SPORTS BRIEFS

New T&T coach

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC):

Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday unveiled German Otto Pfister as their new head coach, charged with the responsibility of getting the national side to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. A former coach of Cameroon and Ghana, the 73-year-old takes over from Trinidadian Russell Latapy, who was axed following T&T's failed Digicel Caribbean Cup campaign last December.

Pfister was accompanied at Tuesday's launch by powerful FIFA vice-president, Austin 'Jack' Warner, who is a special adviser to the T&T Football Federation and president of CONCACAF, the continental governing body for football in the North, Central America and the Caribbean.

Wagner takes five wickets in one over

QUEENSTOWN, New Zealand (AP):

South Africa-born Neil Wagner took an unprecedented five wickets in one over in a first-class domestic cricket competition yesterday. Wagner, a 25-year-old left-arm fast bowler for New Zealand's Otago, achieved his feat just before lunch in the four-day Plunket Shield match against Wellington.

Wellington began the over on 136-4 chasing Otago's first innings of 441-8 declared, but the visitors ended the over at 136-9. Wagner's performance helped Otago win the match by an innings and 138 runs in three days, as Wellington were bowled out for 148.

Warne interested

NEW DELHI:

Former Australia leg-spinner Shane Warne would be interested in coaching India, a news report said yesterday.

"It is a very difficult job to be India coach,'' Warne was quoted as saying in the Mail Today newspaper. "But with India doing so well, it is a lot easier to take over right now than it has been in the past. I'll enjoy working with the Indian cricket team for sure.''

The coaching job with the newly crowned world champions became vacant after South African Gary Kirsten chose not to renew his three-year contract.

Bonds charge dropped

SAN FRANCISCO (AP):

One of the five charges in Barry Bonds' perjury trial has been dropped and the defence has rested without calling a single witness. Bonds' attorney Allen Ruby announced the move yesterday morning.

The dismissed charge accused Bonds of lying to the grand jury when he denied taking the designer steroids dubbed 'the clear' and 'the cream' prior to the 2003 season. Bonds admitted taking those steroids in 2003, but said his personal trainer misled him into believing they were legal supplements. None of the prosecution's witnesses tied Bonds to use of the designer steroids before 2003.

Selectors resign

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka:

Former batsman Aravinda de Silva and his panel of Sri Lanka selectors resigned yesterday, a day after national captain Kumar Sangakkara quit. The four-member panel wrote to the sports minister yesterday announcing its resignation, Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga said. The panel also included former international wicketkeeper and TV commentator Ranjith Fernando, former international Amal Silva and Shabir Asgaraly.