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John Howard and Mahinda Rajapakse, the respective prime ministers of Australia and Sri Lanka, have been asked to exercise restraint when making statements about controversial issues in cricket. Ehsan Mani, the ICC president, feels that the controversy over Muttiah Muralitharan’s doosra was blown out of proportion by their remarks.Speaking to reporters in London, Mani said, “it’s not helpful when high-profile people make these sort of comments. I wish they’d talk to us first rather than making statements in the public arena.”Murali had threatened to boycott Sri Lanka’s forthcoming tour of Australia after the Howard, told a radio station that he believed Murali chucked. However, Howard immediately went on the defensive and asserted that his own comments were blown out of proportion.The Advertiser quoted Howards as saying, “I was simply reflecting on the scientific research in Perth in relation to one of his deliveries. Muralitharan is very welcome to come to Australia when Sri Lanka tours later this year.”Howard was referring to the recent tests conducted at the University of Western Australia, which found that the straightening of Murali’s his arm while bowling the doosra were more than the permissible limit for a spinner.Kevin Maher, who is the president of Cricket Far-North, the body responsible for Tests in Darwin and Cairns, said that he wished Howard hadn’t made the statements in public. “Is Johnny qualified to speak on this matter?” Maher asked, “He might be a cricket lover but I don’t know that it’s his place to call him [Murali] a chucker. It’s disappointing. The whole city of Cairns was looking forward to him coming. The clash between Muralitharan and Warne was a big thing for us.”

There is every likelihood that Australia will push for Zimbabwe to be stripped of Test status when the International Cricket Council meets next month. Addressing a news conference on Saturday, James Sutherland, the chief executive of Cricket Australia, said, “It’s over a month away right now and that gives the Zimbabwe Cricket Union a chance to resolve some of their differences with their players. I think that [the Test status of Zimbabwe] is a question that has probably come on to the table and is higher on the agenda now than it has ever been before.”Sutherland said that a decision would be taken in June, but he admitted that Australia, and several other Test-playing nations, were concerned about the current impasse between players and administrators in Zimbabwe.The two-Test series between Zimbabwe and Australia was cancelled on Friday, just 24 hours before the first match was due to start. And given Australia’s crowded itinerary, it’s unlikely to be played for at least another four years. The two teams will now play three one-day internationals in Harare, though once again, the rebel players have not been considered for selection.”One can’t predict but one would assume that a Zimbabwe 2nd or 3rd XI playing against the best team in the world would not have been a pretty contest,” said Sutherland. “It’s well known that the ICC have commenced a review of the structure of international cricket. There are certainly concerns about the standard of their team at the moment and that’s something the ICC will address at their June meeting.”

Glenn McGrath says Australia are favourites for the one-off Test and three one-dayers against the ICC World XI at Sydney and Melbourne. The series is more than eight months away, but McGrath has already begun firing his verbal volleys.”As a team unit, we probably should be favourites,” he was quoted in the Sportal website. “The other guys are class players but they haven’t played together, so it will be interesting to see how they do team up. It’s probably been a while since we haven’t been favourites going into a match, so we’ll see how we go.”Australia are assured of playing the Test against the World XI due to their unassailable lead in the ICC Test championship standings. They also hold a commanding lead in the one-day rankings, although New Zealand have a mathematical chance of overtaking them if Australia lose their next seven matches before the cut-off.The World XI selectors will announce a preliminary squad of 30 players at the end of April, while the final Test and one-day squads will be named in August. The one-dayers will be played at Melbourne on October 5, 7, and 9, while the Test – a six-day affair – will start on October 14 at Sydney.McGrath said the aim wasn’t to prove that Australia were the best team of all time. “It’s not up to the players to say whether we’re a great team or not, but if we can do well and turn around and win it, then I’m sure there will be a few comments floating around,” he said.”At the end of the day when we’re out in the middle, we want to play against the best players in the world, and if you can do well against them, then that’s your true standing in the big picture.”McGrath, who turns 35 next week, is set to play his 200th one-day international when Australia take on Pakistan in the first final of the VB Series, and needs only two more wickets to reach a milestone of 300 ODI scalps. “For any fast bowler to reach 200 is a pretty big thing. Three-hundred one-day wickets, for me personally, is a pretty big milestone and something I will be very happy and honoured to achieve if and when I get there.”

