Donald retires

Former South African coach Bob Woolmer was quick to offer Allan Donald a new job after the fast bowler announced his retirement from Test cricket.

Woolmer has agreed to help Kenya, Namibia, Holland and Canada prepare for next year's World Cup in South Africa and would like Donald to work alongside him.

Donald is still hoping to play for South Africa in the tournament, but Woolmer believes he could combine the two.

"I've already asked him to make himself available for all four countries. He's going to come back to me, but I've told him that we'd very much like to use him to coach the fast bowlers.

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Allan Donald, who has retired from Test match cricket, was almost too nice a man to be a leading bowler, explained his former captain Kepler Wessels.

Wessels, in an exclusive interview with BBC Sport Online, said Donald will always be regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers in Test cricket.

But he added: "You had to work very hard to make him aggressive."

Wessels, who was Donald's captain on his Test debut in the West Indies in April 1992, added: "It took a lot of coaxing - he's probably too nice to be a fast bowler."

Zimbabwe in India

First Test, Nagpur, day five:
India (570-7 declared) beat Zimbabwe (287 & 182) by an innings and 101 runs.

Spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh shared nine wickets in Zimbabwe's second innings as India cruised to a comfortable victory in the first Test in Nagpur.

India won by an innings and 101 runs on Monday as they wrapped things up on the fifth and final day.

Zimbabwe, trailing by 283 runs after their first innings, were then skittled for 182 to concede a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.

Opener Trevor Gripper was the lone batsman to offer any resistance, compiling a patient 60, before Harbhajan took four quick wickets for just eight runs to wrap things up.

Leg-spinner Kumble took 5 for 63 to collect his 19th five-wicket haul and off-spinner Harbhajan picked up 4-46 as Zimbabwe lost their last six wickets for 30 runs in 21.4 overs.

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Indian coach John Wright proved a hard task master following their innings and 101 run win over Zimbabwe in Nagpur as he urged his players to improve their fielding.

Spinners Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh shared nine wickets in Zimbabwe's second innings as India cruised to a comfortable victory in the first Test, in Nagpur.

"Unfortunately some of our best players are the worst fielders," the New Zealander commented. "Our ground fielding and catching need to improve, especially with quite a few overseas tours round the corner.

"Certainly, we need to be a lot fitter and robust. It is difficult to teach people who have been around for 10 to 12 years, how to dive. You have to move sideways and have the ability to throw."

Miscellaneous

Adam Gilchrist's extraordinary 204 not out in Johannesburg on Saturday has seen the Australian wicket-keeper shoot up seven places to third in the latest PriceWaterhouseCooper ratings.

Only Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara stand in front of Gilchrist now - and Tendulkar has recently recovered his number one spot which many people think is his by right - by swapping places with Lara.

The West Indian's injury troubles and Lara's big recent century against Zimbabwe are the main reasons behind that adjustment at the top of the tree.

There are also now a staggering five Australians in the top eight - with Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Steve Waugh and Justin Langer all ranking highly.

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Glenn McGrath has advised South Africa to find the mental toughness of former players like Hansie Cronje or risk more humiliation in the Test series.

Cronje may be the most disgraced figure in world cricket but McGrath said the former captain and equally tough ex-Proteas like Brian McMillan and Pat Symcox had a fighting spirit against Australia which the current team lacked.

Cronje led South Africa through two spirited series against Australia, averaging almost 40 with the bat, and his defiance was sorely missing from the Proteas team which crumbled to an innings and 360 runs loss in the first Test in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Rubbing salt in their wounds, Australian paceman McGrath said they were effectively beaten before they even arrived at the Wanderers on day one.

England in New Zealand

England fast bowler Darren Gough has confirmed that he will be returning home following the final one-day international in New Zealand.

Gough has taken 11 wickets in four games so far and there was speculation that he might be asked to stay on for the three Test matches.

But he said: "I knew they were not going to ask me to stay on even though there has been a lot of talk about it.

"I'm sure if Nasser (Hussain) was being honest he'd want me to stay on, but it's not his decision."

Gough opted out of the pre-Christmas Tests in India to spend more time with family and the selectors said that he would not therefore be picked for the series in New Zealand.

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