The Indian cricket board plans to streamline its panel of umpires before the domestic season begins in September 2004. According to a spokesperson for the board, the downsizing is to raise the quality and the consistency of domestic umpires, and to have better Indian umpires at the international level.At present, there is a pool of 122 domestic umpires who officiate in first-class as well as junior-level matches. The elite panel consists of 40 of the best, a figure that the BCCI is attempting to cut down to 15.Ratnakar Shetty, the joint secretary of the BCCI, said that the board hoped to improve umpiring standards with the downsizing, as the present number of 40 umpires in the elite panel was ‘unmanageable’. Recently, the board conducted medical tests for umpires all over India, where their hearing, sight and general health were assessed. These tests were the first part of a two-stage examination. What follows is the ‘viva voce’ exam, which will determine umpires’ knowledge of the game, in theory and in practice, and will be held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai from May 29-31.Arani Jayaprakash, one of three Indian umpires on the ICC’s international panel, was in favour of the streamlining, and said that it would raise consistency levels. “See, the consistency level isn’t very high because we have too many umpires. Because if you have 150 umpires, definitely everybody can’t be the same.”It’s a situation that can be resolved. Jayaprakash believes that the panel could keep umpires on top of their game, and would raise consistency levels as umpires strived to remain in the elite list. But he maintained that while more training programs and exposure would help umpires, the improvement would also have an effect on the way players perceived officials.”We have to have a training program for umpires, some classes, some seminars. All this has to come. Only then will it help,” Jayaprakash said. “But as far as all the umpires are concerned, they should be consistent on certain things. The players also see the consistency level of the umpires, so they look forward to a good umpire.”Incidentally, there are no clear penalties for under-performing domestic umpires, though an umpiring committee exists. The committee takes the captains’ and match referee’s comments into account before hauling up the umpire and, in rare instances, even reduces the number of matches the umpire officiates in.

David Johnston, the chief executive of the Tasmanian Cricket Association, has announced the list of 16 contracted players and two rookie contracted players for the next season. The list includes Ricky Ponting, who is currently a Cricket Australia-contracted player.Jamie Cox, one of the senior players, has agreed to the terms of the contract after some speculation that he might be jettisoned. Cox was woefully out of form last season, averaging 25.93 in nine first-class matches and scoring just 18 runs in three ING Cup games.Senior Contracts
1 George Bailey, 2 Michael Bevan, 3 Andy Blignaut, 4 Luke Butterworth, 5 Sean Clingeleffer, 6 Jamie Cox, 7 Michael Dighton, 8 Michael DiVenuto, 9 Xavier Doherty, 10 Andrew Downton, 11 Brett Geeves, 12 Adam Griffith, 13 Rhett Lockyear, 14 Daniel Marsh, 15 Scott Mason, 16 Damien Wright
Rookie contracted players
1 David Dawson, 2 Tim Paine

A Pakistani masseur who accompanied the Indian team during the Asia Cup has been ordered to stay away by the BCCI, who had not authorised his appointment. SK Nair, the secretary of the Indian board, was furious with Sohail Abbas Khan for wearing the team T-shirt and travelling on the same bus with the side. Nair rebuked Sohail for his behaviour, and also cautioned MN Dorairajan, the team manager for the Asia Cup, for not dealing with the situation earlier.Nair, speaking to Wisden Cricinfo immediately after his return to Trivandrum after the Asia Cup, said: “He [the masseur] got acquainted with some of our players during the Pakistan tour and was doing some personal attendance for some of our players. He was there in Sri Lanka also. Somehow he managed to get one Indian practice T-shirt. Probably one of our players might have given it to him earlier.”When asked why he was only removed just before the final, Nair said, “His presence in Sri Lanka came to our notice very late and the manager was told to take care of this problem and see that he was not allowed in the dressing-room. When I reached there the day before the tournament and saw him I personally cautioned him that he was not supposed to be in the dressing-room. I told him that he was not to go with the team during the time of the match or practice sessions.”We have a physio and trainer and all that and this man is not a part of the support staff. I told the manager he should exercise control over the matter and if anything further happens it is his responsibility. I also asked him not to wear the Indian uniform which is meant only for the Indian team and their support staff.”Nair clarified that the board had not appointed Sohail in any capacity. “He is not a part of the Indian team or the staff, but he is acquainted with the players. I understand he is acquainted with players of many teams, not just India, and when they visit Pakistan he goes to the hotel room and does massage. He has friends in many teams. He came to Sri Lanka on his own and I understand he was staying with some former player. Officially he cannot wear the uniform or travel in the team bus. These are against the board’s policy and since I saw this personally I stepped in.”When asked how Sohail gained access to the dressing-room without proper accreditation, Nair proffered, “Probably the security people could not apprehend him because he was wearing the official uniform.”

