The ICC has given Zimbabwe’s rebel cricketers until Wednesday to agree to go to arbitration with the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, and while they are likely to do so, serious concerns remain among them about the process.Their biggest worry – as it has been since the idea was first mooted – is that the ZCU will simply ignore the findings of the arbitration should they go against its entrenched policy. Talking to the players, the names of Ozais Bvute, Max Ebrahim and Tavengwa Mukuhlani are regularly mentioned as being the major obstacles to a resolution to the dispute – all three are seen as intransigent perpetrators of entrenched hardline policies.The other concern is that the whole process could become very expensive. Neither side has bottomless pockets, but given that the ZCU does receive substantial funding from the ICC, it is probably in a better position to get involved in a drawn-out legal battle than the players.The rebels’ attitude to the board has been hardened by reports that the ZCU has approached some of the younger players and offered them large sums of money to return to the fold. One of them said that this was little more than an attempt to bribe them to come back, and so to enable to board to claim that their return was proof that all was well inside Zimbabwe.They stress, however, that this is not the case. And concern at the ZCU’s attempts to take over all aspects of cricket in Zimbabwe grows. While the ZCU has been publicly quiet in recent weeks, behind the scenes it has been maneuvering to repress regional boards who have been opposing it. Earlier this month we reported how Mukuhlani had effectively hijacked the Mashonaland annual general meeting to prevent the election of officials less supportive of the ZCU.The constitution of the ZCU board remains a major stumbling block in a satisfactory resolution of the dispute. The players feel that has effectively become a self-electing elite, unaccountable to anyone.The rebels reiterate that they are against all forms of discrimination, which includes the stipulation of numbers representing each race in the team, in the board itself, and at every level of the game. They believe in selection on merit in every area, and black domination – eventually, and on merit – is both inevitable and desirable.Chris Venturas, the players’ lawyer, has spent the last few days in England collecting his clients’ opinions, and he is expected to go back to the ICC shortly before the 1600GMT Wednesday deadline.

Sachin Tendulkar has failed a fitness test and is ruled out of the NatWest Challenge, the three-match one-day series against England, beginning on September 1, the Press Trust of India reported. However, there is still a chance of him playing in the Champions Trophy which starts on September 10.Tendulkar was unable to play a single match in the Videocon Cup in Holland because of a tennis elbow on the left arm. Another fitness test will be done on September 5, after the NatWest Challenge, and his condition reassessed.There had been speculation about Dinesh Mongia, who is is currently with Lancashire, might be drafted into the team if Tendulkar failed the fitness test, but Gautam Dasgupta, the manager of the Indian team, said that there was no replacement sought.Dasgupta confirmed that Ajit Agarkar had recovered completely from the side-strain injury that he sustained during the Videocon Cup. “He has no injury problem.”

