Haris Sohail hit for six by ghost sighting
A Pakistani cricketer on tour in New Zealand was hit for six when he saw what he believed was a ghost haunting him in his hotel room.
Haris Sohail was convinced a "supernatural" presence was haunting him when he awoke to find his bed moving, team manager Naveed Akram Cheema said.
Cheema said that Sohail called a member of the coaching staff who arrived to find the 26-year-old all-rounder "visibly shaken".
PHOTO: AFPSohail, a left-arm spinner and middle-order batsman, spent the rest of the night in the coach's room at the Rydges Latimer hotel in Christchurch before being moved to another room.
A fan tweeted: "You've faced down Shaitaan (the devil), the Kiwis should be easy. Best wishes."
Keeper drops major clanger
Brechin goalkeeper Graeme Smith dropped the biggest clanger of his career after arriving for his Scottish club's game against Stenhousemuir to discover he had gone to the wrong ground.
Smith had turned up at Stenhousemuir's Ochilview stadium for the League One clash when the fixtures was actually taking place 83 miles away at his team's Glebe Park ground.
Smith faced a journey of over 90 minutes to make it for kick-off, but he managed to race to Angus in time to take his place in the starting line-up.
Whistle? Check; Cards? Check; Pistol? Check
When things started to go wrong during a Brazilian amateur football game, the referee took drastic action. Reach for a card? No. He went for his gun!
Players and staff of the Amantes da Bola and Brumahdinho teams brawled with referee Gabriel Murta getting kicked and slapped during the melee. So instead of reaching into his shirt for the card, he went back to the changing room for his firearm.
Video footage emerged of the referee brandishing a handgun at players before being led away by other match officials.
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No arrests were made, but according to Globo newspaper the referee was to be given a psychological evaluation.
Azarenka fights to 'pinish' at US Open
Victoria Azarenka added a new word to the tennis lexicon after her US Open third round win against Angelique Kerber -- 'pinish.'
During changeovers, the Belarusian was spotted consulting a series of motivational, self-help tips.
When asked to reveal one, she said, 'pinish.'
PHOTO: AFP"It was my coach's idea -- it's a combination of 'punish' and 'finish'," said former Australian Open champion Azarenka.
Czech footballers punished with hard labour
Banik Ostrava coach Radomir Korytar hit on a novel way of penalising his players for a run of poor performances -- sentencing them to a spell of hard labour.
Equipped with hoes, rakes, spades and saws, the players gathered at 0645 every morning to work on improving the look of their training centre.
Korytar said the players would at least know "what they are in for if they don't do their jobs properly".
"There are some who have accepted it with good humour, but others grumble, for instance (Brazilian midfielder) Dyjan Carlos de Azevedo has complained that his arms hurt," he told the Czech Sport daily.
Taylor's car antics leave owner stumped
Former Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor was discovered asleep in someone else's car after Nottinghamshire's victory over Durham in English county cricket's One-Day Cup.
Michael Whitaker was leaving for work when he found someone lying in his unlocked Chevrolet Matiz. It turned out to be the 29-year-old Taylor.
"Neither myself, the police or Brendan knew what to do," Whitaker told the Nottingham Post.
"I don't think he knew where he was but he was very apologetic and it quickly became clear that it was very innocent."
Whitaker added: "Realising who it was made it even funnier because how often do you find an international cricket star asleep in your car?"
Wimbledon champion Djokovic munches a bunch
Novak Djokovic celebrated his third Wimbledon title with a nibble of the famed Centre Court grass.
PHOTO: AFP"It tasted very, very good this year. I don't know what the grounds people have done but they have done a great job," said Djokovic after beating Roger Federer 7-6 (7/1), 6-7 (10/12), 6-4, 6-3 in the final.
Leg to differ! Djokovic autographs fan's prosthetic
When Djokovic breezed into the Wimbledon fourth round, he was asked by a wheelchair-bound fan to autograph his prosthetic leg as he left Centre Court.
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"The gentleman gave me his artificial leg...I want to be politically correct about it," smiled Djokovic. "I gave him my signature. I hope it will make him feel better."
Tent stops play in Australia tour opener
There was a bizarre incident in the final session of play during Australia's cricket tour opener against Kent in Canterbury when a spectator pitched a tent on the outfield and went inside it before emerging in a pair of shorts and flying helmet.
He returned to his tent again, with security staff first trying to bundle him off the outfield while he was still in it. He re-emerged, bowed to spectators and was then escorted off the outfield.
A man calling himself #Discoboy @Leeplumberdj, who had those words displayed on his chest, later claimed credit for the stunt.
"I just wanted a better view," he tweeted, before adding: "Apparently camping is forbidden. I thought I had the right season."
Pearson's ostrich moment
Former Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson accused a journalist of being "an ostrich" during a peculiar tirade following his side's 3-1 loss at home to Chelsea.
Ian Baker, who was covering the match for AFP, asked Pearson to elaborate after he told his post-match press conference that his players had had to deal with "criticism and negativity".
"Have you been on holiday for six months? Have you been away for six months?" responded Pearson.
"Your question is absolutely unbelievable, the fact you do not understand where I am coming from. If you don't know the answer to that question then I think you are an ostrich. Your head must be in the sand."
Pearson, who later left his job at the club, also mocked Baker's voice and described him as "very stupid", but later apologised.
Ajax happy to be mummy's boys
The players of Dutch champions Ajax walked onto the pitch for their final home game of the season hand in hand with their mothers to mark Mother's Day.
With the title already wrapped up, the Dutch giants took the opportunity to put a new twist on the traditional pre-match ritual where local children usually act as mascots for the players.
PHOTO: TWITTER"#MothersDay! If they can't visit us on #matchday, let's visit them!," @AFCAjax_EN wrote on the club Twitter feed.
Pregnant pause for Andy and Andy
Andy Murray saw the funny side when a US celebrity magazine accidentally captioned the British tennis star as a proud new father instead of former world number one Andy Roddick.
PHOTO: AFPRoddick and his wife, actress and model Brooklyn Decker announced that they were expecting their first baby.
However, when People CelebWatch tweeted a picture of the couple, it was headlined: "Andy Murray and Brooklyn Decker Expecting First Child".
"Not sure my wife and @andyroddick will be best pleased to find these out via Twitter! #error," tweeted Murray.
Roddick, a former US Open winner and a three-time Wimbledon runner-up, also saw the lighter side.
"@andy_murray @BrooklynDecker ...... Murray ...... Hide," tweeted the 32-year-old American.
Davis Cup winner Murray and his wife Kim are expecting their first child in February.
Sanitary towel fix for sweaty Rosberg
Heat and humidity are a perennial problem at the Malaysian Grand Prix but Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg had a unique solution -- wearing a sanitary towel inside his helmet.
"Actually I do have sort of a headband in my helmet, it is my trick, but I can tell you. I put a woman's... erm... what do you call them? The thing you put in your underwear."
PHOTO: AFPWhen the interviewer suggested "Tights?", Rosberg replies, "No, inside the underwear", before the term "sanitary towel" was volunteered.
"Sanitary towel -- I put that on my forehead in my helmet to take up the sweat," confirmed the driver.
Captivated -- Indian jail installs cable for World Cup
Authorities at a prison in cricket-mad India installed cable television after a judge said they had to ensure inmates could watch the World Cup.
"Prisoners need recreation for a healthy mind," Judge A. K. Goswami said as he ordered bosses at the central prison in the city of Guwahati to install cable TV.
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