Mahela Jayawardene’s own cameo might have been cut short by a horrible misunderstanding that led to him being run out, but his team had no such problems. Sri Lanka powered past the United Arab Emirates. Jayawardene, leading the side in Marvan Atapattu’s absence, spoke to the press after the game.On what was a competitive score
When we had a look at the wicket in the afternoon we knew that it was not going to be that good. It was dry and had already had a game yesterday and we discussed 240 to 250 as a good competitive score.On Sri Lanka’s batting performance
I personally though we would struggle to get going at the start and then build up momentum at the end. But I was surprised that we were going at five runs per over in the beginning. The only hiccup was that we were losing wickets at regular intervals. We need to address that on SundayOn the UAE bowling
They bowled really well and stuck to a plan, especially the three spinners who bowled really well. There were some good positive things that came out of the match for them. We played some rash shots and they put some pressure on usOn Lasith Malinga
Malinga bowled quite a few wides but you have to give him some leeway as he was playing his first game. But we will discuss those things [the number of wides] because we want perfectionOn whether the team is fatigued
When you are a professional cricketer you have to put up with that. Yes, we are tired but that is no excuse. We are here to play cricket and we have to play to our best.On the upcoming match against India
We are looking forward to that game because the Indians have been on top of us in the last coule of games. They have been playing good cricket and if we can come up to that level it means we are up there as well. We will definitely put up a good show.On the absence of Sanath Jayasuriya’s left-arm spin
We do have a problem there but I am sure that the other guys, Dilshan with his offspin and Kandamby with his legspin if he plays, will chip. But it is a big blow. Sanath is the second highest wicket-taker in history for Sri Lanka cricket.On the team composition for the next game
We will decide on that tomorrow depending on how the wicket is, whether it is going to suit the spinners or the quicks. If we think we can make do with the extra batsmen then we can come in with allrounders. We will have a chat tomorrow morning.

