KIMBERLEY – Having been beaten by Australia in the opening game, and to add insult to injury, being considered ‘a topsy turvy team, which is quite beatable on its off-day’ by Namibian coach Douglas Brown, Pakistan enter the De Beers Oval Sunday to put some points on the table and improve their net run rate.In a press conference here, skipper Waqar Younis acknowledged that motivating the boys against the minnows was important. “This is a World Cup game; so there is no question of any complacency”.To another question, he said that he would not ask his fast bowlers to relent simply because of the inexperience of the Namibians.Reacting to the opinion of the Namibian coach, his Pakistani counterpart Richard Pybus said that an effort was being made to make the side clinically efficient, so that better results are obtained all the time.Another thing providing impetus to Pakistan is Zimbabwe getting four points due to the England forfeit, and consequently sitting pretty at the top of the pool, along with Australia (which has completed a clean sweep against the sub-continental sides in the pool). The relentless Aussie march and Zimbabwe’s good fortune has put the cat amongst the pigeons as far as qualification for Super Sixes is concerned. The trio of Pakistan, India and England are now going to fight for either one place or two out of the three Super Sixes slots from this pool. If Zimbabwe rustles up a win or two against either Pakistan or India, along with Australia it too would be certain of a slot in the Super Sixes – something it managed in the last version of the event.So it was imperative for Pakistan to win all its remaining matches, and the message was loud and clear for Waqar and his charges. And Waqar said that his squad was determined to do just that. “We don’t just want to win our remaining five pool games, but also the ones in the Super Sixes”, said he.There would definitely be some changes in the team which played at the Wanderers against Australia. Wasim Akram though is not likely to be one of them, and he looks all set to get to another landmark in what is already a most illustrious career – replacing Javed Miandad and Steve Waugh (both with 33 matches) as the player with most World Cup games.”Every game is an important game, because of not just various permutations coming into play because of some upsets but also because of the net run rate [a complicated affair the nuances of which are too cumbersome to master by most]. Hence, we would be playing our best eleven”, said Waqar.He wasn’t willing to divulge the combinations that the Pakistan think-tank was working on, but two people under active consideration for insertion into the eleven were Saeed Anwar and Saqlain Mushtaq.For their part, the Namibians were coming into the game with a positive attitude. “We know that beating Pakistan would be tough, but we would throw everything into it… We’ve made a plan and though we have great respect for the Pakistanis, we would not be fazed or scared off”, said coach Brown.Fielding is Namibia’s strongest suit, and captain Deon Koetze believed his side would do better in this area than it did in their opening loss against Zimbabwe.Definitely concerned about Pakistan’s pace, the Namibians have these past few days furiously worked at the nets by putting the bowling machine up to speed. But Koetze admitted that simulating the pace of Shoaib Akhtar or spin of Saqlain Mushtaq was difficult. “The important thing for us was not to neglect the preparation… Most of our players have grown up watching the six or seven world class Pakistani players. But tomorrow we would be playing the ball and not the bowler”.Despite all this technical and mental preparation, it would still take some doing to beat Pakistan, which has to face stronger challenges in the next two weeks and the outcome of these would determine how they fare in this World Cup. But there is no belabouring the fact that they need to get back to their winning ways without wasting a minute.

