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Independence Day finally arrives for rugby league … Capello torpedoed … Sharpe set to bow out … Contador's meat was a little spicy … Jets humiliate Sky Blues … Sonny Bill wins something …Hooker hooks himself from trials.
FROM KARACHI TO KABUL
Where might the cricketing world's next subcontinent powerhouse come from? Try Afghanistan, which yesterday made its one-day debut against a full member, neighbouring Pakistan. It's the first time an ODI has been played between an ICC full member and an affiliate nation but it won't be the last time the pair clash. Cricket in Afghanistan is surging in popularity. In Twenty20 cricket, it is already ranked ninth, ahead of Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, and boasts participant numbers of 50,000. ACB chief executive Nasimullah Danish (that's Afghanistan Cricket Board) told Reuters it was a day to savour. ''I can assure you that millions of Afghanistan cricket supporters across the globe have been waiting for this day, which comes after years of hard work, sacrifice and commitment,'' he said. ''Afghanistan cricket has been taking small but solid steps while making upward movement and it would be fair to say that our next target is to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.''
REVELATIONS
How would you perform at work if you spent ''two-thirds'' of your work life under the influence of cocaine? Now before you try it, former 1980s Red Sox pitcher Dennis Boyd reckons he was playing more times on it than not. Known as ''Oil Can'' - hence the name of his new book, They Call Me Oil Can: My Life in Baseball - Boyd revealed this week that his teammates knew all about his powdery habit. ''Oh yeah, [it was] at every ballpark. There wasn't one ballpark that I probably didn't stay up … until 4 or 5 in the morning, and the same thing is still in your system. It's not like you have time to go do it while in the game, which I had done that,'' he said. ''Some of the best games I've ever, ever pitched in the major leagues, I stayed up all night; I'd say two-thirds of them. If I had went to bed, I would have won 150 ballgames in the time span that I played. … I wasn't doing anything that hundreds of ballplayers weren't doing at the time, because that's how I learned it.'' Boyd says he was never tested during his decade-long career.
THUMBS UP
We're not sure how much more public sentiment there could be in favour of Harry Redknapp taking over the England job - The Sun went full throttle, running Wayne Rooney's supportive comments and Ian Wright's positive column before adding a story quoting no less than eight players or coaches (including Peter Crouch and Rafael van der Vaart) all endorsing Redknapp's credentials. There was also cheerleading by Alan Pardew and countless other English Premier League managers. But perhaps the most compelling support came not from an Englishman, but a Welshman. John Hartson wrote a column (in the same paper, of course) saying Redknapp - or 'Aary to his pals - rescued his career after being caught kicking teammate Eyal Berkovic on camera in 1998 while at West Ham. ''It was all getting too much for me until 'Arry called me and insisted I go round to his house,'' Hartson wrote of the coverage at the time. ''When I got there his wife, Sandra, and one of his sons, Mark, put their arm around me and 'Arry told me everything would work out. It was a motivational speech Churchill would have been proud of.''
JUST SAYIN'
Tiger Woods never complained about the long putter when he was winning everything. He still hasn't claimed a win since, erm, all that, and we just reckon he needs to make a few more putts. We'll declare some self-interest here - Adam Scott won't win at Augusta without the broomstick and we're itching to see an Aussie triumph in a couple of months' time.
BOOKIES' BEST
MULTI: Man City into Miami Heat into NZ Breakers (-6.5) - $3.58.
''The Citizens got back to winning ways last weekend and have far too much class for Villa while the table-topping Breakers will take care of the struggling Hawks comfortably. LeBron and his buddies will do the same when they play the Wizards.''
- Ben Hawes, Sportsbet.com.au
PATIENT WAIT
Tennis has quite a long history in Geelong - its lawn club was founded in 1882, so it's the oldest regional club in the country - but this weekend's Davis Cup tie is easily the biggest tennis event ever hosted there. The next biggest was more than 90 years ago, when Victoria played England.
IF YOU'RE NOT WATCHING SPORT, YOU SHOULD BE LISTENING TO …
Born To Die. Lana Del Ray. ''I really like Nirvana, I love Frank Sinatra,'' Del Ray says. Does she believe it? Is she a fraud? Dunno, but Video Games is a cracking tune. - Ears McEvoy
Twitter: @sebth