Injury-hit and inexperienced, the USA may not be thanking the International Cricket Council for the charming experience they have had at the Champions Trophy. New Zealand may have flattened them, but at least that occasion bore some passing resemblance to a cricket match.This, on the other hand, was something else entirely. Australia, ruthless as ever, stuck USA in on a damp pitch under cloudy skies with a stiff Southampton breeze blowing across the Rose Bowl. Rohan Alexander and Mark Johnson walked out to ironic cheers from a crowd of a couple of hundred. Then and there, they had no chance whatsoever.But there was one team at the ground that could have given the Aussies a decent run for their money. All you needed to do is nip up to the commentary box, and you could have put together a team on which you could wager the odd pound. An early bird into the commentary boxes was Nasser Hussain, and he’d get onto the list just for the manner in which he got up Australian noses for his entire career. Once Nasser had picked up his coffee and settled in to work, the others began to trickle in.Ian Chappell arrived soon after, and you can pencil him in to your teamsheet. For orthodoxy and some limpet-like batting in tough conditions, there was Sanjay Manjrekar. India had a second representative in Arun Lal, and his opening partner would have to be the irrepressible Michael Slater.For sheer elegance and batting excellence Greg Chappell joins his brother in the team. The media squad on the day was Australia-heavy, but then again who better to dish it out to the Aussies than a few of their own. Dean Jones, that old master of the shorter game, shoehorns into a packed top order. Sri Lanka’s Ranjit Fernando, safe yet unspectacular, has to keep wicket.The problem for this broadcasters’ XI is the bowling department. Whispering Death himself, Michael Holding, leads it magnificently, but there isn’t any back-up. This would force the team to dip into the press box and persuade Angus Fraser to start that seemingly endless uphill trudge one more time. While we’re sneaking bowlers into the side we’ll have to drag in Ravi Shastri for his left-arm spin, though he had just left the Rose Bowl to do another game elsewhere.Ian Chappell wins the captaincy, ahead of his brother, mostly on his ability to spin a yarn and slug a beer or five. And that is just what Richard Staple and his team needed soon after they were blown to smithereens by Australia. Brett Lee gave them a vigorous shake at the top of the innings and Michael Kasprowicz, whose international career was as good as over not a year ago, tucked in. Kasprowicz bagged 4 for 14 – including a scything period in the middle overs when he snagged four wickets in just 15 balls – and sent America crashing to 65 all out, a total that was padded generously by 14 extras. Steve Massiah made 23, including a pull and a pleasing on-drive, but none of his colleagues reached double figures.The Australian batting, aka Murder Part 2, was a joyous romp, and the game was done and dusted before it was time for lunch. Australia knocked off the runs in under eight overs, for the loss of one wicket. As one fan put it: “Twenty20 matches last longer than this.” And they’re easier on the eye, for no cricket fan likes to see a group of players outclassed in such embarrassing fashion.Broadcasters’ XI
1 Michael Slater, 2 Arun Lal, 3 Greg Chappell, 4 Ian Chappell (capt), 5 Dean Jones, 6 Sanjay Manjrekar, 7 Nasser Hussain, 8 Ravi Shastri, 9 Ranjit Fernando (wk), 10 Michael Holding, 11 Angus Fraser.

Matthew Hayden, whose partnership with Adam Gilchrist at the top of the order provided much of the impetus for Australia’s thrilling 17-run victory over New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground, could miss the third and decisive game of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with a hamstring strain.Hayden has scored heavily in most of his appearances in front of home crowds at the Gabba, and Australia’s medical staff are treating his hamstring in a bid to get him fit for the encounter. Hayden himself was desperate to play, after some lackadaisical batting from the top order in recent matches.According to , he said, “We’ve all got off to starts, well the top three in both games have got off to decent starts, and haven’t gone on and got a big score, which you need to. That’s an area, losing wickets in bundles is a problem area.”Torrential rains lashing the Brisbane area have also created logistical problems. Kevin Mitchell, the curator, has been forced to abandon his first-choice strip, and use the pitch that was prepared for an ING Cup game between Queensland and Tasmania. That will in turn affect spectators, with sightscreens and TV camera vantage points also having to be moved.The series is beautifully poised at 1-1, with New Zealand having eked out a thrilling four-wicket win in the first match at Melbourne. Victory in Brisbane would edge them closer to Australia at the top of the ICC table.

