14 Thursday 10th January, 2008 India about key decisions in Sydney. David Beckham Harbhajan was handed a three-Test suspension after being talks soccer with found guilty of calling Symonds Hogg "a monkey", although the spinner Prime Minister is eligible to play while his appeal is pending. Gordon Brown The Indian authorities had put their team's schedule on hold LONDON (AP) - David Beckham following Harbhajan's ban but took some time out from training to Wasim Akram appear likely to continue playing meet a high-profile fan - British Prime bogged at least until his hearing. Minister Gordon Brown. Hogg is understood to have The Los Angeles Galaxy star went Akram: said, "I'm looking forward to run- to 10 Downing Street on Tuesday night ning through you bastards," and for a one-hour private meeting with the Indians claim "bastard" is Brown to discuss Beckham's soccer deeply offensive in their culture. academy and England's bid for the 2018 Australia are "This is a serious term," team World Cup. manager Chetan Chauhan The former Manchester United and down! explained. "It has a lot of bad Real Madrid midfielder also met cry babies meanings back in India and we Brown's wife, Sarah, and the couple's two sons, John and Fraser. I’m looking forward to running through you bastards – Brad Hogg "He's interested in sports and his ormer Pakistan bowler Wasim Akram has branded football," Beckham told the BBC. "He is Australia's cricketers as "cry babies" in the wake of by Russell Palipane gin.” are very sensitive about these very interested in doing a lot for my FHarbhajan Singh's racial abuse charge. ustralia spinner Brad The action follows the three- issues. academy and also getting involved in Akram claims that, as the world's worst sledgers, Hogg has been charged Test ban handed to Harbhajan "In India, we do not have chil- schools around the country as well. He's Australia have been hypocritical in laying the charge. Awith making an offensive Singh after match referee Mike dren without getting married. It a very good man. ... I'm very proud to be "I have played a large part of my cricket against the remark to India captain Anil Procter found the spinner had is a taboo and it is not accepted in here." Aussies. Sometimes they said stuff, sometimes we did Kumble and vice-captain racially abused Australia bats- society. A child born out of wed- Brown's office confirmed that the and then we moved on," Akram told India's Hindustan Mahendra Singh Dhoni during man Andrew Symonds in the lock is considered to be very low prime minister would visit Beckham's Times newspaper. the second Test in Sydney, crick- same game. and an outcast. We don't use this academy in London on Thursday. "We did not behave like cry babies and drag it to the et365.com reported in its website The preliminary date for the word at all, unless when you real- "The Prime Minister thinks football officials... They do it constantly and much more than on Tuesday. hearing is set for January 14, in ly want to abuse somebody in a can play a strong role for many young anyone else, so how they can go out and complain about Hogg faces a ban of between Perth, which is the venue for the derogatory manner. people, particularly in poorer communi- other teams, I don't know." two and four Test matches after third Test. "First Dhoni informed me and ties, to help community integration, Meanwhile, Indian commentator Harsha Bhogle being charged with the level The ICC have their work cut then Anil Kumble also confirmed help in relation to fitness and to encour- claimed that India skipper Anil Kumble felt extremely let three offence, under the out in diffusing the tension in a that the word was used and it was age people to improve their diets," down by counterpart Ricky Ponting after the duo had International Cricket Council's Test series characterised by ran- in full hearing distance. Ricky Brown's office said. made an agreement with regards to fair play. Code of conduct which refers to cour between the two teams. Ponting heard that and checked Brown is also reportedly interested "I have known Anil (Kumble) now for 18 years and I abuse on the basis of a player's The ICC removed umpire Brad Hogg because he under- in having Beckham play a role in the have never seen him as worked up as this. Never ever. He "race, religion, gender, colour, Steve Bucknor from the Perth stood the meaning,” the report 2018 World Cup bid. England hosted the felt he made an agreement in good faith (with Ricky descent, or national or ethic ori- match following complaints from concluded. World Cup in 1966, the only time it won Ponting) and he has not kept that agreement," Bhogle the championship. Beckham helped said. London's winning bid for the 2012 He said that the Indian team felt Australia's supposed Olympics. efforts to safeguard the spirit of cricket were nothing but "David Beckham did a brilliant job hot air. Top seeded Gasquet and Hewitt upset in Sydney helping us winning the Olympics," "They say 'trust me when I say I have taken a catch' SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Top seeded The left-handed Guccione served 23 aces Steve Darcis 6-1, 6-3, Russia's Evgeny Brown said earlier Tuesday. 