Lawson eager for Pakistan chance

Former Australia fast bowler Geoff Lawson has described coaching Pakistan as "one of the most important jobs in world cricket".

Lawson is one of three candidates to succeed the late Bob Woolmer and was interviewed in Bhurban on Monday.

"Pakistan are impressive when they play well, and are frustrating when they play bad. But they are a good group of men who can be motivated," he said.

The Pakistan Cricket Board hope to make an appointment next week.

Rival candidate Richard Done met PCB officials last weekend and Dav Whatmore, the former coach of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, will do so on Wednesday.

Lawson, meanwhile, admitted that he was initially reluctant to accept an invitation to attend while Woolmer's death in Jamaica during the recent World Cup was still being investigated.

"It is fair to say I changed my mind after it was announced Woolmer died of natural causes," he said.

The 49-year-old paid tribute to the former Pakistan coach, adding: "We crossed paths nine months ago and apart from his coaching abilities, which were superior, he was a good human being and the world of cricket will miss him."

Lawson took 180 wickets in 46 Tests during the 1980s and has coaching experience with state side New South Wales.

"I am honoured and feel great pride to be among the candidates. Pakistan have a bright future and that's what brought me here," he added.

Sri Lanka unhappy with Atapattu

Former Sri Lanka captain Marvan Atapattu could face disciplinary action after pulling out of their forthcoming Test series against Bangladesh.

He informed officials on Sunday that he would not be available for the series because of "personal commitments".

Atapattu is currently in England playing for invitation side Lashings.

"We will have to see whether he has violated his annual contract. If he has, then we will have to take action," said board secretary K Mathivanan.

"This tour was a great opportunity for Marvan to get back in the team and we are disappointed that he has made himself unavailable."

The 36-year-old has played 88 Tests, 18 as captain, but has not appeared in the side for 18 months, primarily because he underwent surgery on his back in 2006.

Despite opting out of the Tests against Bangladesh, the first of which starts on 25 June, Atapattu has made it clear he has not retired and wants to be considered for future series.

The selectors will name a replacement for him in the near future.

But it will definitely not be Sanath Jayasuriya, who will be playing county cricket in England until the start of the one-day series which follows the Tests.

Bangladesh, meanwhile, flew into Sri Lanka on Sunday despite security fears because of activity by the Tamil Tigers, who want an independent homeland for ethnic minority Tamils in the north and east of the country.

"The Bangladeshi government has accepted our security guarantees making the tour possible," said Sri Lanka sports minister Gamini Lokuge.

The Tigers have carried out two separate air raids in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo since the end of March.

At least nine people died and more than 40 civilians were injured in two subsequent roadside bombs in the city.

The first two Tests will be played in the city, with the third to be staged in Kandy.

Vaughan quits as one-day skipper

Michael Vaughan has resigned as captain of England's one-day side, but insists he wants to be a member of the new squad when it is announced on Friday.

Vaughan said: "I will continue to play one-day cricket for Yorkshire and it is not my intention to retire from one-day international cricket as a player.

"I do, however, appreciate that the new captain will need a period of time to establish his own authority."

Paul Collingwood is the favourite to take over as one-day captain.
Collingwood told Radio Five Live: "There are going to be quite a few names in the hat.

"We've got some good one-day players in the side and it's up to the selectors in the next few days to decide who the next man for the job is.

"It's a stressful job, not an easy job, but if I was asked I would be very happy to take it.

"My one-day and Test form are going pretty well at the moment."
He was backed by former England captain Alec Stewart, who told Five Live: "In my opinion, Paul Collingwood is the best man for the job.

"I know how much it would mean to him to be captain of England.

"And I don't think you will see him have the aspirations to upset the apple cart for the Test captaincy either. He is also a player who can rise to the big occasion."

Vaughan - who remains England's Test captain - stressed he had made the decision to give up the one-day role "some time ago".

He said he had initially planned to make an announcement after the end of the Riverside Test on Tuesday "to avoid it becoming a distraction to the team".

But "intense speculation in the media" had persuaded him to bring the decision forward by 24 hours.

Vaughan recently stated that he believed it best for the same person to lead both the Test and one-day sides, but acknowledged he was unlikely to be around for the next World Cup in 2011.

And despite being England's most successful Test captain of all time in terms of the number of matches won, he has not achieved similar success in the shorter form of the game.

Some have questioned whether he was worth his place in the side as a player. He has not managed a single century in 86 matches and only averages 27 compared to his Test average of 43.
His predecessor Nasser Hussain said he was concerned that if Vaughan continued to try to play both forms of the game his career could be shortened by injuries.

"I personally would like Michael Vaughan's body looked after. He has been an exceptional Test match captain but if he plays in all the one-dayers I don't think he will last," said Hussain.

"I would like to see it handled delicately so he can go out on his own terms. He has made a brilliant leader but it gives someone the opportunity to take that side on."

Vaughan said he had been carefully considering the best way forward for England in one-day cricket since the end of the World Cup.

He added: "Our priority is to build a one-day squad able to compete strongly at the next World Cup and I firmly believe the interests of the team will be best served if I step down.

"I am committed to continuing as England's Test captain for as long as I can be successful in that role.

"I enjoy the job and I also believe that I will be able to form a strong working relationship with whoever is appointed to the one-day captaincy."

Pietersen motivated by Ashes hurt

England want to "demolish" Australia in the next Ashes series, according to batting star Kevin Pietersen.

He told BBC Five Live's Sportsweek the team had responded positively to last winter's 5-0 defeat in Australia and their poor World Cup performance.

"Inside we're hurting and it's the same sort of pain we want to inflict on countries that tour England," he said.

"The way we're playing out cricket now is the way we want to play and the way we want to demolish Australia in 2009."

Pietersen, in particular, has been in inspired form in the current series against West Indies, making 438 runs so far at an average of 87, including a Test best score of 226.

And he credits new coach Peter Moores, who took over from Duncan Fletcher at the start of the summer, for instilling a new ruthlessness among the players.

"I think the best thing about England's performances this summer has been the fact they we've been out there at the West Indies throats...we've shown we're not that bad at cricket.

"The winter was really tough for us, playing against what is probably the greatest Australian team, but we've learnt our lessons, our batters are scoring big runs, our bowlers are taking wickets and we're not putting down too many catches - we're showing that killer instinct which is something we want to do," said Pietersen.

"we want to be mentally right, we want to be physically right and we want to keep asking questions, ball after ball, session after session. A team has to back down at some stage.

"It's something Mooresy is very keen on and as soon as you turn up at the ground you're in the right frame of mind, you've got positive energy, positive vibes in the dressing room.

"Positive energy breeds positive performances," he added.

Former England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tim Lamb told Sportsweek agreed that Moores had made a "promising start" as head coach.

Responding to Pietersen's comments, Lamb, now in charge of the Central Council of Physical Recreation, said "We showed what we could do in 2005 when we played at the top of our game and maybe the Australians didn't.

"I think English cricket is back on track but there is some gap to be made up between ourselves and the Australians. Let's hope for better things in a couple of years time."

Live Scores-4th test England Vs WestIndies

npower Test Match Series: England v West Indies
15-06-2007 at Riverside , Day 2 of 5

In Play

England won the toss and decided to field

West Indies 1st Innings 51 for 3 (15.5 overs)

West Indies 1st Innings

			Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Ganga	c Cook	b Sidebottom	0	1	0	0
Gayle	lbw	b Hoggard	28	24	3	1
Smith		b Sidebottom	4	26	0	0
Morton	not out		2	18	0	0
Chanderpaul	not out		16	26	3	0
Extras		1lb	1
Total		for 3	51	(15.5 ovs)

Bowler O M R W Sidebottom 7.0 4 27 2 Hoggard 7.5 2 19 1 Harmison 1.0 0 4 0

Fall of wicket 0 Ganga 32 Gayle 34 Smith

Umpires: B F Bowden, Aleem Dar
England: Strauss, Cook, Vaughan, Pietersen, Collingwood, Bell, Prior, Harmison, Hoggard, Sidebottom, Panesar
West Indies: Gayle, Ganga, Smith, Morton, Chanderpaul, Bravo, Ramdin, Samuels, Powell, Collymore, Edwards

Botham honoured with knighthood

Former England cricket hero Ian Botham, who has raised more than £10m for leukaemia charities, has been awarded a knighthood by the Queen.

