Ronaldo threatens to boycott Ballon d'Or

The Madrid star is unhappy with the Uefa chief's latest remarks, despite them being intended as a joke, and has hinted he will not go to the award ceremony
Cristiano Ronaldo has threatened to boycott the Ballon d'Or after accusing Uefa president Michel Platini of attempting to provoke him.

The European football chief joked that the award's voting deadline was extended for the sake of the Real Madrid forward, but some Spanish outlets claimed that the Frenchman was being serious with his remarks.

Either way, Ronaldo has taken the comments to heart and refused to respond to Platini, while suggesting he may not go to the ceremony on January 13 in Zurich and instead stay in Madrid or go to Portugal.

"I think that [Platini] was trying to provoke me," the 28-year-old told reporters in Madeira, where he is enjoying a few days' rest and preparing for the opening of his own personal museum. "I will not respond.

"On the day of the Ballon d'Or ceremony I may be in Spain or in Zurich... or in Madeira."

The Portuguese winger has missed the last two games for his club having picked up a thigh injury in November, after starting each of the Blancos' opening 18 games this season.

He is currently the bookmakers' favourite to win the upcoming Ballon d'Or, ahead of fellow frontrunners Franck Ribery and Lionel Messi.


Courtesy: Miles Chambers

Source: http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/3870/fifa-ballon-dor/2013/12/04/4453621/platini-tried-to-provoke-me-ronaldo-threatens-to-boycott

BCCI discusses restructure in sharing of ICC revenue

A changed revenue-distribution model for the ICC was one of several issues discussed between Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards and BCCI president N Srinivasan in Singapore last week. Edwards is also head of the ICC governance committee and his meeting with Srinivasan happened to be part of his regular rounds of talks with ICC executive board members. The BCCI is understood to be in favour of a sharing of ICC revenue that better reflects the size of its financial contribution to the game, rather than an equal split among all Full Member nations.

The Singapore discussions were said to have taken place over a middle ground between current practice and BCCI's informal stand on the subject.

Srinivasan was in Singapore for an IPL franchise-owners workshop. Along with being BCCI president and therefore member of the IPL governing council, he is also owner of the Chennai Super Kings IPL franchise.

Neither CA nor the BCCI made any formal statement about their stand on the subject of ICC revenue distribution until Tuesday. At the sidelines of the ICC awards announcement function in Mumbai, BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said the issue was the "legitimate right" of the BCCI and was still under discussion. "This legitimate right issue has been put up before the Full Members of ICC. It is nothing but a just and fair right that we are asking for. It is not any muscle flexing." Patel told PTI. Srinivasan had put up the issue for the "first time in the history of the BCCI as a Full Member of the ICC. He has worked out very good details and very good options," Patel said.

"President Srinivasan, since last year, was looking into the financial details of ICC. He has made a private study about what could be the contribution of the BCCI into the revenue stream of ICC. On the basis of that, some formulae have been discussed among us. His own acumen as a businessman has also helped us." On the home front, the BCCI hands out 70% of its annual revenue to 27 of its affiliates in equal proportions.

Cricket Australia's own views on the subjects are not yet known in the public domain. It has however changed its own financial-revenue distribution in 2012 as part of a raft of governance changes including the move towards a fully independent board of directors. From each state receiving an equal share, revenue is now distributed on a basis of need, as decided by CA's board.

The discussion between Edwards and Srinivasan also covered matters including the vast disparity between dividends received by lower ranked Full Member countries and the top Associate nations like Ireland and Afghanistan.


Courtesy: Daniel Brettig

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/696059.html

Alastair Cook, MS Dhoni lead ICC Test, ODI teams

Alastair Cook and MS Dhoni have been named captains of the ICC's Test and ODI Teams of the Year. Dale Steyn was included in the Test side for the sixth successive year, while Dhoni made the ODI line-up for the sixth consecutive year as well. Performances between August 7, 2012 and August 25, 2013 were considered by a panel chaired by former India captain Anil Kumble, also the ICC cricket committee chairman.

