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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.

Our two-month break is fast coming to an end and we’re looking forward togetting back into the international fray. This Coca Cola Cup should be areally tough tournament and, with the promise of faster wickets, the fanscan look forward to some exciting cricket.The last time we played India we crushed them in Sharjah, winning the CocaCola Champions final by 245 runs. It’s not a day they will want to remember,but to be honest that was a one-off and I think that’s history now.India have been playing better cricket recently. They did exceptionally wellagainst Australia and were doing well in Zimbabwe until the final, so wehave to be on guard. Even without Tendulkar they have a very strong battinglining-up and there look to be plenty of youngsters coming through.When you go out to field against the likes of Ganguly, Laxman and Dravid youneed to play at the top of your game. You are forced to concentrateextremely hard because you know that any of their batsmen could take thegame away from you if you start to relax. For me, their batting is theirstrength.I think we have the edge over them in the bowling department though. Theyhave some talented youngsters, but they don’t have enough match experienceunder their belt. This was obvious when they played against the West Indies.When the West Indians started to attack the bowlers were unable to maintaina tight line or length and I think that was primarily a mental problem.In the end it cost India another final. They have now lost four finals onthe trot, which must be deeply disappointing. Perhaps they are puttingthemselves under too much pressure, which would be understandableconsidering the weight of expectation upon their shoulders. No other cricketteam in the world has to play under the same pressure.There has been talk in the India media about Sachin Tendulkar replacingSourav Ganguly as captain, but this is premature. In general terms Indiahave performed really well under him. He is tactically sound and appears tobe a natural leader. The team may have lost a few finals, but the captaincan’t be held solely responsible for that – it’s a team game after all andresponsibility must be shared.In fact, we have noticed greater vitality in the side under Ganguly. He hascreated a relaxed atmosphere, which has taken some pressure off the youngerplayers. They are encouraged to be aggressive and to play their naturalgame. It’s similar to the atmosphere in the Sri Lankan squad and I think it’s conducive to success.Ganguly has though struggled for runs in recent times and we will be gunningfor his wicket. As captain and a classy opening bat he is an extremelyimportant player for India and a major threat to us. A couple of cheapscores in the opening games, however, and he may start to feel the pressure,especially with the hole left by Tendulkar’s withdrawal.Another Indian player dominating the headlines has been Harbhajan Singh. Thelast time I faced him was in the Asian Test Championship two years ago, soonafter I had broken into the national side. Having seen him on television itis clear that he has improved with greater experience. Nowadays he possessesgreater variation and he is clearly a thinking bowler. It’s going to be afascinating duel between Murali and him.Personally, I am feeling confident and looking to carry on where I left offlast year. I have been playing more consistently in recent times andpreparations have focused on prolonging that. Things have been kept simpleand I have worked on the mental side of my game. I’m fully fit, hitting theball well and raring to go. Let the action begin.

Following the instructions of the Supreme Court of India, the dispute between the BCCI and N Srinivasan over the latter attending BCCI meetings has come to an end. While the BCCI’s plea seeking clarification over Srinivasan’s attendance at a working committee meeting in August has been disposed off, Srinivasan has withdrawn the perjury case against board secretary Anurag Thakur. The court, however, has asked the BCCI to stick to its stand of not allowing Srinivasan to attend the meetings due to his alleged conflict of interest.The BCCI counsel KK Vengugopal stated that despite the transfer of shares of Chennai Super Kings from its original owners India Cements Ltd to Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd, Srinivasan is still involved in conflict of interest. The India Cements Ltd, while transferring the controversial IPL team ownership to a trust [Chennai Super Kings Cricket Ltd], had valued the team at Rs 5 lakh. The BCCI termed the whole process as a “sham” in the court.Justice TS Thakur, who was instrumental in appointing the Lodha commission to set punishments for Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals and suggest administrative reforms for the BCCI, then asked the board to continue with its stand and not seek a court directive before every meeting.On August 28, the BCCI hierarchy was unsure of the legal issues arising from Srinivasan’s attendance at the meeting, and the then president Jagmohan Dalmiya adjourned the meeting sine die and sought the apex court’s opinion.As a result, in a plea filed by secretary Anurag Thakur, the BCCI accused Srinivasan of barging into the meeting enclosure and insisting on attending the meeting.However, with Thakur’s plea mistaking Srinivasan for his namesake, a chartered accountant, as a trustee of Chennai Super Kings’ new owners, Srinivasan slapped a perjury case on the BCCI secretary. Both parties withdrew their respective cases on Monday.The developments on Monday came after newly-appointed BCCI president Shashank Manohar stressed that the BCCI will not be vindictive towards any of its 30 member associations, including Srinivasan’s Tamil Nadu Cricket Association.