BOMBAY, India, March 6 AP – While India hoped to book passage to the cricket World Cup semi-final in its match against Kenya, bookies back home also were gearing up for the game – crouched inside cars and huddled in vacant buildings.Betting is banned in India, except at race courses in a few cities, but Indians are wild about cricket and many can’t help but wager despite a police crackdown. Some 35 bookmakers were arrested in Bombay and 24 in India’s capital New Delhi last week.News reports say some 40 billion rupees were bet on last week’s India-Pakistan match and the stakes may rise as the World Cup semi-finals approach.Punters were itching to bet on whether India’s star batsman Sachin Tendulkar would score a century against Kenya, how many Australians Sri Lanka’s ace spinner Muttiah Muralitharan would nail, or how the prolific Australian batsman Michael Bevan would fare in Super Six matches the same day.”There has been an unprecedented hike in betting since the World Cup began. People have lost fortunes or made fortunes in the same evening,” said Sridhar Vagal, Bombay’s joint police commissioner.Bombay bookies, who had earlier relegated India to fourth place, revised the odds after the exit of South Africa, Pakistan, the West Indies and England.Australia remained the favourite. The bookies were giving betters only 1 rupee for every 0.80 rupees they bet on the defending champions to win the World Cup.Police recovered 10 mobile phones and four laptop computers from one car during a raid last week. But the laptops had access codes police found hard to crack.The police don’t get any information, and the raids just disrupt business, said one bookie, who runs a real estate agency and spoke on condition of anonymity.And the punishment is light. Most bookies arrested in last week’s raids were out on bail after paying a fine of 1,000 rupees.Although match-fixing remains a concern, police have found no recent evidence.”Some of the big bookies in Bombay are linked to dons in Dubai and Karachi who fancy themselves as matchfixers,” said Vagal, “but of late we have not found anything.”Police believe self-exiled mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, who tops India’s most wanted list, is the biggest player in the Indian betting racket.The big bookies monitor competitors’ phone lines, foreign weather and become experts on the nature of the pitch, police say.”I bet on if rain will stop play, if Sachin (Tendulkar) will make 50 or 100. The high in India is on these roving odds,” said Ravi Tripathi, who also likes to put money down on horse racing.”The big punters just have an open line with the bookie that stays open right through the match. The odds keep fluctuating – they change with every ball,” said Tripathi, who refused to disclose his profession or the money he raked in during the World Cup.

The Caribbean, its culture, cuisine and cricket, received wide exposure internationally when the Windies World Cup 2007 delegation hosted a major event in Johannesburg, South Africa, on March 9 to invite the world to the next Cricket World Cup.The event dubbed “the Windies Comes to Johannesburg” attracted about 250 South African and international media and cricket officials as well as tour operators, businesspeople and entertainment personalities from Johannesburg to the Saints Entertainment Complex, where a Caribbean environment was tastefully recreated…palm trees, waterfalls and all.

Chris Dehring, WWC 2007 Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, promised the guests that this was just a taste of what the Caribbean had to offer, but the “real thing” would be on offer when the West Indies hosted the Cricket World Cup in four years time, and it will be the best ever!Dehring said that “the Windies Comes to Johannesburg” event would set the tone for the massive effort that would be undertaken to ensure that the region’s tourism industry obtained maximum benefit from the West Indies’ hosting of the CWC 2007.Chef Athlone Mc Collin, who was sent to South Africa by the Elegant Hotels Group specially for the event, expressed great satisfaction with the response of the guests to Caribbean culinary delights that he prepared with the South African kitchen staff at the venue.

Popular Caribbean band, Square One, added to “the taste of Caribbean Culture” by thrilling the diverse gathering from Asia, Africa, Europe and the West Indies with music from the length and breadth of the Caribbean, including a Jamaican reggae sweep, featuring most notably, “No Woman No Cry”, rendered soulfully by one of the band’s lead singers, Alison Hinds.Square One also paid tribute to the cadence and zouk genres of the French-influenced islands and taught the patrons how to “jump and wave” to the soca hits from Antigua & Barbuda to Trinidad & Tobago, as well as their own high-energy classics. At the end of their performance chants of “We want more!” brought the band back for a well-deserved encore.

MC for the evening, Michael Holding, the former Jamaica and West Indies fast bowling legend, interviewed delegates from seven Caribbean countries who were observing the operations of the CWC 2003.They gave insights into the uniqueness of each island and their preparations for the CWC 2007, while a video feature gave a pictorial overview of the natural beauty and excitement of the Caribbean and the tremendous passion for cricket in the region.At the end of the evening several patrons were eagerly expressing their desire to visit the Caribbean even before 2007.The Windies World Cup 2007 Party was covered in a feature on Sky TV that was broadcast globally.

