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The Australian Cricket Board (ACB) announced today that the National Selection Panel (NSP) has chosen a 15-man squad for the one-day international leg of the 2003 Travelex Tour of the West Indies.The squad is:

	STATE	AGE	CAPS
Ricky Ponting (captain)	TAS	28	168
Adam Gilchrist (vice-captain)	WA	31	162
Michael Bevan	NSW	32	205
Andrew Bichel	QLD	32	46
Jason Gillespie	SA	27	50
Nathan Hauritz	QLD	21	5
Ian Harvey	VIC	31	49
Matthew Hayden	QLD	31	65
Brad Hogg	WA	32	25
Brett Lee	NSW	26	65
Darren Lehmann	SA	33	95
Jimmy Maher	QLD	29	21
Damien Martyn*	WA	31	123
Glenn McGrath	NSW	33	179
Andrew Symonds	QLD	27	63

* Damien Martyn’s selection is subject to fitness, following recent minor surgery to a fractured right index finger. His fitness will be assessed next week in Perth.Commenting on the squad chosen to play the best-of-seven series against the West Indies, NSP Chairman Trevor Hohns said: "The group we have selected, with the inclusion of Jason Gillespie for Nathan Bracken, is basically that which won the World Cup last month."Winning a tournament as important as that is a fairly good indicator that at this point in time, we have the right player-mix at the one-day international level."The players we have selected all deserve their place in the squad," he said.Strike-bowler Jason Gillespie who was forced to leave the World Cup prematurely due to heel injury, returns to limited-overs action in place of his cover-player in South Africa, Nathan Bracken.Meanwhile Damien Martyn, who was ruled out of the Test leg of the Travelex Tour of the West Indies due to a fractured right index finger, will need to prove his fitness before the squad’s scheduled departure on 9 May.Trevor Hohns said: "Damien is currently undergoing the recovery work required to get him over the finger injury that has kept him out of the current Test series."We will keep close watch on his progress and make a decision on his availability for the series based on the relevant medical advice, closer to the time of departure," he said.

