“We are very happy with the arrival of David, a strategic acquisition which will contribute to converting us into a more competitive club and team,” Valdano was quoted as saving by the club’s website.

“Our relations with Manchester United have been reinformed with this deal, which would have not been possible without the desire of David to play for Real Madrid,” added the Argentine, who was part of the side that won the 1986 World Cup.

United also released a statement confirming that his 11 year stay with them was at an end and that the fee would be paid in five instalments, 7.5 million euros initially and the remainder over the next four years.

Madrid could have to pay up another 10 million euros dependent on how Real fare in the Champions League.

“The deal is expected to be completed in July, conditional upon approval by the boards of Machester United and Real Madrid, and on the provision of satisfactory payment guarantees,” te Premiership champions said in a statement.

“David Beckham has agreed personal terms with Real Madrid and expects to sign his new contract with the club on completion.”

Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson issued a terse tribute to Beckham, with whom relations had cooled to such an extent they barely talked to each other.

“David has been an integral part of all the successes that Manchester United have achieved in the last decade.

“I would like to wish him and his family every success in the future, and thank him for his service to the club.”

Beckham paid more generous tribute to Ferguson in a statement.

“I would like to publicly thank Sir Alex Ferguson for making me the player I am today.

“I will always hold precious memories of my time at Manchester United and Old Trafford as well as the players, who I regard as part of my family, and the brilliant fans who have given me so much support over the years and continue to do so.

“I recognise that this is an amazing opportunity for me at this stage in my career and a unique and exciting experience for my family.

“I know that I will always regret it later in life if I had turned down the chance to play at another great club like Real Madrid, which also has world-class players.”

Real coach Vicente Del Bosque had earlier admitted that Real had reached an agreement with the player.

“The acquisition of Beckham is in keeping with the philosophy of our president Florentino Perez since he arrived here. He’s a football icon and a great player,” Del Bosque told Spanish news agency EFE.

“He’s a player that is not limited to one particular part of the field. He’s a midfielder that can play in different positions,” he added.

Sources from the club said that Beckham would arrive in Madrid on July 1 for the formal medical examination and then the following day he would formally sign his contract and be presented as a Real player to the media and fans.

Beckham’s arrival in the Spanish capital will be a seen as a snub for the newly-elected president of their bitter rivals Barcelona, Joan Laporta.

Last week Laporta said that he had reached agreement with United to buy the player.

However, British newspapers at the weekend reported friends of Beckham as saying the player was not interested in joining the Catalan club, who will not be in the Champions League next season, and Laporta conceded defeat in the race to sign him yesterday.

Real will now be able to boast a mouth-watering attack of Beckham, Figo, French star Zinedine Zidane, Brazil World Cup hero Ronaldo and Spanish striker Raul.

Beckham, rated the planet’s most recognisable sports celebrity by the USA Today newspaper, and the highest earning football player with estimated earnings of $ 17 million in pay and endorsements, was linked with a clutch of clubs in Spain and Italy during the last month. — AFP

Senol Gunes’ men return to the world stage after being one of the revelations, along with joint hosts South Korea, of the 2002 finals in Asia. Hoping to join favourites Brazil from Group B in the Cup semi-finals, Turkey face a U.S. team who were themselves surprise quarter-finalists last year.

Determined not to underestimate their opponents, Gunes told reporters: “The United States are not a weak side — they’ve taken part in every World Cup since 1990.

“Our team has changed since the World Cup. I’ve brought in some players from the under-21s...as have all the other sides in this competition.

“I wanted to try out new players with a view to Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.’’

Turkey, invited to the tournament after losing World Cup finalists Germany declined the offer, have had a mixed time in qualifying for next year’s European championship.

Though two points clear of England at the top of Group Seven, they have played a game more and were beaten 2-0 by Sven-Goran Eriksson’s men in Sunderland in April.

Gunes, whose attack will be led by striker Nihat Kahveci and supported by playmaker Yildiray Basturk, made no secret of his ambitions. “We want to win this Confederations Cup,’’ he said, ideally by beating France in the final at the Stade de France on June 29.

For the USA, the tournament is about adding to their international experience before the Gold Cup in July, without feeling they have to deliver for the folks back home. “Our opponents are well aware of the fact that we have the ability to win games at this level,’’ coach Bruce Arena said in the run-up to the tournament.

“I don’t think they are going to be taking us for granted.’’

