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Robert Griffiths QC, Darrell Hair’s barrister, has told a tribunal in London that the ICC bowed to pressure from a bloc of Asian countries when it, in effect, sacked his client in the aftermath of the abandonment of the Oval Test last year.Speaking on the first day of Hair’s claim at the London Central Employment Tribunal that he suffered racial discrimination at the hands of the ICC, Griffiths maintained that the Indian and Pakistan boards heavily influenced the ICC.”Darrell Hair’s case is that he was treated the way he was because the ICC bowed to the racially discriminatory pressure that was brought to bear on it by the Asian bloc and ICC board member supporters,” Griffiths said. “The Asian bloc is dominant in cricket sometimes it uses that dominance inappropriately. Everyone knows it, but most are afraid to say so.”Griffith asked why the ICC’s three-man panel who looked into Hair’s future included Pakistan board chairman Nasim Ashraf – who had earlier called for sanctions against Hair – Sir John Anderson, the New Zealand board chairman who supported action against Hair, and Zimbabwe Cricket president Peter Chingoka. “As the world knows only too well, Zimbabwe Cricket has not historically selected teams on merit,” he said. “It has selected its players on the basis of their race and colour.”An environment has been created for him that is any or all of intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating and offensive. His feelings have been most significantly injured. He has suffered both personally and financially.”

Opening for the defence, Michael Beloff QC denied the allegations. “[Hair] was not a victim of race discrimination,” he said. “He was the author of his own misfortune. In cricketing terms, Mr Hair ran himself out.”His case on the question of discrimination has been changeable, evasive and, to a degree, reckless. He was immeasurably the more experienced and senior of the two umpires and in respect of every action during the fourth Test which has excited adverse comment, Mr Hair took the initiative and Mr [Billy] Doctrove’s role was only to agree.”Critically, it was Mr Hair who baled out of the crucial meeting when an attempt was made by all interested parties to broker a restart to the match,” Beloff continued. “The fact that a majority of those who supported the so-called resolution were Black or Asian does not of itself establish or even give rise to the inference that they took their decision on grounds of Mr Hair’s race as distinct from his behaviour.”When he took the stand after lunch Hair accused Anderson of brokering a secret deal to end his career during a private lunch during an ICC meeting. That conversation was not previously disclosed and Hair’s lawyers maintain that crucial discussions were left out of official transcripts in what was described as a “Watergate-style cover-up”.Hair explained why he accused Pakistan of ball-tampering, claiming that he felt the rough state of the ball “had been accelerated by human intervention”. He stressed he had taken joint decisions throughout the Test with Doctrove. “I was surprised by how much roughing up of the ball there had been,” Hair told the tribunal. “There were quite a few scratch marks on it.”He said that at the conclusion of the game “Doctrove called time and I removed the bails at my end,” indicating the decision was taken in unison. He also said that “the abuse I received from Pakistan players continued unchecked by the ICC”.Arriving at the hearing, Ray Mali, the ICC president, told reporters: “We are here today because we are an organisation that believes in fairness, justice and equality. We have come here to prove that we have been fair throughout this process. We believe racism was never an issue in this matter.”

Mohammad Yousuf’s outstanding run in 2006 has pushed his rating points up to among the ten best of all time. Yousuf currently has 933 points, a mark bettered by only nine batsmen in the history of Test cricket. Ricky Ponting leads the current rankings with 940 points, and after his hundred at Adelaide, that rating will go up even higher. He needs just six points to go past Len Hutton’s mark and become second only to Don Bradman.Both Yousuf and Ponting have had an amazing run of form this year. Yousuf broke numerous records – the most prominent being the highest aggregate in a calendar year (1788), and the most number of hundreds in a year (nine). His dream run means he is now 51 points clear of the third-placed Rahul Dravid.Ponting, meanwhile, has been equally prolific in 2006. His century at Adelaide was his seventh in eight Tests this year, and he has already become the second-highest run-getter this year with two matches still to play.