Manchester United's nine-time Premier League title winner Ryan Giggs is appointed an OBE while veteran striker Teddy Sheringham becomes an MBE.

Former snooker world champion Terry Griffiths becomes an OBE.

Ex-Great Britain rugby league star Kris Radlinski and former Dunfermline boss Jim Leishman are both appointed MBEs.
Botham, 51, made his name as a flamboyant and influential all-rounder.

Through 11 long-distance walks, many from Land's End to John O'Groats, he has helped to dramatically increase the survival rate of leukaemia sufferers.

Nicknamed "Beefy", he played 102 Tests for England in a career that lasted from 1974 to 1993.
He took 383 wickets, which remains an English record, and scored 5,200 runs.

"I'm delighted and very honoured, not just for myself but also the people who have helped me get there," Botham told Radio Five Live.

"There'll be a very good party. It will be a very proud moment for me to go to Buckingham Palace again."

The highlight of his career came during the series against Australia in the summer of 1981, which came to be known as "Botham's Ashes".

He received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Sport Personality of the Year Awards in 2004 and was appointed an OBE in 1992.

Other sports stars honoured in the Queen's Birthday Honours List include former Wales and British Lions rugby union prop Graham Price and boxer Jane Couch (both MBE).

Yachtswoman Dee Caffari, who last year became the first woman to sail solo non-stop around the globe against the prevailing winds, is made an MBE.

Tim Phillips, chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, becomes a CBE.

FA chairman Geoff Thompson, who last month was named as the new British Fifa representative, is made an OBE.

British Show Jumping Association chief executive Jacqueline Wood also becomes a CBE.

Sporting honours:

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Knighthoods
Ian Botham - services to charity and to cricket

CBE
Timothy Dewe Phillips, chair All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club - services to sport
Alison Gail Odell, life vice president British Universities Sports Association - services to sport

OBE
Ryan Giggs, footballer - services to sport
Geoffrey Thompson, former chair Football Association - services to sport
Terry Griffiths - services to snooker,
Jacqueline Wood, chief executive British Showjumping Association - services to sport
John Vernon Ayling, trustee Lord's Taverners Charity - services to sport

MBE
Teddy Sheringham - services to football
Kristian Radlinski - services to rugby league
Graham Price - services to rugby union in Wales
Jane Couch, boxer - services to sport
Jim Leishman, manager Dunfermline FC - services to sport
Dr Robert Appleyard, founder Yorkshire County Cricket Club Charitable Youth Trust - services to sport
Michael Uzebu-Asije, coach Eastleigh Amateur Boxing Club - services to sport
Margaret Borley, coach Tonbridge Bobcats youth baseball team - services to sport
Dee Caffari - services to sailing
Carolyn Christophersen - services to skiing
Joseph Cohen - services to Maccabi Youth Sports Trust
Alan Fennell, coach Glossop Amateur Swimming Club - services to sport
Tommy Gilmour - services to boxing and to the community in Scotland
Mitsusuke Harada - services to karate
Katherine Edith Hardman - services to school sport
Eric Hardwick - services to the Hastings Half Marathon
Jean Mary Hawes - services to hockey
Samuel George Henderson - services to youth football in Northern Ireland
James David Hendry - services to cycling
Ivan Leslie Jones - services to charity and to sport in Minehead, Somerset
Lynsey Denise McVicker - services to hockey in Northern Ireland
Madge Morgan- services to lawn bowls for visually impaired people
Joan Slater, chairman British Ice Teachers Association - services to ice skating
Maurice Edward Sly - services to swimming
Clasford Stirling, manager Broadwater Farm Football Club - services to sport
Michael Wilkins, lately director of sports, University of Kent - services to higher education and to sport

Vaughan leads tributes to Botham

England captain Michael Vaughan has labelled Ian Botham an "inspiration" following the news that the 51-year-old has been awarded a knighthood.

The former England all-rounder, who has raised more than £10m for leukaemia charities, was named in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.

"Ian was the inspiration for an entire generation of young cricketers growing up in the 1980s," said Vaughan.

"But Ian's achievements go far beyond cricket and this is richly deserved."

Botham, who played 102 Tests for England, has raised the vast sum of money mainly through long-distance walks.

And Vaughan added: "With the help of his family and friends, he has devoted an enormous amount of time and energy to helping those less fortunate than himself.

"I know that he will take great pride in this."

Former England captain Graham Gooch told BBC Five Live: "He's been called a lot of things down the years but I think Beefy will suffice.

"It's a well deserved honour. He's been England's foremost cricketer of the past 30 years and he's put in all that hard work and all those miles for a fantastic cause.


Beefy came up and made me feel welcome. It was like I had known the guy for years.

Richards on Botham

"He's been the people's champion for cricket and I am sure he will be celebrating. He was a cricketer who put bums on seats.

"The players in the dressing room didn't watch every minute of play but when Beefy was batting everyone went out to watch because there would always be something happening when he had a bat in his hand."

And West Indies legend Sir Viv Richards, a good friend to Botham and godfather to his son Liam, told Test Match Special: "I'm so excited for him. He's come such a long way.

"I liked him the first time I met him playing at Somerset. Ian was supposed to be the fast bowler and all-rounder and I was the West Indies batsman everyone had high hopes for.

"I got out first ball while Ian hit a hundred and when I bowled I took 5-23. The roles soon reversed.

"Beefy came up afterwards and made me feel welcome. It was like I had known the guy for years. He's a wonderful human being."

David Collier, the chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, added: "On behalf of the ECB and cricket throughout England and Wales we send our warmest congratulations to Ian on this great honour.

"Ian's contribution to both the game of cricket and his charitable works have been truly inspirational.

"He joins a very select band of cricketers who have been knighted and he fully deserves this wonderful honour."

Botham's former Somerset and England team-mate Vic Marks said: "If you spoke to his contemporaries, people he played with and against, you won't hear a word against him as he played the game well and you respected him as an opponent."

Vaughan one-day future uncertain

England captain Michael Vaughan's place in the one-day side is still up for debate, chairman of selectors David Graveney has admitted.

With the opening day's play in the fourth Test washed out the selectors and Vaughan met to discuss the Twenty20 and one-day matches.

Vaughan, 32, averages just 27 in one-day cricket and led England's unsuccessful World Cup campaign.

"We haven't made our decision," said Graveney, on Vaughan's position.

"I invited him in the normal way I would the captain.

"What we have had here is a first discussion - knowing Michael's views about how we should play as a team - with Peter Moores and Geoff Miller.

Can Michael Vaughan play both forms of the game?

Chairman of selectors David Graveney

"We have talked about his position as a batsman, we haven't skirted the issue, he knows the way he has played, he knows what he wants to do long term and that is an ongoing scenario."

Vaughan's future in the one-day game has been the subject of much debate, with suggestions he would be better standing down from the short form of the game to concentrate on Test cricket.

He struggled with the bat throughout the winter before finally finding form in his 12th and final one-day innings, hitting 79 in the win over West Indies in Barbados.

"To me the way he played against West Indies is the way we have all wanted Michael Vaughan to play for England in one-day cricket," said Graveney.

The chairman of selectors indicated that he prefers evolution rather than revolution, suggesting Vaughan will stay for the near future.

"Can Michael Vaughan play both forms of the game? Do we want Michael Vaughan to be captain in 2009? How do we achieve that?

"Four years is a very long time and sometimes we have broken up our teams too early.

"If you break up a team immediately after a World Cup it means you can end up with a totally inexperienced team and one which goes through a period of losing.

"I see the integration of younger players as more gradual."

The squad is set to be announced after England's A side - now renamed as England Lions - take on the West Indies at Worcester on Thursday.

