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The Zimbabwe Cricket Union (ZCU) has given the ECB formal confirmation that it will tour the UK this summer.Peter Chingoka, Chairman of the ZCU, confirmed the tour to the ECB Chief Executive, Tim Lamb, having consulted with the Zimbabwe government’s Sport and Recreation Commission.The team is scheduled to arrive on Wednesday 30 April for a tour which comprises two npower Test Matches against England at Lord’s and at Durham, followed by participation in The NatWest Series against England and South Africa.Tim Lamb said, “I am delighted that we have been given the definitive `green light’ from the ZCU for the tour to go ahead.”This guarantees a full international programme for the summer, including the first ever Test Match to be held at Durham’s Riverside Ground. I am also pleased to say that we have received formal confirmation from the British Government that the forthcoming tour has their full blessing.”With Zimbabwe, South Africa and Pakistan touring, I look forward to another great summer of international cricket.”

Close Pakistan 42 for 0 (Farhat 17*, Taufeeq 20*) trail India 675 for 5 dec (Sehwag 309, Tendulkar 194*) by 633
Scorecard

The second day of the Multan Test will be remembered as the one in which VirenderSehwag became the first Indian to hit a Test triple-century, and Sachin Tendulkarwas left 6 short of an impeccable double-century. However, it should also beremembered as the day when John Wright’s belief in putting the team ahead of the individual was clinically put into practice, as India declared on 675 for 5, giving themselves an hour of bowling against Pakistan’s openers.There is a jaunty air to Sehwag’s batting that belies the thinking and effort thatgoes into crafting innings like the one he played. You do not score 309 against aTest attack, even on the flattest track, by clattering away at every ball asthough it is the last you will face in your life. That he edges a deliverystraight to slip, sees the catch dropped, and plays a blistering square cut off thevery next one, as he did to go past VVS Laxman’s 281, does not mean thatpresenting slip fielders with catch practice does not bother Sehwag. That he waftsat deliveries outside the off stump when he could just as easily wait for theloose delivery does not mean that he is reckless – it means that he genuinelybelieved that the delivery deserved to be put away. It may not always be obvious, but there is a method to Sehwag’s madness.When the day began with India on 356 for 2 and Sehwag on 228, the method of choice was waiting and watching. Tendulkar, on 60, led the way, showing his moreimpetuous partner the virtue of leaving the ball alone, carefully choosing highpercentage scoring areas and targeting specific bowlers. Tendulkar preferred theacres of space available to him just backward of square on the leg side. He filledthat zone with ambled ones and jogged twos, slowly but surely pushing his scoreon.Only a fool or a brave man would tell Sehwag that he should show the same degreeof self-control as Tendulkar. After getting a significant chunk of the strike, andseeing off a probing spell of fast bowling from Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Sami andShabbir Ahmed, Sehwag opened his shoulders as the lunch break approached. Thegloves were off and Sehwag’s jackhammer slammed down on the ball with metronomic efficiency. If Tendulkar and Sehwag leaving the ball alone frustrated Shoaib, who bowled his heart out, this audacious attack drove him to despair.

Laxman’s mark of 281 fell and records tumbled. At the stroke of 1pm Sehwaglaunched Saqlain Mushtaq into the stands over midwicket to become the first Indianto reach 300. When he edged Sami to Taufeeq Umar at first slip (509 for 3),Sehwag’s blazing knock of 309 (375 balls, 531 minutes, 39 fours, 6 sixes) had cometo an end. It brought to a close the third-wicket partnership of 336, which beatthe previous best of 316 made in Chennai in the 1991-92 series against England.The eventual Indian total, 675 for 5 declared, was the highest ever againstPakistan, beating the 531 for 9 at Chennai in 1961.But, it was not milestones that the Indian think tank had in mind when theirbatsmen piled on the runs. Every run beyond the 600-mark piled on additionalpressure on Pakistan’s batsmen. Mountains often seem harder to climb when youcannot see the top. In this light, it was hardly relevant that VVS Laxman (29)scratched around before being run out (565 for 3) or that Yuvraj Singh (59) scoredhis maiden Test half-century. To a lesser extent it was not even relevant that theinnings was declared with Tendulkar within sniffing distance of a fourthdouble-century. That he made 194 of the most solid runs, spending eight hours and13 minutes at the crease, was vital. Tendulkar is too mature a cricketer to wonderwhere his next double-century is going to come from.Having put 675 runs on the board, India’s bowling attack had something to workwith. Whether you’re batting on a flat deck, like this one, or a bowler’sparadise, becomes less relevant, because the pressure comes from within. ImranFarhat and Taufeeq Umar, who had both dropped catches when India were batting, had a chance to make up by getting Pakistan’s first innings off to steady start. Theydid just that, seeing off 16 overs in the fading light. Pakistan were 42 for noloss and still in the long shadows of India’s 675, and Sehwag’s 309.Anand Vasu is assistant editor of Wisden Cricinfo. He will be following the Indian team throughout this tour.

