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Ignoring skipper Sourav Ganguly's specific request to include Punjab's left-handed batsman and all-rounder Yuvraj Singh, the selectors made four changes to the current Test squad for the one-day series, which begins on June 23. The selectors opted for Yuvraj's team-mate Dinesh Mongia instead.
Former Punjab and now Railways pace bowler Harvinder Singh too gets a break
after an impressive domestic performance in which he claimed 23 wickets in
the Ranji Trophy. All-rounders Reetinder Sodhi and Virendra Shewag are the
other players to be included in the one-day squad. Interestingly three of
the four players hail from Punjab, while Shewag plays for Delhi The
following five players who are already in Zimbabwe with the Test side will
return home after the Harare Test match: The one-day team will be as follows:
The man of the match of India's win over Zimbabwe in the Bulawayo Test, Shiv Sunder Das, has been offered a promotion by his employers NALCO, National Aluminium Company. Das who is currently employed as a supervisor has now been promoted to the executive grade.
Meanwhile, Pakistani pace bowler Fazal-e-Akbar will replace Shoaib Akhtar in the NatWest tournament. The Pakistan team management is reportedly miffed with Shoaib Akhtar for his inability to bowl 10 overs for his team in an international match. They were also not too pleased with his sign up with a Kent village club team Lashings for a large sum of money. The manager of the Pakistan side Yawar Saeed washed his hands of Shoaib saying what he did now was between him and the Pakistan Cricket Board. He advised Shoaib to find himself a bowling coach who could help him out with his troubles. Shoaib Akhtar, it seems will earn more money for playing for the Lashings Club than while playing for Pakistan in the NatWest tournament. However he will have to make a certain number of appearances for the Club in order to avail of a bat sponsorship amount of 20,000 pounds (about Rs 13.4 lakhs) as against the 1,500 pounds (Rs. 1 lakh) he would have earned if he had played for his country.
Disappointed with his team's two run loss to Pakistan in the fourth match of the series at Lord's, England's chairman of selectors David Graveney said England needed to develop the killer instinct and the ability to keep a cool head in tight situations. He said playing good oppositions frequently would help the team in this cause and towards building a team for the 2003 World Cup. He however praised the efforts of Marcus Trescothick and Owais Shah in taking the team to the brink of victory.
The late Sir Donald Bradman, who had always stayed away from airing his opinions especially on controversial issues has reportedly told his publisher that umpire Darrel Hair's no balling of Sri Lankan off-spinner Muthiah Muralitharan in 1995 was distasteful. He is reported to have told his publisher Tom Thomson that he regarded Murali as the best spin bowler on view since the war. He condemned Hair's action against Murali and described the episode as a step that took cricket back by ten years in terms of development. Incidentally, Murali was recently presented with a Bradman commemorative cap.
Former coach of the Pakistan side Javed Miandad told a court in Pakistan recently that he had not accused any of his players of match fixing during the New Zealand tour. He told the court that he had been misquoted in the press. Meanwhile, the court had agreed to summon the reporters to clarify the Miandad's stand, who just after the tour of New Zealand had alleged that some of the members of his team had performed below par during the one-day series in New Zealand as they were involved in match-fixing. Pakistan had lost the one-day series 3-2. Former Indian Test cricketer Manoj Prabhakar has been missing and has been on the run while avoiding an arrest since the past 20 days. Prabhakar is wanted in a case of duping investors of a finance company and if not found and arrested immediately the police would declare him as a proclaimed offender. The ICC president Malcolm Gray now on a visit to Sharjah, said that he felt the ICC needed more powers to deal with problems like match fixing and the refusal of countries to play each other. Meanwhile, Gray praised the efforts of Sir Paul Condon in compiling the first report on corruption in cricket.
Four of Pakistan's top women cricketers have left for England to play for various counties. Pakistan captain Shaiza Khan, vice captain Sharmeen Khan, Kiran Baloch, and Mehar Minwala have been offered contracts to play in England.
Yesterday's News
News Roll archive
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
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The injuries to the two key bowlers of the side was the reason for the easy eight wicket win by India over Zimbabwe at Bulawayo according to the Australian born Zimbabwe coach Carl Rackemann. Rackemann said that injuries to skipper Heath Streak and Henry Olonga were a big set back when India made their fourth innings chase on the fourth day. He however said that the present side was a well balanced one with a good mix of youth and experience and added that the performance of young Brighton Watambwa in only his third Test was encouraging.
Young Pakistani off spinner Shoaib Malik appears to have fractured his shoulder after a nasty collision with Shahid Afridi in Pakistan's match against England at Lord's. Both the fielders collided while running for a catch at midwicket offered by Marcus Trescothick, that Afridi eventually took. A decision will soon be made on whether he should be sent home.
England's left-handed batsman Graham Thorpe will have to sit out of the NatWest tournament for at least another week as his calf strain injury has still not improved. Thorpe, who has missed all three of England's games in the tournament, will miss a few more games. However, it does seem to be too late for England to utilise his services having lost all its three games played so far.
India's match winning leg spinner Anil Kumble is also likely to miss next month's tour of Sri Lanka. Kumble who underwent an operation on his bowling shoulder will require another two months to heal. He will now miss the three Test matches and the one-day tri-series in Sri Lanka.
Pakistan all-rounder Abdur Razzaq has expressed his desire to play county cricket. He said that though he has got a few offers but is waiting for the best offer in terms of financial prospects. Glamorgan has reportedly made an offer to the talented Pakistani all-rounder.