The first test match between Pakistan and Australia came to a thrilling conclusion on Monday, and though it may have been a bitter disappointment for all Pakistani fans, the Pakistan team can certainly hold its head high for their spirited effort in this test match.It was a case of so close, yet so far, for Waqar’s men as the Australians held their nerve in a tension filled last day. Steve Waugh once again showed why he is regarded as the “ice-man” and kept calm throughout, marshalling his troops to victory in the end. His decision to take the new ball at the crucial juncture on the last day proved to be the killer blow.However disappointing the defeat may have been for Pakistanis, they have certainly no reason to be ashamed. They fought hard and nearly pulled off victory in a match where it seemed they did not stand a chance.It was a team full of youngsters with all the big guns missing due to injury or personal reasons, and it was this young brigade that really lead the charge for Pakistan. Taufeeq Umar showed tremendous resilience in his second knock, showing exactly what an opener needs to do, wear out the new ball and then play strokes. He showed the patience other Pakistani openers have not shown in recent times, leaving everything outside off stump and cashing in on every loose ball. One hopes Pakistan may have finally found one answer at least for their dual opening combination.Faisal Iqbal, appeared to be a dramatically improved cricketer from the time he was last picked to play for Pakistan. A very competent player of spin, he took to Shane Warne with a confidence that one does not normally see and did not hold back against the fast men either. He seems to be oozing with confidence and not the least bit disturbed by the sledging that has become a part of the modern game. An excellent prospect for the Pakistan side, one hopes that the selectors will persist with him for quite a while.The best part of this test match for Pakistan has firstly been the discovery of talented youngsters who can cover for the likes of Inzamam and Youhana and secondly, the team has rediscovered the inspiration they lacked in recent tournaments.No praise is enough for the efforts of Shoaib Akhtar and Saqlain Mushtaq. Shoaib was right back at his fiery best, and proved once again that he is single handedly capable of destroying any opposition if he is in the right frame of mind. Praise too is due to PCB for showing faith in Shoaib during his injury period earlier in the year and the effort in getting him back to full fitness. Saqlain came back with a point to prove, as he had been discarded after the tournament in Morocco, and answered all his critics in style. He bowled with tremendous accuracy and variety, and was not afraid to flight the ball, something his bowling had lacked in recent times.Though the team played brilliantly, a few tactical errors may have been the only negative to come out of the game for Pakistan.Firstly, the promotion of Razzaq to number three backfired completely, and might just be the mistake that cost Pakistan the game. Razzaq was all at sea against Warne, and too defensive, which is totally unlike his normal self. His groping around allowed a fillip to the dimmed hopes of the Aussies after Imran and Taufeeq had put on a good opening partnership. Razzaq would be a far better prospect at number six, where he can afford to play some strokes against an older ball. The best batsman in the side must occupy this position in any side. Amongst the current options, there is no one better than Younis Khan who is in great touch and should really be fitted in once and for all. The Pakistanis have experimented for too long with this position, and besides Younis or Youhana there appears to be no other option.Secondly, the selection of Mohammed Sami also proved to be an error as the game wore on. The pitch was turning square and Danish Kaneria would have been a very useful bowler under the conditions. Moreover, the Pakistani batting order seems hampered by an excessively long tail with Saqlain coming in at number eight. The management might also consider picking an extra batsman instead of Sami to strengthen the batting line up, and go into the match with four bowlers.All in all, apart from a few adjustments there is nothing to complain of, and even the biggest critics of the Pakistan team will have to put up their hands and applaud the team’s efforts. Waqar and Richard Pybus deserve a lot of praise for turning the team’s attitude around and the youngsters are a major reason for that. One can only hope that they continue to show this fighting spirit in the games to come.

