Dwight Howard strongly considering career overseas

In an exclusive interview Sunday with the Associated Press, Howard said he would consider playing in China or Europe if the NBA lockout doesn't end.

Howard, a five-time All-Star who led Orlando to the NBA finals in 2009, stopped short of saying he's in contract discussions with teams overseas.

New Jersey guard Deron Williams said recently after signing with a team in Turkey that Howard could become a worldwide star if he played in China.

Howard, who hosted a celebrity basketball game Sunday at Langston Hughes High School to raise money for his charity, didn't disagree.

"The big thing for me is not giving too much information away, but at the same time I still need to let people know what's going on with me," Howard said. "I don't want to just sit over here and forget about basketball and waste, you know, opportunities for me to get better."

Howard wasn't interested in discussing his potential free agency at the end of next season. Along with Williams and New Orleans guard Chris Paul, Howard is a marquee name for potential free agency in 2012.

He saw no point in discussing the 2012-13 season when there's no guarantee of an NBA season in 2011-12.

That's why an opportunity overseas could make sense soon.

"If I decide to go overseas, the main thing is for me to continue to get better, not to do the things that I normally do, but do better at the things I'm not good at," Howard said. "So I can use that talent to go overseas, working on my skills and staying in great shape."

Howard recently hosted 400 kids at a youth basketball camp in Spain and was planning to host "a bunch of them in China, but the lockout messed everything up."

The former overall No. 1 NBA draft pick loves working with kids in his native Atlanta, but he's also longing to spread his appeal in other parts of the world.

"Being a role model lasts longer than being a basketball player," he said. "Right now I have an opportunity to do a lot of great things. I'm blessed with a lot of talents, but one of my talents is being great with kids. Being a good role model, you just want to lead them in the right direction."

Despite lockout, NBA releases its schedule for next season

Among the marquee nationally televised on ABC, ESPN and TNT:

• The NBA champion Dallas Mavericks would open at home Nov. 1 vs. the Chicago Bulls, who finished with the league's best record last season, and the would host the Western Conference finalist Oklahoma City Thunder.

• The Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat would open on the road at the New York  the following night.

• Last season's Christmas Day game,. Heat, would be Dec. 8.

• The Mavericks and Heat would have their Finals rematch Dec. 25, followed by the   Bulls. The  Boston Celtics would open the day's action, but the Christmas schedule is scaled back from five games last season.

NBA All-Star weekend is scheduled Feb. 24-26 and the Orlando Magic would play the New Jersey Nets in London on March 7 and 8.

The Mavericks and Boston Celtics would have the most national TV appearances, which includes NBA TV, with 30, followed by the  and Bulls (29), Heat (28) and and Thunder (27).

Those totals do not include "Fan Night" selections on the network.

Even with a lockout, teams are promoting and selling regular-season ticket packages, but single-game tickets wouldn't be available until October at the earliest. The last day of the season would be April 18.

Nancy Lieberman goes from D-League coach to front office

Lieberman — a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame— was made assistant general manager on Monday. The switch will allow her to spend more time with her son during his senior year of high school, as well as learn about the management side of the league from general manager Del Harris and team owner Donnie Nelson, the president of the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks.

"I truly believe that every woman can attain both their personal and professional goals," said Lieberman, whose career has been filled with breaking gender barriers in basketball. "My position as assistant general manager allows me to balance my schedule while maintaining my professional goals."

Under Lieberman, the Legends went 24-26 and made the playoffs, becoming only the third expansion team in league history to do so. They were knocked out in the first round.

"Nancy took on a tremendous challenge in becoming our head coach, and she embraced that challenge like she has throughout her life," Nelson said. "I have no doubt that Nancy will be successful in her new capacity. Her experience as a coach will only make her a stronger asset in the front office."

The Legends, an affiliate of the Mavericks, have not chosen their next coach. Assistant coaches David Wesley and Scott Flemming will be the first candidates considered, Nelson said.

Chief selector ready to serve as batting coach

KARACHI: Pakistan chief selector Khan, who was working as a batting coach during the first-phase of the National Cricket Academy  Fast-track said on Sunday that he would take up the additional job of the batting coach if offered by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Pakistan have been unable to rope in a batting coach in spite of facing a lot of problems in that department of the game.

“I always felt that I can serve Pakistan in two departments, one is in selection department and the other as batting coach. If PCB would offer me to take charge of this additional post, I could ponder on taking on the assignment,” Khan told ‘The News’.

“I was given the responsibility for and I performed that

Speaking on the outcome of the coaching project, said that the players, who were the part of should let their bat and ball do the talking.

The participants were found to be over-confident during the course of the camp, as quite a few of them said that they have learned a lot and would be altogether different entities when they emerge on the scene again.

“The players have worked really hard but the onus should now be on producing results in the matches because applying the things they have learned under the match-pressure would be their real test,” he said.