Carl Hooper is sticking by the old adage that if it’s working, don’t fix it.The West Indies captain influenced chief selector Sir Viv Richards into maintaining the combination of seven batsmen, wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs and only three fast bowlers they have used since last June’s one-day home series against New Zealand for Sunday night’s World Cup opener against South Africa."It’s often best to let the captain have his way," Richards acknowledged on radio as the West Indies, built their total of 278 for five that proved just enough for victory by three-runs.Batting first on a true pitch in clear, warm sunshine, the team rallied from 49 for two after 20 overs behind Brian Lara’s expert 116, successive partnerships with Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Hooper and a blistering finale of 63 off 28 balls between Ricardo Powell and Ramnaresh Sarwan, batting No.6 and No. 7.And Hooper made it clear afterwards that it would be the continuing policy "until we get ourselves into serious trouble"."This is the make-up we’ve been using for the past six to eight months and it’s been working for us, three front-line bowlers and Chris (Gayle), Marlon Samuels, Ricardo Powell, Wavell Hinds and myself doing the rest," he said.It was the balance that would continue to be used, he added, with one proviso."If, for argument’s sake, we see the pitch is a green seamer, we’d probably contemplate playing the extra bowler but, all things being equal, that is the way we will go," he stated.The problem for Hooper and his co-selectors at present is an embarrassment of batting riches.Samuels’ clearcut class and recent record should make him an automatic choice in the batting order. But Powell’s breathtaking, unbeaten 40 off 18 deliveries on Sunday and his athletic fielding in the key positions behind point and square-leg have guaranteed him his place.Lara was simply Lara, in a class by himself, against South Africa. But Powell and Sarwan lost nothing by comparison.Two straight drives by Powell, the first straight as an arrow off Pollock that landed on the blackened sightboard for six and the other off Makhaya Ntini that passed bowler Makhaya Ntini as a white blur on its way to the boundary, were two of the most fiercely struck strokes of the match, Lara’s and South African Lance Klusener’s included.Discarded by the previous selectors for his inconsistency, Powell was recalled by the Richards panel last September and has responded by tempering his extravagant strokeplay.In India and Bangladesh and now here, his methods have become more orthodox but no less effective.Sarwan has developed into the West Indies equivalent of Michael Bevan, regarded as the best "finisher" over the closing overs in the limiting overs game. In India, he was unbeaten 83, 39 and 88 in three of his seven innings and 102 in his second of three.But his 32 off 15 balls, with a couple of thumping sixes, was more reminscent of his unbeaten 72 off 54 balls at No.6 against Australia in a practice match prior to the Champions Trophy in Colombo last September.The only likely change in Thursday’s eleven would involve Pedro Collins who, apart from the major wicket of Jacques Kallis to a perfectly pitched delivery angled away from it, had an indifferent match Sunday.He was taken for 54 from nine overs and his carelessness in catching the rampant Klusener at long-leg off Gayle and then stepping back onto the ropes prevented a more comfortable victory – created hundreds of thousands of heart palpitations throughout the CaribbeanThere are five more group matches and five after that if the West Indies advance to the final, the odds on which have dropped as rapidly as the stock exchange.Their next encounter in Port Elizabeth on Thursday against New Zealand whose chances diminished with defeat to Sri Lanka in Blomfontein yesterday.The New Zealanders have already declared they will not fulfil their fixture against Kenya in Nairobi because of fears over security following the terrorist bomb that killed 14 in a hotel in the second city of Mombasa late last year.It basically means the New Zealanders would have to win all their remaining matches against South Africa, the West Indies, Bangladesh and Canada – or depend on an unusual sequence of results – to advance.As far as Hooper is concerned, Sunday’s victory over South Africa was just what was needed."It sets up the tournament for us in that we’re off to a good start," he said. "The manner in which we came back after the start we had to make 270-odd was really great. Its brought a lot of confidence in the side."And confidence is a commodity is short supply in West Indies teams in the recent past.

