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Ehsaan Mani has taken exception to Mohammad Azharuddin’s presence in Sri Lanka as a commentator. Azharuddin has been employed as a cricket expert by Aaj Tak, an Indian news channel, even though he was banned for life by the Indian cricket board. Mani wondered why, even then, Azharuddin was involved with the game.”I am extremely disappointed to see Mohammed Azharuddin doing commentary in the ongoing Asia Cup in Sri Lanka,” said Mani, according to Press Trust of India. “There is zero-tolerance for corruption in cricket and there should be no position in the game for a player who has been banned by his own cricket board. If he is deemed guilty and we have the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s word that he has been banned for life, he should not be involved in the game in any way,” Mani said, also admitting that the ICC had no say in the approval of commentators. “High profile cricketers are role models and there are better role models.”The television channel that employed Azhar has been supportive of him. Earlier, G Krishnan, the executive director of the TV Today network, confirmed that Azharuddin was doing work for Aaj Tak, and said, “His involvement in match-fixing is alleged. What has the fact that someone is alleged to have done something got to do with his commenting on a cricket match? He is not playing. Just being accused of something does not mean much. People are ministers in this country while they are accused of greater crimes. The point is they are not convicted. You have to be reasonable to everybody. Till you find someone guilty he is innocent.”

Fast bowler Iain O’Brien has been drafted into the New Zealand squad as cover for Michael Mason ahead of the third ODI against England at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday.Mason injured his right shoulder during the emphatic 10-wicket win atHamilton on Tuesday. He took 2 for 29 as England were restricted to 158 all out.O’Brien, who plays for Wellington, has six Test caps but is yet to make his debut in the shorter versions of the game. He took seven wickets in the two Tests against Bangladesh last month. In his three List A matches this season, he has taken four wickets at 27.75 with an impressive economy rate of 4.26 an over.O’Brien will link up with the squad in Auckland after playing in Wellington’s State Shield game against Otago on Wednesday.With three ODIs remaining, New Zealand enjoy a 2-0 lead after comprehensively outplaying England in the first two games.

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A third successive defeat, with Friday’s game against Bangladesh Under-19 washed out, resulted in South Africa Under-19 being knocked out of the triangular tournament being held in Pretoria.South Africa needed to beat India Under-19 to have a chance of going through to the final, but the hosts suffered a six-wicket loss. Tanmay Srivastava was once again instrumental in thwarting South Africa; he had scored a century in the previous round-robin encounter between the two teams, and though he scored only 50 in this game, his three wickets had helped his team restrict the hosts to 223 from their alloted 50 overs.Wayne Parnell, the South African captain, opted to bat and his team made a brisk and steady start, with 56 runs being added before the first wicket – of JJ Smuts – fell on the last ball of the tenth over. Opener Pieter Malan top scored for his side with 57; South Africa were looking good at 105 for 2 off 22.3 overs before Srivastava struck to remove Malan.The remaining South African batsmen failed to carry on the momentum, with a few failing to capitalise on starts. A 47-run seventh-wicket stand between Parnell and Sybrand Engelbrecht ensured the team went past the 200-mark, with South Africa completing their 50 overs at 223 for 9. Srivastava finished with 3 for 42 while Iqbal Abdulla, the left-arm spinner, had impressive figures of 3 for 29.Parnell took two quick wickets as India faltered to 16 for 2 in their chase, but the ensuing 111 runs added by Virat Kohli and Srivastava put the reply on track. Srivastava was out hit wicket to Parnell for an even 50, which came off 76 balls. Kohli’s 71 was the game’s highest score, but when he fell with India at 160, South Africa still had a sniff of a chance.Unfortunately for the hosts, an unbroken 66-run stand between Saurav Tiwary (53) and Manish Pandey (26) saw India through with 18 balls to spare.India take on Bangladesh on Sunday, a dress rehearsal for the final, which will be played on Tuesday.

