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The PCB is unlikely to accede to Gill Woolmer’s request to play a Twenty20 match against India, to raise funds for a cricket academy Bob Woolmer had planned to set up in South Africa, due to a congested fixture list.”We got a letter asking us to play a Twenty20 match with India for the academy. But this seems unlikely in the near future,” Ehsan Malik, PCB spokesman, told Reuters.Malik said a packed international schedule for both teams was the reason behind the decision and that the PCB was looking at other means of helping establish the academy. The PCB has dedicated the practice area of its National Cricket Academy in Lahore to Woolmer and named it after him.A proposal to play a Twenty20 match against England in August was earlier rejected as the England team had prior commitments.Woolmer died in Jamaica on March 18, a day after Pakistan suffered a shock defeat against Ireland and were knocked out in the first round of the World Cup. His death was investigated as murder until after the tournament when Jamaican authorities u-turned and announced he had died of natural causes.

West Indies cricket is currently in finer fettle than it has been for some time but Brian Lara believes that next year’s World Cup will make things even better, both on and off the field. “The World Cup is a watershed moment in our cricket,” Lara told reporters in Karachi. “Not only for the practical side of it on the field, but financially and administratively we think the World Cup is going to kick start something new, something very much needed.”The West Indies will host the ninth World Cup for 16 teams from March 13 to April 28 next year. The countdown begins next week with 100 days to go for the first-ever World Cup in the region. The event is expected to attract 2.2 billion television viewers around the world and about 100,000 visitors are expected to travel to the Caribbean for the tournament.”We are looking forward to the World Cup and we are looking to the end result of it and it is going to be very very promising for us on the field as well as off it,” said Lara. “The corporate world in the Caribbean is not as great as in India or the subcontinent but we have been depending a lot on the revenues coming out of the World Cup to move us forward.”The West Indies won the inaugural World Cup held in England in 1975, went on to win the next one too in 1979, again in England, and finished runners-up to India in the third edition held in the same country four years later. They have failed to reach the semi-finals of the last two World Cups – in England in 1999 and in the South Africa four years later.But under Lara, and in home conditions, they are one of the favourites for the tournament. Their recent form is solid, having beaten India 4-1 at home before finishing runners-up twice to Australia, first in a tri-series in Malaysia in October and then the Champions Trophy final in India earlier this month. They have also won a big tournament in recent years – the 2004 Champions Trophy in England.Lara said he was happy with the team’s progress. “We have played very good one-day cricket over the last couple of years. We have a lot of one-day cricket planned actually with five one-dayers in Pakistan and we come back to India in January. Of course there are periods when we have collapsed, especially our batting. Host countries haven’t done too well in World Cups but I am quite happy with our preparations.”

The Dolphins maintained a strong position on the second day of their clash with Cape Cobras at Paarl. They pushed their score on to 432, Hashim Amla leading the way with 137, as they took advantage of a flat pitch. Lance Klusener pitched in with an unusually measured innings of 35 to reverse what looked like a collapse as the Dolphins lost four wickets for 14 runs in the morning. The Cobras also found batting easy, reaching stumps on 109 for 1, Gerhard Strydom unbeaten on 58.The Lions will scent victory after they took control on the second day against Eagles at Potchefstroom. Resuming 57 runs behind the Eagles with six wickets in hand, the Lions took a 209-run lead ahead thanks to Matthew Harris’ first hundred at this level. He finished unbeaten on 135 and received strong support from the tail, the last four wickets putting on 146. The Eagles then lost three wickets for 47 and will need a big day tomorrow to stave off defeat.Only five wickets fell at East London on the second day, but the Warriors remained in a strong position against the Titans. Four half centuries from the Warriors batting line-up pushed their total to 442 for 9 declared, but they made only one breakthrough when it was their turn to bowl. Titans closed on 121 for 1.

