India Test batsman Sardesai dies

Former India Test batsman Dilip Sardesai has died at the age of 66 following multiple organ failure.

Sardesai had been admitted to hospital in Mumbai for a chest infection.

He played 30 Tests between 1961 and 1972, collecting five hundreds and nine half-centuries at an average of just under 40. He scored 2,001 runs.

He is best remembered for his 642 runs with three centuries and a best of 212 in India's historic first Test series victory in West Indies, in 1971.

Later that year he scored 54 and 40 in the Oval Test, before leg-spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar took 6-38 to spin the visitors to their maiden Test series win in England.

At his best, he was regarded as India's best batsman against spin bowling. Sardesai is survived by his wife and two children.

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.

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.

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.

Ford declines role as India coach

Kent director of cricket Graham Ford has rejected the role of India coach in order to stay with the English county.

Ford was offered the job on Saturday after a meeting with the India board.

"I am honoured that India have shown such interest in my capabilities, but feel this is the right decision for me and my family," said the South African.

Middlesex supremo John Emburey was also interviewed in Chennai and said: "I'm not going to make any announcements until I've spoken to the India board."

Given that only two candidates were in the frame for the job, Emburey may yet have the opportunity to orchestrate India's star-studded line-up.

The 54-year-old former England off-spinner revealed: "The BBCI haven't spoken to me yet but I understand they've been trying.

But India officials are due to meet on Tuesday and it is possible that new candidates could now be considered.

Ford, 46, spent two years as South Africa coach until 2001 and joined Kent in January 2005.

His contract with the English county team expires in 2008 but he was given permission to travel to India and discuss the coaching role of their national team, one of the most high profile positions in sport.

"It has been a really difficult decision," he said.

"I have had a chance to reflect on the offer made by the BCCI and their urgency to fill the vacant position. After careful consideration, I have decided to continue my work here at Kent."

Kent chairman Graham Johnson said: "I know that all in the business at Kent, the playing staff, the coaching staff and all our administrators will be thrilled by his decision."


He had said that he would let us know when he could join but he has said he can't join us now

BCCI treasurer N. Srinivasan

Ford was chosen by a seven-member panel, headed by India board president Sharad Pawar and which included former captains Sunil Gavaskar, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Ravi Shastri.

Former Indian captain Ajit Wadekar criticised the board for announcing Ford's name before he had accepted their offer.

"The board jumped the gun. Now they are left with nothing," he said.

BCCI treasurer N. Srinivasan told a news conference in Bangalore that Ford had sent a letter to explain his decision.

"He was selected and...it was only a matter of informing us as to when he would be able to join. Therefore, the board announced it had selected him," Srinivasan said.

"He had said that he would let us know when he could join but he has said he can't join us now. That is all."

India are looking for a successor to former Australia captain Chappell, who quit after India crashed out in the first round of the World Cup in the Caribbean.

India focus on Emburey and Ford

John Emburey and Graham Ford have been confirmed as the two main candidates to succeed Australian Greg Chappell as the new India national team coach.

Emburey and Ford have been given permission by their respective English counties, Middlesex and Kent, to talk to the India Cricket Board.

"The BCCI has invited Graham Ford and John Emburey to come to Chennai and make a presentation," a spokesman said.

"After that a final decision on the next coach of India team will be made."

Ford was previously national team coach in his native South Africa from 1999 to 2001, guiding them to nine series wins out of 11, with just two defeats against Australia.
The 46-year-old was appointed as Kent's director of cricket in January 2005 and last year signed a contract extension tying him to the club until the end of the 2008 season.

"We have allowed him to travel to India to find out more about the role," said Kent chief Paul Millman.

But he added: "Graham has done a fantastic job for us and we very much hope he will stay with the club."

For Ford to leave Kent with the job half done would be a bit of a blow

Former Kent skipper David Fulton

After an innings defeat at Sussex in the opening Championship match this year, Kent have recovered steadily, avenging the Sussex defeat and also beating Surrey by an innings.

In the one-day arena they are currently top of the FP Trophy southern division.

David Fulton, who was captain under Ford at Kent, admitted his departure would be "a blow" to the club.

"Kent worked pretty tirelessly to get him in the first place, so for him to leave the club with the job half done would be a bit of a blow," Fulton told BBC Sport.

"Kent are just starting to see the fruits of his labour - they are just beginning to look like a competitive unit, and he's also got a good partnership with [current skipper] Rob Key.

"They've also got a lot of South Africans in the team - Andrew Hall, Martin van Jaarsveld and Ryan McLaren - and that's been a channel Kent have used almost exhaustively.

