Dubai, Jan. 13 : The best of the best in women's cricket have been named in the provisional squads for the ICC Women's World Cup 2009 to be held in Australia from
7 to 22 March.

In ICC events, participating teams are expected to submit their provisional squads 60 days prior to the start of the tournament while the teams are expected to name their final 15-player squads 30 days before the first match.

Dubai, Jan. 13: ICC General Manager - Cricket and former South Africa wicketkeeper David Richardson has congratulated the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for celebrating its Catch the Spirit week during the triangular one-day series in Mirpur.

Dubai - France midfielder Franck Ribery said Thursday he could not pledge to stay at Bayern Munich until the end of his contract in 2011.

"I have a four-year contract. But promise that I will fulfil it? That is difficult. You never know what will happen in football," he said at the team's training camp in Dubai.

Ribery, 25, has been in outstanding form for Bayern since moving to the Bundesliga club from Olympique Marseille for 25 million euros (34 million dollars) in summer 2007.

Riyadh - A Saudi Arabian woman killed two people whilst illegally driving a truck, local media reported on Thursday. Women are banned from driving in the conservative Muslim country.

The woman crashed into a car, killing two of its passengers. One of them died instantly and the other died shortly afterwards at al- Duadmi hospital, the Saudi Arabian al-Watan news paper reported.

The incident could weaken the case of women's activists who have long pressed for women to have the right to drive. According to Saudi Islamic law women are prohibited from driving for religious reasons.

Dubai, Jan. 7 : A. C. Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti has praised England football star David Beckham for his performance on debut in a friendly victory over Hamburg last night.

Becks played the opening 45 minutes of the showpiece clash in Dubai, which the Italian giants won 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

The former England skipper, 33, put in a solid performance and Ancelotti said: “He gave a very good impression. Dynamic quality and also he is an intelligent player.

Riyadh - The first of two Saudi Arabian planes arrived in Riyadh on Friday carrying nine injured Palestinians for treatment in Saudi hospitals, local media reported.

Since the start of Israeli airstrikes on the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip on Saturday, more than 400 people have died, and some 2,200 have been injured, according to aid agencies.

A second Saudi plane has arrived at the Egyptian border town of al-Arish airport, ready to move more Gazan casualties to Saudi hospitals for treatment, a spokesman of the Saudi Ministry of Health, Khaled Marghany said in press statements.