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The Pakistan cricket team received a minor shock when they reached Ranchi as an unidentified person hurled a stone at their team bus. According to Saleem Altaf, the team manager, the stone narrowly missed Inzamam-ul-Haq, who was sitting near the window, as the bus came out of the airport complex in Ranchi.”The stone thrown by a miscreant shattered the window and the mood of the team,” Altaf was reported as saying in . “We were scheduled to have a nets session on Thursday in preparation for the third one-day international in Jamshedpur on Saturday. But after this incident Inzamam suggested we cancel the nets and allow the boys to take complete rest for the day.”The players were forced to alight at Ranchi as there was no airport at Jamshedpur, the venue for the third game of the series. The Pakistan players were already unhappy with the travel arrangements made for the one-day series with matches scheduled all over the country. However, the Indian board had defended their itenerary saying that smaller venues had to host the one-dayers according to the rotation policy.

Harbhajan Singh has been banned for the remainder of the current IPL season for his altercation with Sreesanth at the end of Mumbai Indians’ match against Kings XI Punjab on Friday. The ban is for 11 matches, including last Sunday’s game, extendable to 13 if Mumbai progress to the semi-final and final.Sreesanth was let off with a warning after video evidence showed Harbhajan slapped him without any provocation. The duo embraced at the end of the hearing after Harbhajan offered an apology in front of the cameras. Harbhajan will not be appealing against the ban.”The referee studied video tapes of the incident and found the assault by Harbhajan was totally unprovoked. The footage exactly showed that Harbhajan went down the line, wishing all the players, shaking hands with a few players,” said Lalit Modi, the commissioner of the IPL who is also a vice-president of the BCCI. “Sreesanth was the third player that he met. Instead of shaking his hand he actually slapped him and continued down the line, shaking hands with the other players.”Farokh Engineer, the former Indian wicketkeeper who was the match referee, fined Harbhajan 100% of his match fee for Friday’s game. He will now be paid only for the first two matches of the IPL.Lalchand Rajput, the coach of the Mumbai side, has also been found guilty of a level 2 offence and fined 50% of his match fee. “Rajput was right behind Harbhajan when the incident took place,” said Modi. “He didn’t take any step to restrain him. He has been fined 50% of his match fee.”The ban on Harbhajan comes as a jolt for Mumbai, who have lost all four games so far in the tournament. “We don’t have a say in matter as far as the ban is concerned,” said Tushar Pania, head of corporate communications at Reliance Industries Limited, who paid US$111.9 million for the Mumbai franchise. “But it does have an impact on the team now especially considering Sachin Tendulkar is injured.”Harbhajan also faces separate action from the Indian board, which has asked him to explain, “as a contracted player”, his role in the incident which came to light after Sreesanth broke down in front of the cameras.Niranjan Shah, the BCCI secretary, said on Monday that Sudhir Nanavati, a lawyer, has been appointed to conduct a “preliminary inquiry” and submit a report “within 15 days” to Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, who will refer the findings to the board’s disciplinary committee for possible action.Shah also confirmed that Harbhajan had replied to the board’s show-cause notice. “He has given his reply, but I cannot reveal its contents.”