Ajay Jadeja’s unbeaten 77 helped Rajasthan to a nailbiting one-wicket win in a cracker of a contest against Jammu & Kashmir at Jhalwar. Needing 77 at the start of the day with five wickets in hand, Rajasthan were guided by Jadeja’s experienced hand all through the final phase. Abid Nabi, the 19-year-old medium-pacer, snapped up all the four wickets to fall today and threatened to pull it off for J&K but Sanjay Gill and Pankaj Singh provided Jadeja with valuable support. Mohammad Aslam, the No.11, walked in with 10 still needed but his 28-minute stay in the middle was all that Jadeja needed to seal the issue.
A captain’s knock from Rajiv Kumar, and plucky contributions from the middle order, propelled Jharkhand to a thrilling two-wicket win over Assam at Jamshedpur. Needing an imposing 301 more runs on the final day, Jharkhand were propped up by Kumar’s patient 70. Forties from Manish Kumar and Mohan Jha got them close and despite a lower-order stutter, a critical 28 from Shanbaz Nadeem, the bowling hero from the second innings, settled the game.
Naman Ojha’s rollicking double-hundred, punctuated with 19 fours and a staggering 11 sixes, and Sachin Dholpure’s century were the highlights of a run-filled final day of a drawn encounter between Madhya Pradesh and Kerala at Indore. Having gained first-innings honours on the third day, MP gained some valuable batting practice with their openers in a gluttonous mood, plundering a mammoth 337 for the first wicket. Having made his reputation as a good wicketkeeper, Ojha raced to his maiden first-class hundred and went on to make it a memorable double by the end of the day.
Amit Deshpande, the opener, and Samir Khare (49 not out) led Vidarbha to a convincing seven-wicket win over Saurashtra at Rajkot. Needing 104 on the final day, Vidarbha lost just two more wickets in pursuit of the target with both Alind Naidu and Swaroop Srivastava making handy contributions. Sandip Maniar, the opening bowler, dismissed both Deshpande and Naidu, to add to the one wicket he grabbed last evening, but Khare cracked six fours and a six in a breezy knock and took them home.
Niranjan Behera’s vital 67 gave Orissa the first-innings honours at the end of their clash against Tripura at Cuttack. Resuming on 214 for 6, needing 20 more runs to gain the lead, Behera guided the lower order and achieved the objective. Orissa went on to reach 277, and with the draw a certainty, Tripura, led by Rajesh Bainik, who made a fighting 67, batted out the rest of the day.

The International Cricket Council and the Irish Cricket Union today announced the venues for the ICC Trophy Ireland 2005, the tournament which will determine the final five qualifying places for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007.The eighth ICC Trophy will bring together 12 teams to contest 42 matches at 25 venues – a record for an ICC event – in the first half of July. The venues, which are still subject to final ICC inspection, are spread out across the north and south of Ireland with the group phase scheduled to take place in the north and the finals in the south. Clontarf, the ground at which Ireland defeated Surrey by five wickets in this year’s Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy, will host the final.Ehsan Mani, the ICC’s president, said the tournament was fortunate to have so many highly rated grounds available throughout Ireland. “The ICC is delighted that the games will be played at such a variety of venues as it means that no ground will be played on too frequently and that will augur well for the state of the pitches,” said Mani. “It is obviously a hugely important aspect of the tournament, not least because five of the 12 countries will qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup in the West Indies in 2007.”John Wright, secretary of the Irish Cricket Union who will also be the tournament director, said: “We are very grateful for the enthusiastic manner in which clubs throughout the country responded to the invitation to host games. In fact we received more acceptances than were required so, inevitably, some clubs will be disappointed. However, such is the enthusiasm for the tournament that some of these clubs have offered their facilities for `warm-up’ games.”Ireland will play their five first phase matches at Bangor, North Down, Waringstown and Civil Service which will stage two matches.The full list of venues is as follows:Armagh, Bangor, Carrick, Civil Service, Cliftonville, Clontarf, Cooke Collegians, Downpatrick, Drummond, Eglinton, Instonians, Leinster, Limavady, Lisburn, Lurgan, Malahide, Merrion, Muckamore, Newforge, North County, North Down, RBAI (Osborne Park, Belfast), The Hills, Waringstown, Woodvale.Details on ticketing and hospitality arrangements will be made available in early 2005.Eleven of the participating nations in the ICC Trophy 2005 are now known and the groups have been drawn. The final team will be the winner of ICC World Cup Qualifying Series (WCQS) event in Malaysia in February.Group A
