Sports News for January 1, 2008

Sania inspires Indian win over Australia in Hopman Cup
Indian tennis star Sania Mirzas inspiring performance led India to a scintillating victory over Australia at the ongoing Hopman Cup tournament. ANI

Stuart Clark, the cricket worlds second best bowler
In 2005, Australian fast bowler Stuart Clark was a virtual nobody in international cricket circles, and two years on, he is the cricket worlds second best bowler. Then, he had not played a Test, but in the 12 Tests that he appeared in since, he has taken 58 wickets or an astonishing 4.9 wickets per match. ANI

Aussie motocross riders 100m world record jump!
An Australian motocross rider has created a new record after jumping almost 100m in Las Vegas. ANI

Put aside Pak security fears, focus on Sydney Test, Ponting tells his boys
Australian captain Ricky Ponting has urged members of his team to focus on the second Test against India to be played at the Sydney Cricket Ground here from tomorrow, and stop worrying about security fears they may encounter on their March-April tour of Pakistan. ANI

Imran, Malik ready to phone Oz cricketers for tour of Pakistan
Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik and former captain Imran Khan have personally offered to make phone calls from Australian cricketers who have concerns about touring Pakistan in March and April this year, and to convince them to go ahead with the series. ANI

`Musharraf may have bumped off Benazir, claims Imran
Former Pakistan cricket captain and politician Imran Khan is of the view that President Pervez Musharraf may have had a say in the elimination of former premier Benazir Bhutto. ANI

Indias rebel ICL may now target Test players not getting paid well
New Zealand and other countries with modestly paid players are in danger of being gutted by the breakaway International Cricket League, further damaging the standard of international cricket. ANI

Waugh predicts Rickys `new invincibles can win 30 Test matches on the trot
Former Australian captain Steve Waugh believes Ricky Pontings new band of Invincibles can win an astonishing 30 successive Test matches if they maintain their current blistering form. ANI