For eight long years, English cricket has been clinging to the memory of one glorious morning – at Edgbaston in 1997. It was the first Test of the summer, England were buoyant after a clean sweep in the one-day warm-ups, and an expectant nation watched in awe as the all-conquering Australians were reduced to 54 for 8 in just 19 explosive overs.Nineteen overs? Try 20 balls. That is the benchmark now, after the most exhilarating evening of psychological point-scoring. Not in their wildest fantasies could England have envisaged the sort of debacle that unfolded in Australia’s innings. Seven wickets for eight runs in 3.2 overs. It’s too extraordinary for words.The Twenty20 format encourages crash-bang-wallop cricket, but nobody imagined that that would be the sound of the most formidable batting line-up in the world collapsing in an undignified heap. England were fit, focused and firing; catches went to hand, the batting went to plan, and the bowling – led now, as in 1997, by the indefatigable Darren Gough – was a revelation.Gough’s presence in this team of young thrusters was a salutary reminder of the dark old days of English cricket, the days when, more often than not, he was the solitary shining light. From his buccaneering batting on the Ashes tour in 1994-95, via Edgbaston `97, and onto his hat-trick 18 months later, his attitude has never been less than up and at `em – even when he could barely walk in 2002-03, ahead of his career-saving knee surgery. Today, Gough epitomised the hunger that is driving England this summer, and could yet drive them to surpass all expectations come the sharp edge of the campaign.Forget all the pretence that this performance will count for nothing when the real event gets underway on July 21. England were victorious in their last Test against Australia in 2002-03; they won magnificently over 50 overs in last summer’s Champions’ Trophy, and now they taken a howitzer to the popgun variety of the game as well. If the secret in Test cricket is to win every session, then Australia have just put in a 34.3-over performance that would have shamed Bangladesh. This sort of crash-landing was not in their travel plans.Admittedly, their prior experience of Twenty20 cricket would not have prepared them for the ambush that England had in store. Back in February, they treated the format as one long in-joke, as the New Zealanders paid homage to their glory years of the early 1980s with beige outfits and silly hair, and Glenn McGrath aped Trevor Chappell’s infamous delivery by pretending to bowl underarm. There were no such fripperies on display today, as Gough all but burst a blood vessel in bouncing Andrew Symonds on his hat-trick ball, before Andrew Flintoff indulged in a spell of pre-emptive thuggery to beat Brett Lee back into his cage.Everything that could go right for England did go right. Jon Lewis got wickets on his international debut; Kevin Pietersen displayed once again his unabashed love of the limelight, and Steve Harmison was allowed three utterly stress-free overs in which to find his range against Australia – and find it he did, by uprooting McGrath’s middle stump to bring an end to the festivities.There will be sterner tests for sure, but Australia have been warned of the depth of England’s resolve in this series. This evening, 18 months of stunning success were condensed into 20 balls of bedlam.

ScorecardFive wickets after tea infused life into a game heading for a draw, but the Titans could not prise out the Lions’s last two wickets. Lions ended on 276 for 8, far short of the unrealistic target of 409 they had to chase in 84 overs.Daryll Cullinan, the Titans captain, batted on for 12 overs at the start of the day, eventually declaring with the score on 394 for 9. From the very beginning, it became obvious that the Lions were not going to chase the target. At tea, they were 164 for 3. Five balls after tea, Adam Bacher edged Paul Harris to slip for 93. Dale Steyn then took two more quick wickets, and there was panic. The score was now 189 for 6. Hylton Ackerman and Ahmed Omar staged a revival amid fading daylight, but with the reintroduction of Stein, two wickets fell of consecutive balls. But Ackerman went on, and remained unbeaten on 81, a captain’s innings that saved his team.
ScorecardThe target of 374 set by Western Province Boland proved to be beyond the Warriors’s reach. The 114-run victory suggested WPB’s campaign was back on track after a rocky start to the season.To win, the Warriors needed some player to make a big score. What they got instead were only starts. Mark Bruyns, Arno Jacobs and Mark Boucher all failed to convert good starts into a winning score. Bruyns had worked hard and looked set for more when he was caught off Charl Willoughby for 61. Jacobs was patient in getting to 60 when he was also caught off Willoughby. Boucher was watchful but was bowled by Neil Johnson for 49. From 214 for 4 the innings fell away as the Warriors were bowled out for 258, with Rory Kleinveldt taking 3 for 40.
ScorecardThe Dolphins made a splash in Durban, squeezing past the Eagles by two wickets to move to the top of the table. After bowling out the Eagles for 193 in the second innings, it should have been an easy win. But the road to 206 was not easy, for Victor Mpitsang took three wickets to leave the Dolphins reeling at 40 for 3. Three more wickets, including Dale Benkenstein and Lance Klusener, heroes of the first innings, left the Dolphins on 110 for 6. Two more wickets for Roger Telemachus and the game was all but lost at 142 for 8.But Andrew Tweedie, at No.9, and Zahir Abrahim, one place below him, put on 67 in 12 overs to snatch an unlikely victory. Tweedie, who had scored at nearly a-run-a-ball, ended on 42.

A fully-fit Simon Jones is taking tips from Dennis Lillee ahead of England’s tour of India beginning in February.Jones suffered an ankle injury after the final Ashes Test last summer and missed out on England’s tour of Pakistan. In India for a fortnight prior to the arrival of the England side on February 13, Jones will work with Lillee at the MRF Pace Foundation in Chennai. “It’s nice to be bowling again really,” Jones told Reuters. “It’s a good chance to be working with Lillee. I’m picking his brains.”Having played in India in 2004 during a successful comeback from a career-threatening knee injury, Jones said he knew what to expect of the pitches in India. “Obviously the conditions are pretty coarse out here, the grounds are very dry,” he said. “I think the ball will reverse swing. It’s only a question of how quickly. In Old Trafford it reversed after 15 overs. I don’t quite think it will go that quickly here.”On his own form – he has 59 Test wickets at 28.23 and was a star performer during the Ashes with 18 victims – Jones said it was a matter of getting back to full strength and putting to use an art he seems to have mastered – reverse swing. “I’ve been out here before with England A, and did okay. I got a couple of five-wicket hauls with reverse swing,” he said. “We are using a different ball this time. We’ll see what it is like.”England play three Tests and seven one-day internationals against India. Their tour kicks off with a three-day warm-up match at Mumbai from February 18.

