Crawley cracks triple-century

After going 51 Championship innings without reaching three figures, John Crawley underlined his return to form in the most emphatic manner possible – by marching on and on to his maiden triple-century, as Hampshire took command at Trent Bridge. Crawley was 154 not out overnight, and eventually finished unbeaten on 301, from 442 balls with 35 fours and two sixes, as Shane Warne declared on a whopping 641 for 4.Elsewhere, Warwickshire extended their lead at the top of the Frizzell County Championship, and in the process exacerbated Surrey’s relegation worries, with an emphatic seven-wicket win at Guildford. Ian Bell was the star of the final day’s play – he finished unbeaten on 96 as Warwickshire hunted down their target of 207 with ease. At Cheltenham, Lancashire were denied a morale-boosting win, as Stephen Adshead and Martyn Ball added 75 for the eighth wicket to secure a draw for Gloucestershire, and at New Road, Owais Shah returned to form with an unbeaten 140, to give Middlesex control against Worcestershire.In the second division, Darren Gough secured Essex’s first championship win of the season with a four-wicket haul at Grace Road. But, inevitably, Essex had to do it the hard way. There was little prospect of an upset as Leicestershire set about their pursuit of 398, but John Sadler made 95 and the tail chipped resolutely away at the total to give Essex’s supporters one or two jitters. But when Ottis Gibson was run out, Gough returned to trap Charlie Dagnall lbw for 0 to seal a 48-run victory.

County Championship Division One

Scorecard
Day 1 report: Ruthless Bell takes full toll of Surrey – The Times Online
Day 2 report: Ramprakash underlines evergreen talent- The Times Online
Day 3 report: Butcher left to ponder on sidelines – The Daily Telegraph
Day 4 report: Bell knocks out Surrey – The Guardian

Scorecard
Day 1 report: Franklin leads late fightback – The Independent
Day 2 report: Anderson makes quick impact- The Times Online
Day 3 report: Mongia sets frantic pace – The Daily Telegraph
Day 4 report: Weston weighs in to keep Lancashire waiting – The Independent

Scorecard
Day 1 report: Fulton and Smith take their lead from Key – The Times Online
Day 2 report: Dozy day by the sea for Kent – The Sunday Telegraph

County Championship Division Two

Scorecard
Day 1 report: Ponting takes bow in debut frenzy – The Guardian
Day 2 report: Ponting provides instant impact – The Guardian
Day 3 report: McLean and Dutch seal the victory – The Times Online

Scorecard
Day 1 report: Adams stuns on debut – The Telegraph
Day 2 report: Cook puts Essex on the brink – The Telegraph
Day 3 report: Fired-up Gough on form – The Telegraph
Day 4 report: Hair-raising stuff for Essex – The Telegraph

Scorecard
Day 1 report: Durham suffer most as wickets tumble – The Times Online
Day 2 report: Desperate Durham suffer Davies blow – The Telegraph
Day 3 report: ‘Wizard’ works wonders – The Telegraph

Scorecard
Day 1 report: Crawley returns to his fluent best The Times Online
Day 2 report: Crawley rolls back the years – The Independent

