewarded with plum draws in the opening two rounds at Loch Lomond on Thursday and Friday.

Fisher, a seven-stroke winner of the European Open on Sunday, partners world number two Phil Mickelson with Mansfield's Oliver Wilson the other member of the group.

French Open champion Larrazabal tees off with Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood.

Capirossi set for German GP return

Capirossi set for German GP return

Rizla Suzuki rider Loris Capirossi is set to make his comeback from injury at the German Grand Prix this weekend.

The Italian was absent at Donington Park after colliding with Honda Gresini rider Alex de Angelis at Catalunya. He suffered an arm injury as a result of that crash.

And later on, he sustained a large puncture wound in his right arm on his return at the Dutch TT.

Capirossi was forced to miss the remainder of the Assen weekend but Capirossi worked hard with his own doctors to maximise the healing process. The 35-year-old is convinced he is fit enough to return at Sachsenring.

Although the hand fracture has now fully repaired, the arm injury from Assen is not 100% healed. Capirossi, Suzuki and senior medical staff all assessed the situation before deciding that he is fit to ride.

"I just can't wait to get back on my bike!" declared Loris. "My arm is still mending and it's quite painful, but it is strong enough to ride with. Also, I have had lots of good advice about how the injury is repairing, and what I should consider about racing."

Capirossi finished secod at Sachsenring last year.