The 2007-08 Premier League got off to a sensational start when defending champions Colombo Cricket Club were beaten inside two days by Moors SC in a low-scoring game played at Braybrooke Place. Seventeen wickets fell on the opening day of the match and another 19 on the second as Moors wrapped up the contest to win by four wickets. The low scores might suggest that the pitch was at least partly to blame, but Sumithra Warnakulasuriya, the Colombo coach, disagreed. “I don’t blame the wicket but our batsmen for batting so irresponsibly,” he said. “There was a little grass but the nature of the wicket was not the reason to be bowled out for such low scores.”What was most disappointing was that we were at full strength with national players Michael Vandort, Chamara Kapugedera and Jehan Mubarak and could not make 150 on both occasions.”Colombo were shot out for 149 and 147, falling to the left-arm spin of Rangana Herath who took nine wickets in the match.”There was a lack of temperament from our batsmen,” Warnakulasuriya said, “and I fear that some of them are not so committed when it comes to playing for their club.”Sajith Fernando was Tamil Union’s saviour, scoring an undefeated 142 to stave off certain defeat against Nondescripts CC at the Saravanamuttu Stadium. Set an unlikely 409 for victory, Tamil Union were greatly indebted to Fernando. Batting at No.3, Fernando battled through 114 overs as Tamil Union clung on to deny Nondescripts the win. Fernando’s match-saving innings overshadowed Chanaka Wijesinghe’s knock of 250 – the first double-hundred of the season.Nuwan Kulasekera, the Colts fast bowler, celebrated his recall to the national team for the tour of Australia by bowling his side to victory over Bloomfield on their home ground. Set 187 to win, Bloomfield fell short by 29 runs as Kulasekera grabbed 7 for 27.In another close game Badureliya CC stunned Chilaw Marians, winning by 19 runs at Badureliya Sports Club. Chasing 322, Marians were dismissed for 302 despite a century from Harsha Cooray. Dinusha Fernando took 5 for 69 for Badureliya.Sinhalese Sports Club completed a 240-run win over Ragama CC in the other Tier A match at the SSC, with Sachithra Senanayake, the offspinner, picking up 5 for 50 to prevent Ragama chasing a daunting 482.Player of the Week
It is not often that you find a batsman making a double-century in the opening round of a tournament, but that’s exactly what Chanaka Wijesinghe achieved for Nondescripts. In their first innings of 194, he top-scored with 61 not out and, after Nondescripts had conceded a first-innings lead of 31, he gave them an outside chance of victory by compiling 250 off 307 balls in the second innings. That NCC failed to achieve victory (falling short by one wicket) could not be blamed on him. Wijesinghe, 25 who hails from Kandy has been around for some time representing Kandy Youth CC, Ragama CC and Moors SC before coming to NCC.”What is so striking about Chanaka’s batting is that he has tightened his defence and is prepared to wait for the loose balls to make runs,” Ranjith Fernando, the former Sri Lanka batsman, said. “If Chanaka can show a degree of consistency during the season with his batting and make some really big innings it will be rather difficult for the selectors not to have a closer look at him.” Wijesinghe’s previous highest score in 39 first-class matches was 146.

Harbhajan Singh, the Indian offspinner, has taken credit for triggering Matthew Hayden’s batting slump while maintaining that the cricketing world has missed Hayden’s attacking batting this season. Hayden, who was dropped for the first final of the VB Series, has averaged 14.28 in his last seven one-dayers and only 10.5 in the VB Series.”I am disappointed because I love watching him against other teams,” Harbhajan told . “We had very good plans against him, about where to place our fielders and how to bowl to him and we were successful, but I do miss watching him bat now.”Hayden, who was expected to dominate the series like he had in 2001 with a staggering average of 109.8, managed just 244 runs at an average of 30.5 in the four Tests. Harbhajan dismissed him three times in the series, including luring him into the sweep-trap in the first Test at Bangalore. “He is a stroke-player, and we tried to take away his boundary shots. I bowled to him a lot of the time. We all learned our lesson from his last tour here. But now I am disappointed because he is one of the best batsmen I have ever bowled to, and you love watching someone like that in good form – when it’s not against you.”Harbhajan also felt that other teams had taken India’s cue and learnt to tackle Hayden effectively. “Maybe those teams watched us and have their own plans against him now,” Harbhajan continued. “Now maybe everyone knows where to bowl to him. But at the end of the day, he is a great player and I hope he comes out of this stronger. I would like to watch him score over 350 again in a Test – just not against us.”

