14 Wednesday 22nd September, 2010 New Zealand Under investigation, retains World Cup flavour for squad , New Zealand (AP) - All but three members of New Zealand’s unbeaten football World Cup squad were recalled Tuesday to play international Armstrong stays friendlies next month against Honduras and Paraguay. The only members of the 23-man Cup squad unavailable for the matches against Honduras in on Oct. 9 and Paraguay in Wellington on Oct. 12 are England-based striker , who is in public eye injured, and defender Andy Barron and goalkeeper , who have BY JIM VERTUNO up nothing but old news - was started both retired. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - While prosecu- on the word of the disgraced Floyd New Zealand-based midfielder Cole tors examine his past as part of a fed- Landis, so there is no reason why it Peverley is the player selected by coach would distract Lance Armstrong from eral investigation into drug use in pro who was not at the World cycling, Lance Armstrong is sticking the vigorous work he has always done Cup. to a relentless public schedule of chari- on behalf of his foundation, his sport, ty bike rides, speeches, endorsements and his wide range of business part- Defenders of Blackburn and meetings with policy groups. ners,” Fabiani said. Rovers and of West Ham have The seven-time Tour de France win- In fact, Armstrong’s highly pub- both been cleared by their English Premier ner is doing anything but hiding. lic schedule is nothing new. League clubs to play in the friendlies. And that, public relations experts When he first retired from “Selecting the 23 for South Africa was say, is the way to stay popular - or at cycling in 2005, he made regu- among the toughest decisions I’ve had to least, limit the damage to his reputa- lar appearances around the make but it was of paramount importance tion - even as prosecutors present evi- country for charity and can- that we give those players who went to dence to a grand jury. cer-awareness programs. South Africa a chance to thank the public “It’s all the right moves. Other ath- He also entered the for the overwhelming support,” Herbert letes could learn from him” said Gene political world. In 2007, said. Armstrong successfully Grabowski, who guides high-profile “It’s fantastic to have two World Cup lobbied state lawmakers figures through public relations crises opponents here in New Zealand so close as a senior vice president with to pass a $3 billion cancer after the World Cup. It is a great way of Washington-based Levick Strategic research initiative. He Communications. also co-hosted televised concluding the 2010 campaign, but it’s also Armstrong won the Tour de France cancer forums with several important to announce the start a long hard seven times after fighting back from candidates for president. campaign towards Brazil 2014.” testicular cancer that had spread to his Today, Armstrong still New Zealand squad: , Mark lungs and brain. Since returning from has a dedicated following, Lance Armstrong Paston, , , this year’s race, which he says will be the so-called Livestrong Ryan Nelson, Winston Reid, Ben Signmund, his last, he has kept his fight against Army enchanted by his work Tommy Smith, , , fighting cancer and his suc- the disease at the forefront of his pub- near that kind of disaster,” Schafer Merlis isn’t so sure. , , Aaron cess on the bike. Just this weekend, a 6- lic appearances. said. “Urine samples from France will Clapham, Jeremy Chritie, , year-old boy in Corpus Christi made Armstrong was scheduled to be in But Zeta Interactive, a marketing determine that,” Merlis said, refer- Michael McGlinchey, David Mulligan, Cole local news by raising $150 for the San Francisco on Monday to visit a firm that tracks looks online to see ring to the French doping agency’s Peverley, , , Chris Lance Armstrong Foundation selling hospital with Mayor Gavin Newsome. how people are being viewed, found offer last week to send urine sam- Wood. lemonade. When a federal grand jury considering Armstrong has fallen far from his ples from the 1999 tour to U.S. And a “Support for Lance” website the investigation meets in Los Angeles perch as one of the most popular ath- investigators. French sports daily is appealing to the “millions of Lance on Wednesday, he’ll be in New York letes the agency has ever tracked. L’Equipe reported in 2005 that Armstrong fans all the world - it’s City for the Clinton Global Initiative Zeta measured Armstrong at 92 per- Armstrong’s backup samples from time that this international hero gets where he’s headlining a panel on can- cent popularity in 2008, and he was at 1999 