Trescothick comeback played down

England chairman of selectors David Graveney has played down talk of an immediate recall for Marcus Trescothick after the Tests against West Indies.

Despite England's series win, the poor form of Andrew Strauss and the upcoming one-day internationals have prompted many to call for Trescothick's return.

The opener missed most of the winter because of a stress-related illness, but has been in fine form of late.

But Graveney told BBC Sport: "There is no point running before you can walk."

He added: "He is up there as one of the most attacking one-day players in the world.

"But we are just monitoring the situation at the moment - I refuse to keep pestering him with the same question.

"I'm talking to the coaching staff, him from time to time about subjects other than cricket, and we've left it in a situation where he will contact us when he's ready.

"It's great he's back playing and doing as well as he has been, let's see what happens now."

There are areas we have to discuss re: touring, but we have not addressed that at all yet

David Graveney

But Graveney admitted Trescothick could yet play again for England this year, despite the Somerset opener not representing his country since August 2006.

He pulled out of tours to India and Australia last year, but Graveney conceded England's short tour to Sri Lanka followed by the Twenty20 World Cup and one-day series might not be too onerous.

"First and foremost, that subject has not been broached with Marcus," he told BBC Sport cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew.

"There are areas we have to discuss re: touring, but we have not addressed that at all yet.

"However, I know where people are coming from, I'm not sticking my head in the sand. The tour to Sri Lanka is actually a short compact trip. But does it fit the bill? Those questions have not been asked."

Trio in running for Pakistan role

Geoff Lawson and Richard Done are reported to have joined fellow Australian Dav Whatmore on the shortlist to become Pakistan coach.

Former Test bowler Lawson, who is now a media commentator, was hoping to fly out this weekend to meet officials, reported the Australian newspaper.

Done worked at the Australian academy and is now the International Cricket Council's high performance manager.

Whatmore had had two stints with Sri Lanka and four years with Bangladesh.

Former New Zealand coach Steve Rixon has ruled himself out of the position.

Pakistan, who host a Test series against South Africa in September, are looking for a new coach following Bob Woolmer's death during the World Cup.


I'm flattered I've even been invited. I certainly haven't been chasing it

Geoff Lawson

Lawson, 49, claimed 180 wickets in 46 Tests between 1980 and 1989 before finishing his career as New South Wales state captain and later becoming their coach.

He told the Australian newspaper: "It's a significant challenge. They're an underachieving team with plenty of talent.

"I'm flattered I've even been invited. I certainly haven't been chasing it. At short notice they asked me to come to Islamabad for an interview."

Done played first-class cricket for NSW before beginning a successful coaching career in Australia.

He worked for nine years as senior coach at the Australian Cricket Academy and was responsible for the development of pacemen Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Michael Kasprowicz and Jason Gillespie.

Whatmore was also linked with the India job but missed out.

Shoaib fit for Glasgow one-dayers

Paceman Shoaib Akhtar has been named in Pakistan's 15-man squad for one-day matches against India and Scotland in Glasgow next month.

Shoaib has played just one Test and four one-dayers since February 2006 because of recurring fitness problems.

Shoaib was prevented from playing in the Afro-Asia Cup series but secured his place on Pakistan's tour after proving his fitness at a training camp.

Shoaib Malik will captain the team in the matches on 1 July and 3 July.

---

Pakistan squad: Shoaib Malik (capt); Shahid Afridi; Younis Khan; Mohammad Yousuf; Yasir Hameed; Fawad Alam; Salman Butt; Imran Nazir; Abdul Razzaq; Kamran Akmal; Shoaib Akhtar; Mohammad Sami; Mohammad Asif; Umar Gul; Iftikhar Anjum

Mason to see Tendulkar specialist

Worcestershire paceman Matt Mason will see the same specialist who helped Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar in a bid to solve his shoulder problem.

The 33-year-old Australian, who had expected to be back in action in May, has been sidelined since having an operation in February.

"I am getting up to 16 weeks since the surgery and I don't feel the pain I get has really improved," he said.

"I am hoping the surgeon will look at the shoulder and pinpoint the problem."

Worcestershire chief executive Mark Newton said: "Matt's shoulder is not repairing as quickly as it should do.

"Until we get that second opinion from the specialist we know no more, but Matt tried to have a bowl last weekend and it is not getting any better.

"What is the timespan? Who knows? But clearly the problem has become more serious than we originally thought and he is going to be out for while."

Bayliss named new Sri Lanka coach

Australian Trevor Bayliss has been named as the new coach of the Sri Lanka national team.

The 44-year-old will replace compatriot Tom Moody, who resigned following the recent World Cup in the Caribbean.

Bayliss, currently coach of state side New South wales, has agreed a two-year contract and will take over in August.

Trevor Penney and Rumesh Ratnayeke will be in temporary charge of the side for the home series against Bangladesh, which starts later this month.

Penney was Moody's assistant and will join him in Western Australia before the start of their next domestic season.

Bayliss emerged as a candidate for the job a fortnight ago with the full backing of New South Wales chief executive Dave Gilbert.

"We don't want to lose him, but we realise he is very ambitious and in the long term, he wants to coach Australia," he said.

Samantha Algama, media manager for Sri Lanka Cricket, told BBC Sport that Bayliss and Terry Oliver, the coach of another Australian state side, Queensland, were the only two people interviewed for the job.

She said Bayliss had given a very impressive presentation about his plans to a panel of former Sri Lanka players, including Aravinda de Silva, Ranjan Madugalle and Duleep Mendis, which had swung the decision in his favour.

"He has impressed everybody," she added.

He will be the fifth Australian to coach Sri Lanka following Dav Whatmore, Bruce Yardley, John Dyson and Moody and will be in charge for the first time at the inaugural Twenty20 world championship in South Africa in September.

A former batsman for New South Wales, Bayliss never played international cricket and retired after the 1992-93 season with a first-class average of 35.

He then turned to coaching, taking charge of the state team in 2004 and guiding them to victory in the Pura Cup in his first season in charge. The following year they won the one-day ING Cup

Pietersen unhappy with workload

Kevin Pietersen believes the demands of world cricket mean top stars are playing too much cricket and being treated no different to county pros.

The Hampshire batsman has been an England regular in both forms of the game for the past two years.

And he said: "There are loads and loads of demands on your time now.

"The world game is becoming like county cricket, which is hard but it's what we've wanted to do since we were kids so we've just got to get on and do it."

But Pietersen said he would never pull out of overseas tours, despite his plans to get married and start a family with pop star Jessica Taylor.

"I'm a bit worried about it, but not as worried as the reports say I am.

"I'm never going to be in a situation where I turn a tour down or a game down because I love doing this.

"But it might be a different story if I was a fast bowler trying to run in hard every week."

Pietersen, 26, was speaking at an Urban Cricket coaching clinic on behalf of Test sponsors npower at Bowburn Junior School in Durham.

Once the Test series starts against India we don't really have a break until the middle of October

Kevin Pietersen

He said it was important to plan time away from the game - and work hard at improving his technique between matches.

He is already eyeing a break between the final one-day international against West Indies at Trent Bridge on July 7 and start of the first Test against India at Lord's 12 days later as a possible opportunity to rest.

"I'm good at switching off and donating a load of my time to family and people away from the game and I do like to get away.

"Once the Test series starts against India we don't really have a break until the middle of October so you have to have your time away to try to recharge your batteries.

"It doesn't matter how well or badly you're playing, you have to have that balance."

Writing in his Test Match Special blog on Thursday, BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew said he "sensed an increasing discontent" among top international players.

He feels the next step would be for players to boycott an International Cricket Council event, such as the 2008 Champions Trophy.

Marshall turns back on Black Caps

Batsman Hamish Marshall has rejected a central contract offered by New Zealand in order to concentrate on playing for English county side Gloucestershire.

The move was prompted by financial considerations and he will now be able to play for the club on a non-overseas basis as he has an Irish passport.

