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Heath Streak, Ray Price, Trevor Gripper and Sean Ervine have been included in the Zimbabwe A team that will take on Sri Lanka in a three-day tour match ahead of the first Test.Streak, the former captain of the Zimbabwe team, and 14 other cricketers who had rebelled against the Zimbabwe Cricket Union, returned to training on Friday. This effectively ended a boycott that began on April 2.However, Streak will not be leading the team. Alester Maregwede has been named the captain of the team. Streak, however, is just happy to be playing cricket once more. A report quoted him as saying, “I’m elated, very excited. I’m looking forward to getting back on the park, and I hope the ZCU is serious about resolving our grievances.”Meanwhile, the rebel players have demanded that Streak be reinstated as captain of the national team, and that a two international mediators are appointed to break the deadlock between the ZCU and the players. The players have submitted these demands to the ZCU in a letter, and Chris Venturas, their lawyer, who speaks of a "mechanism to resolve the issue."Earlier the ZCU had suggested a similar process of mediation, but the players had rejected it on the basis that the process would take too long. Two major points remain unresolved. The first is the reinstatement of Streak as captain, which the ZCU has repeatedly refused. The second is the removal of one member of the selection panel. This matter is not even up for discussion, according to the board.The ZCU has till Thursday to accept or reject the proposal, but Venturas is not optimistic. "I feel they will turn us down," he said. Vince Hogg, the chief executive of the ZCU, confirmed receiving the letter but would not comment on the matter. The rebel players will practice alongside their one-day replacements in the lead up to the two-Test series against Sri Lanka. However, they would walk out if their demands were not met, said Grant Flower.Zimbabwe A team 1 Trevor Gripper, 2 Mark Vermeulen, 3 Stuart Matsikenyeri, 4 Alester Maregwede (capt), 5 Vusi Sibanda, 6 Elton Chigumbura, 7 Sean Ervine, 8 Heath Streak, 9 Prosper Utseya, 10 Blessing Mahwire, 11 Ray Price.

ScorecardNew Zealand A swept to an innings victory on the fourth day against their Sri Lankan counterparts at Village Green in Christchurch, to wrap up a 2-0 series win. Sri Lanka had been up against it ever since a remarkable ninth-wicket stand of 209 between Paul Wiseman and Bruce Martin, but the end when it came was quick and to the point.Ian Daniel and Bathiya Perera could add just three runs between them to their overnight totals, before James Franklin and Kyle Milles tore through the middle order, with all five of the next batsmen recording ducks. Dinusha Fernando and Tharanga Lakshitha salvaged a modicum of pride from 94 for 9, adding 31 for the last wicket, but by then the game was well and truly up.

Inzamam-ul-Haq has received a one-Test ban for showing dissent against umpiring decisions on the last day of the Bangalore Test.Saleem Altaf, the Pakistan team manager, clarified that Inzamam had been pulled up for two instances of misconduct. “We had a hearing with the match referee, Chris Broad, for two counts of excessive appealing and dissent. On the first count, he has been fined 30% of his match fees and on the second, a level two offence, he has been given a one-Test ban.”Pakistan ended up winning the match by 168 runs, but Inzamam was visibly miffed when a couple of caught-behind appeals against the Indian openers were denied on the first session. Gautam Gambhir was lucky to survive – the snickometer clearly showed contact between bat and ball – but the decision in favour of Virender Sehwag seemed a good one. Inzamam was especially upset after Sehwag was ruled not out, charging past the batsman and shaking his hands in anger.Altaf indicated that the Pakistan board would take a decision on whether or not to appeal against the verdict. If the decision stays, then Inzamam will have to sit out of Pakistan’s first Test on their tour of the West Indies.

