Asian Test Championship

Former Pakistan skipper and fast bowler Wasim Akram said that India's pull out from the Asian Test Championship was due to the fear that they would lose to Pakistan. He said India's decision deprived many fans on either side of the border of some competitive cricket.
Wasim who led Pakistan's last team to India in 1999 said his team had toured despite threats and added that Pakistan had always been positive about playing India. Many other former Pakistan players also felt it was absurd to think that India cold solve the Kashmir issue by not playing cricket with Pakistan.

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With the government having ruled out the Indians playing Pakistan in the Asian Test Championship it is likely that the BCCI will also not accept the invitation received from the Bangladesh Cricket Board to visit their country in December-January for a triangular series featuring the hosts and Pakistan.
The BCCI are not likely to be ready to grovel before the government again for permission to play Pakistan in Bangladesh. Yet another attempt to resume the Indo-Pak cricket ties fails.

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Pakistan are reportedly disappointed with the Indian government's decision not to allow the cricket team to visit Pakistan for the Asian Test Championships. Pakistan Cricket Board chief Lt. Gen Tauqir Zia has asked the ICC to intervene or else the 10-year programme formulated by the ICC as well as its other tournaments are likely to meet the same fate as the ATC.
He said it was obvious the Indian government was singling out cricket, since a 380 strong Indian team has been approved to participate in the SAF games that are to be held in Islamabad. Zia also made it clear that Pakistan will not tour India unless the latter tours Pakistan first.

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A few former Indian players have come out and backed the Indian governments decision not to travel to Pakistan for the ATC. Roger Binny and Maninder Singh wanted to know when everything else was not right how would it be right to play cricket with Pakistan.

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BCCI president AC Muthiah feels that the government's decision not to allow the Indian team to tour Pakistan was prompted by the threat by the ACF chairman Jagmohan Dalmiya, when the latter had said that the ACT will go ahead even without India's participation.

India in Sri Lanka

It was yet another poor batting performance by the Indian batsmen. India managed to restrict the Sri Lankan lead to just 42 thanks largely to the resistance offered by Sameer Dighe (28) and Harbhajan Singh (44). At close of play on the second day, Sri Lanka in their second innings were 52-1 having lost Jayasuriya for 6.

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Some of the BCCI members are unhappy with their former president Raj Singh Dungarpur on his comments about Sourav Ganguly's captaincy. It seems Dungarpur has openly humiliated Ganguly in front of his teammates during the Galle Test match. He also informed vice-captain Rahul Dravid to be ready to lead India in South Africa.

Australia in England

Australian opener Justin Langer chose the perfect time to come back into form after having a miserable tour to pile up a century (102) before he had to leave the ground after being shaken up by a Caddick bouncer that hit him just above the ear.
The new Aussie openers of Langer and Hayden put on 158 before Hayden (68) was out. Ponting compiled an efficient 62. At stumps the Waugh brothers were at the crease with Australia having amassed 324-2.

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Meanwhile, Australian opening batsman Michael Slater has been offered counseling to deal with his off field problems that have spilled onto his performances on field. Slater who was reportedly dropped, after he missed a training session after having over slept, has been facing problems over his married life.
The Australian chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said a person known to him well within the team environment would counsel Slater to help rediscover his form. Slater has so far scored 5,312 runs in 74 Test appearances, including 14 centuries and 21 fifties.
But could manage only 170 runs in the first four Tests against England at an average of just 24.28 and was replaced by Justin Langer for the game at The Oval.

Miscellaneous

Out going coach of the Ireland Cricket team New Zealander Ken Rutherford criticised the way the game was being run in the country. He said the game in Ireland was only recreationally based and hardly competitive.
Rutherford was also involved in sending back Ireland opener Decker Curry from the recently concluded ICC Trophy in Canada, after the batsman was upset with Rutherford for not using him as a regular opener. Rutherford argued in his defense that he had no time for individuals to see themselves as bigger than the team.

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The CEO of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Tim Lamb is to meet his Indian counterparts on Friday in Mumbai to discuss various aspects of England's tour of India.
The English are reportedly unhappy playing at Kanpur and Mohali citing lack of five star facilities and non availability of direct flights as reasons for their requests for a change of venues.
However, the BCCI officials rightly insist that Mohali has a fantastic ground and stadium with very good dressing rooms for the teams. And moreover it is left to the host nation to choose the venues.

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The Australian Cricket Board is unlikely to reorganise the three match one-day series that was scheduled to be played at the Colonial Indoor Stadium, Melbourne in September against India.
However the BCCI had cancelled the series to enable the team to participate in the Asian Test Championships. But now the Indians will not be participating in the ATC also.
This means that the Indian team will now get a month's rest before they embark on another tough tour of South Africa in October.

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One of the sureties of the former Test cricketer Manoj Prabhakar, when he was released on bail by the Uttaranchal High Court in finance scam has reportedly withdrawn his surety after Prabhakar failed to furnish a bond of Rs. 50,000.
The Nainital chief justice had asked Prabhakar to present sureties from two persons as well as a bond of Rs 50,000 each following the Uttaranchal High Court order to grant bail to the former Test cricketer for his involvement in the scam.

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In a move which should have been implemented long ago, the BCCI has made it mandatory for all junior teams to produce age verification certificates failing which the player concerned will not be allowed to participate in the match.
It is now up to the BCCI officials to actually verify these certificates and take action against the erring cricketers.

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