"It will be tougher to do without Fordy at the helm, although some might argue it's a good thing because they think there are too many South Africans at Kent."

Emburey, 54, was formerly Middlexsex coach but became director of cricket following the club's double relegation in 2006. He also has three years experience as coach of Northants.

Middlesex chief executive Vinny Codrington told BBC Sport the former England off-spinner, who played 64 Tests and 61 one-day internationals between 1978 and 1995, telephoned him on Tuesday morning to reveal India officials had been in contact.

"My personal feeling is that from a career perspective he owes it to himself to at least go and see what they have got to say," he said.

"I think they did make a tentative approach to John a couple of years ago so I am not 100% surprised. I know that they are very fond of John."

Commandos to protect Indian team

The commandos are the cream of the Indian army

The Indian government has ordered elite Indian commandos to fly to the Caribbean to provide security for the cricket team at the World Cup.

The government's decision follows a request from the West Indies, which is hosting the event later this month.

Sixteen members of the National Security Guards (NSG), who normally look after VIPs, will protect Rahul Dravid's side during the tournament.

It is the first time that commandos will be deployed to protect players.

'Terror groups'

"The decision, taken early this week by the government, comes after a security assessment that terror groups could target the Indian team, which was followed by a formal request from the West Indies," said the Indian Express.

The Indian side is used to heavy security

An Indian security assessment said "there were chances of terror groups targeting the tournament, particularly at venues where the Indian team is slated to play," the newspaper said.

"The matter was taken up with the Caribbean authorities, who felt such elaborate security cover may not be possible without assistance."

The newspaper said that government sources said they were told by West Indian officials that they did not have the expertise to deal with such terror threats.

It said they feared that the Indian team had been identified as a "prime target".

Mobbed

The commandos - including bomb detection and disposal experts - will be located in Jamaica, where India play warm-up matches, and in Trinidad, where the team's preliminary matches will be held, the paper added.

The commandos are anti-terrorism specialists

But it is not thought that the tight security arrangements will put off the Indian team.

The BBC's Sanjay Dasgupta says that the popularity of the game in India makes some well-known cricketers the most high-profile of celebrities - mobbed whereever they go and surrounded by a constant police presence.

India's junior foreign minister, Anand Sharma, refused to tell the BBC whether the decision to deploy the commandos had been prompted by any specific threat.

The Indian cricketers are already in the West Indies, along with their Australian coach Greg Chappell and other officials.

The commandos are expected to follow soon.

'Too many' Australia-India games

Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting will see a lot of each other

The glut of cricket matches scheduled between Australia and India could devalue the sport, says international players' union boss Tim May.

The two nations play each other in four Tests and 17 one-day internationals in eight months from June this year and May says it is getting out of control.

He said: "They were already playing 14 one-day internationals and now they've thrown in another three [in Ireland].

"No-one wants a two-bit product where blokes are only giving 75%."

May, a former Australia Test player also feels the World Cup is twice as long as it should be.

And he said the appeal of international cricket would decline if players continue to be asked to play so often.

He argued: "From the perspective of players and spectators, it's going to dampen your interest.

"And it detracts from the commercial value of the product. Vision has been lost about what's important and what is not."

On the subject of the World Cup, he said: "It's too long. Everybody bar the people who sell the TV rights believe we could compress it.

"The ICC sells the rights for significant amounts of money and obviously the broadcasters want to get their money's worth.

"We have to develop the game in some countries but there are arguments about whether the World Cup is the place for them."

India's Pathan passed fit for Cup

Pathan has taken 115 one-day wickets in 73 internationals

India seamer Irfan Pathan has been cleared for the World Cup after proving his fitness in a domestic match.

The 22-year-old left-armer overcame a bad first spell to take 2-48 for West Zone against Central Zone in a Deodhar Trophy match in Ahmedabad.

"Irfan's trip to West Indies is on," chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar told reporters after watching him in action.

Meanwhile, out-of-form batsman Virender Sehwag says he will tone down his explosive batting style.

Sehwag, moved from his opening berth into the middle order for India's last series against Sri Lanka, said he was practising hard.

"Hopefully, I will get better before the World Cup and get some confidence and perform consistently," said the 28-year-old.

"I've changed a little bit in my shot selection. It's important you are careful with your shots, especially when you are not getting runs.

Sehwag and Pathan both under-performed on India's last overseas tour, of South Africa, and can no longer be certain of selection in the India starting line-up.

Veterans like Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble have come back into the side, and are producing consistent performances.

India set Pathan Sunday deadline

Pathan has taken 115 one-day wickets in 73 internationals

Irfan Pathan must prove his fitness in a domestic one-day match on Sunday to retain his place in India's World Cup squad, say the team's selectors.

