India in England

Indian batsman Virender Sehwag has been given the all-clear by doctors after being hit on the head during the first practice session of the team's tour to England.

Sehwag underwent a precautionary scan at a London hospital, but will be available to play in Saturday's one-day game against Sussex at Hove.

"He is absolutely alright. There is no internal injury," said team manager Rajeev Shukla. The 23-year-old was bowling in the nets on Wednesday when he failed to get out of the way of a powerful shot by teammate Zaheer Khan.

He was later examined by Dr Shishir Ray, medical advisor at the Indian High Commission in London, who recommended a scan to ensure he had not been concussed.

Sehwag is seen as India's top young batsman after marking his Test debut with a century against South Africa in Bloemfontein.

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Sachin Tendulkar insisted Thursday he would end his recent sequence of low scores when India faced England in their forthcoming four Test series, starting here next month.

After equalling Australia great Don Bradman's record of 29 Test hundreds against the West Indies, Tendulkar had a tough time making three ducks in his next four innings in the Caribbean.

"I think it is part and parcel of the game," Tendulkar told reporters here at Lord's. "It happened to me for the first time in 13 years of cricket. It happens to all the players.

"But it's important to work on that. In four innings I must have played 15 balls. I felt there was nothing wrong. It's just one of those things and I batted pretty well in Jamaica (in the last Test) and in the one-day matches.

"So it's all left behind," said Tendulkar of a Test series India lost 2-1.

The contract system

The Board of Control for Cricket in India has proposed a performance related pay scheme for the national team.

It would mean 20 players being centrally contracted for a 12-month period, and the amount they earn would depend on how successful they are during that period.

"We have studied contracts in Australia, England and South Africa, but we are open to discussions with the players," said BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya.

The proposals would see players graded into four categories, with A1 contracts for leading names such as batsman Sachin Tendulkar, captain Sourav Ganguly and spin bowler Anil Kumble worth 7.5m rupees (£103, 200) a year.

Less experienced players in the fourth grade would earn 1.5m rupees (£20,600). Match fees would, however, be paid separately, with the amount assessed according to the result or a players's individual performance.

"World's fastest bowler"

Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar will not be allowed to take part in the "World's Fastest Bowler" competition, due to be staged later this year in India.

Organisers IMG/TWI South Asia said that the "Rawalpindi Express" had agreed to compete against Australia's Brett Lee and eight other pacemen to establish a pecking order of the fastest bowlers in cricket.

But the Pakistan Cricket Board have step in to bar Shoaib from participating in any such showdown before the World Cup.

"There is no question of Shoaib Akhtar joining the proposed competition before the World Cup," said PCB spokesman Khalid Butt.

"Even after the World Cup his appearance will be subject to the approval by the Board. "Shoaib is a valuable asset of Pakistan and he cannot be allowed to appear in any competition without the proper permission of the Board."

The PCB gave no reason for its decision, but Shoaib has been plagued with knee, ankle, shoulder, stomach, groin and rib injuries in the last 18 months, that threatened to end his career.

And Pakistan's cricket authorities are certain to want to protect their most valuable asset before the World Cup starts in South Africa early next year.

Miscellaneous

India are to ask West Indies and New Zealand to change their schedules for forthcoming series to give one-day cricket greater emphasis ahead of the World Cup.

West Indies are due to tour India in October and November and their existing itinerary includes five Tests and five one-day matches.

But the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) now wants to stage seven one-day games and only three Tests to help their team's preparations for the 2003 World Cup.

A similar request is to be made to New Zealand Cricket concerning India's tour in December. The BCCI is seeking to revise their itinerary to include two Tests and seven one-dayers, instead of the scheduled three-five split.

"Since the World Cup is approaching, we will have no time to prepare," said BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya.

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Pakistan's Super Challenge victory in Australia has increased optimism among the country's senior cricket figures that the team can win next year's World Cup.

They won the three-match series 2-1 after paceman Shoaib Akhtar inspired them to a 91-run triumph in the deciding game in Brisbane.

"It is a great win for us. The Pakistan cricket team has always been respected worldwide for its potential, but now we are finally playing like a team.