Once again the two captains remained tight-lipped about the composition of their respective teams when they spoke to the press ahead of the second one-day international at Mohali. Rahul Dravid, however, announced that Rudra Pratap Singh and Suresh Raina would miss out. Marvan Atapattu conceded that his team was considering making changes.The one thing the two captains agreed on was that the dew factor could play a role in the game. “That’s the talk going around,” said Atapattu. “We have to think a bit differently about the personnel we will use, and there might be a change or two. I said at the start of the series that it will be a closely battled series and India deserved the Nagpur win, we were outplayed in all departments, but are confident of getting a win here.”Dravid made it clear that India were not idly experimenting with the composition of the team or the batting order. “It’s not experimenting for the sake of it,” he said. “We carry out plans that we think will be good for a particular match, and sometimes, we have the long-term picture in mind as well. I will say we might do things differently or we might not, but our main aim is to try and win every match, and there will be no compromise in that regard.”Both sides have something to think about when it comes to the opening batting combination, and Dravid said that Virender Sehwag’s lack of form did not worry him. “He’s batting really well, looking good in the nets,” said Dravid. “I am not really concerned about his form. He is due for a big one. He made a good 70 in the one-day final in Zimbabwe not too long back and another good 70 in the Super Test. Obviously we would like him to convert his starts and he too would like to, but I strongly believe he is just one match away from a big knock.”Atapattu revealed that Sri Lanka were considering opening the batting with Kumar Sangakkara, who tackled the medium-pacers with aplomb, and used the fielding restrictions to good effect in Nagpur. “The way he batted in Nagpur, as well as in the Super Series in Australia, gives us the option of giving him the chance to open the batting.”Dravid once again had a good word for Sachin Tendulkar, who is all set to play his 350th ODI tomorrow. “It’s a phenomenal achievement and I hope he goes on to play a lot more matches,” said Dravid. “He is only 32, and I know he doesn’t place a lot of importance on numbers, but 350 games is something to be proud of.”

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With the Champions Trophy just around the corner, Bangladesh were unconvincing in their five-wicket victory over Scotland at Edinburgh. Defending a meager 143, Scotland’s attack applied pressure on the batsmen but could not rein in Mohammad Ashraful, who scored 61 rapidly, with more boundaries than the entire Scottish side.Craig Wright had braved injury to captain Scotland, and it was his decision to bat first. It was a choice he was soon to regret, as his openers could not handle the bowler-friendly conditions, and the side was in dire straits at 70 for 5. Bangladesh’s bowlers shone, never letting the batsmen get away, and only Colin Smith (35) and Fraser Watts (26) could breach the attack.For Scotland, who were more or less on an even keel with Bangladesh only a few years ago, it was a chastening experience where nothing seemed to work. Even their fielding, which often gave them cause for relief, showed up only in bits and pieces.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has given John Wright a contract extension to coach the Indian team until at least September 2004.Wright, former New Zealand captain and opening batsman, has coached India since November 2000, and saw his side recover from a disastrous tour of New Zealand last summer to be the beaten finalist at the 2003 World Cup. That effort has earned him a three-month bonus, as well as a contract extension.Jagmohan Dalmiya, the BCCI’s president, said Wright’s contract would see the side through to the International Cricket Council’s Champions Trophy, being played in England in August-September next year.Andrew Leipus, India’s physiotherapist, has also had his contract extended, while South African Gregory King has been appointed as the team’s new trainer.India face a tough programme in the upcoming season, which opens with a home series against New Zealand. That will be followed by a tour of Australia, and a home series with Pakistan – subject to government approval. Bangladesh are due to host India in April next year before the Champions Trophy.

