Fernando Torres out

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool striker Fernando Torres will be out for 10 to 15 days after tearing a hamstring while playing for Spain in a World Cup qualifying win at Belgium. “It now looks like we will lose Fernando for three very important games,” Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said. Liverpool will also be without Dutch Ryan Babel for Saturday’s match against Wigan after he sprained his ankle while on international duty. — AP

Pak manager quits

ISLAMABAD: Talat Ali quit as team manager for Pakistan on Friday, just before the national Cricket Board appointed an interim selection committee. “I have no regrets as I wanted to make way for the new chairman to bring in his own team,” 58-year-old said. Yawar Saeed will replace Ali as manager of the national team, the PCB said. PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt appointed former Test fast bowler Salim Jaffar as the interim chief selector with ex-Test batsmen Ijaz Ahmed and Shoaib Mohammad as the members of selection committee. — AFP

Talks break down

NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket board’s discussions with the unofficial Indian Cricket League have broken down, thwarting the privately promoted league’s hopes of securing recognition. Officials from the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the ICL met “to see if there was any common ground,” Indian cricket board secretary N Srinivasan said. “The talks failed and there are no plans for any further meeting.” — AP

Frings mulls quitting

FRANKFURT: Midfielder Torsten Frings is considering quitting Germany’s national team after being left on the bench in the last two World Cup qualifying games. “I’ve been thinking a lot recently and retirement has been going on through my mind,” the 31-year-old Werder Bremen midfielder said. Frings came off the bench to play the last seven minutes of Saturday’s 2-1 win over Russia and did not play at all in the 1-0 victory over Wales on Wednesday. — AP