Grace Road:
Middlesex 2nd XI 224-8 (NJ Brown 58)
Leicestershire 2nd XI 226-5 (CP Crowe 99)
Leicestershire 2nd XI won by 5 wicketsMaidstone:
Kent 2nd XI 266-6 (IN Flanagan 79, PS Lazenbury 62)
Sussex 2nd XI 210 (GRA Campbell 53)
Kent 2nd XI won by 56 runsBingley:
Yorkshire 2nd XI 261-8 (S Widdup 81, JD Middlebrook 53)
Durham 2nd XI 164
Yorkshire 2nd XI won by 97 runsOmbersley:
Gloucestershire 2nd XI 245-9 (DR Hewson 82, RCJ Williams 53no; P Baxter 3-52)
Worcestershire 2nd XI 248-5 (MAP Dale 90, S Moore 86)
Worcestershire 2nd XI won by 5 wickets

Several players from South Africa and Pakistan, who featured in the Under-19 World Cup last month in Malaysia, are part of academy sides to tour Bangladesh in April for the Grameenphone Academy Cup.Fast bowlers Matthew Arnold and Reeza Hendricks along with wicketkeeper Bradley Barnes, who were part of the squad that reached the World Cup final, are part of South Africa’s academy squad scheduled to reach Bangladesh on Tuesday.Pakistan’s Under-19 captain Imad Wasim, along with Adil Raza, Ahmed Shehzad and Ali Asad, has been included in the academy squad which will arrive in Bangladesh on April 14. Batsman Khurram Manzoor, who made his international debut against Zimbabwe last month, is also part of the squad.South Africa squad
Matthew Arnold, Sammy-Joe Avontuur, Bradley Barnes, Richard das Neves, CJ de Villiers, Reeza Hendricks, Rushdi Jappie, Mondli Mahlombe, Mafinki Serame, Mthokozisi Shezi, Abdul Temoor, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Dane Vilas, Neil WagnerPakistan squad
Khalid Latif (capt), Khurram Manzoor, Raheel Majeed, Asad Shafiq, Ali Asad, Ahmed Shehzad, Azhar Ali, Anwar Ali, Adil Raza, Mohammad Aamer, Azharullah, Imad Wasim, Naeem Anjum (wk), Yasir ShahReplacements for the four-day matches: Sohail Khan, Wahab Riaz, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Fawad Alam

The Professional Cricketers’ Association have named their side to take on West Indies in a charity Twenty20 match at Arundel on June 26.The PCA XI will be captained by Nick Knight and will include former England players Robin Smith, Dean Headley, Chris Lewis, Rikki Clarke, Martin Bicknell and James Foster as well as New Zealand’s Nathan Astle.The game, which will raise funds for the PCA’s charity work, will give West Indies a taste of Twenty20 cricket ahead of their two matches against England.Steve Marsh, events director for the PCA, said: “With nearly 20 matches scheduled for the summer and the appointment of Nick as the side’s permanent captain, the PCA Masters Series is going from strength-to-strength. The PCA Masters has become a side to be reckoned with and the lads really rate their chances against this West Indies side. It should prove to be a very keenly contested match.”PCA XI Nick Knight (capt), Nathan Astle, James Benning, Martin Bicknell, Rikki Clarke, Nayan Doshi, James Foster (wk), Dean Headley, Chris Lewis, James Middlebrook, Robin Smith.

Just two days after suffering their worst one-day series defeat in recent times, the Indians will find themselves in a school-like setting, against a team largely composed of freshmen. In a two-day work-out ahead of the first Test, they will take on an inexperienced Antigua & Barbuda side at the nondescript Police Recreation Ground.Rahul Dravid had no qualms in admitting that India were “out fielded” in the one-day series but, considering the arena served up for the practice match, his team would do well to shelve their acrobatic skills for the moment. A day before the match, the Police Recreation Ground resembled a football field. A furrow ran through the centre and there were several large chunks of rough patches on the outfield. The groundsman, a jovial man who bowls legspinners for the Police club, attributed this to the drought that the area is experiencing.The ground is also characterised by a distinct slope, one that might remind a few Indians of Lord’s. The main square, though, is situated on a mound, one that may remind Ramesh Powar of Shivaji Park, his club in Mumbai. The size of the field may get Virender Sehwag and Mahendra Singh Dhoni smacking their lips and at some stage of the game, spare balls may become a priority. Whether either will take the field is another issue, considering that the Indians might want to rest them ahead of the opening Test that is just three days away.With a number of weary legs doing the rounds, the Indians may want give a chance to the five players – Dinesh Karthik, Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman, VRV Singh and Wasim Jaffer – who have flown down for the Test series. The opponents they face, though, are largely unknown. Only Sylvester Joseph, who is leading the side, Adam Sanford and Kerry Jeremy, the medium-pacers, have played international cricket. Justin Athanaze, the promising Under-19 star, Chad Hampson, the talented medium-pacer, and Gavin Williams, a batsman who’s been playing club cricket in Australia, may be the others to watch out for.Indians
Wasim Jaffer, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid (capt), Yuvraj Singh, VVS Laxman, Mohammad Kaif, Suresh Raina, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wk), Anil Kumble, Harbhajan Singh, Irfan Pathan, Munaf Patel, Sreesanth, VRV Singh.Antigua & Barbuda
Sylvester Joseph (capt), Justin Athanaze, Adam Sanford, Kerry Jeremy, Anthony Martin, Devon Thomas, Chad Hampson, Gavin Williiams, Kerry Mentor (wk), Daniel Thomas, Michael Challenger, Greg Skepple, Stephen Matthew