Former England fast bowler Simon Jones isn’t ruling out a return to international cricket, spurred on by the thought of playing an Ashes Test in front of a Welsh crowd. Continual injury setbacks have hampered him for two years and he has not played international cricket since 2005, but he is clinging to the hope of participating in Cardiff’s first Ashes next year.”I would do anything to be involved in that game,” Jones told the Mirror. “Playing against Australia in front of a Welsh crowd would be something special.”Reprising the 2005 Ashes-winning bowling quartet of himself, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard is a further dream, however distant. “I would hate to think the four of us will never bowl together again,” said Jones. “That would be a real shame, and we’re all young enough to make our comebacks for England, so you never know.”Flintoff hasn’t played a Test since the last Ashes in Sydney early last year, while Hoggard and Harmison were dropped after the first Test in new Zealand because of poor form in the opening Test.Jones has county cricket and staying injury-free to focus upon long before he can think of playing for England again.

Shaun Udal captured his first Test wicket to fulfil an ambition he has been harbouring for 19 long years, as England fought back manfully on the first day at Multan to reduce Pakistan to a wobbly 244 for 6 at stumps.Since poking his head into the international arena more than a decade ago, Udal has had ample opportunity to romanticise about that big moment, and it finally came in the 55th over of the innings, as Salman Butt cannoned an edge off the top of Marcus Trescothick’s head at slip, and into the gloves of Geraint Jones as he dived back to gather the rebound.”I’d have liked it to have come in a more conventional way,” Udal joked, “but the whole day has gone fantastically well. I’ve waited for this for a long time, so to play a part and to have some say in what happened as well is fantastic. I’m still pinching myself.”I was a bit confused as to where the ball had gone,” he admitted. “Obviously it hit Marcus but when it looped in the air and he was still looking for it, I thought the moment had gone. But then Jonesy dived, and I lost control of my senses for a few seconds. It was a special moment – Freddie, Harmy and the boys came and gave me a big hug – and when you’ve waited 19 years to play, it’s even better.”Udal’s long experience as a county pro meant that he was better equipped than most for coping with the new-boy nerves, although he did admit to feeling a “bit panicky” when his first ball whistled over the covers for four. But the team spirit that carried England through the Ashes was on full show to help him out. “It’s been relatively easy because the guys have made me so welcome,” he said. “They are very special and it’s a pleasure to be involved with this team.”There was no doubt that he was straight in at the deep end of Test cricket, however. “The first two or three hours were tough,” he said. “I may be a new boy here, but watching from the sidelines, I’ve seen the tough times, we get through them. The discipline and strength of character of the side showed what you can do when you put your mind to it. We stuck to our guns, stuck to our plans, made run-scoring a little more difficult and it went our way.”And Udal wasn’t afraid to change his natural spinner’s rhythm to suit the conditions. “I probably bowled a bit quicker because of the docility of the pitch and the quality of the players. You need to make them rush their shots a little more. There’ll be more turn and bounce for the wristspinner, for a fingerspinner you’ve got to work hard and eliminate the bad balls.”As to the match situation, Udal felt England weren’t far from the ascendancy. “You never know in cricket, but another 60-70 runs and a total around the 300 mark, and we’ve had a good first innings. But it’s only a quarter of the job done. Today’s been a very special moment, but I’m not going to get too carried away.”

The season ended with frustration and a few tantrums at The Rose Bowl after Shane Warne made clear his anger at Lancashire’s refusal to declare and set Hampshire a target to chase.Lancashire had already lost out on the title to Sussex, but they had made their runners-up position safe earlier in this game when Hampshire failed to secure maximum bonus points. Warne clearly hoped that there would be a declaration and a run chase, but Mark Chilton opted to bat on as Lancashire ended the day on 339 for 6, a lead of 562.Warne, however, did not appreciate the thinking behind the decision. “Coming into the day and after losing a day through rain, we thought we were going to get a game. It got to the stage where they were 430 ahead with 60 overs left and still didn’t declare. It was ridiculous. I started throwing some lob-ups to see if they wanted any more runs but that didn’t work.”Shortly after lunch there was a surreal five-over period where Warne and others deliberately offered up a series of ridiculous deliveries in an apparent protest. Warne himself sent down a succession of bouncers and was no-balled for throwing the ball from a standing start.Chilton admitted that he perhaps should have done more to make a game of it. “We definitely didn’t want to lose the game so we were going to bat ourselves into a very strong position,” he said. “After lunch there was a window of opportunity in which we could, and should have perhaps, declared. But after Hampshire started throwing the bowl 20 feet into the air we decided it would be inappropriate.”I’m not proud of what happened but I feel sorry for all the spectators that made the journey and I hope this doesn’t cloud what has been a great season for us. If I could have the time again, I would have done it differently and I will learn from things like this.”Warne, meanwhile, said that the umpires had congratulated his side on their conduct. “We did everything we could to get a game but I was disappointed for the crowd who had come to see what happened.”