Virender Sehwag for Leicestershire

Virender Sehwag got many starts for Leicestershire, but it took him six innings in the Frizzell County Championship to score his first hundred – which came within a single session. His next, against Middlesex, was also at over a run-a-ball pace, as he injected a one-day urgency into the longer version of the game. While many of his starts went unconverted, he turned in some useful performances in the Twenty20 Cup, where he demonstrated his usefulness with the ball, and helped Leicestershire win all of their first five matches.
Leicestershire averagesJuly 19 Twenty20 Cup Semi-final
Leicestershire lost to Warwickshire by 7 wickets
Virender Sehwag’s last Twenty20 innings of the season lasted just three balls as Waqar Younis dismissed him for 5 in the semi-final. Leicestershire managed to put up a competitive score of 162, but Warwickshire overhauled it quite comfortably, with four balls and seven wickets to spare.
Scorecard ReportJuly 13 National Cricket League
Leicestershire beat Worcestershire by 76 runs
A comfortable victory for Leicestershire. Trevor Ward, with 68, and Virender Sehwag – who slammed three sixes in a blistering 59-ball 76 – gave Leicestershire the perfect start, while Darren Maddy provided the late innings-momentum with 58. Stephen Peters anchored the reply with 82, but Worcestershire were never on the ball as Jeremy Snape and David Brignull both finished with three wickets.
Scorecard ReportJuly 9-12 Frizzell County Championship
Leicestershire lost to Middlesex by eight wickets
Middlesex piled up 620 in their first innings, and Leicestershire began their reply in style. Sehwag smashed 130 off 111 balls, hitting 20 fours and four sixes in the process. All to no avail, as Leicestershire, despite making 447, still had to follow on. Sehwag made just 13 in the second innings, but a draw still seemed possible as Leicestershire set Middlesex a target of 163 from 27 overs. But Andrew Strauss smashed a 67-ball 73 to give Middlesex an eight-wicket win.
Scorecard ReportJuly 2-5 Frizzell County Championship
Leicestershire drew with Warwickshire
Sehwag, much as he does for India sometimes in Test cricket, played the longer version of the game as if it was a one-day biff-about. He smashed 30 off 21 in the first innings and a run-a-ball 40 in the second, but did not play the big innings that could have won the game for his side. A combative second-innings century from Sehwag’s fellow overseas professional, Brad Hodge, gave Leicestershire a sniff at victory, but eventually the game drifted to a draw.
Scorecard ReportJune 27-30 Frizzell County Championship
Leicestershire drew with Nottinghamshire
Sehwag’s first century of the season was a blistering 137, off just 151 balls and included an incredible 25 fours, but Leicestershire were finally saved by rain, which washed out the entire last day’s play. Sehwag scored 56% of his team’s total of 243, but Leicestershire conceded a first-innings lead of 83, and needed 402 to win in the fourth innings, when rain intervened.
Scorecard ReportJune 24 Twenty20 Cup
Leicestershire beat Derbyshire by 1 run
Sehwag made 15 off 12 as Leicestershire batted first and hit up 171 in their 20 overs. Sehwag’s Indian team-mate, Mohammad Kaif, was at the forefront of a thrilling run-chase, but Derbyshire eventually fell short by 1 run. Five wins in five games for Leicestershire.
Scorecard ReportJune 22 National Cricket League
Leicestershire beat Yorkshire by 18 runs
Another good outing for Sehwag, who hit 65 off 80 balls, adding 126 for the second wicket with fellow overseas pro, Australia’s Brad Hodge, who made 104. Leicestershire ended with 251, and despite Yuvraj Singh’s aggressive 50 off 46 balls, Yorkshire ended up on the losing side.
Scorecard ReportJune 21 Twenty20 Cup
Leicestershire beat Nottinghamshire by 1 wicket
First, Sehwag took 2 for 19 in four overs as Nottinghamshire were restricted to a gettable 158; then, for the second match in a row, he made 26 off 17 to get Leicestershire off the blocks quickly. It was a sterling performance, and the fourth win in four Twenty20 matches for Leicestershire.
Scorecard ReportJune 20 Twenty20 Cup
Leicestershire beat Lancashire by 22 runs
Sehwag got Leicestershire off to a quick start with 26 off 17, as they piled up 178 in their 20 overs. Sehwag wasn’t required to bowl, as Lancashire were never really in the chase.
Scorecard ReportJune 18 Twenty20 Cup
Leicestershire beat Durham by 46 runs