Eric Simons
On South Africa’s performance with the ball
Getting their remaining wickets for 167 runs was not bad. At the end they wanted to bat as much time as they could and put as many runs on the board as they could. I would probably take 470 with them having been 303 for 3. You cannot afford to drop catches on a pitch like this and Sangakkara’s contribution was massive. We were punished for it.On Jayasuriya’s double strike
It is always difficult to bat at the end of the day with spinners on, and pressure of the big score on the board. Losing two wickets in one over was a setback. We will have to be positive. It was a bit of a blow for us but that’s the way the game goes. We have to put partnerships together.On the pitch
Funnily enough, the wicket seems to be getting quicker. It’s dried out a bit and it seems to have more pace, although the ball seems to get soft very quickly. The wicket yesterday was very slow.On Jacques Rudolph’s injury
He wouldn’t have batted tonight. He’s a bit stiff but he will be fine in the morning after some ice.John Dyson
On Sangakkara
He batted beautifully. The form he has been in for some time now has suggested that he is going to string together a number of good scores. He had made a few cameo performances, a few 50s and 70s, and he was really due a big one.On whether he should be in the World XI
I consider him to be the best wicketkeeper in Sri Lanka and I would say that in front of Romesh [Kaluwitharana] and Prasanna Jayawardene. He just also happens to be our best No. 3, so it’s a difficult situation. In terms of the World XI against Australia how anyone could not pick him as the wicketkeeper/batsman I don’t know.On Sri Lanka’s day
I was a little bit disappointed with our batting today. We didn’t do as well as we should have. And at 100 for 1 I was thinking “Gosh, it would be nice to grab a couple,” but Sunny [Sanath Jayasuriya] came on and as he often does nibbled a couple out. He has also shown in those three overs that if you bowl the right length and pace on that pitch there is a bit of turn there and hopefully there will be more and more of that.On the pitch
I think this wicket is so dry that it will really turn on days four and five, although it is hard to predict on pitches here in Sri Lanka. It is then just about how quickly it will turn and whether it will also bounce. The pitch in Galle was too slow, and I hope this one keeps its greater pace and bounce and turns more as the game progresses.On Murali’s absence
The important thing with Murali is that he is managed so that he can play for the next few years because there is still a lot of cricket left in him. With the way his shoulder is, there is no point in risking a permanent injury. It is, though, a great opportunity for the likes of Upul [Chandana] and Rangana [Herath] to show what they can do.On whether Sri Lanka would enforce the follow-on
That is a very difficult one. If it is a clear day and very hot then we would have to seriously consider just how difficult it would be to enforce the follow-on.

From being the toast of the country for becoming the first Indian to score a Test triple-century, Virender Sehwag has been brought back down to earth with a string of below-par performances in one-day cricket. Now we know why they say that six months is a long time in Indian cricket.Had an opening batsman failed in such a manner a few years ago, his house may have been tarred, and his car stoned. And a different coach might have put him out to pasture after doing his best to revitalise his game with a sharp word or two. But this Indian team works differently. John Wright, the coach, and Sourav Ganguly, the captain, have backed their players to the hilt.Just as it has taken England more than five years of investment to turn Andrew Flintoff from a lad with ‘potential’ to a potent strike force, this team has put their not-inconsiderable weight behind the likes of Yuvraj Singh and Mohammad Kaif. Now, it appears, they’re prepared to do the same with Sehwag.It is not as though the team has not taken note of Sehwag’s increasing frustration. Ganguly said that the Indians did have a chat with Sehwag. “We have spoken to him. You have to understand that he’s a strokemaker,” said Ganguly. “But he scores runs in Test cricket all around the world. It’s not fair to ask him to just go and defend, or leave balls outside the off stump. That’s not the way he plays and that’s not the way he has scored all his runs. He should probably bat the way he does in Test cricket. He should look to play the ball on merit rather than just trying to get the maximum runs straight away and accelerate.”The opening slot is still the place for Sehwag. The team’s decision to give Sehwag a go in the middle order was only a window of respite. The move did not quite have the desired effect, and India are moving Sehwag back to his original place. “He’s been opening all the time and he’s been exposed to the new ball and its not gone his way recently. Sometimes it helps if he can sit with his pads on and watch the play for a bit,” explained Ganguly. “It just changed the system which he has been going through for quite some time. The shine would go away a bit and the ball would get older by the time he came in to bat. The main bowlers would have finished 5-6 overs, whether it was Harmison or Gough. It was just a bit of a change for him so he could get runs, get his confidence back and get back to opening.”In the last three matches that Sehwag has played, he has found different ways to get himself out. At Trent Bridge he spooned Darren Gough to Michael Vaughan. At The Oval match he was late on the ball, and his lack of footwork caught him plumb in front of the stumps. In the final match, which India won at Lord’s, Sehwag dropped down to the middle order, but made just one run before popping a simple return catch to Ashley Giles. His scores were 4, 0 and 1, the cause of fierce media criticism being directed his way. At the moment, though, the Indian team are keeping the faith with his flashing blade.

