Pakistan have retained Inzamam-ul-Haq as captain for next year’s World Cup.”Inzamam has led the team admirably and we have extended his tenure as captain for the tours of South Africa and more importantly for the World Cup 2007,” Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Naseem Ashraf told a press conference. “The World Cup will be won by a team which has self-belief and I saw this current Pakistan team to have exemplary belief, unity and maturity.”Inzamam, who took over as captain in September 2003, has led Pakistan in 28 Tests, winning ten, losing nine and drawing nine. He has also led Pakistan in 82 one-day internationals with 50 wins, 29 defeats and three no results.The PCB also showed confidence in their English coach Bob Woolmer and vice captain Younis Khan who will continue in their posts. Woolmer, who took over in July 2004, was appointed as coach until the end of the tournament.

England’s 17th and 18th squad members were paraded this afternoon and in the Australian sections of the room the new figures were so anonymous there were thoughts of asking the ready-to-act security guards to uncover their identity. A deep knowledge of county scorecards will never form part of a Down Under citizenship test, but in the locals’ defence Mal Loye and Ravi Bopara would not be feted on an open-top bus tour through Manchester or Chelmsford.The size of England’s entourage has bulged again following injuries to Kevin Pietersen (cracked rib) and Michael Vaughan (hamstring), so the two men who arrived in ECB gear might well have been the overworked medical staff. But there was no vertical file of explanations or the repetitive use of “scan”, “MRI” or “replacement”.Loye, an opening batsman for Lancashire, landed in Brisbane on Wednesday night from New Zealand, where he scored 51 runs in two State Championship matches for Auckland as their overseas pro. Bopara, the Essex allrounder, joined the squad after being part of England’s back-up brigade in Perth. Both men are uncapped, but the claims of Loye for a debut at the Gabba on Friday are stronger after Vaughan’s problem flared in Hobart.Aged 34 and the owner of 214 first-class appearances, Loye has shown that like Leo Sayer it is possible to reinvent yourself for a fresh generation. He felt he was good enough to play for England five and ten years ago, but only since his move from Northamptonshire to Lancashire has he become a seriously attractive proposition.Starting as a dour, straight-bat accumulator more suited to Tests, Loye has flourished since the introduction of Twenty20 into a free spirited opener whose most eye-catching manoeuvre is dropping down to slog-sweep the new-ball bowlers. Brett Lee returns from a chest complaint at the Gabba and if he receives that sort of treatment he may use his recently cleared lungs to call for a dentist to be added to the visitors’ support staff. Unless they have one already.Loye does not know whether he will need to tone down his inventive approach with the rise in standard. “I can only take it when I’m out there,” he said. “My plan has just been to be as positive as I can through the first 15 overs at home and bat through an innings. Ultimately I’ll look to do that if I get an opportunity. My game plan may differ with certain bowlers but I can only do that when I’m out there.”Text messages during the week prepared Loye for the official announcement of his inclusion and he is on the verge of justifying a decision not to represent Ireland, which would have earned him a World Cup passage. He has Irish parents but remained true to his English roots after growing through the system from under-19 to “A” level. Named in the 30-man preliminary squad for the Caribbean, he is a couple of encouraging performances away from gaining an orthodox journey to the World Cup.The scenario is similar for Bopara, a 21-year-old top-order batsman and medium pacer. He spent six weeks with the Academy squad working on his bowling and picking up tips from Vaughan. “I do like to experiment,” Bopara said. “At my pace you’ve got to have a few things up your sleeve. Just like Paul Collingwood, who is very smart and very clever.” England have been forced into trying new things as well and are faced with more untested hypotheses just two months before the main event.

The landmark came in a characteristically low-key manner, with a drive to long-on for a single, as Rahul Dravid became only the sixth player to get to 10,000 runs in one-day internationals. Of the batsmen who have reached the milestone, Sachin Tendulkar has done it in the least number of innings – only 259 – while Dravid’s 287 innings puts him in fourth place. (Click here for the list of highest run-getters in ODIs.) Interestingly, four of the six batsmen went on to get a 50-plus score in the innings in which they got to 10,000 runs: apart from Dravid, who made 66 today, Sanath Jayasuriya (67) and Sourav Ganguly (51) made half-centuries, while Tendulkar went on to make 139 against Australia at Indore in 2001. Brian Lara (44 against Pakistan at Karachi in 2005-06) and Inzamam-ul-Haq (41 against India in the Champions Trophy in 2004) were the ones who missed on celebrating the landmark in style.

