'Red hot' Lionel Messi Outdresses Cristiano Ronaldo At FIFA Ballon d'Or Ceremony........!

Lionel Messi may not have won the FIFA Ballon d'Or this year after receiving it an unprecedented four times. The Barcelona striker though still managed to stand out from the rest and could have won the prize for the shiniest tuxedo on stage, if there ever was one.

While every player and official on stage opted to don the 'mundane' blue or black suits, Messi chose to go for a bright red tuxedo. Although it was different, many fans thought it also hurt their eyes. "Barcelona's away jersey has some new competition. #Messy in red! Haha," wrote a fan on micro-blogging website Twitter.

Interestingly, FIFA president Sepp Blatter had previously said he preferred Messi to Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo because the Barcelona player was 'modest'. On Tuesday night in Zurich though, there was nothing modest about a flashy Messi, who walked in with his girlfriend Antonella Roccuzzo. "Who is that with Ron Burgundy? Wait a min, who'se that with Antonella?" asked a fan on Twitter. While Burgandy is an American actor who has recently worn only red tuxedos to promote his film, Messi's fashion statement may well just be a one-off thing before he returns to Barca colours and plans to snatch back the Ballon d'Or from Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo Wins The 2013 FIFA Ballon d'Or Award..........!

Cristiano Ronaldo has won the FIFA Ballon d'Or award for 2013, ending Lionel Messi's four-year run as the world's best player.

Ronaldo scored 69 goals for Real Madrid and Portugal last year, and his stunning hat trick against Sweden in a decisive World Cup playoff was perhaps the defining individual performance.

"There are no words to describe this moment," said Ronaldo, who was sobbing in tears after he accepting the trophy with his young son, also named Cristiano, beside him on stage.

He defeated Barcelona's Messi and France winger Franck Ribery, who helped Bayern Munich to a sweep of major titles. 

Voting was done by national team captains and coaches, plus selected journalists, in FIFA's 209 member countries.

Ronaldo rolled back his head and closed his eyes, smiling, when Brazil great Pele, after a dramatic pause and smile, read out his name. He kissed his girlfriend, model Irina Shayk, before going up to the stage. 

Ronaldo had to wait five years since first winning the award as a Manchester United player, and was heavily favored after FIFA extended the balloting deadline beyond the World Cup playoffs in November and allowed voters to change preferences.

The Portugal star's display in Stockholm was so impressive it seemed certain to sway voters at a time when Messi was sidelined by his third injury of the year.

Still, FIFA spokesman Walter De Gregorio said on Monday the standings were unchanged by the voting rules adjustment, which raised the turnout from around 50 to 88 percent.

Brazilian Great Pele Given Honorary Ballon d'Or Award..........!

Brazilian great Pele was finally awarded a Ballon d'Or in Zurich on Monday, despite retiring in 1977, co-organisers France Football announced.

When France Football created the Ballon d'Or in 1956 it was for the best player playing in Europe and Pele never played club football in the 'old continent'.

By the time FIFA inaugurated the world footballer of the year award in 1991, Pele had long since retired.

But Monday he was given an honorary Ballon d'Or to rectify a historic wrong.

"For regulation reasons the king is not on the list of Ballon d'Or winners, an anomaly that was corrected in 2013," said France Football on their website.

In 2010 the Ballon d'Or and FIFA's world footballer of the year awards, which had run separately for 19 years, were amalgamated to create the FIFA Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world.

Pele had revealed the news himself to Brazilian press on Sunday, saying: "I won three World Cups but during a period when the Ballon d'Or didn't exist (for non-European based players).

"But FIFA has decided to give me one."

Zaka Ashraf Reinstated As Pakistan Cricket Board Chief.......!

A Pakistan court on Wednesday restored suspended cricket board chief Zaka Ashraf, official media said, the latest development in an embarrassing legal scandal in the cricket-mad nation.

The process, which began after Ashraf was suspended following dubious elections in May last year, has tarnished the reputation of the country's cricket authorities and led to widespread ridicule.