Marcus North, the Western Australian batsman, has been rewarded for his consistent form by being appointed as deputy vice-captain. North, who will be entering his seventh season with the Warriors, will be the third member of the leadership group along with Justin Langer and Mike Hussey. With both Langer and Hussey expected to be involved in Australia’s international assignments, North is likely to lead the side in a few games next season.”It’s a great honour to be given the responsibility of helping to lead your team-mates,” North said. “We’ve built an exciting group of players and I’m looking forward to assisting Justin and Michael in taking them to a Pura Cup title.”North was one of the key members of the middle order last season and finished as the eighth-highest scorer in the Pura Cup and fourth highest in the ING Cup. “Marcus has been a critical member of our middle order for a number of seasons now and continues to show exceptional leadership qualities,” Wayne Clark, the coach, said. “His innings in Hobart earlier this year when we chased down 396 in less than a day was a perfect example of not only his batting ability but also his leadership skills. With Langer and Hussey both expected to be involved in Australia’s international schedule over the summer Marcus was the natural choice to be the next leadership option.”The WACA board also endorsed the other recommendations of the State Cricket Committee regarding the make up of the State Selection Panel. After three years as Chairman Wayne Hill, the former WA wicketkeeper, has stepped aside, handing the reigns to Tom Hogan, the former Test spinner. Joining Hogan, Hill and Peter Capes on the panel will be former Andrew Farmer, the Joondalup coach, who has replaced Lee Bott.”With my other WACA board commitments I decided that it was best for me to hand the position of chairman to someone else,” Hill said. “That said I’m looking forward to continuing my involvement with team selection simply as member of the selection panel.”

Jagmohan Dalmiya, the former president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India and the International Cricket Council, won a close election and will continue as president of the Cricket Association of Bengal.Dalmiya, who was given a run for his money by Prasun Mukherjee, the police commissioner of Kolkata, won the election by the margin of 61 votes to 56. A total of 117 people voted, representing various clubs, with the representative from the Ananda Bazaar Patrika Sports Club not turning up to cast his vote. Mukherjee was backed by Buddhadev Bhattacharjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, but could not garner enough votes to defeat Dalmiya.”I am happy that I have got a platform that I badly needed,” Dalmiya said soon after the results were announced. Dalmiya was referring to the fact that the BCCI have banned him from attending board meetings, withheld CAB subsidies and alleged financial irregularities. Appearing along with Mukherjee, who accepted the defeat gracefully, Dalmiya added, “the election result was a victory for cricket. We will work together from tomorrow. There is no enmity between me and Prasun Mukherjee.”Mukherjee then responded by saying, “it was a close contest, but a gentlemanly and friendly fight. It was a fair election. Nobody had anything to complain about. I would have enjoyed winning, but, nonetheless I acept the result.” He was also quick to add, “Dalmiya is an old hand at cricket administration. Cricket has won. I’m new to the game. But I’ll be back next time.”Dalmiya has been the president of the CAB since 1992-93, and has never lost an election of any kind. This time around, however, the battle was especially hard, with several quarters joining ranks to oppose Dalmiya. First there was the request from the chief minister asking Dalmiya not to contest. Then came the email from Sourav Ganguly damning Dalmiya for his alleged role in leaking a confidential email to the press and thereby hastening Ganguly’s exit. In fact, the elections had become so politicised that the ruling Left Front and Communist Party of India (Marxist) were split on whom to support.In the end, though, Dalmiya came through, and also ensured that other members of his camp won the posts they were contesting for. Saradindu Pal and Amitava Banerjee, both from the Dalmiya camp, were elected joint secretaries defeating Raja Venkat and Samar Pal. While Pal sailed through with 71 votes, Banerjee secured 60. SK Kalyani, another of Dalmiya’s allies, retained the treasurer’s post, beating Tushar Kanti Sarkar.