Wizards, whether in the shape of players, administrators or other technocrats are not easy to find. Some of them are born and destined as such while others achieve top positions through dint of sheer hard work and relentless effort to enhance their basic talent. Each one is worth millions to any organisation.Letting go waste such people amounts to depriving an organisation of invaluable assets. Unfortunately PCB seems to have accepted letting go two of its wizards, Wasim Akram, slashed by the Selection Committee and Javed Miandad, walking out the door, said to be a victim of ‘palace intrigues and jealousies’.Wasim’s exclusion from the practice camp to prepare 27 probables for Asian Test Championship and the visiting New Zealand team has raised a hue and cry far and wide. Disappointment has been expressed at home and abroad about on inviting a number of ‘non-entities’ under the garb of “concentrating on young talent with an eye on 2003 World Cup”.The media is full of reports, articles and comments criticising the PCB for the shabby treatment given such a great cricketer. This also appeared in a panel discussion conducted by Radio Pakistan. Excluding Akram from the training camp and telling him to prove his form and fitness in two practice matches being held before the final selection, was considered to be ridiculous. Cricket observers attribute this Selection Committee decision as a downright insult of an outstanding cricketer of his times, who holds the world record of clinching over 400 wickets both in the tests as well as one-day internationals.The issue reflects two completely different sides of the picture. Skipper Waqar Younis who was thought to have opposed Akram’s inclusion among the probables has denied it by saying that ‘he only knew about the names of players and the omission of some top players when he arrived home from abroad’. When questioned, he even denied having called the former Pakistan Captain ‘problematic’, as some press correspondents termed it.Waqar Younis in fact came out in support of his dropped pace-partner by saying, “I never had any problems with Akram and to use the word ‘drop’ for a player of his calibre is not right. It all depends on his fitness and form…Akram can come back in the side through trial matches.”In contrast, Chief Selector Wasim Bari’s remarks on the subject carried a tinge of arrogance. He maintained that it was a unanimous decision by the selectors who picked the best possible combination from which the Pakistan side will be formed for the Asian Test Championship. Insisting on the form and fitness of the dropped players, he emphasised, ‘the players must show their worth again in the domestic first class season starting in September.’The Chief Selector’s attitude and the PCB’s endorsement of his theme ‘that upcoming fast bowlers who are working hard to earn a place in the national side should be tried in the home series which was the best opportunity for them to prove their worth’ indicate that there are no roses in the basket for Wasim Akram.Despite all his achievements he is almost back to ‘square one’. He is likely to be picked for the two matches to be played on August 17 and 20 between the Camp Trainees XI and the Rest, during which his performance will be evaluated like others. Congratulations Wasim Akram, you are being treated as a ‘youngster’ again! Then what else can be said, if a player like Chris Cairns considers you “the greatest cricketer he has ever played against”?My advice to the PCB is to not blindly follow the dictates of the selection committee but also use its own imagination to decide important issues. Let’s be clear one cannot win a tournament like the World Cup with a team comprising players having only two years international experience.While the Pakistan cricket team is set on the path of losing a great cricketer like Wasim Akram, the PCB has lost an illustrious figure in world cricket, Javed Miandad. The irony is that the people at the helm of Pakistan’s cricket do not feel sorry about losing these two invaluable diamonds. I only wish someone would realise that players of such calibre are born once in a century.Miandad has reached Bangladesh on a coaching assignment where he and former West Indies quickie Andy Roberts are to prepare the Bangladesh team for the Asian Test Championship. Though not a permanent assignment, Miandad’s act of withdrawing from all the assignments of PCB is shrouded in mystery.After recently serving as coach of the Pakistan team, he was appointed Chairman of the newly formed Management Committee that had the important mandate of looking after the affairs of domestic as well as international cricket. Not willing to carry on, he declined to hold the appointment on the pretext of ‘non-availability of time’.Surprisingly, before departure Miandad returned all the items issued to him by the PCB including the car and a mobile telephone – enough to indicate his disenchantment with the Board. His initial attachment with Bangladesh cricket is said to be of only 3 weeks duration and he could have done the task easily while holding his job in the PCB. Former Test cricketer, Iqbal Qasim who was appointed as his deputy was competent enough to carry on the job during his absence. His severing of relationship with the PCB smells of some sort of politics.Since his involvement in Pakistan’s cricket affairs, whether as a coach, member of the Advisory Council or Chairman of the Management Committee, Miandad did not really have a happy time. Troubles arose on different occasions turning him into a controversial figure. Whether it was on account of his inability to adjust himself or others’ unwillingness to accept him, only the Board would know.It was, however, a great gesture on the part of PCB Chairman to say that ‘the doors of PCB were open for him and he could resume again on his sweet will’ but somehow it is not enough. Apart from his status as a world-class cricketer and captain, Miandad is a wizard as far as knowledge of the game is concerned. A player of his calibre would be an asset for any cricket body and on any assignment. Like any other human being he may be have his idiosyncrasies but let us not forget that a king is a king who must be treated and respected as such.It is unfortunate that, the PCB is still inhabited by people who do not like the presence of those wiser or more competent than them. Thus differences still crop up, turning into conflicts and controversies.The principal officers of the Board need to involve themselves more actively and monitor closely, the working of all committees. There would be no harm in taking advice of some ‘neutral observers’ when required. It is wonderful to know that the PCB has hired the services of a psychologist. Besides looking after the players, let him also study the ‘attitude problem’ that badly ails the cricket body and find a remedy.

India Cements posted their second successive victory in the Moin-ud-Dowla Cup, beating Indian Airlines by 15 runs at the Gymkhana groundin Hyderabad today. A solid 67 by Tamil Nadu Ranji star S Sharathbolstered Cements to 214/8 in 50 overs. New ball bowler MR Shrinivasthen scalped 4/33 to send Airlines crumbling to 195 all out with fiveovers to spare, a gallant 87 (98 balls, 9 fours, 1 six) by HyderabadRanji player Youraj Singh going in vain.In the morning, Cements weathered a strong Airlines attack comprisingJavagal Srinath, Dodda Ganesh, Nikhil Chopra and Sarandeep Singh.Ganesh (3/43) took out the top three to leave Cements on the backfootat 45/3. Sharath was then associated in three useful stands withGeorge John, Sunil Oasis and J Gokulakrishnan. When he fell for 67(106 balls, 1 four, 1 six) in the 44th over, he had conferred a toneof respectability to the innings and the tail helped inch the score to214 before the overs ran out.Airlines had a horror start losing J Arun Kumar, skipper Vijay Dahiyaand star batsman VVS Laxman in the first nine balls of the inningswith just two runs on the board. Opening bowlers Shrinivas nadGokulakrishnan had done the damage and that Airlines finally reached195 was due entirely to the efforts of Youraj Singh.Although he lost Omkar Singh at 41, Saif Khan (39) gave him companyfor more than 17 overs as they added 94 for the fifth wicket in astirring fightback. After Khan departed at 135, next man Chopra alsodid his bit with 24. Srinath was run out at 170 and Sarandeep waseighth out at 187 in the 43rd over. One run later Youraj was dismissedby Jesu Babu and that spelt an end to Airlines’ resistance as theyfolded up for 195.

