Australia trialled night sessions using the pink ball during the domestic Sheffield Shield season and has mooted hosting a first day-night Test against New Zealand in November 2015. (Source: AP File)

The Australian Cricketers’ Association says the pink ball is not ready for day-night Tests and have cautioned administrators not to rush into the concept.

Australia trialled night sessions using the pink ball during the domestic Sheffield Shield season and has mooted hosting a first day-night Test against New Zealand in November 2015.

“The overwhelming majority of players believe the pink Kookaburra ball isn’t yet ready for Test cricket,” ACA chief executive Paul Marsh said in a statement on the association’s website on Tuesday (www.auscricket.com.au).

“They’ve told us that it went soft very quickly, didn’t swing, didn’t seam and didn’t reverse swing. As such it is a ball that is very difficult to get batsmen out with, but also difficult to score runs against because it gets soft quickly.”

“Only 11 percent of players rated last season’s Sheffield Shield trial a success and just a quarter felt it provided a fair contest between bat and ball.”

“These stats are significant because they challenge the notion that Day/ Night Tests are a fait accompli.”

“The enthusiasm some have for the concept is understandable, however, in the ACA’s view the possibility of improved short-term commercial outcomes should not be enough to force this on the game prematurely.”

Cricket Australia and other administrations have weighed the concept for a number of years, hoping to tap into the possibility of broadcast dollars from bigger television audiences at home and abroad.

Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen is among those far from bowled over by the innovation.

“Day/night Test cricket – what a joke! Hope all statistics start again then!” the South Africa-born player who was controversially dumped in the wake of England’s Ashes debacle earlier this year, said on his Twitter page.

“Public don’t watch cos there is too much cricket! And it’s expensive! Play less & public will be more interested!” wrote the 104-test veteran, whose crowd-pulling aggressive batting is now confined to Twenty20 leagues and county cricket.

Nigeria’s Joseph Yobo kicks the ball and scores an own goal against France. (Source: Reuters)

It wasn’t exactly the way Joseph Yobo wanted to mark his 100th and final appearance for Nigeria.

With one of his last touches in international football, the man who has held Nigeria’s defense together for the past 13 years scored an injury-time own goal in a 2-0 loss to France in the last 16 of the World Cup yesterday.

“I would have loved to have done it differently,” Yobo said with a wry smile.

The 33-year-old Yobo announced after the match in Brasilia that he would be retiring from international duty to concentrate on his club career and spend more time with his family.

He became the first Nigerian to reach a century of international caps and will go down as one of his country’s greatest defenders, appearing at three World Cups.

“It’s a bittersweet end (for him), yeah,” Nigeria striker Shola Ameobi said. “He’s been a great leader of this team for over 13 years. He’s been a stalwart of this Nigeria defense – our captain and our leader.

Yobo was emotional in the changing room after the final whistle as the defender made a stirring speech to the squad.

“He’ll be hard to replace,” Ameobi added.

Yobo almost didn’t even make it to Brazil as he struggled with a calf injury in the final few months of the season on loan at English club Norwich from Turkish side Fenerbahce.

He recovered just in time to be selected in the squad and capitalized on an injury to Godfrey Oboabona to play Nigeria’s

final two group games – against Bosnia-Herzegovina and Argentina – and keep his place for the France game.

Aside from inadvertently turning in Mathieu Valbuena’s low cross for France’s game-sealing second goal, Yobo enjoyed

an impressive final appearance for the “Super Eagles” and kept Karim Benzema and Olivier Giroud relatively quiet.

He should have a good few years left in him at club level, where he has also represented Standard Liege, Everton and Marseille.

“I’m moving on with life,” Yobo said. “It’s time to spend more time with the family and focus on club football. I’d like to thank the Nigeria fans and thank all the players. It’s been a pleasure, it’s been wonderful.

“I won the African Nations Cup, came this far at a World Cup I never thought I’d make because of injury. Hopefully (the young players) will carry on from here. We have done a lot of things behind the scenes, put a lot of hard work in together, as a leader, they know what I’ve brought in so it’s just to carry on where we finished.”

It remains to be seen whether coach Stephen Keshi will also be leaving the Nigeria team after falling short of leading the country to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time.

When asked if he would be staying on in his role, Keshi said “I don’t know, I don’t know,” adding that his priority was to see his wife and children back home.

“I would love to be here at the end of the tournament (but) going back would be a good thing,” Keshi said.

It hasn’t been easy for Keshi in Brazil. He faced criticism from media back home after a 0-0 draw with Iran to open group play and then had to deal with player disgruntlement over unpaid bonuses that led to a training session being canceled on Thursday, just four days before the last-16 match.

Masterminding a win over France proved to be a step too far for Keshi, who can at least console himself with becoming

the first African coach to lead a team out of the group stage at a World Cup.

“I don’t know why we are going home so early,” he said. “Maybe the players weren’t old enough, maybe there wasn’t total focus. It’s something we need to review and see what comes up.”

July 1 (Reuters) - The Australian Cricketers' Association says the pink ball is not ready for day-night tests and have cautioned administrators not to rush into the concept.

FIFA has suspended Rodrigo Paiva for one game over a confrontation with Mauricio Pinilla on the sidelines during their World Cup match Saturday. (Source: AP)

Mauricio Pinilla lashed out at FIFA after Brazil’s press chief Rodrigo Paiva was given a one-match ban following allegations he punched the Chile striker during the World Cup last-16 game between the countries.