"This has been the most difficult decision of my life.

"I have been extremely proud to represent my country during the last six years," the 28-year-old said.

"I would like to thank the staff at NZC [New Zealand Cricket] for their support of me over the years, particularly [coach] John Bracewell and the Black Caps team management.

"They have created an excellent team environment that I have found very difficult to leave."

Marshall has played 66 one-day internationals, the last three during the World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this year, and 13 Test matches.

His twin brother James has also played for New Zealand.


He adds a great deal to our team both on and very much off the field

Gloucestershire chief executive Tom Richardson

Lindsay Crocker, New Zealand's team manager, said they were disappointed by Marshall's decision.

"I believe he likely had a future with the Black Caps, however I accept his reasons for pursuing the certainty of a career in county cricket and wish him all the best," he commented.

Tom Richardson, Gloucestershire's chief executive, said: "We are absolutely delighted at the prospect of Hamish Marshall playing at this club for a considerable time. He adds a great deal to our team both on and very much off the field.

"We see him playing an important part not only in helping us to compete successfully in all competitions but also in bringing on, developing and getting the best out of our crop of potentially very good young players.

"Hamish has done really well for us in his time here and there is absolutely no doubt that he adds a great deal of value."

Gayle takes on one-day captaincy

Opening batsman Chris Gayle has been named as West Indies captain for the one-day series in England.

Gayle will take over from Daren Ganga, who is to return home following the fourth Test, which starts at the Riverside on Friday.

Seam bowlers Corey Collymore and Jerome Taylor have been left out despite playing in the recent World Cup.

The only new face in the 14-man squad is 23-year-old Antiguan batsman Austin Richards Jr.

The West Indies selectors have taken the opportunity to carry out a major shake-up following the team's disappointing performance at the World Cup.

Brian Lara and Ian Bradshaw have retired, Ramnaresh Sarwan is unavailable because of a shoulder injury and Kieron Pollard has been dropped along with Taylor and Collymore.

But all-rounder Dwayne Smith and batsman Lendl Simmons have kept their places despite being overlooked for the Test series against England.

The two sides will play back to back Twenty20 matches at The Oval on 28-29 June before starting a three-match 50-overs series at Lord's on 1 July.

West Indies will then move on to Ireland for a four-nation tournament, also involving Scotland and the Netherlands.

Gayle's only previous international captaincy experience came in a one-day game against India in Cuttack in January which they lost by 20 runs.

Although nominated as skipper by the selectors, his appointment was initially opposed by members of the West Indies board who wanted Ganga to continue, even though he has not played a limited overs international for six months.

But the board backed down after the three-man panel, headed by West Indies Test great Gordon Greenidge, threatened to resign over the matter.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the team's most experienced one-day player and a former skipper, will be Gayle's vice-captain.

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West Indies one-day squad: Chris Gayle (captain), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (vice captain), Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Runako Morton, Daren Powell, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Austin Richards Jr, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Devon Smith, Dwayne Smith.

Rain delays start of 4th test

Live Scores-England v West Indies 4th Test
FOURTH NPOWER TEST, RIVERSIDE:
England v West Indies
Start delayed, inspection 1230 BST
The start of the fourth and final Test between England and West Indies was delayed because of torrential rain at Chester-le-Street's Riverside ground.

The toss, scheduled for 1030 BST, was unable to take place with covers all over the pitch and puddles extending to many parts of the outfield.

Rain was forecast throughout the day and with the prospect of a washout, the next inspection was due at 1230.

England won the series with victory at Old Trafford on Monday.
That gave them an unassailable 2-0 lead following a draw at Lord's and a crushing victory at Headingley.

Matthew Hoggard and Ryan Sidebottom could be the key figures when play eventually begins.

Hoggard is fit again following a groin strain and eager to join forces with former Yorkshire team-mate Sidebottom at the Riverside.

"If we can get the ball swinging, which it tends to do here, we can really put them under pressure," said Vaughan.
Slightly better conditions are expected on Saturday, while Sunday's forecast is much more encouraging.

The return of Hoggard - a "beautiful bowler of a swinging ball", according to Vaughan - for local boy Liam Plunkett will be the only change.

Hoggard, 30, and Sidebottom, 29, shared 53 wickets when Yorkshire won the County Championship in 2001.

And Hoggard said: "Ryan's done really well - it will be rolling back the years.

"It's a while since I've opened the bowling with him, but we enjoyed it last time we did it and I'm sure we'll enjoy it this time."

Vaughan expects England to be stronger after a tough match in the third Test.

"They fought very hard, but we got asked a lot of questions and answered them in the right manner. It got a little bit tight at the end and your team definitely grows quicker when you win a game like that," he said.

England's main concern is the form of opener Andrew Strauss, who some felt was lucky to be given another chance after averaging 15 in the series so far.

"It's just not happening [for him] at the minute, and when you go through spells like this as a batsman, you've just got to dig in there, keep believing, keep going through your routines, and it will change.
"He got two decent deliveries at Old Trafford , swinging back into the left-hander, pretty quick deliveries as well, but I'm sure there's score around the corner," Vaughan told BBC Sport.

The England skipper has urged spinner Monty Panesar, man of the match at Old Trafford with 10 wickets, to carry on appealing with as much enthusiasm as ever.

Words were exchanged between the Northants slow bowler and umpire Aleem Dar - and the same umpire is on duty at Chester-le-Street.

But Vaughan said: "We all love Monty Panesar - he appeals, he celebrates with a high-five, he misses the odd high-five and he's brilliant for the game.

"We don't want that taken away. He's entertaining a lot of people - let him continue."

West Indies, meanwhile, are hoping fast bowler Fidel Edwards can raise his game another level after some promising signs that his pace and bounce can upset England's batsmen.

Edwards played his first Test of the series at Old Trafford, and though he is unlikely to get the same response from the surface at the Riverside, coach David Moore remains confident.

"Fidel came in and bowled on a wicket that was hard and had a lot of bounce. He'd been short of top-quality cricket, so he needed some time to find his feet."
But skipper Daren Ganga was less impressive, with scores of five and nought, falling early to Steve Harmison both times.

Moore said: "Daren's an excellent tactician and excellent captain.

"Unfortunately we haven't seen the best of his batting yet, but over the last six to eight months he's been averaging 40-plus, so I'm hoping his batting will come good for us."

Ganga, meanwhile, urged his team to maintain self-belief despite not winning any of their last 19 Tests.

He said: "It's very difficult for young players coming into a team that is not winning and having to put in a big effort time and time again and getting nothing at the end of it.

"We all have to ensure we have the right work ethic and believe strongly that we are going to win."

This is the third Test - and biggest to date - to be staged at the Riverside, after easy wins for England against Zimbabwe in 2003 and Bangladesh two years later.

---

England (from): Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan (capt), Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Matthew Prior (wk), Stephen Harmison, Ryan Sidebottom, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar, James Anderson.

West Indies (from): Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga (capt), Devon Smith, Runako Morton, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards, Corey Collymore, Daren Powell

Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZ) and Aleem Dar (Pkn).

‘Every Tom, Dick and Harry is enjoying wasting money’

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad has criticised the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for holding its ad-hoc committee and domestic cricket meeting at a holiday resort in Bhurban rather than at their headquarters in Lahore.
“It’s a sort of joyride and enjoyment for the PCB officials and those who are invited to give suggestions on domestic cricket,” said Miandad.
“It’s wastage of money by the cricket board. Why to spend millions of rupees when you could save nearly 70 percent of the expenses by holding the same meeting at National Cricket Academy (NCA). What is the purpose of having expensive facilities with accommodation and meeting hall in Lahore?” Miandad asked.
“Every Tom, Dick and Harry will go there (Bhurban) and enjoy. It is not that easy to earn money these days. This is sheer wastage of precious funds. Since there is no accountability, no constitution and no planning, those at the helm are destroying everything,” Miandad warned.
He added: “I think all the former cricketers should have vetoed the idea of holding it at Bhurban. Look at the cost of airfare, hotel charges and other perks. This could have been avoided easily. There is no such example in the history of Pakistan cricket that meetings were used to be held at holiday resorts and millions of rupees wasted.”
“I think its time now that General Musharraf, the Patron, should interfere in these matters and stop them,” he explained.

