Some Ireland cricketers love the attention that playing in a World Cup brings. 

Try as we might, sport simply isn’t meant to be stripped of its capacity to toy with our emotions.

Australia centurion Shane Watson admitted he was boosted before a ball of the fifth Ashes Test had been bowled by the news that England had snubbed Chris Tremlett in favour of Simon Kerrigan and Chris Woakes.

INSIDE all of us lies a secret history; the story of an immense journey told by our DNA — the biochemical molecule at the heart of the reproduction of all life.

Andy Murray has been advised to skip the French Open to focus on Wimbledon by serial SW19 runner-up-turned-champion Goran Ivanisevic.

Two British sporting institutions drew neck and neck this week. A Question of Sport has taken 45 years, three hosts, 16 captains, a million high-fives and several makeovers to bring up 1,000 not out.

Aston Villa skipper Stiliyan Petrov has paid his first visit to the club’s training ground since being diagnosed with acute leukaemia and is in “good spirits”, according to first-team coach Gordon Cowans.

Ian Botham is backing Aston Villa skipper Stiliyan Petrov to win his battle against acute leukaemia and play again for the midlands club.

Neil Lennon believes Celtic’s Clydesdale Bank Premier League title-winning party at Kilmarnock last weekend will persuade Fraser Forster to make his move to Parkhead permanent.

AUSTRALIAN stand-in captain Michael Clarke yesterday insisted his side had no case to answer regarding cheating accusations which marred the third day of the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney.

WHEN you’re young and impressionable, there’s always the danger that you might say something you later regret.

ONLY a handful of peoplewere watching but LeeWestwood wasn’t complaining.

BRITAIN’S main political parties were putting the finishing touches to their general election manifestos last night, as they prepared for the first week of full-scale campaigning for the May 6 poll.

Padraig Harrington is back playing in Europe this week for the first time since his Open Championship victory – and he is back at Carnoustie for it.

THE battle for top spot on the European Tour order of merit resumes this week having been largely in abeyance for the past six weeks or so as the leading protagonists concentrated on the FedEx Trophy play-offs in the US followed by the Seve Trophy at the Heritage club over the weekend.

England cricket star Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff has apologised for the late-night drinking binge at the World Cup which led to him being sacked as vice-captain.

All-rounder Andrew Flintoff failed to travel with the team to today’s crucial Group C World Cup match against Canada at the Beausejour Stadium.

ANDREW FLINTOFF has urged England’s hierarchy to collect the views of their entire beaten squad to ensure the humiliation of the Ashes whitewash was not “a pointless exercise.”

ADAM GILCHRIST is confident Australia will retain their status as the world’s best Test side even though several of their great players are approaching the end of their careers.

Chris DiMarco’s comments about Ryder Cup “hatred” have been dismissed by Lee Westwood.

MICHAEL VAUGHAN emerged from England’s mammoth Ashes party admitting the scale of their achievement only became clear when they witnessed the frenzied celebrations on the streets of London.

British chart-topper Tony Christie is the latest celebrity to sign up for a spot in a TV soap.

Matthew Hoggard produced the best English bowling performance in a quarter of a century to propel Michael Vaughan’s men to a breathtaking win against South Africa at the Wanderers.

Vijay Singh tomorrow makes his first appearance in Europe since ending Tiger Woods’ five-year reign as world number one.

Thieves have stolen jewellery worth more than €100,000 from the luxury home of England cricket legend Ian Botham, it was reported today.

MICHAEL SCHUMACHER, the unchallenged master of motor sport, has been named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for the second time.

WILL GREENWOOD has underlined the fierce determination of England’s World Cup players to leave an indelible mark on sporting history.

THOMAS BJORN heads a powerful European invasion this week in the Dunhill links championship at St Andrews.

ONE of Europe’s leading golf officials has spoken about the responsibility facing the United States side at the Ryder Cup next week.

Drinks giant Guinness today defended an advertising campaign featuring cricketer Ian Botham, who has reportedly claimed it breaches his image rights.

Paul McGinley and Paul Lawrie, tied for the overnight lead in the Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, have joined a concerted effort to hit back at criticism of the £3.5m event.

Ian Botham is remaining tight-lipped about newspaper reports of an extramarital affair with an Australian waitress.