The all-important biennial elections for the board of the USA Cricket Association (USACA) have now entered their final round, with nominations validated for all regional-director positions in the USA. Most of the nominees are the usual suspects who have previously figured in US cricket politics, but there are some surprises — and there are interesting contests for several positions.In this final stage, the USACA member clubs that are eligible to vote, perhaps a third of the 600 or more cricket clubs in the USA, will elect directors for their own regions from the nominees available to them. There are eight USACA regions, with the New York region having two directors and the others one each. The presidents of the member leagues in the USACA, comprising the council of presidents, also elect a representative to the USACA board. This gives the USACA board a total of 10 members, who are supposed to appoint and supervise the USACA executive, set policy, and review the management of all USACA affairs.Here is how the situation looks like across the United States.West
The two USACA Regions on the west coast, the Northwest and Southwest regions, are strong areas of cricket growth with good leadership and coordination. The Northwest region has nearly tripled in clubs and cricketers over the past decade, and has three leagues, which make up the Northwest Cricket Council. The Southwest region has a “powerhouse” league in the Southern California Cricket Association, which seems to have few working relationships with the two other leagues in its region–nevertheless, it has excelled in hosting national and regional tournaments, and has one of the best cricket complexes in the USA. The incumbent director for the NW region, Laks Sampath, faces token opposition but is likely to be re-elected – a matter of distress to many in the USACA leadership because he is considered by some as a troublemaker. The Southwest region is likely to have a two-man contest, with incumbent Ethirveerasingham having an edge depending on how local issues play out in the election.Central
The two Central zones, Central East (centered in Chicago) and Central West (Texas), are a study in contrasts.Central East has five leagues, but they seem to be locked in some internecine contests over membership rights, eligibility and regional program management. Many cricket clubs in the region claim they are disenfranchised by those who manage regional cricket, and have threatened to sue if their grievances are not addressed. Director Akhtar (Chik) Masood, a former president of USACA and still considered one of the most powerful men in US cricket, has been the lightning rod for many of these disputes. His re-election would seem to be assured, but could be subject to legal challenges.Central West, on the other hand, has made remarkable progress in a few short years towards becoming one of the most progressive regions in the USA. It has also seen a threefold increase in cricket clubs and players over the past ten years in the three leagues that comprise its region; it has enlisted the local communities to an unprecedented degree in supporting cricket, and has been the recipient of several national and international awards for programming excellence. Its incumbent director, Syed Shahnawaz, has expertly navigated the shoals and tidewaters of US cricket politics without getting entangled in any unseemly issues– his re-election is virtually assured, but he (like Sampath of the NW region)–is viewed with some suspicion at USACA headquarters, and this could be trouble for the leadership.North East
The three zones in NE United States– New York, North East, and Atlantic– are where about a third of all US cricket is concentrated. They are also the regions where US cricket politics have been found at their worst.New York has eight to ten cricket league,s depending on how you define them, and perhaps 200 cricket clubs in its metropolitan area. There is also a New York Cricket region, which is supposed to coordinate and administer cricket for the New York metropolitan area. However, a majority of member leagues and clubs were declared ineligible to vote in 2005, and there has been so much public and private dissension among New York cricket personalities that it is difficult to see them coming together on any useful regional – let alone national – program priorities. No less than 11 nominees are listed for the two regional director positions–together, they comprise a veritable who’s who of New York cricket politics, and it is difficult to see who will be able to secure enough votes to win. This alone would make the New York elections a pivotal one for US cricket–depending on who finally wins, the future of US cricket could be at stake.The North East Region was the source of much conflict two years ago, when it was alleged that an entire league had become eligible to vote without having paid its dues on time – an issue that was quickly swept under the carpet – coincidentally, this league provided the winning votes for drector Curtis Clarke. In 2005, that league is no longer eligible to vote, and incumbent Clarke is in a two-way contest with Nafis Ahmad, a “dark horse” candidate of whom not much is known but who might unseat Clarke given the latter’s doubtful antecedents for the position. This would be a contest to watch.The Atlantic Region has had its share of political problems. Shelton Glasgow, the incumbent drector, has been the subject of much criticism, several recall attempts and diatribes because of what is described as arbitrary and arrogant behavior, peremptory statements and decisions. His strongest rival would appear to be Ashok Patel, pesident of the USA Cricket Academy and winner of the ICC 2002 award for Global Development programs for his work with junior cricket, But Patel also has detractors who question his style and modus operandi. There are other hats in the ring as well, and perhaps one of them could emerge as a viable candidate.South East
All of the south east USA comprises a single region. Geographically, stretching as it does from Florida to Atlanta, it covers a wide swath of territory with many different characteristics. Florida is probably the area in this region with the most cricketers, leagues and clubs, but significant growth is occurring in areas such as Georgia, Louisiana and South Carolina as well.The greatest issue of interest in the SE director elections is whether a person can serve both as a regional director and a member of the USA Team. The SE region has made a practice of this equivocal procedure; Faoud Bacchus was the SE director when he captained and coached Team USA, and incumbent Nasir Javed is following in his footsteps. In the USACA elections two years ago, the SE region vote was close. Perhaps in 2005, the SE region might decide that it too wanted a non-playing director–if so, we might see Javed replaced.Council of League Presidents
There are 26 cricket leagues registered and eligible to vote in the USACA Council of Presidents elections in 2005.The incumbent, Paul Da Silva, is from New York, and has had a distinguished career with the USACA. He has held important New York and USACA offices, managed the USACA Web site, and has held this position for several years.Da Silva has also been outspoken in his criticism of USACA management, and was a leader in the rift between USACA and the New York region that developed in the early stages of the present USACA administration. It would be fair to suggest that many in the USACA hierarchy would not wish to see him re-elected.There are several candidates for the post, most with no discernible track record in national cricket politics. An exception is John Wainwright, president of the Northwest Cricket League, who has campaigned for several years on issues and policies to reform US cricket, and has initiated his own exploratory initiatives for regional and national cricket reform. His outspokenness might put him at a disadvantage, but on the other hand, this (along with his track record) may be precisely what US cricket needs at this stage.In summary, the 2005 USACA Elections present an interesting and complex picture, with (as yet) no discernible trend. In very general terms, the western half of the USA seems to have its act together, and is likely to make constructive progress if given the right support; the eastern regions have administrative and management problems to resolve, and need proper direction if they are to emerge from their respective morasses. Who gets elected to serve on the USACA board of directors for the next two years could well decide who will be appointed to the USACA executive next year, and therefore where US cricket is likely to go.

