Sevilla sack Jimenez after draw with Xerez

Sevilla have sacked coach Manolo Jimenez after the struggling La Liga club were held to a 1-1 draw at home by basement side Xerez on Tuesday.

King's Cup finalists Sevilla suffered a surprise Champions League exit to CSKA Moscow last week and Tuesday's draw with promoted Xerez meant they had failed to win in seven matches in all competitions.

Hands up for World T20

A lot has happened, especially in the past ten days, since the time the five wise men sat down last month to pick the initial list of 30 for the upcoming World Twenty20 championships, to be played in the Caribbean from April 30. And the breakneck nature of the game's shortest format suggests that more may happen by the time they eventually sit down, on March 26, to pick the final squad of 15.

The ICC rules stipulate the selectors can pick anyone from outside the initial list of 30 in the final squad, and if the IPL is deemed as the final form-guide, Murali Kartik and Saurabh Tiwary have made a strong case with the national selectors, even though they were not part of the original list.

"The rules suggest that any country can name any player even from outside the initial list of 30 until the final squad is announced. The objective of the ICC is to get the best 15 from each country. The first list is demanded purely for branding and merchandising requirements. Only if the team wants to replace a member of the final squad do they have to write for approval," an ICC spokesperson confirmed to The Indian Express.

Premier League

Team news from the four Premier League matches to be played on Wednesday. Portsmouth vs Chelsea

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech will return from injury against Portsmouth at Fratton Park. Cech has been sidelined with a calf injury sustained against Inter Milan in the Champions League last month.

Deputy goalkeeper Hilario misses out with a groin strain while Michael Essien (knee), Ashley Cole (ankle) and Jose Bosingwa (knee) are all sidelined along with Branislav Ivanovic (knee).

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant is without striker Aruna Dindane for his side's home clash.

The Ivorian has been declared unavailable by the club's administrators due to a clause in his loan deal from Lens, which states Pompey must pay the French side £4 million if he plays another game.

Tal Ben-Haim and John Utaka both have groin injuries and miss out, while Hassan Yebda and Kevin-Prince Boateng are away having treatment on knee and ankle injuries respectively.

Teams:

Portsmouth (from): James, Mullins, Piquionne, Wilson, Finnan, Webber, Ashdown, Belhadj, Owusu-Abeyie, O'Hara, Hreidarsson, Brown, Diop, Kanu, Basinas, Vanden Borre, Mokoena, Rocha, Smith.

Chelsea (from): Cech, Turnbull, Kalou, Alex, Drogba, Malouda, Terry, Carvalho, Borini, Lampard, Obi, Deco, Anelka, Zhirkov, J Cole, Belletti, Ballack, Kakuta, Sturridge, Ferreira.

Live-in relationship not an offence: SC

New Delhi: In an observation that will cheer votaries of pre-marital sex and live-in-partners, the Supreme Court today opined that a man and woman living together without marriage cannot be construed as an offence.

"When two adult people want to live together what is the offence. Does it amount to an offence? Living together is not an offence. It cannot be an offence," a three judge bench of Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan observed.

The court said even Lord Krishna and Radha lived together according to mythology. The apex court said there was no law which prohibits live-in relationship or pre-marital sex.

The apex court made the observation while reserving its judgment on a special leave petition filed by noted south Indian actress Khusboo seeking to quash 22 criminal cases filed against her after she allegedly endorsed pre-maritial sex in interviews to various magazines in 2005.

The judges grilled the counsel for some of the complainants in the case and repeatedly stressed that the perceived immoral activities cannot be branded as offence.

The argument of the counsel was that her comments allegedly endorsing pre-marital sex would adversely affect the minds of young people leading to decay in moral values and country's ethos.

"Please tell us what is the offence and under which section. Living together is a right to life," the apex court said apparently referring to Article 21 which granted right to life and liberty as a Fundamental Right.

The apex court further said the views expressed by Khusboo were personal.

"How does it concern you. We are not bothered. At the most it is a personal view. How is it an offence? Under which provision of the law?" the bench asked the counsel.

The apex court further asked the complainants to produce evidence to show if any girls eloped from their homes after the said interview.

"How many homes have been affected can you tell us," the Bench asked while enquiring whether the complainants had daughters. When the response was in the negative, they shot back, "Then, how are you adversely affected?"

News : Zee