As Ricky Ponting’s XI wrapped up the Test series against Pakistan at the MCG today with an unassailable 2-0 lead, the fans took yet another opportunity to hail their Baggy Green-wearing heroes. The occasion seemed appropriate for the conducting of a vox pop. After all, over 121,000 people had attended the match, all of whom were acutely aware that the chances of Australian victory were better than odds on. And after all, this present team has changed the face of the five-day (or four, or three, or two as the case may be) game beyond recognition.So, in the homage to the “Where to now?” arm of global cricket’s administrators, I posed the question: “Isn’t Australia’s domination just the teeniest bit boring?” When the results of the survey were tallied and checked, the answer seemed to be a resounding “No!”Matty from Perth was the first to offer his words of wisdom. “I’m old enough to remember Australia being thrashed in the ’80s, especially by the West Indies,” he said. “As far as I’m concerned, the more wins the better. The circle will turn eventually, a lot of these guys will retire and we’ll start losing again, and the other teams will rise, so until then, let’s go with it.”His friend Simon, who had made the trip from Adelaide to experience a Boxing Day Test at the “G” was happy to take the argument a step further. “Us beating the pants off everyone is good for the game, and anyone who doesn’t agree with me has got a short memory,” he suggested, while waving his Australian flag through the chilly currents of the south-westerly breeze. “It’s up to the other nations to bring their game into line with ours. And with money and development that will happen soon enough.”But I pushed the controversial line of interrogation: what has happened to the age-old Aussie tradition of barracking for the underdog? Aren’t we, according to cultural stereotypes at least, supposed to admire those who “try and fail” far more than those who “brag and succeed”? Aren’t we supposed to be egalitarian by nature? Aren’t we supposed to live in the land of the “fair bloody go”?Peter from the inner Melbourne suburb of Carlton was having none of this sociological claptrap. “How can you not love this team? How can you not support this team?” he asked while aiming his multi-megapixel digital camera towards Gilly for a close-up of some behind-the-stumps squatting action. “They’ll be talking about this lot in a hundred years’ time. And anyway, when did winning become such a bad thing? As far as I’m concerned it’s a good thing. A very good thing,” he added, while zooming in on the slips cordon.Peter’s wife Helen was keen to add some logic and balance to the discussion. “There are kids following cricket now who think 350 runs in a day is normal,” she smiled. “That’s what this team has accomplished. That’s why it’s still thrilling to see them win. That’s why it will never be boring. Because of them Test cricket will never be the same again.”OK. So much for the “fair go” theory I thought, as my trudging continued along the length and breadth of the MCG. But surely there must be dissenters, somewhere. Surely there must be someone, anyone, willing to venture away from popular – or vox-popular – opinion? When all the votes were in, I’d found two.The first was Fiona from Clayton who, from her vantage point in the Great Southern Stand, voiced her psychological concerns. “I’m totally sick of the cockiness of these guys,” she frowned. “It’s as if they’re starting to believe their own publicity. I’d like to see them brought down a peg or two. Winning doesn’t necessary breed character. And the ‘we’re so hot’ attitude of these guys is really beginning to annoy me.”The second was Paul from Caulfield, who, from the second tier of the Members’ Stand, was approaching the solemnity of the survey with all the consideration of a seasoned philosopher. “I’d like to see two teams battling it out and introducing some real tension to the game. We haven’t had that for a while. Plus it’d be nice for a Test to go for the full five days.”Meanwhile, coming quickly back in to bat for the “negative” was his friend Adam from Canterbury, who shook his head at the notion of a level playing field. “We’ve got to take these victories while we can,” he advised. “Some teams dominate. Some teams have winning streaks. Sink the boot in. That’s what sport is all about.”At the end of the match, as Ricky Ponting’s XI walked towards the presentation area, the fans took yet another opportunity to applaud and cheer their all-conquering heroes. OK, I thought, so much for vox pops.Christine Davey is a freelance writer based in Melbourne.

Javed Miandad has sent a legal notice to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) demanding a public apology for terminating his coaching contract in June 2004. Miandad was provoked by the recent comments by Shaharyar Khan, the PCB chairman, regarding the circumstances leading to his axing.Shaharyar had remarked, though he later said he had been quoted out of context, that there were “other reasons” besides the home loss to India for sacking Miandad from the coaching job. “My lawyer has dispatched a legal notice to the board,” Miandad told , a Pakistan-based daily. “And we have asked them to give an unconditional public apology within seven days or face further action.”Miandad said that he had been hurt and upset with Shaharyar’s remarks and felt that his reputation and credibility in the cricket circles had been affected. “They should have had a valid reason for terminating my services because the performance of the team under me was not bad at all.”It was Miandad’s third term as the coach of the national team but the first time that he had been removed from the post. “In my earlier tenures I left myself for various reasons but this time PCB removed me without giving any valid reason. I didn’t complain. But Shaharyar himself recently admitted they removed me for reasons other than the defeat to India. That statement has hurt me a lot. I don’t think such a contractual violation can be made anywhere else in the world.”Muhammad Ali Qureshi, Miandad’s lawyer, said that the PCB had seven days to apologise, failing which the future course of action would be decided. He justified the move by saying, “My client has not sent a legal notice for any monetary reasons. But it is an attempt by him to fight for the respect of all Pakistani sportsmen and officials who don’t deserve to be treated in such a manner.”