Michael Bevan, the former Australian middle-order batsman, is set to miss the start of the domestic season to recover from knee surgery.Bevan, who was Tasmania’s talismanic batsman last summer after his move from New South Wales, said the healing process was taking longer than expected and he would not be training for another month. “No doubt it’ll come good,” Bevan told the website. “It’s just getting through the frustration and being patient enough to wait until it does.”Tim Coyle, the Tasmania coach, said Bevan would not be pressured to rush back. “We are very keen to get it right,” he said. “If it means missing the first few games, it’s better to do that and have him right for the rest of the year.” Bevan had the operation in March, but his recovery has taken twice as long as he hoped.Tasmania have more injury worries with Luke Butterworth, the allrounder, in doubt for the start of the season after undergoing groin surgery.

On a sultry evening in Colombo the Under-19 World Cup was launched withtypical Sri Lankan flair. The town may have been lashed by someunseasonably heavy rain, but that didn’t put a damper on the event as 16teams and numerous dignitaries descended on the Taj Samudra hotel.This is the second time Sri Lanka has hosted the tournament, and alongwith the 2002 Champions Trophy, they know how to put on a decent show.Tonight that involved traditional dancing and the appearance of a verywell behaved elephant.The Under-19 World Cup has grown in stature since the 1998tournament, and there were some heavyweight figures on the top table.Malcolm Speed had flown in this morning and was joined by the Sri LankanMinister of Sports and Youth Affairs, Jeewan Kumaranatunga, the chairmanof Sri Lanka Cricket, Jayantha Dharmadasa and Ian Frykberg, directorof the Global Cricket Corporation.First of all, the captains were paraded onto stage preceded by a group of drummersand lively dancers. Moises Henriques, the Australian captain, led the wayaccompanied by his flag bearer. A special round of applause was saved forthe host country and their skipper, Angelo Mathews, and the two tables ofUSA players greeted their captain with hearty applause. The widest smileswere also worn by the players from some of the lesser known countries,with the Ugandans clearly soaking up the atmosphere.

Digital cameras were not in short supply, as players grabbed memories ofthe biggest moment in their life. There was one player, however, who willhave been fairly used to the situation: Nepal’s captain, Kanishka Chaugai,is appearing in his third Under-19 World Cup – an impressive feat.As the captains lined up on stage, they lit up a world map behind them witheach of their countries. Asia was aglow – five nations are involved in theWorld Cup – but the British Isles was also shining strongly, and the USAbeaming brightly. The ICC want a global game and this tournament iscertainly not lacking for diversity. It would be a success if not only a clutch of young players came onto the scene, but a couple of developing cricketing nations made steps to establish themselves.The `big’ attraction then made its appearance; a huge elephant – withrider – plodded into the marquee, carrying the trophy and presenting it toSpeed. It was an impressive addition to the show, certainly not somethingyou would see at Lord’s or the MCG, but you just sat there hoping it wasnot an easily spooked animal. The master of ceremonies couldn’t resist anobvious pun as the elephant plodded away, claiming this was going to be a”jumbo tournament.”Speed’s opening speech followed and showed he still had a sense of humour,despite a number of testing situations he has had to deal with around theworld of late. “The ICC are often blamed when things go wrong ininternational cricket,” he said, “so it was no surprise that as I drovefrom the airport in the heavy rain I was told it was the first time in 12years it had rained in February.”There certainly isn’t much that can be done about the weather and it justhas to be hoped that it doesn’t affect the tournament to any great extent.Despite the untimely rain, however, thoughts are now firmly turningtowards the real action with the build-up now complete. As Speedadded, “may the best team win.”

Kenya have named a 31-man squad for their ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Namibia at the end of February, and it includes most of the players who went on strike last October.The suspension of the KCA executive speeded up talks aimed at resolving the issue, and the departure of coach Andy Moles, who is thought to have clashed with some senior players, cleared the way for their reinstatement.The manner in which Moles quit has not gone down well. He still had some of his two-year contract remaining, and less than a fortnight ago he returned to Nairobi from his Christmas break and categorically denied that he was considering leaving.Hitesh Modi, Kenya’s captain, told reporters that Moles’ strict approach to the game may have had a bad effect on the team’s performance. “He insisted on the players adapting to his own style and wanted to have his own way,” Modi explained. “In fact we were even training more than ever before but we were not registering good results.”Kenya squad Hitesh Modi (capt), Ravindu Shah, Steve Tikolo Kennedy Obuya, Thomas Odoyo, Alfred Luseno, Peter Ongondo, Maurice Ouma, Collins Obuya, Lameck Onyango, Jadhavji Bhimji, Rashmi Gami, Brijal Patel, Martin Suji, Amit Bhudia, Ashish Karia, Ragheb Aga, Abeed Janmohamed, Kalpesh Patel, Malhar Patel, Nehemiah Odhiambo, Hafeez Manji, Alpesh Bhudia, Ashok Hiren, Tanmay Mishra, Timothy Muange, Shiraz Ali, Mukhit Musani, Rajesh Bhudia, Alex Obanda.