An Englishman is set to try his hand at saving the West Indies’ fledgling cricket fortunes.Bob Woolmer, the former England allrounder, believes he could be the man selected as new West Indies coach at the end of the ongoing World Cup.He confirmed yesterday he was interviewed by highly-placed West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) officials in Kimberley, South Africa, last week."I had been told by good friend Dr Rudi Webster [former West Indies team performance enhancer and current director of the West Indies Academy] the job would soon be vacant and he asked whether I wanted to submit my CV, which I did," Woolmer was quoted by BBC Online.The BBC also quoted a source as saying: "The WICB has progressed to the point of talking dollars with Woolmer, so it’s a safe bet he is the man they want."Along with Woolmer, three other candidates – Australian academy coach Bennett King, former Leeward Islands West Indies allrounder Eldine Baptiste, and former West Indies batsman Gus Logie, who coached Canada at the World Cup – were interviewed.The interviewers will report to the WICB and a board meeting is expected to to be held a few days after the March 23 World Cup final. The key item on the agenda will be to discuss and ratify the nominations of the interviwers."It is a case of sooner rather than later," a source close to the matter told the DAILY NATION yesterday. "Time is of the essence as we have the Australian (Tests and One-Day) series upcoming and we want to be well prepared."Woolmer was the man behind South Africa’s return to prominence after their readmission to international cricket. At present he is the International Cricket Council’s high performance manager with responsibility for non-Test playing teams.He also told the BBC: "I had a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with the West Indies selection panel in Kimberley early last week. I am not sure what will come of it. It is up to them to call me now. But it goes without saying, for the meeting to last as long as it did means it was encouraging on both sides."He added: "The one thing I did make clear was if I was going to coach a national side again, I would expect to be able to implement the various techniques that I have developed over the years."But I am interested in the job. Otherwise I would not have expressed my interest."Guyanese Roger Harper has not re-applied for the position which expires after the World Cup.When contacted yesterday, WICB president Wes Hall had little comment, only saying it was being dealt with by interviewers in South Africa who would then send their report to be considered at the upcoming board meeting.

The decision of the International Cricket Council to freeze $SUS2.5million of the payout due to New Zealand from the World Cup was “not unreasonable”, according to New Zealand Cricket chief executive Martin Snedden.He described the ICC action as prudent in the face of contract disputes.”I am confident that our decision not to play in Nairobi was correct and that our position is sound,” he said of New Zealand’s refusal to play the preliminary round match against Kenya.”Given the extent of the claims the ICC may face from Global Cricket Corporation it is not unreasonable for the ICC to hold monies payable to NZC, India, England and Sri Lanka until those claims have been resolved.”Obviously, if NZC ultimately receives less money than expected from the World Cup, this would have some effect on our cricket programmes, but it will be some time before the financial effects are determined,” he said.

Brooke Walker was retained as captain of the State Auckland Aces today asseventeen players were named in the first training squad to prepare for the2003/04 season.The squad, chosen by the panel of Mark O’Donnell (convener), Rowan Armour,Richard Irving and Austin Parsons, includes eight international players.Two players – Heath Davis (Cornwall) and Lou Vincent (Takapuna) – were notconsidered as both are in Australia. They will join the squad upon theirreturn. Vincent will join fellow international players Mark Richardson,Kyle Mills and Paul Hitchcock on the forthcoming tour to India.”This forms the base of a highly competitive squad that should be tough toknock over in both forms of domestic cricket this season,” said O’Donnell,who is the State Auckland Aces coach and also convener of selectors.Other players will be involved in the State Auckland Aces pre-seasontraining programme when required. On Walker’s retention as captain, O’Donnell said the leg-spinner had aproven record as captain and was well organised and very determined.”Brooke is very clear on what he wants to achieve, and what he wants othersto do.”Walker was pleased the selectors had shown faith in his captaincy.”We’ve moulded together a team in the true sense of the word. I’m lookingforward to building on the positive culture that’s been created both on andoff the park,” he said.The 17 players named in the initial squad are:Brooke Walker (captain – Howick Pakuranga), Andre Adams(Takapuna), Aaron Barnes (Cornwall), Tama Canning (Suburbs New Lynn), Paul Hitchcock (Takapuna), Matt Horne (Grafton), Llorne Howell (East Coast Bays), Tim Lythe (Auckland University), Tim McIntosh (Parnell), Andy McKay (Howick Pakuranga), Kyle Mills (Howick Pakuranga), Rob Nicol (Cornwall), Craig Pryor (Grafton), Mark Richardson (Parnell), Gareth Shaw (Papatoetoe