January 14

ScorecardSanjay Bangar lead Railways to a 36-run win against Madhya Pradesh at the Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground in Indore. He top-scored with 60 (78 balls, 1 four, 2 sixes) after G Shankara Rao (42) and Amit Pagnis (50) gave the team a sound start in the form of a 95-run opening partnership. In response Madhya Pradesh could only muster 222, with Naman Ojha racking up 69 at the top of the innings.
ScorecardAlind Naidu’s knock of 114 went in vain as Vidarbha slumped to a 10-run loss against Uttar Pradesh. After winning the toss and choosing to bat Uttar Pradesh reached 240 before being bowled out in 49.3 overs. Rohit Prakash and Jai P Yadav did the bulk of the scoring with half-centuries apiece. When Vidarbha began their chase, it was a one-man show as Naidu (114, 151 balls, 12 fours) battled to take his team past to the target. Naidu received no support, with the next highest score being 34, and when he was dismissed with the score on 224, the game was up for Vidarbha.January 13

Scorecard
Syed Abbas Ali stroked a superb hundred and his 223-run stand with Naman Ojha steered Madhya Pradesh to a comfortable victory over Vidarbha in the Ranji one-day tournament in Indore. Ali smashed 11 fours in his unbeaten knock while Ojha fell for a well-made 93 when only 13 more were needed. Earlier, Faiz Fazal had boosted Vidarbha to a competetive total with an exact hundred. Sanjay Pandey was the pick of the MP bowlers with 4 for 41.January 11

ScorecardIt was rivetting stuff. Uttar Pradesh, seemingly crippled at 3 for 3, fought back and posted a total that proved to be only a run beyond Railways. The architects of this resistance were Jyoti Yadav and Mohammad Kaif, who put up 147 together after Harvinder Singh and Jai Prakash Yadav upended three batsmen. Jyoti Yadav hit 83, including eight fours, and Kaif, captaining the side, was run out for 75. After their departure, late hitting by Parvinder Singh (43 not out) took the team to 245 for 6.When Railways came out to bat, Amit Pagnis’s and Shankara Rao’s approach suggested Railways would clinch victory in a canter. They put on 81 by the 13th over, and even after both were dismissed (90 for 2), Jai Prakash Yadav scored 57 and found good support. But when he fell, at 188, the innings fell away with him. Jyoti Yadav picked two wickets and denied the late-order batsmen runs when they made one last attempt at the target of 246.
ScorecardMadhya Pradesh romped to a victory by six wickets over Rajasthan, who had struggled to 216 for 9. They went past the target due to Amit Paul’s unbeaten 113, and his stand of 120 with Naman Ojha, who scored 50. However, MP had to deal with a minor collapse, where they lost four wickets for nine runs, but Paul and Amay Khurasiya steadied the innings and took them home. Rajesh Sharma top-scored for Rajasthan with a boundary-studded 71 off 74 balls. While a few others got starts, none went much further.January 10

ScorecardVidarbha, who had lorded over Rajasthan the previous day, were overpowered by Railways by a margin of 72 runs. Amit Pagnis led the way with a run-a-ball 115, and he put up 137 with Raja Ali, who remained unbeaten on 91. Railways steamed to 302 for 4, the highest total in two days, and then restricted Vidarbha to 230.Ranjit Paradkar once again had the highest score for Vidarbha, remaining unbeaten on 55. Once again he held the innings together, but retired hurt on 114 for 4. The batsmen who followed lashed out for quick runs, but Railways’ bowlers held sway, and weren’t going to let up. Kulamani Parida ended with 3 for 30.
ScorecardSuresh Raina turned on the heat with an unbeaten 80-ball 89, which led Uttar Pradesh to victory over Rajasthan by 61 runs. Raina, the highest scorer by a long way, powered the team to 255. Mathur’s figures survived the aggression, and he ended with 3 for 33 in eight overs.Rajasthan’s top order then batted themselves into a good position, but none, barring Rohit Jhalani with 50, could convert their starts. As a result the innings fell away and was aborted at 194. Mohammad Kaif tried out eight bowlers, including himself, but the batsmen could not use this to their advantage.January 9

ScorecardVidarbha powered to a 63-run victory over Rajasthan in Indore after being bowled out for 246. Rajasthan’s top order fell quickly in pursuit of the target, and though the later batsmen built partnerships, the early loss of wickets meant they were always playing catch-up. They could only manage 183 for 8 in their 50 overs, with Vinod Chawaria top-scoring with 59 off 111 balls.Unlike Rajasthan, Vidarbha’s total was built around contributions from the top order. After losing a wicket off the first ball, the batsmen consolidated. A stand worth 80 runs followed, and then Samir Khare and Ranjit Paradkar put on 93 runs. Khare top-scored with 58 off 66, and later finished with 2 for 28. Wickets fell in a spurt after Khare’s dismissal, but runs also came quickly. Only Anup Dave, with 4 for 41 in ten overs, managed to restrain the batsmen.
ScorecardUttar Pradesh beat Madhya Pradesh by 33 runs after posting a modest total at Maharani Usharaje Trust Cricket Ground in Indore. Mohammad Kaif led the way for UP with 53, and found support from Amir Khan, who scored 40. Another 40, off Praveen Kumar’s bat, helped the team to 218. Sanjay Pandey, who had reduced them to 7 for 2, had 4 for 38.Madhya Pradesh were in trouble soon. They lost their first wicket at 31, and lost their fourth only four runs later. These four wickets, which fell in the space of 11 balls, hampered their chase, and though Abbas Ali led from the front with an attacking 53, and the lower order resisted valiantly, they were bowled out for 185 in little more than 41 overs.

