South Africa will be forced to go into their opening World Cup fixtureagainst Netherlands at Basseterre without any last-minutepractice, after persistent drizzle in St Kitts left the team with nooption but to call off their training session and return to theirhotel.”It’s not ideal and unfortunate,” said South Africa’s coach, MickeyArthur, “but we have worked hard in the last few days and the guys areon top of their game so there was no point in just going out andrisking a possible injury.”South Africa’s preparations were slightly complicated by the latearrival of their chief strike bowler, Makhaya Ntini, who stayed hometo attend the birth of his first daughter. He has now landed in StKitts, but is not expected to take part in tomorrow’s match.But, after a week dominated by the war of words between South Africaand the Australians whom they recently superceded as the world’s No. 1side, Arthur was looking forward to getting on with the competition.”I think we are comfortable with where we are with our preparation atthe moment,” said Arthur, who added that his players were not takingthe Dutch challenge lightly. “We have actually dug deep on theNetherlands, and have got a lot of information and video analysis. Wemanaged to trade off with Ireland – they gave us info about theNetherlands, and we gave them info on Pakistan.”Arthur added that he was particularly impressed with the top three inthe Dutch batting line-up – Darron Reekers, Bas Zuiderent and, inparticular, their South African-born Essex allrounder, Ryan tenDoeschate, who has it in him to be one of the stars of the tournament.”ten Doeschate is their best player,” said Arthur. “He’s a goodcricketer and he bowls good areas.”Arthur confirmed that, to neutralise Netherland’s two “big units”,Reekers and Zuiderent, South Africa would emulate Scotland’s strategyof standing their wicketkeeper, Mark Boucher, up to the stumps. “I thinkit’s something that all keepers expect when they come to the WestIndies,” said Boucher. “When it’s subcontinental conditions you haveto do that sort of thing.”Boucher added that he was unfazed by the lack of practice his team hadgot for tomorrow’s match. “We’ve had four years to practice,” heshrugged. “Getting the job done is what matters. We’ve learnt somehard lessons in past World Cups, so we want to be clinical andprofessional.””We’re a lot better side than them [Netherlands] on paper,” added Boucher.”They’ve got two or three dangerous players, but if we go out thereand concentrate on what we can do, we should have no problem in goingthrough.”

Curtly Ambrose, the former West Indian fast bowler, has told the current lot of bowlers to avoid trying to be too ambitious on the Caribbean’s unhelpful pitches. He said the players needed to understand that conditions were different to when he was playing.”Just keep it simple,” Ambrose said. “The pitches nowadays aren’t really conducive to fast bowling and it can be a big turnoff. I would say to the guys, just try and forget about the pitch and go out there and do the best you can.”The West Indies have lost all three of their World Cup Super Eights matches so far and must win their next three, as well as rely on other teams’ results, if they are to have any hope of making the semi-finals. The hosts have just two points in the standings, courtesy their win over fellow qualifiers Ireland in the group stage.Their bowlers conceded 322 in their first Super Eights match against Australia, which they lost by 103 runs, a match where Ambrose felt the bowlers got carried away. “Bowl a proper line and length consistently, you will get wickets and will be successful,” he said. “They tried too many things against Australia.”Surprisingly, the hosts dropped Jerome Taylor in their second match against New Zealand to accommodate an extra batsman, Lendl Simmons, but still lost by seven wickets. Ambrose said omitting a bowler was a blunder.”I have always been of the opinion that you should never weaken your bowling to strengthen the batting, I figure if the batsmen you have selected can’t do the job, then you replace them,” he said. “I really don’t comment on selection but I am going to say ‘support the guys’ whichever team is playing out there.”The West Indies also lost to Sri Lanka by 113 runs, a defeat which further hit their chances of reaching the last four. Ambrose, who took 405 Test and 225 one-day wickets during his illustrious career, said like all other West Indian fans he too was upset with events at the World Cup. “I can’t say that I am a happy man at the moment because we are not doing too well and as a West Indian and a patriot I can’t stand losing,” he said.The defeats have left millions of Caribbean fans disappointed, former players looking for scapegoats and organisers fearing for the financial implications of seeing even emptier stadiums for the remaining matches. West Indies take on South Africa in Grenada on Tuesday where a defeat will confirm their elimination from the tournament.