“One match for Rodrigo Paiva? You should be ashamed for that delinquent dressed in a suit,” Pinilla wrote on his Twitter account before comparing the ban to the four-month suspension given to Uruguay’s Luis Suarez for biting Italy’s Giorgio Chiellini last week.

“Suarez for a bite risks his career…A press chief gets one game for a punch in the face? FIFA??”

“I demand that FIFA hand Rodrigo Paiva an exemplary punishment equal to that of my colleague Suarez…!!! This is even more serious! They have the images,” he added.

Paiva was issued with a red card following the incident and will not be able to take any part in Brazil’s quarter-final against Colombia on Friday, FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer confirmed earlier on Monday.

FIFA’s disciplinary committee was also investigating the incident, meaning Paiva could face further sanctions.

In a statement on the website of the Brazilian Football Confederatin (CBF), Paiva said: “I respect, as I always have, decisions taken by FIFA. The case is being investigated by FIFA’s disciplinary committee, and they already have proof of

reprehensible conduct by the Chilean delegation that will show the truth of what happened.”

The fracas happened at half-time in Saturday’s match in Belo Horizonte, which Brazil won on penalties.

Chile’s media spokesman Maria Jose said his Brazilian counterpart “hit” Pinilla.

Paiva told Brazilian media there was shoving by both sides as the two teams left the field.

“I was not the only one involved. Pinilla came looking for me and I just defended myself,” he was quoted as saying.

“I just pushed him,” he added.

“They started to insult us, there was some shoving but no assault.”

WELLINGTON, July 1 (Reuters) - Disgraced former New Zealand cricketer Lou Vincent has admitted match-fixing and is prepared to accept any punishment he receives.

Vincent was charged by the ECB under their anti-corruption code last month and is expected to receive a life ban from cricket. (Source: AP File)

Disgraced former New Zealand cricketer Lou Vincent has admitted match-fixing and is prepared to accept any punishment he receives.

The 35-year-old Vincent had previously said he was co-operating with anti-corruption officials from both the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) relating to allegations of his involvement in the spot-fixing of dozens of matches.

He was charged by the ECB under their anti-corruption code last month and is expected to receive a life ban from the sport. He was also banned by the Bangladesh Cricket Board for three years for failing to report an approach from match fixers.

“My name is Lou Vincent and I am a cheat,” the former top-order batsman said in a statement issued to local media on Tuesday.

“I have abused my position as a professional sportsman on a number of occasions by choosing to accept money through fixing.”

“I have lived with this dark secret for many years, but just months ago I reached the point where I decided I had to come forward and tell the truth.”

“It’s a truth that has rightly caused uproar and controversy in New Zealand and around the world,” he added, before going on to describe the distress he felt for his behaviour.

“I have shamed my country. I have shamed my sport. I have shamed those close to me. For that I am not proud.”

“I lost faith in myself and the game. I abused the game I love. I had to put things right.”

“Speaking out. Exposing the truth. Laying bare the things I have done wrong is the only way I can find to begin to put things right.”

“The time has come for me to now face them like a man and accept the consequences, whatever they may be.”

“I accept my punishment.”

Loew (C), whose fancied team lost in the 2010 semi-finals as well as in the 2006 last four, pointed out that he had warned Algeria would be dangerous opponents. (Source: Reuters)

Germany coach Joachim Loew brushed aside criticism that his team are a far-cry from winning a fourth World Cup after they struggled to a 2-1 extra-time last 16 win over outsiders Algeria on Monday.

“It’s not a stroll in the park in the World Cup,” Loew told German TV. “There are always some matches like this in a tournament where you have teams that fight hard, where the opponents are defending really tough and playing aggressively.”

Loew, whose fancied team lost in the 2010 semi-finals as well as in the 2006 last four, pointed out that he had warned Algeria would be dangerous opponents.

“You need matches like this one at the World Cup. At some point you’ve got to expect a match will go into extra time.”

Germany were pushed all the way by an inspired Algeria before Andre Schuerrle and Mesut Ozil scored in extra time, Abdelmoumene Djabou grabbing a consolation goal just before the final whistle. Germany will meet France in the quarter-finals.

Expectations have been high on Germany after they crushed Portugal 4-0 in their first group match but they then struggled to a 2-2 draw against Ghana before just beating the United States 1-0 to take top spot in Group G.

Loew acknowledged his team did not play as well as they could have and lamented poor finishing once again.

“The match (against France) has to be better,” he said. “We gave up the ball too much, especially in the first half, and practically invited Algeria to run counter attacks against us. We were the better team in the second half. We had enough chances to have decided it before going to extra time.”

“At the end of the day it was a victory of will, our strength of will.”

Loew said that he was forced to re-arrange his back four due to an illness to Mats Hummels, the centre back and bulwark of Germany’s defence in the group stage. He ignored criticism that he waited too long to bring on Schuerrle, who had played 28 minutes in two of Germany’s three group matches, and Sami Khedira.

“They brought some fresh impulses into the match,” said Loew.

“Andre did a good job. “That’s what was missing in the first half, the finishing.”

Loew said that he was always confident Germany would prevail against the tiring Algerians.

“We were in better physical shape than Algeria,” he said. “You could see they were quite knocked out after 90 minutes and not able to play all out in extra time the way we were.”