Pathan was sent home from the tour of South Africa to regain form, then took 1-43 in his sole appearance of the home series against West Indies.

He subsequently missed the Sri Lanka series with shoulder trouble.

"If he is not fit to bowl, he will not go, it's as simple as that," said chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar.

"Fitness is very important for Irfan because he has not played of late and it is the best opportunity for him to show his fitness."

Having looked for all the world like the Kapil Dev-style all-rounder who would lend balance to the team in the Caribbean, Pathan saw his form dip on the West Indies tour in mid-2006.

Pathan himself believes he will benefit from the difficult period he has endured.

He said on Thursday: "Whatever has happened in the last eight months has made me stronger. I am happy to have gone through this phase when I am 22, and not 28.

"Injury is not an issue, I'm confident of a good show in the Caribbean."

Pathan took only one wicket in three matches against South Africa.

"When you are taking wickets, no one talks about your line and length or your speed," he observed.

"But when you stop taking wickets, then people always try and find fault in the way you are bowling."

He has become almost as well known for his batting in recent times, often used as an explosive hitter, and fired four fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 47 against the South Africans.

But he maintained: "I have never called myself an all-rounder.

"The media has given me this tag. I have always maintained I am a bowler first and batting is just an added advantage."

Confusion over India cricket kit

The new kit has created much confusion

The international sports firm, Nike, has issued a clarification after Indian cricket players earlier this week displayed colourful new kits.

Newspapers covering the launch reported that the kits would be used in the World Cup, which begins next month.

Nike bosses issued a statement saying that the new strip was only for One Day Internationals (ODIs) not run by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The jersey launched on Tuesday had a sponsor's name prominently printed.

Embarrassment

According to ICC rules, no team is allowed to display a sponsor's name on its kit when playing an ICC match or tournament.

The clarification was something of an embarrassment for Nike, which had summoned the cream of Indian cricket to show off the shirts.

Fans do not care what they wear, as long as they win

Captain Rahul Dravid and batsmen Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly were widely photographed wearing the new kit, which newspapers reported would be used in the World Cup.

But following a statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that only ICC-approved shirts would be worn at the tournament, Nike officials were forced to issue a statement.

"The new jersey launch is the ODI kit for any forthcoming non ICC matches," it said.

"What the Indian team will be wearing for the World Cup will be according to ICC stipulations."

Different positioning

BCCI official Ratnakar Shetty told the BBC that it was not a question of the ICC "rejecting" the jerseys unveiled by Nike.

He said it was simply that the shirts being displayed were not the ones the Indian team will wear during the World Cup.

"The ICC has its own rules regarding position of logos on the team jersey and it has already approved the one to be worn by the Indian team," Mr Shetty said.

"The material will be the same, only the logo positioning will be different."

Nike said that the new kit was 15% lighter than previous outfits, and was also capable of keeping body temperatures down to comfortable levels.

A marginally different kit will be used for the World Cup

Mr Shetty said what was launched by Nike is an ODI jersey, usually meant for bilateral tours and merchandising.

ICC spokesman Brian Murgatroyd told the BBC that it had sent an e-mail to the BCCI, confirming that the jerseys were not the official uniform of the Indian cricket team for the World Cup tournament in March.

The confusion, according to one journalist who attended the press conference, arose because none of the officials present at the launch clarified this point to the media.

"Nike unveils the new jersey just before the World Cup, you have the Indian cricket team members wearing it with BCCI officials also standing there on stage, it was logical to assume that this was the official uniform," he said.

Nike is the official kit sponsor for the Indian cricket team and signed a contract with BCCI worth $40m over five years in 2005.

Pathan targets World Cup revival

India paceman Irfan Pathan believes he will benefit from a difficult period in international cricket recently.

Pathan was sent home from the tour of South Africa to regain form, missed the Sri Lanka series with shoulder trouble and played once against West Indies.

"Whatever has happened in the last eight months has made me stronger. I am happy to have gone through this phase when I am 22, and not 28," he said.

"Injury is not an issue, I'm confident of a good show in the Caribbean."

Pathan took only one wicket in three matches against South Africa.

"When you are taking wickets, no one talks about your line and length or your speed," he observed.

"But when you stop taking wickets, then people always try and find fault in the way you are bowling."

He has become almost as well known for his batting in recent times, often used as an explosive hitter, and fired four fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 47 against the South Africans.

"I have never called myself an all-rounder. The media has given me this tag. I have always maintained I am a bowler first and batting is just an added advantage," he insisted.