Sehwag finally turned in a matchwinning performance for Leicestershire – with ball, not with bat. He made 14 off 11 as Leicestershire made 168 for 9 in their 20 overs, but then bowled magnificently to take 3 for 14 in three overs at the end. Brad Hodge with 64 off 44 and 1 for 19 pipped him to the man-of-the-match award.
Scorecard ReportJune 16 Twenty20 Cup
Leicestershire beat Yorkshire by 16 runs
Sehwag made a first-ball duck in his debut in the Twenty20 Cup, but Leicestershire won handily, aided by a fine allround performance by Brad Hodge (97 off 61 and 3 for 6 in two overs). This was Sehwag’s second duck in a row, and once more his side had won.
Scorecard ReportJune 15 National Cricket League
Leicestershire beat Worcestershire by 2 wickets
Sehwag made a fourth-ball duck, but Leicestershire were chasing only 194, and they won comfortably.
Scorecard ReportJune 14 Tour match
Leicestershire lost to Pakistan by 5 wickets
Sehwag made 19 off 28, as Leicestershire reached 231 for 7 in their 50 overs. He then bowled five overs and took 0 for 35 as Pakistan won with 19 balls to spare.
Scorecard ReportJune 10 C&G Trophy
Leicestershire lost to Worcestershire by 75 runs
A horrid match for Sehwag. Chasing 217, Leicestershire could only make 141 – Sehwag’s contribution in that was 2 off 17 balls. Worcestershire progressed to the semi-final of the C&G Trophy.
Scorecard ReportJune 4-7 Frizzell County Championship
Leicestershire lost to Lancashire by 10 wickets
Lancashire sailed to a comfortable victory here, in a match that was a nondescript outing for Sehwag. After Lancashire had amassed 503, Leicestershire made 314, of which Sehwag’s contribution was 30 off 44. Leicestershire followed on, and Sehwag made just 5 in the second innings, after slipping down the order to No. 4.
Scorecard ReportJune 1 National Cricket League
Leicestershire lost to Gloucestershire by 3 wickets
Leicestershire batted first, Sehwag made 14, and the team ended up on 234 off their 45 overs. Gloucestershire overhauled the total with 8 balls to spare.
Scorecard ReportMay 28 C&G Trophy
Leicestershire beat Nottinghamshire by 99 runs
Sehwag gave Leicestershire, who were put in to bat, a crackling start with a lusty 56 off 51 balls, including 10 fours and a six. Leicestershire made 258, and won easily by 99 runs, as Phil DeFreitas took a superb 3 for 20 in his 10 overs, snatching the man-of-the-match award from Sehwag.
Scorecard ReportMay 21-24 Frizzell County Championship
Leicestershire drew with Middlesex
An uneventful outing for Sehwag, who made just 10 in the only innings in which he batted. Rain spoilt all chances of a result, or even Sehwag batting twice.
Scorecard ReportMay 18 National Cricket League
Leicestershire beat Yorkshire by 66 runs
Sehwag was in fine touch, smashing 54 off 70 balls to give Leicestershire just the start they needed. They racked up 247 in their 45 overs, and won comfortably by 66 runs.
Scorecard ReportMay 14-17 Frizell County Championship
Leicestershire drew with Surrey
Sehwag failed in the first innings of this game, making just 2 as Leicestershire collapsed to 200. In reply, Surrey made 560. Up against the wall, Sehwag then smashed a fiesty 81 off 84 balls, and though the wickets continued tumbling after he was out, rain allowed his side to escape with a draw.
Scorecard ReportMay 7 C&G Trophy
Leicestershire beat Northumberland by 90 runs
Sehwag missed a golden opportunity to pile up some easy runs against minnows Northumberland. Leicestershire batted first and Sehwag, opening the batting, was out for a quick 16. The rest of the game was surprisingly low-scoring, as Leicestershire made 182 and still managed to win by 90 runs.
Scorecard ReportMay 5 National Cricket League
Leicestershire lost to Gloucestershire by 57 runs
One day after his debut for Leicestershire, Sehwag played his second game and, once again, failed. Gloucestershire batted first and amassed 311, and a good start from Sehwag was essential if Leicestershire were to be in the chase. Alas, he made just 1.
Scorecard ReportMay 4 National Cricket League
Leicestershire lost to Glamorgan by 44 runs
Virender Sehwag arrived in England at seven a.m. on the day of this game and was promptly picked to make his debut for Leicestershire. Glamorgan batted first, put up 249 in their 45 overs, and then Sehwag went out to open the innings. He made a typically carefree 23, with four thunderous boundaries, before getting out trying to force the pace further.
Scorecard Report