'I think the but they are allowed to stand their ground for obvious Richard Gasquet and former world No. 1 to eliminate the No. 2 seed Hewitt and set up Korolev beat Czech Ivo Minar 6-2, 6-3 and whole country was grateful for the work nicks and go up for an appeal they know is not Lleyton Hewitt crashed out in the second a quarterfinal with fourth-seeded Czech Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic he and others did to make that possible. out,"Bhogle continued. "If you go up and appeal for some- round of the Sydney International on Tomas Berdych, who beat Gilles Simon of ground out a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 win over Italy's And if David Beckham can help us in thing you know is not out do you forfeit the right to have Wednesday, setting back their preparations for France, 7-6 (3), 6-2. Andreas Seppi. the future on some of the other big your word taken? next week's Australian Open. Tursunov outlasted Gasquet in some In the women's quarterfinals, second- national projects that would be to the "Australia is now trying to say we uphold the spirit of Russia's Dmitry Tursunov rallied to down intense rallies to meet Frenchman Sebastien seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia made benefit of the country." the game, but it is a very unusual spirit of the game. If Gasquet of France 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 at Sydney Grosjean, who cruised past No. 8 seed short work of Italy's Francesca Schiavone, Beckham has been training with you are upholding this spirit you cannot appeal for some- Olympic Park Tennis Center, while Hewitt lost Fernando Verdasco of Spain, 6-3, 6-4. Italy, 6-4, 6-0, while fourth-seeded Ana Arsenal to get ready for the Major thing when you know a batsman is not out. You cannot a hard fought match to fellow Australian Chris In other men's second round matches, Ivanovic of Serbia beat Katarina Srebotnik of League Soccer season in the United stand there when you have hit the cover off the ball." Guccione 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2). Fabrice Santoro of France downed Belgium's Slovenia, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. States. He is expected to be called up by new England manager Fabio Capello for the Feb. 6 friendly against Switzerland, which would be the 100th Ponting had turned Australia into 'wild dogs' national team appearance of his career. by Simon Briggs ing to India's political and economic roulette wheel at Perth. some foundation. The Daily Telegraph clout, especially as the BCCI had already Bucknor - who is 61 - should have Speed's other smart move was to ask submitted a formal request that he play retired after last year's World Cup, Ranjan Madugalle, the top-ranking tour of Australia tests cricketers no more part in the series. In practice, where he was the senior umpire whose match referee who is the ICC's greatest to breaking point - and often though, it was a sensible move that even farcical misreading of the rules forced asset, to fly into Australia and mediate Abeyond. It is not just the team the Australians would probably agree the final to be finished in virtual dark- between the captains, Anil Kumble and who are against you. There is also the with, if only out of fear that they could ness. "Bucknor has gone on too long," Ricky Ponting. The teams share plenty media, with their constant sniping, and be on the wrong end of Bucknor's suggested Harold 'Dickie' Bird, and with of mutual admiration, and there is no the umpires, who favour the home side reason why, with Madugalle's help, they as subconsciously but indisputably as should not be able to regain the sporting referees favour Manchester United at "Harbhajan is innocent and I can assure you on spirit that existed between them before Old Trafford. Bucknor's dismal umpiring sent the No wonder, then, that India's players this," Tendulkar is reported to have told his bosses.