SPORTS DIGEST/Golf: Doral Championship winner Craig Parry has now opted to play down scathing criticism of his swing on an NBC television broadcast.Johnny Miller, a former British and US Open champion, described the Australian's swing as like that of a 15-handicapper.
Although he initially complained to the PGA Tour, Parry now wants to move on.
"Just call the shots as they are," Parry said. "Just get the commentators to call the shots as they are rather than get personal."
Parry's concerns about the NBC broadcast were passed to the network by the PGA Tour.
"He (Parry) did ask us to convey his concerns to NBC and we passed his concerns along," said Bob Combs, public relations vice-president for the PGA Tour. "It a little bit of an old story."
Miller criticised Parry's swing during the final round of the tournament, which Parry won with an eagle from the fairway at the first play-off hole, saying that if Ben Hogan had seen Parry's swing he would have "puked".
"Johnny uses colourful phrases," said Kevin Sullivan, vice-president of communications for NBC Sports. "But there was no malice.
RUGBY: France coach Bernard Laporte has announced a 22-man squad ahead of their final two Six Nations games against Scotland and England, with scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili replacing the injured Jean-Baptiste Elissalde.
Laporte has also recalled Pepito Elhorga, Clement Poitrenaud, who features for the first time this year, and outhalf Julien Peyrelongue, who replaced Frederic Michalak against Italy.
Iain Balshaw is battling to be fit for England's clash against Wales. The Bath full back suffered a groin injury during club training yesterday, and faces a scan on Friday. England coach Clive Woodward is due to name his squad today.
CRICKET: Michael Vaughan's hopes of guiding England to a first major Test series victory in three years were lifted as Mark Butcher proved his fitness yesterday.
Butcher, who has been struggling with an ankle injury, came through his second net session and a thorough fielding work-out to secure his place in the squad for today's first Test against West Indies.
The Surrey batsman's inclusion is set to give England's top order an experienced look when play gets under way at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.
CYCLING: The mountainous fourth stage of Paris-Nice was called off yesterday because of continuing bad weather in the Loire and Auvergne regions of central France.
"It's minus four degrees on Col de la Croix de l'Homme Mort, the road is wet and the snow is still falling," said race director Jean-Marie Leblanc.
German CSC rider Jörg Jaksche remains six seconds clear in the overall standings going into today's fifth stage.