"There has never been any doubt about our talent. It has been our ability to perform as a team under pressure that has always been questioned," said chief selector Wasim Bari.

His view was echoed by former captain Javed Miandad, who believes playing as a unit will be the key to World Cup success in South Africa in 2003.

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Australia need to find a way to survive dangerous spells from bowlers like Shoaib Akhtar if they are to successfully defend the World Cup next year, captain Ricky Ponting said today.

"He bowled well, he bowled quick and he got his deliveries in the right areas," Ponting said after Shoaib had taken five for 25 to bowl Australia out for 165. They were chasing Pakistan's 256 for seven in Wednesday's third and deciding one-day international.

"When you're bowling at 150km/h and swinging the ball, you're always going to be hard to play. But we've got to find a way to combat that when the World Cup comes around.

"We have to identify when someone is bowling well and get through those tough times. We couldn't do that this time and he ripped the heart out of our innings. We're losing wickets in patches as well and we haven't got partnerships at the top of the order, and that's something we will need for the World Cup," said Ponting.

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The final of the ICC Champions Trophy tournament will be played as a day-night game at Colombo's Premadasa stadium in Sri Lanka.

The stadium will stage nine of the 15 matches, and all will be day-night fixtures, the International Cricket Council have announced.

Host nation Sri Lanka will now open the tournament against Pakistan on 12 September after the schedule was revised.

Each of the 12 competing nations will play two games in the pool stage of the tournament between 12 and 23 September.

The semi finals will take place on 25 and 27 September, with the final scheduled for Sunday 29 September.

New Zealand won the last tournament, held in Kenya two years ago.

New Zealand in West Indies

New Zealand's cricketers have been playing international cricket almost constantly since last November.

But if Stephen Fleming's side were feeling fatigued ahead of two Test matches in the West Indies, events in St Vincent have provided them with fresh vigour and incentive.

Fleming was left complaining about "incompetence" after problems with the umpires and scoreboards resulted in them losing the final game of the one-day series.

The Kiwis now go into Friday's match in Barbados with the aim of achieving a first-ever Test win in the Caribbean.

"It'll make us more determined in the next fortnight, believe me. We're going to play very well in this Test series and fight a lot harder," Fleming promised.

Hi-tech help for Proteas bowlers

New coach, new technology. With the help of sensors and cameras to pinpoint problem areas, national cricket coach Eric Simons this week ran the rule over bowlers in the World Cup squad.

Simons, assistant Corrie van Zyl, national coaching director Anton Ferreira and provincial coaches Vincent Barnes and Eldine Baptiste assessed eight bowlers at the Sports Science Institute.

Bowlers participating were Mfuneko Ngam, Makhaya Ntini, Roger Telemachus, Mornantau Hayward, Justin Kemp, Charl Langeveldt, Lance Klusener and Steve Elworthy. Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis, Nicky Boje, Paul Adams and Andre Nel are campaigning in England.

Simons said the new monitoring system used six sensors placed on the body, which could show how a bowler bent a knee or how straight his back was, during a delivery.

Although the SA bowlers were not bowling flat out, pointers were picked up by the technique.

"I don't think there was a tremendous amount wrong (with the bowlers). We could analyse the footage and discuss various aspects with the players," Simons said.

Women's cricket

England captain Clare Connor will break a 36-year tradition this weekend when she becomes the first woman to play in The Cricketer Cup.

All-rounder Connor will be playing for Old Brightonians against Lancing Rovers in the second round of a competition set up by The Cricketer magazine and featuring 32 'old boys' teams from English public schools.

She was picked for their first round tie, but had to withdraw from the team because of a disc problem in her lower spine.

The 25-year-old is now on the mend and plans to use the game as part of her build-up to next month's triangular one-day series which pits the England Women's team against New Zealand and India.

"It's a great privilege to take part in the competition because I know that I could find myself playing against first-class cricketers.

"I have always played men's cricket - to start with I had no idea of what women's cricket was. I still try to turn out for my old club, Preston Nomads, in the Sussex League a couple of times a season," said Connor.

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