Warne celebrates third child

The Australian Cricket Board announced today that champion leg-spinner Shane Warne and wife Simone are celebrating the arrival of their third child, Summer Warne, who entered the world at 8.20am this morning weighing 7 pounds, 14 ounces.Summer is the sister of Brooke and Jackson.About the birth, Shane said:”Simone and I are absolutely over the moon. It was the first birth I have witnessed after being in England when Brooke and Jackson were born. It really is an amazing experience and a special part of life.”

Concussion brings early end to Morgan's season

Eoin Morgan has been ruled out of Middlesex’s final County Championship fixture of the season against Worcestershire at New Road tomorrow after failing to recover sufficiently from the blow to the head he took while batting against Mitchell Starc in last week’s fifth ODI against Australia.Morgan, England’s limited-overs captain, was forced to retire hurt on 1 during the seventh over of the series decider at Old Trafford on September 13, when he took his eyes off the ball from Starc that struck him a fierce blow on the side of the helmet.After a lengthy period of treatment on the field Morgan was forced to retire hurt, and he did not return either to complete his innings as England were bowled out for 138, or lead the team in the field during Australia’s series-sealing eight-wicket win.Angus Fraser, the Middlesex director of cricket, confirmed that the club were following the current advice from the ECB medical team, which recommends that players who have shown signs of concussion need to be symptom-free for a full week prior to their next fixture.Morgan, who was described by Trevor Bayliss, the England head coach, as “having a lump on his head and a headache” after reportedly taking an hour to come fully to his senses in the dressing room, was apparently still worse for wear last Tuesday morning, a full 48 hours after the incident.”To be eligible to play in the next game after suffering concussion, the ECB advice is that a player has to show no symptoms for a week,” Fraser told ESPNcricinfo. “Unfortunately Eoin was still a bit groggy and fuzzy when we assessed him last week. He is absolutely fine now and I’m sure he would be available to play if there was another fixture next week.”The management of head injuries in cricket came sharply into focus last November following the death of Phillip Hughes following a blow to the head during a Sheffield Shield fixture between South Australia and New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground. That incident was clearly on the minds of several of the Australian players at Old Trafford, not least Starc, who had been fielding for NSW when Hughes was struck, and was visibly shaken by this latest incident as he was comforted by his coach, Darren Lehmann.In common with many other sports, such as Australian Rules Football and America’s NFL, the ECB this season introduced new guidelines for counties when dealing with concussed players, a move that has become imperative for all sports administrators following a study into Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive degenerative disease of the brain that was recently found to be present in 96% of a study of ex-NFL players.This season has involved several high-profile head injuries, not least the on-field collision between the Surrey fielders Rory Burns and Moises Henriques at Arundel in June. Burns, who suffered cuts above his left eye as Henriques sustained a broken jaw, was back playing for Surrey within a fortnight.An ECB spokesman confirmed that Middlesex took the decision to rest Morgan last week, having followed the current advice and guidelines from the ECB medical team.This article was amended at 2130 on September 21, 2015 with additional information.

East and Central Zones locked in battle of wits

It has been cat and mouse between East and Central Zone over the vitalfirst innings lead at Green Park, Kanpur in their Duleep Trophy match.Fluctuating fortunes all through the day saw the third day’s play end onSaturday with East on 230/4 trailing Central by 191 runs. Rohan Gavaskarwith an unbeaten 51 is leading the East charge with Rajiv Kumar on 20.The morning did not start too well for Central who started on 417/8 andwere bowled out for 421 in the third over of the day. Right arm mediumpacer Javed Zaman finished with 5/99 to take the bowling honours.East Zone got off to a flying start thanks to India opening batsman ShivSunder Das and Nikhil Haldipur. The pair added 68 runs in 12.4 overs. Daswas first to depart, trapped in front of the wicket by JP Yadav. Hisquickfire innings of 40 in 50 balls included 8 boundaries. Left handerHaldipur also fell to Yadav at 96 after making 34 runs.SS Raul was bowled by Kulamani Parida for just 11 and East were reduced to120/3 in the 28th over. Rashmi Parida and Rohan Gavaskar steadied theinnings for a while with a partnership of 61 for the fourth wicket. Paridawas trapped LBW by Murali Kartik as soon as he got to his half century. Hemade 53 runs off 110 balls hitting a six and six boundaries.East were precariously placed at 181/4, but Gavaskar and Rajiv Kumar playedsensibly for 19.3 overs adding 49 runs for the unbeaten fifth wicket whenplay was called off for the day. Gavaskar carried on with his impressiveform, knocking the ball for two sixes and four boundaries so far in hisunbeaten innings.

Australia eager to set aside Twenty20 loss

Ricky Ponting might miss the first few ODIs of the series due to a hamstring niggle © AFP