The Kensington Stand has not risen to its feet often this season.Yesterday it did so emphatically at 2:11 p.m., and it was in recognition of something special.The 2,000 or so spectators in the stand rose to acknowledge Philo Wallace after he brought up a commanding century in grand style.The big, beefy Barbadian opening batsmen arrived at his second hundred of the season against Trinidad and Tobago, his ninth at the regional level and the 12th of his first-class career, by depositing promising off-spinner Rodney Sooklal over long-on for a towering six that cleared the Pickwick Pavilion.From the time the ball left his rampant bat, the 32-year-old former Barbados captain jubilantly removed his helmet and raised his bat to the delight of the hometown fans.This was a brutal hundred. It required just 131 balls and included five mighty sixes, four of which were reserved for Sooklal, and 11 meaty fours.Wallace dominated proceedings to the extent that his century was almost two-thirds of the 165 runs on the board at the time.Thereafter, he buckled down and his eventual 137 came off 211 balls in more than five hours’ batting.It was a critical innings, after four of his teammates had gifted their wickets to irresponsible strokes on the second day of the Carib Beer International Challenge semifinal in which first innings points could be decisive.By then, Wallace had been joined by captain Courtney Browne and their fifth-wicket century stand lifted the Cup champions to within three runs of the lead.Responding to Trinidad and Tobago’s 258, Barbados closed on 288 for seven.Browne started cautiously before reeling off some fine shots in a polished innings of 67.Once he settled, he played some sweet strokes, including two on-side boundaries in succession off Marlon Black, a lovely extra-cover drive off left-arm spinner Dave Mohammed and a slog-sweep off the same bowler. Those were among his nine fours from 137 balls.Wallace’s onslaught between lunch and tea was nothing short of terrific.There was one over from Sooklal in which he banged 17 runs, courtesy of a six over mid-wicket and fours through long-on and mid-wicket.Even when Daren Ganga opted to back the on-side field with the protection of as many as three fielders lining the fence, Wallace either found a space to get the ball through or carted it over the boundary, mainly with some powerful sweeps.The over in which he completed his century also included a swept six over square-leg and onto the Kensington Stand’s roof.The faster bowlers also came in for stick, and there was a memorable pull off Black that landed full onto the scoreboard.The innings wasn’t without blemish. When Wallace was ten, Black dropped a knee-high return catch from a firm drive, and when he was 107, Dave Mohammed became the centre of amusement by missing a seemingly straightforward chance at point.Both Black and Mervyn Dillon tested Wallace with some accurate stuff and Dillon had the satisfaction of rapping him on the helmet after he had passed his hundred.Eventually, the opener would gift his wicket to a very wide ball which he struck down the throat of extra-cover to provide Sooklal with one of his four wickets.Browne also fell victim to Sookal when he gave a return catch.Twenty-five minutes earlier the slim off-spinner bowled Ryan Hurley in an eventful over in which Hurley was mis-stumped and also played a lovely chipped drive over extra-cover to bring up the first innings lead just before 5 p.m.The partnership of 115 between Wallace and Browne was important after Dillon accounted for three Test players and Sooklal removed Dwayne Smith with the help of a well-judged catch by Dwayne Bravo on the deep mid-wicket boundary.Sherwin Campbell fell to a loose drive which he edged to the ‘keeper 20 minutes into Barbados’ response, which started after Corey Collymore picked up the last wicket to complete a five-wicket haul.After Campbell fell, there was a touch of deja vu about the next two dismissals.Ryan Hinds started solidly but duplicated Campbell’s dismissal and what appeared to be a significant innings in the making was reduced to 26.Floyd Reifer replaced Hinds and was immediately dropped when Bravo got his finger tips onto an offering at cover.It was not costly to the visitors because Reifer soon edged a catch behind.