Haroon Rashid, the Pakistan team manager, has denied reports of being sacked before the Indian tour, and has clearly stated that his contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board will end only in July this year. Earlier, the board had indicated that it needed to replace Rashid due to the sensitivities attached with the Indian tour. He has held this position since April 2003.”The board has given me a contract for one year until July 2005 and I have a clear conscience that I have done my job with commitment, honesty and dedication,” Rashid told , a Pakistan daily. “I think my performance should be judged by what the other members of the team have to say about me. But if the board has planned something else it is their decision and I will not protest. I have always been available for Pakistan cricket and have done my duty properly. But yes, if anyone questions my competency as a manager I think it is unfair because throughout my tenure there has not been a single instance where anyone can say I have not fulfilled my responsibilities.”Rasheed received support from a senior board official, who clarified the PCB’s stand on the issue. “The board was looking to appoint a new manager to handle the diplomatic and political aspects of the Indian tour which has its own sensitivities. We will be sending two managers to India. It is not right to say we have decided to remove Haroon.”Rashid, who has also been the coach and national selector of Pakistan, also suggested that more was being made of Shoaib Akhtar’s disciplinary problems than was necessary. “Shoaib has a problem with his cricketing discipline. He is inconsistent in his commitment to the game and as a player. But overall his behaviour has never been offensive and there is no doubt when he is giving 100% he is a major asset for the team.”Rashid felt that Shoaib was perhaps influenced by constant media attention. “No other player including the Australian and West Indians even came close to the popularity and media attention he got in Australia. At times I thought he could not handle it. But overall he remained on good behaviour and the only problem arose on cricketing grounds. But even before he returned home he made it clear to Bob Woolmer that he was totally committed to the team and would do as advised by the team management to be at his best in future matches.”

ScorecardNorthern Districts added a second-innings 278 for 6 declared to their first innings 262 and left Auckland chasing an unlikely 388 for victory at the Eden Park Outer Oval. Auckland started disastrously, losing their first three wickets with just five runs on the board. Graeme Aldridge did the early damage, picking up two quick wickets. Then Ausckland mounted a recovery of sorts, through Tama Canning (42) and made it to stumps on the third day at 71 for 4. They are still a long way from safety, however.ScorecardPeter Fulton inspired Canterbury to a very healthy 374 for 5 in their second innings against Otago. He slammed 221 not out at No.3 with 28 fours and four sixes, and found able support in Neil Broom, who made a patient 109 off 222 balls. The unbeaten partnership for the fifth wicket is already worth 291, and Canterbury have a lead of 390 going into the final day.

Cricket fans in Australia will get a chance to watch the Women’s World Cup finalin South Africa after television network Foxtel today secured the rights to show the game live from SuperSport Park in Pretoria. Australia will take on India on Sunday, April 10 in a repeat of the men’s final in 2003 and Foxtel’s coverage of the match will commence at 1800 (AEST) on its Main Event Channel.”This is an outstanding result for Australian cricket fans,” said James Sutherland, Cricket Australia’s CEO. “And we are absolutely delighted with the support and enthusiasm shown by Foxtel and the Chief Executive of Fox Sports, David Malone, to bring the telecast of this game into Australia.”Normally, the Main Event Channel is a pay-per-view channel,” Sutherland added, “but once again Foxtel have put their support behind our women’s team and advised that the match on Sunday will be telecast free of charge to Foxtel,Austar and Optus subscribers.”Australia had finished as runners-up in the last edition of the Women’s World Cup in 2000 after suffering a heart-braking loss to New Zealand in the final. This time they start favourites after a comprehensive five-wicket win over England in the semis.