Zimbabwe were always likely to be up against it, no matter what side Pakistan turned out, but to win the toss and field on a pancake-flat Karachi track was surely not going to help their cause. Still, Prosper Utseya, the quiet, young captain, had his reasons for doing so.”We don’t have enough experience of playing in such conditions,” he explained after his side lost the opening ODI of the series by 104 runs. “We thought we could do well chasing. 347 was obviously too much of a target but if we had kept them to under 300, it was doable.”There is logic there, for Zimbabwe are not a poor batting side. In their last eight ODIs they have only failed to go past 200 twice and have scored over 240 four times. Indeed, their batting wasn’t the problem here either. Vusi Sibanda and Chamu Chibhabha might even have entertained vague notions of a chase until the 20th over: both scoring confident, contrasting fifties. Sean Williams added a battling, if ultimately futile one at the end, but as Utseya noted, there is something there.”Three of our guys got fifties and that is definitely a positive for us. We can take that confidence in to our next match,” he said. “We also fielded well and took our catches, so I don’t think fielding first was a mistake.”What he didn’t linger on, and what is likely to be a factor as the series progresses, is their bowling, which appears desperately weak on today’s evidence. Shoaib Malik, who capped a fine match with three wickets to add to a fifty, was probably stretching the bounds of Pakistani hospitality when he said Zimbabwe bowled well.Perhaps it was the effort they put in he was lauding, but at no stage in Pakistan’s innings did the batsmen appear under any pressure. Nasir Jamshed, with the honesty of a debutant, seemed to get it about right when asked which bowler troubled him most during a commanding 48-ball 61: “None of them.”Jamshed was one of five batsmen to score fifty for Pakistan – a record – and one of eight in the match – also a record. But if Pakistan will be perturbed about anything – and it is nitpicking really – it would be the stick Samiullah Khan and Rao Iftikhar Anjum received.”It was a very, very flat wicket,” Malik said. “Every bowler gets hit around occasionally, but when he does, you have to see what he is trying to do when he is being hit. Is he bowling restrictively, is he trying to take wickets?”Pakistan’s combination might also need tinkering and it might be the case in Hyderabad as Malik later hinted; they played with only five bowling options, two of whom are allrounders. They ended the game bowling Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq. “We had only five bowlers today so I wanted to give some confidence to our non-regular bowlers,” was Malik’s response, which may or may not have been said with tongue fully in cheek.The imbalance was the result, it is learnt, of a selectorial disagreement a few days before the match. Malik was keen – as he said publicly – on using Kamran Akmal as an opener, thus letting him try out another specialist bowler. The selectors wanted, however, to try out Jamshed, as a possible solution to the eternal opening conundrum. Nobody will be too unhappy with the results, but Pakistan will be keen to try out an extra bowler somewhere along the line, especially as they couldn’t bowl Zimbabwe out here.”Zimbabwe are a good side. There was a lot of effort on their part today,” Malik recognised. That is undeniable, but it probably won’t be enough over the next four matches.

Arjuna Ranatunga, the former Sri Lankan captain, has said that winning the World Cup in 1996 was the worst thing that happened to Sri Lankan cricket.”As a country it was the best thing that happened [winning the 1996 World Cup] but to our cricket it was the worst thing to happen because it opened the door for all unwanted elements to get involved in cricket administration,” said Ranatunga. “After the World Cup a lot of money got into our system. Players’ minds changed. Wrong values were given to them. There were people who got into the board to get name and fame. People who wanted to get popular started getting very close to the players by giving them money.”They thought if the players were paid well they would keep their mouths shut, play and go away. They didn’t manage cricket and finance it properly after the World Cup. We are facing the repercussions of it today.”It is so sad to see some of the players who played under my captaincy and the way they behaved. Suddenly they were different. They were like my brothers when they played with me. We used to sit and have meals together,” said Ranatunga. “I don’t blame them; I blame the administrators for what they did. When cricket and money go together it’s a problem. In our time we were never concerned about money. We took what was given to us. Now it is totally different.”Today if you speak to a schoolboy and ask him to play for a club he would ask how much he will get paid for playing. It has gone to that level. There was a time post World Cup 1996 when I attended a captain’s meeting in England and, arriving early morning in Colombo, I went straight to the SSC to play for my club. It doesn’t happen today. When I see such things happening I get sad and angry sometimes. If we continue with this concept we are going into a big mess.”Ranatunga reflected on an unfortunate incident, when prior to the 1996 final his team received a long list from the board stating the benefits they would receive if they won the World Cup. “The players were very hurt because they were never bothered about money. It was a very sad and unhappy experience,” said Ranatunga. “We got about $20,000 for winning the World Cup. We didn’t know that there was prize money. We were only aiming for the trophy. That’s the difference between then and now.”Ranatunga was of the opinion if Sri Lanka picked the right team and planned properly they could win the 2007 World Cup. “Picking the right team is the key factor. If you want to win the World Cup the captain must pick the side he wants. He has a lot of responsibility, more than the selectors. The captain and his team carry the hopes of 19 million people.””I have a lot of respect for (Tom) Moody, the way he has brought this side up. He is a person who is committed at the moment to Sri Lanka cricket. I have a lot of confidence in this side. This may be our last chance of getting close to a final. I hope that they will not lose their heads.”

