Allan Donald all praise for Indian speedsters

Former South African paceman Allan Donald has lauded the performances of Indian speedsters Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra in the recently-concluded World Cup in South Africa.

He was speaking from Johannsberg on Tuesday during the launch of the Mahindra and Mahindra 'Scorpio speedster hunt', a unique quest for India's next generation of match-winning fast bowlers.

In a telephonic interview, Donald said, "The key to fast bowling is the body-shoulder co-ordination followed by upright delivery action.

"I think this is a very good initiative on part of the people involved to unearth young fast bowling talent in India. When I was in India last time around, it was nice to see a youngman (Abey Kuruvilla) run-in pretty fast which surprised us (South African team).

"In fact, the Indian pace department has really come of age under the guidance of Srinath, who has been instrumental in the success of the two left arm seamers Zaheer Khan and Ashish Nehra along with Ajit Agarkar in the recent past."

He went on to add India "will have to produce fast wickets to produce fast bowlers". 

Ravi Krishnan, MD of IMG South Asia, said ten centres -- Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Pune and Mumbai -- have been earmarked for the contest to be held from September 13 to November 14. The final will be held im Mumbai on November 16.

"The aspiring bowlers (16 years and above) should register pre-event via media partners and sponsor outlets (Scorpio and TIMEX), on-line and sponsor nominations. The winner from each city plus four wildcards chosen on next fastest basis would make it to the final," he added.

"The winner (Rs 75,000) and the runner-up (Rs 25,000) and regional winner (Rs 8000) and runner-up (Rs 2000) would be sent on a three weeks scholarship to the Australian Institute of Sports Cricket Academy in Adelaide to undergo Pace Programme," Krishnan said.

Television commentators Sunil Gavaskar, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Harsha Bhogle and Alan Wilkins will also make their appearance at various venues, he added.

Harmison wants to take the new ball at Riverside

Steve Harmison feels he's emerged an improved bowler after a dismal, embarrassing tour of Australia and wants to lead the England attack in his home ground's inaugural Test on Thursday.

Skipper Nasser Hussain hasn't promised him the new ball. But, as the most capped bowler with six Tests, Harmison will spearhead another inexperienced attack in the second Test against Zimbabwe at Riverside.

James Anderson, who made his debut at Lord's in the opening Test of the summer, and rookie Richard Johnson will form the rest of the pace attack, while James Kirtley is expected to be overlooked once again.

"I won't go and beg Nasser to give me the first ball," Harmison said on Tuesday. "I wouldn't knock on his door and ask for it, but I will be happy if he did."

Harmison is a local boy from Ashington, a quiet mining village 64 km outside Durham. He started his first-class cricket career at Chester-le-Street in 1996, four years after Durham made its first-class debut.

"It's my home town club and, when I walk out on Thursday morning, I will know 80 per cent of the crowd. I will be very proud when I walk out," Harmison said.

The Durham bowler rated the tour of Australia as the lowest ebb of his cricket career. He became a laughing stock when he bowled seven consecutive wides in the first over in the traditional tour-opener against the Australian Cricket Board Chairman's XI at Lilac Hill.

"Looking around, there were 10 English blokes laughing their heads off," he said. "I was the only one not laughing in the ground."

Then came another embarrassing moment in the third Test against Australia when he completely lost the rhythm of his run up at one of world's fastest grounds, the WACA in Perth.

Harmison continued to struggle in the one-day games as the embarrassment haunted him for the rest of the tour.

He turned to the former bowling coach of the Australian Cricket Academy, Troy Cooley, who now looks after the England bowlers.

"Even when things weren't going well I turned to Troy and I am happy he's here now," Harmison said. "He just worked on a straight line, and helped me a lot on the mental side."

Pak cricket official says ICC should punish bowlers who sledge

A senior official of the Pakistan Cricket Board on Tuesday claimed that at least six fast bowlers around the world should have been banned and fined for sledging during international matches.

"I am not going to reveal their names," PCB chief executive Rameez Raja said in an interview with The Associated Press in Rawalpindi, a city adjacent to Islamabad. However, Raja, a former Test cricketer, said if the game's governing body -- the International Cricket Council -- asked him to identify the fast bowlers, he would.

Sledging is sometimes used by players to unsettle opponents, but the ICC has a code of conduct that gives umpires the power to penalise such actions.

"I have already written a letter to the ICC that at least six fast bowlers sledged during international games which comes under Level 2 offense of Players Code of Conduct, but no action has been taken against them," Raja said.

"Everyone knows who they are, but if ICC asks me to give the names only then I would identify the players," he added.

Indian match referee Gundappa Vishwanath fined and banned Pakistan's fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar for two matches for ball tempering during last month's triangular series in Sri Lanka.

Akhtar not only missed the final which New Zealand won but is also ineligible to compete against England in the first one-day international at Old Trafford, England, on June 17.

"I am not defending Akhtar for his action, but the thing is that there should be uniformity in imposing penalties on players," Raja explained.

Johnson waits on Test chance

If Richard Johnson does make his Test debut against Zimbabwe at the Riverside, Chester-Le-Street on Thursday, few current English players will have deserved their cap more than the Somerset seamer.

Johnson, 28, who was included in England's one-day squad on Thursday, is arguably the unluckiest English cricketer around.

He was selected for England's tour of South Africa in 1995-96. But a back injury meant he had to pull out even before the rest of the squad boarded the plane.

In 2001 he was on standby for three home Ashes Tests against Australia but never played and although selected for England's tour of India in 2001-02, he did not play an international, having to be content with a solitary match in Jaipur.

"It's been a while," Johnson told reporters at the Riverside, the home of north-east county Durham, "Hopefully, I'll get given that chance."

"It's every English player's dream to play for England and I'm no different," added Johnson who has played alongside England regular Andrew Caddick - currently out with a foot injury - at Somerset.

This season groin problems have hampered Johnson's progress.

With Johnson taking Kirtley's spot in the one-day squad the odds must be on him joining the likes of James Anderson and Stephen Harmison as one of England's front-line seamers at the Riverside. Graveney, for one, is convinced that Johnson could do a job at Test level.

"Richard Johnson has been in our plans for a while and has been selected now that he is fully fit again after suffering from a groin strain earlier in the season.

"He is in good form and is a bowler who is capable of 90 mph pace and making the ball swing," added Graveney when he announced the squad on Saturday.