Bermuda, Denmark, Ireland, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United States.Group B
Canada, Holland, Namibia, Oman, Scotland, WCQS winner.Previous winners
1979 – Sri Lanka
1982 – Zimbabwe
1986 – Zimbabwe
1990 – Zimbabwe
1994 – UAE
1997 – Bangladesh
2001 – Holland

Brian McFadyen, the Australia coach, has said his side has been planning for this ICC Under-19 World Cup for the past 18 months. Australia were the champions in the 1998 and 2002 but failed to qualify for the Super League stages and lost in the final of the Plate competition in the previous edition in Bangladesh.”Those performances in 2004 gave everyone in Australia a bit of a shake-up,” McFadyen said. “Since then we have had four training camps over an 18-month period plus a tour to India and we have been very thorough in our preparations. We have focussed pretty heavily on playing against spin bowling and using different strategies than we would back in Australia.”During our training sessions we utilised some Australian players who have had success on the sub-continent. We looked to use their expertise and use them to develop different activities anddrills for our players.”Moises Henriques, the captain of the current side, and also of the one that toured India and lost the ODI series 4-1, said that tour was a great learning experience, particularly for the batsmen. He said: “Batting in India is completely different to batting in Australia and for us to see how the Indians played in those conditions was a great learning curve. We also established India is going to be very hard to beat. We realize it is going to take some fantastic cricket to compete with them and also Pakistan and Bangladesh, who I think have a very good side as well.”Henriques is among the many pace bowlers in the team and the only survivor of the previous World Cup squad. He added that his experience in the subcontinent has enabled him to formulate a strategy for bowling on slow pitches in Sri Lanka.”Depending on how the fast bowlers are doing I think we will look to use them inshorter spells than normal,” said Henriques. “Also I think it is a case of looking to bowl within yourself as anyone who tries to huff and puff opponents out on these surfaces might find themselves ending up the worse for wear. It may be a case of the odd effort ball every now and then and also we have to look to bowl as straight as possible, especially to players from countries like Sri Lanka and India, as you just cannot give them any width.”Australia will face a lot of competition, having been grouped with the West Indies and South Africa in Group B, with USA the fourth team. With only two teams set to qualify from each group, Henriques shrugged off any hint of pressure. “We are not too worried about that,” he commented. “We are just worried about playing good cricket.”He also stressed that he is determined to set the record straight after the failiure in 2004. “I think all the boys are hungry to make amends for that and I think we have got the side to do it.”Australia’s Group B matches are against South Africa (February 5), the West Indies(February 8) and the USA (February 9).

The Asian Test Championship final at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore starting 6 March is an occasion to celebrate for Pakistani cricket lovers more so, because they have starved long for a chance to enjoy international cricket on their own soil. The drought started when India backed out of a regular tour on political grounds two years back. Then came the fateful 11 September 2001 disaster that struck a further blow to hosting international cricket in Pakistan.Pakistan, which happens to be Afghanistan’s next door neighbour had to bear the brunt of the security concerns expressed by scheduled touring sides. The foreign teams cancelled their tours, not only causing the PCB a colossal loss of funds but also depriving the cricket loving public of the fun of watching international cricket live. Another fall out from the crisis boiled down to the Pakistan Cricket Team losing vital match practice.While New Zealand cancelled their tour, a compromise was struck with the West Indies Team to play the scheduled series at Sharjah instead of in Pakistan. Despite being out of practice, it was fortunate for Pakistan team to win both tests as well as the one-day encounters.The situation having eased up considerably, it is nice to see Sri Lanka coming over to play final of the Asian Test Championship at Lahore. This match is in fact the unfinished agenda of the championship that commenced last year. India having declined to participate, only