ScorecardSaurashtra went on the defensive against Madhya Pradesh, adding just 168 runs to their overnight score, ending the day at 327 for 8. Saurashtra extended their overall lead to 348, taking them to a near impregnable position on the fourth day of the Ranji Trophy Plate group semi-final at Rajkot.Both Prashant Joshi and Kamlesh Makvana, who added 106 for the fourth-wicket, scored at a sedate pace; Joshi’s 71 came off 267 balls while Makvana faced 171 balls for his 33. Yogesh Golwalkar, the legspinner, accounted for four wickets off his 46 overs, while Taduri Sudhindra claimed three wickets off 29. Sitanshu Kotak and Sandeep Jobanputra were at the crease till stumps.

ScorecardAn unbeaten 65 from Sean Ervine helped Zimbabwe A seal the five-match one-day series against Bangladesh A with a five-wicket win in the decider. Needing 198 to win the decider at Bulawayo, the Zimbabweans romped home with 16 balls to spare.Bangladesh A won the toss and opted to bat, but were in early trouble, losing both their openers with only six on the board. Tushar Imran and Shamshur Rahman steadied the innings somewhat with a 38-run stand, but wickets fell steadily thereafter, reducing the Bangladesh side to 132 for 8. An unbeaten 49 by Waseluddin, batting at No. 9, propped up the team to a reasonably respectable total.Zimbabwe’s run-chase was characterised by useful partnerships all the way through, but it lacked the one big stand which would have sealed the win early. Justice Chibhabha, the opener, made 58 to lend some solidity at the top of the order, before Ervine came in to settle the issue.

For many years Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose maintained West Indies’ prominent place in world cricket. As the seemingly endless emergence of fast bowlers from the Caribbean reduced to a trickle, the two of them held the attack together, almost on their own in their twilight years. Now they are gone, and there has not been anyone even close to filling the void. And Walsh fears for the future.”Our bowling is a real concern,” he told the Independent’s Angus Fraser. “The potential is there but there has been a real lack of consistency. The word on the street is that Curtly and myself should come out of retirement.”In the 1980s and 1990s West Indies survived on raw talent and the legacy of the Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards years. But in-fighting within the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), coupled with chronic under investment, made the decline depressingly inevitable.There are steps being taken to remedy the situation but it is far too little, and decades too late. And remarkably, the board has not even asked Walsh, their last great bowler, for any advice. “I would like to think I could help the bowlers, but the WICB have not asked me. I try to help out the Jamaican team whenever I can. I have asked Curtly the same question and nobody at the WICB has asked him as well.”At this moment in time … we do not have anyone to lead the pack. I don’t know whether it is a lack of planning on our part or that we are expecting too much. We need to find out if this lack of consistency is caused by a lack of discipline or bad practice. It could be that this lot just don’t have it in them and we need to find a new crop.”I don’t believe this is the case. In Fidel Edwards and Jerome Taylor I believe we have two bowlers with the ability to go all the way. But …they have not yet learnt their trade. They need more help from the senior players.”Sadly for the youngsters, those the board see as capable of helping them don’t include Walsh or Ambrose.