Dravid had been through a bit of an ODI trough last year, but his recent numbers show he has clearly come out of it – in his last 11 innings, Dravid’s notched up six half-centuries plus a 49, and averages nearly 47.Dravid’s milestone was prominent, but the performance of the day came from Zaheer Khan, whose 5 for 42 was his first five-for in ODIs. Since coming back into the international fold on the tour to South Africa late last year, Zaheer has been in superb form, with 15 wickets in nine matches at an average of 23.13, which is a noticeable improvement on his career average of 27.54.These are also turning out to be more profitable days for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose unbeaten 67 was his fourth half-century in his last 12 innings, during which period he averages a healthy 49.78. Dhoni’s 133-run partnership with Dravid was their third century stand in just 17 innings. They also have five half-century partnerships, and average an excellent 65.20 runs per stand.For Sri Lanka, there wasn’t as much to celebrate. The one player who came out of this defeat with his confidence enhanced was Russel Arnold, who had scored just 85 in his previous seven ODI innings.

Inzamam-ul-Haq and Bob Woolmer refused to speculate about their futures after this humiliating defeat, but Pakistan cricket can certainly expect a night of the long knives similar to that which followed the debacle in 2003. Both men suggested that winning the toss had evened up the contest, though neither was prepared to make excuses for a diabolical batting display that reduced them to 72 for 6 before a late flourish took the total to 132.”We have to wait and see what happens next,” Woolmer said. “Basically, our World Cup is over. I didn’t think their bowling was anything special. From my perspective, we just didn’t score enough runs.” Inzamam chose to sing from the same sheet, but he wasn’t quite as dismissive of Ireland’s bowling effort. “The pitch was difficult, they bowled well and we batted poorly,” he said, face downcast after what he called “the worst day of my cricketing career”.For Inzamam, whose World Cup adventure started back in the halcyon year of 1992, it will all end with a meaningless outing – for Pakistan anyway – against Zimbabwe. But even in this darkest of hours, he didn’t lash out at those who had let him down so badly. When asked if Mohammad Yousuf’s dismissal could be cited as the moment when the tide turned to swamp Pakistan, Inzamam said: “He was set, and we needed a big score from him. But when everyone has flopped, it’s not right to pinpoint any one thing as a turning point.”Before taking charge of Pakistan in 2004, Woolmer was closely associated with the ICC’s High Performance Programme, which has endeavoured to improve standards of play in the Associate nations. And while he didn’t think that such countries were ready to mix it with the big boys on a day-to-day basis, Woolmer reckoned Ireland’s triumph was vindication of the effort put in.”I’m not going to say that they’ll close the gap soon,” he said. “There were extenuating circumstances today. It was a grassy pitch, and the toss was important. But I’m fully in favour of 16 teams. Playing against such teams can be a banana-skin, and you saw that today, with Bangladesh beating India as well. I think you can say that March 17, 2007 will be a historic day for cricket.”Woolmer’s contract runs out after the World Cup, and an extension is unlikely after this reverse. He wouldn’t say whether this was the end of the road as far as coaching international teams was concerned. “I’d like to sleep on my future as coach,” he said. “I’ve had bad days before, the worst of them was at Edgbaston in 1999 [when his South Africa team missed out on the final despite the game ending in a tie]. Things like this happen in cricket.”

