Global sport — Cronje denies allegations of ball tampering

DAVENPORT: South African captain Hansie Cronje today denied an allegation that he had tampered with the ball during his team's opening one-...

DAVENPORT: South African captain Hansie Cronje today denied an allegation that he had tampered with the ball during his team’s opening one-day cricket international against Australia in Sydney earlier this month. Cronje said he was disappointed by the insinuation that he had attempted to gain an unfair advantage in the match.

The allegation made by Kerry Packer’s Nine Network, which broadcasts cricket throughout Australia, is that Cronje stood on the ball during the December 4 match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. South Africa won the match by 67 runs, after bowling Australia out for 133. West Indian Cammie Smith, the match referee for the SCG game said today he was unaware of the incident.

Warne irked over weighty’ question

MELBOURNE: High-profile Australian leg spinner Shane Warne stalked out of a news conference here after being asked a question about his weight. Warne was attending the unveiling of a waxworks double for Madame Tussaud’s at a cafe, when he was asked by a television reporter if he preferred the shape of his wax image, which looked considerably leaner than the maestro spinner.

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Irritated by the question, 28-year-old Warne then stepped down from the podium after only a minute before the cameras and stormed from the room.

Doctor pleads guilty to molestation charge

NORWALK: A doctor and former coach of tennis star Pete Sampras pleaded guilty to sexually molesting young male patients. Dr Peter Bruce Fischer, a pediatric endocrinologist from Rolling Hills, pleaded guilty to two counts of molestation by anal or genital penetration, said Sandi Gibbons, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles county district attorney’s office. Dr Fischer faces up to six years in prison.

Frank Williams cleared in Senna trial

IMOLA: Frank Williams and five others were cleared of man slaughter charges here today in the case relating to the fatal crash of Ayrton Senna in 1994. The other five were the team’s technical director Patrick Head, formula one designer Adrian Newey and three track officials Federico Bendinelli, head of the Sagis company which rented the Imola track, Roland Bruynseraede, the then Federation Internationalle de L’automobile (FIA) circuit inspector and Giorgio Poggi, the then clerk of the course.

Christie’s brother killed in crack feud

LONDON: The brother of former Olympic and World 100 m champion Linford Christie was stabbed to death with his own knife during an argument over 20 pounds worth of the drug crack, a judge heard today. His killer, a small time criminal Simon Wolfie’ Williams, who had been on bail at the time, was jailed for four years and three months for manslaughter after a hearing at the Old Bailey.

Inter imports striker from rivals AC

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INTER MILAN: Striker Maurizio Ganz will move from Italian league leader Inter Milan to crosstown rival AC Milan under a deal reached yesterday. Ganz will bolster a Milan attack that has floundered much of the season and is now without Liberian star George Weah, sidelined a month with a back injury. In exchange, Milan agreed to give up its rights to acquire winger Francesco Moriero from Inter after the season.