Sports Digest/Athletics: Greek sports authorities yesterday cleared sprinters Costas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou of all charges related to missing three doping tests, including one on the eve of last year's Athens Olympics.

In a shock decision that could see the pair swiftly return to the running track if there is no appeal by the sport's world governing body, Greek authorities said the athletes were victims of incorrect procedures in notifying them of doping tests.

However, the Greek Athletics Federation announced that the athletes' former coach Christos Tzekos has been banned from participating in athletics for four years because of his role in the affair.

Kenteris (31), who won a 200 metres gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Games, and Thanou (30), a 100 metres silver medallist at the same Olympics, had faced a two-year ban if they had been found guilty.

The sprinters consistently denied they were at fault but both a spokesman for the International Association of Athletics Federations and Dick Pound, the chief of the World Anti-Doping Agency, have said they will consider referring the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Cricket: Ireland came a step closer to becoming a fully fledged one-day international (ODI) country yesterday after the International Cricket Council (ICC) agreed in principle that all matches played between its top-six ranked associate members or between those countries and any of the Test nations would be granted ODI status, reports James Fitzgerald.

This is a boost to the Irish team ahead of this summer's ICC Trophy and, if it is ratified at the ICC's annual conference, it will see Ireland playing one-day matches in Australia, India and England.