Fifteen players have been named for the 2003 CFX Academy intake, which will run from May to August this year. Since the Academy is no longer fielding a team in the Logan Cup competition, the change of dates will allow the players to play a full part in the club cricket programme, as well as more senior levels of the game if selected.There were 51 applications for 17 places (two of which are reserved for as yet unnamed students from Kenya). Preliminary trials were held at the Academy on 5 and 6 December last year, after which the national selectors chose 27 to undergo final trials there on 6 and 7 January. This led to the selection of the final 15.Three of the 2002 students – Charles Coventry, Stuart Matsikenyeri and Vusi Sibanda – will return for a second year, in line with ZCU policy, as it is felt another year would benefit them. Coventry and Matsikenyeri missed much of the early programme last year due to other cricketing commitments: Coventry went with the national team to India for the experience, while Matsikenyeri played club cricket in Australia.The 15 are as follows:Ryan Bennett (Mashonaland)
Erick Chauluka (Mashonaland)
Stanley Chioza (Mashonaland)
Charles Coventry (Matabeleland)
Dylan de Beer (Mashonaland)
Craig Ervine (Mashonaland)
Gavin Ewing (Matabeleland)
Anthony Ireland (Midlands)
Adiel Kugotsi (Manicaland)
Johnson Marumisa (Mashonaland)
Stuart Matsikenyeri (Mashonaland)
Norman Mukondiwa (Matabeleland)
Vusi Sibanda (Midlands)
Greg Strydom (Matabeleland)
Kudzai Taibu (Mashonaland)
Until the course starts in May, the students will continue to play club and Logan Cup cricket, and have been provided with a training programme to undertake until then. With Eddo Brandes having recently left for Australia, the Academy coach for 2003 has not yet been appointed, and there is a suggestion that it may be somebody from outside the country.The Academy intake each year is chosen by the national selectors. One of them, Stephen Mangongo, who has for years been heavily involved in the development programme, has supplied us with basic information about the 2003 students.He says, "This year we have a mixture of players who have been playing in the leagues, players who have just left school, and three who are going back to the Academy for a second year. These three definitely have enough talent, but in Zimbabwe we do not play enough cricket during the winter period, so it has been seen fit that if we get these boys back into the Academy where they are able to play more cricket and get more coaching, hopefully it will help them to develop faster.Ryan Bennett is a former St George’s College boy who plays for Old Georgians. He will offer variation in the bowling department as an away-swing bowler and we believe that a stay in the Academy will help him to improve in the swing department. He also has potential as a batsman.Erick Chauluka was one of the first boys to come through the scholarship scheme in the township of Highfield. He went to Lord Malvern School for his A-levels, but unfortunately they were not playing among the top schools, so he had to take a back seat while boys playing for schools like Prince Edward and Churchill took the limelight. Now he has been playing club cricket for the past two years and is opening batsman for Takashinga. He has a lot of cricket in him and I hope he will develop in the Academy.Stanley Chioza is a former Prince Edward School scholarship boy who has come up through the ranks. He has been playing for Takashinga first team. He is a big boy, an all-out fast bowler, and we believe that his workout in the Academy will make him a better bowler.Dylan de Beer plays for Alexandra Sports Club and is a former Eaglesvale boy. He has a natural aggressive flair with the bat. He spent the winter playing in England, but is now back in town and has decided he wants to join the Academy.Craig Ervine is the younger brother of Sean – cricket runs in the family with the Ervines! He has just left Lomagundi College. He is a top-order batsman with a solid technique and has done very well for the national Under-19 team, for whom he has scored a couple of fifties. He also bowls some off-spin.Gavin Ewing was rejected by the Academy two years ago on fitness ground but is now being given another opportunity. He has been on the scene for the past few years, playing Under-19 cricket and representing Zimbabwe in the Africa Cup. He is an all-rounder, an off-spinner full of enthusiasm and energy, and we believe he is also going to benefit from his stay in the Academy.Anthony Ireland is a young man from the Midlands area who has been identified. He was at Plumtree High School, a big boy with good physique who is a fast bowler. If his technique is worked on, he has the potential to come through. Clive Lloyd, on his recent visit to this country when Pakistan were playing, passed through Kwekwe and was very impressed when he saw this boy in training. When he played in the trials, he was the fastest bowler.Adiel Kugotsi, from Mutare, has just left school. He is a fast bowler with a lot of potential. He has a good physique and has played in Logan Cup matches for Manicaland. We hope that the four-month stint in the Academy will help him to develop.Johnson Marumisa is a Churchill scholarship boy from the townships, a top-order batsman and leg-spinner, although a little raw on the spinning side. He has been scoring a lot of runs for Takashinga and we believe that the Academy will help him to fine-tune his technique.Norman Mukondiwa, from Matabeleland, is a very raw pace bowler, but because of his potential he has been enrolled in the Academy.Greg Strydom is from Matabeleland. This young man has been playing league and Logan Cup cricket for the last two years, and scored a first-class century at the age of 17. He missed selection for the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand but has now been given the opportunity to work in the Academy.Kudzai Taibu is the younger brother of Tatenda, a wicket-keeper/batsman, and some people say he has more flair than his brother with the bat. He can hit the ball hard and far.Stephen says, "Zimbabwe will have 15 students and the other two will come from Kenya, as part of helping cricket to develop in Africa."One criticism that could be levelled at the Academy is that some of the students who have graduated in previous years have actually failed even to succeed as players at Logan Cup level. Could this be a wastage of resources and money, taking in students who are scarcely likely to approach international quality?Stephen replies, "It’s an interesting scenario. We don’t have a big player base and the Academy is playing a vital role in bringing quality cricketers to play in the clubs, at provincial level, and the top players at international level. The ones who have not been very successful have actually proved very good as coaches."So the Academy is playing a dual role here, in that it has produced good players – the likes of Douggie Hondo, Travis Friend, Mluleki Nkala and so on – but at the same time other players who have graduated have been an asset to the Zimbabwe Cricket Union development programme. They have been running excellent coaching programmes; for example, Ryan King has not really blossomed as a player, but he has carved a niche as a coach in Matabeleland. So I think it is imperative that we keep the numbers and develop our base of players, and the ones who do not shape up as players are given the opportunity to develop as coaches."Stephen praises Kish Gokal, the Academy manager, for his hard work in putting together the programme for 2003. "In the past the boys used to come in early, in January or February, and do a lot of fitness training, and after that they would go on to the technical side and play a few cricket matches. This year we will see the students come into the Academy fully fit already because they have already been given programmes by Steve Scott, our fitness consultant, to make sure that between January and May they get fit. They will be monitored monthly, so that as soon as they get into the Academy they will need to deal with only technical issues, not fitness issues."The second issue, which I think is a fantastic idea, is to make sure that these boys play more games. No matter how much coaching they get in the nets, the bottom line is that the best teacher is out there in the middle, playing in matches. I understand Kish Gokal and the other administrators have been working very hard to ensure that this season we will go down to South Africa and play some of the provincial academies, possibly get involved in the Academy week in South Africa, and to me that is the most interesting part of this coming season."From this point of view, it is unfortunate that the new Logan Cup programme does not make it possible for the Academy team to participate. "In the past it helped them to play as a team," says Stephen. "But what is happening is that the Academy students will go into the provinces and meet senior players there who will help their game to grow."