With the World Cup disaster behind them, the Indian team think-tank assembled in Kolkata to begin a five-day conditioning camp, starting on Wednesday, before embarking on the Bangladesh tour.Newly-appointed cricket manager Ravi Shastri and captain Rahul Dravid flew into Kolkata to work out details of the conditioning camp, which would end on May 6. The team would leave for Bangladesh the next day to play three one-day international matches followed by two Tests.Bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and fielding coach Robin Singh, both newly appointed, have also arrived Kolkata to participate in the preparations for the conditioning camp which would be worked out by this evening. The camp would be held at the Eden Gardens.This is India’s first outing in the post Greg Chappell era and comes on the back of a defeat to Bangladesh in the World Cup group stage. The Indian team management has already sought details about the weather condition at this time of the year from the Cricket Association of Bengal.With new fielding coach Robin Singh and bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad scheduled to attend tonight’s strategy session, the team management would also finalise nitty-gritties of shoring up these two areas. Team physio John Gloster and trainer Gregory Alen King have also reached Kolkata.

Ben Edmondson, the Western Australia fast bowler, will play for Gloucestershire for two months to replace fellow Australian Marcus North.Gloucestershire had hoped to secure Umar Gul for 2007, but the Pakistan Cricket Board failed to give them their permission. Edmondson had a prolific season in 2006-07 with 41 Pura Cup wickets and will be available to Gloucestershire from June 15.”I played against Ben in Western Australia with the England Academy squad and was thoroughly impressed,” Jon Lewis, the Gloucestershire captain, said. “He has the ability to swing the old and new ball at good pace and will be an exciting addition to our squad.”

Owais Shah’s magical 55 took England to a five-wicket win in the second and final Twenty20 against West Indies at The Oval to square the series. Importantly, a couple of pieces of England’s one-day jigsaw showed signs of slotting into place ahead of the three-match one-day series too.Shah’s knock was an exercise in control, placement and guile – which is pretty much what you expect from him. However, the pressure this evening at a packed Oval was sufficient to test even the most experienced batsman, let alone one so green. With his captain, yesterday’s nearly-man Paul Collingwood departing, Shah was left with an asking-rate spiralling beyond 10-per-over. However, 16 runs off one Marlon Samuels over tipped the balance in England’s favour, and they squeezed home in the gloomy light with three balls to spare.”Yes, I’ve been wanting to play this type of innings for a while, especially in the one-day side,” Shah said, “and I’m obviously delighted. It’s just great getting the opportunity; I’m just taking it a game at a time, and trying to do well for England. If that leads to a permanent spot, then that couldn’t be more perfect.”He appears to have been around for ever. A former England Under-19 captain who drew comparisons with Mark Ramprakash, such was the extremity of his talent, Shah’s England career – not unlike Ramprakash’s, again – has yet to blossom. He hasn’t had a long run in the side, a factor which continues to frustrate him.”Yes. Of course it has. I’d like to play [more] for England; it’s difficult coming in [having played] a game here and a game there. It would be brilliant to have a lot of games but sometimes things don’t quite work out in your favour.”Looking more closely at Shah’s innings, it reveals plenty about not only Twenty20’s over-obsession with powerful strikers, but the impact a deft player can have. Yes, he clobbered the odd vaguely ugly four but the seven boundaries he guided were often just that: deftly placed into the gap, or unorthodoxly swept down to fine-leg. It was an innings of placement over power which, in the frenzy of Twenty20 cricket, is a rarity to be cherished. Success in the condensed format is, according to Shah, not solely about the wrists and placement.”I find you don’t have to adjust your game; you’ve got to adjust your thinking,” he said. “People think that twenty overs isn’t that long but, actually, it is and if you can get your head around that then it makes life a lot easier. That’s what i’ve found for Middlesex, having played Twenty20 cricket for them over the past two or three years, that you realise you have more time than you think.”Try telling Collingwood that. His hangdog expression when he was expertly stumped by Denesh Ramdin rather suggested England were heading for a 2-0 series defeat. But, unsurprisingly, Collingwood spoke proudly of recording his first win as England captain, citing his team’s ability to learn as a crucial factor.”I don’t think we were too far [off] last night. There were a lot of good things – our intent, we were so positive to get close to a massive total and it showed we were fighters. But certainly we improved with the ball tonight. And for them to go out, after just 24 hours, and choose the right balls, was excellent.”It’s a fickle game, though. A win is a win but, as he himself said, England won’t be getting carried away just yet. Their one-day road ahead is long and arduous but, as Shah showed tonight, there is plenty of talent: all they need is experience.

