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5 To Watch takes a gamble

This week, we’ll have a go at the World Twenty20, the Cup final and a bit of boxing. But the worst of it is that I’m going to tip England to be world champions which has to spell disaster.

• Let’s start with one of the rising stars of British sport – Amir Khan. The youngster is now under the wing of trainer Freddie Roach, one of the shrewdest men in world boxing, who has said the Briton has all the attributes it takes to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. How can we argue with that? On Saturday he fights New Yorker Paulie Malignaggi for Khan’s WBA Light-welterweight title at the famous Madison Square Garden. It might be Malignaggi’s back yard but we have to go with Khan.


• The FA Cup final is an intriguing match because it pits relegated Portsmouth – broke, broken and seemingly helpless – against Premier League champions Chelsea who would surely love to complete the double to make up for their Champions League disappointment. Sentiment has its place and I can see Pompey doing well but the head rules: Chelsea to win.


• England’s cricketers have reached the World Twenty20 Cup final with a combination of dashing stroke play, miserly bowling and acrobatic fielding – just like all the Aussie teams over the years. The fact that the team has its fair share of South African exiles in the squad doesn’t matter to me, it’s still England. They could be taking on the Aussies in the final but whoever they face I’m taking them to go one further than merely reaching the final and actually winning it.


• Andy Murray’s roller coaster career has yet to include a Grand Slam – and I for one have a nagging fear it never will. But he can creep closer to a clay court crown with victory over David Ferrer of Spain in the Madrid Open. Ferrer beat Murray in Rome recently but the Scot was very off his game. Now he’s back and ready – he says – to do justice to his talent. Good luck to him. Let’s back the Brit – Murray to win.


• And finally, when the TV company Setanta failed, the Magners League was hit by a lack of a broadcast partner for some of its teams. Now that has been resolved and BBC Alba (eh?) will screen the league final when the Ospreys take on Glasgow in the Liberty Stadium, Swansea. The Ospreys are favourites and you can’t bet against them. Glasgow it is.