Andrew Flintoff is in doubt for the second Test against Pakistan after feeling discomfort in his ankle during his comeback match for Lancashire, against Kent, at Canterbury.A decision on his availability for the second Test at Old Trafford will be made after he visits a specialist tomorrow.An ECB statement said: “Andrew Flintoff has made good progress with his rehabilitation from an injury to his left ankle. He has worked extremely hard and at every stage of the rehabilitation program has shown improvement.”However, bowling in a four-day County Championship match against Kent was intended as the final test of the progress that he has made. Unfortunately, he has experienced some discomfort today and he will see a specialist tomorrow to reassess the ankle and future management of the injury.”Flintoff has steadily increased his workload over the last couple weeks, starting with two Twenty20 matches for Lancashire before his Championship return. He bowled 19 overs in the first innings against Kent, taking two wickets in his first spell. However, despite opening the bowling in the second innings he sent down just four overs before feeling pain in his ankle.England drew the first Test against Pakistan, at Lord’s, and the four-man bowling attack was lightweight without Flintoff’s presence. Andrew Strauss led the side and would again stand in if Flintoff is ruled out of any further Tests.

Darrell Hair expects to officiate in the Champions Trophy next month despite the unresolved issues from his decisions at the Oval Test. Hair told he was planning to stand in the tournament and an ICC source confirmed to the it was a “safe bet” Hair would be in India.”Yes, I am down to umpire in the Champions Trophy and I expect to fulfill that appointment,” Hair told from the Newmarket races in England. “I’m not sure what matches I’ll be doing but I’m looking forward to it.”‘Hair’s future has been under threat since he docked Pakistan five runs for ball tampering last month, a decision which resulted in the abandonment of The Oval Test when Inzamam-ul-Haq’s team refused to return to the field. Inzamam will face charges of ball tampering and bringing the game into disrepute in London during a two-day hearing starting on September 27.The ICC will unveil its officials for the Champions Trophy in the next 24 hours and an ICC source told the Herald Hair was “still regarded as one of our best umpires”. “It’s a safe bet that he’ll be there [for the Champions Trophy].”The Pakistan Cricket Board has so far not said anything on this latest development. When contacted, a senior PCB official told Cricinfo, “We can’t make any comments about this whole matter as it is considered sub judice. “Last week though, Reuters quoted a board source warning the ICC that Pakistan would consider taking strong action if Hair was to stand as umpire in any matches or tournaments involving them. The source said that the ICC had been informed in writing that if Hair was put on the umpires panel for the Champions Trophy, it would consider a number of options, including pulling out. “Pakistan is very clear on Hair’s future appointments. It does not want him appointed either in the Champions Trophy or any other series in which is Pakistan is playing,” the source said.For The Surfer blog go here.

Cash-strapped Glamorgan have admitted that they will not have any big-name foreign signings in 2007 as a result of their financial predicament.”It’s entirely down to money … we won’t have an overseas player in 2007, but will look at it again in 2008,” Glamorgan chairman Paul Russell told BBC Sport at the end of summer which saw them finish second bottom of the Championship and relegated from the Pro40 Division One.”It’s been disappointing to say the least, in all tournaments,” Russell admitted. “We have talented and able players, but they’re yet to gel so they are a poor team, but I feel we can be a good one. There hasn’t been a happy balance between youth and experience with the talented youngsters not getting the help they needed from the senior players – but the senior guys have been struggling for form.”The sense that things are heading towards a crisis was only fuelled by his final remark: “We will have a management meeting in mid-October when we will assess our season. Everyone will be under review …myself, the coach, the chief executive.”Russell admitted the county has lost £1 million in the last seven years, and the ambitious redevelopment plans for Sophia Gardens, which should reap rewards in the long term, will cause more serious cash-flow problems in the immediate future as interest charges rise.Towards the end of 2006 Robert Croft quit as captain, and his successor David Hemp tried to sound upbeat when he said the lack of an overseas star would allow homegrown youngsters to come through. “It was a hugely disappointing end to the season, but hard work is the only answer,” he told the BCC, “from the most seasoned player to the most junior.”Glamorgan have a rich history of fielding some of the biggest stars in the game, from Javed Mianded to Viv Richards. But, to their credit, they have not gone down the path trodden by other strugglers and filled their side with Kolpak signings.

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.”

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.

Greg Chappell, India’s under-fire coach, has been given a vote of confidence by Sharad Pawar, the board president.Chappell, whose two-year contract expires next April, has been subjected to widespread criticism in the Indian media after recent one-day reverses, but Pawar said that there “was no question of sacking him”.Pawar continued: “It’s true that the performance [against South Africa] was not up to the mark and there is tremendous scope to improve. But one should not forget it is the same team, the same captain and the same coach which had extremely good results in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.”The contract is there and there is no reason to interfere in it.”Chappell remained philosophical about the media attention. “Nobody likes being criticised and we are no different, and the boys are keen to perform to a level which would make the press and the fans back home happy,” he said. “The last few months have been frustrating because of interruptions by rain and only six of the last 13 games have been free from hold-ups.”Hopefully, from now until the next World Cup, the boys would be able to acquire as much momentum and confidence as possible.”