contained EPO - a banned Botham: some support when he needs it most!” cer in the developing world. President 86 percent in July before the start of blood-boosting hormone. (The Armstrong camp says the cyclist Barack Obama and first lady Michelle his final Tour de France. That number Armstrong was cleared by an inde- is not behind the website and has not Obama are scheduled to be at the dropped to 51 percent in August when pendent panel. Ban Pakistan been contacted by the site’s operators.) Clinton event later in the week. the federal investigation ramped up As public as Armstrong has Armstrong’s corporate sponsors - Meantime, Armstrong is constantly and has bumped only slightly to 55 per- been, there are limits. including Nike, RadioShack Corp., 24- updating his 2.65 million followers on cent in recent weeks. hour fitness and Trek bikes - have Because of the investigation, Twitter with his musings on life, rac- “He’s flirting with 50-50,” said stuck with him. He recently shot a new Armstrong’s reps said he would not be ing and music. Zeta Interactive CEO Al DiGuido. commercial for Michelob Ultra. available for comment. Armstrong “We call it ‘brazening it out.’ You act “For someone trying to build them- Yet analysts are divided over leaves it to Fabiani, an attorney and as if there’s nothing wrong,” said self as a brand, that’s not a good whether Armstrong’s image is taking a public relations specialist, to immedi- George Merlis, founder of Experience place to be.” hit because of the doping investiga- ately and aggressively respond to any Media Consulting Group. “All of these Grabowski thinks the decision tion. allegations of drug use reported in the are laudable if he’s doing it for the to pursue Armstrong in court may Armstrong ranked about average in investigation. right reason, such as fighting cancer.” depend, at least to some degree, on popularity among sports figures, That’s in sharp contrast to baseball Armstrong insists there is, indeed, how well he’s able to maintain his according to a survey conducted by the pitcher Roger Clemens, who held a nothing wrong. He has always denied public persona as a legitimate Tour Q Scores Co. in August and September. long and combative news conference doping allegations that have dogged champion and cancer fighter. “There’s no indication that his neg- with reporters to deny allegations of him for years. Spokesman Mark “There’s an old saying in ative recognition has grown at an steroid use. Fabiani said there’s no reason for him Washington: You never kick a man alarming rate, unlike other athletes “He has stayed above it all,” to back off now. when he’s up. When someone’s pop- like Tiger Woods, where the negatives Grabowski said of Armstrong. “Image “This tax-money-wasting fishing ular and you take him on, you’re expedition - which continues to drag went through the roof. He’s nowhere does count ... Lance Armstrong under- Sir Ian Botham going to lose,” Grabowski said. stands that.” Former England all-rounder Sir Ian Botham has called for Pakistan to be banned from all forms of until allegations of involvement in spot-fix- ing by some of their players have been fully investigated. Sidebottom announces retirement Andres Iniesta set to Pakistan trio Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir have been suspended by the from international cricket become a father International Cricket Council pending an investigation into allegations that England pace bowler Ryan Sidebottom 2008. In all, he played in 22 Tests. er made the announcement they were involved in the deliberate has announced his retirement from inter- Sidebottom explained: “I have had a on his Facebook page bowling of no-balls to defraud illegal national cricket. truly fantastic period of my life with Monday,saying “it was a bookmakers during the fourth Test at The 32 year-old was a member of England but now it is time to hand over moment filled with happi- Lord’s in August. England’s victorious Twenty20 World Cup- the ball to those a little younger. ness for all of us.” Iniesta Subsequently the ICC confirmed winning squad earlier this year in the “If I look back on my international scored in Spain’s 1-0 World they were investigating “certain scor- West Indies. career I have achieved more than I could Cup final victory over the ing patterns” during the third one-day Sidebottom made his decision after ever have dreamed. Netherlands in July. international between the teams at the helping Nottinghamshire lift the LV= “Winning the Twenty20 World Cup in The 26-year-old Iniesta Oval on Friday and now Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Ijaz Butt has Division