three teams Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were left in the contest. Both Pakistan and Sri Lanka having thrashed Bangladesh by an inning’s margin, the two teams jumped into the finals. It may be recalled that Pakistan won the first Asian Championship in 1999 also participated by India. Pakistan shall thus be defending their honour. Let us see who becomes the new Asian Champs?The two sides have not only been announced but have had also net practice sessions at Gaddafi. The Pakistan team has two major omissions. The prolific opener Saeed Anwar is either not recovered from his injury or is away on personal business. Former skipper Wasim Akram has been sidelined for doubtful physical fitness, an assessment of the selectors that he has refuted in the press. Out of those selected, Inzamam remains pathetically out of his elements. Surprisingly, a batsman of a very high caliber, the Pakistan vice-captain was seen struggling with the bat against Bangladesh, a rare phenomena for the big man who had never faced such a crisis in his career. He is, however, quite capable of striking back at any time or can even be a match winner on his own.Two youngsters who gave remarkable performances against the West Indies at Sharjah could not possibly be ignored. The budding all-rounder Shoaib Malik who played a match winning innings in the second one-day game at Sharjah fully justified his inclusion in the side. Same was the case with Mohammad Sami, who not only bowled Pakistan to victory but also joined the ranks of bowlers to perform a hat trick in one-day games.Sri Lanka also has a very balanced side. Giving Pakistan due credit, skipper Jayasuriya visualizes a tough battle between the two teams. He is of the view that his team is now on the right track and direction and with some excellent performance in the recent past, he expects his boys to do well in the final. With Marvan Atapattu, Mahela Jayawardene, Russel Arnold, Tillekeratne and Jayasuriya himself, the Sri Lanka team has quite a depth in its batting line up. They, however, feel the pinch of not having played any cricket in the last 10 weeks compared to Pakistan who recently won the two Test series against the West Indies at Sharjah. One should not, however, lose sight of trump card Muttiah Muralitharan who can take Sri Lanka to the vistory stand single-handedly on his day. Both sides look determined to win which indicates that it will be an excitingly tough battle to watch.The teams were given a joint reception by PCB and the match sponsors at a local hotel last evening in which brief speeches were made. In a battle of wits, the two managers expressed their desire ‘to turn the tables on the other’, the whole thing ending up in good humour.The nature of the pitch would only be known just before the match starts but it is expected to be sporting. The weather is clear with excellent daylight required for good cricket. Athar Zaidi and Darrel Harper will be the field umpires while Saleem Badar will act as TV umpire and the ICC match referee will be AM Ebrahim (Zim).

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details
How they were out

Fortunes ebbed and flowed on an intriguing second day at Mumbai, at the close of which the match was superbly poised, with England perhaps marginally in front. Despite a powerful hand by debutant Owais Shah, who fell just 12 short of a hundred on debut, England collapsed to 400, before hitting back strongly with the ball. India were reduced to 28 for 3 – the casualties included Sachin Tendulkar – before Yuvraj Singh and Rahul Dravid revived the innings with a fluent 61-run stand, leaving India 311 adrift at close of play.After only three wickets fell on the opening day, there was plenty more excitement on the second. Sreesanth and Munaf Patel led India’s fightback with the ball, ensuring that seven wickets fell for 74 to limit England to a manageable total, but then the Indian batsmen themselves struggled against a hostile and incisive England attack, till Yuvraj and Dravid pulled the innings back on track.The Wankhede Stadium pitch was still a fine one for batting, with even pace and carry, but it has afforded the bowlers encouragement by way of bounce, and Matthew Hoggard and co. exploited that to the hilt when India came out to bat just before tea. Sehwag’s position as Hoggard’s bunny was further reinforced, as was his shortcoming against the short ball. Hoggard has now nailed him six times – more than any other bowler – but more than that, it was the manner of dismissal – gloving a bouncer to slip – that will cause the Indian think-tank plenty of concern.Wasim Jaffer was quickly consumed by a short ball as well, and when Tendulkar, the other home boy, pottered 20 balls and then reached out and nicked a wide ball, India had managed all