Nashua WP opening bowler Roger Telemachus will miss this weeks Supersport Series match against Griquas due to injury.MEDIA RELEASE:NASHUA WESTERN PROVINCE VS GRIQUALAND WESTNewlands Cricket GroundSUPERSPORT SERIES25, 26, 27, 28 October 2001NASHUA WESTERN PROVINCE TEAM:1) Graeme Smith2) Rashaad Magiet3) Andrew Puttick4) Hylton Ackerman ( C )5) Jonathan Trott6) Neil Johnson7) Thami Tsolekile8) Alan Dawson9) Claude Henderson10) Paul Adams11) Charl Willoughby12) Marc de Stadler13) Renier MunnikNot considered due to injury: Ashwell Prince, Roger TelemachusCOACHES: Vincent Barnes and Eric SimonsARTHUR TURNERCHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERWESTERN PROVINCE CRICKET ASSOCIATION

Tom Curran, the Surrey pace bowler, has been added to the England Performance Programme for the training camps in South Africa and the UAE.Curran, 20, who was born in Cape Town, is due to complete his residential qualification period at the end of October and be eligible for England.He finished the season with 105 wickets in all cricket – 76 of them in the Championship to make him the joint-leading wicket-taker in Division Two – after claiming 10 for 176 against Northamptonshire at The Oval, including 7 for 35 in the first innings when he shared all ten wickets with his younger brother, Sam.James Whitaker, the national selector, said: “Tom has had a superb season leading the Surrey pace attack, and following confirmation that he is due to complete his residential qualification to play for England at the end of October, we are delighted to add him to the EPP fast bowlers group for the winter.”The EPP is initially split into two sections and Curran will join the fast-bowling group in Potchefstroom for a 10-day camp before linking up with the batting/spin bowling players who will be based in Dubai.Jake Ball, Craig Miles, Craig and Jamie Overton, Tymal Mills and Olly Stone are the other fast bowlers heading to South Africa.Sam Curran, 17, has been included in the England U-19 squad for a triangular series in Sri Lanka ahead of next year’s U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh.

ScorecardJaydev Unadkat’s nine-wicket haul helped Saurashtra wrap up a one-sided contest inside three days in Valsad•Getty Images

Saurashtra thrashed Vidarbha by an innings and 85 runs to book their place in the Ranji Trophy semifinal for the first time in three seasons. Jaydev Unadkat, the left-arm seamer, picked up four wickets in the second innings to take his match tally to 9 for 116 as Vidarbha were bowled out for 139 shortly after tea on Day 3. Deepak Punia, the medium pacer, took three wickets in the second innings.Vidarbha, who resumed on 17 without loss after Saurashtra took a 224-run lead, lost wickets in clumps, with the highest partnership of the innings being the 44-run fifth-wicket stand between Ravi Jangid and Wasim Jaffer, who top scored with 48. Umesh Yadav, who picked up five wickets in the first innings, was absent hurt after injuring his ankle on the field on Thursday.
ScorecardAssam collapsed to 101 in their second innings but seamer Arup Das’ 6 for 82 took them closer to a semi-final spot, wrecking Punjab’s chase of 288 on the third day in Valsad. Punjab had reached 224 for 8 by close of play, and need another 64 runs with two wickets in hand.Arup cut through Punjab’s top order, sending back the openers and No. 3 batsman Uday Kaul by the 10th over to leave the side at 26 for 3. Gurkeerat Singh and Mandeep Singh resisted briefly with a 70-run partnership for the fourth wicket but both batsmen fell to pacer Dheeraj Goswami. Gurkeerat fell after compiling a brisk 64 off 55 deliveries with 12 fours and two sixes. Arup then returned to prise out the lower order, getting rid of Mayank Sidhana, Harbhajan Singh and Siddarth Kaul.Punjab might have fancied their chances of a semi-final spot after they had bowled Assam out for 101. The batting side, who had a first-innings lead of 186, had resumed the third day at a shaky 23 for 4 and were soon tottering at 53 for 8. Arup had a handy contribution with the bat, too, scoring a rapid 31 off 18 deliveries with three fours and two sixes. His innings nudged Assam past the 100-run mark, eventually setting Punjab a target of 288. Assam lost all their wickets to pacers – Barinder Sran took 5 for 43, Siddarth Kaul had returns of 4 for 25, his second four-for in the game, and left-arm pacer Deepak Bansal chipped in with one wicket.
ScorecardJharkhand were faced with an uphill climb, with Mumbai holding the aces in their quarterfinal fixture in Mysore. After deciding against enforcing a follow-on, Mumbai, who took a 244-run lead, pressed forward courtesy Shreyas Iyer. The 20-year old struck nine fours and two sixes in his 106-ball 81. In doing so, he became the third youngest Mumbai batsman after Rusi Modi and Ajinkya Rahane to score 1000 runs in a Ranji Trophy season. Abhishek Nayar, the stand-in captain, built on the ground work laid by Iyer with a sprightly 43 even as Samar Qadri, the legspinner, took 5 for 62 to bring an end to Mumbai’s innings on 245.Set 490 to win, Jharkhand, who were bowled out for 173 in the first innings, lost Anand Singh early as Iqbal Abdulla, the left-arm spinner, had him caught by Iyer. Shiv Gautam and Virat Singh saw off a nervous 20-minute passage through to stumps as Jharkhand ended the day on 28 for 1.

