MELBOURNE, August 15: Aussie leg-spinner Shane Warne needs a rest and should reject lucrative offers to play English county cricket, former Australian cricket captain Allan Border urged today. Border conceded it would be hard to stop Warne plying his trade for an English county but said his massive workload and importance to Australian cricket meant he needed a rest. ``To be quite honest, I'd prefer to see him not go and play county cricket,'' Border told reporters here.

English women opt for trousers

BRISTOL: England's women cricket team will play in trousers for the first time in their 70-year history in their one-day international series against South Africa. Players have opted to wear trousers instead of the traditional culottes to avoid grass burns and cuts and Australia and New Zealand will follow suit in December's World Cup in India.

Croft pushes himself into trouble

LONDON: Glamorgan today fined off-spinner Robert Croft $1,580 and warned him about his future conduct following his televised pushing match with Essex's Mark Ilott. The two players were involved in an animated argument after Ilott appealed against the light during the teams' Natwest Trophy semifinal at Chelmsford on Tuesday. Essex went on to win by one wicket. The two subsequently shook hands and have apologised for their behaviour.

Gebreselassie injured in car crash

ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian track star Haile Gebreselassie has been injured in a car crash here after returning home from setting a new 5,000m world record in Zurich on Wednesday night. The accident happened as Gebreselassie was being driven from the airport to his home last evening. He was immediately treated at St Gabriel's hospital where doctors said he had suffered only minor injuries.

Sammer hints at retirement

BONN: German football international Matthias Sammer has hinted at early retirement in the wake of yet another injury which currently has him sidelined for around four weeks. ``I feel bad and don't know what the future will bring. I really have to think about my future as a player,'' Sammer told The Neue Revue magazine this week. Sammer, 29, is currently undergoing a three-week rehabilitation coming off a third operation on his left meniscus.

Rivaldo replaces Ronaldo

MADRID: Barcelona, at least $26 million richer from the sale of Ronaldo to Inter Milan, were reported yesterday to have signed Deportivo Coruna's Brazilian midfielder Rivaldo for the same amount. Earlier, sources close to English club Liverpool said Barcelona were chasing England midfielder Steve McManaman for reported $19 m.

Serbian soccer fans on a rampage

HELSINKI: Serbian fans, accompanying a Yugoslavian soccer team to a European Cup winner's game, were sent home prematurely last night after damaging their hotel quarters. Fans had emptied foam extinguishers, damaged furnishing, carried around furniture and broken mini-bars containing liquor the night before. Fiftyseven soccer followers were asked to leave the hotel yesterday morning.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.