The formidable Faisalabad Wolves lived up to their billing when they won the ABN-AMRO Cup Gold League,beating Lahore Eagles by seven wickets in the final at the National Stadium in Karachi on Thursday.Faisalabad have in fact regained their national limited overs title, which they had won for the first time in 2003-04 by bagging the season’s Quaid-e-Azam Cup. Lahore Eagles were one of the losing semi-finalists last season.After being put in to bat on a seaming pitch, the Eagles recovered from a shaky start of 43 for 4 in 16 overs to muster 244 , thanks to a defiant 62 by Shahbaz Butt, the wicketkeeper. Saeed Ajmal, the offspinner came under heavy punishment conceding 70 runs in 9.4 overs.The Wolves in reply romped home in 44.1 overs, losing only three wickets. Naved Latif finished with 54 not out off 55 balls and Misbah-ul-Haq, the captain, remained unbeaten on 44. The two shared an unbroken stand of 93 for the fourth wicket.Samiullah Khan, the left-arm fast bowler, picked up the Man-of-the-Match award for his fiery bowling, with figures of 4 for 25. The Faisalabad captain received the glittering trophy and a cash prize of Rs 2,50,000 while Aamer Sajjad, the Lahore Eagles captain, collected the runners-up trophy and a cash award of Rs 1,25,000.The Faisalabad opening pair of Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Ali gave their team a flying start of 124 runs in 19 overs. Hafeez was trapped lbw by Sohail Ahmed for 67, where he clubbed eight fours and a six his during his 52-ball knock. Imran Ali’s 73 included 10 boundaries.Mohammad Hafeez (best batsman), Saeed Ajmal (best bowler), Mohammad Salman (best wicketkeeper) and Multan Tigers’ Saeed Anwar Junior and Lahore Eagles’ Abid Ali (joint prize for best fielder) got special awards carrying Rs 25,000 each.

Shahriar Nafees, the Bangladesh opener, has been fined 20% of his match-fees for dissent during the third one-day international against Australia at Fatullah.Nafees was found guilty by Jeff Crowe, the match referee, for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct that relates to “Showing dissent at an umpire’s decision by action or verbal abuse”.After he was given out leg before to Mitchell Johnson, Nafees shook his head and gestured with his bat in the direction of the Bangladesh dressing-room as he walked back. He was reported by Ian Howell and Nadir Shah, the on-field umpires, and AFM Akhtaruddin, the third umpire.”The player admitted what he had done was wrong and I took this, together with his previously exemplary conduct, into account,” said Crowe. “However, it is important to show that dissent of any sort at an umpire’s decision is unacceptable and the player’s punishment for his actions illustrates that fact.”

On a day dominated by the announcement of Australia’s new coach, another coaching decision almost slipped under the radar. Greg Shipperd has benefited from Victoria’s outstanding 2006-07 season with a two-year reappointment as the Bushrangers’ coach.Victoria sit on top of the Pura Cup table and second in the Ford Ranger Cup, having last month claimed their second successive Twenty20 title. Shipperd said Victoria were well-placed heading into the last few rounds in each competition, despite the likely continued loss of their captain and vice-captain to the Australia side.Shipperd said Cameron White and Brad Hodge were key players but Victoria’s depth would mean the Bushrangers could get by without them. “There are a couple of good prospects there,” Shipperd told the .”Robert Quiney and Aiden Blizzard are probably the two we’ve looked at closely throughout this season with their second XI and Premier Cup form.” Quiney struggled in his few limited-overs outings for Victoria this season but an unbeaten 215 in Melbourne’s grade cricket on the weekend could make him the frontrunner to replace Hodge.Shipperd, who in 2003-04, his first season as coach, took Victoria to their first Pura Cup win in more than a decade, said hosting and winning the final this year was the team’s focus. “It would be foolish not to be positive about that possibility,” he said.