Brad Knowles will make his first-class debut for Victoria after Michael Lewis pulled out of tomorrow’s Pura Cup match against New South Wales at Junction Oval.Lewis injured his groin in yesterday’s last-ball ING Cup loss to the Blues and will have scans today to determine the extent of the injury. Knowles, a 23-year-old who has been on rookie contracts for the past two seasons, will become Victoria’s 801st first-class player.Ian Harvey, who was selected in the initial squad of 13, has also failed a fitness test on his groin and is expected to return for the Bushrangers’ next match on December 1. Gerard Denton will miss up to two months after suffering a stress fracture to the fifth metatarsal on his right foot yesterday.Victoria Cameron White (capt), Matthew Elliott, Brad Hodge, David Hussey, Mathew Inness, Brendan Joseland, Brad Knowles, Andrew McDonald, Jonathan Moss, Peter Roach, Graeme Rummans, Allan Wise.

Scorecard

Marcus North and Brad Hogg prevented a collapse as Western Australia tightened their grasp at the end of the second day against South Australia at Adelaide Oval today. SA lost two wickets late in the day and as they set off chasing 324 in the final innings.WA had a great day in the field and bundled out SA for just 131 in their first innings. Steve Magoffin led the rout by picking up 4 for 0 in a 10-ball burst as the last seven wickets fell for just 38. Magoffin, who is playing only his first season, finished with 4-27, his best return.SA hit back through Shaun Tait and Paul Rofe and slumped to 5 for 41, but Hogg and North stemmed the rot. Hogg made 61 in just 55 balls while North was more sedate in his 67.

The careers of Mohammad Kaif and Yuvraj Singh have run almost parallel since they were together in the team that won the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka. For a long time they seemed to be vying for the same spot, but since Sourav Ganguly decided to pack the side with batsmen they co-exist happily. When the first ball of the one-day series is bowled, they will need to hit the ground running after a spell on the bench. They spoke to us on the eve of the match in Dhaka:

Mohammad Kaif
How hard is it to keep yourself motivated when you are not in the side?
One should understand the kind of players we have at the present time, especially in the Test team. Obviously I got a chance to play, after three years, against Australia, and did quite OK. I was quite satisfied with the way that I played and the way things went against them. But I understand I have to wait for the right time.How hard is it to just come into the side and perform?
As a professional cricketer you have to perform, deliver your best, because that’s what people expect back home. Playing for your country, that is your job. The adjustment is probably more mental than anything. But when you are out, you’ve got to enjoy whatever you do – that can be training in the gym for 50-60 days, or batting in the nets, early nights and early mornings. I understand that’s part of the job. It can be tough, but you have to keep yourself going.How important has the team’s support been?
I’ve been quite lucky. John [Wright] really helped me out, and obviously I must mention [Sourav] Ganguly. The whole team was very supportive. That’s what you need if you want to be a successful team. We have had our ups and downs in the last couple of years, but we’ve been together through it. It’s important that we always stick together. So we play better and improve all the time.But sometimes it’s hard to gauge how well or otherwise you’re doing at No. 7
It is quite sad, the kind of support you get back home, from the fans and from the media and on TV. In that position [No. 7], you come in with very few overs left and sometimes you don’t score much. Then suddenly one day you come in with five wickets down, and 35 overs to bat. You might get a good ball and get out. Then in eight innings you have hardly scored. The fans and media may think something, but what matters is when I come back to the dressing-room after scoring 15, and the team and coach appreciate this and say I’ve done a good job for the team. That’s what kept me going when I had a bad time. The team have all been there for a long time and understand that batting at 6 or 7 is not an easy job. When people back home only look at how many innings you have played, and judge players thinking only of records, I don’t think that’s right. Sometimes you come through a patch when you go in with just four overs to go and have to go bang-bang. Then if you get out after hitting a few boundaries, people count it as a bad performance because you haven’t scored a fifty in the last eight or ten games. But it doesn’t really matter to me – what matters is my team-mates.What do you need to do to change gears quickly?
It’s not just technique, you have to be mentally aggressive. You have to be able to shift your game and your approach quickly. You have to know your own game very well. I try to keep it simple – the bad balls you try to score runs, the good ones you block or try to take singles.

