Sports Digest/Swimming: Controversial French swimmer Laure Manaudou, an Olympic gold medallist and world record holder, was yesterday sacked by her Italian club, La Presse, which accused her of a lack of commitment in training, reports Paddy Agnew.
Three months ago, Manaudou stunned the French swimming community when she announced she was leaving her club, Le Canet En Rousillon, and her coach, Philippe Lucas, and was moving to Turin, Italy to be with her boyfriend, Italian swimmer Luca Marin.
Complaining about her "attitude" during the recent Paris Open Championships, La Presse club president Marco Durante said yesterday: "Laure is off on holidays just now. If when she gets back she . . . apologises to (coach) Paolo Penso and to the French national team, then she can rejoin the club . But frankly, there's only a one in a million chance that she will step back."
England turn to domestic scene
Cricket: England have turned to a raft of Twenty20 specialists in their bid for a maiden success in a world event. The 14-man squad for the ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa next month includes half a dozen of county cricket's top performers alongside established stars like Paul Collingwood, Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff.
This season's 20-over top run scorer Luke Wright, of Sussex, and joint leading wicket-taker Chris Schofield, of Surrey, have been picked along with seasoned professionals Darren Maddy, Vikram Solanki, Jeremy Snape and James Kirtley, all of whom were languishing in the international wilderness.
ENGLAND SQUAD: P Collingwood (capt, Durham), R Bopara (Essex), S Broad (Leicestershire), A Flintoff (Lancashire), J Kirtley (Sussex), D Maddy (Warwickshire), K Pietersen (Hampshire), M Prior (Sussex), C Schofield (Surrey), O Shah (Middlesex), R Sidebottom (Nottinghamshire), J Snape (Leicestershire), V Solanki (Worcestershire), C Tremlett (Hampshire), L Wright (Sussex).