Inzamam too had no idea what the future would hold. “It’s only been a few minutes and I can’t say what I’ll do,” he said. “Since we haven’t performed, changes are likely and needed too.” Asked if it was a heartbreaking way to end his World Cup innings he said: “Every player has to go some day. I’ve had my innings, and you can’t really choose the way you leave.”To add to Inzamam’s woes he was fined 50% of his match fee for Pakistan’s slow over rate, which fell four short. Inzamam pleaded not guilty to the level two offence, but Chris Broad, the ICC match referee, ruled against Pakistan’s captain and each player was also docked 20% of their payment.Despite the setbacks, there was still time for a droll moment, as someone asked what sort of reaction he anticipated when the team arrived home. “In my view, there won’t be a reception,” said Inzamam poker-faced, as a laugh escaped Woolmer’s lips.When asked what went wrong, Woolmer didn’t sugar-coat his words. “We hit balls in the air to fielders, we stopped balls with our pads in front of the stumps, that’s what went wrong. We’re sorry we performed like we have. We didn’t mean to do it.”It’s unlikely that such an explanation will wash with a nation in mourning. And with India also humbled, more than half the subcontinent certainly won’t be engaged in any St Patrick’s Day revelry.

Pre-season friendlies are normally no more significant than batsmen getting time in the middle and bowlers building miles in their legs. However, Glamorgan’s early season warm-up match against Sussex at Hove marked a milestone for Simon Jones, the England paceman, who is completing his recovery from yet another knee injury.Since his starring role in the 2005 Ashes, Jones has barely set foot on a cricket field, and when he has it has usually resulted in him limping off. His comeback for Glamorgan during the 2006 season, following his aborted return on England’s tour of India, lasted four matches before he broke down against Ireland in the C&G Trophy.Now he is trying again, following a winter spent working on his knee at Loughborough, Glamorgan and latterly a warm-weather stint in Cape Town. Statistically the first results have been modest, eight overs for 27 spread over two spells not a full pace, but at this stage it is about the small steps.Ahead of his comeback, Jones said he was feeling confident: “I’m back to bowling at full pace occasionally. I hit 79mph off three steps last week and I’ll be back bowling at 90mph soon; I’m confident now as my knee feels strong. I’ve no negative demons. I’m probably in the best nick of my life.”However, despite the problems England’s pace attack has suffered in Jones’s absence the selectors will be wary of rushing him back into the side especially with the first Test against West Indies starting on May 17, only four weeks into the season. Glamorgan have two Championship matches and a University fixture during the opening stages of the summer, which will give a better indication of Jones’s long term prognosis.

Two of greatest cricketers produced by Barbados and the West Indies were honoured for their outstanding contributions to the game on Sunday night.Sir Clyde Walcott and Wes Hall, who were brilliant players and highly-respected administrators, were inducted into the Sticky Wicket West Indies Hall of Fame during a lavish ceremony in Antigua at the Stanford Cricket Ground.Sir Clyde died last August at age 80. He was an outstanding batsman and member of the famous 3Ws. After his playing days he became chairman of West Indies selectors, manager of the team, president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the first non-Englishman to be appointed president of the ICC. He had a superb batting record, making 3 798 runs in 44 Tests with 15 centuries, at an average of 56.68. He was represented at the ceremony by his wife Lady Walcott and son, Michael.In his heyday Hall was a barrel-chested fast bowler and was the best in the game in the 1960s, and ended his career with 192 wickets in 48 matches. After hanging up his boots he too was chairman of selectors and manager of the Windies team, and was also president of the WICB. He was a minister of Government in the 1980s. Fast bowling legend Michael Holding played in the West Indies with both Hall and Sir Clyde as manager. In his tribute to Sir Clyde, he outlined how he was instrumental in helping to develop his career especially when he had been struggling in the unfamiliar conditions on the 1976 tour of England. Holding said Sir Clyde genuinely cared about people and was an individual who instilled discipline.Holding referred to Hall as “chief” and described the 69-year-old as a “great” manager and stressed he was “still a great man”. He pointed out that Hall, who also served as manager after retiring from international cricket, was very accommodating and had made time for players under his charge.In his address, Hall said he was honoured to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, which was the brainchild of Texan billionaire Allen Stanford. Hall also noted that his aim was to continue to make a contribution to the game.Lady Walcott spoke to the media and said she was thrilled by the tribute paid to Sir Clyde. She also noted that if he were still alive, Sir Clyde would have graciously accepted the honour.The event was attended by several other outstanding cricketers including Barbados National Hero Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Viv Richards, Sir Everton Weekes, Lance Gibbs, Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Richie Richardson, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Ian Bishop, and Colin Croft.