Malcolm Speed, the International Cricket Council’s chief executive, has written to the boards of India [BCCI] and Pakistan [PCB] asking for comments on reports of racism during matches this week. However, the Indian board said that it was yet to receive any letter from the ICC.”We have noted media reports of racist chanting during the India-Australia ODI in Vadodara on Thursday and also of racist abuse directed at South Africa players and team officials in Lahore,” said Speed. “In the light of those reports we have written to both the BCCI and the PCB [on Saturday] asking for their comments on the incidents.”Speed said that it was crucial to ensure “cricket remains free from the scourge of racism”. He said: “The ICC retains a zero tolerance to racism as illustrated in our Anti-Racism Code which was strengthened last year following consultation with our Members and the ICC Board. The Code outlines measures host members are expected to undertake and those measures were unanimously approved by the ICC’s Board. We need to understand whether those measures are working.”Speed said the matter of racism would be further discussed at the ICC’s board meeting in Dubai at the end of this month.Although Cricket Australia has decided to let the BCCI take action, if any, in regards to the incident that occured on the boundary towards the end of Australia’s win in Vadodara, Ricky Ponting has urged the ICC to enforce its strict anti-racism code.Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI chief administrative officer, said that the Indian board had not yet received the letter from the ICC. He also criticised Andrew Symonds for his comments in the newspapers where Symonds had said the Indian team had been treated like rock stars and princes after the ICC World Twenty20 win. “He [Symonds] need not comment on what we do,” Shetty told .

John Buchanan believes using Glenn McGrath at first-change gives Australia more flexibility and says the decision will not stop him from taking the new ball for the Ashes. McGrath’s slow return in India has been heavily analysed since his 2 for 36 against England on Saturday and Buchanan and Jason Gillespie were the latest to offer their support.”One-day cricket and what we’re doing here [in India] is slightly different to the Test match arena, because we’re actually working out how to play our powerplays a bit better than we have in the past,” Buchanan said in The Australian. “So by utilising Glenn in that way it gives us more flexibility, but I think the Test match arena is different to that.”I can only hand that one back to the selectors but I wouldn’t have thought it would change their thinking on his role in Test cricket.” Buchanan also said McGrath still had “a great desire to be amongst the team and to play well”.McGrath said in The Courier-Mail it was his idea to drop back to first-change for the Champions Trophy. “I’m happy with it,” he told the paper.Gillespie spoke highly of his former opening partner and remembered the 2000-01 series against West Indies when his speed dropped to the low 120kph range. McGrath collected 10 wickets and gave up only 27 runs in 33 overs in the first Test at the Gabba and grabbed a hat-trick in the next match at Perth.”We were all giving it to him, saying ‘how slow are you’,” Gillespie said in . “And he said, ‘look at the figures’. Having control and hitting good areas is what it’s all about.”Buchanan said the team had made the right decision to have McGrath in the Champions Trophy squad rather than playing for New South Wales in the Pura Cup. “That discussion was had a long time ago with the selectors and Glenn, myself and Ricky Ponting, and I don’t think we’ve changed our opinion,” Buchanan said. “The main thing is that he’s actually out playing and gaining confidence, and that’s the thing that we need to take into an Ashes series.”