Sports Updates

101 Sports: World Cup 2014: Wayne Rooney 'witch-hunt' annoys Phil Neville

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Calls for Wayne Rooney to be dropped by England at the World Cup have turned in to a "witch-hunt", according to his Manchester United coach Phil Neville. <br />
The 28-year-old striker's place in Roy Hodgson's side has been questioned ahead of Saturday's game against Germany. <br />
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But Neville told BBC Sport: "I think it is a witch-hunt they don't require. <br />
"Everything has been going so well with the team's preparation that people are looking for a negative now. But there is not a negative with Wayne." <br />
In the coursework of England's preparations for the World Cup, Rooney and Neville's former United team-mate Paul Scholes suggested the forward may be past his peak. <br />
"There is a side of the English mentality to say 'let's look for a scapegoat and somebody to criticise'," said Neville. "But Wayne is our best player and that is a fact." <br />
Rooney has not scored in eight World Cup appearances, but netted times at the European Championship in 2004. <br />
"I'm definite he will require to deliver in this match like he did at Euro 2004," said Neville. <br />
"He looks fit and lean and I do not understand why people require him out. <br />
"Hopefully this criticism will be Wayne's motivation. I get angered by it all and it sounds like Roy Hodgson is getting angered by it all ." <br />
Rooney's goals at Euro 2004<br />
Hodgson said last week it was "a bit sad" that England is "so Wayne Rooney-obsessed". <br />
Neville, who is part of the BBC punditry team in Brazil for the World Cup, feels Rooney is being targeted unfairly. <br />
"People query Wayne's attitude as well as his fitness but I worked with him every day last season and can tell you he is driven to perform at this World Cup," said, whose sister Gary is part of the England coaching set up.</div>

101 Sports: World Cup 2014: Wayne Rooney 'witch-hunt' annoys Phil Neville

Calls for Wayne Rooney to be dropped by England at the World Cup have turned in to a "witch-hunt", according to his Manchester Un...

101 sports: England v Sri Lanka: Moeen Ali backs himself as Test spinner

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Venue: Lord's</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Date: 12-16 June</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Start time: 11:00
BST</div>
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England v
Sri Lanka:
Moeen Ali backs himself as Check spinner</div>
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First Check: England
v Sri Lanka</div>
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Worcestershire batsman Moeen Ali hopes to surprise people
with the quality of his off-spin bowling in the coursework of his England Check
debut against Sri Lanka
this week.</div>
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Coverage: Ball-by-ball Check Match Special commentary on BBC
Radio five live sports additional, BBC Radio four Long Wave and by BBC Sport
web-site, BBC Sport app & BBC iPlayer Radio app; live text commentary on
BBC Sport web-site & mobiles</div>
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Ex-England spin-bowling coach Mushtaq Ahmed does not think
Moeen is prepared to become a frontline Check spinner.</div>
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But the Worcestershire batsman is feeling
"confident" and may try to fool batsmen with a doosra they has
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Moeen, Middlesex batsman Sam Robson and Sussex quick bowler Chris Jordan are all
expected to make their Check debuts in the first of matches against Sri Lanka,
beginning at Lord's on Thursday.</div>
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"A lot of people haven't seen me bowl in the longer
format so hopefully I can surprise a few people," they said.</div>
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Yorkshire paceman Liam Plunkett is also likely to play Check
cricket for the first time in seven years in England's
first five-day outing since the 5-0 Ashes whitewash by Australia down
under.</div>
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Following the retirement of Graeme Swann, England
have selected not to pick a frontline spinner, with Moeen expected to share
slow-bowling duties with Joe Root, another specialist batsman and part-time
off-spinner.</div>
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Moeen has a first-class bowling record of 139 wickets at an
average of 40, but historically seasons with Worcestershire they has taken 61
wickets at 30.</div>
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"I'm pretty confident with my bowling," Moeen added. "I feel like
 I've been doing it at Worcester for the past two or three years," 
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"I'll bowl as tight as I can and hopefully pick up a few wickets from there. 
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"I'm not looking to fill Swann's boots. He has been a 
fantastic bowler. I'm just looking to bowl how I bowl. If I try to be 
someone else I won't be as good."
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Moeen has recently been working with Worcestershire's 
overseas player, Pakistan spinner Saeed Ajmal, to help develop a doosra.
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Ajmal is a specialist in the delivery, that looks like an off-break but actually turns in the opposite direction.
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101 sports: England v Sri Lanka: Moeen Ali backs himself as Test spinner

Venue: Lord's Date: 12-16 June Start time: 11:00 BST England v Sri Lanka: Moeen Ali backs himself as Check spinner...

101 sports updates: FIFA opens tender for UK media rights to 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups

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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 22.5pt; font-weight: normal;">FIFA opens tender for UK media rights to 2018
and 2022 FIFA World Cups: <o:p></o:p></span></h1>
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FIFA has opened an invitation to tender (ITT) for media
rights in the United Kingdom for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups™. These
rights cover TV, IPTV, internet, mobile and radio transmissions for FIFA’s
flagship competition, which will be held in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022.<o:p></o:p></div>
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“This tender is designed to help FIFA identify and select
the media entity in the territory that is able to operationally secure the
transmission commitments required by FIFA, as well as achieve FIFA’s overall
objectives of reaching the widest possible audience and financial targets for
our broader mission in football,” said Niclas Ericson, Director of FIFA’s TV
Division, which is overseeing the tender procedure.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Media companies can request the ITT from the following
address: europe-media-tender@fifa.org. The request needs to state the names and
titles of those who will interact with FIFA in the procedure. Following a
question and answer period lasting from 4-25 April 2014, submissions to FIFA
must be received by 17.00 CET on 28 April 2014, whereupon negotiations with
preferred bidders will open on 29 April.<o:p></o:p></div>
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More information on the broadcast coverage of the most
recent FIFA World Cup™, namely South Africa in 2010, can be found on FIFA's TV
Division homepage.</div>
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101 sports updates: FIFA opens tender for UK media rights to 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups

FIFA opens tender for UK media rights to 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups: FIFA has opened an invitation to tender (ITT) for media rights ...