Dravid eyeing strong India finish

One-day international, Goa: India v Sri Lanka
Match starts at 0330 GMT on Wednesday
It is to inform you that the Live Scores of the match will be available here.

Dravid and co are looking for a strong finish against Sri Lanka

India captain Rahul Dravid wants his side to finish the one-day series with Sri Lanka with a flourish, starting with Wednesday's game in Goa.

Rain ruined the opener and the hosts lost the second game of the four-match series in Rajkot by five wickets.

"These two games give us the time to prepare and get our thoughts and collect our ideas together as we go into the World Cup," Dravid said.

"We know what we have to do - we have to win both these games."

India will be without leg-spinner Anil Kumble on Wednesday for personal reasons, while pacemen Irfan Pathan (shoulder) and Shanthakumaran Sreesanth are also missing.

All-rounder Yuvraj Singh is fully fit again after a knee problem, seamer Ajit Agarkar has recovered from flu, while Virender Sehwag gets another chance as he looks to end a poor run of form with the bat.

Sehwag has been named in the World Cup squad and Dravid expects him to start firing soon.

"I think he's an innings away from coming good. If it happens tomorrow, great, if he doesn't we'll just have to wait a little longer," the skipper added.

Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene said Kumar Sangakkara, who hit a century in Rajkot, would be fine after shaking off a stomach bug.

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India (from): Dravid (capt), Ganguly, Uthappa, Tendulkar, Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Dhoni, Agarkar, Harbhajan Singh, Patel, Zaheer Khan, Karthik.

Sri Lanka (from): Jayawardene (capt), Jayasuriya, Tharanga, Atapattu, Sangakkara, Arnold, Dilshan, Maharoof, Chandana, Bandara, Fernando, Kulasekara, Malinga, Silva, Zoysa.

Sehwag in India World Cup squad

The selectors hope Sehwag can recapture his best form

India have named Virender Sehwag in their 15-man squad for next month's World Cup in the West Indies.

Sehwag was short of runs on India's tour of South Africa and was overlooked for the series against West Indies before returning against Sri Lanka.

Fast bowler Irfan Pathan has also been included in the squad despite his lack of recent form.

Rahul Dravid captains the side, with prolific batsman Sachin Tendulkar as his deputy.

Veteran spinner Anil Kumble has been preferred to Ramesh Powar.

Dravid said: "How well we do at the World Cup will depend on how our six to seven key players perform and stand out supported by the rest of the group. If they have a good tournament, we will have a very good World Cup.

"It's about how big players stand up and perform. That's what the focus will be on. I am quite confident of going into the World Cup. It is going to an exciting time for the team. For a lot guys it will be the last shot at (winning) the World Cup".

India have won the World Cup once, in 1983.

They are drawn with Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and first-timers Bermuda in group B of the preliminary league.

The top two will advance to the Super 8s round.

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India World Cup squad:

Rahul Dravid (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar (vice captain), Saurav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Mahendra Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik (both wicket-keepers), Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Zaheer Khan, Santhakumar Sreesanth, Ajit Agarkar.

India bring in revitalised Pathan

One-day international, Vadodara: India v West Indies
Match starts 0330 GMT Wednesday

India are set to continue their squad rotation policy for the final match of the one-day series against West Indies.

All-rounder Irfan Pathan is set to play his first game on Wednesday since being sent home from the tour to South Africa because of his poor form with the ball.

"Irfan seems to have got his bowling rhythm back," said Ian Fraser, a sports scientist working with the team.

West Indies have the momentum after winning in Madras on Saturday to cut India's lead in the series to 2-1.

A stand of 127 between Marlon Samuels (98) and skipper Brian Lara (83) was the key to a successful run chase, but Lara is looking for more from some of their other batsmen.

Chris Gayle, the star of last year's ICC Champions Trophy, has managed one half century but nothing else of note in the three games so far and Runako Morton has only scored nine runs in three innings.

They could recall all-rounder Dwayne Smith after an ineffective bowling performance by Rayad Emrit in his debut appearance.

"We have one game left and the World Cup coming up so I think this is a very crucial game for us," Lara commented.

India, meanwhile, have revealed that they plan to announce their squad for the World Cup in the Caribbean on 11 or 12 February. Before that, however, they have another four-match home series against Sri Lanka.

The selectors are still considering their options and fast bowler Munaf Patel has also been working with the squad after an undistinguished effort in the final Test in South Africa, which attracted plenty of criticism from the Board of Control.

He was watched closely in the nets by physio John Gloster, who is due to submit a report on the fitness of all World Cup hopefuls before the squad is confirmed.

"We wanted to have a look at Munaf's bowling ahead of the series against Sri Lanka," skipper Rahul Dravid explained.

