Briefs

Trezeguet: David Trezeguet is willing to come out of international retirement to help France in next month's World Cup playoffs, he said yesterday. The 31-year-old Juventus striker had a strained relationship with coach Raymond Domenech and decided to quit the national team last year.

Alex: Brazil defender Alex has signed a new four-year deal with Chelsea, the Premier League leaders said yesterday. Alex, who has been sidelined by a groin injury, is yet to play under new coach Carlo Ancelotti but the Italian said he was delighted he had agreed a new deal.

Voronin: Ukraine will be without striker Andriy Voronin for their final World Cup qualifier in Andorra today. Coach Olexiy Mykhaylychenko said Voronin was less than 100 per cent fit, without giving precise details.

Ligue 1: Ligue 1 fixtures scheduled for October will now take place in December to help France prepare for their World Cup play-off. France will face a two-legged play-off on Nov. 14 and 18 for a place at next year's finals in South Africa. The Ligue 1 games initially scheduled for Oct. 28 will now take place on December 10, 15 and 16.

Cricket: Younus Khan has resigned as captain of Pakistan in protest at match-fixing allegations made against the team by a senior member of parliament. Younus submitted his resignation to the Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board during a hearing of the National Assembly standing committee on sports in Islamabad.

Cycling: Belgian cyclist Frank Vandenbroucke has died at the age of 34. His body was found in a Senegalese hotel room where he had been holidaying. Vandenbroucke suffered from depression and tried two years ago to commit suicide after his wife said she was divorcing him. Vandenbroucke made his professional debut in 1994 and recorded 51 victories, including the 1999 Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic.

Basketball: Basketball star Yao Ming has joined up with the wife of China's vice president to lead an anti-tobacco campaign in the country with the world's largest number of smokers. The Houston Rockets centre was named as an ambassador to the Chinese Association on Tobacco Control. He will appear in announcements urging people not to smoke.

Swimming: Australia's eight-time Olympic medallist Leisel Jones will miss this week's opening leg of the FINA World Cup in Durban because of a virus. Jones was due to fly to South Africa yesterday with the Australian team for the first of five meets for this year's World Cup series.

Doping: Two Indian weightlifters face life bans for second doping offences and the national body fears it could be suspended again if there is another positive test before the end of the year. Shailaja Pujari, a women's 75kg gold medallist at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and men's 56kg lifter Vicky Batta were caught in out-of-competition tests last month. India has repeatedly faced embarrassment due to doping among weightlifters.