Handing over of Niaz Stadium to PCB in doldrums

HYDERABAD: The handing over of the Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is lying in pending but the Board officials said that the agreement with the district government for handing over the stadium to PCB would be finalized next month.

In the past, the Niaz Stadium Hyderabad was utilized as wedding lawn and heli-pad for the arrival of the higher personalities. The Supreme Court itself took notice of the stadium’s utilization for wedding ceremonies.

Later, on the directive of the president General Pervez Musharraf, former chairman PCB Shaharyar Khan took over the control of the stadium and decided to renovate it up to the standard of an international stadium. For this, he made correspondence with the Hyderabad’s district administration but after his resignation the matter was put in pending.

On the other hand, a PCB official Abdul Hussain Shah claimed that the agreement between the PCB and the district government of Hyderabad would be finalized next month.

As per the ICC rules, a five-star hotel in the city is must for holding international matches at a stadium. In this connection, Hyderabad’s district government had got a Sindh government approval for building a hotel on a government land adjacent to the Niaz Stadium.

The citizens of Hyderabad demanded the PCB to take over the Niaz Stadium and start its construction as soon as possible.

Atapattu, Chandana recalled for Bangladesh

COLOMBO: Marvan Atapattu, the former Sri Lankan captain, and all-rounder Upul Chandana have earned recalls to the Test and one-day sides respectively for a three-of-each home series against Bangladesh later this month.
Uncapped left-hand batsman Malinda Warnapura and left-arm pace bowler Sujeewa de Silva have also been included in the 15-man Test side.
Atapattu makes a return to the Test side after 18 months. He last played against India at Ahmedabad in December 2005 before a recurring back injury saw him undergo surgery and miss out on a long spell of international cricket. Atapattu replaces Sanath Jayasuriya, rested for the Test series but included in the one-day squad.
Chandana, 35, gets a national recall after two years during which period his place has been occupied by another leg-spinner, Malinga Bandara, who has also been named in the one-day squad.
Warnapura, 27, has been in fine form for Sri Lanka A, the highlight of which was a career -best double century against Bangladesh A last month. De Silva has also shown good form with the ball in the recently concluded domestic season with 44 wickets at just 19.77 to help Colombo Cricket Club lift the Premier League title.
Prasanna Jayawardene will continue to keep wickets in the Tests providing Kumar Sangakkara the opportunity to concentrate on his batting at No 3.
Sangakkara, Muralitharan and Chaminda Vaas are presently in England playing county cricket. Vaas and Muralitharan will play only in the Test series before going back to their counties.
Jehan Mubarak and Chamara Kapugedera, who are expected to tour to England with Sri Lanka A have been named for the one-day series against Bangladesh. Selection committee sources said that both players will be recalled from the England tour when the one-day series commences on July 18.
Mahela Jayawardene retains the captaincy with Sangakkara as his deputy and Sriyan Samaratne, a former Air Force cricketer and administrator, has been named manager of the Sri Lanka team. He takes over from Michael Tissera, who quit at the end of his contract last month.
Sri Lanka Test squad: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Upul Tharanga, Marvan Atapattu, Kumar Sangakkara, Chamara Silva, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Prasanna Jayawardene (wicket-keeper), Chaminda Vaas, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lasith Malinga, Dilhara Fernando, Malinga Bandara, Malinda Warnapura, Sujeewa de Silva.
Sri Lanka ODI squad: Mahela Jayawardene (captain), Upul Tharanga, Sanath Jayasuriya, Kumar Sangakkara (wicket-keeper), Chamara Silva, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Jehan Mubarak, Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga, Farveez Maharoof, Upul Chandana, Dilhara Fernando, Chamara Kapugedera, Malinga Bandara, Nuwan Kulasekera.

Twenty20 overkill could affect players: Ponting

BANGALORE, India: With the Twenty20 World Cup round the corner, Ricky Ponting offered a tempered endorsement today of cricket’s newest format, saying while the money generated from this format is beneficial to the game, there is a danger of overkill affecting the players.
“I’ve never been a big fan of Twenty20 cricket, but I gather that there’s a lot of interest and money in this version of the game,” Ponting said, “and we need money for the growth and development of the game. That said, the international calendar is packed these days and on top of that Twenty20 cricket won’t do much for the players.”
He was in Bangalore as part of a sponsored event for school children.
The Twenty20 World Cup will be held in September in South Africa, and Ponting’s Australia will be heavily favoured to add to the one-day championship they retained in March. This format of the game has gained popularity since its international debut in 2005-05, when New Zealand hosted Australia. That win included, Australia have won three of the five Twenty20s they’ve played.
With a fairly lukewarm reaction to the recent Afro-Asia Cup, critics have been quick to say that there’s little to separate such games and the hundreds of charity, exhibition and benefit games that are played around the world. Ponting didn’t pick sides to the debate but agreed that perhaps the scheduling of such events should be revisited.
“They have all got their place, I suppose. I was having a chat with Rahul Dravid recently and he told me that this probably wasn’t the best time to organise such a series. It’s the off season for some teams and the weather’s pretty hot. Even the scheduling of India’s tour to Bangladesh wasn’t the best; you had a Test match washed out there. We in Australia are following the policy of rotation and resting the players to save them from fatigue and burnout,” he explained.
It was more than rotation and rest, of course, that helped Australia to their third consecutive World Cup title in the Caribbean. Australia had lost five One-day Internationals in a row leading into the tournament but turned things around when it came to the crunch. Ponting credited this to a strong core group and belief.
“It was important that I sat down with all the players and had a discussion with them. In New Zealand, we played good cricket in spite of the fact that we were missing five or six of our main players. And in the World Cup our confidence got going after some good results in the initial games, especially after we notched up that victory in the big game against South Africa,” he revealed.
The team is now in the hands of Tim Nielsen, who succeeded John Buchanan as coach. “He’s a respected man”, Ponting said of Nielsen, “and he’s done some very good work down at the Commonwealth Bank Centre of Excellence at Brisbane. The players and I are excited to work with him. It should be a good relationship,” he added.

Twenty20 tournament to be held in Fujairah

FUJAIRAH, United Arab Emirates: The Gulf News reports that a ten-team tournament will be held in Fujairah between June 21 and August 2.
Called the Crown Prince Cup, the event will feature four teams from Fujairah and six from other emirates. Matches will be played under Twenty20 rules.
“More and more UAE nationals are having a growing interest in cricket, so I can promise you that in the future there will be a UAE cricket team with 100% Emirati representation, “Sultan Saif Al Samahi, Chairman of Fannan Sports and Cultural Club, said.
“Of course, youth form Fujairah will get their chance in that dream,” he added.
“This is a chance to mingle with different communities such as the Indian, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis, who have a great passion for the game,” Ahmad Ebrahim Saif, chief coordinator for the tournament, said.
“We are sure that, during and after the tournament, there will be more UAE nationals who will find this game very interesting,” he added.
Matches will take place at the Municipality Cricket Ground and at the cricket ground of the Fujairah Indian School.