The Islamabad High Court accepted Ashraf's appeal to be reinstated, with a detailed judgement expected on Thursday.

But despite the judgement, confusion reigned at the PCB's headquarters in Lahore. The board's legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi said he could not comment until he gets a detailed judgement. "Till I read the full judgement I can't say whether Ashraf has been restored conditionally or otherwise,"

Pakistan Look To Pitch To Level Sri Lanka Series........!

Pakistan will be desperate to get a helpful pitch for a series-levelling win against Sri Lanka in the third and final Test starting in Sharjah on Thursday.

Captain Misbha-ul Haq was frustrated over the two unresponsive pitches, the first in Abu Dhabi where Sri Lanka batted resolutely to salvage a draw and then in Dubai where a first-day seaming pitch undid Pakistan's batting and later blunted their bowling.

Sri Lanka, helped by their new-look pace attack and a fighting century from their old campaigner Mahela Jayawardne recorded their biggest-ever win of nine wickets over Pakistan to take a 1-0 lead.

The lack of spin on the pitches reduced Pakistan's match-winning bowler Saeed Ajmal into a mere runner with only five wickets in two Tests so far and the look of the Sharjah stadium pitch suggests it will only turn on the last two days.

Pakistan will be forced to bring in a bowler in place of paceman Bilawal Bhatti who injured his hamstring during the second Test. He will either be replaced with fast bowler Mohammad Talha or left-armer Abdul Rehman, if Pakistan decide to play with two spinners.

Pakistan are also likely to tinker with their top-order batting with opener Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Hafeez - who both failed in Dubai - making way for Shan Masood or Azhar Ali.

Sri Lanka will have no such problems, hoping Jayawardene recover from a finger injury which did hamper his batting in the second Test.

Both the teams will also try to give their coaches - Dav Whatmore of Pakistan and Graham Ford of Sri Lanka - a winning farewell as both leave their post after the match.

Teams (from):

Pakistan: Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), Mohammad Hafeez, Ahmed Shehzad, Khurram Manzoor, Shan Masood, Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Junaid Khan, Saeed Ajmal, Bilawal Bhatti, Abdul Rehman, Rahat Ali, Mohammad Talha.

Sri Lanka: Angelo Mathews (capt), Dinesh Chandimal, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Kaushal Silva, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kusal Perera, Prasanna Jayawardene, Suranga Lakmal, Shaminda Eranga, Nuwan Pradeep, Sachithra Senanayake, Rangana Herath, Dilruwan Perera, Vishwa Fernando.

Luke Ronchi Heaps Further Misery On West Indies As New Zealand Win T20 Series.....!

New Zealand inflicted a further defeat on the West Indies in their second Twenty20 international on Wednesday to bring a dismal end to the visiting team's tour.

The four-wicket win gave New Zealand the Twenty20 series 2-0 to go with their 2-0 win in the Tests. The one-day internationals were shared 2-2, the West Indies' only success on their six-week tour.

After New Zealand won the first Twenty20 by 81 runs, they were struggling at 79-5 in the second match before a 68-run partnership between Ross Taylor and Luke Ronchi turned the innings around.

Taylor played the anchor role with 39 off 41 balls while Ronchi belted an unbeaten 51 off 28 deliveries in an innings that included four fours and two sixes.

New Zealand next host India starting with the first of five one-day internationals next Sunday to be followed by two Tests.

Kiwis Name 'Settled' Squad For ODI Series Against India........!

New Zealand on Wednesday named a virtually unchanged squad for the upcoming ODI series against India with the selectors keeping faith in players who drew the recent five-match home assignment against the West Indies.

The 13-player squad, which drew the series 2-2 against the Caribbeans, was more or less retained with reserve batsman Colin Munro, who will return to play for his provincial side, being the only omission.

New Zealand ODI squad to face India:

Brendon McCullum (captain), Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Jimmy Neesham, Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills, Mitchell McClenaghan, Adam Milne.