Baker arrived in Tallahassee the morning after the election and was joined by two longtime aides, Margaret Tutwiler and Robert Zoellick, a plug-in rescue squad that had seen action in such events as the 1987 stock-market crash, the fall of the Soviet bloc and the Gulf War.

CNN: Franchise Player

British hopes were hit on Wednesday by Becky Lyne's fall in the 800m and the failure of the 4x100m relay squad to finish the race.

BBC: SPORT | Athletics | Malcolm victory lifts British men

The latest in a series of fall-outs came after a squad was chosen for the forthcoming one-day series against New Zealand without Miandad and skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq being consulted.

BBC: SPORT | Cricket | Pakistan's uneasy alliance

But Sackey, one of nine Wasps players named in England manager Martin Johnson's 32-man elite squad, does not expect McGeechan to fall into the trap of selecting on the basis of familiarity.

BBC: No Wasps bias for Lions - Sackey

The row erupted when Gatland asked for 13 days with his squad to prepare for playing world champions South Africa in Cardiff on 8 November, a Test that did not fall within the IRB's international window.

BBC: Wales barters over player release