Ajit Wadekar, the former Indian captain has said that an Indian coach would be better suited for the requirements of the Indian team. He said that a foreign coach coming from a different cultural background generally encounters a communication gap while dealing with the team.”Personally, I believe because of the Indian culture, psyche and varied backgrounds of the Indian players, they can subconsciously form groups. A foreign coach may not be able to understand the nuances or work ethics as well as an Indian coach,” said Wadekar.The former captain was critical of Greg Chappell as the Indian coach and he said so in not unclear terms. “Well, if you look at the sharp dip in world ratings of Indian team, it shows that he failed. Perhaps, because he tried to implement what might have suited the Australian system,” said Wadekar.When asked about the ways in which Indian cricket could be improved, Wadekar, the first Indian captain to lead the team to series victories abroad, said that the best thing to do would be to prepare more sporting pitches in the country. He also said that participation of all star players should be made mandatory in domestic matches to help up-and-coming cricketers improve their game.Wadekar was not happy with the reactions which came after the Indian team’s shock defeat to Bangladesh in the World Cup. He said that the defeat was more of an exception. “That was only an aberration and after the recent Indian success we know where they stand in world cricket,” he said.Wadekar also voiced his worry over the frequent breakdown suffered by India’s young fast bowlers. “It is really disturbing that so many young fast bowlers are getting injured. There is something seriously wrong. The support staff and the physio should make comprehensive tests before declaring a player completely fit. On their part, the players have to be honest and never fake injuries. They should look up to the great Kapil Dev as the perfect role model,” said Wadekar.

In terms of ratio, the civilian population and hence the cricketers of theFalkland Islands are amongst the most protected in the world.Just 35 miles from the British overseas territory’s capital, Stanley, around2000 members of the British Armed Forces at Mount Pleasant Military Basestand ready in case Argentina seeks a 20 year anniversary reinactment of itsinvasion of the South Atlantic outcrop, protecting a population of 2,800.The ‘Civvies’ demonstrate their gratitude by usually losing the biggestevent in Falkland Islands cricket, the annual South Seas Ashes match betweenthe Governor’s XII and the Combined British Forces XIIThe 2002 version took place last month under the keen observation ofterritorial Governor, Mr. Donald Lamont and a smattering of players’ friends& relatives.The Mount Pleasant Oval Cricket Ground, with matting laid over a cementpitch, is situated at the Army base of the same name. It is arguably theworld’s second most southerly cricket venue, after Chile’s Punta Arenas(although it may rank third if rumours of an annual match at the Mawson Basein Antartica are true).The 2002 South Seas Ashes match got underway with CBF XII captain, FlightLieutenant, Dave Howey winning the toss and electing to bowl.The ‘Civvies’ found the military discipline of British Forces opening attackof Phillips and Farr overwhelming, the pair bowling very tightly to have theGovernor’s XI reeling at 25-4 after the first 10 overs.It was left to Welsh born power station worker and alleged wildlifeexpert/conservationist, Mike Bingham, to stop the procession of wickets andthanks to him the Governor’s XI avoided lowering their previous lowest totalof 63 to finish 77 all out in 26 overs.Bingham’s 35 was the second highest individual score in the 10 year historyof the South Seas Ashes. He received support from Mike Barton with 11.The Civilian pace attack then embarked on a first innings total defencewhich initally resembled Western Australia’s famous Gillette Cup semi-finalwin in 1976 protecting just 76.Barrister, Richard Marlor, aided by Barton, Steve Tyldsley, and Bradfieldreduced the British Forces to 22-5 in 12 overs. Marlor was to finish withthe figures of 5-1-5-3.Alas, there was to be no Dennis Lillee-like performance to finish the jobfor the Governor’s XII at Mt. Pleasant last month and the British Forcesproceeded to the target without losing another wicket in the 21st over.Health (31) and Green (11) led the recovery for the British Forces.Most personnel of the British Forces are stationed in the Falklands for afour month tour of duty, so like many non-Test countries and territories,the game’s true health is reflected in the performance of the permanentresidents.The progressive Falkland Islands Cricket Association (FICA), keenly aware ofthat, has linked up with the International Cricket Council’s DevelopmentProgramme, and is hoping an ICC representative can visit next year.FICA officials are planning a tour to Puntas Arenas on the turbulent Straitsof Magellan and are seeking a fortnight long visit from a First Class coachnext southern summer to complement their development work with juniors.