New India coach only after England tour

NEW DELHI: A new coach for the Indian cricket team will be appointed after the Ireland and England tours, according to Niranjan Shah, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Speaking to reporters, Shah indicated that the BCCI were cautious following the rejection of the post by Graham Ford. The South African had been appointed as coach on Saturday following the BCCI’s selection panel interviews with Ford and former English spinner John Emburey.
Shah felt that the team could manage on the tough tour to England without a coach. “The manager Chandu Borde is highly experienced, both as a player and as an administrator, to handle everything. Besides, we’re sending Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh as bowling and fielding coaches respectively with the squad. There are already many experienced players in the side and they too can always guide and help the younger members of the team,” he explained.
He also dismissed the speculation in some television news channels that former Test cricketers Gundappa Vishwanath and S Venkataraghavan were prospective candidates for the position.
“We have the utmost respect for Vishwanath, Venkataraghavan and others, whose names have been discussed in certain sections of the media to coach India. But, frankly, we have never discussed their names and they are rumours only,” he added.
On whether the new coach would be an Indian, Shah said, “Whether an Indian or a foreigner will be appointed coach of India will be decided later on. Let me reiterate, we really want to be very, very careful now when it comes to appointing the coach of India.”
Shah’s statements also suggested that the position was not going to be offered to Emburey. “We don’t want to appoint anyone, whether he is an Indian or a foreigner. Not even Emburey for that matter. Let the squad return from the twin tour (of Ireland and England). Only then, the BCCI will take up the issue of the new coach. We have full confidence in Chandu Borde, Venkatesh Prasad, Robin Singh and, of course, Rahul Dravid and his team,” he expressed

‘Tendulkar, Ganguly may open in Ireland’

MUMBAI: Former skipper Chandu Borde’s appointment as cricket manager for the England bound team may see India’s best opening pair in One-day Internationals — Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly — opening the batting again.
“It is too early to talk about the combination of the team for the Ireland one-dayers as I have to speak to the team management first but for the success of the team it (Sachin-Sourav opening) could be a likely proposition,” Borde said on Wednesday.
Borde, who was the chief selector when Sachin-Sourav were hailed as the best opening pair in the world, however, said the interest of the team would come first during the 100-day twin tour.
“The first priority would be to knit a winning combination and it really does not matter who opens the batting or bowling as long as the team is winning. As most of the senior players were hand picked during my stint as the chief selector, I am confident that I can motivate them to do well during the tour,” the 72-year-old former Test star said.
When asked whether his absence during the team’s on-going short camp would be a draw back, Borde, replied in the negative.
“It is just a short camp and I don’t think my absence would have any bearing on the camp as there are enough qualified people to oversee the camp during my absence,” Borde said.
To a query whether his advanced age would be a setback to manage the Indian team, Borde, said “I have kept myself very fit by jogging for more than an hour every day and I can assure you that I am fitter than most 50 year-olds”.
The Indian team under Rahul Dravid would be playing 12 one-dayers, including four in Ireland and one in Scotland, and a three-match Test series in England.

Windies hit by Sammy injury blow

All-rounder Darren Sammy is a doubt for West Indies' final Test against England that starts in Durham on Friday.

The 23-year-old picked up a groin strain while batting for his team on the fifth day of the Old Trafford Test.

Sammy's absence would be a big blow to his team after he claimed 7-66 in the third match of the series - the second best figures by a West Indies debutant.

"It'll leave a gap after what he has done for us but I'm hopeful he will play," said coach David Moore.
"Even though he only got one wicket in the first innings he was very disciplined with the ball and he is like that every time he takes it.

"In the field he's excellent as well, always moving around and encouraging the guys.

"With the bat he got a good ball in the first innings but in the second he really applied himself.

"I thought he was going to keep going and just might have had a dream game."

The team spirit is really coming together

Windies coach David Moore

Sammy took six wickets in a 33-ball spell late on the third day of the Old Trafford contest - an effort that brought West Indies back into the match after England had extended their lead to more than 400 with seven wickets intact.

Moore was buoyed by his team's effort despite a 60-run defeat that meant they had lost the series 2-0.

"Supporters on this tour have come up and talked about improvement in the side and the team spirit which is something you can really hang your hat on," he added.

"The joy that the players express when they're sharing someone's high points plus the support the boys were getting from the balcony when we were batting was excellent.

"Every time they walked in or out before or after sessions they were getting great support.

"The team spirit is really coming together, there is no magic formula, the guys are just working hard together and when you do that you start seeing results."

# Pace bowler Ravi Rampaul has still not recovered from the minor groin muscle tear he suffered prior to the third Test and will not be available for selection for the Riverside.

Buoyant England plan swing attack

FOURTH NPOWER TEST, RIVERSIDE:
England v West Indies
Play starts Friday 1100 BST
Live Scores-England Vs WestIndies 4th Test will be exclusively available here:)
Matthew Hoggard and Ryan Sidebottom could be the key figures for England in the fourth Test against West Indies.

Although Steve Harmison will be looking to shine on his home ground at the Riverside, skipper Michael Vaughan expects swing to be a vital weapon.

Hoggard is fit again following a groin strain and eager to join forces with former Yorkshire team-mate Sidebottom.

"If we can get the ball swinging, which it tends to do here, we can really put them under pressure," said Vaughan.

Dreadful weather in the north-east kept the players confined to indoor nets on Thursday, and the forecast for Friday is very poor.

But from then on, brighter conditions are expected.

England hold a winning 2-0 lead in the series after coming out on top by 60 runs and the return of Hoggard - a "beautiful bowler of a swinging ball", according to Vaughan - for local boy Liam Plunkett will be the only change.

Hoggard, 30, and Sidebottom, 29, shared 53 wickets when Yorkshire won the County Championship in 2001.

And Hoggard said: "Ryan's done really well - it will be rolling back the years.

"It's a while since I've opened the bowling with him, but we enjoyed it last time we did it and I'm sure we'll enjoy it this time."

Vaughan expects England to be stronger after a tough match in the third Test.

"They fought very hard, but we got asked a lot of questions and answered them in the right manner. It got a little bit tight at the end and your team definitely grows quicker when you win a game like that," he said.

England's main concern is the form of opener Andrew Strauss, who some felt was lucky to be given another chance after averaging 15 in the series so far.

"It's just not happening [for him] at the minute, and when you go through spells like this as a batsman, you've just got to dig in there, keep believing, keep going through your routines, and it will change.

"He got two decent deliveries at Old Trafford , swinging back into the left-hander, pretty quick deliveries as well, but I'm sure there's score around the corner," Vaughan told BBC Sport.

The England skipper has urged spinner Monty Panesar, man of the match at Old Trafford with 10 wickets, to carry on appealing with as much enthusiasm as ever.

Words were exchanged between the Northants slow bowler and umpire Aleem Dar - and the same umpire is on duty at Chester-le-Street.

But Vaughan said: "We all love Monty Panesar - he appeals, he celebrates with a high-five, he misses the odd high-five and he's brilliant for the game.

"We don't want that taken away. He's entertaining a lot of people - let him continue."

West Indies, meanwhile, are hoping fast bowler Fidel Edwards can raise his game another level after some promising signs that his pace and bounce can upset England's batsmen.

Edwards played his first Test of the series at Old Trafford, and though he is unlikely to get the same response from the surface at the Riverside, coach David Moore remains confident.

"Fidel came in and bowled on a wicket that was hard and had a lot of bounce. He'd been short of top-quality cricket, so he needed some time to find his feet."

But skipper Daren Ganga was less impressive, with scores of five and nought, falling early to Steve Harmison both times.

Moore said: "Daren's an excellent tactician and excellent captain.

"Unfortunately we haven't seen the best of his batting yet, but over the last six to eight months he's been averaging 40-plus, so I'm hoping his batting will come good for us."

Ganga, meanwhile, urged his team to maintain self-belief despite not winning any of their last 19 Tests.

He said: "It's very difficult for young players coming into a team that is not winning and having to put in a big effort time and time again and getting nothing at the end of it.

"We all have to ensure we have the right work ethic and believe strongly that we are going to win."

This is the third Test - and biggest to date - to be staged at the Riverside, after easy wins for England against Zimbabwe in 2003 and Bangladesh two years later.

---

England (from): Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Michael Vaughan (capt), Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Ian Bell, Matthew Prior (wk), Stephen Harmison, Ryan Sidebottom, Matthew Hoggard, Monty Panesar, James Anderson.

West Indies (from): Chris Gayle, Daren Ganga (capt), Devon Smith, Runako Morton, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Dwayne Bravo, Denesh Ramdin (wk), Darren Sammy, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards, Corey Collymore, Daren Powell Umpires: Billy Bowden (NZL) and Aleem Dar (PAK). TV umpire: Nigel Llong (ENG). Match referee: Alan Hurst (AUS)

Rixon linked with Sri Lanka role

Former New Zealand coach Steve Rixon has joined the race to fill the vacancy with the Sri Lanka national team.

