14 Wednesday 16th April, 2008 Former Brazil striker Romario retires

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil striker Bebeto to end a 24-year (AP) - Former Brazil striker drought for soccer's top prize. Romario has officially In 1995, he returned to announced his retirement - Brazil and played for rivals again. Vasco, Fluminense and The 42-year-old striker said Flamengo. His standout play he would not return to compet- sparked a national "draft itive play and had ended a 23- Romario" campaign for the year career that includes the 2002 World Cup, but coach Luiz 1994 World Cup title, the FIFA Felipe Scolari declined to Player of the Year award and name the player to the team more than 1,000 goals, by his that won its fifth Cup title that own count. year. And, unlike several previ- Romario made his last ous retirement announcements foray abroad in 2003, playing when he later changed his for Al Saad in Qatar, Miami FC mind, Romario insisted he in the United States and wouldn't turn back this time. Adelaide United in Australia. "My time is over," he said at But he scored few goals and the launch of a DVD showing returned to Brazil in quest of 910 of his goals on Monday. his 1000th goal - a mark "Officially, I might play a achieved only by the great farewell game with the jersey Pele. of the national team or one of He reached the landmark the three clubs I defended in last year, although FIFA offi- Rio," he added, referring to for- cially gave him a much lower mer national champions Vasco, total. Romario's count included Flamengo and Fluminense. goals scored in amateur Romario's contract with games, scrimmages and unoffi- Vasco ended last month. He cial matches against small said he hadn't played since clubs. November and was 4 kilos (9 As player-coach of Vasco, pounds) over his playing Romario remained a major weight, which made his return attraction for fans even after difficult at an age when most he had lost his speed and stam- players have already stopped. ina. He told a Brazilian newspa- Last year, he tested positive per last month he was retiring, for the banned substance but then recanted the next day. Finasteride and was suspend- Romario burst on to the soc- ed for 120 days in December. cer scene in 1985 with Vasco, Romario said he had used the with a sprinter's speed and Romario (left) during an exhibition game. hair-loss medicine Propecia, masterly ball control that made which contains Finasteride, him a worthy successor to Eindhoven for US$5 million - a Spain's Barcelona, where for- the Spanish league title and Brazil coach Carlos Alberto and the Superior Tribunal of Vasco's all-star striker Roberto huge sum at the time - and was mer Dutch all-star and coach was named the world's out- Parreira, Romario returned to Sports Justice later accepted "Dynamite." later inducted into the club's Johan Cruyff dubbed him a standing player by FIFA in the national team in 1994 and his claim that he did not take a Three years later, he was Hall of Fame. "genius of the goal area." 1994. led Brazil to its fourth World performance-enhancing drug sold to Dutch side PSV In 1993, he jumped to Romario led his new club to After a falling-out with Cup title, teaming up with and lifted the suspension.

Vaughan becomes latest player to Arthur rates SA cricket fit and healthy question ECB stance on IPL outh African crick- Andre Nel also played a Villiers came of age has et is in a healthy key role whenever he been astounding and LONDON (AP) - England could be los- domestic setup because the English sea- piece of that."' Sstate. That was the played for the Test Neil McKenzie showed ing its fight to keep its players from the son begins in April. While the ECB wants to protect view of SA coach team.” that a break from inter- lucrative Indian Premier League. The county championship has run domestic cricket and the England side Mickey Arthur as he left The Proteas rode national cricket can Test captain Michael Vaughan added since 1890 and has traditionally been and the International Cricket Council is Mumbai and headed for rough shod over New sometimes work in a his voice to that of star batsman Kevin seen as the heart of the English game, trying to preserve the prestige of five-day Johannesburg via Dubai Zealand and the West player’s favour,”said Pietersen on Tuesday and suggested it giving homegrown players an arena in test cricket, TV companies are seeking to on Monday. Indies at home, beating Arthur. “The pace attack was inevitable that England's leading which to hone their skills before eleva- exploit the huge audience for the shorter “If you take into them 2-0 and 2-1 respec- of Dale, Morne and professionals will eventually join their tion to the national team. form of the game - prompting the explo- account what these play- tively before embarking Makhaya can be com- international counterparts in the IPL. Several solutions have been mooted sion in Twenty20 tournaments. ers have been through on a two-month tour of pared with the best in The England and Wales Cricket by commentators and the British press, Vaughan is among those thinking and where they have Bangladesh and India. the world. And if you Board has ordered centrally contracted such as a reformatted and rescheduled that there must be a way of harnessing played during this tough They wiped out add spinner Paul Harris players such as Vaughan, Pietersen and championship, a reduction in the num- the excitement surrounding the summer you’ll under- Bangladesh without I believe the balance is Andrew Flintoff to sit out the game's ber of competitions, or even a season Twenty20 game to the benefit of the stand what I’m saying,” raising a sweat but it terrific.” newest competition. The ECB is con- break to allow a similar "English sport as a whole. said Arthur. was in India That they