Ben Stokes said that he remains committed to the England captaincy but conceded that his side proved unable to withstand a “barrage” from Australia across the first three Tests, losing the Ashes series in a record-equalling 11 days.Stokes, England’s Test captain since 2022, signed a new two-year central contract before this tour which runs until the end of the 2027 summer. He insisted that he “absolutely” still has the desire to continue as captain and said that nothing has changed since the start of the tour with regards to his future in international cricket.England arrived in Australia with high hopes of becoming the first team to win an away Ashes series since 2010-11 but have been thoroughly outplayed, losing by eight wickets in Perth and Brisbane and by 85 runs in Adelaide. Stokes conceded that Australia have been “a lot better” than England, and highlighted his bowlers’ inconsistency as a particular disappointment.Related

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“It obviously sucks,” Stokes said. “Knowing now that we can’t achieve what we set out to do here is obviously very disappointing… It’s quite simple to me that Australia have been able to execute batting, bowling and fielding a lot more than us on a much more consistent basis.”They’ve been able to execute everything a lot better than us [for] a much more consistent period of time. We’ve had moments where we’ve been very good, but Australia have been a lot better than us over a much longer period of time in this series so far.”We know the plans that work out here. We’ve just not been able to execute those plans for long enough. We did it in moments and did it in passages, but you just can’t be so poor with your execution as consistently as we have been over these first three games – and particularly with the ball, because when you’re off here, it gets punished, and we’ve seen that.”England have shifted away from the ultra-attacking batting that helped them win 10 out of their first 12 Tests since Stokes and Brendon McCullum took over as captain and coach, scoring at a significantly slower rate than Australia in this series. And while Stokes defended his side’s identity, Australia captain Pat Cummins suggested that England had changed course.”They seem to have changed their style quite a bit game to game,” Cummins said. “I think that can happen in overseas conditions: you’re always trying to fight for a method that works.”Mitchell Starc celebrates the wicket of Will Jacks on the final day•Getty Images

Cummins specifically highlighted England’s approach on the second day of the third Test in Adelaide, when they added 154 for 5 in 54 overs across the final two sessions in sweltering temperatures. Stokes himself batted particularly defensively, finishing unbeaten on 45 off 151 balls before accelerating on the third morning.”Day two I thought was surprising: it was 40-odd degrees, it was hot, it was a very flat wicket and they shut up shop there for half of the day, which I was pretty happy with. Who knows? I’m sure they’ll talk about it and come at us with different plans for Melbourne and Sydney. I’m glad that we’ve been able to stick to our guns and play the way that we play best, and it’s worked.”Stokes insisted that England still have “a hell of a lot to play for” despite the fact that the series has been lost: “Walking out there and playing for England is a good enough thing in itself… We’re not going to turn around and kick the stumps over because we have so much more to play for in the series, although we can’t go back with the thing we came out here to do.”He also argued that England had played “our best game of cricket so far on this tour” in Adelaide, with Will Jacks and Jamie Smith briefly threatening to pull off a “heist” on the final day, and said that the toss – which Australia won for the first time in the series – had been a major contributing factor to the result.”We bowled Australia out for a total that was under-par on a day-one wicket in Adelaide,” Stokes said. “We knew that we were actually ahead of the game then, before we even went out and batted. We knew that we had a great opportunity to get a big score on the scoreboard in the first innings and put Australia on the back foot. We weren’t able to do that, but we hung in there.”We showed that fight that I was talking about, and being able to get the [deficit] to 80-something [85] when Australia started their second innings and got ourselves back into the game… We were close, but not close enough, and being close ain’t going to do much for you when you need to win a game.”It’s a pretty emotional time for me and the dressing room and the guys – players, management, backroom staff – but when we get ourselves together and speak about the game and what we need to do in the remaining games, we’ll take a lot out of this game. This is how we can apply ourselves to give ourselves a better chance of being a much more consistent team.”