The 53-year-old is to be interviewed for the job next week.

He has been short-listed along with Terry Oliver and Trevor Bayliss, the coaches of Australian state sides Queensland and New South Wales.

Confirming Rixon's inclusion, Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Kangadaran Madivanan said: "We hope to finalise everything before the end of the month."

He added: "We are very hopeful will have the right candidate with the required credentials to take on the job."

Sri Lanka have been looking for a new coach since Tom Moody resigned last month and Rixon, who was also recently linked with Pakistan, has an edge in experience on his rivals.

A former wicket-keeper, he played 13 Tests and six one-day internationals for Australia before turning to coaching with New South Wales in the late 1980s.

He was appointed by New Zealand in 1996 and was in charge for three years before returning home for a second spell with New South Wales.

His most recent coaching appointment was with English county side Surrey and he spent two seasons at The Oval before leaving at the end of the 2005 season.

Sri Lanka have shown a preference for Australian coaches in the past, with Dav Whatmore, Bruce Yardley and John Dyson all doing the job before Moody.

Hoggard happy with injury return

Matthew Hoggard expects to be able to play for England in the fourth West Indies Test on Friday after bowling 10 "pain free" overs for Yorkshire.

The England seamer was playing his first match since suffering a groin injury in the first Test on 19 May.

Hoggard took 1-55 as Yorkshire scraped an unlikely one-run Duckworth-Lewis victory over Northants in the Friends Provident Trophy match at Headingley.

He said: "The only issue is going into a Test without much match practice."
Providing there are no after-effects, the 30-year-old will take his place in the England side at the Riverside.

Now I'm an old head with a lot of experience, I think I can close my eyes and 'wang' it in roughly the right spot

Matthew Hoggard

"It was a good work-out and nice to get three spells, stopping and starting and making sure I could carry on," said Hoggard, who is due to make his 64th Test appearance at Chester-le-Street.

"That was as much of a test as anything. If you can get through 10 overs with three spells it means that it's fine.

"I can't feel it now, and if I wake up on Thursday and it's still pain free then there has been no reaction.

"It would have been nice to have a little bit more practice - but I want to play in the Test match.

"Now I'm an old head with a lot of experience, I think I can close my eyes and 'wang' it in roughly the right spot.

"I'm happy with the way it's coming out. It's not as if I've come back feeling like a bag of spanners; I've come back feeling quite good."
With Liam Plunkett dropped from the squad, James Anderson would make his first appearance of the summer if Hoggard is deemed unfit.

Hoggard's sole wicket on Wednesday saw him have Usman Afzaal caught at point after the left-hander had hit 132.

The previous delivery, a slow full toss, had been hit over deep mid-wicket for six.

Hoggard's first six overs were unspectacular but tidy with the new ball, and he returned with two more spells of two each.

Northants racked up 314-4 on a good wicket and Hoggard was more economical than most of the Yorkshire bowlers.

And he finished up on the winning side after heavy rain convinced the umpires to take the teams off the field just as Yorkshire sneaked in front on D/L, with 119-2 on the board from 21 overs.

Pakistan to tour India for Tests, ODIs in November

NEW DELHI: The Indian cricket team’s winter season this year will start with 12 limited-overs internationals against Australia and Pakistan, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said on Tuesday.
The Live Scores of all the matches will be exclusively available here.
The Indian board finalised the fixtures for the home series against Australia and Pakistan.
Australia will play seven one-dayers during its September 25-October 13 tour of India, scheduled soon after the conclusion of the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa.
Pakistan will play five limited-overs internationals, followed by three Test matches during its tour of India slated for for November 2-December 13. After the Pakistan team’s visit, the Indian cricketers will leave for a tour of Australia that will feature both Tests and one-dayers.
India’s home schedule will also feature three Test matches in March, whose itinerary the board will finalise later.
Pakistan’s tour of India: Nov 6: First one-day international in Faridabad. Nov 9: Second one-day international in Mohali (day-night). Nov 12: Third one-day international in Kanpur. Nov 15: Fourth one-day international in Gwalior (day-night). Nov 18: Fifth one-day international in Jaipur (day-night). Nov 22-26: First Test match in New Delhi. Nov 30-Dec 4: Second Test match in Calcutta. Dec 8-12: Third Test match in Bangalore.

Emburey doesn’t want India coach job either!

LONDON: John Emburey has ruled out becoming India’s next full-time coach in the wake of Graham Ford’s decision to turn down the role.
Emburey and Ford were both interviewed for the vacant position on Saturday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had made it clear Ford was their first choice but there had been speculation they might turn to Emburey after former South African coach Ford decided to stay in his current role as director of cricket at English county Kent.
Emburey however pre-empted any such move by announcing on Tuesday that he would be staying at Middlesex, where he is the director of cricket.
A statement from the county said Emburey had informed chief executive Vinny Codrington of his decision.
“John would like to emphasise that at no point was he offered the role as India Coach and would like to thank the BCCI for the opportunity to interview for the position,” it said.
Emburey added: “I have just got my teeth in to a big new challenge at Middlesex and want to stay to complete the job and extend my 36-year association with the club.”
Earlier on Tuesday, India announced that former player Chandu Borde would serve as manager/coach for the upcoming tours of Ireland, Scotland and England.
The veteran, who turns 73 next month, is a stop-gap appointment and the BCCI will continue its search for a longer-term successor to Australian Greg Chappell, who quit in the wake of India’s early exit from the World Cup in the Caribbean earlier this year.

Warne strikes one-day form

LONDON: Shane Warne and Stuart Clark helped bowl Hampshire one step closer to a place in the Friends Provident Trophy finals with a thrilling two-run win over Kent at Tunbridge Wells. Warne claimed 3 for 30 and Clark took 3 for 42 as Hampshire tried to defend their total of 220.
The visitors were cruising when Kent wobbled to 8 for 136 after the early breakthroughs from Warne and Clark. However, a 69-run ninth wicket partnership between Matt Walker and the South African Ryan McLaren had Hampshire on edge.
In a dramatic finish Warne asked Chris Tremlett, the fast bowler who played for England in the CB Series, to send down the final over. With three runs still required, Walker was trapped lbw for 83 from Tremlett’s third ball, handing Hampshire a vital victory with one round remaining.
They now sit on top of the South Conference table, just ahead of Kent. A win over Surrey in their last match will earn Hampshire a spot in the semifinals but a loss would leave them relying on other results.
Brad Hodge continued his run of form with his third one-day century in five games for Lancashire. Hodge struck 119 as the visitors comfortably overcame Derbyshire’s 232 at Derby. Hodge has been by far the most impressive batsman in the competition and averages 205 from his five matches. However, his efforts against Derbyshire will mean little for Lancashire, who cannot make the finals.
There is a slim mathematical chance for Somerset to steal a semifinal berth after their three-wicket victory over Surrey at Bath. A late 16 from Matthew Nicholson helped the struggling Surrey up to 214 but Somerset won with 13 balls to spare. Cameron White contributed 31 in the chase while Justin Langer managed 18.
David Hussey’s hopes of finals action slipped when he made only 7 of Nottinghamshire’s 238 at Chester-le-Street. Stephen Fleming’s 98 was insufficient to stop Durham grinding out a tense one-wicket win. Nottinghamshire now have to beat Lancashire later this week and hope Durham defeat Warwickshire to keep their season alive.
A few days earlier, Hussey was more impressive in the first-class arena but remarkably his top-of-the-table Nottinghamshire lost to the last-placed Glamorgan at Swansea. In a classic case of failing to capitalise, Nottinghamshire had Glamorgan at 8 for 193 on the first day before allowing them to reach 429. The key for the home side was the 185-run ninth-wicket stand between Robert Croft (115) and James Harris (87 not out).
In reply, Hussey top-scored with 98 and was also dangerous in the second innings, when Nottinghamshire needed 263 to win. But Hussey (63) had little help and the visitors were dismissed for 207.
Phil Jaques enjoyed a batsman-friendly pitch at Worcester, where he made 124 — his first century in the County Championship in 2007 — as Worcestershire piled on 6 for 701 declared against Surrey. The star was Vikram Solanki with 232, while Graeme Hick, who was often labelled a “flat-track bully”, managed only 15.
Surrey narrowly held on for a draw with their No 11, Nicholson, batting for 67 minutes for his 20, in a match-saving partnership with Mark Butcher. Jaques’s New South Wales and Worcestershire teammate Doug Bollinger had a hard time, taking 0 for 68 and 0 for 35. He now has four wickets at 83 from his three games this season.
White also made use of a batsman’s paradise at Taunton, where he made 114 for Somerset against Leicestershire. But White was only the fourth-highest scorer for the home team; the best was Marcus Trescothick (182). Leicestershire did not find the ground so accommodating and lost by an innings and 259 runs.
Stuart Law was consistent if not spectacular for Lancashire against Durham at Chester-le-Street, where he made 60 and 61 in a drawn match. Michael Di Venuto made starts for Durham but could not build on his 32 and 15. Hodge was also consistent; he scored 1 in each innings and both times was dismissed by Scott Styris.
Sussex jumped to second on the Division One table in spite of the best efforts of Warne, whose 5 for 91 helped restrict Sussex to 341 at Arundel. Hampshire’s 202, however, put them on the back foot and no wickets to either Warne or Clark in the second innings set up the win for Sussex