Abdul Razzaq, the Pakistan allrounder, has torn a calf muscle which could result in him missing the start of the South Africa series.Razzaq picked up the injury during the last ODI against the West Indies in Karachi and though the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is presently unwilling to say how serious it might be, a source close to the board suggested he might not return to full fitness for another three weeks. That would place his position for the first Test in South Africa, due to begin from January 11.Razzaq confirmed to AFP that he may be out for three weeks and that he is seriously doubtful for the first Test. “It is a calf injury and I will be out for at least three weeks after which I will have an MRI scan. It is very disappointing as a tour to South Africa is always a good one for a player. But I will try and get fit before the third Test.”A source close to the player told Cricinfo the injury was a fairly serious one though he could be back in training soon. “It is difficult to say right now how long it will be but I think it might be three weeks before he returns to full match fitness. He can train but it will take him that much time to recover full fitness.”Razzaq missed the winter series against England last year with an elbow injury and has suffered from a number of problems since he began his career in 1996-97.The injury continues a trying period for Razzaq, coming as it does soon after a mediocre Test series against the West Indies during which his place in the Test side was questioned on a number of occasions, including by members of the management.

The full itinerary for the women’s quadrangular series in Chennai has been released at last. Concerns that there would not be enough rest days have been allayed with the original two-week squeeze extended to a more leisurely three.The top four teams in the women’s game – India, Australia, New Zealand and England – will take part in this competition which takes place every four years. The tournament takes place throughout late February and early March, culminating in a Final and third place play-off on March 5.Gill McConway, the ECB’s executive director of women’s cricket, said: “It’s a very exciting phase of the international touring schedule for women’s cricket. The quadrangular series was initiated in New Zealand four years ago and was such a huge success that all the teams signed up to continue with the competition every four years.”The first practice match is between England and Australia on February 18, and the tournament proper gets underway three days later, when England take on the hosts India.

Stephen Fleming said he was still the best option to captain New Zealand despite their disappointing CB Series in Australia, where they missed the finals after a resurgent England overshadowed them in the later stages of the tournament. Fleming endured criticism of his decision-making and his own personal form during the series and there were calls for Daniel Vettori to take over the captaincy.But as New Zealand prepared for the first game of the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy at Wellington, Fleming defended his role with the team. “Leadership and decision-making is a massive part of my game,” he told . “I love the job, I love being with the team.”What I find tiring is spending weeks when you know you’re copping it. That can be a little bit draining but it’s part and parcel of being New Zealand captain when you’re not performing well. When you lose you’re torn apart.”Steve Rixon, the former New Zealand coach, said Fleming’s body language in Australia was “flat”, while Adam Parore continued his criticism of Fleming’s leadership and said Vettori should replace him. Fleming declined to respond directly to Parore’s comments. “I think we’ve given Adam enough exposure this week,” he said.Fleming’s own form was disappointing until he scored a century in New Zealand’s last game of the tour. But his tactics in that match – his 106 came from 149 balls in an unsuccessful run-chase – divided opinion in New Zealand. “In some games I’d have loved to have had another go at it, you can do 20 different things during a game,” Fleming said.He said New Zealand were expected to win the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy with Australia’s line-up missing Ricky Ponting, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Brett Lee and doubt surrounding Michael Clarke’s fitness. “It’s an oxymoron to say there’s a weak Australian side — there’s no such thing,” Fleming said.

Andrew Symonds is set for his first net session since injuring his right biceps but Ricky Ponting said the allrounder was still three to four weeks away from being 100% fit. Another three weeks on the sidelines would mean Symonds would miss all of Australia’s group matches.Symonds will have throw-down training with a tennis ball in St Vincent today but will not throw or bowl, the reported. Symonds had surgery on his ruptured muscle a month ago and Ponting said it had been a risk naming him in the World Cup squad.”We have taken a bit of a gamble with him coming here, but it’s one that we think is very worth taking,” Ponting told the paper. “Andrew Symonds is going to get picked in any World XI one-day team over the last couple of years and will probably be picked over the next three or four years. He’s a very important player to our team. That’s why we’ve taken that risk.”Ponting said Australia remained confident Symonds would be ready to play at the business-end of the tournament. “We’ve got lots of great back-up players back in Australia, guys we could have brought and left Andrew out,” he said.”But with the advice we’ve been given, we think in another three to four weeks he should be right and 100% ready to go. If he is then he’ll play a big part for us in the World Cup, no doubt about it.”