Luiz Felipe Scolari owed taxes from payments made to him between 2003 and 2007 for image rights, by an offshore society with links to Bank BPN. (Source: AP)

Brazilian coach Luiz Felipe Scolari has paid Portugal 3 million euros back in taxes, the media reported.

Scolari owed taxes from payments made to him between 2003 and 2007 for image rights, by an offshore society with links to Bank BPN.

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery('.rel-article').bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });

“The Prosecutor’s office concluded the investigation relating to the absence of declaration, for fiscal affects, of amounts received by Luiz Felipe Scolari, for image rights,” Xinhua quoted the Central Department for Penal Action as saying in a statement on Wednesday, adding that Scolari had been accused of fiscal fraud.

Scolari, who was Portugal’s coach from 2003 to 2007, was held defendant in 2014 for an initial debt of 635 euros, which rose to 3 million euros due to interest rates and a fine.

Last year, he claimed he had paid his taxes in every country he had worked in and denied any wrongdoing.

Novak Djokovic had a wonderful season as he won the Australian Open, The Wimbledon and the US Open in the current calendar year. (Source: AP)

Novak Djokovic is mulling to forge a doubles pair with his youngest brother Djordje. The two are planning to play at the China Open.

‘We are Tennis,’ a sports website on Wednesday reported that the Serb is planning to play with his youngest sibling.

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery('.rel-article').bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });

“Novak Djokovic has decided to play doubles with his youngest brother Djordje, ATP World No. 1490, in China Open! Can they become the new Bryan Bros’?” the website posted on its Facebook page.

Novak Djokovic had a wonderful season as he won the Australian Open, The Wimbledon and the US Open in the current calendar year.

Are we going to witness another ‘Bryan Bros’ in the making?

( function() { var func = function() { var iframe_form = document.getElementById('wpcom-iframe-form-b59988a830e27bf6e69eba27176af14f-560ccc624a765'); var iframe = document.getElementById('wpcom-iframe-b59988a830e27bf6e69eba27176af14f-560ccc624a765'); if ( iframe_form && iframe ) { iframe_form.submit(); iframe.onload = function() { iframe.contentWindow.postMessage( { 'msg_type': 'poll_size', 'frame_id': 'wpcom-iframe-b59988a830e27bf6e69eba27176af14f-560ccc624a765' }, window.location.protocol + '//wpcomwidgets.com' ); } } // Autosize iframe var funcSizeResponse = function( e ) { var origin = document.createElement( 'a' ); origin.href = e.origin; // Verify message origin if ( 'wpcomwidgets.com' !== origin.host ) return; // Verify message is in a format we expect if ( 'object' !== typeof e.data || undefined === e.data.msg_type ) return; switch ( e.data.msg_type ) { case 'poll_size:response': var iframe = document.getElementById( e.data._request.frame_id ); if ( iframe && '' === iframe.width ) iframe.width = '100%'; if ( iframe && '' === iframe.height ) iframe.height = parseInt( e.data.height ); return; default: return; } } if ( 'function' === typeof window.addEventListener ) { window.addEventListener( 'message', funcSizeResponse, false ); } else if ( 'function' === typeof window.attachEvent ) { window.attachEvent( 'onmessage', funcSizeResponse ); } } if (document.readyState === 'complete') { func.apply(); /* compat for infinite scroll */ } else if ( document.addEventListener ) { document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', func, false ); } else if ( document.attachEvent ) { document.attachEvent( 'onreadystatechange', func ); } } )();

The Ranji Trophy is back, and here are the contenders who can make it big this time around. (Source: Express File)

Domestic cricket is upon us again and with the opening round of matches set to commence on Thursday, The Indian Express finds out what the next few months of cricketing action mean to five individuals at different stages of their careers fostering different dreams and ambitions.

‘Need to score 1,000 runs, qualify for knock-outs’

Jammu and Kashmir’s Shubham Khajuria is hoping 2015-16 will be his breakthrough season. (Express Photo by: Shuaib Masoodi)

Shubham Khajuria,
Age: 20, Team: J&K

Last year, prior to the start of the Ranji season, it was the elements that Shubham Khajuria was battling.

As Jhelum kept rising in the town of Sonwar, threatening to submerge everything in its wake, Khajuria swam to safety of the elevated Army helipad. This year around, like the rest of his Jammu & Kashmir cricket team, he was up against humans who had swamped the cricket with their politics.
In between he had a battle against his own body. It’s been quite a year for the 20-year old…..Read the full story here

 

Lakshmipathy Balaji hopes rest on young seamers — Aswin Christ, who is also closely watched by Glenn McGrath for his MRF Pace Academy. (Source: Express file)

‘Want to be mentor to youngsters’

Lakshmipathy Balaji
Age: 34, Team: Tamil Nadu

“One moment you are on top whistling, then you are down and gone – that’s cricket for you.” Only L Balaji can say that statement and laugh. Disaster had gatecrashed when he had just begun to whistle. From being the highest wicket-taker among seamers from both teams in a home Test series against Pakistan in 2005, the ground slipped from under his feet in the same year as he was hit with a threatening spinal cord injury…Read the full story here.