 ICC Test Team of the Year (in batting order)
Alastair Cook (capt), Cheteshwar Pujara, Hashim Amla, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni (wk), Graeme Swann, Dale Steyn, James Anderson, Vernon Philander, R Ashwin (12th man)

ICC ODI Team of the Year (in batting order)

Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shikhar Dhawan, Hashim Amla, Kumar Sangakkara, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Saeed Ajmal, Mitchell Starc, James Anderson, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan (12th man)

Hashim Amla was named in the Test side for the fourth straight year, while Cook made an appearance for the third year on the trot.

"It is always tough to decide on the Test and ODI teams of the year, with so many worthy candidates to consider based on the players' performances between 7 August 2012 and 25 August 2013," Kumble said. "The selection panel had a lengthy debate on all the top performers during the performance period and a number of combinations were considered.

"The selectors did utilise a vast amount of statistics from the period under observation, but we also took into account other factors like the opposition, pitch conditions, match situation and the like. But when you have only 12 places to fill from a big group of world-class players, there will always be a few who will miss out. In the panel's expert opinion, it has selected the best Test and ODI teams based on performances over the past 12 months."

The other members of the panel were former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis, former England captain Alec Stewart, former South Africa batsman Graeme Pollock, and former New Zealand women's player Catherine Campbell.

Courtesy: ICC news, ESPNcricinfo

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/695999.html

Messi & Ronaldo share spoils in La Liga awards

The Argentine took home two awards from the annual LFP gala, while Diego Simeone was named as the best coach for his side's Copa del Rey victory
Lionel Messi was named ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in La Liga's 2012-13 season at the annual LFP awards, but the Real Madrid forward was voted the most valuable player of the campaign.

The Barcelona attacker won the award for the fifth successive year and also took home the prize for top forward, while team-mate Andres Iniesta was voted as the greatest attacking midfielder in the division for the fourth time in five seasons.

Confusingly, though Ballon d'Or favourite Ronaldo missed out on the best player tag, he was given the MVP trophy at the fifth edition of the awards, which are held by the Primera Division's governing body.

"It is an honour and a privilege to receive this award," the 28-year-old said upon receiving the award. "I have to thank my team-mates and Madrid and all the people behind this award such as my family. I will try to keep fit to win more prizes at a collective and individual level."

Fellow Madrid player Asier Illarramendi won two titles on Monday: best midfielder and the breakthrough player of last season, which came ahead of his switch to the Santiago Bernabeu from Real Sociedad in the summer.

Best defender also went to a Madrid player, as Sergio Ramos took home the accolade for the second campaign in a row.

Diego Simeone trumped Tito Vilanova and Jose Mourinho - neither of which are still in their positions at Barca and the Blancos respectively - to the best coach award for guiding Atletico Madrid to Copa del Rey glory and a third-placed finish.

Rojiblancos goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, spending his third season on loan at the Vicente Calderon, won the prize for the top player between the sticks, while benched Real Madrid shot-stopper Iker Casillas took home the fair play prize.

Courtesy: Miles Chambers

Source: http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/138/spain/2013/12/03/4450785/messi-ronaldo-share-spoils-in-la-liga-awards

Indian and South African teams Has Good Relationship

MS Dhoni said "The relationship between the Indian and South African teams has been good. Though we've seen a bit of chirping going around, it makes cricket interesting. "

 MS Dhoni and his team arrived in Johannesburg this morning to cloudy skies and cold shoulders. But they don't know too much about the latter. At least, not yet.

Matters seemed routine when Dhoni and his delegation got into the team bus, drove to the hotel in Sandton where they will spend most of their time on this tour, given that Durban is the only other city they will see, and the captain readied himself for his first media engagement. The number of South African reporters outnumbered their Indian counterparts and they had more than just the cricket on their minds.

The second question - the first was an almost mandatory one about how the Indian squad is coping with the absence of Sachin Tendulkar - was whether Dhoni was aware of the anger surrounding the tour. Dhoni smiled his signature smile. If people were upset with him, he seemed to be saying, he would meet that with pleasantries.

"We can arrange a match for the administrators and let them go at it," he suggested. There was laughter all around. "The relationship between the Indian and South African teams has been good. Though we've seen a bit of chirping going around, it makes cricket interesting. The guys have not become too personal, which means we will have a good series."

Courtesy: Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/south-africa-v-india-2013-14/content/current/story/695861.html