London, Apr. 8: Manchester United coach-cum-manager Alex Ferguson has admitted that his Euro gamble backfired.

The United boss went ahead with Sunday’s TV clash against Aston Villa, rather than bring it forward 24 hours.

“We showed tiredness because of the gamble I took playing Sunday which was not the best preparation. But we faced a situation and we took the best option hoping a European occasion would bring the adrenalin up,” The Sun quoted Fergie, as saying.

Sydney  - Australia's cycling fraternity was in shock Wednesday at the death of former world champion sprinter Jobie Dajka.

The body of the 27-year-old who won gold in the keirin event at the 2002 track cycling world championships in Denmark was found Tuesday at his Adelaide home.

No information on the cause of death has been released, but police said it was not believed to be suspicious.

Former road cyclist Patrick Jonker said Dajka had been getting his life back on track after being kicked off the team for the 2004 Athens Olympics after lying to a doping inquiry and serving a three-year ban for assaulting a track coach.

London, Apr. 8 : England cricket captain Andrew Strauss has admitted that he is not ideally suited to Twenty20 cricket, and therefore, he agreed with the selectors that there was need for him to stand down and have someone else in charge for the duration of the second ICC World Twenty20 tournament.

Cape Town (South Africa), Apr. 8 : South Africa cricket team coach Mickey Arthur has turned up the heat on Australia''s top-order batting, saying early wickets will put the Proteas in a massive position of strength in Thursday''s third one-day international.

Australia''s top five batsmen were all dismissed for single figures in Sunday''s second game at Centurion where the tourists were bowled out for 131 with only No. 6 batsman Callum Ferguson and tail ender Mitch Johnson (30) scoring more than 10.

London, Apr. 8: Cricket Australia (CA) has recalled Andrew Symonds, Brett Lee and Shane Watson for the six match One Day International series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Announcing the 14 man squad for the series starting April 22, the chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, said: "Andrew Symonds has been cleared by Cricket Australia to resume playing for the Australian cricket team and he has been included in the squad."

Symonds poor form along with a niggling knee injury, and several off-field controversial incidents forced him to sit out through the last summer.

Hilditch hoped that Symonds would grab the opportunity, and prove that he still possesses those match winning qualities.

Rome  - Veteran striker Christian Vieri has left Italy for a tryout with Los Angeles Galaxy days after his abrupt departure from Serie A side Atalanta.

The weekly Chi, in a report made available ahead of Wednesday's publication, reported that the 35-year-old Vieri asked David Beckham to help him to link up with the California club. Beckham is currently at AC Milan, on loan from the Galaxy.