* A 12 crore 'fiat' for Sachin; champion Palio

Toe injury or not, Sachin Tendulkar is still in the driver's seat. The little master, according to media reports, has signed a Rupees 12 crore deal with Italian car major Fiat to promote their small car Palio in India.

The contract, supposedly for two years, makes Sachin the 'brand champion" for the small car which will be launched in India in the third week of September. Tendulkar's "elevated level of performance, dynamic creative strokeplay and attitude" are what make him the ideal choice for the role according to Fiat officials.The deal is one of the biggest endorsement deals ever in India, ranking very high even on the Tendulkar chart.

* Abid Ali new Andhra coach

Former Test star, Syed Abid Ali, has been appointed coach of the Andhra team, the Deccan Chronicle reported on Wednesday. The 59-year- old Ali, who scored 1018 runs and claimed 47 wickets in 29 Tests for India between 1967-68 and 1974-75, was excited about his new job. "I will be soon going to Visakhapatnam where I will be coaching between 25 to 30 probables for about a month. The Ranji team will be selected in this camp," he said. Ali also added that he would be laying greater emphasis on improving the fitness of players, which he felt was a much neglected area.

* Prabhakar's bail in doubt

Former Test cricketer Manoj Prabhakar's bail application before the Uttaranchal High Court in the Chit Fund case might be rejected after one of the sureties decided to withdraw. Preetpal, who hails from Haldwani are of Nainital district, pleaded before the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM), Nainital on Wednesday that he wanted to withdraw as he was unable to furnish the bond of Rs 50,000.

He added that he had agreed to stand surety only at the insistence of his relatives and he never knew Prabhakar personally. The Nainital CJM had earlier agreed to grant bail to Prabhakar if he could find two sureties who would also have to furnish a bond of Rupees 50,000 each. Prabhakar, admitted to a private nursing home in Haldwani following a suspected brain stroke, is currently recovering in a hospital.

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