of 28 runs in 18 overs, with three top-order batsmen in the hutch.England’s strategy was superb, and the implementation even better. Hoggard, Flintoff and even James Anderson – the least threatening of the three bowlers – gave the batsmen little to drive on the front foot. The good-length balls were mixed with a generous dose of short deliveries, keeping the batsmen pinned back. And despite taking early wickets, Flintoff refrained from over-attacking and over-crowding the slip cordon, ensuring there were enough fielders in the ring to cut off the singles.The advent of Yuvraj, though, shifted the momentum completely, with 61 coming off the next 18.5. The sublime form he has been in over the last few months showed immediately, as he launched into sumptuous drives and flicks – one extra-cover drive off Anderson, early in his innings, was especially glorious. His first 30 runs came off 27 balls, and with Dravid playing his anchor’s part to perfection, Flintoff was suddenly forced to post fielders on the boundary. England’s second spin option, Shaun Udal, was a liability too, and England quickly switched back to pace to keep a lid on the runs as India ended the day breathing far easier.If the third-wicket stand would have pleased Dravid, then so would have the team’s performance with the ball, after an ordinary first day. Despite reprieving Flintoff thrice off Munaf Patel – including drops off successive balls – the bowlers fought back superbly, with Sreesanth in the forefront. He got rid of Paul Collingwood, ending an 84-run stand for the fourth wicket, which started the slide, and then quickly got rid of Geraint Jones as well, paving the way for the other bowlers to make their mark.And Munaf did, with two wickets in two balls to further dent England’s hopes of a total in the vicinity of 450. Any bowler might have felt that the force wasn’t with him after his run of bad luck, but Munaf bowled with heart and courage, and ultimately deserved more than just the two wickets in his bowling analysis.Through the mayhem at the other end, Shah stood his ground. Resuming on 50 after an attack of cramps the previous day, he played with skill, flair, and plenty of common sense. His strokeplay was sumptuous, the defence solid, and his batting with the tail extremely purposeful. Unbeaten on 65 when the eighth wicket fell, Shah assumed the role of senior batsman, nurdling the singles towards the end of the over to keep strike, but also not missing out on opportunities to crunch a couple of powerful boundaries despite a well spread-out field. Just 12 short of becoming the 17th centurion on debut for England – and second in this series – Shah fell, caught quite brilliantly at slip by Dravid. Harbhajan then wrapped up the innings to finish with three – a rich haul given his poor form – though by close of play England had struck back to leave the match perfectly poised.How they were out
IndiaVirender Sehwag c Shah b Hoggard 6 (9 for 1)
Wasim Jaffer c Jones b Hoggard 11 (24 for 2)
Sachin Tendulkar c Jones b Anderson 1 (28 for 3)
England
Paul Collingwood c Dhoni b Sreesanth 31 (326 for 4)
Andrew Flintoff c Tendulkar b Kumble 50 (328 for 5)
Geraint Jones c Kumble b Sreesanth 1 (333 for 6)
Shaun Udal lbw b Munaf 9 (356 for 7)
Matthew Hoggard b Munaf 0 (356 for 8)
Owais Shah c Dravid b Harbhajan 88 (385 for 9)
James Anderson c Yuvraj b Harbhajan 15 (400 all out)

David Hussey enjoyed a cleansweep of Victoria’s state awards on Tuesday, just hours after he was chosen in Australia’s ODI squad to tour the West Indies in June. It will be Hussey’s first trip with the national team and it comes after a prolific season that resulted in him being named as Victoria’s best player in the Pura Cup, FR Cup and KFC Twenty20.Hussey was the state’s leading run scorer in all three competitions and was an integral part in them reaching every final in 2007-08. He took home the Bill Lawry Medal as the Pura Cup Player of the Year after recording his best tally in a season, 1008 runs at 56, which was second only to Simon Katich across the country.He added the Dean Jones Medal to his stack of prizes thanks to an FR Cup campaign that brought 484 runs at 44, including the second-fastest century in Australian domestic one-day history. The Twenty20 honour was a formality after he scored 237 runs at 47.40 and was named as the tournament’s Player of the Year at last month’s Australian Cricketers’ Association awards.The Ryder Medal, awarded to the best player in Melbourne’s premier grade cricket competition, went to Steven Spoljaric, a Hawthorn-Monash University allrounder who has been the runner-up twice in the past three years. He beat the sometime Victoria one-day player Grant Lindsay by one vote, while Sarah Edwards was named the top women’s cricketer having scored 214 runs at 30.57 in the WNCL.