Former Sri Lanka captain and opening batsman Marvan Atapattu has pulled out of the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh citing personal commitments. Atapattu, 36 was named in the Test squad of 15 picked on June 13 for the three matches against Bangladesh beginning on June 25.Kanagan Mathivanan, the Sri Lanka Cricket secretary, said that the board had received a letter from Atapattu that due to commitments he was unavailable for the Bangladesh series. Atapattu had however stated that he would be available for future series. Atapattu is currently in England playing club cricket for Lashings.Although picked in the World Cup squad, Atapattu was not selected for any of Sri Lanka’s 11 matches during the tournament held in the Caribbean. Atapattu was also left out of the one-day series that followed in Abu Dhabi against Pakistan.The selection committee, headed by Ashantha de Mel, recalled Atapattu for the Bangladesh Test series. Sanath Jayasuriya, who is now expected to play just one-day cricket, was rested for the series and allowed to sign-up with English county Lancashire as their overseas replacement with Muttiah Muralitharan returning home for the Bangladesh series.Mathivanan said a replacement for Atapattu would be named shortly.

Yorkshire return to Sheffield for the first time in over a decade this week with two 2nd XI matches. The first is a one-day fixture at Sheffield United Cricket Ground on July 17 followed by a three-day Championship fixture at Abbeydale Park from July 18.Sheffield was for many years the home of Yorkshire cricket. Bramall Lane ground staged first-class Yorkshire matches for 110 years from 1863 to 1973 before the Club moved to Abbeydale Park where Championship games and one-day fixtures were played from 1974 to 1996.Sheffield City Council is delighted to see professional cricket back in the city. Councillor Tim Rippon, Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Culture and Planning at Sheffield City Council said “We are really looking forward to the return of Yorkshire to Sheffield. It is a great privilege that they have chosen to return to the city and we hope that local residents go along and watch the team and visitors to Sheffield enjoy their stay.”Stewart Regan, Yorkshire’s chief executive, said “I am delighted to see one of our sides returning to Sheffield where Yorkshire cricket began. It’s a great event for the city and the Club and something I hope can continue for many years to come.”Yorkshire’s final senior appearance at Abbeydale Park was in May 1996, when they drew their Championship match against Derbyshire, and Yorkshire 2nd XI took their final bow a month later when they lost a three-day Championship match against Gloucestershire by five wickets.Yorkshire’s first team played 41 first class matches at Abbeydale, winning eight, losing 11 and drawing 22 with two games being abandoned because of bad weather. They played a total of 391 games at Bramall Lane, winning 163, losing 78 and drawing 150 with three matches being abandoned.