The Board of Control for Cricket (BCCSL) has organized three limited-overpractice games prior to the selection of the Sri Lankan squad to tour the West Indies. The matches will be played on May 25, 26 and 27. Sri Lanka are due toplay three one-day internationals and two Tests in the Caribbean, starting from June 7.Practice match squad: Avishka Gunawardene, Ian Daniel, T.M. Dilshan (wk), Russel Arnold, Upul Chandana, Kaushalya Weereratne, Anushka Polonowita, Chamila Gamage, Michael Vandort, Jehan Mubarak, Dharshana Gamage, Naveed Nawaz, Chamara Silva, Thilan Samaraweera, Prasanna Jayawardene (wk), Hasantha Fernando, Lanka de Silva, Ravindu Pushpakumara, Taranga Laksitha, Nuwan Zoysa, Ranga Dias, Sujeewa de Silva, Tilan Tushara Mirando, Mudalige Pushpakumara, Malintha Gajanayake, Sahan Wijeratne, Buddhika Fernando, Dinusha Fernando, GayanWeerakoon, Dilhara Fernando

Graeme Smith, the South African captain, has pledged to put South African cricket back on track following a disappointing World Cup campaign. Prior to the team’s departure to England for the triangular NatWest Series, Smith was quoted in the Beeld newspaper as saying: “The entire group realises the importance of this tour — to excel as individuals, but also to form a united front.”A negative image has been created in the wake of our failure in the World Cup, and as a result of recent events highlighted in the media. Many of our supporters have lost confidence in us. That’s why we’ve got to accept responsibility for the current situation, and do everything in our power to restore the pride and passion that were once trademarks of South African cricket.”In sport, there are many variables that have a bearing on results, but there are also many aspects that can be controlled, and we cannot afford to fail in that respect. As a young team, we’re very aware of the enormous challenges we face and that we are not the favourites in either of the two series. However, we accept the challenge with the pride and passion that our supporters expect of us. It was not so long ago that we were supporters ourselves, encouraging the players from the stands.”Promising the South African fans total commitment and integrity, Smith said: “We can give the assurance that we share the joy of every victory and the disappointment of every defeat. We are the selected group that has the honour of representing our country on the cricket field, and we acknowledge the responsibility that we carry in that respect.”We are the torch-bearers for SA cricket … each of us is determined to hand over the torch while it’s still burning brightly. Our message to the entire country is that we realise we’re not perfect, and that we disappoint ourselves and our supporters from time to time. Still, we represent our country and we’ll give it our all, on and off the playing field.”The South African one-day squad arrived in Dublin on Monday, without Jacques Kallis and Nicky Boje. Kallis stayed back due to a bereavement in the family, while Boje remained at home for the birth of his first child. Both are expected to join the squad in England on Saturday.

Rashid Latif has escaped punishment for his controversial open letter to the ICC last month, as the Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed he would be retained as captain for the home series against Bangladesh in August.Latif, who led Pakistan during their 2-1 NatWest Challenge defeat against England last month, had invited trouble when he claimed that match-fixing was still an issue in international cricket. He claimed that the current laws, particularly in the first 15 overs of one-day matches, invited “fancy fixing”.”It provides a chance for the bookies to approach top-order batsmen to achieve unusual scores and affect the complexion of competitive matches,” wrote Latif, a statement that contradicted the ICC’s official line that match-fixing was a thing of the past. Latif was quick to apologise to the PCB for breaching their code of conduct and that seemed to have done the trick.”We have accepted Latif’s apology and the matter is closed,” said Tauqir Zia, the PCB chairman. “As long as Latif is doing fine he will remain captain and I must admit at an age when most of his colleagues are retired he is doing well.”Latif had planned to retire after the World Cup, but was persuaded to stay on to oversee Pakistan’s rebuilding process. It now seems he may be at the helm for some time yet. “We want to appoint a captain on a long-term basis,” added Zia, “and there are options before us. Anyone suitable can be appointed captain at a time when it is necessary.”Bangladesh play three Tests and five one-day internationals during their tour of Pakistan, which begins on 17 August.Click here for Latif’s letter to the ICC

