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Pakistani left-hander Saeed Anwar displayed fine form before the first Test by blasting a double hundred on the second day of their match against Kent at Canterbury. Saeed, who made 201 (in 230 balls, 27 fours, five sixes), added 307 for the opening wicket with Saleem Elahi (94 not out), before the visitors declared six runs behind the home team's total. Kent in their second knock were 94 for three. England has named a 13-member squad for the first Test match against Pakistan that begins on May 17 at Lord's. The squad includes two new faces - left-arm pace bowler Ryan Sidebottom from Yorkshire and left-handed batsman Ian Ward from Surrey. Both enjoyed success with the touring England A team this year. Incidentally Sidebottom is the son of former England pace bowler Arnie Sidebottom who appeared in one Ashes match in 1985. Apart from the inclusion of these two new faces, the nucleus of the team, that was remarkably successful on its overseas tours last season, remains the same.
It has been reported that the South African team manager Goolam Raja, was the first to be informed about his players smoking marijuana at the conclusion of the St John's Test match last month. Raja, who has a pharmacy background, saw the dilated eyes of the players and on questioning them, they immediately confessed. The hotel manager confirmed that none of the staff of the hotel or any guests had tipped Raja, which leaves to the speculation that one of the team members themselves may have informed him. South Africa however played all the five accused - Herschelle Gibbs, Paul Adams, Justin Kemp, Roger Telemachus and Andre Nel in the sixth one-day international that they won. Skipper Shaun Pollock said the team went out with an added motivation to do well, with the five players fully aware that the news of their wrongdoings had reached back home. Pollock denied that the incident was a black-mark in the otherwise successful tour of West Indies. Meanwhile, Jean Kemp (mother of Justin) and Herman Gibbs (father of Herschelle), have both claimed that their sons, who do not even smoke a cigarette were unfortunate victims to this incident and were innocent.
The BCCI has decided to set up an independent base for the National Cricket Academy (NCA) at Bangalore. At present the NCA functions from the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and the Board plans to relocate the NCA at a 30-acre site at the outskirts of the city. A ground, residential quarters, a gym and other relevant facilities will form a part of this new project. Former England fast bowler Frank Tyson will be conducting a coaching camp in Pune for promising cricketers from May 21 to June 5. The camp is being organized jointly by the Mumbai Cricket Association and the Maharashtra Cricket Association. The camp will be conducted at two levels - the under-22 and under 19 age groups. Tyson will be assisted in coaching by the Mumbai's medium pace bowler Paras Mhambrey. There will also be a separate seminar for coaches between June 3 and 5. The Mumbai Cricket Association has proposed to re-name the North Stand at the Wankhede Stadium as the Sachin Tendulkar stand in honour of the great batsman. The MCA will also be felicitating Tendulkar at a function on May 23 at the Wankhede Stadium. He will be presented with a cheque of Rs 2.5 lakhs (approx US$ 5300) and a silver bat. In an unprecedented move, Indian umpire Bomi Jamula, who has officiated in five one-day internationals from 1990 to 1998, has filed a Rs. 50 lakh (approx US$ 100,000) defamation suit against two Ranji Trophy cricketers over their alleged indecent behavior during a local Times Shield A Division semi-final match in Mumbai last month. The duo accused are both Ranji trophy players, Anand Yalvigi (Mumbai and Karnataka) and Mazhar Ghadyali (Mumbai), who it seems hurled insults at the umpire at some of his decisions during the match. If the recommendation of the ICC's anti-corruption unit (ACU) to delete records of the players accused of match-fixing from the record-books, is taken seriously, then the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack may obliterate the players records from their books. In his autobiography titled 'Dazzler', England pace bowler Darren Gough, admitted that while he hit the winning runs against South Africa during the famous Test at Centurion on January 18, 2000, he was under a severe hangover. Gough admitted that he had thrown up in the dressing room just before he went out to bat. He had stayed up drinking the previous night with golfer Ian Woosnam in the hotel bar. As a punishment, skipper Nasser Hussain made Gough bowl 10 overs in a row on the last day, as South Africa declared their innings at 248-8, before both teams decided to concede their innings to set England a victory target of 249 in about 75 overs. However Gough said he was glad that he was able to hit the winning boundary for his team in a match that swung dramatically on the last day, as England won the Test by two wickets and with just five balls to spare. Incidentally this match is under scrutiny by the ICC anti-corruption unit.
Gloucestershire beat Northamptonshire by 20 runs under the DL method in the Norwich Union League. Kim Barnett made 101 for the winning team.
Derbyshire beat Essex by 67 runs thanks to veteran Rob Bailey's 94. Thomas Lungley claimed four wickets for Derbyshire.<
Yesterday's News
News Roll archive
Compiled by: Mohandas Menon
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England skipper Nasser Hussain is likely to drop down the batting order this summer. His customary number three position may be taken over by Michael Vaughan. Hussain has been in poor form lately despite a hundred in the recent Kandy Test match. This move is perhaps to help gain his confidence back. Hussain will now bat at number five, behind Graham Thorpe.
The Indian cricket coach John Wright said that Anil Kumble would have to fight to regain his place in the Indian side. Kumble, who has just returned from South Africa after a check up since he underwent surgery on his shoulder in January, has now begun training with the players at the Chinnaswamy Stadium at Bangalore. Wright said he was happy with the physical fitness of the players who were present at the camp and rated it far better than the fitness levels of the players at the last camp.