Simon Jones was named one of Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Year at a dinner in London on Tuesday.”It’s something I’ve wanted for a while,” he said. “I’ve seen a lot of the other guys pick it up and when you do get it it’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It was really nice to get it and it’s a real accolade, especially following the likes of other Glamorgan players like Don Shepherd, Alan Jones, Matthew Maynard and Steve Watkin.”Jones, who was presented with a leather-bound copy of the 2006 Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack by his father, Jeff, during the evening, said that it capped an unbelievable 12 months.”To beat the Aussies was something special. We had a feeling we might push them but to beat them as we did was a great feeling. The reception we had from the crowds and the public was amazing, and it’s something I don’t think I will experience again.”At the dinner, Kate Hoey, the former sports minister who was the evening’s speaker, criticised the ECB’s decision to sell all TV rights to satellite broadcaster BSkyB while David Morgan, the ECB chief executive, sat feet away. She also slammed the handling of the Zimbabwe issue.Hoey concluded her speech by calling for government incentives to promote the game in state schools, with suggestions that grants could be offered to any which played competitive cricket. She also admitted that when she was in office, between 1998 and 2001, she struggled to get cricket taken seriously, but added that the situation had now changed with the success of the national side last summer.

Zee TV has won the exclusive telecasting rights for next week’s DLF Cup between India and Pakistan in Abu Dhabi. The two one-day internationals, which take place at the newly-built Zayed Cricket Stadium on April 18 and 19, will be in aid of the victims of the devastating earthquakes that hit the subcontinent in October last year.For the sum of US$219 million, Zee Sports has acquired the global media rights for the 25 matches that India are scheduled to play on neutral ground over the next five years, which works out at US$8.77 million per match.Yogesh Radhakrishnan, managing director and CEO or Real Media-Zee Network, said: “These international matches will definitely put Abu Dhabi on the world map of cricket, and Zee TV Middle East is proud to play a leading role in showcasing the capital’s sporting infrastructure.”Acquiring the global media rights is further proof of our commitment to promoting this game across the world and bringing exciting cricket right into the homes of cricket lovers.”