Fiat has volunteered to pay the import duty on Sachin Tendulkar’s controversial new Ferrari. The red Ferrari-360 Modena was gifted to Tendulkar last year on occasion of his scoring his 29th Test hundred – drawing level with Don Bradman. Tendulkar had applied for an import duty exemption on the car, which was duly granted by the government. This generated enormous controversy in India, with the Delhi High Court stepping in to question the duty waiver.Fiat, who gained tremendous marketshare from Tendulkar’s endorsement of their `Palio’ brand, have released a statement saying that they have taken the burden of paying the import duty upon themselves. The statement stated: "Fiat India [will] pay the import duty for Sachin’s Ferrari, as the gift was meant to felicitate and honour him for his achievement. The Ferrari Modena was presented to Sachin by Fiat for equalling Sir Donald Bradman’s record of scoring 29 Test centuries. Fiat believes that this gesture on its part, of paying the import duty, is in keeping with the spirit in which the gift was given."The statement reaffirmed Fiat’s relationship with Tendulkar, saying, "In Sachin, Fiat found the perfect brand champion for the company in India. He is dynamic, full of life, young, energetic, dependable, a winner and above all, committed to sporting excellence. This fits perfectly with our product profile and compliments our endeavour to present the new face of Fiat India to our customers."While the move will generate plenty of positive publicity for Fiat in India, the fact remains that they should have done exactly this in the first place: brought the Ferrari into India by paying the import duty in question, and only then gifted it to Tendulkar. It would be unfair of them to give Tendulkar a gift abroad on which he would have to pay a duty of 120%; it was equally unjust on the celebrity-struck government’s part to waive the import duty due on the car, thus indicating that Tendulkar was above the law. Fiat have now done exactly what they should have in the first place, bringing to an end a controversy that was damaging to all concerned.

Hampshire Hawks go into their vital National league Division Two match with Derbyshire Scorpions on Sunday, in the face of their devastating Championship defeat in just two days, with the voice of their Manager still ringing in their ears.The Hawks could return to top spot with a victory and increase their promotion hopes. “We have to put Thursday behind us,” commented Paul Terry, and really play out of skins if we are to achieve something from our season.”Robin Smith and Nic Pothas are both still troubled by their hamstring injuries so miss out again as Hampshire retain the eleven that won their match at Taunton last week with some panashe, with the inclusion of Will Kendall and James Bruce.John Crawley who suffered back problems during the Championship match is expected to be fit to lead the side.Team: James Hamblin, Simon Katich, Derek Kenway, John Crawley, John Francis, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Lawrence Prittipaul, Shaun Udal, Chaminda Vaas, Alan Mullally, Chris Tremlett, Will Kendall, James Bruce.