Javed Miandad, now 50, fears for Pakistan cricket

KARACHI: Legendary former Pakistan captain and coach Javed Miandad marked his 50th birthday on Tuesday by saying that he fears for the future of the national side.
But the master batsman said that despite his experience he had not applied for a fourth stint as coach after the death of Bob Woolmer at the World Cup in March.
“What I have been saying for the last three years was not heeded and Pakistan cricket has come to a stage where we have no replacements for players and domestic cricket is in a shambles,” Miandad told AFP.
“I predicted Pakistan would fare badly in the World Cup and it came about. Now we need proper planning for cricket otherwise we won’t be able to solve the slump.”
Pakistan, the mercurial winners of the 1992 World Cup, were knocked out of the 2007 edition in the first round by minnows Ireland. The next day Woolmer was found dead in his Jamaica hotel room.
Jamaican police at first said he was murdered but they announced later on Tuesday that he died of natural causes. Inzamam-ul-Haq, who quit as Pakistan skipper after the tournament, said Miandad was the best choice to coach the team after Woolmer but Miandad said he was not interested.
“Why should I apply?” asked Miandad, who served as coach between 1998-1999, then from 2000-2001 and again from 2003-2004, when he was replaced by Woolmer.
“I have been busy with some assignments and once I complete them I will start private coaching to help budding cricketers because I know cricket is in my blood and I can’t be away from it.” Miandad, a shrewd captain, who led his country in 34 Tests, winning 14, while taking Pakistan to victory in 25 of his 61 One-day Internationals as captain, said Pakistan cricket has been run chaotically.
“People can see how cricket affairs are run by those who don’t know about the game and there are no checks and balances because there is no constitution of the cricket board,” he said.
The Pakistan Cricket Board is appointed by President Pervez Musharraf, the board’s patron.
“As one of the pioneers of the game, when I see the waste of money on meetings at holiday resorts and other enjoyments, I feel sad because this is the money meant for the betterment of Pakistan cricket,” Miandad said.
Miandad — who played 124 Tests for Pakistan, scoring a Pakistan record of 8,832 runs, and racking up 7,381 runs in one-dayers — said his services had not been used properly by Pakistani cricket authorities. “
“Life has been very kind to me and I always look ahead and always want to return what the game has given me. But sadly it has not been so,” Miandad said.

Dhoni retains 4th spot in ODI rankings

NEW DELHI: The good show by wicket-keeper/batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the just concluded Afro-Asia Cup has seen the Jharkhand batsman retain the fourth spot in the LG ICC One-Day Rankings.
Dhoni had scored an unbeaten 139 in the final ODI of the three-match series, which is also the highest-ever ODI score by a No 7 batsman and is now just 10 points behind third-placed Australian batsman Michael Hussey.
Skipper Rahul Dravid is at the 15th spot and along with Dhoni is only the second Indian batsman in the top 20 of the ODI rankings.
But the new rankings have more bad news for off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, who is presently not a member of the Indian ODI squad.
However, in the all-rounders rankings there is not a single Indian player in the top 10.
The new list has also brought good news for South Africa’s Shaun Pollock, whose maiden ODI century in the Afro-Asia Cup saw him climbing to his highest career batting rating.
Pollock also leads the all-rounders rankings with Jacques Kallis and Chris Gayle following him.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya is out of the top 10 in the batsmen rankings sliding six places to the 13th spot.
Australiaís Andrew Symonds has entered the top 10 of batsmen rankings while Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene is now one spot up at 12th place.
The batsmen rankings is still led by Kevin Pietersen with Australian skipper Ricky Ponting in second place.

Media facing Woolmer questions

It is not just the police who have questions to answer following the U-turn over Bob Woolmer's death at the World Cup.

So do the media, which swallowed - and regurgitated - every sensational "revelation" surrounding this most remarkable of stories.

More crucially in the internet age, newspapers and broadcasters must decide how to handle all the archive material on their websites that is now incorrect.

In April, the story was unequivocal: "Murder At The World Cup". You can still see it here on the BBC website - and many others too.

Media 'revelations'

Not only had Bob Woolmer been strangled, as the Jamaican police had announced.

He had also been poisoned - and this explained how someone had been able to overpower a man who was 6ft 2in tall and heavily built.

This was the headline "revelation" in the BBC's flagship current affairs programme Panorama.

It was widely reported in national newspapers and on websites, which themselves had had a field day with this most sensational of stories.

I think that if we had kept quiet and not made frequent announcements, we might quite rightly have been criticised for not sharing sufficient information and maybe even of a cover-up.
Mark Shields Jamaican Deputy Police Commissioner

In a news release, Panorama's programme-makers trumpeted the importance of their finding: "The specific details of that poison are now very likely to offer a significant lead to finding his murderer."

Were they and the other media too keen to follow the sensational angle? Should they have been more sceptical? Or, faced with a charismatic, confident and media-savvy investigating officer, were they simply reporting the police investigation as it proceeded?

The Jamaican Police Deputy Commissioner, Mark Shields, was the key figure at all the news conferences and he was the man who showed Panorama's reporter round the 12th floor of the hotel for its exclusive report.

'Diligent' investigation

Shields' constant media appearances fanned the flames, says the BBC's sports editor Mihir Bose. But at a news conference following the public U-turn, Mr Shields dismissed suggestions that officers had mishandled the investigation by giving so many interviews.

Mr Shields said: "I think that if we had kept quiet and not made frequent announcements, we might quite rightly have been criticised for not sharing sufficient information and maybe even of a cover-up.

"The fact is that we took the decision to share as much information as we possibly could, without derailing the investigation, while at the same time continuing to conduct a thorough and diligent investigation."

For its part, the BBC says the Panorama programme was a fair representation of the investigation as it stood at that stage and that, like all news organisations, it will be following the latest developments closely.
The news report is still there on the Panorama website, though you will not find that edition of the programme on the archive page.

It says it will be interviewing Mr Shields - as have other BBC News outlets - and broadcasting an update in its round-up programme 'Panorama: What Happened Next?' Is that enough?

When people delve back into the BBC website in years to come, will they always find the "Latest News" link, next to the old 'murder mystery' stories, pointing out that Woolmer 'was not murdered' and 'died of natural causes' after all?

Or should there be a clearer 'health warning' - particularly on the BBC Press Office site, where the original news release stands?

In the internet age, such about-turns are no longer so easily forgotten.