There’s barely time for the dust from the celebrations of the ICC World Twenty20 to settle and the Australians are upon India for a seven-match ODI series. In India, the reaction was predictably exaggerated, both spontaneous and genuine and pre-planned and stage-managed. The players basked in the limelight and the administrators cashed in on the euphoric response of fans. The players though will have to wind up the celebrations soon, as India take on Australia in the first game in Bangalore on September 29.It’s interesting that India and Australia should play right after the ICC World Twenty20 for the two teams approached that tournament so differently. India were diffident and hesitant to begin with, with little or no experience in that form of the game, and completely unfancied. Australia were natural favourites, as they are in any cricket match, irrespective of the length or format. By the end of the tournament, though, India had beaten England, Australia, South Africa and Pakistan. Australia had limped out, first not too interested in the hit-and-giggle, shocked by Zimbabwe, and then outplayed by lesser teams.But Australia’s limping out, at least in the literal sense, will have an impact beyond the tournament. Ricky Ponting’s hamstring niggle has not stopped him from touring India, though it is unlikely he’ll play a part in the early games. Shane Watson and Michael Hussey have been ruled out, and Shaun Tait continues to stay out. What this will mean is a step-up for Brad Hodge, who has to keep Ponting’s batting place warm, even as Adam Gilchrist stands in as captain.While Ponting the batsman will undoubtedly be missed, there are players who can step in and fill that breach with runs. Ponting the captain, however, will not be so easy replace. Even in the Twenty20, the Australian team looked different with him at the helm and when he was not in charge, out there, on the field. Speaking before the series began, it was Ponting who fired the first salvo. “They [India] definitely deserved it [Twenty20 win]. Just look at the last three teams they beat. They thoroughly deserve to come back as champions but that’s finished now,” Ponting said. “We’ve got to look at the seven games we have here in India and we know what we have to do to win in the subcontinent. If anything now, a bit of the pressure will come back on the Indians.”And there’s little doubt that the already unrealistic expectations of this nation have been heightened. The open-bus parade and the grand felicitation ceremony certainly wouldn’t have helped, and India have always taken a bit of time to adjust between different forms of the game. If they come out swinging in the forthcoming ODIs, taking too much out of the Twenty20s, they’ll be in for a rude shock.

Even in the best of times, with the most meticulous preparation, Australia are hard to beat, especially over seven matches. India are anything but in that situation. No-one should be surprised if the results reflect this

“Cricket in general is about how much pressure you can apply on the opposition; that’s what we try and do all the time, whether batting or bowling. That won’t change in this tournament and it won’t change because we’ve played a couple Twenty20 games,” Ponting said. “We’ll have lots of individual plans for their players and it’s about us being able to execute those over 100 overs. That means they are under pressure and we’re in control. That’s what any type of cricket is about for the Australian team.”The Australians have already congregated in Bangalore and have their sights firmly trained on the one-day series. India’s players will come in, in batches over Thursday evening and Friday morning. There will be little time for the new captain to get together with his team. The personnel have changed since the World Twenty20, with Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Zaheer Khan coming back into the mix, and people like Rohit Sharma slipping out. The BCCI is yet to appoint a cricket manager for the series, although that is expected to happen some time in the course of Thursday. In all, the Indians will have to catch their breath, hit the ground running and somehow turn up to take on the best team in the world. Even in the best of times, with the most meticulous preparation, Australia are hard to beat, especially over seven matches. India are anything but in that situation. No-one should be surprised if the results reflect this.

Arafat to the rescue?

Yasir Arafat has tormented England in the past but will he get another chance this time around? © Getty Images

If you have any left after the injuries and absences that have ravaged England and Pakistan, spare a thought also for Sussex. Fighting for room at the top of the County Championship, they are resigned to be without the cheery – and startlingly effective – presence of Rana Naved-ul-Hasan for the season.They could also lose out on the services of their talisman Mushtaq Ahmed, should Pakistan choose to test whether he can beguile England’s international batsmen as much as he does their county counterparts. And now, having smartly covered the potential absence of both by recruiting Yasir Arafat, Pakistan’s allrounder forever on the fringes of national selection, they might conceivably lose his services as well at some point this season.Arafat is an allrounder of typically Pakistani ethos; ideal for ODI cricket but capable of spectacular feats in Test matches. And though useful as a lower-order plunderer, his bowling remains his stronger suit. His type of straight, full, skiddy bowling accounted for Andrew Flintoff’s wicket at an ODI in Pakistan last year, nine wickets against England in a warm-up game during the series and five wickets in six balls in a domestic game in December 2004 (four of the five were either leg-before or bowled), a feat performed by only three other bowlers. His experience of English conditions has also borne fruit; in three county matches for Sussex this season, he has already taken 17 wickets (two five-wicket hauls) and scored two fifties. The performances haven’t gone unnoticed.”We have considered him and his name has come up in discussions but no decision has been taken yet,” Bob Woolmer told Cricinfo. “Because of the nature of our injuries many players will be talked about, discussed. Ultimately we have to do as well as we can with what we have.”With concerns over Abdul Razzaq’s fitness heightened after the drawn first Test at Lord’s, Arafat’s chances of being called up would have increased. But Zaheer Abbas, Pakistan’s manager, confirmed that Razzaq is likely to play at Old Trafford. Abbas told that Razzaq had started running at the weekend and is expected to take part in nets at Old Trafford. These nets will decide whether or not Razzaq has overcome the back strains that have afflicted him since the final day of the first Test.”We will have our first nets at Old Trafford tomorrow and Razzaq is supposed to take part. It would be there we will know whether he has fully recovered from a back problem,” Zaheer said. “Razzaq is keen to play and I am sure that he would work hard to get fully fit for the next match.”Apart from the return of Younis Khan it is unlikely too many changes will be made after just one Test. If there are any more injuries – and that is hardly unlikely over this summer – who knows. Wasim Bari, chief selector, confirmed to Cricinfo that no requests had been made by the team management for any back-up or replacements. “We have told them just to inform us if they feel they require a certain player but at the moment nothing has been said.”Though Arafat might not mind it too much, Pakistan will keep their fingers crossed that Bari receives no SOS calls between now and Thursday when the second Test begins. Ditto Sussex.