Mohit Ahlawat hails from Panipat, where he first played cricket. (Source: Express photo by Rohit Jain Paras)

‘Better life for my parents’

Mohit Ahlawat,

Age: 23, Team: Delhi

Just a day before their son plays his first Ranji Trophy game, Ahlawat, a small pick-up truck driver, and his wife, a guest teacher at a small school, in Panipat, are filled with hopes of a better life. In a short span, Mohit Ahlawat, a wicketkeeper-batsman who had started taking cricket seriously around three years ago, has done enough to move into big leagues. He may not have toiled under the sun for years like most of his teammates, but Ahlawat’s arduous journey..Read the full story here.

Nathu Singh has been clocked at 145 kmph. (Express Photo by: Rohit Jain Paras)

‘Want to hit 140 kph consistently’

Nathu Singh,

Age: 20, Team: Rajasthan

It’s not uncommon for young tearaways to have tattoos. It’s, however, not common for them to ink the text ‘Mom Dad ‘ on their body. It’s also uncommon to have Indian boys bowling around 140 kmph. Say hello to the surprise of this summer – 20-year old Nathu Singh who promises to be the great big hope from Rajasthan.
Not many have seen him yet but those who have are filled with hope. Like the chief coach of MRF Pace Academy Senthilnathan and Glenn McGrath, the head coach…Read full story here.

Sarfaraz Khan with Uttar Pradesh skipper Praveen Kumar.

‘I want to prove that I am not just a T20 player’

Sarfaraz Khan,
Age: 17, Team: Uttar Pradesh

The youngster, who caught the eye in the last IPL with his adolescent naughtiness that spilled over to his batting, is growing ambitious this Ranji season. Aware that he is been seen as good for just cameos, he is hoping not to just score runs but bat for entire day. Just a few months ago, the 17-year-old stunned Mumbai cricketing fraternity by shifting his base to Uttar Pradesh….Read full story here.

Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates scoring the opening goal against Malmo on Wednesday. (Source: Reuters)

Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed the 500-goal mark and Real Madrid hailed him as the club’s all-time leading scorer on Wednesday, while Manchester United and Manchester City rebounded from opening losses to remain in contention in the Champions League.

Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus also won their matches in the European competition and remain in a good position after two rounds of group stage matches.

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery('.rel-article').bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });

Ronaldo scored his 500th and 501st goals in Sweden, passing Raul’s mark of 323 goals according to the Spanish club, which counts a goal that has officially been awarded to Pepe. UEFA said the players are still level at 323.

“I’m very happy,” Ronaldo said. “First of all because the team won. But I won’t lie to you. I really wanted to beat Raul’s record.”

Ronaldo said Raul had sent him a message of congratulations.

The Portuguese forward took his Champions League record tally to 82 goals, five more than Lionel Messi.

“We are happy with Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals,” defender Alvaro Arbeloa said. “It’s incredible what he’s doing. He is a legend in Real Madrid. It seems there is no limit to what he can do.”

Here is a look at Wednesday’s Champions League matches:

___

Group A

Ronaldo ensured Real Madrid kept its share of the Group A lead, along with Paris Saint-Germain.

The Portugal forward scored in the 29th and 90th minutes against Malmo, which played with 10 men from the 78th as left back Yoshimar Yotun was sent off with a second yellow card.

Swedish police said 20 Madrid supporters were detained for disorderly conduct before the match.

PSG eased to a 3-0 win at Shakhtar after defender Serge Aurier scored a goal and set up another.

The Ivory Coast right back headed in PSG’s opener in the seventh minute and served up a corner kick for David Luiz to make it 2-0 in the 23rd.

PSG sealed victory when Zlatan Ibrahimovic unleashed a shot that ricocheted off Shakhtar captain Darijo Srna and flew into the net as an own goal in the 90th.

___

Group B

All four Group B teams are now level on three points after Manchester United defeated Wolfsburg 2-1 in England and CSKA Moscow edged PSV Eindhoven 3-2 at home.

Juan Mata scored one goal and set up another as United rallied to win its first group match. Daniel Caligiuri put Wolfsburg ahead after four minutes, but Mata won and converted a penalty to equalize before halftime and Chris Smalling slotted the ball past Diego Benaglio to seal the win in the 53rd.

In Russia, Seydou Doumbia scored twice as CSKA held off a second-half comeback by PSV. CSKA led 3-0 at halftime but PSV bounced back with two goals from Maxime Lestienne and had chances to level the score late.

