Sports round-up

Rugby union: South African rugby boss Jurie Roux stepped into the row over claims of a secret training camp for key Springboks yesterday, confirming they were together but saying it was for rehabilitation. Reports said 21 players listed as “injured” and not available for the Tri-Nations Tests in Australasia were attending a World Cup training camp in Rustenburg. “I’m not denying they’re in Rustenburg. I’m denying that they’re at a secret training camp. I’ve got my players in a single high-performance entity being rehabilitated, that’s it,” Roux said.

Cricket: India fast bowler Zaheer Khan has been ruled out of the second Test against England at Trent Bridge with a hamstring injury, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said yesterday. Left-arm quick Zaheer broke down in the first Test at Lord’s, which India lost by 196 runs, after taking two wickets for 18 runs in 13.3 first innings overs and didn’t bowl again in the match.

Motor racing: Sauber are to retain their young driver line-up for next season. Although only 10 races into the current campaign, team principal Peter Sauber sees no reason to replace Japanese Kamui Kobayashi and Mexican rookie Sergio Perez. Sauber said: “Kamui has grown into his role extremely well this year. Though it is only his second full F1 season, he is already taking on the responsibilities that naturally fall to the more experienced driver in the team. Sergio has achieved more than one could expect from a rookie.”

Athletics: The two French athletes who traded blows at the end of a 1,500m race in Monaco last week will learn their fate on August 4, according to Bernard Amsalem, the president of the French Athletics Federation (FFA). Mehdi Baala clashed with Mahiedine Mekhissi Benabbad, the 3,000m steeplechase Olympic silver medallist, after the end of last Friday’s Diamond League race. They were suspended pending a decision by the FFA disciplinary committee.