New Zealand Cricket (NZC) has announced a pre-distribution surplus of NZ$14.67 million in its annual report for the 2006/07 financial year. Overall, NZC recorded a profit of $6.46 million after distributions to major and district associations amounting to $8.21 million.”Income from the ICC in relation to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 was in line with forecast,” Justin Vaughan, the CEO of NZC, said. “With most of NZC’s overseas revenues being received in US dollars the result for the year has been impacted significantly by the value of the US dollar.””The amounts being distributed to major associations have increased significantly in recent years, assisting the growth of the game throughout New Zealand.”Vaughan also thanked Martin Snedden, his predecessor, who had now joined Rugby New Zealand. “During his tenure, Martin was faced with a number of major issues both internationally and at home. He navigated his way through each of these issues with great skill and ensured the best interests of cricket in New Zealand were at the centre of each decision.”On behalf of the board I would like to thank Martin for his outstanding leadership of NZC during this time,” Vaughan said.New Zealand Cricket, meanwhile, confirmed two appointments to its board of directors. Sir John Anderson, the chairman, was re-elected for a further term.Brent King was also appointed on to the board, as a replacement director for Vaughan, who resigned from the board in May 2007 to take the CEO position. King is currently Chairman of the Auckland Cricket Association and a director of a number of private companies. Don Neely, President of NZC, was also appointed for a further one-year term.

Indian fans vent their anger at the time of the match-fixing hearings in 2000 © Cricinfo

Mohammad Azharuddin’s life ban could be on the verge of being overturned despite widespread concern at the message this would send out.Azharuddin was banned from the game for life by the Indian board (BCCI) in 2000 after a federal inquiry found him guilty of match-fixing. He denied the charges and is awaiting judgement on a suit filed by him in a court in his home city of Hyderabad challenging the ban.It is believed that the new BCCI leadership is convinced Azharuddin has served enough punishment and deserves to be pardoned. An indication of his possible return to favour came when it was revealed he had been invited to a function in Mumbai on November 4 to honour him and other Indian captains for their services to the game.The ICC, which has adopted a strict zero-tolerance policy towards anyone found guilty of match-fixing, is far from happy with the news and is thought be be considering boycotting the event if Azharuddin attends.In a statement unlikely to make him many friends in Dubai, Ratnakar Shetty, the board’s chief administrative officer, said that Azharuddin “had undergone enough punishment and he should be allowed to lead his life like cricketers who had faced similar charge in other countries but are going about as if they had done no wrong.”He then said that there was a feeling among the current board that while the punishment handed out might have been correct, it “was a knee-jerk reaction”. He continued: “In retrospect, they feel the board had been too harsh on its players considering the way the other boards went about protecting the guilty.”The Indian board are understood to be riled that other players who were implicated in the scandal continue to play, but Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, warned that “we need to be careful when we compare cases with cases … it was alleged and proved that Azharuddin was actively involved in match-fixing.”But that cut no ice with Shetty. “Azhar should not be compared with those who got away with murder, people who continued to play after serving a token punishment. One is being persecuted and condemned for life while others strut about as paragons of virtues.”The ICC are taking this seriously. Yesterday, it issued a statement detailing the process for a banned player to be reinstated. But at 43, Azharuddin is not likely to make a comeback and so his rehabilitation into the cricket world does not actually need any official approval.

Vikram Solanki: Worcestershire’s new captain will hope to lead them back into the Championship’s top flight© Getty Images

The England batsman Vikram Solanki will captain Worcestershire in 2005 as the club attempt to bounce back immediately into the top flight of the County Championship, following their relegation this year. Solanki, 28, has played for more than a decade for the first team at New Road, and he will have Gareth Batty as his vice captain.Worcestershire had been searching to replace Ben Smith in the captaincy role following the retirmement of Steve Rhodes, who stood in as captain at the end of the 2004 season.”I am honoured and delighted to accept the invitation,” said Solanki, “and look forward to working with everybody at the club over the next few years.”We have a very strong squad of players and I look forward to working with them and Tom Moody in our hunt for titles.”Moody, the director of cricket at New Road, believes Solanki’s appointment is an important step forward: “Vikram is a Worcestershire player through and through and we are confident he has the right qualities to lead us forward at this stage of our development,” he said. “The experience he has recently gained in the successful England set-up can only help us at county level and I look forward to working with him in the future.”And how Worcestershire will need all of Solanki’s experience, following their disappointing first-class showing this year. A key factor in their relegation was the failure of the attacking allrounders Andrew Hall and Andy Bichel. Hall took 29 wickets at 36 apiece, whereas Bichel’s 33 victims cost 46 runs each. Worcestershire have already confirmed that Bichel will definitely not return to New Road next year, while Hall’s future with the club is still in the balance.