Yuvraj Singh
What was it like missing out on the Tests?
Obviously it was disappointing, because every cricketer wants to play Test cricket. But that’s a part of life. Ups and downs will be there. I just have to carry on. Whether it’s a one-day international, a Test match or a Ranji match, I just have to perform.But you were not resting, you were playing first-class cricket …
I was playing first-class, and got a few starts, but somehow was not getting a hundred. I was getting fifties and sixties, so now, when I’m playing one-day cricket, I need to play a big innings soon.What adjustments do you have to make?
The way I look at it, one-day cricket and Test cricket are not too different – in the sense that I don’t have to make too many changes to the way I approach batting. I’m the sort of person who likes to play shots. I remember doing well in the last one-dayer I played, against Pakistan, and I just want to carry on and do well here.Are these three one-dayers against Bangladesh a good chance to get a big one, considering they’re not the strongest opposition around?
I know it’s not the toughest opponent, but you and I know that anything can happen in one-day cricket. It’s only a matter of 50 overs, and someone can easily come up with a performance. If Bangladesh do well they can put us under pressure. If I get a chance up the order I will certainly look to bat throughout the innings.How has your game changed from the time you started?
When I started I was just playing too many shots, and after the first few one-day internationals I played, I realised I had to change my game. Now what I do is take more time when I first come in, and try to play till the 50th over.It’s tricky batting down the order, isn’t it?
At the moment my team requires me to bat at No. 5 or No. 6, so I give that my best shot. But obviously every batsman would like to bat up the order. Given a chance I would love to.

Jamaica 316 and 274 for 6 decl. (Hyatt 64, Pagon 57) beat Trinidad & Tobago 303 and 145 (Kelly 83, Miller 4-27) by 142 runs
Scorecard
With three of their batsmen unable to bat, Trinidad and Tobago slumped to a 142-run defeat against Jamaica at the Alpart Sports Club. Shazan Babwah had returned home after the death of his father, while Imran Jan was resting a back injury, and once Sherwin Ganga retired hurt after being struck a painful blow on the chin by Daren Powell, Trinidad and Tobago were left with only seven fit batsmen. Chasing 288 in two session, they collapsed to 145 all out, despite a blistering 72-ball 83 from Richard Kelly who smashed seven sixes and three fours. For Jamaica, who registered a fifth successive win, Nikita Miller did the damage, picking up 4 for 27, including the wicket of Kelly, leg before wicket, as Trinidad and Tobago lost seven wickets in the final session. Earlier, Jamaica had declared on 274 for 6, with Powell making 45 and Carlton Baugh a quickfire 43.Barbados 224 and 4 for 0 trail Guyana 249 (Ramdass 57, Bennett 4-70) by 21 runs
ScorecardThe Nagamootoo brothers, Mahendra and Vishal, inspired a rearguard action that gave Guyana a 24-run first-innings lead against Barbados at the Kensington Oval. Ryan Ramdass had compiled a painstaking 57 as Guyana reached 119 for 1 in response to Barbados’s 224, but but they then slumped to 175 for 7 before Mahendra Nagamootoo chipped in with 32 to complement his brother’s unbeaten 33. For Barbados, Jason Bennett took 4 for 70 to take his series tally to an impressive 21. When bad light stopped play 11 overs early, Barbados were still 21 runs in arrears.Winward Islands 279 for 3 (Smith 135*, Murray 61*) lead Leeward Islands 262 (Jeffers 69, Sammy 6-50) by 17 runs
Scorecard
Devon Smith compiled a patient and classy century as Windward Islands took charge of their match against the Leewards in St. Thomas. With Junior Murray chipping in with a defiant 61, Windwards dominated the final session after they had lost wickets either side of tea. Smith smashed 16 fours and a huge six off Omari Banks that landed on the roof of the commentary box. Earlier, Leewards were able to add just 10 to their overnight total, as Darren Sammy finished with career-best figures of 6 for 50.