Essex have agreed to release Andre Nel one match early so that he can take up a deal with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Nel was due to end his stint after Sunday’s match against Middlesex, but the defeat against Kent on Friday was now his final game for the club.He is the second overseas player to leave county cricket at short notice to join the IPL following Brad Hodge’s sudden departure from Lancashire after receiving an offer from the Kolkata Knight Riders. However, unlike the Hodge move, which hasn’t gone down well at Old Trafford, Essex are fully behind Nel.”The club has given its full backing to Andre with his request to leave after the Kent game on Friday,” the chief executive David East said. “It is an honour for Essex to have players in their ranks who are attracting the attention of those teams competing in the Indian Premier League.”We thank Andre for all his efforts during this latest stint with the county. Once again he has proved a very popular member of our dressing room and has played his part in the team’s excellent start to the campaign.”Nel said on the Essex website: “I would like to thank Essex in granting my request to end my time with them early, in order to take up a contract with the Mumbai Indians. As always, I have enjoyed my stay with Essex enormously and the excellent way I continue to be treated by the club bodes well for our future relationship should I get another chance to return.”This was Nel’s third spell with Essex, having also featured for the county in 2005 and 2007. He appeared in three County Championship and three Friends Provident Trophy matches in 2008, picking up 10 wickets at 34.10 in four-day cricket and three wickets at 37.33 in the FP Trophy to help Essex to second and top spot in the respective tables.Nel will join the Mumbai Indians, under the captaincy of Sachin Tendulkar, on Sunday. He could be back in England later in the season if selected for the South Africa tour, although he was controversially dropped for the recent trip to India.The Pakistan legspinner Danish Kaneria will take up his duties as overseas player from next Wednesday when Essex begin their Championship match against Leicestershire.

Nanavati shocked by footage of slapping row
BCCI-appointed Commissioner Sudhir Nanavati, investigating the slap controversy between Harbhajan Singh and Sreesanth, says he was left stunned after seeing the video footage of the incident. “What I saw was shocking but it has made my job easier. It will also help me in my further investigation,” he told reporters. Nanavati saw the footage at the BCCI headquarters here with Lalit Modi, IPL chairman and commissioner, BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah and joint-secretary M P Pandove. He will submit his inquiry report on the matter to Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, on May 12. Nanavati already summoned Harbhajan and Sreesanth to Ahmedabad this weekend, though Sreesanth is yet to confirm a date.We’ve been expecting you, Mr Akhtar
John Buchanan, coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders, had a simple message for Shoaib Akhtar: Welcome to the Knight Riders, but there are no special rules for anybody. Shoaib was allowed to participate in the IPL and Buchanan said he was approaching the controversial fast bowler’s arrival with “an open mind”.Chanderpauls wants more of the Windies
Shivnarine Chanderpaul is a bit bummed to be sitting on the bench during Bangalore’s troublesome IPL campaign, but wants more West Indians involved in the tournament. According to Chanderpaul the interest towards the IPL back in the Caribbean is lukewarm and in order to boost viewership more West Indians must be called over. And he also feels the IPL will go further than the Standford 2020.Jaffer out for three weeks
Bangalore’s problems increased when Wasim Jaffer was ruled out for three weeks after suffering a fracture on his hand during a game against Chennai Super Kings on April 28. The injury gradually worsened to an extent that he could not hold the bat yesterday. X-rays then revealed the fracture.