Mike Gatting was a proud man 14 years ago when he took England to Australia and returned with the Ashes.Since then a number of captains have tried to emulate Gatting’s achievement and not one has succeeded.And now Gatting himself wants to shed the mantle of having been the last England captain to win the Ashes. He is hoping Nasser Hussain can replace him in English cricket folklore and reclaim the Ashes after six successive series defeats.”I’d rather lose that mantle as quickly as possible,” said Gatting. “Itwas a long time ago, it’s far too long really and I only hope that Nasser andthe boys can rectify that.”It would be really nice to lose it as quickly as possible even though it’sthe most treasured moment of my time as a player. We won all three series and itwas a great winter but it’s time we moved on from the past.”I don’t think England are that far behind Australia now, but I don’t thinkthey were really in the last few series.”The big difference is that they were playing as individuals before and theone thing that Duncan Fletcher has done and had to do is get them playing as ateam and turn them into a more disciplined unit – he’s got them thinking aboutthe team and it shows.”The likes of Alec Stewart and Michael Atherton have only ever known defeat at the hands of the old enemy, but if England are to triumph this summer, says Gatting, they must forget about recent Ashes series.”I hope England don’t dwell on past results and instead focus on the factthat they are unbeaten in the last five Test series and they should beconfident,” said Gatting."They’ve played in some difficult parts of the world and won, they are athome and they are capable of competing with anybody.”A successful team is always going to be a lot more confident and one thathas gone unbeaten in that time is going to be brimming with confidence and thatcan only help.”There seems to be a feeling in the side now that if they have a bad session,they come out and have a good one and that is usually a sign of a very goodside.”When they are struggling and have lost the odd match, instead of getting toodown about it, they try and pick themselves up and take the positives out ofit.”