Bishan Singh Bedi, a former Indian captain, has delivered a scathing salvo against another, Sunil Gavaskar, in the wake of recent happenings in Indian cricket.Bedi termed Gavaskar a “destructive” influence and felt he “always liked power without accountability”. These comments come in the wake of Gavaskar criticising Dav Whatmore in one of his columns, despite being part of the committee that was to decide the next coach.”Cricket circles had immense and blind respect for him [as a cricketer] and he successfully used this to ensure that board officials remained in awe of him,” Bedi told , a weekly Indian magazine. “He wants the glamour, the position and if there are any financial gains so much the better … but he does not want any accountability. He’s always liked power without accountability.”Bedi was critical of Gavaskar’s role at the National Cricket Academy, where he was the director from 2001 to 2006. “I had a lot of time for his batting but never as a thought leader,” said Bedi. “You tell me what his contribution has been. He is destructive, there is nothing positive. I remember the time I was called by the then NCA director Brijesh Patel, along with Erapalli Prasanna and VV Kumar, to train spinners there. We did not hear at all from NCA chairman Gavaskar before, during or after the camp. I also recall his presiding over a captains and coaches meeting where he gave me the impression that he was not even listening.”I can’t forget the time he once told a team meeting ‘The day I stop thinking of money, I will stagnate’.”Gavaskar has been embroiled in a few controversies in the last few years, one of them involving writing about how John Wright, India’s former coach, was abused by the players only after Wright’s term ended. More recently he suggested John Emburey as a candidate for the job of Indian coach despite the fact that his coaching credentials were less than impressive.

Australia have backed their World Cup-winning squad to repeat the job at the Twenty20 World Championship, with Brett Lee the only addition to the outfit that was successful in the Caribbean. Lee missed the World Cup with a serious ankle injury but has been named in Australia’s 15-man group that will compete in South Africa in September.The same players make up Australia’s 14-man squad to tour India straight after the World Championship, although Brad Haddin was not included for that trip. Australia’s seven-match ODI series with India begins at Bangalore on September 29, five days after the Twenty20 final.Lee replaces Glenn McGrath, who retired after the trip to the West Indies, while Shaun Tait has also been chosen as he recovers from elbow surgery. Australia opted not to pluck any Twenty20 specialists from state cricket or test any untried talent in South Africa.”We looked at the performances of some of the top domestic Twenty20 players, but ultimately we felt that the World Cup-winning side would adapt well and deserved the opportunity to prove that they can perform to the highest standards in both shorter forms of the game,” Andrew Hilditch, the chairman of selectors, said. “It’s fantastic to have Brett Lee back, fully fit and resuming his spot in the Australian side. He’s back to training and raring to go.”Several players who must have come close to breaking into the Twenty20 side, including Cameron White, Luke Ronchi and Adam Voges, will have their own taste of overseas action in September on Australia A’s tour of Pakistan. Voges will captain the group of 14, with White as his deputy.Phil Jaques and Chris Rogers will make the trip, which might serve as an audition for Australia’s vacant Test opener position. As expected, the outstanding performers from Australia’s domestic season in 2006-07 were rewarded, including three players in their 30s. Two of those older members, David Hussey and Ashley Noffke, are yet to make their debuts for Australia.Stuart MacGill’s presence confirms that at 36 he is still prominent in the selectors’ plans, although his fellow spinners Dan Cullen and Cullen Bailey were chosen as well. There was also a focus on allrounders, with James Hopes and Andrew McDonald recognised for their dominance at state level.Twenty20 World Championship squad Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Brad Hodge, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, Shane Watson, Brad Haddin (wk), Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Shaun Tait.Squad to tour India Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Ricky Ponting (capt), Michael Clarke, Brad Hodge, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, Shane Watson, Brad Hogg, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark, Shaun Tait.Australia A squad Phil Jaques, Chris Rogers, David Hussey, Adam Voges (capt), Cameron White, Luke Ronchi (wk), James Hopes, Andrew McDonald, Ashley Noffke, Cullen Bailey, Dan Cullen, Ben Hilfenhaus, Doug Bollinger, Stuart MacGill.