'Pakistan may have deliberately lost to England'

Raking up the match-fixing issue all over again, legendary Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad has said Pakistan may have deliberately lost a one-day international against England in Sharjah prior to the 1999 World Cup.

In his autobiography, 'Cutting Edge', Miandad, no stranger to controversy himself, claims that concerns over the conduct of his team in the match on April 12, 1999, led him to resign as coach just a month before the World Cup.

Now back in charge as the team coach and preparing for Pakistan's three-match NatWest Series opener with England at Old Trafford on Tuesday, Miandad's claim backs up allegations about the Sharjah game made earlier by current captain Rashid Latif.

Pakistan lost to England by 62 runs - five days after thrashing them by 90 runs - and Miandad, the highest
run-scorer in Pakistan's Test cricket history, says in his book that he was "concerned that our performance may have had little to do with cricket".

Johnson ruled out of NatWest series

England fast bowler Richard Johnson has been ruled out of the NatWest Challenge series against Pakistan because of a knee injury.

The Somerset seamer was in line to make his one-day international debut after taking 6-33 in his first Test appearance against Zimbabwe last week.

"Richard's knee is swollen and sore and we have ruled him out of all cricket for the next week," said Dr Peter Gregory, England's chief medical officer.

It is bad luck for Johnson, who had only recently regained full fitness following a groin problem.

England survive against Wales

England survived a scare at the hands of Australian Test bowler Michael Kasprowicz before beating Wales in the first match of Michael Vaughan's reign as one-day captain.

In a warm-up match for the upcoming one-day internationals against Pakistan, Vaughan's side made 8-235 from their 50 overs before bowling out their hosts for 227 in 48.4 overs.

A superb new-ball burst from Kasprowicz had left England reeling at 41 for four and raised hopes that Wales could be headed for a repeat of last season's eight-wicket win over their neighbours.

But Yorkshire captain Anthony McGrath (50) and Marcus Trescothick (55) steadied the ship with a stand of 71 for the fifth wicket before Surrey all-rounder Rikki Clarke, with 46 off 47 balls, helped push England's total to a respectable target.