Frizzell County Championship Division One
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Kent 535 v Surrey 125 and 169 for 7 at Canterbury (Day 2)
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Surrey’s title hopes took a massive dive as they spiralled to almost-certain defeat against Kent. Surrey were forced to follow on and then made a right mess second time round as well, ending up 241 runs behind with only three wickets left. Replying to Kent’s 535, Surrey crashed to 125 all out in 28.5 overs. Martin Saggers started the rot by ripping through the top order as Surrey lurched to 64 for 5. Saggers, who took 4 for 40, was on the mark right from the off. He bowled Ian Ward (2), Jonathan Batty (28) and Mark Ramprakash (4), then trapped Nadeem Shahid lbw for 4. Then Amjad Khan took over. He winkled out three further wickets, including the battling Rikki Clarke for 26, then Muttiah Muralitharan polished off the tail with Surrey still trailing by 410. Saggers then took another two, and Murali three, as only Ian Ward (53) and Ally Brown (40) provided much resistance in Surrey’s second innings.Essex 335 and 154 for 1 beat Nottinghamshire 284 and 204 by nine wickets at Chelmsford (Day 3)
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Alastair Cook and Andy Flower led Essex to their second Championship victory of the season, both of which came against Notts. While the win kept alive Essex’s slim hopes of surviving relegation, it confirmed Nottinghamshire’s drop to the second division. Chasing 154, Cook scored an assured 69 not out on his first-class debut then, after Will Jefferson departed for 38, Andy Flower cracked a brisk 45 from 35 to help Essex home. That target of 154 would have been even less if it hadn’t been for Jason Gallian, who rescued Notts with a fighting 79 from 245 balls. Andy Clarke (4 for 34) picked up three quick wickets in the morning as Notts stumbled 108 to 5. Bilal Shafayat then became James Foster’s fourth catch of the innings, but Gallian held firm. He got some help from Paul Franks, who made 23, but once he was out, Essex wrapped up the last three wickets for 31 to set up their nine-wicket win.Warwickshire 449 v Lancashire 781 at Edgbaston (Day 3)
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Lancashire passed 700 for the second time in a fortnight as Stuart Law and Carl Hooper added to their mountain of runs this season with a stand of 360 – a fifth-wicket record for Lancashire – against Warwickshire. Law and Hooper are becoming a very prosperous double act for Lancashire and they followed their stand of 282 against Middlesex last week with another batting masterclass. Law started play on 11 not out, and Hooper with only a single, but they both raced to their centuries as Lancashire ended the day on a massive 781, and a lead of 332. Law biffed his way to 168, including 23 fours, while Hooper smashed 16 fours and eight sixes in his 177 before he was caught shortly before tea. Glen Chapple then smacked a quick 60 from 85 balls to add to the Warwickshire attack’s dismal day. Melvyn Betts finished with 0 for 151, while Mark Wagh took seven wickets, but for the small matter of 222 runs.Sussex v Middlesex 392 at Hove (Day 1)
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With Surrey in all sorts of trouble at Canterbury, the Championship favourites Sussex failed to put Middlesex under the same kind of pressure, as Andy Strauss and Owais Shah added 219 in Middlesex’s healthy 392. Strauss continued his purple patch with 138 from 172 balls, while Shah creamed 140, featuring 25 fours and two sixes. Jason Lewry did strike twice early on to leave Middlesex teetering on 33 for 2, but then the Strauss-Shah duet held things up. However, when Shah was finally out to Mushtaq Ahmed, the last five wickers tumbled for 18 as Mushtaq cleaned up the tail and took his tally to 95 scalps this season.Frizzell County Championship Division Two
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Northamptonshire 538 for 7 dec beat Durham 190 and 263 by an innings and 85 runs at Wantage Road (Day 3)
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Jason Brown led Northants to an emphatic win against Durham which all but guarantees their return to Division One next season. Brown took his season’s tally to 55 with a matchwinning spell of 5 for 90 as Durham surrendered for 263 in their second innings. Martin Love top-scored with 84, and Phil Mustard (35) and Graeme Bridge (33 not out) put on 51, but once that partnership was broken, the end came quickly as Durham lost their last four wickets in seven balls to Brown and Graeme Swann (3 for 77). Yorkshire 410 and 132 for 1 beat Somerset 228 and 313 by nine wickets at Headingley (Day 3)
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Matthew Wood and Anthony McGrath led Yorkshire to a comfortable win against Somerset, to give their side a sniff of promotion back to Division One. Wood (53 not out) and McGrath (67 not out) added 103 while chasing their target of 132. The Yorkshire attack, boasting four England internationals, shared the wickets between them, but Steve Kirby grabbed the two most important ones. He dismissed Neil Edwards for 90 and Jamie Cox for 59 as Somerset were bowled out for 313.Gloucestershire 401 and 209 for 8 v Derbyshire 321 at Bristol (Day 3)
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Jon Lewis and Craig Spearman put Gloucestershire in a strong position going into the final day against Derbyshire. Lewis took a season’s-best 7 for 117 in Derbyshire’s 321, in which Steve Stubbings scored a valuable 103 before the last four wickets added 87. Derbyshire still trailed by 80, and Spearman then rubbed in Gloucestershire’s advantage as he walloped a quickfire 87 from 85 balls. Graeme Welch and Paul Havell took three wickets apiece, but Gloucestershire were in charge with a 289-run lead at the close.Worcestershire 364 and 313 for 9 dec v Hampshire 265 and 91 for 2 at the Rose Bowl (Day 3)
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Worcestershire, whose promotion was confirmed when Durham lost to Northants, are likely to be celebrating again after they moved into a winning position against Hampshire. Resuming on 50 for no loss and with a lead of 149, Kadeer Ali scored 79 and Vikram Solanki hit 77, including 13 fours, as Worcestershire raced to 313 for 9 before declaring. That set Hampshire an unlikely 413 to win, and even though they made steady progress to 91 for 2, they still require another 321 tomorrow.