Both England and New Zealand know all about being hit by injuries and key players from either side have been struck down in the build-up to their vital World Cup opener in St Lucia. James Anderson has broken a finger, Craig McMillan took a blow on the toe during training and Mark Gillespie has suffered an infection which has travelled to his shoulder.Gillespie was ruled out a couple of days ago, but McMillan has come through the Kiwis’ training session on Thursday and looks set to take his place in the middle order. Anderson, too, took part in England’s session but there were some clear grimaces as he held catches. The importance of the match is highlighted by the England management’s decision to leave the final decision until shortly before the toss on Friday.England’s planning had been built around the return of Anderson, who missed the latter stages of the CB Series with a back problem, with him earmarked to take the new ball and exploit any swing with the early starts. However, now the management have to decide whether to risk him causing further damage to his finger, or being a liability in the field, especially when Sajid Mahmood and Liam Plunkett showed strong form at the end of the Australian tour.”I don’t think a decision has been made on Jimmy yet,” Andrew Flintoff told reporters in St Lucia. “He’s broken his finger and I’m not quite sure where he’s at. It depends how well he can protect it and it depends how well he can do all the stuff in the nets and how he feels pain-wise – and how he rocks up in the morning.””He’s been dogged by injuries and been really unlucky,” added Flintoff. “He’s had his back and one thing and another and we saw signs in the winter that he was back to his best. He was swinging the ball at pace, he was taking the new ball and taking a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and coming through so, fingers crossed, he’ll be all right.”Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher, along with John Bracewell from the New Zealand camp, watched part of the Kenya-Canada game on Wednesday to see what hints they could collect as to how conditions would play. They will have seen the effect of Kenya’s spinners in strangling the scoring rate so the temptation will be for both teams to field two slow men.However, without anyone of express pace to watch it was difficult to judge the true nature of the surface. The two captains will be weary of being swayed too much by the performances of the two Associates. When England last played in St Lucia they twice failed to defend totals in excess of 280, but the opinion from commentators is that the current surface is not quite so batsman-friendly.Whatever the pitch, both sides have strong top orders; England bolstered by the return of Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen and New Zealand still holding memories of their massive run chases against Australia last month. New Zealand were hurt when England pipped them to the CB Series finals and Stephen Fleming said that this game has been on their minds for a while.”We are smarting from England knocking us out in Australia,” said Fleming, “and to get off to a good start in the tournament we have to win this game and win it well. If we don’t we can come out with the excuse ‘it’s not too bad’ but we are desperate to win and set the standard for the tournament.”Defeat for either side won’t be terminal – although they would then have to beat Kenya and Canada to progress – but the value of the two points taken through against the fellow qualifier is significant. The confidence in both camps is high but there is a feeling one defeat could see that unravelling. It may only be their first match of the tournament, but the long-term prospects of both teams depend heavily on the final outcome.England (probable) 1 Ed Joyce, 2 Michael Vaughan (capt), 3 Ian Bell, 4 Kevin Pietersen, 5 Paul Collingwood, 6 Andrew Flintoff, 7 Jamie Dalrymple, 8 Paul Nixon (wk), 9 Liam Plunkett, 10 James Anderson, 11 Monty PanesarNew Zealand (probable) 1 Lou Vincent, 2 Stephen Fleming (capt), 3 Ross Taylor, 4 Scott Styris, 5 Peter Fulton, 6 Craig McMillan, 7 Jacob Oram, 8 Brendon McCullum (wk), 9 Daniel Vettori, 10 James Franklin, 11 Shane Bond

Mohammad Kaif has recovered from his hamstring injury, which he sustained on October 14, and is set to play for Central Zone in their crucial Duleep Trophy clash against West Zone at Aurangabad, starting on November 4.Wing Commander Baladitya, the manager of the Indian team, confirmed this and added that John Gloster, the team physiotherapist, had declared him fit after subjecting him to various tests.Kaif, who suffered a muscle tear on his left hamstring during the finals of the Challenger Trophy at Mohali, is likely to return to the side for the sixth ODI at Rajkot, to be played on November 9.His presence at Aurangabad, though, will be a huge boost to the Central Zone side in what will be a virtual semi-final clash. Simultaneously, the Sourav Ganguly-led East Zone will take on Zimbabwe President’s XI at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai and a victory will guarantee Central a spot in the final.