Rajan's Wrong-Un: Indian title shamed by spot-fixing nonsense

World Cup Diary

The Times of India – the best-selling English language newspaper in the world, incidentally – was forced to issue a humiliating front-page apology yesterday.

The venerable organ had published a story alleging spot-fixing ahead of Australia's Group A game against Zimbabwe on 21 February. ICC chief Haroon Lorgat was infuriated, but not half as much as the Australians. It would be an immense shame if the scandals afflicting Pakistan last year led to more baseless nonsense about players who believe strongly in the spirit of the game.

Yuvraj unusually coy about 'special' friend

What with his Twitter biography reading "Cricketer, Celebrity, Entrepreneur, budding Philanthropist aka Yuvi", Yuvraj Singh has never struck his fans as the shy type. But, clearly exhilarated by his splendid half-century to see India through against Australia, he was unusually candid with journalists: "I am playing this tournament for a special person. That person always comes to mind whenever I am in a crisis situation." Who might this special soul be? "I will tell you all if we reach the final," he said, setting a billion tongues wagging. A mystery lady friend? Stuart Broad, for allowing him to hit six sixes off him in one over four years ago, and so enter the record books? My money is on this little friend, posted on Yuvraj's Twitter feed earlier in the week.

Swann gives Finn the brush-off

The cyber-relationship Graeme Swann and Steve Finn have been conducting reached a new level yesterday, with the introduction of a third party. Over to @swannyg66: "Jimmy [Anderson] has come up with the perfect new trend, unfollow Friday. Congrates @finnysteve your dull as dishwater tweets have earned you a #uf".