New Zealand leave for Zimbabwe tour

Stephen Fleming: captain on a tour mired in contoversey © AFP

New Zealand have left for Zimbabwe to play a two-Test series despite strong opposition to the tour because of the president Robert Mugabe’s campaign to demolish urban slums, leaving thousands homeless. According to polls, most New Zealanders are opposed to the tour because of the human rights violations in the country.Rod Donald, the New Zealand Green Party co-leader who has been leading a campaign to prevent the tour, said on Monday the trip could be prevented. “Our government could still find the courage to stop the tour,” he told . “There is also the prospect that the fuel and food shortages in Zimbabwe will deteriorate to such a point that New Zealand Cricket (NZC) will decide that it’s unsafe for our team to be there anyway.”The New Zealand government had asked the ICC to allow NZC to cancel the tour without facing a fine of US$2 million and being liable to compensate Zimbabwe for lost revenue. The ICC said NZC could refuse to play without penalty only if the government made it illegal to tour Zimbabwe. However, Phil Goff, the foreign minister, said the government was not willing to restrict its citizens from travelling overseas. NZC then said that it could prevent the tour if the security of the players was threatened.New Zealand will train and play warm-up matches in Namibia before arriving in Zimbabwe on August 4. They will also feature in a triangular one-day tournament involving India and Zimbabwe.

'ICC needs a match-fixing protocol' – PCB

Rashid Latif: has his whistle-blowing triggerred off this PCB proposal?© Getty Images

Shaharyar Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, is keen that former players and officials refrain from unsubstantiated comments regarding the match-fixing issue. Shaharyar said that it would be one of the points that he would bring up in the International Cricket Council meeting in London, for which he left for yesterday.”We have prepared a proposal,” Shaharyar said before his departure, “through which we will press the ICC and its executive-board members to have some sort of code of conduct to discourage former players and officials from making unsubstantiated match-fixing allegations.”Shaharyar added, “We know that the ICC has already said it is not in a position nor does it have any legal framework through which it can prevent former players and officials from giving statements on match-fixing.”But at the same time he wished that the ICC understood the potential damage that these allegations could inflict and wished that they had a protocol in place for such incidents. “Players around the world, including in Pakistan, are being damaged badly because of former players and officials making unsubstantiated and damaging allegations of match-fixing from time to time in the press.”Shaharyar’s comments come in the wake of Rashid Latif’s remarks regarding the one-day series between India and Pakistan. Latif, the former Pakistan captain, had expressed his fears that the series might have been fixed. That provoked a severe backlash from the board, which contemplated legal action, while Inzamam-ul-Haq threatened to walk out of the team.

Australian players robbed at Trinidad airport

The Australian cricket team has called for a thorough police investigation after being robbed of their cricketing gear at Trinidad airport. Forty-two items were stolen as the team checked in on Monday for their flight to Grenada. It was the second time on the current tour that the Australian team had been robbed at the Trinidad airport – their gear had been burgled after last month’s second Test as well.”There’s been an issue at Trinidad airport for a number of seasons, where past touring sides have suffered from pilfering of cricket gear from team bags,” Steve Bernard, the Australian team manager, said. “We feel that because it’s a repeat – of a repeat of a repeat of a repeat – it’s vital the police are involved and it’s a thorough investigation. That would be my hope, but I’m not a decision-maker here.”Among the items stolen were bats, shirts, shoes, sunglasses, pads and gloves. Matthew Hayden, Michael Bevan and Andy Bichel all lost their bats, with Bichel losing the willow which brought him spectacular success at the World Cup.Australia are not the first team to suffer this fate in the West Indies – Indian and South African teams have also been robbed on earlier tours to the Caribbean. With the West Indies scheduled to host the 2007 World Cup, the authorities have plenty of work to do to ensure a trouble-free tournament.

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