“We are not worried about it. I think it is great that we can play in this competition against quality teams and really not have the pressure to produce results.’’ — Reuters

“The contracts issue was a problem that was entwined with greed, bad management, lack of communication, nationalism and parochialism,” Gray, who will relinquish the post after a three-year term Thursday, told IANS in an e-mail interview from London.

“We at the ICC should have realised that the communication between the players and the boards was lacking in many parts of the world,” said Gray, 63, who will be replaced by Pakistan’s Ehsan Mani.

“Maybe we could have done more to ensure the players were properly informed and their views taken into account,” added the former chairman of the Australian Cricket Board.

When the ICC entered into the $550 million sponsorship deal with the Global Cricket Corporation (GCC) for all ICC tournaments till 1997, the game’s world governing body gave Rupert Murdoch’s company several anti-ambush marketing assurances.

These assurances, which came into force with the consent of the 10 Test-playing countries, negated the players’ pre-existing individual contacts that clashed with the new legislation. Indian stars like Sachin Tendulkar were threatened the most by this.

There were some breaches of contract before and after the World Cup in February-March and, as a result, the GCC has now demanded £50 million compensation.

It was, paradoxically, largely due to these breaches, which the ICC accepted as a temporary compromise, that enabled the 2002 Champions Trophy and the 2003 World Cup to take place.

“It is a complex issue and the claims that have emanated will take time to find solutions,” said Gray, who will now return to Melbourne to concentrate on his real estate and other business interests.

“However, if they are approached with a sense of reasonability by all parties, an answer could be arrived at in a relatively short time.”

Despite the ICC’s failure to implement it smoothly, the sponsorship deal, struck with help from Mani, is seen as one of biggest achievements of Gray’s tenure.

Match-fixing was the other big controversy that arose just before Gray took over from India’s Jagmohan Dalmiya in June 2000.

Gray acknowledges that match-fixing proved that corruption had seeped into what was once referred to as the gentleman’s game.

“Three years ago, the sport was on its knees with corruption deeply ingrained in it and the administrators being unaware of the extent of the problem,” he admitted candidly.

“Thankfully, we can now say the measures introduced by the ICC — of an independent Anti-Corruption & Security Unit, a Code of Conduct Commission and the education of players — have successfully dealt with the problem and the scourge of match-fixing has been suppressed,” he stressed.

The match-fixing controversy came to light after Delhi Police tapped conversations in April 2000 between then South African captain Hansie Cronje and New Delhi bookie Mukesh Gupta.

“Going forward, we must be over vigilant and prepared to devote time, energy and financial resources to make sure corruption does not again infiltrate the game,” Gray suggested.

“(Although) cricket has progressed immensely in the last three years, at times we have gone three steps forward but unfortunately two steps back,” he pointed out.

“The sport is now in a position to go forward globally and compete with all international sports.”

Although the ICC has tried its best to be professional in its dealings under Gray and Dalmiya, the outgoing president wants more professional governance in the future.

“There is a greater need for the sport to be administered in a more strategic manner with professional management teams running the game at the centre and in all countries,” he said.

One handicap that Gray’s successors will have to live with is that their terms will be a year shorter. All presidents, beginning with Mani, will have a two-year tenure, with the post being rotated amongst the 10 Test-playing countries.

Political considerations came in the way of India-Pakistan cricketing ties resuming during Gray’s tenure but he takes heart from the World Cup league match between the two nations played at Centurion on March 1, which India won.

“One of the many playing highlights of the year occurred ... when two of the game’s great rivals ... faced each other for the first time in [almost] three years and provided one of the most electrifying matches of the tournament,” says the text of the speech Gray will deliver at the ICC annual conference in London on Thursday.

Gray also takes pride in the increasing number of ICC members, which have grown from 49 to 84, prompting him to term this “a terrific indication of the growth of the sport around the world”. — IANS

On the field Dravid was out, leg before wicket, for just six runs as his side slid to 36 for five and was shot out for 143 in reply to Middlesex’s score of 255 for nine in 45 overs.

A bigger shock awaited him when he learnt that the dressing room had been broken in and he had lost 200 pounds and a gold bangle. The valuables of other players were also missing.