Khan added that the coaches worked on improving the mental side of the participants, so that they do not melt down under-pressure. He also said that special emphasis was laid on improving the fielding standard. The participants were asked to do the nets on two different pitches, one full of grass, while the other as the perfect batting paradise.

The was marred by on and off rains in Lahore but the coaching staff did not let rains disturbed the camp and practiced in indoor nets to keep the momentum going.

The outdoor sessions and the some activities could not be held due to these rains.

Khan revealed that several players requested the coaches to keep them for the second phase but they could not do so. Quite a few players said that they wanted a prolong stay because such high profile camps are hardly conducted in Pakistan.

“Many players wanted to extend the stay but a matter of fact is that we could not afford to help all of them. But if required we will call back two three players,” he said.

Test fast bowler khan has expressed his wish to prolong his stay citing improvement in his fielding especially, which has been a big problem for the right-arm quickie.

Fletcher factor can boost India: Laxman

  Kingdom:  believes India coach Duncan Fletcher will play a key role in his team’s bid to win their forthcoming Test series against England.

Fletcher took over as India coach earlier this year and insists he felt the benefits of working with the former England chief during the recent Test series in the West Indies.

The batsman talks in glowing terms about Fletcher, who spent eight years as England coach and led them to Ashes victory over Australia in 2005.
 expects the 62-year-old Zimbabwean to provide plenty of insight into how to beat the English on home soil, starting with the first Test at Lord’s on Thursday.

“It has been brilliant working with Duncan,

“The time we spent with him in West Indies was very encouraging and you know from just talking to him that he has such a deep knowledge of the game.

“The Lord’s Test is going to be his 100th as a coach, which is a great achievement in itself, and he will be the first coach to achieve it.

“We are very lucky to have someone like Duncan with us because he is a very experienced and very mature person. I feel I can learn from him. There is always scope for improving and having discussions with someone like Duncan can only make you a better cricketer.

“I talked with him a lot in the West Indies, especially about technique, and I found him really knowledgeable in that respect.”
 insists that defending their ranking as the top Test playing country in the world will be the last thing on India’s mind when they take on England.

“We don’t see it as being about proving ourselves the top nation,” he said.

“We just want to concentrate on winning each and every Test match, rather than thinking about number games and rankings.

“It is going to be a highly challenging series for us without a doubt because England have a very good side. They have a very formidable and balanced bowling attack with some real match-winners. But I firmly believe that if we play to our potential we can beat any side in world cricket.

“We are looking forward to playing to our strengths and continuing the good work we have done in recent years. We will concentrate fully on our own performances and preparation and if we do that we can definitely do well here.”
 has watched from the sidelines as India endured a frustrating rain-affected fixture against Somerset at

That fixture is India’s only match before the first Test but insists they will still be ready to take on England.

“We are not concerned at having only one warm-up game in England,” he said.

“With the hectic schedule of international cricket these days, even one such match is a luxury. When we went to the West Indies we didn’t have a single warm-up game before the first Test so it is not a worry. I’m very happy with the way we have prepared for this tour.

“I am not playing against Somerset because I had three back-to-back matches at the end of the West Indies tour and it was thought better that I should rest.

Bresnan recalled to England squad

LONDON: Stuart Broad and Tim  were given the nod ahead of fellow  Steve Finn in England’s 12-man squad for Thursday’s opening Test of the four-match series against India at Lord’s.

England’s new Twenty20 skipper Broad was dropped for the fifth and final One-day International in the recent 50-overs series against  after struggling to take wickets.returns to the Test squad for the first time since the final Ashes Test in Sydney in January after recovering from a calf muscle injury, the England Cricket Board  said in a statement ahead of the sport’s 2,000th Test match.

Squad: Andrew Strauss (captain), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Tim Stuart Broad, Alastair Cook, Morgan, Kevin , Matt Prior, Graeme  Jonathan

China perfect as illness dashes Daley bid

SHANGHAI: China stayed perfect on Sunday in the world championships diving events as grieving British star Tom Daley’s hopes were hit by a last-minute illness to his 10m partner Peter

Olympic champion combined with new partner  Bo to claim his third straight world title in the event, shrugging off the loss of long-time team-mate Lin to injury.
 480.03 points, leaving Germany’s Patrick and Sascha Klein 37.02 adrift in the silver medal position with Ukrainians claiming bronze.

Individual 10m world champion Daley, 17, whose father died from brain cancer just two months ago, finished sixth with who missed a week of training with flu-like symptoms.also overcame obstacles to claim gold. The two had been together for just a matter of months after Lin was ruled out through injury, underlining the Chinese diving dynasty’s extraordinary strength in depth.

China also won the on Saturday as they target the first ever clean sweep of diving titles, after winning seven out of 10 two years ago in Rome.

Meanwhile Russia’s swimming queen Natalia claimed the event’s first gold — and her 11th world title  when she won the technical solo ahead of China’s Huang and Andrea Fuentes of Spain.