___

Group C

Benfica moved into a comfortable position atop Group C with the surprise 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid, opening a three-point advantage after two matches.

Benfica has six points and Atletico has three, while Galatasaray and Astana, which drew 2-2 in Kazakhstan earlier Wednesday, have one point each.

Atletico Madrid went ahead with Angel Correa in the 23rd, but Argentine midfielder Nicolas Gaitan equalized in the 36th and Goncalo Guedes put the Portuguese champions ahead in the 51st. Brazilian World Cup veteran goalkeeper Julio Cesar played well to keep the hosts from recovering.

There were three own goals in the match in Kazakhstan, including Astana’s 89th-minute equalizer. It was the first game in the main stages of the Champions League to be held in the Central Asian nation of Kazakhstan, which has been considered part of Europe for football purposes since 2002.

___

Group D

Juventus and Manchester City cast aside their domestic woes to pick up important wins in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Juventus stayed ahead in Group D by defeating Sevilla 2-0 in Italy, while City’s first victory came at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Alvaro Morata equaled a Juventus club record by scoring in a fifth successive Champions League match to put last year’s runner-up three points clear atop the group. Simone Zaza sealed the victory in the end.

Manchester City moved level with Sevilla after Sergio Aguero scored a last-minute penalty to help the Premier League side snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory in Germany.

Aguero was fouled by United States defender Fabian Johnson in the 89th and sent ‘Gladbach keeper Yann Sommer the wrong way to secure the win.

Moenchengladbach was playing European Cup football at home for the first time in 37 years.

Ahlawat hails from Panipat, where he first played cricket. Rohit Jain Paras

Just a day before their son plays his first Ranji Trophy game, Ahlawat, a small pick-up truck driver, and his wife, a guest teacher at a small school, in Panipat, are filled with hopes of a better life. In a short span, Mohit Ahlawat, a wicketkeeper-batsman who had started taking cricket seriously around three years ago, has done enough to move into big leagues. He may not have toiled under the sun for years like most of his teammates, but Ahlawat’s arduous journey from obscurity more than makes up for it. Ahlawat’s potential was first noticed in a local tournament at his hometown Panipat.

As a teenager, he helped his club win a close match and his father, who also played for the same club, was urged by the rest to send his son to the capital. “I remember the day when my father told me to leave Panipat and go to Delhi. He wanted me to pursue cricket seriously,” says Ahlawat.

But money was always a problem. “When my father’s friends began insisting on an everyday basis that he should send me to an academy in Delhi, he knew that finances could pose a problem. But after noticing my passion and the continuous pressure from his peers, he finally sent me,” Ahlawat says.

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery('.rel-article').bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });

The decision to leave Panipat for the capital proved to be the trigger to success for the 23-year old. At the club Malik Sports, he ran into Gautam Gambhir’s coach Sanjay Bharadwaj, who paved way for higher success. Impressed with the match-winning ability, and calmness under pressure, Bharadwaj decided to take the boy under his tutelage. Having learnt about Mohit’s financial problems, Bharadwaj gave him a place to stay at his academy. “We have rooms here in the ground. I take care of the boys who are really talented and cannot afford to sustain themselves on their own. I don’t spend on their diet and their living expenses as we have sponsors who help. But I make sure that they get all their meals and are comfortable,” Bharadwaj adds.

“He is disciplined, very innocent and doesn’t care about worldly things,” Bharadwaj says. “Even if he is asked to wear old clothes used by people, he doesnt have a problem.” Good days began to happen frequently for Ahlawat. Runs came in a torrent in the city league and other tournaments but two stellar performances in particular strengthened fast-tracked his case for Delhi selection.

Against Sonnet, LB Shastri were struggling at 70 for 7 in the league game at Okhla when Ahlawat scored a brilliant 158 with the lower order and guided his side to victory. The second performance was even better. His side was chasing 220 against Collage Group and were reduced to 80/6. Ahlawat was on seven when three wickets fell at the other end, reducing his side to 80 for 9. With the final man in, Ahlawat kept his cool and made sure he faced majority of the deliveries thereon. LB Shastri won the game by one wicket, with Ahlawat scoring an unbeaten 137 and his side’s No.11 playing just one ball in the entire innings. “That was a phenomenal performance. He showed that cool and calm approach at the wicket can really help you to overcome extreme situations. And mind you it will his this trait that will make him a great player. ” says Bharadwaj. His wickekeeping skills have obviously helped his selection as it impressed Gambhir. Now, that he has been picked, its time to deliver and ease the concerns of his parents.

