For the first time since his appointment as the coach of the Australian cricket team, the performance of John Buchanan will be under scrutiny in the forthcoming Australian Cricket Board (ACB) meeting. The ACB wants to clarify his role as the coach, specially in view of his remarks made against leg-spinner Shane Warne's fitness during the tour of India. It is reported that he may lose his position as a tour selector when Australia tours England for the Ashes this summer.

England's left-arm spinner Ashley Giles may not be fit to play the first Test against Pakistan beginning on May 17 at Lord's. Giles, one of England's 12 contracted players has been out of action this whole season due to an Achilles tendon problem. After a successful tour of Pakistan last year he went to Sri Lanka where the injury flared up. Giles' place in the Test side is likely to be taken by off-spinner Robert Croft. The England team for the first Test will be announced on May 13.

After thrashing the British Universities by an innings, inside two days, the upbeat Pakistanis are looking for a better fight when they take on Derbyshire today. Coach Richard Pybus is keen to get match practice for as many players as possible before the first Test. After the Derbyshire game, Pakistan play Kent in the lead up to the first Test. England fast bowler and captain Dominic Cork is likely to figure in the Derby team as he is to prove his fitness to the selectors.

After having lost his contract for playing for England Andy Flintoff further worsened his chances by injuring himself while bowling for Lancashire against Yorkshire. He is likely to be out of action for a while after tearing a side muscle.

Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar who flew from Lahore to join his teammates in England has sent a warning signal to the Englishmen. A perky Shoaib said that he was "bad news for England", as he is now fit and is raring to go.

West Indies who were upbeat after a Test and a one-day win at Kingston against the touring South Africans, only to lose the next three one-day internationals by comprehensive margins, have been urged by their skipper Carl Hooper not to lose heart following these defeats. The South Africans need just one more win to clinch the seven-match one-day series.

An angry and hurt Arjuna Ranatunga lashed out after he was questioned by Desmond Fernando and two detectives from the ICC anti-corruption unit. Ranatunga claimed that the allegations against him were made by a self confessed rogue and were completely untrue. He claimed that there has been an attempt to taint his name by the Sri Lankan Cricket board officials. Ranatunga emphasized that he had played cricket for the love of the game and not to make money by unethical means. He completely denied knowing Mukesh Gupta or having any dealings with him.

Queensland's Wade Seccombe will be the second wicket-keeper during Australia's forthcoming tour of England. Twenty-nine year-old Seccombe was called up, when the ACB decided to agree to a request from the Australian selectors to add a second keeper to the squad. Adam Gilchrist will be the first keeper during the tour. Interestingly, Brad Haddin, from New South Wales, who appeared in an ODI match last season in Australia, had flown in as the second keeper during Australia's recent tour of India.

An Indian township in South Africa, Chatsworth has threatened to disrupt the tours by India and Australia later this year because the 2003 World Cup organizing committee, headed by Dr Ali Bacher has refused to host one of the World Cup games at the Chatsworth Oval despite promising to allot one match at this venue. The organizing committee's refusal was due to security reasons, which has been refuted by the spokesman of the Chatsworth action committee, Kishore Morar.

India's latest batting hero VVS Laxman was honoured by the Andhra Pradesh government for his performances during the recent series against Australia. He was presented with Rs 1.0 lakh (approx. US$ 2100) and a silver shield by the state home minister at a function in Hyderabad.

The Nondescripts Cricket Club won Sri Lanka's premier domestic title when they beat the Colombo Cricket Club by three wickets in the final. The team, lead by former Sri Lankan Test player Hashan Tillekaratne, won its first title in seven years.

In an effort aimed at further developing and promoting cricket to new regions, the International Cricket Council (ICC) have given a go-ahead for an innovative partnership between Japan, South Korea and the Victorian Cricket Association (VCA) of Australia. The partnership which is a part of the ICC Development Program initiative will see the VCA conduct courses for coaches, umpires, players and administrators in the two associate ICC member countries. The ICC Development Program contributes US $3.2 million globally on an annual basis to develop the game of cricket in non-Test playing countries.

Kent beat Surrey by one run in a thrilling match at Canterbury. Although the loss for Surrey only ended their unbeaten run in their group, Kent however failed to qualify for the quarterfinals of the Benson & Hedges Cup.

In another close encounter Warwickshire beat Worcestershire by one wicket, which enabled the winning team to claim the third place in their group.

Holland's World Cup batsman Bas Zuiderent became the first to score a hundred at Hampshire's newest ground - the Rose Bowl. His unbeaten 102 against Sussex helped his team secure the top spot in their group.

In another Benson & Hedges Cup match Nottinghamshire beat Lancashire by seven wickets. Lancashire have now lost three of their four matches this season.

Essex beat Middlesex by 71 runs at Chelmsford. Despite restricting Essex to 232, the Middlesex batsmen put up a poor show, with only New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming batting well to score 73.

New Zealand opening batsman Mathew Sinclair continued his recent run of big scores in international cricket, with a double hundred in the Yorkshire league. Sinclair made an unbeaten double century in his side's score of 304-3. He thus became the only fourth player in the history of the Yorkshire League to score a double hundred.

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