The England cricket team yesterday gained unwanted membership of an ever-expanding club in global sport when Vodafone announced it had ended its 12-year sponsorship.

The decision not to renew the current £4m-a-year deal in 2010 follows Honda's withdrawal from formula one and the ending of the Subaru and Suzuki teams' interests in the world rally championship. Subaru's decision, also announced yesterday after 20 years competing in the WRC, came as a sickening blow to the sport which now has just two manufacturers, Ford and Citroën, in its flagship event.

Thursday November 27, 2008: This date will be remembered by every Indian as this day marks the most horrifying and disgraceful day in Indian history. This is the day when the entire country woke up to witness one of the most brutal attacks by a group of terrorists named the Deccan Mujahiddin. The financial capital of the country Mumbai was under the siege. The terrorist took the entire nation by surprise and attacked innocent civilians  moreover they were responsible for the killing of the three martyrs of Indian police I on a personal salute them for they truly represent what it means to die for your own country.

Watching his national cricket side wallop a hapless England is quite enough to set the pulse of the average Indian male racing. So perhaps it's just as well that the Indian eleven's first troop of cheerleaders plan to eschew the skimpy outfits favoured by their Western peers for modesty-saving saris.