DHAKA: Incessant rain washed out the entire second day’s play in the second and final Test between Bangladesh and South Africa in Dhaka on Friday. The umpires abandoned play soon after the scheduled lunch break when the weather showed no signs of improving and rain continued to drench the covers guarding the Sher-e-Bangla stadium pitch. Bangladesh, who won the toss and elected to bat, will begin the third day’s play on Saturday at 246-8, weather permitting. More rain has been forecast for the remaining three days of the match. The first Test ended in a draw in Chittagong last week after bad weather washed out play on the last two days.

Burzaco to face court

NEW YORK: The former chairman of an Argentina-based sports marketing business who was among the 14 people indicted in a federal corruption case that has rocked the soccer world’s governing body is expected to appear in US court on Friday. Alejandro Burzaco, an Argentine businessman who was the former general manager and chairman of Torneos y Competencias SA, is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, the US Justice Department said. He had previously turned himself in to police in northern Italy on June 9.

Villa sign Veretout

LONDON: Aston Villa have signed French midfielder Jordan Veretout from Ligue 1 club Nantes on a five-year contract, the Premier League side said on Friday. The 22-year-old has joined for an undisclosed fee reported in British media to be around seven million pounds. “I’m really pleased Jordan decided to chooseAston Villa over the other options he had and opt to continue his development with us,” manager TimSherwood told the club’s website. Veretout is the fourth player to arrive at Villa Park from Ligue 1 during the close season following the signings of Jordan Amavi, Idrissa Gueye and Jordan Ayew.

Russia to name coach

MOSCOW: Russia will name either Leonid Slutski or Alexander Borodyuk as the new coach of the national football team, sports minister Vitaly Mutko said on Friday. Russia are without a coach since dumping Fabio Capello earlier this month and Mutko said a successor would be announced by Monday. “Slutski and Borodyuk are the two coaches that will be chosen from,” Mutko told the TASS news agency. Slutski coaches CSKA Moscow while Borodyuk was deputy to Guus Hiddink and Dick Advocaat when they managed the Russian national team.

Vrzanova dies at 84

PRAGUE: Former world champion Alena “Aja” Vrzanova, who pioneered the double Lutz jump and defected from communist Czechoslovakia, died on Thursday at the age of 84, the country’s figure skating federation announced. Born on May 16, 1931, Vrzanova, who preferred the name “Aja” to Alena, won the world title in 1949 in Paris and 1950 in London. After that second triumph, she fled the Communist regime in Prague and settled in the United States.