Trinidad & Tobago Under-17 side pulled off a good 64-run win against Bermuda. T&T chose to bat and made a useful 173 all out. The opener Whitney Cudjoe made an excellent 47 from 64 balls. Important contributions also came from middle-order batters Alison Collins, with 22, and captain Jerveena Pollucksingh, who made 28.Offspinner Brittney Marshall took 3 for 20 for Bermuda, including a stunning return catch to dismiss Pollucksingh. Linda Mienzer also bowled well for 2 for 33 off her 8 overs.The Bermuda reply was highlighted by a lack of meaningful partnerships, with wickets falling at regular intervals, despite a brief threat when player-of-the-match Marshall struck a quick 25 off 31 balls with five powerful fours. Of the rest of the Bermudan batters, only skipper Chevonne Furbert reached double figures, making a late 15 in 18 balls with 2 fours.The other highlight was three brilliant run-outs, all with direct hits; two by Amanda Samaroo and another by Melissa Sandy. In the end, Bermuda were all out for 109 in 33.1 overs, 64 runs short.The T&T coach Brenda Solozano, was understandably pleased with the performance of her young team. “They were excellent today, achieving a good win against a good team, and we will continue to strive for excellence in the games ahead.”In the other game, Canada encountered little resistance from Argentina in their Americas Women’s Championship match in Toronto, winning by a comfortable eight wickets and they will now play Bermuda on Wednesday to be crowned winners as T&T, despite being unbeaten, are ineligible for the title.Allrounder Joanna White starred with both bat and ball, helping to bowl out Argentina for 108 in 34.1 overs, with 3 for 14. Then, with Canada’s reply at a crossroad at 31 for 2, she struck a superb unbeaten 34 from only 33 balls to help steer Canada home in the 17th over. She and opener Shoba Singh (35*) shared an unbeaten 81-run stand.A young and inexperienced Argentina can be proud of another spirited performance. At one point they were well placed at 82 for 3 after 24 overs, with fine contributions coming from Marcela Rojas, with 27, and Veronica Vasquez, with 18. However, White and Helene Gaffney (2 for 18) helped to dismiss the last seven Argentine wickets for 26 – and 108 was never going to be enough.Tournament organisers have brought Thursday’s fixtures forward to Wednesday, because thunderstorms have been predicted for Thursday and Friday.

The Pakistan board is trying to bring Mohammad Yousuf back into the fold after he’d signed up with the Indian Cricket League (ICL). Three other Pakistan internationals – Abdul Razzaq, Inzamam-ul-Haq and Imran Farhat – have also signed up with the league though, revealingly, the board has not made any efforts to convince them otherwise.A board official told Cricinfo that Yousuf’s absence was the main concern. “Obviously the four signing up is something of a loss but we are concerned mainly about Yousuf. We are trying to discuss his decision with him but we are happy that he is the only big name to sign up from Pakistan.”Local papers reported the board was considering offering greater financial rewards in a bid to lure Yousuf back and, though unconfirmed, they are likely to create some friction with players who turned down lucrative offers from the ICL to stay with Pakistan.Of equal concern, for this present administration, would be another policy u-turn. Since taking over in October 2006, the board has acquired an unhealthy reputation for reversing on major decisions; lifting the doping bans on Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Akhtar, sacking and then re-hiring 80 board staff and the dismissal and re-appointment of Mushtaq Ahmed are just three examples.Its policy on the ICL has been clear so far: any player associated with it will be banned from playing for Pakistan. And even as efforts are underway to change Yousuf’s mind, Nasim Ashraf, the PCB chairman, reiterated its stance on the ICL.”Our position is clear. Anybody who goes to the ICL does so of his own choice,” he told Cricinfo. “It is not an approved league and anybody associated with it will not be associated with Pakistan thereafter.”Critics point out, though, that the stance may cause legal complications. Arif Abbasi, a former board chairman, was involved in negotiations with Kerry Packer over the fate of Pakistan players who signed up with World Series Cricket in the late 1970s and he believes, as he did then, there is nothing wrong with a separate league.”What is wrong with the league? You can’t stop players from playing and earning money,” Abbasi told Cricinfo. “That is a human right and it will become an issue if the board tries to implement a ban. The PCB’s reaction stems from ignorance because Kapil Dev [the chairman of the ICL board] has already said players will be released for international matches. So where’s the problem?”Another legal problem could arise if the board does decide to bring back one player and ignore the other three. Further, none of them are legally bound to the board in any way, as none have current contracts. “You cannot justify bringing just one player back and banning the other three. In any case, how do you ban someone you have not selected?” asks Abbasi.Yousuf is currently unavailable but some further development, says one official, is expected in the next few days. Just how unawares the board was caught by the signing is evident from the uncertainty of his response. “We need a few days to see what is happening. We are not sure at this point how big this whole issue will be or how it will pan out. We will have a clearer development on the whole matter in a few days.”

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 .