March 28, 2001
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Australian pace bowler Glenn McGrath and vice-captain Adam Gilchrist have been fined 50 percent of their match fees after they over reacted to the umpires decisions in the first one-day international at Bangalore. The duo were unhappy with umpire SK Sharma's lbw decisions. Gilchrist reacted to the decision given by Sharma against captain Steve Waugh. The second match of the five match one-day series will be played at Pune today. India will be without the hero of the last match all-rounder and off-spinner Virender Shewag, who has a thumb injury. Left-hand batsman Dinesh Mongia is likely to replace Shewag in the side. The Punjab governmet has decided to award Harbhajan Singh for his match winning efforts against Australia in the recently concluded Test series. The government has decided to bestow the spinner with a cash award of Rs five Lakhs (US$ 7, 500) and a 500 yard residential plot in Punjab. Harbhajan would be awarded this at a specially organised function. A non-government organization (NGO) from New Delhi has also announced a cash award Rs 1.00 lakh (US$ 2, 200) to Harbhajan. 
Sri Lanka won the one-day series against England. In the final match of the three-match series Sri Lanka beat England comfortably by 10 wickets at Colombo. The highlight of the Sri Lankan win was an unbeaten hundred by opener/wicket-keeper Romesh Kaluwitharana. Pakistan were bowled out for 104 in their first innings on the first day of the third Test at Hamilton. At stumps the New Zealand openers Mark Richardson (64 not out) and Matthew Bell (89 not out) had piled up 160 for no wicket in reply. The destroyer-in-chief of the Pakistan innings were pace bowlers Daryl Tuffey (4-39) and Chris Martin (4-52). Moin Khan's knee injury that will keep him out of action for the next six weeks will probably result in the end of his international career. The reasons are many and varied. The PCB apparently has had enough of the selection squabbles, the logo problems and player-coach confrontations that have plagued the team ever since Moin has taken over as captain. Moreover the team's home series loss to England and a not so convincing performance in New Zealand could also be precipitating factors. Though Inzamam ul Haq is not seen as the ideal choice by the PCB to lead Pakistan, at present there seems to be no viable option as the other players are either too inexperienced or unsure of their own places in the side. West Indies have recalled fast bowler Cameron Cuffy and will be inducting a new left arm spinner Dave Mohammad into the side for the third Test beginning at Kensington Oval. Bridgetown later this week. Nixon McLean will be dropped from the squad that lost the second Test at Port of Spian. Mohammad impressed with the ball in the game for the Board XI against the touring South Africans. Shivnaraine Chanderpaul who has been in the wilderness of late also makes a comeback to the side. South Africa drew their three-day match against the West Indies Cricket Board XI at Bridgetown. Resuming their second innings the tourists batted with no intentions of setting a target and declared at 143-2 while setting the home side an improbable 228 in 38 overs of play. The home side made 84-1 at when stumps were drawn. The scores: West Indies Board XI 186 & 84-1; South Africa 271 & 143-2 decl. The ICC investigative team headed by Sir Paul Condon has postponed their visit to Sri Lanka to question Arjuna Ranatunga and Aravinda de Silva over their accepting bribes from bookie Mukesh Gupta during the 1994 series held in India. The visit has been delayed to allow Sri Lankan players, named in the CBI (India) Report, more time to complete written responses to the allegations made against them. Desmond Fernando, Sri Lanka's special anti-corruption investigator, has informed the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) of the ICC that he has still not received written responses from the players in question, hence their delay in visiting Colombo. The ICC team will also meet other players who toured India during that series in an attempt to gather more information. The Sri Lankan Board has also initiated its own inquiry, but the results have not been made public. New Zealand are now being seen as the likely team to replace India in the three nation Sharjah tournament to be held from April 8-20, with the Indian pull-out confirmed. CBFS sources however denied this saying they were still attempting to have talks with India and said they could not approach any other team for participation in the tournament until the BCCI confirms that it will not participate. The Indian and Pakistan Boards are bound by a contract with the CBFS to play cricket in Sharjah twice a year. Meanwhile the chairman of the CBFS Abdul Rahman Bukhatir is in New Delhi to talk to government officials regarding the tour. Queensland led by Stuart Law won the Australian first-class domestic title the Pura Cup when they defeated Victoria by four wickets in the final match at Brisbane. The match was ridden by some controversial umpiring decisions in favour of Law, who made a vital unbeaten 47 and also saw two Victorian players fined for dissent. This was Queensland's fourth national title. The Hampshire County Cricket Club have created a history of sorts when the members of the club voted to make the County a limited company. The not so healthy financial state of affairs of the county has prompted this decision. The issue of shares is expected to raise more than four million pounds for running day-to-day affairs. Middlesex and Essex are some other English cricket counties also facing acute financial problems. The Sri Lanka Cricket Board has washed its hands off the "Ranatunga assaulting school boys" issue after Reggie Ranatunga (father of Arjuna) accused the Sri Lankan Board of instigating the students against the family. The Board said they were willing to help Arjuna clear his name in the case as he had brought so much glory to Sri Lanka cricket, but was surprised the attitude of Arjuna's father. The court case against the brothers is due for hearing on May 25. The annual general meeting of Board of Control for Cricket (BCCSL) has been suspended in the midst of a battle for leadership. A Colombo District Court has restricted the BCCSL from holding elections after one of the candidates, for president, Sumith Perara has filed a petition alleging that the outgoing members have not followed correct procedure required for holding the general body meeting. After being dropped for disciplinary reasons from the Mumbai side that left for Perth to participate in a quadrangular tournament, Mumbai's vice captain Amol Muzumdar has pleaded innocence. It has been reported that Muzumdar did not wear the shirt with the sponsor's logo when he went out to toss in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy match at the Wankhede Stadium against Punjab. This has not gone well with the Mumbai CA officials, although Muzumdar maintains that he was not informed about it. Former India pace bowler Balwinder Singh Sandhu is the Banglore-based National Cricket Academy's (NCA) new chief coach. He replaces Hanumant Singh, who had resigned as the Director of the NCA, a couple of months ago. Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Kanpur and New Delhi have been selected as venues for the five zonal cricket academies. The NCA managing committee, which met in Pune on Tuesday, announced that Nari Contractor (Mumbai-West), Kris Srikkanth (Chennai-South), Arun Lal (Kolkata-East), Kailash Gattani (Kanpur-Central) and Daljit Singh (Delhi-North) have been appointed chief coaches of the respective zonal academies. Each zonal academy, which will start functioning from April 20, and will have 20 students each. Meanwhile Roger Binny will continue as coach of the junior India team and will also help in the running of the NCA at Bangalore whenever he is in the city. ENGLAND IN SRI LANKA 3rd and final One day international at Sinhalese Sports Club Ground, Colombo England: 165-9 in 50 overs (Graeme Hick 46; Chamina Vaas 3-13) Sri Lanka: 162-0 in 33 overs (Marvan Atapattu 49not out, Romesh Kaluwitharana 102 not out) Result: Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets Man of the match: Romesh Kaluwitharana (SL) Player of the series: Marvan Atapattu (SL) PAKISTAN IN NEW ZEALAND 3rd Test at Hamilton (day 1) Pakistan: 104 (Younis Khan 36, Humayun Farhat 28, Daryl Tuffy 4-39, Chris Martin 4-52) New Zealand: 160-0 (Mark Richardson 64 not out, Matthew Bell 89 not out). News flash: The entire second day's play so far has been washed out due to rain  Yesterday's News
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
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