Nathu Singh has been clocked at 145 kmph. (Express Photo by: Rohit Jain Paras)

It’s not uncommon for young tearaways to have tattoos. It’s, however, not common for them to ink the text ‘Mom Dad ‘ on their body. It’s also uncommon to have Indian boys bowling around 140 kmph. Say hello to the surprise of this summer – 20-year old Nathu Singh who promises to be the great big hope from Rajasthan.

Not many have seen him yet but those who have are filled with hope. Like the chief coach of MRF Pace Academy Senthilnathan and Glenn McGrath, the head coach. “He averages around 140 kmph in a spell. And in a five-over spell, he can even touch 145 kmph a few deliveries,” Senthilnathan says.

The reason for the tattoo on the inner part of his left arm seems self evident. Undeterred by the lack of finances — the father sweats it out in a wire factory in Jaipur — he pushed his son to play cricket.

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery('.rel-article').bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });

“It was really difficult for my father to allow me to play cricket. But then he sacrificed a lot and helped me enroll in an academy in Sikkar. Whatever I am now is because of my mother and father. And that is why I got this tattoo done,” says Nathu.

It all had started with tennis ball cricket when the eyes of a relative fell on him.“I was in eighth standard and must be around 12 years when I used to play with the tennis ball. One of my relatives told my father that I should join leather ball cricket and make me join a club. And my father pushed me to join.”

Finances weren’t the only obstacle for the youngster. Nathu says he had to deal with favoritism in his hometown.

“I used to play in Jaipur as a kid and once made it into the city’s u-16 side. I bowled really well and picked up a few wickets. But I played just one game because the team picked experienced bowlers over me and I never got a chance again in that season. So I desperately wanted to join an academy and the coach here advised me to go to Sikkar,” Nathu explains.

Shifting to Sikkar from Jaipur proved a blessing as he came under the supervision of the secretary Subash Joshi who encouraged him and the subsequent performances helped him earn a Zonal call, which eventually led to a stint in the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore last year.

At the NCA, he ran into Venkatesh Prasad, former India bowler, who further egged him on to continue bowling fast. Soon, a stint at MRF Pace Foundation came along, and where he impressed McGrath and Senthilnathan with his control.

Sharp and nippy

At a test conducted in the pace foundation, Nathu clocked 140kmph regularly. “Nathu is a bright prospect for the country,” Senthilnathan says. “He has the speed and control to succeed. He can definitely bowl quicker and can generate good speeds more consistently. He is sharp and nippy. Generally it is difficult to perfect a yorker and slower one but Nathu has both.”

Sarfaraz Khan with Uttar Pradesh skipper Praveen Kumar.

The youngster, who caught the eye in the last IPL with his adolescent naughtiness that spilled over to his batting, is growing ambitious this Ranji season. Aware that he is been seen as good for just cameos, he is hoping not to just score runs but bat for entire day. Just a few months ago, the 17-year-old stunned Mumbai cricketing fraternity by shifting his base to Uttar Pradesh, and the chubby boy also wants to work on his fitness.

“Here they give importance to fitness, it’s not that Mumbai never gave but here they feel if you are fit, you will be better in everything. I was there for ten days in Greater Noida for a fitness camp but such were our sessions that by evening I almost used to crash on my bed. Bahar jane ka chance he nahi. (There was no chance to get out!).”

It’s his batting approach, though, that he really wants to fine tune and he is talking the good talk. “Ranji is tough and I want to see myself batting for a whole day. I know if I bat that long runs will come. The challenge in these Ranji games is not about scoring but about spending time at the crease,” he says.

jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery('.rel-article').bxSlider({ maxSlides: 6, slideMargin: 3 }); });

There is always a danger of the IPL success getting to the head, especially when the likes of Virat Kohli used to bow to him in jest on the field, and the tag of wonder boy got attached to him.

He avers that he knows the importance of scoring runs against the red ball and even cites the examples of cricketers who have got noticed after performances in first-class cricket. “Look at Shreyas Iyer, he had a fantastic Ranji season for Mumbai last year and that confidence helped him in IPL and later in India A. Ranji mein ground khali hota hai par cricketing circle mein sabki nazar wahein hoti hai (the stadiums might be empty in Ranji matches but the eye of the cricketing world is on it),” he adds.

Sarfaraz says that success in Ranji Trophy is all about getting best from that particular situation. “I worked a lot at the nets with my father who is my coach. I prepared as if I was batting in a match. So, one day I will just leave 100 deliveries, another day I practiced just my defence. Patience is the key in the longer format. Shots khelna aasaan hai (It’s easy to play shots) but Ranji is a test of temperament and I want to get better in that.”

“Expectation bahut jyada hai mujhse, har match run karna padega,” he says as he prepares to play his first Ranji game for UP in Moradabad. “Chakachaundh zindagi hai IPL ke time (It’s a world of wonder in the IPL). I have seen how people get lost after one good season. I’m happy with the way things went but I have a long way to go.”