Yuvraj fit for final one-dayers-WestIndies Vs India

India batsman Yuvraj Singh and veteran spin bowler Anil Kumble have been recalled for the final two one-day matches against West Indies.

Yuvraj is fit again after missing the whole of the South Africa tour with a torn ligament in his left knee.

Kumble, 36, joins fellow spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ramesh Powar in the squad, with all-rounder Joginder Sharma and seamer Rudra Pratap Singh left out.

All-rounder Irfan Pathan will join the squad for the last match in Baroda.

India lead the series 2-0 after a 20-run win in Cuttack on Wednesday.

And West Indies' stand-in captain Chris Gayle says his batsmen must support Shivnarine Chanderpaul to challenge in the remaining matches.

Chanderpaul has hit 149 not out and 66 in two losses so far and Gayle said: "We need the guys in the middle to come in and finish the game for us.

"Shiv is batting well but we need someone to stay there with him and build a big partnership.

"It's going to be difficult, we are behind the eight ball, we can't afford to lose any more games."

The tourists will give captain Brian Lara a fitness test on his injured knee just before the start of Saturday's match in Chennai (Madras).

India must name their World Cup 15 by 13 February, a month before the tournament starts in the Caribbean on 13 March.

They are also due to play four one-dayers against Sri Lanka in February, but will have only the first two games on 8 and 11 February to gauge the most suitable World Cup combination.

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Squad: Rahul Dravid (capt), Sachin Tendulkar (vice-capt), Robin Uthappa, Sourav Ganguly, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Dhoni, Dinesh Karthick, Suresh Raina, Gautam Gambhir, Zaheer Khan, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth, Ajit Agarkar, Anil Kumble, Ramesh Powar, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan (for fourth match only).

Cricketer conviction put on hold

The Indian Supreme Court has put on hold the manslaughter conviction of former Indian cricketer and member of parliament Navjot Sidhu.

Sidhu was found guilty last month in the northern Punjab state of beating a man to death in a 1988 parking dispute. His three-year jail term was suspended to allow time to appeal.

Analysts say the judgement will allow Sidhu to contest a crucial parliamentary by-election in the state next month.

Under Indian law, a person convicted of a criminal offence is debarred from contesting elections until six years after his sentence.

Sidhu became an opposition Bharatiya Janata Party MP in 2004 but resigned from the seat last month following the conviction.

Flamboyant

The high court in Punjab took up the case after appeals by the family of his victim, Gurnam Singh, and the state government following his acquittal by a lower court in 1999.

Sidhu, 43, once a flamboyant batsman, became famous as a cricket commentator on Indian TV channels for his wisecracks, known as Sidhuisms.

He played in 51 Test matches for India between 1983 and 1999, scoring an average of 42.13 runs.

His conviction has been seen as evidence of a new-found appetite by India's courts to take on the rich and powerful.

Chappell accosted by Indian fan

Police have arrested an Indian cricket fan who accosted coach Greg Chappell after complaining about team selection.

The former Australia captain was jostled as the Indian team arrived in Bhubaneswar to play in the one-day international against West Indies.

India cricket board vice-president Rajiv Shukla was quoted by AFP, saying: "I understand that Greg was not hurt but this is a serious security lapse.

"We have demanded the state government increase security for the two teams."

Amitabh Thakur, Bhubaneswar Superintendent of Police, said: "A man did try to break the security cordon and in doing so, stumbled on Mr Chapell."

The attacker was reported as shouting: "I am angry with Chappell because no player from Orissa has been included in the national team."

Bhubaneswar is the capital of Orissa state.

Chappell's attacker was taken away by police, and was later identified as Biranchi Maharana by local officials.

He was in a group of about 50 protestors who had managed to mingle with other travellers in the airport terminal.

Their little known group, Kalinga Sena, had gathered at the airport waiting for the team to arrive from Nagpur.

Chappell, appointed coach in 2005, was rushed onto the team bus stationed outside the airport gate.

The Indian cricket team are due to play a one-day match against West Indies in nearby Cuttack on Wednesday.

India to tour Bangladesh in May

India have confirmed they will tour Bangladesh in May, playing two Tests and three one-day internationals.

"The Board of Control for Cricket in India has verbally accepted the schedule sent by us for the tour," said a statement from Bangladesh.

The itinerary will be announced later, as will details of Bangladesh's first Test tour of India in the near future.

India last visited Bangladesh in December 2004 when the hosts recorded their first home international victory.

India were the opponents in Dhaka when Bangladesh played their first ever Test in 2000 but the Tigers have won just one Test, against Bangladesh, in 43 attempts since then.