It’s back to the drawing board for young Jehan Mubarak for whom the world seems to have turned upside down.Only two months ago he was leading the Sri Lanka `A’ team and was looked up as a future prospective cricketer for the senior side. But after a dismal failure in the first unofficial test against West Indies `A’ at Rangiri Dambulla where he disappointed with scores of 17 and 15 he finds himself on the sidelines.The tall and graceful left-hander who represents CCC in the Premier competition has been dropped from the squad of 14 for the remaining two `tests’ against the tourists and now faces a long haul of resurrecting his career all over again.Last year Mubarak was made captain of the Sri Lanka `A’ team that toured England. He not only led the side admirably but also made runs scoring 235 at an average of 47 inclusive of three fifties in three first-class matches. In the six one-day matches also he showed pleasing form to average 55.75 for 223 runs and two fifties.It was a memorable tour for the team because they won all seven one-day matches against county sides and had a win-loss-draw record in the three first-class games.Based on these performances the selectors picked him for the tour of Pakistan where he appeared in the two Tests but failed to make any worthwhile contributions with the bat scoring just 49 runs in four innings with a top score of 34.The selectors continued to persist with him and appointed him captain of Sri Lanka `A’ for the home series against England `A’ and Pakistan `A’. It was here that Mubarak’s form began to decline. He was totally out of sorts and failed to make an impression in any of the `tests’ or the one-day triangular except in the last `test’ against Pakistan `A’ at Dambulla where he scored a compact 80. His scores prior to that innings were: 10, 24, 11, 36, 0, 4, 0, 16, 2, 33, and 1.The selectors thought the weight of captaincy was affecting his batting and removed him from that post for the series against West Indies `A’ hoping that at least now he would deliver. But once again he failed.To sum up his disappointing run he has not made a century since scoring 169 for CCC against Ragama CC in a Premier trophy match in November 2003. It also happens to be the only century Mubarak has scored in six years of first-class cricket.For the 24-year-old Mubarak the world has not ended. He has been retained in the Sri Lanka `A’ pool and needs to get some runs behind him to once again attract the selectors’ attention.”To me Mubarak looks tensed up and mentally not there,” said chairman of selectors Lalith Kaluperuma.”He should be confident and play his normal game. He has been in the circuit for a long time and he should use his experience to come out of the situation. He couldn’t ask for a better person than Anura Tennekoon (the present `A’ team manager) to seek advice,” he said.Kaluperuma said that since the time Mubarak played for Sri Lanka in the under 19 World Cup the selectors have been nursing and guiding him all along.”I don’t thing any other cricketer has been given the amount of opportunities that Mubarak has. He has taken a long time to come out of his bad patch and there are others knocking on the door,” said Kaluperuma.Mubarak’s place in the fourteen has been given to Colts batsman Shantha Kalavitigoda.

South Australia’s Chris Duval has not yet broken into the state first team, but he has been spotted by the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team.Duval, 20, left Pat Kelly and Tony Harris, scouts for the Dodgers, impressed when his pitches were timed at 137 kph.”He would be in the top one per cent absolutely, in the top one per cent of his age and his size,” Duval told ABC Sport. “He’s young, he’s a very strong big durable guy and he’s got arm strength which is something you can’t teach. All those three things you really can’t teach you know, they’re just God given."

Former Sri Lanka captain Arjuna Ranatunga has overturned a proposed sportslaw preventing politicians from holding office in sports bodies.Sports Minister Johnston Fernando introduced the proposed law in parliamentin February 2002 with the specific objective of de-politicising sportsadministrations, particularly the Board of Control for Cricket in Sri Lanka(BCCSL).However, the Supreme Court in Colombo upheld a petition by Ranatunga, amember of parliament, clearing the way for his participation in theforthcoming cricket board elections.Ranatunga had complained that the proposed sports law which preventedpoliticians from holding office in sports bodies was a “violation of hisfundamental rights”.He was convinced that Fernando was trying to prevent him from holdingoffice: “When I heard about the policy, I felt that someone was trying todrag me out of sports, an area in which I wanted to help."Ranatunga is likely to contest against former board president ThilangaSumathipala in cricket board elections at the end of March.