One title the West Indies, my Test debut at Lords, a was a key member of last week. Test hat-trick against New Zealand, plus a further muddied the waters by claiming Spain’s 2008 European he has heard via bookmakers that He made his Test debut against man of the series award, are just a few of Championship-winning Pakistan at Lords in 2001, although he had the highlights. some England players took money to BARCELONA, team. He also helped to wait another six years before earning a “I have been fortunate enough to live fix the same match. Spain (AP) - Spanish World Barcelona to a record six Botham told Sky Sports News: “I recall. the dream with England. major titles in one cam- But during the past four years he estab- “It has been a fantastic time but I have Cup hero Andres Iniesta is would like to know how Ijaz Butt knows paign, including the 2009 lished himself on the international scene no doubts that now is the right time to Spanish World Cup hero going to be a father. what the bookmakers are doing. Maybe Champions League. and enjoying success at Test and one-day announce my retirement.” Andres Iniesta The Barcelona midfield- he should tell us something. cricket. Sidebottom has already announced that “It’s appalling, it’s farcical and it’s Sidebottom produced a Test hat-trick he is leaving Nottinghamshire after seven gone on for too long now. It needs to and returned career-best figures of seven seasons and will be joining a new county be stamped out. If you have a cancer- for 47 runs against New Zealand in for 2011. Kazakhstan’s Maneza sets ous problem you get to the root of it. If The Huddersfield-born bowler has been it means giving guys amnesty, saying linked with a move to Lancashire and ‘come clean, guys, tell us what hap- pened, then we’ll move on’, whether Yorkshire and will also be entered into the weightlifting world mark they have to serve a ban - that’s for the 2011 IPL auction later this year. ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) - Maiya Maneza beat the old mark ICC. England team director “The ICC need to wake up, they hailed Sidebottom’s contribution to their Maneza of Kazakhstan has set a Monday by 1 kilogramme set by need to get off their backsides. From World Twenty20 success earlier this year. world record by lifting 143 kilograms Pawina Thongsuk of Thailand in what I can see they haven’t done very in the clean and jerk in the women’s 2006 at the Asian Games in Doha, Flower said: “Ryan Sidebottom has been much at all.” an important member of the squad in 63-kilogramme category at the Qatar. Asked directly whether Pakistan recent years and has excelled in the short- weightlifting world championships. The worlds ends Saturday. should be banned, Botham said: “In er formats of the game, particularly my opinion, yes. We keep sweeping Twenty20 cricket. “His contributions in things under the carpet - enough is the West Indies were instrumental in enough. The public pay the money to England winning our very first global title come and watch the game, what do and on behalf of the team I’d like to thank Henry fined $2,000 by MLS for kick they do if a catch goes down or some- Ryan for the enthusiasm and commitment one bowls a no-ball, what are they he has shown when playing for England NEW YORK (AP) - toward the net. The ball thinking? Enough is enough.” and wish him all the very best for the Thierry Henry has struck Hartman on the Pakistan had been set to play further remainder of his career.” Hugh Morris, been fined $2,000 by right knee, injuring his ‘home’ matches in England next sum- Managing Director-England Cricket, medial collateral liga- mer due to the security threat in added: “On behalf of the ECB I would like for a celebratory kick ment. Pakistan, but Botham has cast doubts to thank Ryan for his contribution to last week that injured MLS’s disciplinary on the possibility of that now happen- England cricket. “Ryan has been a popular Dallas goalkeeper committee said Monday ing. member of the squad and has had some Kevin Hartman. the actions by the for- “They have got to sort their own outstanding performances for England in Following a goal by mer Arsenal backyard out, and until they sort it out his nine-year career and I’ve no doubt he Red Bulls teammate were unsporting. Henry - enough of these feeble excuses, still has plenty to offer the sport.” Mehdi Ballouchy in apologized to Hartman something is not right and it needs to Thursday’s 2-2 draw, and described it as “one be sorted it out,” he added. © The Telegraph Group, Henry kicked the ball of those stupid things.” (cricket365.com) Ryan Sidebottom London, 2010 Thierry Henry