“I haven’t spoken to Rahul but I am sure he is pretty cross — 200 pounds is 200 pounds,” Chris Carruthers, the president of Scottish Cricket Limited, said. — PTI

England fast bowler Darren Gough, 32, in his first England international since the triangular series final against India last year after being sidelined with a knee injury, then had Azhar Mahmood (16) well caught by debutant Jim Troughton at midwicket to leave the tourists 194 for eight. Gough took two for 38 but not even he could pull this match round. — AFP

England: 204

Pakistan:

Nazir c Solanki b Clarke 33

Hafeez c Clarke b Anderson 69

Hameed c McGrath b Giles 23

Youhana run out 8

Younis b Anderson 0

Malik c Clarke b Gough 24

Mahmood c Troughton b Gough 16

Latif lbw b Anderson 1

Razzaq not out 12

Sami not out 7

Extras (lb-9, w-6) 15

Total (8 wkts, 49.2 overs) 208

Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-116, 3-139, 4-139, 5-158, 6-181, 7-188, 8-194.

Bowling: Anderson 10-0-59-3, Gough 10-1-38-2, Flintoff 10-0-23-0, Giles 10-0-29-1, Clarke 7.2-0-41-1, Vaughan 2-0-9-0. 

McCaw has been asked by South African provincial team Gautengs trainer Jeff Lunsky to apply for the post, prompted by Indian team physio Andrew Leipus, it was learnt here today.

But it is likely to take quite some time before McCaw takes the decision as he will apparently be speaking to Le Roux before applying for the post.

If McCaw comes into the picture, Saurav Ganguly and his men could be put under the regimen of a fitness guru with a bigger profile than Le Roux and who, among his many other achievements, has also acted as the personal trainer of present South African captain Graeme Smith.

McCaw also had a few achievements as a sportsman.

He was one of the top 10 junior tennis players in South Africa and twice voted the fittest South African in 2000 and 2001. He won a silver in the world championship in duathlon (running and cycling) in his age group in Atlanta last year.

McCaw could be the third trainer whose name has cropped up as the possible replacement for Le Roux.

East Bengal football club trainer Kevin Jackson and former Sri Lankan trainer Alex Kountouri were mentioned as possible candidates.

The decision on the appointment of the trainer could be taken as early as the working committee meeting of the board here on July 2 and 3. — PTI

GANGULY EYES GOLD
KOLKATA: Personal tragedy and an eye infection notwithstanding, India’s latest Grand Master Surya Sekhar Ganguly is hoping for a gold medal from the World Chess Championship (under-20) to commence in Azerbaijan on June 21. Ganguly, who won a bronze in the previous edition of the Championship at Goa last December, however, admits the going would be tough. “The players who take part in tournaments at such levels are generally very energetic. They have very good reflex and stamina,” he said. The championship would be inaugurated on Saturday, while the opening round would be played on June 22. But the promising youngster was still in the dark about his probable rivals. “I don’t know who will be my competitors. I’ll know the names when I reach Azerbaijan.” — PTI

SEATS RESERVED
KURUKSHETRA: Kurukshetra University has decided to reserve two seats in each of its departments for the admission of player students from ensuing academic session. Stating this here on Wednesday, the Kurukshetra University Vice-Chancellor, Dr A. K. Chawla, said two seats in each of the university departments had been reserved to encourage sports students. Dr Chawla said such students would not be required to appear in the respective departmental entrance tests at the time of admission. — OC

GOODS RECOVERED
MUMBAI: Personal belongings valued at Rs 400,000 stolen from flats of former Indian cricket captains Sunil Gavaskar and Ajit Wadekar here, have been recovered by police with the arrest of six teenagers. The flats of the cricket icons at Worli in South Central Mumbai were robbed on May 11. Inspector Ashok Jadhav said all the accused are residents of slums situated in the Worli area and are aware of the fact that the posh ‘Sportsfield’ building, is home to famous cricketers. “We have recovered the valuables stolen from the cricketers’ homes,’’ he said. Some of the medals and mementoes of Wadekar, also a former Indian coach, have been recovered besides jewellery stolen from Sunil Gavaskar’s home. The jewellery items were gifted during his son Rohan’s wedding earlier this year.— UNI

UMPIRES SEMINAR
CHANDIGARH: The PCA umpires seminar will be held on June 21 at the PCA Cricket Stadium, Mohali, according to a press note issued by the Punjab Cricket Association on Wednesday. All the PCA panel umpires, along with the BCCI panel umpires of the PCA, have been directed to report at the PCA Stadium by the evening of June 20. The latest experimental rules of the BCCI, MCC and the PCA rules of state championships will be discussed. Coaches of the regional coaching centres being run by the Punjab Cricket Association are already undergoing a seminar, which started on Wednesday. The seminar will be inaugurated at 9 a.m. on June 21 and the key address will be given by Mr M.P. Pandove, honorary secretary, PCA. — TNS