The USA’s Under-19 cricketers got an opportunity at last in Los Angeles to display the skills that had carried them through unbeaten in the Americas U-19 tournament in Canada five months ago.The 2005 U-19 tournament had been postponed, and then relocated from Florida to Los Angeles a month ago. Given the uncertainties caused by the assorted hurricanes in Florida, this was probably an expedient move – southern California is one of the few places that can promise an equable cricket climate in mid-November, and Los Angeles has certainly proved that it has the facilities to organize and hold major tournaments – after all, it was also the default location last year for the delayed US national finals.The tournament format was a somewhat truncated form of the 2004 version. Instead of three days of cricket during with each Zone played the other three, there were only two days of cricket with the first-day winners automatically placed in the second-day finals and the losers playing for third and fourth places.Judging by the results, the new format definitely worked to the disadvantage of last year’s finalist, the Atantic/SE Zone. They were beaten handily by the West (NW/SW) Zone, with their U-19 USA players Ravi Timbawala and Abhimanyu Rajp among the runs and the wickets respectively. This automatically put them out of the finals. Had there been a third match for them to play, they might have had a chance to break back into the tournament with a possible victory over New York who they had defeated in 2004. As it was, they showed what they were capable of in their decisive win over the Central Zone (CE and CW) for third place.Meanwhile, New York/NE faced few problems in their march to the tournament victory. Having skittled out the Central Zone with almost as much ease as the Atlantic/SE Zone were to do the following day, they eked out a closer but comfortable victory over West Zone in the finals and captured the 2006 National tournament. Again, the New York/NE stars in the USA national team, Akeem Dodson and Hemant Punoo (USA U-19 captain), were credited with their batting for the New York victory.Compared with the 2004 tournament, fewer runs were scored in 2005. There were no centuries this time (there were two in 2004); Akeem Dodson’s 76 and unbeaten 71 for New York were by far the highest scores in the tournament, and established him as the best batsmen for the weekend; he was followed by Timbawala’s unbeaten 60 against Atlantic /SE. On the bowling side, there was one five-wicket haul by Dominc Auden for NY/NE against Central Zone, and one four-wicket haul, by Nisarg Patel (West) against Atlantic SE.Atlantic/SE 117 in 34.3 overs ( Romero Deane 22, Renardo Francis 19; Nisarg Patel 4-29, Nadir Malik 2-23, Abhemanyu Rajp 2-10) lost to West (NW/SW) 118 for 3 in 24.4 overs (Ravi Timbawala 60*, Mrunal Patel 19*; Tim Allen 2-30) by seven wicketsNew York/NE 242 in 44.3 overs (A Dodson 76, K Ramsabad, D. Audain, N Hay, T Walters 16, K Ganesh 14; S Singh 3-46, J Makwana 3-60, R. Siddiqi 2-49, Wakas Khan 1-37, Shaham Mumtaz 1-33) beat Central West/Central East 64 (D Audain 5-19, F Mughal 2-15, T Walter 2-19) by 178 runsChamionship Game : West (NW/SW) 159 for 9 in 45 overs lost to New York/ NE 160 for 3 ( Akeem Dodson 71*, H Punoo 34*, K Ganesh 30 ) by seven wicketsThird & Fourth Place Game Atlantic/SE 322 for 9 in 45 overs (Bhatt 52, Francis 42, Allen 41,Nathaniel 58*) beat Central (CW/CE) 121 (Allen 3-45, Nathaniel 3-24) by 201 runs