Steyn’s rise to the top cerned about scheduling conflicts with Premier League" in June or July. "It's exciting for the game and we “There were times looked at their supreme of the ICC bowling rank- the English season and what is seen as a "Maybe there will be a league set up shouldn't look at it as being a threat - it is that the players did not best - winning the sec- ings, where he joined Sri shift in power away from cricket's tradi- in England, and with leagues set up else- a really exciting time for the game with know what was going on ond Test by an innings Lanka’s Muttiah tional home and toward Asia. where there could be something like the all these leagues," Vaughan said. when touring squads and 90 runs - before they Muralitharan, has been But the Twenty20 tournament begins Champions League (in soccer) where the "Exposure for cricket is being thrown out were selected, yet they ran into a determined a fairy tale for the 24- for the first time on Friday, with many of top few who win their leagues go and to the world and every- were galvanised after the home side in the final year-old Titans quickie. the world's leading players – including play," Vaughan said. "Certainly it one is talking all the drama and Test, which they lost by Veteran Ntini pro- Sachin Tendulkar, Muttiah Muralitharan is not a negative thing for the about it." upheavals. Then they eight-wickets share the duced some of his best and Shane Warne - in action. game. "It is exciting for the travelled to some of the series 1-1. bowling on the sub-con- And Vaughan thinks it's only a mat- players, it is exciting for the toughest venues in the “Lessons were tinent and deserved ter of time before England's players join supporters, so we should world and still managed learned in that game but praise as he was the in. look forward to it." to come out on top. it was no disgrace losing man who made break- "I've seen a few of the previews over As well as the “That proves that to a tough but deter- throughs for South in India with the adverts and the bill- players' enthu- this team has character - mined India in the final Africa at the most cru- boards, and it looks like it is going to be siasm, is the the guts and will to win Test,” said Arthur. cial times. a big event," Vaughan said. "If there are threat of an against all odds. And “This was a hugely The contributions of big grounds, and there is a lot of money exodus from they have matured in the determined India side, other senior players - involved, you're going to want to play in the national side international arena in a who had the conditions Graeme Smith, Jacques it. if the ECB forces short time.” in their favour and one Kallis and Mark "I think it will be sooner rather than its stars to choose Arthur said the tour cannot blame them Boucher - did not go later that we will see England players between the high wages of Pakistan kick-started because we would have unnoticed. playing in the IPL." and sponsorship of the what must be one of the insisted on what suited Arthur said: Dimitri Mascarenhas is the only ICL and test cricket. biggest turns-around for us best if we had played “Graeme has taken his England player taking part in the inau- "England can't afford to his squad as they beat at home.” game and his captaincy gural season, but the one-day allrounder lose all their best players to the Shoaib Malik’s side in “In life you win some to a new level while is not centrally contracted to the ECB, IPL, but the players have fam- both the Tests and the and lose some. This was Jacques has been a star giving him greater leeway. ilies to worry about, mort- one-day internationals. an excellent Indian per- in the batting and bowl- Rather than taking up his bat in the gages to pay, and Not many teams have formance and they ing departments and IPL, Vaughan is available for Yorkshire's futures to consider," beaten Pakistan at home deserve the accolades,” Mark’s wicketkeeping season-opener against Leeds Bradford the chairman of the in both the long and he said. has been really out- University Centre of Cricketing England's shortened forms of the But he believed standing. What else can Excellence, which starts Wednesday. Professional game. South African cricket is a coach ask from his Pietersen has called the ECB's deci- Cricketers' “We took a new in a healthy state and charges in a summer sion to block its players "ridiculous," and Association, approach in playing has some of the best that was hot in every Vaughan seemed as interested as any fan Dougie Brown, quick bowlers, who players available to keep way?” when he talked about the tournament on said last week. could fire at around 140 that flag flying. The South African Tuesday. "You can't to 145km/h on that tour. “The younger players coach is now looking "I've heard so many people say that blame them That resulted in our have amazed me with ahead to tours of all the best players are in the world are for looking at loyal all-rounder, Shaun their performances. England and Australia there, and you want to go and play in it," the chance of Pollock, being side- They have matured and the No 1 spot on the Vaughan told Sky TV."I think we're all being able to lined,” said Arthur. superbly and the way ICC Test Championship naive if we don't think that England earn twice as “It worked in our Hashim Amla rose to his table. Michael players are going to end up playing in the much in a month favour as Dale Steyn, task in the important No South Africa head for IPL." as they could do in a Vaughan Morne Morkel and the 3 batting spot has been a England in June and If England's players are to take part, whole year and con- experienced Makhaya revelation. Australia at the end of the ECB could have to rethink its whole cluding, 'I want a Ntini carried our attack. “The way AB de the year. (Sapa)