Studying cricket at secondary school? It sounds a sixth form cricket player’s delight. But that is what is on offer at Auckland school St Kentigern College next year.It is the first time players who are looking at a career in cricket will be able to undertake a New Zealand Qualifications Authority approved course of study in cricket at school, before taking their credits on to tertiary levels. International umpire Doug Cowie is a director of the Frontline (New Zealand) St Kentigern College-based venture while the coaching director is Roy Goodyear, a former first-class coach from Zimbabwe and Natal who is coaching at the school.The course, which opened for applications today, will not be restricted to New Zealand pupils only. Students from international cricket-playing countries will also be accepted. “The unique course will be personalised for those who wish to take advantage of top-level coaching, specialist sport science lessons and the high quality educational environment of Saint Kentigern College,” Cowie said.The school is the only New Zealand college allowed to offer the Level 3 course, Certificate in Cricket. “This is an ideal combination for those who want an early start to a professional cricket career whilst maintaining academic options for school and tertiary study,” Cowie said.Students who take up the course will have a daily mix of four hours classroom schooling and four hours of technical and tactical coaching in a secure cricket focused environment.”The full course can take two years – however one year options are also arranged. Ongoing opportunities are in place for Frontline (NZ) Academy graduates to secure tertiary study places in Sports Diploma and Degree courses at UNITEC,” said Peter Langsford who began the successful Tennis and Golf Academies two years ago. “We take over 50 boys and girls into the Academy from many different countries where tennis and golf are now serious career options for young players with talent and potential.””Cricket seems a natural extension as first-class facilities are developing at Saint Kentigern College. This year we opened an indoor practice net, there is an extensive gymnasium, both grass and artificial practice and playing pitches, and good relationships with nearby cricket clubs at Howick-Pakuranga and University-St.Heliers.”To celebrate the opening of the Academy, a match will be held on Sunday and Monday between the Auckland Aces squad and the Saint Kentigern College XI. The Mark Richardson Trophy will be presented – Mark is an ex-pupil and New Zealand Test opening batsman.Local and international cricketers have pledged support and involvement in the Academy programme. These include: Auckland coach, Mark O’Donnell; Aces captain Brooke Walker, Mark Richardson and Matt Horne. Future plans include access and reciprocal exchanges with Academies throughout the cricket world to prepare for a truly international career.Other unique aspects include – specialist physical training from NZ Sports Academy coach Kerry Hill; video analysis, mentoring for personal development based on research from the New Zealand Centre for Notational Analysis, and mental skill and practice approaches from Lewis McGill.International agents are being appointed to select and recruit students for the academy in cricket nations throughout the world. Asoka de Silva is taking enrolments in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh while others are in the process of taking up agency contracts.

Steve Tikolo, the Kenyan captain, has said that the loss of Maurice Odumbe was a severe jolt to cricket in the country. He was reacting to the five-year ban imposed on Odumbe by the Kenyan Cricket Association, after he was found guilty of accepting money from bookmakers.Tikolo, who is currently leading the team in a tri-series against India A and Pakistan A, said that the news of Odumbe’s suspension had cast a pall of gloom over the whole team. Reuters quoted him as saying: “The players are down after getting news of the suspension. Odumbe has been an integral part of this team and his absence will affect our performance in the future.”While describing the ban as “unfair”, Tikolo said that he viewed Odumbe as one who had always given his best for his country. “I have known Odumbe for a long time and he always gives 100% in his appearances.”Sharad Ghai, the chairman of the Kenyan Cricket Association, said that there was no immediate plan to call up a replacement for Odumbe in Kenya’s squad for the Champions Trophy. “Odumbe’s lawyer has indicated that he will appeal and we are waiting for the outcome before making any decision regarding his place in the team. We are not in a hurry to replace him.”